A New Kind of Park Opens in California

Earlier this month, in October, something exciting happened in the state of California. A brand new park opened for everyone to visit! But this isn’t just any ordinary park with swings and slides. This special park is called a “climate-ready” park. That’s a big term that means the park was built to handle big weather changes, like very heavy rain or very hot days.

The park is in a city called San Francisco. The people who planned the park were very smart. They knew that sometimes, because of changes in our world’s weather, it can rain a lot all at once. When that happens, the ground can get too wet and streets can flood. Flooding is when water covers places it normally doesn’t, which can be dangerous.

So, in this new park, they built something clever: a giant, sunken garden that looks like a shallow bowl. When a big storm comes and it rains heavily, this garden bowl collects all the extra rainwater safely. The water soaks slowly into the special soil instead of flooding the neighborhood. It’s like a big, natural sponge for the city!

The park also helps on super sunny, hot days. It has lots of new trees that will grow big and tall. These trees provide cool, shady spots for people to sit under. The trees and plants were chosen because they don’t need too much water to live, which is important for saving water. There are also wide, smooth paths for walking, biking, and rolling on skateboards, and open grassy areas for playing tag or having a picnic.

Why did they build a park like this? Scientists have learned that our planet’s weather is changing. Some places are getting hotter, and storms are sometimes stronger. Building “climate-ready” places like this park is one way people are getting ready to stay safe and make sure our cities are still fun and beautiful places to live, no matter what the weather brings. It shows that by thinking ahead and using smart ideas, we can solve problems.

The park is a gift to the community. It gives people a place to play, relax, and be with nature, while also quietly helping to protect their homes from too much rain.

This new park teaches us an important lesson: we can work with nature, not against it. By creating spaces that are both fun for us and helpful for the Earth, we are building a better future for everyone. The people of San Francisco are very proud of their new, smart park, and many other cities might build their own parks like this soon!

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What is special about the new park in San Francisco?
A) It has the tallest slide in the world.
B) It is built to handle big changes in weather.
C) It is only open to children.
D) It is built on top of a mountain.

2. What does the sunken garden in the park do?
A) It grows vegetables for the city.
B) It collects rainwater to prevent flooding.
C) It is a pool for swimming in the summer.
D) It is a home for wild animals.

3. Why did the planners choose trees that don’t need much water?
A) Because they grow faster.
B) To help save water.
C) Because they are more colorful.
D) To attract more birds.

4. What is one main reason the city built this “climate-ready” park?
A) To win an award for the most beautiful park.
B) To get ready for changes in the planet’s weather.
C) To have a place for a new zoo.
D) To make the city bigger.

5. What lesson does the passage say the park teaches us?
A) That parks should only have grass.
B) That we can work with nature to solve problems.
C) That swings are the most important part of a park.
D) That all parks should be built in California.

Vocabulary List

Climate (noun): The usual weather conditions in a place over a long time.
Flooding (noun): When water covers land that is normally dry.
Community (noun): A group of people who live in the same area.
Shallow (adjective): Not deep.
Protect (verb): To keep someone or something safe from harm.

Answer Key & Analysis

Correct Answers: