II Be ready to give brief retelling of the text, using Appendix 1.

I Reading

a) Read the following text

Put down the unknown words (with their transcription and translation) into your vocabulary. Be ready to translate the text orally.

b) Find and write out all irregular verbs given in the text. Remember three forms of them.

Berlin the two-heart city(Part I)

Berlin is majestic and monumental, amazing by luxury and being under construction city ... One can hardly find a few European cities, which could be described in such a contradictory way. The East and West Berlins were brought together to become a single whole, though two hearts are still beating in the city.

Berlin, the newborn capital of the united Germany, is located where the Spree and the Havel rivers are coming together, being the exact geographic centre of the country. The first settle­ments on the territory of the modern city were founded 10 thousand years ago. The ancient German tribes set­tled here about 700 BC, and in the VI-VII centuries the West-Slavic tribes, which gave the city its modern name, appeared here, since "berlina" meant fishermen village, ferriage in their language.

Berlin reached its hey-day by the middle of the XIV century. But everything changed when the city aristocracy faced the Friedrich II the Iron. In 1442, he subdued Berlin inhabitants and erected the unassailable castle on the banks of the Spree River, which became the permanent Hogenzollerns' residence a century later. Berlin became once-and-for-all capital city during the first half of the XIV century under Elector Joachim during whose reign the new Renaissance style palace was erected at the national expense. By the end of the century the city population equaled 14 000 citizens, but it decreased more than by half by the middle of the XVII century, due to numerous conflagra­tions, plague epidemics and draft famine during the Thirty-Year war. Berlin fell into decay in every aspect after the war; the city was even under the real threat of falling into the hands of the Swedes. Decades had to elapse before the withered city recovered from the fatal conse­quences.

Berlin entered the new peaceful epoch during the reign of Friedrich-Wilhelm, the founder of Prussian kingdom and its first king, who was taking diligent care of the city common wealth. He made neighbour towns into a single city, having annexed all the outskirts to it. The streets were broadened, cobbled and illuminated. The canals were built and the famous now "Unter-den-Linden", the broad lime-tree avenue, which became the cen­tral city street, was paved. Berlin altered its appearance beyond recogni­tion in a short period. However, apart from taking care of the city outward appearance, Friedrich-Wilhelm did not forget about its spiritual prosperity. He invited the outstanding Dutch painters, founded Public Library and was collecting artwork stocks in Berlin. The first decade of the XIX century turned to be a very hard time for Berlin. The Napoleon troops made it the French possession in 1806, and only in two years they left the heavily ruined city. As soon as the hard times passed, Berlin revived again, having shown the animation of its material and spiritual vigour. Literature, theatre and science reached the advanced level of development. The Berlin University, having been founded in 1809, soon won the first place among higher educational institutions due to such great scientists as Wilhelm and Alexander Humboldts, Richter, George Wilhelm Fried-Hegel.

The development of Berlin advanced even further in the following years. Before the end of the World War II the winner-countries signed an agreement, stating that International Control Council with its headquarters in Berlin would be established in the defeated Germany. In accordance with the agreement Berlin was divided into four sections: American, British, French and Soviet. The American, British and French section was full of historical, cultural and architectural monuments, which suffered great­ly, however, in the times of bombings and during the assault of Berlin in 1945. The architectural constructions built by Shinkel's designs blended harmoniously; with the number of the other magnificent buildings on Unter-den-Linden, the above-mentioned Humboldt's University among them. The building was built in 1748-1766 as the palace for Prince Heinrich (the brother of Friedrich the Great), though the palace was converted into the building for the higher educational insti­tution back in 1809-1810 yet. The for­mer Ancient Royal Library is situated opposite to it. The German National Opera House is, probably, the most beautiful building on the Prussian Boulevard.