¡Aprende Inglés!

Más que 100 textos didácticos para aprender y

mejorar tu inglés
Aprende vocabulario y gramática leyendo
por Dominik Wexenberger y Niamh Hogan

Contenido
Introducción
Introduction
Colors and Clothes
Desk
Shopping
Daily life
Family
Body
Free time
Calendar
Professions
At home
Disease
Places
The farm
Adjectives
Where?
Asking for directions
Public transport
When I was young
Things
Nature
Cooking
The weather
Talking on the phone
Opinion
Memories
Give advice
The Media
Decisions
The weekend
Dates
 Fairytales
Social Networks
Holidays
Debate
Teenager
Grandparents
Music
Social classes
Feelings
Animals and their habitats
Importance of language
Working world
TV-interview
Consumption
Technology
Climate Change
 Introducción

Primero queremos agradecerte por tu interés en este libro. Esperamos que te

vaya a ayudar mucho en tu camino hacia la maestría del inglés. Escribimos
este libro porque quisimos facilitar el aprendizaje del inglés. Somos
profesores de varias lenguas desde hace varios años y hemos observado
diferentes tipos de problemas y obstáculos durante el aprendizaje de nuestros
alumnos. Pero al final todos llegaron a superar sus problemas y continuaron
con su intento de mejorar sus capacidades y su fluidez en la lengua. Lo más
importante es en nuestra opinión mantener altas la motivación y la diversión.
Y la forma más fácil de generar motivación y diversión es por la sensación
continua de progreso en sus esfuerzos.
Cuando eramos niño y visitabamos la escuela, profesores acostumbraron
decirnos que no teníamos talento para aprender idiomas y que deberíamos
meternos en otras cosas. Hoy hablamos varios idiomas y los enseñamos con
mucho éxito. Nos los enseñamos a nosotros mismos, desarrollando nuestro
entendimiento y nuestra enseñanza a la vez. Somos autodidactos y adoramos
aprender nuevas cosas. Conocimiento es poder se dice. Pero creemos que no
es tanto el poder si no que son las oportunidades en la vida que trae nuevo
conocimiento. Conocimiento abre nuestros ojos, nos muestra nuevos caminos
y nos lleva a nuevos lugares. La vida trata de un desarrollo permanente.
Estamos en camino en cada momento, es un proceso de devenir y de
hacernos más fuerte, más noble y más sabios. Uno entre varios caminos para
progresar en este viaje que llamamos la vida es el aprendizaje y la
acumulación de conocimiento.
En nuestros clases intentamos transmitir ésta pasión respeto del conocimiento
y del aprendizaje por toda la vida. En la mayoría de las veces funciona
bastante bien. ¿Por qué? Porque los estudiantes sienten y empiezan a creer
que si solo se esfuerzan suficientemente duro van a tener éxito. Estamos
convencidos que el aprendizaje y el éxito en él son estrechamente conectados
con la propia convicción de poder tener éxito. Sabemos que eso suena muy
obvio pero no lo es en la práctica. Nos encontramos cada día con gente que
no cree nada pero absolutamente nada en sus propias capacidades y
posibilidades de éxito. Dicen la frase pero no la creen. No creen en la
posibilidad de tener éxito. Creen que más probable que el éxito es el fracaso.
Por eso empiezan con la idea de intentar y no con la idea de tener éxito y
llevar al cabo su idea. Las razones para esta forma nociva de ver las cosas son
varias y amplias. Vale la pena sentarse un rato a pensar sobre ellas y sus
posibles implicaciones en tu propia vida.
Lo que nosotros intentamos con este libro es devolverte la fe en tus
capacidades y que puedes aprender el inglés. El libro es estructurado de una
manera que va a ayudarte ganar conocimiento, autoestima y ambición.
Probamos todos los textos con muchos alumnos en su camino hacia su meta
de aprender el inglés. Estamos convencidos que una de las actividades claves
para aprender un idioma es la lectura.
La lectura tiene varios gran ventajas. Primero, no hay ninguna presión o
estrés porque tienes todo el tiempo del mundo que necesitas para entender
una frase, analizar su estructura y desarrollar un sentimiento para su sonido.
Segundo, la lengua solo existe en contexto, jamás solamente en palabras.
Siempre describe un contexto más amplio, una imagen, una idea o una
imaginación. La lectura es el medio perfecto para tomarse el tiempo de
entender, de sentir y de visualizar el mensaje y la idea del autor. Tercero, leer
textos es probablemente la parte más importante de crear el famoso
sentimiento de una lengua por cual envidiamos a los nativos. Creemos que de
hecho no hay nada difícil en el desarrollo de este sentimiento. Piensa en una
canción o una melodía y intenta cantarla empezando desde un punto
arbitrario en medio de la canción. Vas a ver que no puedes. Necesitas puntos
en la canción desde los cuales puedes empezar a cantar. Creemos que es lo
mismo con lengua. Cuanto más profundo te metas en una lengua más va a
parecer a una canción en tu mente y palabras van a evocar palabras y
ayudarte a hablar con fluidez. Otro ejemplo: Intenta cambiar algunas palabras
en una canción y cántala. Se siente raro ¿verdad? Es lo mismo con lengua.
Para un nativo cambias palabras o usas tiempos que no pertenecen a este
lugar. Lo que dices suena mal. Estamos convencidos que podemos
aprovechar de estas observaciones para mejorar y estudiar más eficazmente.
Y una gran ayuda en esto es la lectura.
El problema de muchos estudiantes que conocimos era que no sabían qué leer
o mejor qué textos correspondían con su nivel y no los frustrában. Les
decíamos que usaran libros de niños, cuentos de hadas y otros libros
semejantes para acostumbrarse al ritmo y la lógica de la lengua y para
ensanchar su vocabulario. Después les recomendabamos buscarse libros de
adolescentes hasta por fin llegar al nivel necesario para leer novelas para
adultos. Si logras terminar un libro de adolescentes de 600 páginas de hecho
ya ganaste. Pero para muchos resultaba muy difícil encontrar o escoger libros
adecuados para poder aprovechar de ellos. Por esa razón decidimos escribir
este libro para todos los que quieren aprender el inglés y lograr sus metas.
La idea del libro no es solo ayudarte con el estudio de palabras y un poco de
gramática sino facilitarte la transición importante de nivel a nivel, mejorando
tu nivel de inglés hasta que llegues al punto de poder entender y aplicarlo de
manera inteligible y con confianza. Cada tema fue concebido para aportar
algo nuevo sin sobrecargarte demasiado o frustrarte con textos que no llegas
a entender. Por supuesto vas a tener que analizar los textos y buscar
vocabulario. El aprendizaje de una lengua es un proceso activo y está muy
lejos de la idea de poner un libro debajo de tu almohada. Pero te prometemos,
si trabajas atentamente por el libro, al final vas a tener una muy buena base
para hacer lo que quieras con el inglés.

Antes de que empieces tu viaje queremos darte unas recomendaciones para

que utilices el libro eficazmente.
1. Instala Goldendict en tu computadora y busca un diccionario que pueda
traducir desde tu lengua al inglés. En nuestra opinión es la mejor opción para
buscar palabras. Te da la posibilidad de buscar palabras directamente en el
texto sin cambiar siquiera la ventana en que estás leyendo. Se abre un
pequeño pop-up y te muestra instantáneamente la traducción. También
funciona en otros lugares como periódicos, redes sociales, etc.. Lo
encontrarás aquí: [Link]
2. Lee por los textos y busca todas las palabras que no sepas. Intenta entender
las frases en su profundidad. En su profundidad significa que entiendes la
frase como si fuera en tu lengua nativa. En su profundidad no significa “más
o menos” o “significa algo como ...”.
3. En cuanto hayas entendido todo el texto, vuelve a leerlo. Esta vez intenta
no traducirlo sino comprenderlo. Intenta encontrar el fantasma detrás del
texto como lo llamamos nosotros. Detrás de cada frase hay una imagen, un
mensaje que es la suma de palabras y crea el concepto de la frase. Piensa en
como lees un texto en tu lengua nativa. No entiendes cada palabra sino el
conjunto de las palabras te transmite el mensaje de la frase. Piénsalo como el
fantasma detrás de la frase y intenta verlo.
4. La practica es importante. Escribe pequeños relatos sobre los temas.
Experimenta, comete errores, descubre nuevas palabras. Intenta traducir
frases que ves en otros lugares.
5. Haz una costumbre de tu estudio. Sabemos que la gente hoy en día siempre
está tremendamente ocupada y nunca tiene tiempo. No obstante intenta
dedicar cada día tiempo a tus estudios. Por eso son tan cortos los textos.
Puedes leer y analizar uno en más o menos 15 minutos.

Si estás interesado en clases particulares con nosotros, si tienes una idea o un

comentario interesante en cuanto a nuestro trabajo o si solo quieres
saludarnos, búscanos en Facebook o en Skype. Nos vas a encontrar allí con
nuestros nombres.
Y ahora es hora que empieces. ¡Vamos ya, la maestría del inglés te está
esperando!

Mucha suerte y mucha diversión,

Dominik Wexenberger y Niamh Hogan

 Introduction

Text 1
Hello, how are you? I'm well. My name is Dominik. What is your name? I'm
from England. Where are you from? Where do you live? I live in London. I'm
28 years old. How old are you? My hobbies are sports, learning languages,
traveling and I like to meet with friends. I like good food. I like to paint. I
like to play video games, too. What do you like? What don't you like? I don't
like bad weather and I don't like bad food. I speak English, German, Spanish
and French. What languages do you speak? What is your job? What do you
do for a living? I work as a teacher. I teach languages. I have studied at
university. Are you a student? Or what do you do?

Text 2
Hello, how are you? I'm fine, thank you. I want to introduce my father to you
today. My father's name is Roland. What is your name? My father is 55 years
old. How old are you? He lives in England. Where do you live? He speaks
English and a bit of German. He likes football. He likes to cook. He likes
dogs and he likes good movies. And you, what do you like? What don't you
like? What are your hobbies? He doesn't like cats and he doesn't like nasty
people. And you, what don’t you like? Tell me! Surely it is interesting! Good
bye!

Text 3
Hey, how are you? Is everything alright? Are you having a nice day? Do you
know my brother? My brother's name is Mark. He is very friendly. He is 26
years old. How old are you? He works as an engineer. And you, what is your
job? What do you do for a living? He likes music. He plays the guitar. He
likes to listen to music and he likes to make music. And you? He likes to
cook. Do you like to cook? He doesn't like alcohol. He doesn't drink alcohol.
Do you like alcohol? He doesn't like spiders and he doesn't like football
either. Do you like football? Do you like spiders? Have a good day. Bye!
 Colors and Clothes

Text 1
What color are the trousers? The trousers are black. What color is the t-shirt?
The t-shirt is green. What color is the jumper? The jumper is blue. What color
are the socks? The socks are yellow. What color are the underpants? The
underpants are white. What color are the swimming trunks? The swimming
trunks are red. What color are the trunks? They are blue. What color is the
jacket? The jacket is purple. What color is the scarf? It is pink.

Text 2
Hello, what are you wearing today? I am wearing a jacket. The jacket is gray.
I am wearing a gray jacket and a shirt. The shirt is light blue and white. I am
wearing a light blue shirt. I am wearing a t-shirt. The t-shirt is yellow. I am
wearing a yellow t-shirt. I am wearing a pair of trousers. The trousers are
black. I am wearing black trousers. I'm wearing socks. The socks are black,
too. I'm wearing black socks and I'm wearing shoes. My shoes are white. I'm
wearing white shoes. What are you wearing today?

Text 3
Good morning! What am I going to wear today? I take off my pajama. I put
on some underpants and a pair of green socks. I put on black trousers and a
white shirt. I put on a blue necktie and my red jacket. I put on shoes, too.
What have you put on? Are you wearing a shirt? Do you put on a blouse? Do
you put on shoes? Do you put on gloves or a scarf?

Text 4
Hooray, it’s the weekend! I am going to the discotheque. I put on my colorful
t-shirt. I put on my green trousers. I put on black shoes. And I put on a nice
jacket. I don't put on a dress. I don't put on a suit either. I don't put on sandals.
I don't put on slippers and rubber boots either. I don't put on gloves and a
scarf either. What do you put on when you go to a discotheque?
 Desk

Text 1
What do you do with these things? With the lamp you illuminate the desk.
With the eraser you erase. With the pencil sharpener you sharpen a pencil.
With the felt pen you color. With the ruler you measure a distance and you
draw a straight line. With the calculator you calculate numbers. With the
backpack you carry your things. On the sheets of paper you write. With the
pencil you draw. In the pencil case you store your things. On the notebook
you write and you take notes and with the books you read and you learn.

