英语博客：An up-to-date Morris Park.

 Morris Park is loved by many people in Wenatchee. It is a little league baseball park that has been around for more than forty years. Up until recently, it was in desperate need of repair and renovation¹. There were electrical problems, no heating or air conditioning, and the toilets were unspeakable...so I won't say anything about them. The parking lot was also a disaster; people would park badly, taking up too much space. Everything needed to be changed and updated. Well, over the past few months, a team of very focused volunteers has managed to raise money, put in many hours of labor², and transform Morris Park. It is barely³ recognizable as the original little league park that has been used for so many years. But you know how it is; when a place changes completely, for the better, you soon get used to it, and even forget about its former appearance. That is the case now with Morris Park. Now, as you pull up in your car, you see a brand new parking lot, with freshly painted lines for each parking space. Then, you walk through an attractive, brick gateway⁴ which leads to a large, area that is roofed. People can shelter from the sun or rain in this area, and it is right next to the concession⁵ stand, so the queues of people lining⁶ up for food and drinks are also sheltered from the elements. The original building which housed the concession stand, toilets, and storage for equipment was pulled down. Now, in its place, stands a totally new, heated, air conditioned, safe, and larger facility. There is even an upstairs meeting room with an attached deck. Everyone is impressed at what a good job the team of volunteers did. We have all benefitted from it. You know, most of the people who got involved, already had full time jobs, but they donated their time over many weeks, for the sake of keeping little league in the area. Other people donated materials that they no longer needed for the construction. It's encouraging to think of what can be accomplished⁷ when people work together for a good cause.

 

Grammar notes.

 

Useful expressions: to be around for..+ time, to house, for the sake of, to be in desperate need of.

 

1. This brand of jeans has been around for about fifty years.

 

2. That storage facility houses expensive vintage cars.

 

3. Sometimes landscapes are ruined for the sake of economic progress.

 

4. The climbers were in desperate need of sleep, but they had to get down to base camp before nightfall.

1 renovation   

n.革新，整修

参考例句：

• The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
• The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 barely   

adv.仅仅，几乎没有，几乎不

参考例句：

• The male bird is barely distinguishable from the female.雄鸟和雌鸟几乎无法辨别。
• He took barely enough money to keep the children in bread.他赚很少的钱仅够孩子们勉强糊口。

4 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

5 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

6 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

7 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。