The Berlin Wall, 1

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

seem	chink (2)	unimaginable
lifetime	dream (2)	immeasurable
sort of	possible	it’s too good to be true
feeling	bitter (2)	indescribable
joy	crazy (2)	atmosphere (2)
transit	point (3)	I can’t believe it
border	it’s off to	win/won/won
glitter	destination	promenade
ID	leader (2)	overwhelmed
former	fantastic	brilliant (2)
vision	separation	lead/led/led
ground	that was it	pay/paid/paid
piece	incumbent	stand/stood/stood
former	incumbent	speak/spoke/spoken
united	oppression	back and forth
		overwhelmed

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video: The Fall of the Berlin Wall

 

Transcript

“The Wall must go.”

What had seemed unimaginable became true on November ninth (9th), 1989. After twenty-eight (28) years, a chink in the wall . . .

And suddenly, immeasurable FREEDOM!

East German Woman: “My mother and father are over there. Can I go over there and see my parents?”
East German Police: “Yes.”

Husband: “No one dreamed that this was possible in their lifetime.”
Wife: “It’s too good to be true.”
Husband: “Millions of people have been waiting for this moment.”

News Reporter: “So you’ve never been to the West?”
East German Male Motorist: “No. Never.”
News Reporter: “What sort of feeling is it?”
East German Male Motorist: “Brilliant. Indescribable. The atmosphere and joy — you can’t believe it! It’s crazy!”

Eleven-thirty (11:30) PM at Berlin’s Baummamer Strasse’s transit point. The borders first began to open here.

Freedom had finally won.

Now it’s off to West Berlin.

Destination: the glittering Kudam Promenade.

East German Man: “We just walked through without being stopped. It was fantastic.
East German Female Motorist: “I just went over with my ID, was led in, just went over there. I asked if it was free. Yes. They asked, ‘what were you planning to pay with’?”
News Reporter: “And what did you do here in West Berlin?”
East German Female Motorist: “I just went over and stood there. I had my feet on the ground. That was it. I just went over there to see if it was true.”

East German Female: “Now we can go any time, back and forth. It’s just fantastic!”

Leaders were surprised and overwhelmed. Former and incumbent mayors at Brandenburg Gate. They spoke of the happiest people on Earth, a united Europe, of visions and ideas.

Willy Brandt, Former Berlin Mayor and Chancellor: “Leave a piece somewhere for the museum. The people must be able to meet each other again freely, not just for a few days, but ALWAYS!”

One year later, East and West Germany were united.

But bitter memories of separation, and a system of oppression remained.

 

 

Questions

1. The Berlin Wall had been up since the Middle Ages. True or false?

2. In one scene, did secret police officers beat and arrested a woman?

3. Did everyone expect the Berlin Wall to eventually open and fall?

4. West Berliners were very curious and wanted to go to East Berlin. Is this right or wrong?

5. How did everyone feel? What was the atmosphere like?

6. Did the East German police and border guards stop or try to prevent East Germans from crossing into West Berlin?

7. On that night, East German wanted to go shopping and obtain Western luxury goods. Is this correct or incorrect?

8. Had things move very quickly and momentously?

 

A. I remember the fall of the Berlin Wall. Yes or no? What was the atmosphere like?

B. Was everyone shocked and surprised by the events?

C. Everything was wonderful and perfect after the fall of the Berlin Wall. What do you think?

D. What could happen in the future?

E. Should people and governments do anything?