Text 2
Today we are going to talk about the desk. We have a lamp to illuminate the
desk. We have books to read and learn. We have a notebook to take notes,
write, paint, draw and calculate. We have a pencil case to store our things.
We store our pencils, erasers, rulers, pencil sharpeners and felt pens in the
pencil case. We have sheets of paper to write or draw on them. We have a
backpack to carry our books. We use a calculator to calculate. We add,
subtract, divide and multiply with a calculator. We can measure a distance
with a ruler and we can draw a straight line with it. We use felt pens to draw
and color our drawings. We use a pencil sharpener to sharpen the pencils.
And we use an eraser to erase what we have written before.

Text 3
What are these? These are scissors. We can cut with scissors. We can cut
paper for example. What is this? This is a pencil. We can write with a pencil.
There is a pencil sharpener to sharpen the pencils. What is this? This is
adhesive tape. With adhesive tape you can stick something to the wall. What
is this? This is a felt pen. We can draw and color with a felt pen. What is
this? This is a book. We can read from a book. What is this? This is a
notebook. In a notebook we can take notes. What do you do with a stapler?
You attach two sheets of paper. What do you do with a pen? You write a text
or you sign a document. What do you with a brush? You paint a painting.
 Shopping

Text 1
Today I'm at the market. I need vegetables. I need some tomatoes, red
tomatoes. They are 1€ per kilo. I also need some cucumbers. They are 2€ per
kilo. I need peppers, too. They are 5€ per kilo. I buy lettuce, too. The lettuce
looks fresh. It is 70 cents per head. I buy potatoes. How much are they? The
potatoes are 1,20€ per kilo. I need some broccoli. Broccoli is 1,50€ per piece.
This is not expensive. It is cheap. This is all I need. How much is it all
together? I pay and I go home.

Text 2
I need fruit. I buy fruit at the supermarket. They have nice bananas. They are
1,40€ per kilo. They also have watermelons. I want to buy a watermelon. A
watermelon is 1€ each. The pears look nice, too. I want to buy pears. Pears
are 2,50€ per kilo. I want to buy a pineapple, too. The pineapple is 2€ each.
And last but not least I buy some apples. The apples look delicious. They are
1,20€ per kilo. I don't buy nuts, strawberries, mangoes or cherries. I don't
have enough money with me. How much is it all together?

Text 3
I'm at the supermarket. I need a few things. I buy fresh milk and cheese. I like
cheese a lot. And I want to buy yogurt. I like to eat yogurt with fruits and
oats. I want to buy a bit of meat and fish, too. I buy a piece of meat and a
fish. I need a box of eggs. Of course, I buy organic eggs. And I don't have
any juice left at home. I buy orange juice and apple juice. And I buy a bit of
chocolate. Do I need anything else? I don't think so. Oh yes! I need fresh
bread. Now I have everything. I go to the checkout. I need a shopping bag to
carry everything. I pay with my credit card and go home.
 Daily life

Text 1
It is 6 o'clock in the morning. I wake up. I get up. What about you? At what
time do you get up? It is half past 6. I take a shower. After that I have
breakfast. At what time do you have breakfast? It is 8 o'clock. I start work. I
work until noon, around 12 o'clock. At what time do you start work? At what
time is your lunch break? I finish my lunch at 1 o'clock. I work the whole
afternoon until 6 o'clock in the evening. Then I go home. At 8 o'clock it is
dinner time. My family and I have dinner together. At 9 o'clock I watch a
movie. After that I read for a bit before I go to bed. What do you do in the
evening? At what time do you go to bed? Do you like to read before you go
to bed?

Text 2
Hello. Today I want to tell you about my day. I get up at 5 o'clock and I go to
the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee. After that I go to the bathroom and
take a shower. I wash and I shave. I brush my teeth. Then I get dressed. After
that I have breakfast and I have a cup of coffee. Then I go to work. I work
until noon. Then I take my lunch break and have my lunch. In the afternoon I
continue to work. I finish work at quarter past 5, sometimes at half past 5.
Then I drive home. I arrive home around quarter to 7. I prepare and eat my
dinner. After that I watch TV or I read for a bit. At 10 I go to bed, I set my
alarm and I sleep until the next morning.

Text 3
My alarm rings. It is early in the morning. It is 6 o'clock. I get up and make
my bed. Then I have a shower. I wash my hair and I brush my teeth. In the
morning I'm always a bit slow. I use a hair dryer to dry my hair. I comb my
hair and I put on makeup. After that I get dressed. I make and eat my
breakfast. I have a slice of bread with strawberry jam and a cup of coffee.
After that I go to school. I learn a lot of new things. At noon I go home. I do
my homework and after that I meet my friend to play. We play for the whole
afternoon. In the evening I prepare dinner for my family. After dinner I go to
bed and I write in my diary. Before I go to sleep I read for a bit. And then I
sleep and dream of many nice things.
 Family

Text 1
This is Anna's family. Anna is thirteen years old and very friendly. Her
brother Tom is eleven years old and likes to play football. Anna and Tom's
father is 45 years old and always happy to help. His name is Charles. Their
mother and Charles' wife is called Monika. She is lovely and very interesting.
Charles's father is Anna's grandfather. He is married to the children's
grandmother Helen. The children love their grandparents very much. Their
grandmother is 75 years old and their grandfather is 80 years old. Tom and
Anna are their grandchildren. Charles has two brothers. They are the
children's uncles. Anna is their niece and Tom is their nephew. Monika has a
sister. She is the children's aunt. And the children have cousins. They are
their aunt's and their uncle's children.

Text 2
This is my brother and this is my sister. We are siblings. We are our parents'
children. My sister is their daughter and we are their sons. We are our
grandparents' grandchildren. My sister is their granddaughter and we are their
grandsons. My father is a very nice guy. He is my grandmother's and my
grandfather's son. My mother is a great person. She is my grandparents'
daughter-in-law. My grandparents have another son, my father's brother. He
is our uncle and his wife is our aunt. My sister is their niece and we are their
nephews.

Text 3
I love my family. My father is very friendly. My mother is very busy. What
are your parents like? My sister is very intelligent. What is your sister like?
My brother is very sporty. And your brother, what is he like? My
grandmother is a lovely old lady. And your grandmother, what is she like?
And my grandfather is so funny. What is your grandfather like? Tell me
about your family!
 Body

Text 1
A human has a face. On the face he has a mouth. With his mouth he speaks
and he eats. In his mouth he has teeth and a tongue. With his teeth he chews
and bites and with his tongue he tastes. He has lips, too. He kisses with his
lips. He has a chin, two cheeks and two eyes. He sees with the eyes. He has
eyelashes and eyelids. His eyelashes are very long. He has eyebrows. A
human face has a forehead. A human has hair. And he has a nose. With the
nose he smells and breathes. And he has ears. With his ears he hears and
listens to music.

Text 2
What do you do with your legs? With your legs you walk. What do you do
with your feet? With your feet you stand. What do you do with your hands?
With your hands you can grab and you can clap. What do you do with your
fingers? You can point. What do you do with your knees? You kneel with
your knees. What do you do with your bottom? You sit on your bottom. What
do you do with your hip? You dance with your hips. What do you do with
your stomach? With your stomach you digest. What do you do with your
chest? You breathe with your chest. What do you do with your back? You
can carry with your back. What do you do with your shoulders? You shrug
your shoulders. What do you do with your arms? You hug a friend or your
family.

Text 3
My head is big. I think with my head. My nose is pointy. I smell with my
nose. My eyes are brown. I see with my eyes. My lips are red. I kiss with my
lips. My teeth are white. I bite and I chew with my teeth. My shoulders are
broad. I carry with my shoulders. My chest is strong. I breathe with my chest.
My arms are long. I hug my friends. My hands are small. I grab an apple. My
fingers are slim. My belly is fat. I need to work out a bit. My bottom is round.
I sit on my bottom. My legs are muscular. I play football with my legs. My
feet are very hairy. I might just be a Hobbit.
 Free time

Text 1
What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? My
hobbies are hiking and going for walks with my dogs. I like to read. I love to
watch football. I like to meet with my father. And I like to go ice-skating. I
love to listen to music and I like to go to the cinema, too. I enjoy watching
good movies and I love to eat popcorn. I like to listen to the news on the
radio. Politics, sports and the programs about the economy are very
interesting. I enjoy reading, too. I like novels and academic literature. I read
the newspaper every morning. I like to play board games, cards and the
PlayStation. And I like to work out. I play basketball and football. I know
how to lose. It is not that important to always be the winner. And what do
you like to do? What is fun for you? What do you think is fun, entertaining
and worth your while?

Text 2
In my free time I often practice my guitar. I enjoy making music. I sing and I
play all afternoon. I also write my own songs. I can play the piano, too. It is
fun, but I enjoy my guitar more. Twice a week I go to a yoga-class. I like to
move my body and work out. I love to swim in the sea or in lakes. I think
that it is also fun to work in the garden. I plant trees, flowers and other plants.
That's really relaxing. Another hobby of mine is spending time on the
computer. I like to play video games. Sometimes I play all afternoon and
forget about my homework and even about my dinner. I am also learning
how to program. I want to know how to program video games. And I surf the
Internet, I chat with my friends on Facebook or I read the news and other
information online. Nevertheless I still write letters. My friends love my
letters and I often write many pages. It is fun to write and express my ideas.
And sometimes I just lie in the sun and do nothing. I am lazy and I sleep or
snooze. What do you like to do? Do you program? Do you write letters? Do
you work in the garden or do you like to swim in the sea? What do you do in
your free time?
 Calendar

Text 1
What do you do during the week? I work from Monday to Friday. Sometimes
I work on Saturday, too. On Monday I work out. On Tuesday I meet my
friends. On Wednesday I take a French-class. On Thursday I go to the park
and take my dogs for a walk. On Friday I often go to a bar and I have a
couple of beers. On Saturday I work out again and I read in the afternoon. In
the evening I like to go to a disco. I meet friends there, I dance and have fun.
And on Sunday I take a rest from the long week. On Sunday there is market. I
go there and do my shopping for the week. I buy vegetables and fruit, meat
and cheese. What do you do during the weekend?

Text 2
What did you do this year? In January I built a snowman. In February I
worked. In March I went to Mexico. In April I returned to work. In May I
met my girlfriend. In June I spent my holidays by the sea. In July I swam in a
lake. In August I read a lot. In September I went to many parties. In October
it was very cold. I spent a lot of time at home listening to music. In
November it got even colder. I studied a lot and watched many movies. I
hardly ever left the house. And in December I celebrated Christmas with my
family. That was fun. I had a really good year. What about you, how was
your year?

Text 3
What did you do last year? Did you visit friends? Did you eat good food? Did
you drink lots of alcohol? Did you paint? Did you go to many parties? Did
you go on holiday? I went to many parties in spring. And in summer I spent a
lot of time at the beach and I often swam in the sea. In fall I ate a lot and I
worked out a lot. I also drank a lot of juice and tea and met my friends. In
winter I studied a lot and spent a lot of time in the library. But I always had
fun and was very happy and satisfied with my life. What about you? What
did you do last year? Did you enjoy last year? Were you happy and satisfied?
What didn't you like? Did you have a good year or a bad year?
 Professions

Text 1
An actor learns his role and interprets it. He works in a studio in front of the
camera. An architect plans buildings and draws plans. He works in an office.
A painter paints paintings with colors and brushes. She works in a studio. An
engineer builds cars and motorbikes and he works in a workshop. A
babysitter takes care of a child and reads a story to the child. She works in a
house. A baker bakes bread and sells it. She works in a bakery. A hairdresser
cuts the client's hair. She works at a hairdresser or salon. A businessman
signs and closes a contract. A butcher makes sausages and cuts meat. He
works at a butcher shop. A carpenter saws and hammers with a saw and a
hammer in the workshop.

Text 2
A cashier sells products and works at the checkout in the supermarket. A
cook washes the vegetables, cooks and prepares the food. He works in the
kitchen of a restaurant. An educator educates children and plays with
children. She works at the kindergarten. A programmer programs and
develops software for computers. A janitor repairs and cleans the house. A
secretary makes appointments and answers the telephone. A delivery person
delivers pizza to the client's house. A dock worker controls the containers at
the port. A factory worker packs the package, controls it and closes it. He
works at the factory. A farmer takes care of his animals, cultivates vegetables
and fruit and drives the tractor at the farmyard.

Text 3
A firefighter extinguishes fire and rescues people. A fisherman catches fish
and sells it at the market. A boss hires and fires employees and pays their
salary. A gardener plants trees and flowers in the garden. A health care aide
takes care of patients and gives them their medicine. A homemaker stays at
home and does the house work. A journalist interviews important people and
writes articles for the newspaper. A lawyer defends her clients at court. A
mail carrier brings letters, postcards and small packages.

Text 4
A manager manages the branch and supervises the employees. A manicurist
takes care of the client's fingernails and paints them. A mechanic repairs and
checks the engines of cars in the workshop. A doctor examines patients and
prescribes medicine. He works in a doctor's practice. A mover helps to move
house and carries the furniture. A musician gives concerts and excites the
audience. A painter paints walls in houses. A pharmacist informs the patient
about side effects and mixes medicine. A photographer takes photos of a
model and develops the photos in his studio. A pilot flies airplanes and lands
them. She works at the airport and in an airplane. A policeman manages
traffic and arrests thieves. An electrician repairs cables and installs lights in
houses. A salesperson sells cars and advices the customers.

