The Berlin Wall

Mini-Biographies

The Berlin Wall

Reading
1. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961. It was built by
the communist government of East Germany.
The Berlin Wall was built to keep people inside
East Germany.

2. A
 t first, the Berlin Wall was made of wood and
wire. It divided East and West Berlin. Later, the
Berlin Wall was made of concrete. When it was
finished, it divided communist East Germany
and democratic West Germany.

3. F
 or many years, no one could enter or leave East
Germany. Friends and families could not see or talk
to each other. Some people tried to jump over the
wall. This was very dangerous. Many people were
shot by the communist soldiers when they tried
to escape.

4. In 1989, communism began to collapse, and

thousands of people from East Germany escaped.
Because of this, the East German government
began to tear down the wall. Soon, many people
from all over the world came to help destroy the
Berlin Wall.

5. O
 n November 9, 2014, people celebrated the
25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
More than a million people traveled to Berlin
to take part in ceremonies that included
fireworks and 7,000 helium balloons.

6. P
 arts of the Berlin Wall still stand as a reminder
of the division that existed between East and
West Germany. Pieces of the Berlin Wall are
sold as souvenirs.

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL Library in accordance with membership terms. 1
 The Berlin Wall
Mini-Biographies

Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions using complete sentences.

1. When was the Berlin Wall built? 9. S

 ome people tried to leave East Germany.
How did they try to escape?

2. Who built the Berlin Wall?

10. Who killed the people
trying to escape East Germany?

3. Why was the Berlin Wall built?

11. Who helped destroy the Berlin Wall?

4. At first, what was the Berlin Wall made of?

12. When did communism begin to collapse?

5. What city did the Berlin Wall divide?

13. What did the East German government do?

6. What was the Berlin Wall made of later?

14. What happened on November 9, 2014?

7. What two countries did the Berlin Wall divide?

15. Today, what do parts of the

Berlin Wall stand as a reminder of?

8. Were people allowed to leave West Germany?

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL Library in accordance with membership terms. 2
 The Berlin Wall
Mini-Biographies

Vocabulary Review
A. Unscramble the Words
Unscramble the words below from the story.
Then write one original sentence for each word.

WORD UNSCR AMBLED SENTENCE

1. stew
2. libern lalw
3. ommcunits
4. cretonce
5. venousirs
6. vidisnio
7. stea

B. Find the Words

Now find the words from the exercise c o m m u n i s t i a y b
above in the word search to the right. o g d e i s e o a s h a e
n o r i y t e u m l m e r
c v t a v h n v i a n x l
r e i c d i i e i n i p i
e r a v o d s n y d c l n
t n e v i i e i n h h o w
e m a t o m i r o e d d a
f e r c r g e s a n y e l
t n u e l e a r i r t d l
s t s a w i m s u i t d r
e f a s h i o n d k n t e
w e s t h o s l o r d s c

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL Library in accordance with membership terms. 3
 The Berlin Wall
Mini-Biographies

Answer Key

Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Review

1. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961. A. UNSCR AMBLE THE WORDS
2. T he communist government of
East Germany built the Berlin Wall. 1. west 4. concrete 6. division
3. The Berlin Wall was built to keep people inside East Germany. 2. berlin wall 5. souvenirs 7. east
4. At first, the Berlin Wall was made of wood and wire. 3. communist
5. The Berlin Wall divided East and West Berlin.
6. Later, the Berlin Wall was made of concrete. B. FIND THE WORDS
7. The Berlin Wall divided East and West Germany.
8. Yes. People weren’t allowed to leave East Germany. c o m m u n i s t i a y b
9. People tried to escape by jumping over the wall. o g d e i s e o a s h a e
10. T he communist soldiers killed the people
n o r i y t e u m l m e r
trying to escape East Germany.
c v t a v h n v i a n x l
11. Many people from all over the world
helped destroy the Berlin Wall. r e i c d i i e i n i p i
12. Communism began to collapse in 1989. e r a v o d s n y d c l n
13. The East German government began to tear down the wall.
t n e v i i e i n h h o w
14. On November 9, 2014, many people traveled to Berlin to
celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
e m a t o m i r o e d d a
15. Today, parts of the Berlin Wall stand as a reminder of the f e r c r g e s a n y e l
division that existed between East and West Germany. t n u e l e a r i r t d l
s t s a w i m s u i t d r
e f a s h i o n d k n t e
w e s t h o s l o r d s c

SPELLING NOTE:
This lesson shows the American spelling of the word Traveled.
Most other English-speaking countries spell it this way: Travelled.
Make it a challenge for your students to find this word in the
lesson and see if they know the alternate spelling.

Copyright 2014, Red River Press Inc. For use by members of ESL Library in accordance with membership terms. 4