Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Cold War
(1947-1991)

The Berlin Airlift

Cold War<BR>(1947-1991)
Cold War
(1947-1991)


The Berlin Airlift
Print The Berlin Airlift Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print The Berlin Airlift Reading Comprehension


Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 6 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.39

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    peacetime, communist, humanitarian, airfield, blockade, successful, provided, visibility, democratic, planes, abandon, advance, automobile, zone, mission, battle
     content words:    World War II, United States, Soviet Union, West Berlin, Great Britain, West Germany, In Berlin, Operation Vittles, Plane Fare, Berlin Airlift


The Berlin Airlift
By Sharon Fabian
  

1     Germany had been divided into four zones after World War II. The United States and its allies controlled the three western zones. The communist Soviet Union controlled the eastern zone. The capital city of Berlin, which was located within the eastern zone over 100 miles from the dividing line, was also divided into quarters.
 
2     The Soviet Union wanted to take control of all of Berlin and drive the western countries out. To do this, it began a blockade of the western part of the city in June of 1948. Since it controlled the land on all sides of the city, this was not difficult to do. First it cut off all automobile and truck traffic into West Berlin. Then it cut off all barge traffic into West Berlin. Finally it also stopped all railroad traffic. No supplies could enter the city. If the blockade continued, the 2.2 million people of West Berlin would starve. Would the United States and its allies abandon their claims to Berlin to save the people from starving?
 
3     Berlin was not abandoned to the Communists, but its people didn't starve either. The United States, Great Britain, and France planned a huge mission to send in supplies by air. They would fly supplies from bases in the British part of West Germany into West Berlin.
 
4     At first they flew in from three air bases in West Germany. In Berlin, they landed at either a U.S. base named Tempelhof or a British base called Gatow. At the beginning of the airlift, Tempelhof and Gatow each had only one runway. Nevertheless, airlift pilots began flying in 500 tons of supplies per day.
 
5     The American mission was known as Operation Vittles; the British mission was known as Plane Fare. American, British, and French pilots worked together to fly in all of the necessities. They brought food and medicine. They brought coal for fuel. They brought raw materials and machine parts to keep the factories operating.

Paragraphs 6 to 11:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable



Weekly Reading Books

          Create Weekly Reading Books

Prepare for an entire week at once!


Feedback on The Berlin Airlift
Leave your feedback on The Berlin Airlift   (use this link if you found an error in the story)



Cold War
(1947-1991)

             Cold War
(1947-1991)



United States
             United States


    American Government  
 
    Black History and Blacks in U.S. History  
 
    Children in History  
 
    Government Careers  
 
    Hispanic Heritage  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
 
    Immigration  
 
    National Parks and Monuments  
 
    Native Americans  
 
    Presidents of the United States  
 
    Women's History  
 


United States History
    A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)
 
 
    A New Nation
(1776-1830)
 
 
    After the Civil War
(1865-1870)
 
 
    American Revolution  
 
    Cold War
(1947-1991)
 
 
    Colonial America (1492-1776)  
 
    Lewis and Clark
(1804-1806)
 
 
    Pearl Harbor  
 
    Spanish American War (1898)  
 
    The 1890's  
 
    The 1900's  
 
    The 1910's  
 
    The 1920's  
 
    The 1930's  
 
 
    The 1940's  
 
    The 1950's  
 
    The 1960's  
 
    The 1970's  
 
    The 1980's  
 
    The 1990's  
 
    The 2000's  
 
    The Civil War
(1861-1865)
 
 
    The Great Depression
(1929-1945)
 
 
    The United States Grows
(1865-1900)
 
 
    The War of 1812  
 
    Wild, Wild West  
 
    World War I
(1914-1918)
 
 
    World War II  
 


50 States

             Fifty States Theme Unit


Document Based Activities
      Document Based Activities



Copyright © 2018 edHelper