Text 5
A trash collector collects the trash. A security guard guards the entrance of
buildings and controls the passport. A soldier defends or attacks a country. A
teacher teaches students. He sets exams and corrects them. He works at a
school. A translator translates conversations and texts from one language to
another. She works at an office or at conferences. A travel agent informs
customers, organizes journeys and sells them at the travel agency. A truck
driver transports products and goods from one place to another. A
veterinarian examines animals and gives medication to them. He works at a
vet's practice. A waitress takes orders and brings drinks and food. Later she
brings the bill and receives the money.

Text 6
What's your profession? - I'm a policeman. - And how much do you earn? -
Not that much. –How long do you work every day? - I work 8 hours per day,
from Monday to Sunday. - Is your job interesting? - Yes, it is very interesting
and exciting. I like it a lot. - Did you go to university? Or did you do an
apprenticeship? - I did an apprenticeship. You don't need to study in order to
become a policeman. - Very interesting! Thank you for the interview! - You
are welcome.
 At home

Text 1
This is the kitchen. We cook in the kitchen. There is a sink. We wash the
dirty dishes in the sink. There is a stove. On the stove we cook our meals.
There is a coffee pot. We prepare coffee with the coffee pot. There is an
oven. In the oven we bake bread, cakes and pizza. There is a fridge, too. We
store our food in the fridge. There is a cupboard. We store plates, cups, pans
and pots in the cupboard. The cupboard has several drawers. We store cutlery
like spoons, knives and forks in the drawer. There is a small table, too. At the
table we prepare and we eat our food.

Text 2
This is my bedroom. I sleep in my bedroom. There is a bed. I sleep in the
bed. On the bed there are blankets and pillows. Next to the bed there is a
bedside table. On the bedside table there is a lamp. I need the lamp when I
read in bed at night. There is a closet, too. In the closet I store my clothes. In
my room there is a sofa. I sit on the sofa and sometimes I sleep on it. In
addition there is a mirror at the wall and below the mirror is chest of drawer. I
can see myself in the mirror. This is very useful! I store my underwear and
my socks in the chest of drawers. There is a small trash can in the corner for
the trash. And there are of course a few plants. They decorate the room. And
on the walls there hang a few pictures and photos.

Text 3
This is the living room. In our living room there is a sofa. On our sofa there
are two cushions. There is a small table and there is an armchair. There is a
fireplace, too. There is some wood in the fireplace. We have a big table.
There are 5 chairs around the table. We have lunch and dinner at this table.
There is a big television in the corner. Under the television there is a DVD-
player and a stereo. There are some speakers, too. We like to feel like we are
at the cinema. There are some posters, pictures and photos hanging on the
wall and of course we have plants and flowers in our living room.

Text 4
This is our bathroom. There is a sink. We wash our hands and our face at the
sink. There is a mirror. We can see ourselves in the mirror. There is a toilet.
There is toilet paper. There are two toothbrushes. I brush my teeth with the
toothbrush. There is a trash can. There is soap. We wash our hands with the
soap. There are towels. We use the towels to dry ourselves off after a shower
or to dry our hands. There is a shower. We take a shower in the shower.
There is a shower curtain, too. It stops the whole bathroom floor getting wet
when we have a shower. On the floor there is a small carpet. And there is a
radiator for the cold winter days. We turn it on in winter when it is really
cold. And in summer we turn it off because we don't need it.

Text 5
This is our house. There is a front door. The house has many windows. There
is a nice garden. There are many plants in the garden. There are trees, bushes,
hedges and flowers. The children play in the garden. And we like to lie in the
sun and sunbathe in the garden. We have a garage, too. We park the bikes
and the car in the garage. A white wooden fence surrounds the house. There
is a mailbox for the mail. And the house has a roof and a chimney.

Text 6
My flat is very nice. It is very spacious. The flat is luminous and comfortable.
There are three rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room. In addition
there is a large balcony. The rent is not expensive. I pay 300 € per month.
Besides the rent I pay running costs. Running costs are costs for water,
electricity, gas and heating. I like my flat. I like to live here. This is my home.
My neighbors are very nice and friendly, too. There are no problems. How
big is your flat? How much rent do you pay? Do you pay a lot for running
costs? How many rooms do you have? Do you have a balcony or a garden?
Do you live alone or with your family or friends? How are your neighbors?
Do you have problems with your neighbors or do you have a good
relationship with them?
 Disease

Text 1
I'm ill. My head hurts. It hurts a lot. I have a strong headache. I need some
painkillers. Can you go and buy some pills at the pharmacy? I will give you
the money. Can you do that for me? Thank you. I have diarrhea. Yesterday I
ate some bad food. I have been feeling sick the whole day and I don't feel
well. Can you go to the supermarket and buy a few things? Can you bring
apples, bananas and toilet paper from the supermarket? And can you call my
boss and tell him that I can't go to work today? I will bring a medical
certificate as soon as I feel well again. And can you take my dog for a walk
and feed her please? I am very grateful for all your help. It is very nice of you
to help me. Thank you very much!

Text 2
My parents are ill. They have the flu. They have a cold and they are sneezing
all the time. Their head hurts and they have problems with their stomach. I
have bought them painkillers. They have fever and a cough, too. They don't
feel very well and I'm a bit worried. They should go and see a doctor. The
doctor will examine them and prescribe them some medication. In addition
he will give them a medical certificate. This is important. The medical
certificate is for their boss. They will give it to him as soon as they are well
again and feel better. I prepare them a hot soup. It is a delicious soup with
chicken, egg and a lot of vegetables. The soup helps them to get better. And I
go to the video store and rent a couple of movies for them. I rent an action
movie for my father. He loves action movies. And I look for a comedy for my
mother. She really likes a good comedy. Later I make hot tea for all of us and
we sit down on the sofa and watch the movies together.

Text 3
My wife is ill. She doesn't feel well. She’s sunburnt. Because of the sunburn
she’s got a bad headache and she feels pretty sick. She’s been vomiting all
afternoon because she’s got problems with her stomach and diarrhea. I go to
the pharmacy to buy some medication. I hope she will be better soon. The
medication will help her for sure.

Text 4
I have a wound. It is bleeding. What should I do? I need to clean the wound
to disinfect it. After that I need a band aid. I place the band aid over the
wound and I stick it to the skin around the wound. That's much better! I have
a cold. What can I do? I need a handkerchief and a nose spray. I wipe my
nose with the handkerchief. That helps a lot! I have a sore throat. My throat
hurts a lot! What can I do? I can prepare a cup of tea with honey and lemon
juice and I want to buy some painkillers at the pharmacy. After that I will be
better for sure. I got bitten by a dog. What should I do? I need to clean the
wound and disinfect it first. Then I need to see a doctor to get a vaccination.
Foresight is better than hindsight, you know!

Text 5
I'm not feeling well. I think I have got the flu. I will go to see a doctor today
and let him examine me. He will surely give me some medication and a
medical certificate for my boss.
Patient: Hello, Doctor Mitchell.
Doctor: Hello Mr. Smith. How can I help you? What’s the matter? Do you
feel any pain?
Patient: Yes. I got a headache, a tummy ache and a sore throat. And I’ve got
a fever, almost 40 degrees Celsius. I'm hot and I'm cold and I’m shivering.
What should I do?
Doctor: How long have you been feeling like this? How many days do you
have the fever?
Patient: For 3 days. I thought I would be fine in a couple of days. But I'm not
getting any better. I still feel really bad and everything hurts.
Doctor: It is very important that you stay in bed and get some rest. A few
days in bed always helps. In addition I will prescribe you some pills for the
fever and sore throat. Prepare some hot tea with honey and ginger. And eat
hot soup. I will write you a medical certificate for work. Don't worry; you
will be fine in a few days.
Patient: Thank you, Doctor Mitchell.
Doctor: You are welcome. Get well soon!
 Places

Text 1
Hello, what are you up to today? Do you want to go for a walk? Will we go
to the park? I believe there is a football match today. Do you want to go to
the stadium? Let's go to town and watch the match! What do you think? Or
will we go to the coffee bar and have a cup of coffee? What do you think? Do
you like the idea? You can have a cup of tea if you don't like coffee. And
they have wonderful cheese cake at this coffee bar. And in the evening we
can go to the cinema. Do you want to see a movie? And after the movie we
can go to a bar or to a disco. I think that sounds like a great plan. Do you
agree? What are we waiting for? Let's go!

Text 2
It's weekend. I'm bored. What can I do? There are many interesting things to
do. Where should I go this weekend? I can go to the museum. I could see
some art there. Or I can go to the art gallery. I can go to a concert and listen
to music and dance there. I can go to the theater, too. There must be an
interesting play there tonight. But the tickets are very expensive and I'm kind
of broke at the moment. I can visit the theme park. I can eat some cotton
candy there and ride the rollercoaster. That is so much fun! Or I can visit an
old castle. I like historical sites. Or I can go with the dogs to the national park
and hike through the wilderness with them. The national park is very cool. I
think that is my plan for the weekend. My dogs and I surrounded by nature.
That is going to be awesome!

Text 3
What did you do at the weekend? I went to a flea market. I bought some
books there. Later I went to the park and ate some ice cream. On Sunday I
was at the beach. I went by car to the sea and I swam in the sea for the whole
day. There is an aquarium there too. I visited the aquarium and saw many
beautiful fish. That was an amazing experience! In the evening I went to the
cinema and I watched a movie. I ate popcorn and I relaxed. After that I went
home. I went to bed and read for a bit. And then I fell asleep and slept the
whole night. I definitely had an amazing weekend, don't you think? What did
you do at the weekend? Did you have fun?

Text 4
I need to buy some things for the weekend. I go to town. I need bread so
firstly I go to the bakery. There I buy fresh bread and a few bread rolls. After
that I go to the butcher shop. I want to buy meat and sausages. My next stop
is the florist. I want to decorate my flat with some flowers. On the way I
quickly stop at my wife's office to say hello and give her a kiss. My next stop
is the supermarket. I buy some things there, for example milk, cheese and
yogurt. On the way back I see a flea market and I stop there. I go to the flea
market and roam around for a while. I find a couple of CDs and a few
second-hand shirts. I eat a slice of cake. After that I go home. Finally when I
get home it’s time to sit down on the sofa and relax!

Text 5:
Tom: Hey Tina, how are you? What are you up to at the weekend? Would
you like to do something with me? I'm bored and I would really like to go out
and do something interesting.
Tina: Hi Tom, I'm well! Of course we can do something together. What
would you like to do? Would you fancy visiting the zoo? Or the new
aquarium? It's supposed to be incredible!
Tom: I love the idea of visiting the aquarium. And afterwards we can go to a
restaurant for pizza. Or we can buy something nice at the bakery and go to
the park for a picnic. What do you think? Do you like the idea?
Tina: A picnic sounds like a splendid idea! We can sit by the lake in the
park. The area around the water is not that crowded and very calm. Excellent!
What time would you like to go to the aquarium?
Tom: It takes about 30 minutes from my house. What about half past 9?
Tina: Let's say 10 o'clock. I need to go to the supermarket first and do some
shopping.
Tom: Alright, no problem. I will pick you up at home and then we go
together. And later we can go to the park and have a delicious picnic. What a
splendid plan for a Saturday! I'm looking forward to it!
Tina: Me, too. I will see you tomorrow! Have a nice evening!
 The farm

Text 1
On the farm there are many animals. The farmer and his wife have rabbits.
Rabbits are very fluffy and are really cute. They have pigs, too. The pigs live
in the stable. They are very smart. Their skin is pink. They also have a herd
of cows. The cows give meat and milk. The farmer has a dog. The dog takes
care of the cows and the sheep. He is very smart and keeps things organized.
He receives a bone for his work. The horse helps on the field. It is very
strong. In the barnyard chickens live in the chicken house and lay eggs. The
farmer grows crops, fruits and vegetables in the fields and raises animals. Fall
is harvest time, the time of the year when the farmer harvests the crops with
his tractor. In spring, summer and fall there is a lot of work for the farmer to
do. In winter the farmer rests and prepares for the following year.

Text 2
Dogs live on many farms. Dogs are very friendly and loyal friends to
humans. Dogs are more loyal than cats and much more loyal than pigs. They
are pretty smart. They are smarter than chicken and they are smarter than
ducks. Dogs sleep a lot. They sleep more than humans. I like dogs. I like
them more than cats. I think that dogs are better than cats. They are more like
a friend than a pet. Do you like dogs or do you prefer cats? What is your
favorite pet? Dogs live in a doghouse and they love delicious bones. They
often live with us in our house. It is important to educate them a bit. The
better they are educated the more fun we have with them. It is a lot of fun to
have a dog but it takes a lot of work, too. Always consider beforehand
whether you are ready for this responsibility or not.

