Berlin is the capital of Germany. It is the country's largest city in area and population, and the second most populous European Union.

Berlin is one of the most influent centers in European politics, culture and science. It is a major tourist and shopping destination and is well-known for its diverse range of convention venues and media outlets. Also, it is home to some of the world's most prominent universities, research faculties, theaters, and museums.

Berlin sits in the middle of the region known from medieval times as the Mark. The city spills north and south of the Spree River which winds through some of the magnificent parkland that comprises a third of the municipal area. You can't really get lost within sight of the monstrous Fernsehturm(TV Tower), a useful orientation point visible from most of central Berlin. Unterder Linden, the fashionable avenue of aristocratic old Berlin, extends from the Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz. Some of Berlin's finest museums are here, on Museumsinsel in the Spree, the original center of the metropolis. West of the Brandenburg Gate, the boulevard runs through Tiergarten. You may remember the Victory Column at its center from the Wim Wenders' film Wings of Desire.

The rapidly changing metropolis enjoys an international reputation for its festivals, vibrant nightlife, contemporary architecture, and avant-garde arts. Being home to people from over 180 nations, Berlin is a magnet for individuals who are attracted by its liberal lifestyle, urban eclecticism, and artistic freedom.

德国的首府柏林在面积和人口上都是德国最大的城市，也是欧盟中人口数量排名第二的城市。

柏林是欧洲最有影响力的政治、文化和科技中心之一，是一个主要的旅游和购物胜地，并且它以繁多的大会场馆和媒体业务而著称。同时，世界一些最有名的大学、研究院、剧院和博物馆也坐落在此。

柏林位于自中世纪以来就被称为“马克”的地区的中部。施普雷河从南向北蜿蜒流过一些宏伟的公用地，正是这些公用地构成了三分之一的市政区。只要你能看见高大的电视塔，你就不会迷路。在柏林中心大部分地区都可以看到电视塔，因此它是一个非常有用的定位点。菩提树下，具有老柏林气息的时尚大街从勃兰登堡门一直延伸到亚历山大广场。柏林一些最好的博物馆就坐落在施普雷河畔的柏林博物馆岛上，这里曾经是城市的中心。在勃兰登堡门西面，林荫大道穿过蒂尔加藤公园。你可能还记起维姆.文温斯的电影《柏林苍穹下》中特尔公园中心的胜利之柱。

这个快速发展的大都市因其热闹的节目、活跃的夜生活、现代派的建筑和前卫艺术而享有国际声誉。柏林融合了180多个民族，它就像一块磁铁吸引着那些崇尚自由的生活方式、折中之道和艺术自由的人们。

populous adj. 人口稠密的

medieval adj. 中世纪的

orientation n. 定位

aristocratic adj. 贵族气派的

magnet n. 磁铁

prominent adj. 杰出的

monstrous adj. 高大的

May 需要写一篇有关柏林景点的短文，于是她给在德国留学的同学Wendy打了一个电话，向她询问一些相关情况。

W = Wendy 温 = 温迪 M = May 美 = 阿美

W: Hello, it's Wendy speaking.

M: Hello, Wendy, this is May. Could you please do me a favor?

W: My pleasure. What can I do for you?

M: I need some brief information about Berlin's famous attractions. I know you are very familiar with them. The first one is Brandenburg Gate.

W: No problem. As one of Berlin's most photographed sites, the Brandenburg Gate was once the boundary between East and West Berlin. The Wall came down in 1989 and the gate -- long a symbol of division -- became the very epitome of German reunification.

M: OK, I have taken it down. Then come to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and Kulturforum.

W: The museum mainly tells the urban situations when Berlin was blockaded on August 13, 1961 and various ways and routes used by people who run away from East Berlin to West Belin. Kulturforum complex includes the Museum of Applied Arts and the Bauhaus Archive.

M:That's all. It's very nice of you, Wendy. Thanks.

W: You are welcome.

温：你好，我是温迪。

美：你好，温迪，我是阿美。你可不可以帮我一个忙？

迪：很乐意。什么事儿呢？

美：我需要一些关于柏林著名景点的简要介绍。我知道你对这些非常熟悉。首先我想了解的是勃兰登堡门。

温：小事一桩。作为柏林最值得拍摄的景点之一，勃兰登堡门曾经是东柏林和西柏林的分界线。1989年柏林墙倒塌以后，一直以来象征着分离的勃兰登堡门变成了德国重新统一的最好缩影。

美：好的，我已经记下了。接着是柏林墙博物馆和文化广场。

温：博物馆主要告诉人们1961年8月13日柏林城被封锁时市内的情况以及人们从东柏林逃到西柏林曾经使用过的各种方式和路线。文化广场建筑群囊括了实用艺术博物馆和包豪斯档案馆。

美：就这些了。你真是太好了，温迪，谢谢。

温：不用客气。

boundary n. 分界线

reunification n. 重新统一

blockade vt. 封锁

epitome n. 缩影

museum n. 博物馆

假如你刚刚讲述完你去柏林游玩时的所见所闻，但一位兴趣浓厚的外国朋友却错过了，他想让你再简短地向他描述一下。试着完成下面的对话。

1. 外国朋友: Could you tell me some famous attractions in Berlin?

你：_______________________________________________________

2. 外国朋友: I have heard that Brandenburg Gate has historic significance. What is it?

你:_________________________________________________________

3. 外国朋友：Does Checkpoint Charlie Museum also tell something aboout Berlin's history?

你:_________________________________________________________

1. Of course. Such as Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie Museum and Kulturforum.

2. The Brandenburg Gate was once the boundary between East and West Berlin. After the Wall came down in 1989 it became the very epitome of German reunification.

3. Yes. The museum mainly tells the urban situations when Berlin was blockaded and various ways and routes people used to run away from East Berlin to West Berlin.

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