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GENERAL ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · ADVANCED (C1-C2)

THE BERLIN
WALL
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

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19JX-A7T9-4TL3

1 Warm up

Look at the photos and discuss the following questions.

1. What do you know about the Berlin Wall?

2. Why was it erected?
3. When was it built?
4. When and why was it pulled down?

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THE BERLIN WALL

2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Complete the vocabulary with the missing vowels (a,e,i,o,u).

1. fl _ nk (v): have people on both sides of you, often for protection or as a control tactic

2. d _ t _ r _ _ r _ t _ (v): slowly get into a worse condition

3. _ ncl _ v _ (n): an area of a country or city where the people who live there follow different rules,
lifestyles or cultures compared to the people surrounding them

4. r _ p _ r _ t _ _ ns (n): money or tasks performed by a country which loses a war to make up for the
damage it has caused

5. _ nf _ rm _ nt (n): someone who secretly gives information about something to an enemy, the police
or the media

6. l _ ndm _ n _ (n): a bomb which is hidden in the ground and activated when a vehicle or person
puts pressure on it

7. d _ f _ ct (v): leave a country and go to live in another where the political situation is very different

8. t _ rn _ sh (v): make something worse in the opinion of people

9. _ mp _ d _ (v): to make it very difficult to progress with something

Part B: Now complete the following sentences with the correct vocabulary from Part A. You may have
to change the form of the words.

1. Aung San Suu Kyi’s international reputation was by her treatment of the Rohingya
minority in her native Myanmar.

2. There are still casualties due to unexploded in Vietnam despite the war ending
almost 50 years ago.

3. The relationship between Russia and Western powers has rapidly since the Russian
invasion of Ukraine.

4. Whitey Bulger, notorious leader of the Irish mob in Boston, was believed to have been working as
an for the FBI for many years, a fact which was likely behind his murder.

5. Kim Philby worked for British Intelligence for many years before finally to Moscow
in 1963 after being unmasked as a double agent.

6. It was a mistake to travel by motorbike through the jungle after the heavy rain as our progress was
heavily by all the mud.

7. Following World War I, Germany was brought to financial ruin by paying which,
in part, laid the groundwork for the rise of Hitler.

8. We lived in Saudi Arabia for many years, although always within an of expats
where music, dancing and alcohol were permitted.

9. The President emerged to give his address by staff and security personnel.

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THE BERLIN WALL

3 Watching for details

Watch the first part of the video (00:00 - 04:30) about the Berlin Wall and write down the significance
of the following numbers.

138 302 3.5 million 3.6 43 5,000

a. The number of people who had left East Germany by 1961.

b. The length of the wall in kilometres through Berlin.
c. The height of the wall by 1965.
d. The number of watchtowers.
e. The number of people who escaped East Germany between 1961 and 1989.
f. The number of people who died trying to escape.

4 Understanding the video

Now watch the rest of the video (04:30 - 06:08) and answer the questions.

1. How long did it take to build the wall in total?

2. What was the problem between Russia and Western countries that caused the wall to be built?

3. What was another name for the division between East and West at the time?

4. What differences in economic policies existed between East and West?

5. What three things were there greater amounts of in the West?

6. What was the name given to the 100-metre area next to the wall?

7. Name three methods people used to escape East Germany.

8. How did Eastern Germany try to reduce the number of family visits?

9. What caused a change in attitude to the requirements for documents to visit East Germany?

10. When did the official reunification of Germany happen?

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5 Scanning for vocabulary

Quickly find vocabulary in the article on page five with the same meaning as the following definitions.

1. relating to a theory or system of social organisation where all property

and means of production is owned by the community and each member
contributes and receives compensation according to their abilities and needs.
(n, para. A)
2. the unfair treatment of a group of people by not giving them the same access
to rights of freedom as other communities (n, para. A)
3. happening in the very near future (adj., para. A)

4. the explosive section of a missile (n, para. B)

5. write about or show someone in a particular way which may not be the entire
truth (v, para. C)
6. imaginary, evil creatures, often used when a certain person or people are
publicly made out to be particularly negative for a place or a country. (n,
para. C)
7. an attempt to find and punish people who are felt to hold different opinions
and ideas from the establishment of a particular place (n, para. C)
8. a feeling that people want to harm you even if there is no proof of this being
true (n, para. C)
9. organised informally, without a large number of resources, but designed to
have the maximum impact (adj., para. D)

6 Reading for gist

Scan the article "Duck and cover" again. Then write in the correct adjective/noun combinations and
noun phrases from the box in gaps 1 - 8.

