LISTENING ASSIGNMENT #8
 
 

 
THE FALL OF 
THE WALL
 

 

In 1988 the Berlin Wall was suddenly pulled down and East and West Germany were reunited. Andreas Ramos was living in Demnark at the time and when he heard rumours that the wall was about to come down he jumped in his car and drove to Berlin. He wrote an account of his experiences in Berlin and put them on his website dedicated to the fall of the wall.
 
 
Reading and Writing Assignment

Go to Andreas' website and read his account of his experience and answer the following questions.
 
 
    Listening Assignment

Go to Andreas' website and have a look around. When you're ready, listen to this song about the fall of the wall and answer the following questions.
 
 

A Hug for the Borderguard

QUESTIONS

1.  Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases used in the song. (You won't find them all in a dictionary so you will have to use your imagination and try and guess the meanings of some.)
 

2. The writer uses the phrase, "the great divide" in the first verse. What 'divide' is he referring to?

3 Look at these lines from the first verse.

            "Now those who live on the other side
            Can't quite believe it's OK to go through"

    Where did the people 'on the other side' live?
    And what is meant by 'to go through' here? Go through what?

4. In the second verse the writer says, "I was born too late to have a say." 'To have a say' means to give your opinion. What is meant here? To have a say about what? And what is meant by 'I was born too late?'

5. How does the writer feel about the Berlin Wall coming down? What does he want to do when he hears the news?

6. Why do you think this song may be called A Hug for the Borderguard?

7. What is the mood of this song? Try and think of  three adjectives that describe the mood of this song.