Text 3
Cows live in the barnyard. The cow is very important because it gives milk
and meat. We can make a lot of products with milk. We can drink the milk or
we can make cheese and butter with it. Milk is very rich. We can prepare
really nice food with the meat. Cows live in pasture in herds. A herd consists
of many animals. Cows are smart and interesting animals. In summer they
spend the whole day in the meadows and eat grass. They also have a house
where they live. It is called a stable. The cows sleep there and spend the
winter in the stable.

Text 4
Pigs live in the barnyard. Pigs are friendly and intelligent animals. They live
often in a pigsty but sometimes also in pasture. This depends on the farm
where they live. It is better for the pigs when they live in pasture. But in order
to save money many farmers keep them in small pens. We eat their meat but
in other cultures they don't eat pork, in Muslim countries for example. It is
considered impure. We paint pigs with the color pink but there are also black
and white pigs. Pigs live in many barnyards. They are very useful animals.
There are people who keep pigs as a pet. Did you know that? Perhaps you
know somebody who keeps a pig in their house? What do you think about
pigs? Would you like to keep one yourself?

Text 5
In the old times, they had many horses on the farm. Before the invention of
the tractor they needed horses to pull the heavy machines. Horses are very
strong, they have a lot of strength. They are stronger than cows and also
stronger than donkeys. That's why they had to work a lot. Horses are
beautiful and fascinating animals. They exist in many different colors and
sizes. We don't usually eat them, yet there are countries where they eat horse
meat. That's a matter of culture. Horses are amazing creatures. Today horses
are used for sport. People organize horse races and other competitions and bet
on the winner. Owning a horse is very expensive. You have to pay for the
food, the stable, the vet and so on. It is often a hobby for rich people. You
need a lot of time, too. Horses eat grass, fruit, vegetables and crops. Do you
like horses? Do you know how to ride a horse? Would you like to have a
horse? I like horses. They are interesting and fascinating animals. What do
you think about horses?
 Adjectives

Text 1
My grandfather has a new car. It is newer than my car. He bought the newest
model. My grandfather is older than my father but he is younger than my
grandmother. My grandmother is the oldest member of my family. My father
is younger than my grandparents and I am the youngest member of my
family.
I'm pretty tall. But my girlfriend is taller than me and most other girls. The
other girls are much smaller than her. She is the tallest of all. She also has
longer hair than the other girls. My hair is much shorter than her hair. My
hair is pretty short.
We have a dog. Our dog is big. He is the biggest dog in the park. All the
other dogs are smaller than him. He is much faster than the smaller dogs. The
smaller dogs are slower than the big dogs. They have shorter legs. They are
the slowest dogs I know but they live longer than the big dogs.

Text 2
The man is fatter than the woman. The woman is slimmer than the man, yet
the both of them are fatter than the child. The child is the slimmest and the
man is the fattest of the three. The man is heavier than the woman. The girl is
lighter than the woman. The woman is lighter than the man but she is heavier
than the girl. The girl is the lightest.
The man and the woman sleep on a double bed and the girl sleeps on a single
bed. Guests sleep on the sofa. The double bed is broader than the single bed
but they are both equally as long. The single bed is smaller than the double
bed. The sofa is smaller than the bed. The sofa is the smallest.
The girl likes the day but she doesn't like the night. She is afraid of the dark.
During the day it is brighter than at night. At night it is darker than during the
day. In the morning it is darker than at noon. In the afternoon it is brighter
than in the evening. At night is the darkest time of the day.
The girl likes to play in the garden during the day. The girl likes to plant trees
and flowers in the garden. The trees are different heights: 2 meters, 1 meter
and 50 centimeters. 2 meters is higher than 1 meter. 50 centimeter is lower
than 1 meter. The tree with a height of 2 meter is the tallest. The tree with a
height of 50 centimeter is the shortest.

Text 3
My daughter can go to school go by car, take the bus or go by bike. She
always goes by the vehicle which is the cleanest. What about today? The car
is dirtier than the bus. The bus is cleaner than the car. The bike is cleaner than
the car and the bus. The bike is the cleanest. The girl takes the bus.
Her parents want to buy her a new mattress. Her mattress is already very old
and pretty soft. The girl wants a harder mattress. She tries a few mattresses.
The second mattress is softer than the first mattress. The third mattress is
harder than the soft mattress. It is the hardest. The girl buys the hardest
mattress. The girl is now hungry. She has a good idea: A picnic! Stop, she
has a better idea! A picnic in the park! Actually she has an even better idea!
A picnic at the sea with the whole family! This idea is the best one. The first
two ideas are not bad but they are a little worse than the last idea.
In the evening the girl goes to a concert. She likes to listen to music and she
loves to dance. The music at the concert is much louder than at home. The
music on her MP3-player is quieter than the music at the concert. The music
at the concert is the loudest. The girl paid 30 Euros for the ticket. How much
is 30 Euros, the girl asks. 30 Euros is more than 20 Euros but less than 40
Euros. 100 Euros is a lot of money and 1 Euro is a very small amount. So 30
Euros is not a large amount but isn’t a small amount either.
It is already late, says her father. It is 8 o'clock, pretty late for a young lady.
How late is 8 o'clock, asks the little girl. 8 o'clock is later than the morning
and later than the afternoon. It is earlier than midnight and earlier than the
next day. But it is definitely quite late for a little girl! So quick, let's go home!
It's time for bed, says her father.

Text 4
I have a problem. It isn't a big problem. It is a bit smaller than a big problem.
I would like to buy a new car. Not necessarily the newest model but newer
than my current car. Neither the newest model nor the oldest model! There
are different models. The best and newest car is the most expensive. It has the
quietest engine, it is the fastest, the most beautiful and the biggest. The worst
car is the cheapest. It is the slowest, it has the loudest engine and it is the
smallest car they have. I buy a car which is better, faster, bigger, more
beautiful and more expensive than the cheapest car. But it is also cheaper,
slower, smaller and uglier than the most expensive car. The perfect car for
me!
 Where?

Text 1
I'm in the class room. The class room is in the school. I sit in the center of the
room. On my left sits a nice girl. Her name is Tina. Tina sits next to the door.
The door is in the front of the room, next to the board. On my right sits a boy.
He is my friend. His name is Martin. Next to the boy sit two pupils, a boy and
a girl. Next to them there is a window. In front of me sit two girls and three
boys. In front of them sits the teacher. The teacher sits in front of the board.
He often stands at the board and writes on it. Sometimes he stands behind us
and observes us from the back or he goes down the rows between the tables.
On the table lies my notebook and next to it my calculator and my pen. Under
the table is my backpack. In my backpack are my books and my sandwich for
lunch.

Text 2
This is what my room looks like. In one corner is the door. Next to the door is
the bed. On the bed there is a blanket and two pillows. Under the bed are my
shoes. Next to the bed is my bedside table. On the bedside table there is a
lamp and a few books. In front of my bed hangs a mirror on the wall. Under
the mirror is a chest of drawers. On the chest of drawers are a few items,
deodorant and such things and a plant. The chest of drawers has 6 drawers.
Inside the drawers are my clothes. In the top drawer are my shirts. In the
middle drawer are my underpants. And in the bottom drawer are my socks.
On the left-hand side of the chest of drawers is a big window. At the window
is my desk. On the desk are my computer and my monitor. In front of the
monitor are a computer mouse and a keyboard. Next to the desk is a chair. I
sit on the chair while I write. There is also a sofa between the bed and the
desk. I lay down on it when I need a rest.
Text 3
Where are the things in my kitchen? On the right-hand side next to the
kitchen door is the sink. In the sink are dirty plates, cutlery and mugs. Over
the sink hangs a cupboard. In the cupboard are the dishes. Next to the sink is
the stove. We cook on the stove. Under the stove is an oven. We bake in the
oven. In front of the oven is a second cupboard. In this cupboard we store
pans, pots and other kitchen items. Next to it is the fridge. We store our
perishable foods in the fridge. At the bottom of the fridge is a compartment
for vegetables. Above the compartment is the shelf for the fruit. Above that is
the shelf for the vegetables. And above that is a compartment for meat,
cheese and sausages. On top of the fridge is a freezer. In the freezer is the
frozen food like french-fries, frozen meat or ice cream. And next to the fridge
and the freezer is my kitchen table. I use it to cut vegetables and prepare the
food.

Text 4
Where are the things in my bathroom? On the left-hand side next to the door
is the shower. In front of the shower hangs a curtain. Next to the shower is a
window. In the shower is a bottle of shampoo. Next to the shower hangs a
towel. In front of the towel lies a carpet on the floor. On the carpet I dry
myself off. In front of the shower is the sink. Over the sink hangs a mirror
and over the mirror hangs a lamp. Under the sink is a little cupboard where I
store my towels. Next to the sink is the toilet. Between the toilet and the wall
there is a toilet paper holder. Between the toilet and the wall on the other side
is the toilet brush. And next to the toilet brush is a small trash can.
 Asking for directions

Text 1
Hello. What are you looking for? The metro station? That is easy. First go
straight on and at the end of the street turn right. You will see a supermarket
there at the corner. Just walk past the supermarket and after approximately
200 meters turn left. Then follow the street for the next 500 meters and you
will come to another supermarket. In front of the supermarket there is a little
square with trees, flowers and some benches. Cross the square and on the
other side is the metro station. It is very easy to find. Don't worry. If you have
a problem, just ask somebody on the way. Good luck!

Text 2
Hello! Are you looking for the way? Are you lost? Where do you want to go?
Do you want to go to the travel agency? It is easy to get there. Go to the end
of this street. Then turn right and in 500 meters you will pass a bank and a
supermarket and you should see the town hall and a big square with benches
and flowerbeds at a crossroads. Take the street next to the Italian restaurant.
Go straight on until you arrive at a hotel. At the hotel turn right. And then
you will see the travel agency. Pretty easy, don't you think? And in case you
get lost just stop somebody in the street and ask again. Have a nice day! See
you!

Text 3
I'm sorry. What are you looking for exactly? You are looking for the way to
the town hall. That's a bit complicated. Anyway, let's try. Look, go straight on
along this street. At the end of the street turn left. Then continue along that
street for 200 meters until you arrive at a bank. At the bank turn right and go
straight on. After 500 meters you will see a park. Don't enter the park but
walk around it and on the other side you will find a big square with many
trees, flowerbeds and a fountain. Cross the square. On the other side you will
come to a crossroads. Take the street to the right for a few blocks until you
reach a tunnel. Go through it and you will see the town hall. Actually you
should be able to find it on your own now. In case you get lost just ask again.
The people here are very friendly and happy to help you. Good luck and have
a good day!

Text 4
Welcome to my city. This is a map of the city and I would like to show a few
places of interest. This building here is my house. Next to my house is my
neighbor's house. They live there. In front of my neighbor's house is a metro
station. With the metro you can travel across the city and transport stuff if
you have the need. Behind the metro station is a cinema. You can go there to
watch a movie, eat popcorn and spend an evening full of fun, suspense or
action. On the left-hand side of the cinema is a church. I'm not religious but
in case you are and want to pray or attend church you can go here. Church
services are on Thursdays and Sundays. Behind the church is a high tower.
You can climb up to a platform where there is an amazing view. In front of
the tower is a mall. You can find a huge variety of stores there in case you
need anything. Close to the cinema and the mall is a museum. It is full of art,
sculptures and paintings. You should definitely go there while you are here. It
has many very impressive and interesting collections.

Text 5
This is my town on the map. The town has a school. The children learn about
many interesting things at school. The school is close to the museum. You
can enjoy art there. In front of the museum is a big bridge. It connects the
newer part of the town with the older part. The museum is next to the cinema.
The cinema is pretty old but I still like to go there. The museum is between
the cinema and the new building with expensive flats. They are so expensive
because they are in the center of town. Behind the house is a metro station.
You can take the metro from here to the suburbs. The metro station is
between the mall and the museum. In the mall you will find many different
stores. They sell loads of different products and in case you need anything
you will surely find what you are looking for here. And to the left of the mall
is a tower. In front of the tower is a church. In case you need gasoline, there
is a gas station close to the church.
 Public transport

Text 1
The bus stops at the bus station. The passengers get on and off the bus here.
They take the bus because the bus is faster and cheaper in the city. Many of
them have a monthly ticket to save some money. But it is also possible to buy
a day ticket, an annual ticket or a one-way ticket. Sometimes it is better to
take the bus because it is cheaper, as gasoline is expensive and faster, as there
are special bus lanes so buses don’t get stuck in traffic. In many cities special
buses have their own lane today and just drive past the traffic. And in
addition there are not many parking spaces in the city center unless you are
lucky and find a parking space. That's the reason why many people like to
take the bus today. You can relax on the bus, read or chat with your neighbor
or just look out the window. Today buses are bigger, more comfortable and
reliable, yet sometimes they can be crowded. There may not be any free seats
and you may have to stand all the way. But fortunately that doesn't happen
too often. Generally the bus is better, faster and more reliable.

