pilsen

PILSEN

Plzeň ( German: Pilsen) is a city in western Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is the capital of the Plzeň Region and the fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic. It is located about 90 km west of Prague at the confluence of four rivers—the Radbuza, the Mže, the Úhlava, and the Úslava—which form the Berounka River.
History
Plzeň was first mentioned as a castle in 976, as the scene of a battle between Duke Boleslaus II of Bohemia and Emperor Otto II. It became a town in 1295 when King Wenceslaus II granted Plzeň its civic charter as a special "Royal City" and established a new town site, located some 10 km away from the original settlement, which is the current town of Starý Plzenec. It quickly became an important town on trade routes leading to Nuremberg and Regensburg; in the 14th century, it was the third-largest town in Bohemia after Prague and Kutná Hora. In 1468, the town acquired a printing press; the Troyan Chronicle, the first book published in Bohemia, was printed on it.
In 1869 Emil Škoda started up the Škoda Works, which became the most important and influential engineering company in the country and a crucial supplier of arms to the Austro-Hungarian Army.
On 6 May 1945, near end of World War II, Plzeň was liberated from Nazi Germany by the 16th Armored Division of General Patton's 3rd Army. Also participating in the liberation of the city were elements of the 97th and 2nd Infantry Divisions. Other Third Army units liberated major portions of Western Bohemia. The rest of Czechoslovakia was liberated from German control by the Soviet Red Army. Elements of Third Army, as well as units from the First Army, remained in Plzeň until late November 1945, assisting the Czechs with re-building from the war. After seizing power in 1948, the Communists undertook a systematic campaign to suppress all acknowledgement of the U.S. Army's role in liberating the city and Western Bohemia. This continued until 1989 when the Communists were removed from power. Since 1990, the city of Plzeň has organized the annual Liberation Festival, taking place in May, which has already become a local tradition, and has been attended by many American and Allied veterans.
Pilsener beer
Pilsner Urquell in its original glass.
The officials of Plzeň founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, Bürger Brauerei (Citizens' Brewery – now Plzeňský Prazdroj), and recruited Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813–1887) who produced the first batch of modern pilsener beer on 5 October 1842.
Improving transport meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Central Europe and Pilsner Brauart-style brewing was widely imitated. In 1859, “Pilsner Bier” was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Plzeň. In 1898, the Pilsner Urquell trade mark was created to put emphasis on it being the original brewery.
Education and economy
Plzeň is a centre of academic, business, and cultural life for the western part of the Czech Republic. The University of West Bohemia in Plzeň is well known for its School of Law, School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Applied Science in particular.
Since the second half of the 1990s the city has experienced high growth in foreign investments. In 2007, Israeli mall developer Plaza Centers opened the Pilsen Plaza, a 20,000 square meter shopping mall and entertainment center featuring a multiplex cinema from Cinema City Czech Republic.
Plzeň also has the biggest distillery (Stock) in the Czech Republic.

Tourism
The most prominent sights of Plzeň are the Gothic St. Bartholomew's Cathedral, founded in the late 13th century, the tower of which (102.26 m / 335 ft) is the highest in the Czech Republic, the Renaissance Town Hall, and the Moorish Revival Great Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in Europe, after the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest. There is also a 20 km historic underground tunnel/cellar network, among the longest in Central Europe. Part of this network is open to the public for tours of approximately 750 metres in length and up to a depth of 12 metres.
Plzeň is also well-known for the Pilsner Urquell (since 1842) and Gambrinus (since 1869) breweries, currently owned by South African Breweries. A popular tourist attraction is the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery tour where visitors can discover the history of beer. The pilsener style of beer was developed in Plzeň in the 19th century.
Plzeň has been selected to be a European Capital Of Culture in 2015, along with Mons, Belgium.
TEXT COMPREHENSION

01- Check the correct sentence according to the text:
a) Pilsen became a town in the twelfth century
b) The Troyan Chronicle was a newspaper
c) Pilsen is the largest town in the Czech Republic
d) Nuremberg lies in the Czech Republic
e) Prague is the largest Czech city

02- Pilsen became a town in the _________
century.
a) tenth
b) eleventh
c) twelfth
d) thirteenth
e) fourteenth

03- In 976, Pilsen was a ________________.
a) river
b) hotel
c) castle
d) prison
e) hospital

04- Check the correct alternative according to the text:
a) Pilsen Plaza is an Israeli shopping mall
b) Rudolph II and Otto II were emperors
c) Pilsen was founded by Czech King Wenceslau II
d) Pilsen was liberated from Nazi Germany by the Soviet Red Army
e) The first Czech book was printed in the fourteenth century

05- __________rivers form the Berounka River.
a) four
b) five
c) six
d) seven
e) eight

06- Pilsen and __________have been selected to be European Capitals of Culture in 2015.
a) Mons
b) Prague
c) Nuremberg
d) Regensburg
e) Kutná Hora