Throughout Germany's dark times of civil unrest and political upheaval, some people kept themselves busy by keeping the culture alive. The arts community in Germany flourished even during times of war, and many contemporary artists and musicians found both inspiration and motivation within all the friction. In fact, going back as far as possible, Germany has been home to some of the world's greatest and most influential philosophers, music composers, scientists, and inventors.
The country itself is littered with remnants of culture from its many eras. Besides a plethora of castles and cathedrals, some of which served as inspiration for Disney movies, one tourist attraction that will warm hearts is the German Fairy Tale Road. A 600-kilometer speed limit-free autobahn takes visitors through villages that the Brothers Grimm used in popular fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
These days, however, modern Germans are often found kicking back while indulging in mugs of beer that are bigger than their heads. Oktoberfest, which originated in and is still held in Munich, is a festival that celebrates locally brewed beer. More than seven million liters of beer is consumed during the 16-day festival, which puts the nation among the highest in the world for beer consumption per year. The people of Germany know they need to keep their stomachs full to be able to ingest all that beer, and nothing complements beer better than sausages. German sausages can easily be considered the country's most popular fare.
The Berlin International Film Festival is another event that shines a spotlight on the booming nation. One thing is for sure about Germany?1 million people have good taste in just about everything.
1. What did the construction of the Berlin Wall mean for the people of Germany?
(A) They would no longer have to worry about attacks from neighboring countries.
(B) All Germans were no longer free to make decisions for themselves.
(C) Artists had a new place to create paintings.
(D) German majorities no longer had to associate with the country's minorities.
2. What contributed to Germany being a cultural capital in Europe?
(A) Its messy political and economic past.
(B) Its being ranked one of the best places in the world to live.
(C) Its superior health and school system.
(D) The fall of the Berlin Wall.
3. What moved German artists in the 20th century to make art?
(A) The completion of Germany's many castles and cathedrals.
(B) Germany's legacy of having some of the world's greatest artists.
(C) The desire to bring color to Germany's many wars and social disturbances.
(D) The country had enough beer to motivate its people to accomplish anything.
4. What is the main idea of the article?
(A) Germany ranks high as one of the best places to live.
(B) There are a lot of alcoholics in Germany.
(C) Germany's past has made it one of the most interesting places in the world.
(D) German history is a very sensitive topic.
在德国国家动荡及政治不安定的黑暗时期，有些人仍忙着保存德国文化。德国的艺术团体即使在战争期间仍然蓬勃发展，而许多当代的艺术家和音乐家都在所有的冲突中找到了灵感和动机。事实上，如果尽力回顾，德国已孕育了某些世界上最伟大及最具影响力的哲学家、音乐作曲家、科学家和发明家。
这个国家本身就充满了从许多时代留下来的文化遗产。除了许多城堡和大教堂之外，其中有些景点被拿来当作迪斯尼电影的灵感来源，有个会温暖人心的观光景点就是德国童话路。这是一条全长 6 百公里，而且没有速度限制的高速公路，它带着游客穿越了格林兄弟在像是《小红帽》和《白雪公主与七矮人》这些受欢迎童话中所描述的村落。
然而，这几年来，德国人经常悠闲地沉迷于用比人头还大的马克杯喝啤酒。十月节（即慕尼黑啤酒节）起源于慕尼黑，至今仍然在当地举行，这是一个庆祝当地酿造啤酒的节庆。在这为期 16 天的庆典当中，人们会喝掉 7 百多万公升的啤酒，而这让德国每年都挤进世界上喝最多啤酒的国家行列之中。德国人知道他们必须吃饱才能喝下所有的啤酒，而没有东西比香肠更适合配啤酒了。德国香肠很容易被视为该国最受欢迎的食物。
柏林影展是这个大受欢迎的国家吸引人们注意的另一个活动。关于德国有一件事是确定的，那就是该国的 8 千 1 百万人民对每一件事情都有很棒的品味。
答案： 1. B 2. A 3. C 4. C
慕尼黑啤酒节（Oktoberfest）又称为『十月节』，每年 9 月末到 10 月初在德国的慕尼黑举行，活动持续约 16 天，是慕尼黑一年中最盛大的活动。
2012 年大约有 6 百万人参加啤酒节活动，而许多其他城市也效法慕尼黑举办『十月节』。
啤酒节最初起源于 1810 年，最早是为了庆祝当时仍为皇储的国王路德威一世的婚礼所举办，不过现今已经转变为嘉年华的形式了。
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