Text 2
Another good mode of the public transport is the train. There are really good
infrastructures in Europe. It is possible to travel safely and quickly from one
place to the other. The train is fast, reliable and very comfortable. One can
work, read, sleep, play, and use their phone while traveling by train. Trains
arrive at and depart from a train station. At the train station there are usually
many people. There is an information desk where one can ask for information
about delays, cancellations and reservations and ticket offices where one can
buy tickets for their journey. There are displays which inform the passenger
about delays, arrivals and departures. Do you like to take the train? Or do you
prefer to take other means of public transport?

Text 3
The subway is clean and efficient. It has the capacity to transport a lot of
people at a time. The subway is located below ground. This is very good
because it doesn't use space above ground. It doesn't make a lot of noise and
it doesn't cause pollution above ground. Everything is below ground: the
subway stations, the tracks, the pollution and the noise. At the surface there
are signs which indicate where the subway station is. Every big city in the
world today has good infrastructure for its underground traffic. The subway
takes millions and millions of commuters to work, to school or to university,
every day. Is there a subway in your city? Do you like to use it? Is it
expensive or rather cheap? What do you think of the subway?

Text 4
I used the public transport last week. First I took the bus. I got on the bus and
bought a ticket. I got off the bus at the next bus stop. I waited there for 10
minutes and then bought a new ticket and entered the next bus. I got off the
bus at the next subway station and took the subway. I went to work by
subway. In the evening I went to the next subway station in order to get
home. The next day I took a train because I wanted to visit my relatives. I
bought a ticket and went by train to the city where they live. My relatives
were already waiting for me. It was really nice to see them. I had a very nice
day with them and enjoyed every minute. In the evening I took the train back
home and finally arrived home after a long but enjoyable day.

Text 5:
Passenger: Hello. Can I have one ticket to London Central Station, please?
How much is the ticket?
Bus driver: Hello, the ticket is 4 pounds. Are you a student? We have
discounts for students.
Passenger: No, unfortunately not. I need a normal ticket, please. How long
does the journey take?
Bus driver: We stop at 7 stations so it takes about 20 minutes.
Passenger: Perfect. Could you tell me when we arrive at the train station,
please? I don't know the city very well and I don't want to miss the stop.
Bus driver: Of course, no problem. Take a seat and I will let you know when
we arrive at the train station. But it will take a while.
Passenger: Thanks a lot. I would like to pay my ticket, please.
Bus driver: Thank you. Here is your ticket. Please sit down. It's time to pull
out.
 When I was young

Text 1
When I was young everything was better. I went to kindergarten. I played
with friends in the sandbox. I had a lot of fun. When I was 6 years old I went
to school. I learned a lot of new things there. I learned how to read, calculate,
write and of course I spent a lot of time with my friends. Later I went to
grammar school and learned languages, mathematics, biology and physics. I
did a lot of sport, too. I played volleyball and football. When I finished
school I went to university. I studied biology and chemistry. And after I
graduated I started to work.

Text 2
Our childhood was beautiful. We had a lot of time to play and spend time
with our friends. We played outside in the meadows, in the fields or in the
woods and went swimming in the nearby lakes. We spent most of the time
outside. Later we went to school. We studied hard but rarely did our
homework. We had a lot of fun. We got up to a lot of mischief, yet things
always worked out for us. We actually never got into real problems. Maybe
we were just lucky. When we finished school we looked for jobs and started
work. We worked in bars and discos to earn enough money to pay our rent.
We tried to find our place in the world. Have we found our place? Maybe.

Text 3
My father's childhood was different than mine. He grew up on a farm. My
grandfather was a farmer and a beekeeper. He kept bees and sold honey. My
father spent a lot of his free time outside in the fields and in the forest. He
played football, cycled everywhere, swam in the lakes and built tree houses
in the woods. He worked hard in school and did well. After school he started
an apprenticeship. When he finished the apprenticeship he started to work.
After a while he met my mother. They fell in love and got married. They had
children and built a family together. They were happy and satisfied with what
they had. A few years later they built a house together. They still live there
today.

Text 4
Did I ever tell you where I grew up? I grew up in a small village. It was really
a small village: a village with only 700 residents. Really tiny! We played in
the meadows, in the fields and in the woods. And we also had a small football
field. We always had a lot of fun. I had a lot of friends my age and we would
play together all day long. We always enjoyed ourselves. We ate together and
we did our homework together. We met almost every day. We spent a lot of
time together. Today things are different especially when you live in a city. In
a city people don't spend so much time together and of course there are not
that many opportunities to go outside and enjoy meadows, fields and forests
like we had in our little village. But well, there might be other advantages
when you grow up in a city which I perhaps can't see.

Text 5
Where did you spend your vacation last year? I went to Spain. I found a hotel
there and I spent 5 days in the hotel. I ate delicious food and drank tasty
wine. Every morning I got up early and went to the beach. I lay in the sand,
enjoyed the sun and swam in the sea. Afterwards I would go back to my hotel
room and take a shower. I would brush my teeth, put on some sun-cream and
go down to the restaurant for breakfast. For breakfast, I would have several
glasses of orange juice and a couple of slices of toast with strawberry jam.
One morning I went to the bike rental outlet. I rented a bike and started to
explore the area. I visited many sites and learned a lot about the region and its
culture. For lunch I always looked for small local restaurants. The food was
always great. In the late afternoon I would return to the hotel and have
another shower. In the evening I often sat on the beach and watched the
sunset. Sometimes the sea was really rough and huge waves would break on
the shore. I rented a surfboard and went surfing. One time I rented a small
boat. I set out to sea and spent the whole day out there. I had prepared food
and enjoyed a nice lunch and a cool beer with nothing around me but water
and waves. In the evening I rowed back to the coast and went back to the
hotel. Unfortunately it was my last night at the hotel and I had to pack my
suitcases. I slept with the sound of the sea and the next morning I returned
home.

Text 6
Do you know what it was like when I went to university? It was an amazing
time. The time was full of new experiences, new knowledge and new friends.
I spent a lot of time at university. I attended my lectures every day and I sat
every day in the library and read and read and read. I was very ambitious and
diligent. I worked a lot, too. I had to pay for the bills and the tuition fee. And
of course I had to pay the rent for the flat I lived in. I worked at night in a bar
and served drinks to the guests. I earned enough to have a decent life style.
The money was enough to pay for everything and I could go to parties. Every
weekend I went to bars and clubs and had a lot of fun. I drank many drinks
and danced all night long. After my fourth semester I moved to Spain for a
year. I didn't know any Spanish but I wanted to learn it. And it was time for
some change in my life. I met a lot of new people. I studied hard and learned
how to speak Spanish. And I spent quite a lot of time on the beach. It was a
great time. Afterwards I lived in Germany for a while. It was an interesting
time and I learned many new and valuable lessons. After a while I felt that it
was time to return to England. I needed to finish my studies. I started to work
again at the same bar and wrote as many exams as I could. After a few years I
finally finished my studies and graduated. Today I think fondly of these
days. It was a unique time full of new experiences, new friends, fun and
personal development. But life goes on and new challenges and experiences
are waiting for me. I'm ready to take them all on!

Text 7
Today I would like to tell you about my first date with my wife. It was a
beautiful summer evening. We met at 8 o'clock at an Italian restaurant. When
she arrived I was almost speechless because she looked so pretty. We had
dinner at the restaurant. I think she had a salad and a glass of red wine. I
could barely eat anything at all because I was so nervous. I had a tasty pizza
with my favorite toppings, salami, pepperoni and olives. We spoke the whole
evening about many different things and got to know each other. It was a
very interesting and entertaining evening. While I was listening to her speak I
fell in love with her. She wasn't just pretty but she was also smart as hell!
After the dinner we went for a walk to the park. It was already quite late so
there was nobody else in the park. Everything was quiet and peaceful. We
stopped at the lake in the park and stared at the lake's surface. Then I dared to
take her hand and looked into her eyes. I kissed her and told her that I had
fallen in love with her. It was the first kiss of many. A few years later we got
married and had children. And we are still happy and in love like we were on
our first date together.
 Things

Text 1
I furnish my bed room. I place the lamp on the chest of drawers. The lamp is
now on the chest of drawers. The lamp is very bright. The lamp, which is on
the chest of drawers, is very bright. The lamp, which I placed on the chest of
drawers, is very nice. The lamp, which I use to read in the evenings, is on the
chest of drawers. I place the alarm clock on the bedside table. The alarm
wakes me up in the morning. The alarm clock is on the bedside table. The
alarm clock, which wakes me up in the morning, is on the bedside table. The
alarm clock, which I place on the bedside table, wakes me up in the morning.
The alarm clock, which I use to wake up, is very loud. I place the pillow on
the bed. The pillow is on the bed. The pillow is very soft. The pillow, which
is on the bed, is very soft. The pillow, which I placed on the bed, is on the
bed. The pillow, which I sleep on, is very soft. I place the sofa in the corner.
The sofa is in the corner. The sofa is very comfortable. The sofa, which is in
the corner, is very comfortable. The sofa, which I placed in the corner, is very
comfortable. The sofa, which I sit on, is very comfortable. I hang the picture
on the wall. The picture hangs on the wall. The picture is fantastic. The
picture, which hangs at the wall, is fantastic. The picture, which I hung on the
wall, is fantastic. The picture, which I hung on the wall, hangs on the wall.
The picture, which shows my family, is fantastic.

Text 2
I set the table. I place the plate on the table. The plate is on the table. The
plate is empty. The plate that is on the table is empty. The plate that I placed
on the table is empty. The plate that I serve the food on is on the table. Next
to the plate I place a fork. I eat with the fork. The fork is clean. The fork that
lies next to the plate is clean. The fork that I put next to the plate lies next to
the plate. The fork that I eat with is clean. I place the knife next to the fork.
The knife is sharp. I cut the meat with the knife. The knife that lies next to the
fork is sharp. And I place a spoon next to the knife. The spoon is for the soup.
I eat the soup with the spoon. The spoon that lies on the table is for the soup.
The spoon that I put next to the knife lies on the table. The spoon that I eat
the soup with lies next to the knife.

Text 3
I clean my bathroom. The bathroom is pretty dirty. I take a shower in the
bathroom. I go to the bathroom to take a shower. This is the bathroom that is
dirty. This is the bathroom where I go to take a shower. This is the bathroom
where the shower is. I clean the mirror. The mirror hangs on the wall. I see
myself in the mirror. This is the mirror that I clean. This is the mirror which I
see myself in. I clean the shower, too. The shower is big. I take a shower in
the shower. This is the shower that is big. This is the shower which I clean.
This is the shower in which I take a shower. I wash the towels, too. I use the
towels to dry myself off. This is the towel that I use to dry myself off. This is
the towel which I wash. This is the towel which I dry myself off with.

Text 4
In my free time I like to play football. The football is round. I shoot the
football into the goal. I score a goal with the football. The football, which lies
in the goal, is round. This is the football that I shoot into the goal. I like to
swim in the lake. The lake is cool and refreshing. I jump into the lake to
swim. This is the lake that is cool. This is the lake which I jump into in order
to swim. This is the lake where I swim. I like to write letters, too. The letter is
long. I write the letter to my friend. I write many lines in the letter. This is the
letter that is long. This is the letter that I write to my friend. This is the letter
in which I write many lines. I love to lie in the garden in the sun. The garden
is full of plants. I take care of the garden and plant many plants. The garden,
which is full of plants, is beautiful. The garden, which I take care of, is full of
plants. The garden, where I plant many plants, is beautiful. And I have a dog.
My dog is fun. I walk my dog every day. The dog, which is so much fun, is
the best dog in the world. The dog, which I have, is a lot of fun. The dog,
which I walk every day, is the best dog in the world.
 Nature
Text 1
I live in a city. Unfortunately there is only a little nature here. There is a lot of
traffic, many cars, a lot of noise and a lot of bad air. There are few trees, few
flowers, almost no animals and almost no birds. There is neither a lake nor a
forest. There are a few artificial parks but these parks are not nice. They don't
feel natural. They are made of concrete. Every hedge and every bush gets cut.
Everything looks very ordinary. Well, I suppose it is like this in a city. If one
wants some nature one has to go to the countryside. When I was young I
lived in the countryside. There were many fields, forests and meadows.
Everything was green and full of life. There was a lake, where I used to
swim. I could go for walks in the forest and enjoy the nature around me. My
plan is to go back to the countryside in the future. Where do you live? Do you
like where you live?

