anniversary: a date on which a special event took place in a previous year
reunification: the bringing back together of something
debt: money owed that has to be repaid
initially: in the beginning
soar: to go up high in a short amount of time
Germany Celebrates 20 Years of Unity
On October 3, 2010, of Germany held a large celebration, the 20th anniversary of the country's reunification. East and West Germany became one close to one year after the fall of the . More than 1.5 million people have moved from East to West since 1990. Germans had two other reasons to this October. The debt owed from World War I was finally paid off and the unemployment rate fell below 3 million. This is the lowest rate of unemployment in Germany since 1992. Reunification initially caused unemployment to soar.
Comprehension Questions:
What anniversary is mentioned in this report?
How many people have migrated west since the fall of the Berlin Wall?
What other two reasons did Germans have to celebrate this month?
Discussion Question: One reason why Germany's economy is in a better position is because of the government's "short work" policy. Do you think reducing working hours (rather than laying people off) is a good solution for unemployment?
On October 3, 2010, the people of Germany held a large celebration, marking the 20th anniversary of the country's reunification. East and West Germany became one close to one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. More than 1.5 million people have moved from East to West since 1990. Germans had two other reasons to celebrate this October. The debt owed from World War I was finally paid off and the unemployment rate fell below 3 million. This is the lowest rate of unemployment in Germany since 1992. Reunification initially caused unemployment rates to soar
Comprehension Answers:
The report mentions the 20th anniversary of Germany's reunification.
Over 1.5 million people have migrated from East to West since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Germany also paid off its World War I debt and announced that unemployment had fallen below 3 million.
germany.mp3