2、On the morning of January 1 two European cities woke up as European Capital of Culture for 2009. The residents of Linz, the third largest city of Austria, and Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania(立陶宛), were given the __50__ by the European Union. The title offers the two cities the chance to improve their fortunes by showing the rest of Europe how exciting they are __51__.

The cities of Linz and Vilnius are __52__ to compete hard to attract the most international attention. Both are old cities, but __53__ Vilnius has better cared for its medieval（中世紀(jì)的） buildings, Linz’s __54__ scene is more lively than Vilnius’s. Each city certainly __55__ the title, but it is difficult to say if one is more culturally exciting than the other.

No Austrian city has changed as __56__ as Linz has in recent years. It was once a nice, quiet commercial town, founded by the Romans, along the river Danube(多瑙河). It became famous for being the place where Adolf Hitler partly grew-up. Later it became an __57__ city and today Linz is a modern place with a/an __58__ arts and music scene. To __59__ what is special about the city, Linz plans to tell the story of its city musical shows and events through 2009.

Vilnius, like Linz, has also __60__ much in recent years. __61__ a large medieval town, it is today a modern European city. __62__ Vilnius’s many changes, the city has preserved its historic center, which __63__ one of the largest in Europe. The city is famous for its narrow medieval streets.

To mark winning the European Capital of Culture title, the Lithuanian city held an enormous 2009 New Year’s Eve __64__. It included a light show said to have been “visible from outer space”, an achievement Linz had yet to beat.