Walking Around Town

Walking Around Town

by Michael Stahl

It was a light, spring Sunday in Brooklyn, New York. Doug and his wife, Eve, were enjoying it with
their copy of the Sunday New York Times newspaper, which they would pleasingly read section by
section over a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and, of course, some warm and soft New York City
bagels.

Both Doug and Eve were hardworking people, having to commute by subway throughout the week
into different parts of their neighboring borough of Manhattan where both of their offices were located.
Therefore, they usually took full advantage of their days off by lounging around their apartment,
reading and watching television. This was especially true throughout the winter, when temperatures
were too cold and the skies too cloudy in New York to make Doug and Eve leave their place if they
did not absolutely have to. They could rest and recover from their long workweek indoors, away from
the snow and chilly temperatures, just as well as they could outside, and probably even better so!

However, this was the first clear and relatively warm day of the year that Doug and Eve could go
outside and enjoy wholeheartedly, without having to bundle up and pile on layers of clothing. Eve
became anxious as the morning neared a close and the afternoon came upon them. She desperately
wanted to go outside exploring and snap photos with her brand-new digital camera, which she had
bought just the day before. She was worried that Doug would not be up for such a trip and he would
give the excuse that he was too tired. Eve was also hoping she could coax Doug into becoming a little
more enthusiastic about photography himself, so they could plan fun photo excursions together. After
all, they lived in one of the five boroughs of the city of New York, which ranks among one of the
biggest cities in the world, and is overflowing with countless images worth capturing on a camera.
Eve really loved photographing the city (though she would not take as many photos in the frigid winter
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 Walking Around Town

time) and thought getting Doug into it too would give them an excuse to have some extra fun time
together.

"Doug," Eve began a little tenderly, and nervously. "How about we head into the city today?" (New
Yorkers tend to refer to Manhattan as "the city," even if they already are residents of the five boroughs
because the island is really its epicenter. )

"What for?" asked Doug, sipping his juice with a puzzled look on his face.

Eve sighed. She was wishing for the conversation to go more smoothly.

"Well, I'd like to take some photos today. It's beautiful outside! And I thought you'd like to come
along," she said.

Doug replied with a simple "Oh." He folded his paper and put it down without much of an expression.

Eve didn't know how to react to that. Then, Doug got up and left the room, making Eve wonder what
in the world that meant. Did he want to go? Was he angry at the request?

"What are you doing?" she asked him, projecting her voice down the hall.

"I'll be right there," he said.

After a moment, Eve heard Doug's footsteps reentering their little dining room. She looked up and
saw him smiling, holding two cameras: her brand new one and the other one he had secretly bought
for himself as well.

***

Doug and Eve left their apartment and began walking the pavement toward the subway stop they
were very familiar with, looking forward to their day of photographing the wonderful sites of New York
City. What they, like most New Yorkers and city dwellers around the world, probably did not even
realize, is they were going to observe all the highlights while being part of a tremendous ecosystem.

People usually think of an ecosystem as something much more natural than a city with incredibly tall,
manmade buildings on top of concrete that run parallel to streets with zipping vehicles spewing toxic
carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Typically, the ocean comes to mind as an example of an
ecosystem, or the rain forests of South America, while the African deserts could be another. However,
an ecosystem is simply defined as a community filled with living and nonliving organisms that interact
with each other within a particular environment. And an urban ecosystem is actually the one
ecosystem that human beings are in fact most familiar with, while it is also arguably the only
ecosystem in the world that is growing.

***

Like they usually do on Mondays through Fridays when travelling to and from their jobs, Doug and
Eve decided to take a local subway line from their home in Brooklyn to the island of Manhattan to
enjoy their Sunday.

New York City has a massive subway system that helps people get around. The trains travel above
and below ground, over bridges and through tunnels. These electrical behemoths are vital parts of the
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 Walking Around Town

city's ecosystem for they, in effect, help people survive a bit easier than if the trains did not exist.
Human beings are incredibly social creatures. In other words, they naturally desire communication
and companionship with other people. The city's subways allow that to happen with much more
freedom and ease, not to mention the quicker pace that is possible compared to the alternatives of a
horseandbuggy or walking. Furthermore, the subways help individuals get to their jobs, allowing
them and other people to be productive. Necessary goods, such as food and supplies, become more
easily available to people with better transportation. Plus, important services like medical treatment
and education can be more easily taken advantage of.

Both Doug and Eve took some last-minute photos of the incredible Manhattan skyline through the
windows of the subway car before it headed underground, into a tunnel, and through the East River
into the subterranean depths of Manhattan.

***

When Eve and Doug walked upstairs from the subway station onto a Manhattan sidewalk, the first
thing they saw were tremendous skyscrapers standing thousands of feet high. The island of
Manhattan is littered with hundreds of huge buildings that have become world famous for, not just
their height, but also for their recognizable architecture and symbolism of mankind's never-ending
desire to create. Doug and Eve immediately reached for their cameras and started taking some
photos of buildings like the Empire State Building, the Freedom Tower and the Chrysler Building.

Many of these skyscrapers are essentially incredibly large office spaces. Therefore, the buildings
serve a vital function in the ecosystem in that they house many people throughout the day, while they
are working on any number of projects that could help others. A large percentage of these buildings
are also homes to restaurants and eateries where people not only enjoy plenty of available nourishing
food, but commiserate with each other as well.

One of the drawbacks of so many skyscrapers is that it creates shade. This might sound like a
positive, and it partially is because it gives people relief from the hot rays of the sun. However, too
little exposure to the sun is not a good thing either. The sun is blocked so often from New York
residents by those buildings, that people are not getting enough Vitamin D into their bodies, because
the sun's rays help build the levels of Vitamin D.