• (a) armed school shooters

• (b) similar situation
• (c) great anxiety
• (d) fallout shelters
• (e) assembled crowd
• (f) former allies
• (g) strong following
• (h) direct conflict

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ADVANCED (C1-C2)
THE BERLIN WALL
Duck and cover
Life in the West during the Cold War
A. When the United States dropped atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in August of 1945,
the world quickly understood how devastating their
use could be. Estimates vary, but most put casualties
between 129,000 and 226,000: the majority of
whom were civilians. So when the relationship
1
between
Soviet Union and the West turned sour, there was
2
when on the 29th August,
1949, the Soviet Union tested a nuclear device in
Kazakhstan. The Communist country with a taste for
power and oppression became the new focus as a
threat. For decades until the end of the Cold War,
people in the West permanently lived under threat
of an imminent nuclear strike.
B. In response, American schools were required to teach
their students to hide under their desks in the event
of an attack in a video provided by the government
called ‘Duck and cover’. Of course, these practices
still continue today in the United States, though now
3
the threat is from
regularly take the lives of innocent victims, rather
than a nuclear warhead. Some families in the United
States began to build
in their backyards or basement areas to protect
themselves. Public buildings, such as churches,
schools and libraries were provided with safe places
to shelter from an attack.
C. In February 1950, a United States senator by the
name of Joseph McCarthy gave a speech in West
Virginia. He claimed to the
that he possessed a list of people who were both
working in the State Department and also known
to be Communists. By now, ‘the Reds’ as they
were known (due to the most prominent colour
on the Russian flag) were both a significant threat
and little understood making them easy to portray
as the boogeymen of the day. McCarthy gained
considerable power and a
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amongst Americans by accusing prominent figures of
Communist sympathies, many on the basis of little to
no evidence - effectively a modern witch-hunt. His
accusations weren’t limited to those in government
and extended to people in universities and the film
industry. Many people had their careers destroyed
, the due to the widespread paranoia that McCarthy fed
on. Ultimately, McCarthy was discredited and died at
the age of just 48 addicted to alcohol and morphine.
Yet that period of time still holds some sway today
and it’s not unusual for certain American politicians to
label something they do not like as ‘socialist’, knowing
that it will invoke a strong sense of distaste from their
audience.
D. While the West and the Soviet Union never went into
7
, both sides fought in
and funded other wars known as ‘proxy wars’. The
Vietnam War is one of the most famous of these,
with the United States entering into it in an effort to
curb the spread of Communism in South East Asia.
who
The North of the country belonged to the Viet Cong,
an armed communist revolutionary organisation who
4
were backed by Russia and China. Despite lacking the
technology and firepower of the United States, the
Viet Cong ultimately defeated them using guerrilla
8
tactics. A happened
in Korea with South and North Korea still remaining
divided as a result and North Korea being one of
the world’s most secretive countries. There were
many other proxy wars too, such as the Cambodian
5
Civil War, the Angolan Civil War and the Congo
Crisis. Although the Cold War is long over, ending
with the collapse of the Soviet Union, it significantly
shaped the world of today and has far-reaching
consequences for many people around the world.
Western politics and Russia’s recent invasion of
Ukraine all bear scars from the 40-year Cold War.
6
Sources: Insider.com, Wikipedia.org
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THE BERLIN WALL

7 Reading comprehension

Part A: Decide if the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).

1. We know how many civilians were killed in Nagasaki and Hiroshima by American nuclear bombs.

2. Russians were deeply concerned about an attack from the United States.

3. The American government provided official information about what to do in the event of a nuclear
attack.

4. If you needed to shelter from a nuclear attack, you had to go to a public shelter provided by the
government.

5. Joseph McCarthy came to power by preying on the public’s fear of Russia.

6. Modern-day American politics is still affected to an extent by fear of Communism.

7. There were greater numbers of Viet Cong than there were US soldiers.

Part B: Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. What is the meaning of ‘turned sour’ in Paragraph A?

2. What does the author imply about safety in American schools?

3. What does the article mention as being modern-day consequences of the Cold War?

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you know anyone in your country or another country that has used fear to gain power like
Joseph McCarthy? How did they use it?
2. What information did you learn from the video or the article which you were not aware of before?
3. Was there anything about the Cold War that had an effect on life in your country? What?
4. Do you think the article was written from a Western or Eastern perspective? Why?

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9 Extended activity/Homework

Read the following question.