Text 2
I love nature. I love to go for long walks in the forest. The air is fresh and
cool. I can hear the birds sing. I just walk and walk, along the paths. All
around there are many trees, bushes and a lot of moss. On the ground there
are leaves and mushrooms grow everywhere. It is a beautiful day. I observe
the ants crawling up and down the tree trunks, collecting what they can find.
In the bushes and between the leaves I see insects and butterflies. It's just so
beautiful and peaceful. The birds are singing. Between some bushes I get a
glance of a couple of rabbits. They look at me for an instant and then run
quickly away, hiding in the darker parts of the thicket. I love to be outside,
alone in the forest. Mountains, forests and meadows, that's all I need to be
happy. It makes me think and reflect on many things. It's so inspiring. What
do you think? Do you like to spend time outside? Do you like to be
surrounded by little more than the sounds of nature, trees and the wind? You
know, I really would like to go outside now. I think I will take my bike and
go for a ride.
Text 3
My hometown is close to the Alps. They are just a hundred kilometers away.
When the weather is clear you can see the mountains, white and majestic.
That's a spectacular view. On their peaks lies almost always snow. In the
valley there are cold and deep mountain lakes. They are very clean but also
freezing cold. People go there to swim or dive. Many rivers have their source
in the mountainside. There are many different types of fish in the rivers and
lakes. People hike in the mountains and in winter ski and go snowboarding.
There are mountain huts where people can take a rest and eat traditional and
local food and of course enjoy a refreshing local beer. A day in the mountains
is an amazing experience. In the meadows feeds the cattle of the local
farmers. They stay up there for the whole summer and just go wherever they
want. They wear bells which helps the farmer to find them. The bells are a
typical sound of this area. In winter a lot of snow falls and everything is
covered with snow which results in a beautiful landscape, a winter
wonderland one might say. Did you ever go to the mountains? If not, you
should definitely plan a day or weekend trip soon. It's so worth it!

Text 4
I'm from the countryside. I grew up in a village. In the village around 600
people lived. It was a really small village, with a few people, a few cows and
a few chickens. There were many farms and many residents worked as
farmers. Around the village were many fields and large forests. The farmers
grew their products in the fields. They grew for example crops, fruits and
vegetables. And of course they had pastures where the cattle fed in. I could
observe the animals and learned a lot about them. The meadows were full of
blooming flowers and I could see insects, butterflies, bees and a variety of
birds everywhere. Especially when the weather was fine it was just beautiful
to live in the countryside. As a child I had just endless possibilities to spend
the day outside. We explored the forests and fields or we built a tree house.
We used the corn fields as a maze and played hide and seek. Obviously, the
farmers didn't appreciate this too much. But well, we were young, wild and
free. We played football or rode our bikes. I loved my childhood in the
countryside. Where did you grow up?

Text 5:
Tom: What would you like to do today? Would you like to go for a walk in
the forest?
Anna: Sounds good to me. I love the forest. And the weather is perfect today.
Tom: Let's go there by bike. I would like to collect some mushrooms. And
we could have a picnic. Maybe we will see some animals, too. Sometimes
there are rabbits or does. Fingers crossed!
Anna: Great idea! I’ll prepare some sandwiches and bring a couple of
blankets. We’ll look for nice place and sit down in the grass. Then we can eat
our sandwiches and listen to the birds' songs.
Tom: When do you want to leave here? It's half past 10. Let's say in an hour?
Anna: In an hour is perfect? That gives me enough time to prepare the
sandwiches! See you then!
Tom: Great. I’ll see you in an hour!
 Cooking

Text 1
My favorite dish is pasta with tomato sauce and of course a lot of garlic. For
that I need a bag of some pasta, a few tomatoes, an onion and a lot of garlic. I
also need a good cheese, olive oil, cream and some herbs for the flavor. The
first step is to wash the tomatoes. This is very important and should be done
with every vegetable. After that I peel the onion and the garlic and chop them
on a chopping board. I cut the onion into small dices and the garlic into thin
slices. I also dice the tomatoes. With these ingredients I make my tomato
sauce. Next I heat a bit of oil in a pan. Just a bit, no need for too much. I fry
the onions and the garlic and add the tomato dices. Then I let it simmer for a
while. Now it's time for the seasoning. I add a dash of salt, a little bit of
sugar, ground pepper, basil and oregano. I stir and taste. Tastes great! But it's
missing something. The cream! I add a bit of cream and stir again. Perfect!
Now I need to cook the pasta. I fill cold water into a large pot and put it onto
the stove. I need to heat the water until it boils. As soon as the water boils I
add the pasta and let it cook for approximately 6 minutes. When the pasta is
done I drain the hot water into the sink and mix the pasta with the tomato
sauce. Let the pasta and tomato sauce sit for a few minutes. Give it a minute
or two while you cook the pasta and the sauce together. Trust me it makes
your pasta yummier than serving it immediately on a plate. Enjoy your
delicious Italian pasta!

Text 2
Today I prepare cauliflower soup for dinner. First of all I need to make a
broth. As I have dogs I always buy bones at the market and use them to
prepare a proper meat broth. Therefore I fill a large pot with water and add
the bones. I turn on the stove and heat the water until it is boiling. The bones
need to cook for 15 minutes to give flavor to the water. Let's leave it aside
and continue preparing the other ingredients for the soup. I need cauliflower,
parsley, carrots, potatoes, celery, ginger, onions and garlic. I wash the
vegetables and cut them into small pieces on a cutting board. When the bones
are cooked I take them out and let them cool. Later I will give them to the
dogs. They love their bones! The broth already smells really nice. Now I add
all my ingredients to the broth and let it cook for half an hour. Then it is time
for the seasoning. I add salt, pepper, curry powder and a lot chili powder. I
want it hot and spicy today. Looks good, smells good and tastes amazing!
Dinner is ready! Sit down everyone and enjoy this fantastic soup!
Text 3
Today I want to make a Mexican chili-sauce. Mexicans love chili-sauce.
Mexicans can't live without a proper sauce on the table. Me neither actually.
So let's make one, quick, rich and, of course, very hot. First we need to boil
some water in a pot. We add some tomatoes, garlic, chili-peppers and an
onion and let it cook until everything is quite soft. Then we need a mortar and
pestle because a proper Mexican sauce isn't made in a blender but in a
'molcajete', a traditional mortar made of stone. First we grind salt, chili-
peppers, garlic and the onion in the mortar. Grind for a while until you get a
nice pulp. Then add the tomatoes bit by bit. Grind them until you get a sauce.
Leave some chunks as there is no need to make a liquid. Add the juice of one
lemon and stir. It should taste amazing now. Serve it with meat, fish, cheese
or whatever you think deserves a delicious, hot sauce. You soon will
understand why Mexicans never eat without a proper sauce on the table!

Text 4
Today I bake a simple cake. I need four eggs, 250 grams of flour, 250 grams
of sugar, a dash of salt, a bag of vanilla sugar, 250 grams of butter, 150
milliliters of cream, chocolate and half a packet of baking powder. The recipe
is as follows: Mix the butter with the sugar and the salt. Add an egg. Beat the
dough. Add the second egg. Beat the dough. Repeat with all four eggs. Mix
the dough with the flour, the cream and the baking powder. Beat until it
resembles proper dough. Divide the dough into two parts. Heat the chocolate
slowly in a small pot. Mix it with one part of the dough. Add both parts of the
dough into a baking dish and mix very carefully with a fork until it looks
similar to marble. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake 50 to 60
minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Let it cool for a while. The
cake tastes amazing cold and hot. Try the recipe, it's simple and always works
well. Go for it and tell me how it goes!
 The weather

Text 1
What will the weather be like next week? On Monday the sun will shine. It
will be sunny and warm. The sky will be cloudless. There will be no clouds
anywhere to be seen. There won't be any wind either. On Tuesday the
weather will get worse. It will be cloudy and windy. It will rain and it will be
cold. On Wednesday there will be a thunderstorm. It will rain with thunder
and lightning. It will probably hail, too. The sun won't shine for the whole
day. It will improve on Thursday. Thursday will be better again. The wind
will weaken, it will be less cloudy, and the rain will stop. In the afternoon it
will be sunny and warm. The weekend will be pleasant. The temperature will
rise and it will be sunny and warm. It won't rain and the weekend weather
will be marvelous. The people will go to the lakes and spend the weekend
outside. It will be a perfect weekend.

Text 2
Good evening Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the weather forecast. Here
is the forecast for Europe. In the south of Europe, in Rome, Athens and
Ankara the sun will shine all day. In Eastern Europe the weather will be
cloudy and rainy but with a fair chance of sunshine in the afternoon. In the
north of Europe it will rain and a heavy thunderstorm will take place towards
the evening. In central Europe the weather will be warm and sunny. The sun
will shine for most of the day with a low risk of rain and thunderstorms.
Western Europe will see some rain and clouds. A strong storm will approach
in the evening and it will bring heavy rainfall. Thank you for listening. I hope
you enjoyed the program.

Text 3
Good evening Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the weather forecast for
next week. On Monday there will be a thunderstorm with heavy rainfall,
thunder and lightning and strong winds are expected from the east.
Temperatures will fall to about 15 degrees Celsius. On Tuesday the weather
will radically change with lots of sunshine, very few clouds and an increase
in temperatures. Temperatures will rise to around 30 degrees but a light wind
from the west will bring a slight drop in temperature later in the day.
Wednesday will be cloudy with a little sunshine. Temperatures will drop to
about 21 degrees Celsius. Thursday will be very cloudy, foggy and wet.
Temperatures will continue to fall and there will be a slight chance of
thunderstorms. On Friday the weather will get better again. There will be a
lot of sunshine throughout the day after the rain clouds push north to give
way to a beautiful afternoon. The weekend weather will be similar with a lot
of sun, rising temperatures and little chance of rain. So plan for a weekend
outside, the weather will be gorgeous and you will have two wonderful days
to spend outside and do whatever you like. Thanks for watching. I hope you
enjoyed the program.

Text 4
I'm going to spend fall and winter in Germany to study at a German
university for six months. What is the weather like in Germany in the fall and
winter?
The weather in Germany in fall and winter is very cold. From September
onwards the weather in Germany is very bad. You will need very warm
clothes. The days can be wet and foggy. In the mornings you can barely see
your hands because it gets so foggy. It gets very humid and cold. It gets dark
very early in the afternoon and the sun rises later in the mornings. Also at
night there can be some frost. Ice can also be seen. Nighttime temperatures
can fall to below 0 degrees. In November the first snow will fall. It doesn’t
snow much and the snow will melt away quickly because the ground is still
too warm. The first real snowfall will take place in December. Temperatures
can fall to as low as minus 10 degrees, sometimes even as low as minus 20.
Lakes and rivers freeze and you are able to go ice-skating on the frozen
surface. You will need really warm clothes. You will need a thick coat,
gloves, a scarf and a woolly hat. It is freezing cold. Everything is covered
with snow. It looks really beautiful. Everyone has a lot of fun in the snow.
You can go for walks in the fields and the forests or go skiing in the
mountains. You can ice-skate and play hockey on the lake. You can visit the
Christmas markets and eat hot sausages and drink hot wine. In the evenings
you can sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy a cup of tea and delicious
Christmas cookies. You will learn to love the winter time in Germany. Trust
me. I know what I'm talking about!
 Talking on the phone

Text 1
Secretary: Hello. How can I help you? My name is Smith.
Customer: Hello. I would like to make an appointment. Would it be possible
to get an appointment tomorrow morning?
Secretary: Just one moment, please...I will check tomorrow's schedule
quickly. Yes, tomorrow morning looks good. You could come in at 10.
Would that be alright for you? What was your name? Could you spell it for
me, please?
Customer: Of course. P - O - T - T - E – R. Tomorrow morning at 10 is
perfect. What is your address?
Secretary: The address is Pennsylvania Avenue 354. We are located on the
6th floor. Could you do me a favor and confirm the appointment tomorrow
morning again? We had some problems recently.
Customer: Of course. No problem. I will confirm by phone at 9. Is this ok?
Secretary: Perfect. See you tomorrow then. Have a nice evening! Thanks for
your call!

Text 2
Secretary: Good morning! What can I do for you?
Patient: Good morning. Could I speak to the doctor please?
Secretary: Unfortunately the doctor is not available at the moment. He is out
of the office. Can I help you? What can I do for you? Would you like to leave
him a message?
Patient: I would like to reschedule my appointment for today as I am unable
to make it. Is it possible to change it to next week?
Secretary: What day would be convenient for you? Would next Tuesday
work better for you?
Patient: I'm very busy on Tuesday, sorry. Wednesday would work for me.
How about Wednesday?
Secretary: Wednesday's schedule is already pretty full. I could offer you an
appointment on Thursday. There are available times on Thursday afternoon.
You could choose one that suits you.
Patient: Would it be possible to come in the afternoon, around 3?
Secretary: Perfect, next Thursday at 3. Please, do me a favor and call again
on Wednesday to confirm your appointment. Good bye!

