Dresden Elbe Valley
- Mr. Brown :
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Thank you for sharing your time today.//
- Anne :
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You’re welcome.//
- Mr. Brown :
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Ryo,/
who is our class representative,/ is going to take over from here.// - Ryo :
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Hi,/
Anne.// We are currently working on a class project/on World Heritage sites.// While we were collecting information online,/we came across a place/ called Dresden Elbe Valley,/ where you live now.// - Anne :
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That’s right.//
It’s a valley/ that stretches about 18 kilometers/ //along the Elbe river in Dresden. The location was registered/ as a World Heritage site in 2004/ //because of its panoramic view. - Ryo :
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But its status was revoked later/
because of a bridge/ that the city built.// - Anne :
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That’s correct.//
- Ryo :
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How was the city removed/
from the list/ because of a bridge?// - Anne :
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UNESCO, which designates World Heritage sites,/
considered that the bridge would damage the landscape.// - Ryo :
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Then,/
what prompted the city/ to take on the project?// - Anne :
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Actually,/
even before the place became a World Heritage site,/ there had been a proposal/ to construct a new bridge across the river.// - Ryo :
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For what reason?//
- Anne :
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To solve the problem of traffic jams/
which had annoyed the residents/ The city held a vote in 2005.//for a long time.// People living there decided/ whether to support the development. // - Ryo :
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Which party won the majority?//
- Anne :
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Overall,/
68 percent favored the bridge construction.//
- Ryo :
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So,/
with the people’s official approval,/ did the city make the decision/ to carry on with the project?// - Anne :
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Exactly.//
Then, in 2006,/ UNESCO issued a warning to the city/ that the place could lose its status/ if the bridge was built.// - Ryo :
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I guess/
that the process afterward/ was far from smooth.// - Anne :
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Indeed.//
There was a lot of trouble,/ including a series of lawsuits.// But in 2007,/the construction of the bridge was officially approved. //And finally in 2009,/ the valley became one of the rare places/ The bridge opened to the public in 2013.//where the status/ as a World Heritage site/ was revoked.//
- Ryo :
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Was this a discouraging experience for you?//
- Anne :
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For sure.//
It was disappointing/ to lose a World Heritage site/ But we must recall/in my country.// that this withdrawal resulted/ Dresden Elbe Valley cuts across a large city/from the residents’ preference.//where many people live.// They have the right/to place daily convenience/ above inconvenient prestige.// - Mr. Brown :
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That’s right.//
And we must remember/ that a problem like this can arise anywhere.// So we all need to think of ways/to strike a balance/ //between development and preservation of nature/ no matter where we live. Thank you,/ Anne.// It was great talking with you.// - Anne :
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My pleasure.//