"My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular." - Adlai Stevenson,
speech, Detroit, 1952

To what extent do you agree with the above quote? Write an essay about how it applies to freedom
in your home country.

You should:

• write at least 250 words,

• check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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THE BERLIN WALL

Transcripts

3. Watching for details

Narrator: In the early hours of August 13, 1961, East German construction workers flanked by
soldiers and police began tearing up streets and erecting barriers throughout the city of
Berlin and its surroundings. This night marked the beginning of one of history’s most
infamous dividing lines, the Berlin Wall. Construction on the wall continued for the
next decade as it cut through neighbourhoods, separated families, and divided not just
Germany, but the world.

Narrator: To understand how we got to this point, we have to go back to World War II. America,
Britain, and France joined forces with the Soviet Union against the Axis Powers. After
they defeated Nazi Germany, each of the victorious nations occupied part of the country.
The division was meant to be temporary, but the former allies found themselves at odds
over their visions for post-war Europe. While Western powers promoted liberal market
economies, the Soviet Union sought to surround itself with obedient Communist nations,
including a weakened Germany.

Narrator: As their relations deteriorated, the Federal Republic of Germany was formed in the West
while the Soviets established the German Democratic Republic in the East. The Soviet
satellite countries restricted Western trade and movement, so a virtually impassable
border formed. It became known as the Iron Curtain. In the former German capital of
Berlin, things were particularly complicated. Although the city lay fully within the East
German territory of the GDR, the post-war agreement gave the allies joint administration.

Narrator: So America, Britain, and France created a Democratic enclave in Berlin’s western districts.
While East Germans were officially banned from leaving the country, in Berlin, it was
simply a matter of walking, or riding a subway, streetcar or bus, to the Western half, then
travelling on to West Germany or beyond. This open border posed a problem for the
East German leadership. They had staked a claim to represent the Communist resistance
against Hitler and portrayed Western Germany as a continuation of the Nazi regime.

Narrator: While the U.S. and its allies poured money into West Germany’s reconstruction, the Soviet
Union extracted resources from the East as war reparations, making its planned economy
even less competitive. Life in East Germany passed under the watchful eye of the Stasi, the
secret police whose wiretaps and informants monitored citizens for any hint of disloyalty.
While there was free health care and education in the East, the West boasted higher
salaries, more consumer goods, and greater personal freedom.

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Narrator: By 1961, about 3.5 million people, nearly 20% of the East German population, had left,
including many young professionals. To prevent further losses, East Germany decided to
close the border, and that’s where the Berlin Wall came in. Extending for 43 kilometres
through Berlin, and a further 112 through East Germany, the initial barrier consisted of
barbed wire and mesh fencing. Some Berliners escaped by jumping over the wire or
leaving from windows, but as the wall expanded, this became more difficult. By 1965, 106
kilometres of 3.6-meter-high concrete barricades had been added topped with a smooth
pipe to prevent climbing.

Narrator: Over the coming years, the barrier was strengthened with spike strips, guard dogs, and
even landmines, along with 302 watchtowers and 20 bunkers. A parallel fence in the rear
set off a 100-metre area called the death strip. There, all buildings were demolished and
the ground covered with sand to provide a clear line of sight for the hundreds of guards
ordered to shoot anyone attempting to cross. Nevertheless, nearly 5,000 people in total
managed to flee East Germany between 1961 and 1989. Some were diplomats or athletes
who defected while abroad, but others were ordinary citizens who dug tunnels, swam
across canals, flew hot air balloons, or even crashed a stolen tank through the wall. Yet
the risk was great. Over 138 people died while attempting escape. Some shot in full view
of West Germans powerless to help them.

Narrator: The wall stabilised East Germany’s economy by preventing its work force from leaving,
but tarnished its reputation, becoming a global symbol of Communist repression. As
part of reconciliation with the East, the Basic Treaty of 1972 recognised East Germany
pragmatically while West Germany retained its hope for eventual reunification. Although
the Eastern regime gradually allowed family visits, it tried to discourage people from
exercising these rights with an arduous bureaucratic process and high fees.

Narrator: Nonetheless, it was still overwhelmed by applications. By the end of the 1980s, the
liberalisation of other Eastern Bloc regimes caused mass demonstrations for free travel
and demands for democracy. On the evening of November 9, 1989, East Germany tried
to defuse tension by making travel permits easier to obtain.