Still, it is important to recognize that these buildings of Manhattan are, in some ways, as "natural" a
thing as an anthill or a bird's nest. First of all, human beings, who are undoubtedly a part of nature,
have built them, and they have been built by raw materials taken up from the planet's resources.
Certainly, soil has been covered by concrete and iron, but there are plenty of places in nature where
there is no rich soil, like Antarctica, for instance. The previously hilly island that had thousands of
trees on it has simply been exchanged for an urban ecosystem containing different things that serve
the same function as many others that are called more "natural." In addition, skyscrapers still must be
built with respect to many laws of nature. An elite architect along with a construction crew cannot
simply erect a building that stretches to an infinite height. The effects of gravity, wind, and, yes, the
density of soil still within the earth of Manhattan, must be considered in the planning and construction
of a building.

***

Eve knew that if she was going to have a successful day of photography, she and her husband would
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 Walking Around Town

have to take a trip to Central Park. Central Park is located in the middle of Manhattan and takes up
quite a chunk of land. It includes a couple of ponds, hundreds of trees, large grassy areas, rocky
parts, and trails for urban "hiking." Many species of animals call Central Park home, too. For some of
them, it may be the only place within New York City where they can actually survive.

Central Park was constructed because city planners knew that New Yorkers would need a getaway
location, a place where they could reconnect with nature, or at least the parts of it that are more
traditionally considered "natural." It is still certainly the case that New Yorkers need this outlet, which
explains why Central Park still exists today as the price of local real estate has only increased over
the years. Parks like this one "soften" the urban experience, giving locals a place to relax and engage
in important recreational activities. Many scientists note that, though cities are ecosystems and a
growing part of nature, the loss of greenery is a severe problem that needs to change. The urban
planners of today are becoming more sensitive to this by making sure to include parks, taking a page
out of the books of those who helped create Central Park as they continue to build new cities and
expand upon those that have already been founded.

Doug and Eve strolled around the park for quite a while. They took tons of photos, ate lunch together,
and even rode the famous merrygoround. They were truly taking advantage of the pleasures
allowed by the existence of such an incredible and unique location.

***

When Doug and Eve left Central Park, they began to chat about all of the noise in the city and the
overflowing garbage cans that were seemingly on every block. These are common complaints made
by many about the urban ecosystem, and might be more noticeable just after leaving such a beautiful
place. Though they are considered to be large negatives of urban life, it is nearly impossible for noise
pollution and garbage to be avoided.

Noise pollution is a byproduct of the large population and all of the transportation needed to get them
around. Without such transportation, humans would not be able to live, prosper, and interact as
effectively. Many people would rather not think about the existence of bugs, rats and other organisms
that can live off of garbage, but they too, are part of the ecosystem and would not be able to survive
as easily in many other parts of the world.

***

Doug and Eve took the same subway back to their home in Brooklyn. Tired from a long day of walking
around the city, they kicked off their shoes and sat on the couch in preparation for a nice movie
viewing. The film was a documentary about living in the backwoods of Montana, enjoying life in a
forest's ecosystem. Doug and Eve thought about vacationing there, inspired by their afternoon in
Central Park, wanting to be closer to some more nature. They didn't even stop to think that they had
both been active participants in an urban ecosystem, a particularly unique part of nature, over the
course of the entire day.

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 Walking Around Town - Comprehension Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. What does Eve want to do with Doug?
A. watch television
B. lounge around the apartment
C. take photos in Manhattan
D. go shopping in Manhattan

2. What does the author mainly describe in the passage?

A. the makeup of an urban ecosystem
B. the makeup of a rural ecosystem
C. a tour of Central Park
D. the importance of city planning

3. Eve is uncertain that Doug will want to go on a photo walk with her.

What sentence from the passage best supports this statement?

A. "Eve sighed. She was wishing for the conversation to go more smoothly."
B. "'Doug,' Eve began a little tenderly, and nervously. 'How about we head into the city
today?'"
C. "'Well, I'd like to take some photos today. It's beautiful outside! And I thought you'd
like to come along,' she said."
D. "It was a light, spring Sunday in Brooklyn, New York."

4. Based on the passage, why might someone be less likely to recognize New York City
as an ecosystem?
A. New York City has buildings that are built by humans.
B. New York City has a massive subway system that helps people get around.
C. New York City does not seem to have a lot of natural features.
D. New York City does not have a rain forest.

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 Walking Around Town - Comprehension Questions

5. What is this passage mainly about?

A. the urban ecosystem of New York City
B. the best tourist spots in New York City
C. how to take good photographs
D. a disagreement between Doug and Eve

6. How does the narrative of Eve and Doug's photo walk fit within the overall structure
of the passage?
A. It is a factual introduction to life in New York City.
B. It is the focus point of the passage which the author enhances with details about New
York City.
C. It is an anecdote that is unrelated to the rest of the passage.
D. It is a frame within which the author presents facts about New York City's ecosystem.

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

The abundance of skyscrapers in Manhattan creates a lot of shade; ___________,

resident New Yorkers do not receive enough Vitamin D from the sun's rays.

A. moreover
B. as a result
C. ultimately
D. such as

8. What is an "ecosystem" as defined by the passage?

9. A negative element of New York City's ecosystem is noise pollution. What is an

example of a positive element of New York City's ecosystem that is identified in the
passage, and why is it positive?

10. Explain how different parts of an ecosystem can have an impact on one another by
using an example from the passage.

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