'The coronavirus has made me so grateful for city parks'

Jennifer

Reading — Intermediate Level
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Activity

Read the text and answer the questions

Though almost all my time is spent in my house, every day I’m seeking small, socially distanced and legally sanctioned moments outside: standing in the sun in my tiny, concreted inner-city courtyard among my pot plants, wandering under the grand paperbark trees lining my street to watch confused ibises loiter near empty bins or, best of all, walking or running through my local parks (always moving – since we are no longer allowed to just sit, even alone).

Exercising with your household or in pairs is the last form of allowable in-person socialising we have – so the park is the new pub for some of us. Chatting over beers is replaced by sessions sharing whatever crumbs of gossip still exist, while panting three metres apart to the sounds of the Nike Training app (god, I miss the pub). On the weekends, with more time, I have gravitated towards the coast – to walk along Sydney’s dramatic cliffs, seeking a blast of wind to the face and a faraway ocean horizon to stare at.

Parks feel like the last communal place we can encounter other people, strangers, in ways that don’t feel stressful or threatening. Unlike the grocery store, where people eye each other off as they move hurriedly to the toilet paper aisle, in parks there is still a degree of normalcy, tenderness even. Provided paths aren’t crowded, people can literally breathe deeply.

One effect of this crisis has been to underscore the importance of public infrastructure we may have previously taken for granted. Where we once watched on as governments neglected or imperilled our robust social safety net and public healthcare system, we now better understand what is at stake. I would add accessible green space in our cities to that list.
  1. "One effect of this crisis has been to underscore the importance of public infrastructure we may have previously taken for granted"
    To "underscore" means:
  2. The author is seeking a small, socially distanced moments outside
    "Seeking" means:
  3. The author feels that  
  4. "There is still a sense of normalcy felt at the park"
    This sentence means:
  5. "Wandering under the grand paperbark trees lining my street"
    "Trees lining my street" means
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Discussion

Practice your writing skills by discussing the questions below

  1. Do you like going to the park? Why? Why not?
  2. How do parks look like in your area?
  3. What do people normally do at /in the park?
    Jennifer

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