Narrator: But the announcement brought thousands of East Berliners to the border crossing points
in the wall, forcing the surprised guards to open the gates immediately. Rejoicing crowds
poured into West Berlin as people from both sides danced atop the wall. And others began
to demolish it with whatever tools they could find. Although the border guards initially
tried to maintain order, it was soon clear that the years of division were at an end. After
four decades, Germany was officially reunified in October 1990. And the Soviet Union fell
soon after. Today, parts of the wall still stand as a reminder that any barriers we put up to
impede freedom, we can also break down.

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Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This allows students to pool knowledge on the topic ahead of the lesson. You may want to bring these questions
back to the class so that everyone can offer any information that they know. The questions are largely answered
by the video and you may want to return to this section later to answer the questions.

2. Focus on vocabulary

5 mins.
This provides students with vocabulary used in the video. Be sure that students can correctly pronounce the
target language. Ask students to complete the task unaided in the first instance, but allow them to use a reference
later if needed.
Part A

1. flank 2. deteriorate 3. enclave 4. reparations 5. informant

6. landmine 7. defect 8. tarnish 9. impede
Part B
5 mins.
Ask students to identify which parts of speech can fill the gaps ahead of completing the task. Point out that they
will have to change the form of the word to correctly fit the sentence in most cases.

1. tarnished 2. landmines 3. deteriorated

4. informant 5. defecting 6. impeded
7. reparations 8. enclave 9. flanked

3. Watching for details

5 mins.
This gives students a chance to watch the first part of the video ahead of doing the main comprehension.

a. 3.5 million b. 43 c. 3.6 d. 302 e. 5,000 f. 138

4. Understanding the video

10 mins.
Ask students to watch the rest of the video and then complete the questions as best as they can in their own
words.

1. Ten years/a decade.

2. Different visions for Europe/economic policies.
3. The Iron Curtain.
4. The West was investing in rebuilding while the East was taking money from its side, creating very different
standards of living.
5. Personal freedom, money (salaries) and goods.
6. The death strip.

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7. Any three of the following: hot air balloon, defection, digging tunnels, swimming across water barriers, stealing
a tank.
8. With expensive fees and a difficult, bureaucratic process to get the right documents.
9. Mass demonstrations by people calling for democracy.
10. October 1990.

5. Scanning for vocabulary

5 mins.
This focuses on key vocabulary in the article and will help with comprehension. It can be done before or after the
comprehension exercise.

1. communist (n) 2. oppression (n) 3. imminent (adj.)

4. warhead (n) 5. portray (v) 6. boogeymen (n)
7. witch-hunt (n) 8. paranoia (n) 9. guerrilla (adj.)
Note: boogeymen (n) is the term that has roots in the Bugis people of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, who were
well-known and feared pirates in the area.

6. Reading for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a time limit on this task to encourage skimming rather than reading in detail.

1. former allies
2. great anxiety
3. armed school shooters
4. fallout shelters
5. assembled crowd
6. strong following
7. direct conflict
8. similar situation
Sources:
https://www.insider.com/things-people-did-during-cold-war-bomb-shelter-duck-and-cover#proxy-conflicts-including-
the-korean-war-and-the-vietnam-war-continue-to-affect-the-world-today-7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viet_Cong

7. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Parts A&B. For Part A, ask students to underline the section where they find the answer. If they are unable to do
this, the answer will be Not Given. For Part B, ask them to answer the questions using their own words.

Part A

1. False. ‘Estimates vary, but most put casualties between 129,000 and 226,000: the majority of whom were
civilians.’

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2. Not Given. Although it is very likely.

3. True. ‘American schools were required to teach their students to hide under their desks in the event of an
attack in a video provided by the government called ‘Duck and cover’.
4. False. ‘ Some families in the United States began to build fallout shelters in their backyards or basement areas
to protect themselves.’
5. True. McCarthy gained considerable power and a strong following amongst Americans by accusing prominent
figures of Communist sympathies, many on the basis of little to no evidence - effectively a modern witch-hunt.
6. True. ‘Yet that period of time still holds some sway today and it’s not unusual for certain American politicians
to label something they do not like as ‘socialist’, knowing that it will invoke a strong sense of distaste from their
audience.’
7. Not Given.

Part B

1. It indicates that Russia and the West went from having a positive relationship to a negative one.
2. That the threat to school children has gone from being outside of the country, to being from within it.
3. Duck and cover tactics for safety in American schools, anti-communist/socialist sentiment in the United States,
Korea being divided into North and South, the Ukraine invasion.

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

9. Extended activity/Homework

40 mins+.
Ask students to reflect on freedom and plan, write and edit their essays based on their work in the lesson and any
research they may want to do. Be sure to give them feedback on their work.

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