Text 3
Where did I put the business card with the number? It is neither on the table
in the living room nor in my wallet nor on my desk. Where could it be? Here
it is! Let's see...what is the number? 558191 54322. Let's dial. I need to
cancel my appointment this afternoon. Hello, my name is Mr. Baker. I'm
calling to cancel my appointment. I made an appointment last week but
unfortunately I can't attend (the appointment because I have some urgent
problems which require my attention). I can't reschedule it either because I
don't know when I will be free to attend. Could you let the doctor know,
please? (Just write him a note that Mr. Baker can't attend the appointment. He
will understand. If he likes to he can call me back and we talk about the
problem on the phone. I should be available in the evening on my phone).
Could we make a new appointment for next month? The second week would
be great. Can you confirm by email once the doctor is notified? (Please
confirm the appointment with the doctor and call me back to notify me). If I
don't hear from I will call again tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thanks a lot. Good bye.

Text 4
Customer: Good afternoon, am I speaking with the customer service of
[Link]? I need some information. I'm interested in buying an electronic
reader.
Customer service: Good afternoon. Yes, you are speaking with customer
service. My name is Maggy. How can I help you? What kind of information
do you need? Are you interested in a particular model?
Customer: I am interested in the XS200 model. Does this device come with
a dictionary?
Customer service: Yes, it does. You can also purchase dictionaries in our
online-shop. They are not expensive and pretty extensive.
Customer: How much does it cost to purchase a dictionary? Do you have
any other similar devices?
Customer service: It’s 3€ and this includes installation.
Customer: Excellent. That sounds good. Can I order the device with you? Is
there home delivery? It would save me time. That would be great.
Customer service: Of course it is possible to order the device on the phone. I
will transfer you to the sales department. Hang on, I'll put you through.
Please, have your address, your phone number and your credit card number
ready.
Customer: Wonderful. Thanks a lot for your help. You have really helped
me!
Customer service: You are very welcome. Enjoy your new device. Good
bye!
 Opinion

Text 1
My friend is very angry with me. He thinks that I don't call him enough. This
might be true, of course but I am a very busy person. Nevertheless, I think
that he is exaggerating a bit. I know that he wants me to call him more often.
What do you think? Do you think my friend is right? How many times a
month should I contact my friend, once or twice a month or maybe every
week? Do you have an idea how I could solve the problem? I'm a bit
surprised that he is so angry with me. In my opinion I think I call him often
enough. We chat at least once a month. Is that not often enough? Do you
have a different opinion?

Text 2
My friends want to go to the movies this weekend. I think it’s a good idea,
but I don’t think I am going to like the film they want to see. I read some
reviews about the movie and they all seem pretty bad. So I fear I might be
tremendously bored during the film. There is no need to go to the cinema just
to be bored. It seems to me that the movie tells a boring and uninspiring story
which is not worth my time. I don't agree that we should watch this movie. I
would like to see another movie because I believe that this movie will be
more interesting, more challenging and more thought provoking. The film I
would like to see includes interesting actors and a deep story as far as I can
tell. Nevertheless I would like to go with my friends. It's more fun to go to
the cinema together. But I'm sure we will find a solution. In the end we just
want to go to the cinema together.

Text 3
I'm considering what I should do at the weekend. I have a lot of free time this
weekend because I don't have to work. I think that I will go to the gym and
exercise. I'm sure that a bit of movement will be pretty good for my body and
my health. I'm convinced that generally we should work out more and move
ourselves more outside in the parks and the forests. We should exercise
regularly. A healthy and strong body needs the necessary energy which we
can get from proper and regular workouts. I always feel better after I have
done some exercise. I feel that I'm more awake, in a better mood and much
more active. This is why I absolutely agree with the idea that working out has
huge benefits for our lives. I also agree on the fact that frequent and regular
exercising improves our quality of life. So I definitely recommend that
everyone moves more, exercises more and chooses healthier food. What do
you think? Am I right or am I wrong? What is your opinion on this matter?
Are you a sporty and active person or more the lazy and passive type?

Text 4
I would like to share my opinion on the topic of alcohol consumption. I
strongly disagree with the lax attitude of many adults towards young people
drinking alcohol. I oppose the attitudes of many adults towards their own
consumption, too. I sometimes enjoy a few drinks with my friends but there
is a difference between getting a little tipsy and getting totally wasted. (I'd
say that it is sometimes funny to be a bit drunk but there is a big difference
between being a bit drunk and getting wasted). Today many adults get drunk
almost every weekend and in my mind this is becoming a problem. We
should seek for and find solutions. One solution would be to inform people
about the consequences of alcohol consumption. I think that we should create
more awareness of the deteriorating effects of alcohol on life and health. In
my view alcohol is not a solution to ones problems nor does it increase to our
enjoyment. This is the reason why I'm so vehemently against this increase in
alcohol consumption among many people. I'm in favor of showing young
people a better example and giving them other possibilities and options to do
in their free time instead of just getting stupidly drunk. Life is better when
you are sober!

Text 5
I vote in favor of giving children more toys. I don't think it’s helpful to their
personal development if a 4 or 5 year old child already has a mobile phone or
a computer. In my view a child should play with other children and with
different kinds of toys, developing their creativity and imagination. I'd say
that it is not good for a child when parents substitute toys, care and love with
technology. It doesn’t make up for the time they fail to invest in their
children. In my opinion a child should be treated like a child and not like a
little adult. It is important for all children to play with meaningful toys. I'm
convinced that this is a better way to educate one's children. This is my
opinion. I don't like it when I see children on public transport glued to a
computer screen for the entire journey. I understand that it is important that
they learn to use technology as it is part of modern life but at the right time.
First let them learn to play and live in the real world before we give them
access to the virtual world. I'm in favor of responsible use of technology with
limits and boundaries. What is your opinion on this topic? Do you agree or
disagree with my point of view?
 Memories

Text 1
Do you remember the time when you were young? For me this was an
amazing time. We went to many parties. We hardly missed a party. We were
the coolest guys in the universe. We got to know loads of hot and beautiful
women. We had a lot of fun. Do you remember the night when we were at a
party in the woods? It was a unique party, just purely amazing. There were
lights everywhere. The whole forest was full of flickering colors. A huge
crowd was dancing between the trees. We drank, danced, sang and spoke
with many different people. We hoped that this time would never end. We
were convinced that we could make a difference and change something in
this world. We were full of hope, ideas and idealism. Those were amazing
times. I really wish we could relive this time again. You know what I mean?
Sometimes I catch myself dreaming of the old times, the parties, the friends,
the women. But well, that time is over. It's time to grow up and leave the past
where it belongs. Let's keep the memories. They are beautiful and always
there, waiting for us. Nobody can take them away from us. They are in our
heads and our hearts. But, there is much to do and experience ahead of us.
Let's look forward to that!

Text 2
When we were younger we always dreamt of all the different kinds of jobs
we could do when we were grown up. Did you do this, too? We thought that
we could be professional athletes or famous football players. We imagined
how we would play in big stadiums together with the greatest players on
earth and win shiny trophies. This didn't work out unfortunately. I also
imagined that I could be an astronaut and that I would fly to the moon or to
Mars. I thought that I would travel in space observing and learning about the
stars and the motion of the different planets. I would wear a space suit and
travel to foreign and far away worlds. I would write about my travels and
people would buy my books and I would be famous. Another idea of mine
was to become a firefighter. I would fight big blazes and rescue beautiful
women from the flames. And I would speed through the streets in my fire
engine. How adventurous my life would have been! Well, guess what. None
of my dreams came true. Today I'm a teacher. I never thought I would
become a teacher. Anyway, I like my job. It is meaningful and I contribute to
other people's lives. It could have been worse. The most important thing is
that I'm happy and satisfied with my life.
Text 3
I love to remember the time when I lived in Spain. I studied and worked
there. It was a great time. The weather was always good and the beach was
just 2 minutes away from my apartment. I had a beautiful time there. I
learned a lot, I went to many parties and I met a lot of interesting people. I
thought this time would never end. I thought that life couldn't get any better.
But actually it has turned out quite alright. I'm happy and satisfied. But
sometimes, really just sometimes, I would like to turn back the clock just for
a week or two and live my life as a young and carefree man again. But well,
we all know that this is not possible. My life is good and I should be thankful
for what I have. I'm healthy, I'm happily married and I have a good job. But
sometimes certain nostalgia comes over me. We always desire what we can't
have. Back in the old times I was so happy to leave Spain. I had become so
bored of my life there. It was always the same. Trust me, you can get bored
of the beach and the sea and the sun. When you live there it is just normal
and you yearn for a change. Well, I got what I wished for. And I am happy.
What about you? Did you have similar experiences in your life? Or do you
have a wish or a desire which is still waiting to be fulfilled?

Text 4
Back in the day I loved to visit my grandmother. Unfortunately she lived
quite far away from my home. But I always loved to see her. We always had
a good time together. We played board games and went for dinners to nice
restaurants. We often watched her favorite TV-series together. I hated them
but well, it pleased my grandmother. I would have done anything for my
grandmother. She was very religious, too. I always had to go to church with
her. And in the church I had to pray and sing with her. I'm not religious and I
hated to go to church with her. But it made her happy, so what. As it was so
easy to make her happy I joined her when she went to the church services.
She was also an amazing cook. She knew all the recipes by heart and
prepared everything herself. She would have never bought any convenience
foods in the supermarket. She had the opinion that all convenience foods
were bad for us and our health. She was probably right. I agree with her
thoughts on home-made food. I used to do the shopping for her and she
always prepared many yummy dishes for me. We also went to the park quite
often. She loved to go for walks and there was a small lake where she used to
feed the ducks. I always slept on her old sofa. A lot of her furniture was from
1960 or earlier. She never threw anything away. She grew up after the war
and for her everything was valuable and precious. She knew what it was like
to have nothing at all. She was an amazing old lady. Unfortunately she died
last year and I miss her very much.
 Give advice

Text 1
Today I need some advice from you. I don't know what I should do at the
weekend. What should I do? I could go to the zoo. I could go see the animals
and go for a walk there. This would be interesting for sure. I need to do some
shopping before I go to the zoo. It's not much, just a few items. I could do
this in the morning and go to the zoo after lunch. It wouldn't take too long.
And I need to have breakfast and walk the dog. And I would also have to do
the laundry and wash the dishes. After that I'll go to the supermarket. I could
also go to the museum. This would be a good idea, too. It's been a while since
I did something educational. Some cultural activity would be great. If the
weather is good I would like to sit in the sun and read a nice book. This
would make me happy, too. I could prepare a cup of coffee, eat a slice of
cake and read something interesting or entertaining. You see, I have many
options for just one day. I need your advice. Help me with my decision. What
should I do? What would you do if you were me?

Text 2
What should I eat for dinner? I could make some spaghetti. I have all the
ingredients at home. I would only have to go for some tomatoes. And I'd need
a bit of cheese. I could prepare a fruit salad. This would do me pretty well as
a starter. I should take more care of my health anyway. Therefore it would be
a good idea to eat more fruit. This means that I would have to go to the
market first. I can go there by bike. It would take half an hour and I would get
a bit of exercise, too. But I'm hungry now. I could order a pizza. It would
arrive in 15 minutes. And I would love it for sure. I would order at my
favorite restaurant and they would deliver within 10 to 15 minutes. That
would be perfect. And I wouldn't need to leave the house. Sounds like a great
idea to me! I think I'm going to order a pizza. I'm going to order a pizza with
ham, salami and olives as a topping. Life can be so easy!

Text 3
I need to clean up my living room. I should have done this already last week.
I need to vacuum the carpet and dust the furniture. I could buy some flowers
to make it look more homely. And I should wash those blankets on the sofa
where my dog slept the other day. I should definitely clean my bathroom. It
looks disgusting. I need to fill a bucket with water and cleaning agent and
clean the shower and the toilet. I also need to clean the mirror. Maybe I
would see my face again in it after that. The trash needs to be emptied and I
need more toilet paper. I could actually replace my toothbrush, too. I like to
change it every 6 months. This surely would be a great idea. And I can
vacuum here, too. The kitchen also needs my attention. I enjoy cooking in a
clean kitchen. I need to wash the dishes and disinfect the counter. I should
clean the oven and the stove. I will bring the garbage out. I can empty the
fridge, clean it and refill it afterwards. And finally clean the floor. Last but no
least I would direct my attention to my bedroom which is also very messy
and needs to be tidied. I need to change the bedclothes and tidy up a bit. I
should arrange the things on my desk and I definitely need to water my
plants. Looks like a lot of work for me. Should I really spend my free
Saturday like this? Yes, I should. I have to. It is really necessary and I'm
going to do this now. It shouldn't take me more than half the day. And after
that I will have a nice, clean and tidy flat.

