The Chat Room English

BERLIN: USEFUL EXPRESSIONS

HISTORY • OPINIONS • SPECULATION • REACTIONS

YOUR TASK: Complete each sentence with an expression from the word bank. Use each expression once. The first letter of each answer is provided as a hint.

WORD BANK — SHUFFLED

It's hard to believe that ... As far as I know, ... I wonder what it was like to ... If you ask me, ... One important thing to remember is ... I can't imagine what that must have been like. From what I understand, ... It must have been difficult to ... What surprises me is ... As far as I'm concerned, ... If I had lived in Berlin at that time, ... That must have been frightening. What I find interesting is ... I imagine it must have been ... I think the most interesting aspect is ... It makes you realize how ...

PART 1 — TALKING ABOUT HISTORY

1. __________ the Wall was built to prevent people from leaving East Berlin.

2. __________ many people on opposite sides of the border had very different daily lives.

3. __________ the city changed so dramatically after reunification.

4. __________ the Brandenburg Gate is one of Berlin's best-known landmarks.

PART 2 — GIVING AN OPINION

5. __________ Berlin's history is essential to understanding the city today.

6. __________ the way the city has brought together people with different backgrounds.

7. __________ Berlin should preserve its historical sites while continuing to develop.

8. __________ how quickly some parts of the city have changed in recent decades.

PART 3 — SPECULATING ABOUT THE PAST

9. __________ live in a city where your movements were restricted by a border.

10. __________ to keep in touch with friends and relatives across the border.

11. __________ an unsettling experience for families separated by the Wall.

12. __________ I would have felt confused and worried about the future.

PART 4 — REACTING AND REFLECTING

13. __________ have been for people who could not visit close relatives freely.

14. __________ to see soldiers and barriers becoming part of everyday life.

15. __________ a divided city can affect ordinary people for generations.

16. __________ the Wall fell in 1989 and Germany reunited the following year.