问答题

Passage Seven
New York
For most of us, the word vacation conjures up images of lounging on a Caribbean beach or touring the picturesque terrain of some European country. An urban center (like New York City) bustling with people, traffic and skyscrapers might not immediately come to mind. However, large cities often offer tourists an incredible variety of sites and activities. The City, as New York City is often referred to, is home to world-renowned museums and restaurants, exciting attractions, an array of entertainment and unbeatable shopping. If you are anything like the 29 million American travelers that visit "the Big Apple" annually, your next vacation spot just may be New York City.
As a travel destination, New York has something to offer almost every visitor. Though tourism has dropped since September 11, 2001, there are still lots of reasons to visit what many consider the greatest city in the world.
In this article, we will explore the basics of what every visitor needs to know before planning a trip to New York City. You will leam about getting to and around the city, the neighborhoods, some main (and lesser known) attractions and some pretty useful secrets.
City Overview
New York City (NYC) is located on the Eastern Atlantic coast of the United States. It rests at the mouth oftbe Hudson River. The city is often referred to as a "city of islands". Greater NYC is made up of five distinct areas called boroughs. These boroughs include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. The boroughs are separated from each other by various bodies of water and are connected by subways, bridges and tunnels.
In terms of the geography of NYC, it is best to imagine the Greater New York area as a main center island (Manhattan) surrounded by outer islands (the other boroughs):
· Queens is located just east of Manhattan.
· Brooklyn is situated to the southeast of Manhattan.
· Staten Island is located southwest of Manhattan.
· The Bronx is located north of Manhattan.
Only Manhattan and Staten Island are on their own land masses. The Bronx is the only borough that is attached to the New York State mainland.
When people refer to New York City, they are usually talking about Manhattan. Most of NYC’s main attractions are located in this borough and the majority of visitors spend most of their vacation here. For this reason, let’s examine the organization of the island of Manhattan.
A Short History of the Big Apple
No discussion about New York would be complete without asking why New York is referred to as "the Big Apple". Like many things about New York, you’ll probably get a different answer depending on who you ask. According to the Museum of the City of New York, it is believed that in the 1920’s, a sportswriter overheard stable hands in New Orleans refer to New York City’s racetracks as "the Big Apple". The phrase was most widely used by jazz musicians during the 1930’s and 40’s. They adopted the term to refer to New York City, and especially Harlem, as the jazz capital of the world.
The Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano may have been the first European to explore the New York region in 1524. More than 80 years later, Englishman Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. But it was Dutch settlements that truly started the city. In 1624, the town of New Amsterdam was established on lower Manhattan. Two years later, according to local legend, Dutchman Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the local Native Americans for 60 guilders (about $24) worth of goods.
Few people realize that New York was briefly the U.S. capital from 1789 to 1790 and was the capital of New York State until 1797. By 1790, it was the largest U.S. city. In 1825, the opening of the Erie Canal, which linked New York with the Great Lakes, led to continued expansion.
A charter was adopted in 1898 incorporating all five boroughs into Greater New York. New York has always been and remains a city of immigrants. Patterns of immigration are integral to the city’s history and landscape, hnmigration, mainly from Europe, swelled the city’s population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War Ⅱ, many African-Americans from the South, Puerto Ricans, and Latin Americans migrated to the city.as well. Because of the variety of innnigrant groups, both historically and currently, New York is often referred to as a true "melting pot".
Getting to New York City
There are several important things to think about when traveling to New York. If you’re thinking about driving into the city, consider this:
· Tolls for turnpikes (收费公路), bridges and tunnels are the highest in the nation.
· Traffic, especially on weekdays, can be extremely heavy.
· Finding a parking space is a rarity and parking can cost five times what it costs anywhere else.
Trains and buses can be good alternatives to driving into New York. Amtrak trains arrive in New York’s Penn Station (32nd Street and 7th Avenue) from all over the country. All major bus lines, including Greyhound, also serve the New York area. Buses usually arrive at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd Street and 8th Avenue).
If you are like most travelers to New York, you will probably make your way through one of the area’s three airports. La Guardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark Airport all serve the area. La Guardia is the closest airport to the city-only 8 miles east of Manhattan in Queens. Most United States domestic flights enter and exit through this airport. International flights often go through John F. Kennedy Airport (also known as JFK), which is about 15 miles east of the city. Newark Airport is located in New Jersey, but is no farther from Manhattan (about 15 miles) than JFK. Transportation into Manhattan once you arrive at any of the airports is pretty simple, but can be time consuming depending on traffic. Assume it will take from thirty minutes up to an hour and a half to get from the airport into Manhattan.
From the airports, there are several transportation options. You will find taxi stands located at all the airports. Taxis charge a fiat rate to drop visitors at any destination in Manhattan, but taxes and tolls are additional. The rates usually run between $30 and $40. Expect to pay a little more from Newark. Public transportation is also available as well as many shuttle services. The best bet is to visit the Ground Transportation Desk, located in all airports, to arrange private travel into Manhattan or get directions for public transportation.
Few people know that New York was the U.S. capital for a short time from______