The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall 柏林围墙倒塌20周年

 

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This month marks the 20th anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall came crashing down. For over a quarter of a century, the 155 km-long barrier not only divided an entire city, but also stood ___1___ a powerful symbol of the Cold War.

这个月是柏林围墙倒塌的20周年纪念。在超过25年的岁月，那道全长155公里的屏障不仅划分了整座城市，它也是「冷战」的有力象征。

(A) advantage	(B) cut off	(C) tragically	(D) as	(E) live
(F) mention	(G) mass	(H) in place	(I) with	(J) following

 

The East German authorities built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to halt ___2___ emigration from their side to the more prosperous West Germany. Over a decade earlier in 1949, Germany—and Berlin – had been split in two ___3___ Hitler’s defeat in World War II. Berlin became the sole point of passage between the divided nations, and millions of skilled workers took ___4___ of its freer status to escape the poorer and repressive East. This brain drain caused huge economic losses, not to ___5___ a political loss of face for the East’s supporters, the Soviet Union.

东德当局在1961年建造柏林围墙，以遏止当地人口大量移民至较繁荣的西德。时间再往前推移至10年多之前的1949年，德国（与柏林）在希特勒于二次世界大战中战败后被一分为二。柏林变成这两个分裂国家的唯一通道，无数技术性劳工利用其较为自由的身分，逃离较贫穷且专制的东德。这波人才外流造成了经济上极大损失，更让支持东德的苏联在政治上颜面尽失。

(A) advantage	(B) cut off	(C) tragically	(D) as	(E) live
(F) mention	(G) mass	(H) in place	(I) with	(J) following

 

While the Berlin Wall helped improve the East’s economy, for ordinary citizens, the wall’s construction had disastrous consequences. Almost overnight, families and friends became permanently separated, and people were ___6___ from their jobs. Even more ___7___, up to 200 East German citizens were shot and killed while trying to cross the wall.

虽然柏林围墙帮助振兴了东德的经济，但对于一般人民来说，建筑这面墙造成了惨重的后果。几乎在一夕之间，亲友被永久拆散，许多人也因此被迫放弃工作。更悲惨的是，有将近200名东德人在试图攀越围墙时遭射杀身亡。

(A) advantage	(B) cut off	(C) tragically	(D) as	(E) live
(F) mention	(G) mass	(H) in place	(I) with	(J) following

 

The barrier remained ___8___ for the next 28 years until 1989. Two years earlier, in 1987, as the Cold War began to thaw, U.S. President Ronald Reagan had urged in a famous speech that the Soviet leader “tear down this wall.” Around the world, calls for the Berlin Wall’s destruction grew increasingly intense, until eventually, on November 9th, 1989, it was announced ___9___ on television that it would come down. Thousands swarmed to the dividing line and, crossing over the once-impenetrable barrier, embraced and celebrated ___10__ total strangers on the other side. Fewer than two years after this historic day, Germany was reunified, and the Cold War finally came to an end.

直到1989年以前，这道屏障在原地矗立了28年。在那之前的两年，也就是1987年，冷战开始解冻，当时的美国总统里根在一场著名的演讲中，竭力敦促苏联领导人要「推倒这堵墙」。在世界各地，希望拆除柏林围墙的呼声也日益高涨，终于在1989年11月9日当天，它即将拆除的消息透过电视现场直播公布。数千人蜂拥至分界线，跨越那座曾经无法穿过的障碍，与另一边的陌生人拥抱欢庆。在这历史性的一天结束后的两年内，德国重新统一，冷战也终于宣告结束。

(A) advantage	(B) cut off	(C) tragically	(D) as	(E) live
(F) mention	(G) mass	(H) in place	(I) with	(J) following

 

−by Joe Henley, Barry Hall & James Laughton-Smith

 

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

crash [kræʃ] v. 碰撞，倒下，坠落

barrier [ˋbærɪr] n. 障碍物；路障

emigration [͵ɛməˋgreʃən] n. 移居；移民出境

prosperous [ˋprɑspərəs] adj. 兴旺的，繁荣的

split [splɪt] v. 使分离；使不团结

defeat [dɪˋfit] n. 失败，战败

disastrous [dɪzˋæstrəs] adj. 灾害的；灾难性的，悲惨的

consequence [ˋkɑnsə͵kwɛns] n. 结果，后果

overnight [ˋovɚˋnaɪt] adv. 一夜间，突然

urge [ɝdʒ] v. 催促；力劝

tear down 拆掉, 拆毁

intense [ɪnˋtɛns] adj. 强烈的，剧烈的

swarm [swɔrm] v. 成群地移动（或飞行）

embrace [ɪmˋbres] v. 拥抱

historic [hɪsˋtɔrɪk] adj. 历史上著名的；历史上有重大意义的

 

 

More Information

单词发音

 

authority [əˋθɔrətɪ] n. 官方，当局

halt [hɔlt] v. 停止；终止

passage [ˋpæsɪdʒ] n. 通路；出入口

repressive [rɪˋprɛsɪv] adj. 镇压的; 〔政制或法律〕残酷的; 严苛的

permanently [ˋpɝmənəntlɪ] adv. 永久地；长期不变地

thaw [θɔ] v. （冰，雪等）融化，融解；解冻

call for 要求, 需要, 号召 to need, require, or demand something

destruction [dɪˋstrʌkʃən] n. 毁灭；消灭

impenetrable [ɪmˋpɛnətrəb!] adj. 不能通过的；不能穿过的

tragically [ˋtrædʒɪk!ɪ] adv. 悲剧地；悲惨地

in place 在正确的地方  in the same spot; without moving forwards or backwards

 

 

Reagan - Tear Down This Wall

 

Moments in History - The Fall of the Berlin Wall

 

 

Answer

1. ( D )	2. ( G )	3. ( J )	4. ( A )	5. ( F )
6. ( B )	7. ( C )	8. ( H )	9. ( E )	10. ( I )