Text 4
Imagine that somebody gave you 1€ million euros as a present. What would
you do with so much money? Have a look at my ideas and tell me what you
think of them!
I would travel to many different countries. I would stay at the most beautiful
and most expensive hotels. Every night I would eat at a good restaurant and
drink a lot of good wine. I would visit many interesting places and experience
different places and cultures. I would buy lots of books, too and read a lot to
educate myself as much as possible. I would build a huge library in my house
to keep all my books. I would never have to be worried about money again. I
would build a big house for me and my loved ones. The house would have
many rooms with a swimming pool and a big garden. I would invite all my
friends and we would have a lot of fun together. I would buy a fast car and
keep it in my big garage. I would adopt a few dogs and maybe some animals
from the animal shelter. The dogs would have a doghouse in the garden
where they would sleep. I would walk them every day and train them. I
would also donate a part of the money of course. I would help some people
who don’t have so much in their lives. This would make me happy as I would
be doing some good and helping others. I would try and save some money for
the future, too. Maybe I would invest a bit of my money in shares. And of
course I would still have a job. I wouldn't stop working. What would I do the
whole day otherwise? It would be very boring after a while. I would enjoy
my money but I would also do something meaningful. I would do something
creative and productive for society.
 The Media
Text 1
Many people read the newspaper every day to inform themselves about
what’s happening in the world. You find articles, reports, comments and
columns in the newspaper and advertisements. The journalists write the
articles. They research a topic, interview interesting and popular people and
publish the articles in the newspaper. Articles should keep a certain distance
and should be objective. A report is a longer account on a topic which can
contain the personal opinion of the journalist, too. It can include the personal
perspective, impressions and views of the author. A report is less objective
than an article and it is thus more personal. Within a comment the author
expresses his or her opinion about a topic. He comments on the topic and
evaluates it. Columns are contributions by the same author which are
published weekly for example. On the first page of a newspaper are the
headlines of the day. They talk about the most important news of the day in
short paragraphs and seek to attract the attention of the reader. A newspaper
has many different sections, such as economy, political, sports and social or
entertainment. You can find a variety of different topics there. Most of the
newspapers are funded by the advertising companies. There are different
newspaper formats: daily newspaper, weekly newspaper and a monthly
newspaper. What type of newspaper do you read? Do you read the newspaper
daily or less often? Or don't you read any newspaper at all?

Text 2
Another important medium is television. It is necessary to own a television to
view TV-programs. There are many different TV-stations, those which show
only movies and others that have news 24 hours a day or documentaries from
around the world. Many TV-stations have a mixture of programs. They show
series and soaps in the morning, and then the lunch time news, followed in
the afternoon with talk shows and reality TV-shows and in the evening
movies. Many TV-stations are funded by commercials. This is the reason
why they can offer their program for free to the viewer. Approximately every
20 minutes there is a short break in the program and the viewer can watch 5
minutes of commercials. There are also TV-stations viewers have to pay for.
This is called pay-TV. They show exclusive content like concerts, sport
events or the most recent movies. What do you watch? Do you have a
subscription for pay-TV? Or do you belong to the group of people who don't
have a television at all?
Text 3
Many people like to listen to the radio. It's often just playing in the
background. People listen to it at work, in their cars, in the supermarket or at
home. There are different stations on the radio with many different types of
programs. They play music and provide news, they broadcast programs about
topics of interest or they broadcast live from an event or a football match.
The radio has an antenna so the programs can be received. But this shouldn't
be a problem as today almost every electronic device comes with a built-in
radio antenna. It is even possible to listen to radio programs emitted from
countries abroad over the Internet. This is really helpful when you want to
learn a foreign language. But it also comes in handy when you are interested
in different types of music or in another country's culture. It is also worth
listening to the different perspectives of different countries on certain topics.
By doing this it is possible to learn about different points of view, what helps
you to form your own point of view.

Text 4
The Internet isn't that old actually, but it is most likely the most important
medium for entertainment and information today, especially for the younger
population. It is available almost everywhere. People use it on their
computers, on their cell phones, on their tablets and even on their wrist
watches. It is possible to use all the 'old' media' through the Internet. They
have simply been digitalized. There are websites on which you can watch
hundreds of different TV-channels or listen to thousands of radio stations
from around the world. You can find content in almost every language you
can imagine. Every newspaper has its own website where they publish
articles, reports, videos and interviews. In addition there is an endless amount
of privately run websites on which people give their opinion on certain topics
or allow them to sell products privately. Many people use social networks for
their daily communication, for games, to send messages or to share
interesting or entertaining content. Today it is so much easier to find
interesting and up-to-date information. It's just one mouse click away. Well,
maybe a few clicks of the mouse. There are hundreds of dictionaries,
encyclopedias, blogs, videos and other sites which help keep us informed.
Knowledge has become global; you can learn everywhere, communicate
everywhere and work wherever it pleases you. It is probably justified to say
that the Internet has changed the way the world works. One huge feature of
the Internet is that it is so interactive. The user is not only a consumer but
also a producer of content. What do you think about the Internet? Has it
changed the way you live? Are you just a 'consumer' or are you also a
'producer' of content on the Internet? How active are you on the world wide
web?
 Decisions

Text 1
I need a new deodorant. I have three different brands here. The question is
which of the 3 brands I should buy. I am faced with a really a tough choice
here. I have to decide between the three because I don’t have enough money
to buy all 3. The selection is just too big. Option 1 seems quite alright. It
smells nice. Option 2 smells good, too. But it is a bit more expensive. Option
3 smells a lot better than option 2 and also better than option 1 but it is also
the most expensive one. I like all of them. I like option 1 as well as option 2
as well as option 3. What is your advice? Could you give me some advice?
Which one would you buy? Which criteria would you use to make your
choice? It is really a tough choice. I know how this works. I will go home and
I’ll be angry with myself because I didn't buy the other one. What should I
do? I need to make a decision now. I can't spend the whole day in the
perfumery. How do you make a decision when you are faced with these
choices? Do you buy the cheapest or the most expensive one? The deodorant
which smells best? I need advice! Anyway, I will buy one now. I won’t buy
either option 1 or option 2. The winner is option 3! This was hard. But well, I
made it. Thanks for your help anyway!

Text 2
I'm considering whether I should take a shower either now or maybe later.
I'm not that sure. I feel really indecisive. There are two options. Option 1: I
could take a shower now but I would like to work out a bit in the afternoon.
This means that I'm going to sweat again in a few hours. Option 2: Instead of
taking a shower now I could take the shower after my workout. But on the
other hand I could actually take two showers: one now and one after the
workout. But this means a lot of wasted water. You see, it's a tough choice.
What would be your choice, either now or later or neither now nor later? Or
now as well as later? Would you take a shower either now or later? Or would
you opt for neither now nor later? Or would you simply take two showers and
accept the waste of water as a necessary evil?

Text 3
I have to buy a new cell phone. The selection is enormous. The question is
whether I should use an old and simple phone or a new and complicated one.
It is really a tough decision to make. I'm not really sure about what to do. It's
really hard to choose. Which option better meets my needs? Should I buy a
high-tech one or a basic one? The old cell phones are very robust, quite cheap
and they actually do everything I need them to do. To be honest, the only use
I have for my cell phone is to call my friends and to send messages. Yet it is
definitely handy to have access to the Internet on your cell phone from time
to time. I can neither surf the Internet nor use the wide variety of applications
that modern cell phones offer. The modern cell phone is able to send short
messages, make phone calls as well as send emails, use social networks and
play games. It's a tough decision. Each one has its own advantages. But both
have disadvantage, too. It seems that I can't really opt for one or the other.
Neither of them completely convinces me. Maybe I won't buy any of the two
and look for another option. What would you do? What type of cell phone do
you use? Are you old school with respect to your cell phone or are you a fan
of all the functionality a modern cell phone has to offer? What's your
opinion? If you were in my position, would you buy the more basic phone or
the complicated one? What would you do? Maybe I won’t buy a cell phone at
all. Do I really need one?

Text 4
I have a problem. I need your advice. I need some fashion advice. The
problem is that I don't know which pair of trousers I should wear today. I
can't make a decision. I have too many trousers and the selection is just
overwhelming. Which trousers would you put on? Could you give me some
advice? Which trousers do you like best? Would you prefer to put on the gray
trousers or the blue trousers? I'm not great on deciding what clothes to wear. I
like them all, that's why I bought them, right? I don't have any personal
preferences regarding my trousers. If you were me, would you put on the
pink trousers? Or maybe the short trousers? I definitely bought too many
trousers. I should probably get rid of some. Why did I buy so many trousers?
I can't make a decision. Help me! Tell me what to wear? Which one is your
favorite? Which one should I put on?
 The weekend

Text 1
Tom: Hey! How are you? It's finally the weekend! Would you like to go to a
concert with me? We have to buy tickets for the event before it is completely
sold out. I think we should hurry up!
Anna: I'm not sure. I’ve got so much work to do. Could you pick me up?
You know that I love this band. But I think that you have got the dates
wrong. The concert is tomorrow as far as I know not today.
Tom: Really? Did I get the wrong day? Let me check on the website quickly.
Indeed. You are right. Anyway, I want to go to the concert, be it today or
tomorrow. I can pick you up at home. But please, make up your mind now. I
need to know whether you are coming or not. You can rest on Sunday. My
girlfriend is calling the ticket agency to ask how many tickets are left and
how much they are. It's going be amazing and we are going to have a lot of
fun.
Anna: Alright. Is Ralph coming too? I would love to see him. It has been a
while since I saw him.
Tom: Ralph can't come. He has to stay in bed. He’s got a really bad cold. He
feels too sick. He will join us the next time. He needs to rest this weekend.
But we are going to go. Would you like to go to a pub tonight? I just need to
take a shower and get dressed. Then I'm ready to go!
Anna: Shave your face, take a shower, comb your hair and get dressed and
after that pick me up and we’ll go for a couple of drinks. I'm looking forward
to seeing you! See you in a bit!

Text 2
Finally, the weekend is here! What can I do this weekend? I don’t think I’m
going to leave the bed this weekend. I believe I will rest in bed. I can't be
bothered to leave the house or go to a pub. Leaving the bed means I have to
take a shower and get dressed. And I can't be bothered. I don’t feel like I'm
really up for doing much today. I might just make it a lazy day. I would have
fancied going to the museum because today a new exhibition which interests
me quite a lot starts today. And a friend called because he wants to go to a
concert. But honestly I can't be bothered to do either of them. I'll stay at
home, make some popcorn and watch some good movies. I think that this is
the plan for today.
Text 3
What am I going to do this weekend? Should I take a rest or maybe go to the
museum? I'm into modern art and there seems to be a lovely exhibition on at
a nearby museum. I could go there and enjoy the exhibition. Sounds like a
good idea. Or maybe I should stay at home and just rest. It has been a long
week and I feel pretty tired. What else could I do? Right, there is a concert in
one of my favorite pubs. I love this band and I have been a fan for years. I
could also go to the cinema. They’re showing a documentary in 3D which
would be amazing on the big screen. But my girlfriend doesn't want to see
this film in the cinema. She wants to see another one. But I can't be bothered
to watch the film she suggested. We can't agree on a film we both want to
see. Maybe she can go see her movie and I can watch my one and we can
meet after and do something together. How complicated planning the
weekend can be! I just might stay at home and watch TV. Well, I’ve got a
couple of hours left before I have to decide. Let's wait and see what I fancy
doing in two hours.

Text 4
Tom and Anna discuss what they should do at the weekend. Anna is
interested in an exhibition at the museum. But Tom can't be bothered to
spend even an hour of his free time in the museum. He says that he always
gets really bored. Anna seems open for another idea. Tom suggests going to
the park. He would like to have a picnic and to lie in the sun. He would like
to get a bit of a tan. He thinks he looks very pale. Anna likes the idea and
both are happy that they have found a solution that suits them both. They set
out for the park and buy some sandwiches on the way. On their way they
meet a couple of friends and invite them to join them. In the park they look
for a nice spot to put their blanket. They sit down and eat their sandwiches.
They talk and play a board game. They enjoy themselves a lot and stay the
whole afternoon. In the evening when it is getting dark they pack their stuff
together and head home. And they all agree that they have had a wonderful
day together.
 Dates

Text 1
Today I'm finally going to write to my dream girl on the Internet. I think she
is awesome. I find her totally attractive. I don't know if she wants to go out
with me or not. Maybe I'm lucky and she’ll say yes and give me her phone
number. I would give her mine. I don't even know her name. She uses a nick
name on the Internet. Maybe she’ll tell me her real name. I would love to go
to the cinema with her. Or I would also like to go to a bar with her. I would
like to watch a movie with her too. I would love to get to know her. Let's see
if she fancies going out for a drink. I will give her flowers and I will invite
her for dinner. She will like this. And I'm sure that we will have an amazing
time. As far as I can see in her profile we have very similar interests and
hobbies. We will make a beautiful couple. I'm going to write her now.
Fingers crossed! Hopefully she will respond to my message.

Text 2
Yes! I have just received an answer from her. I'm so excited. She wrote me an
email. Let's hope the reply is positive and she wants to meet me! The tone of
message is very friendly. She seems interested in meeting me. What amazing
news! She said she would love to meet me in person. This means that we are
going on a date together. Great! I can't wait to meet her. I'm so happy right
now. I think that I might have a major crush on her already. Well, it doesn't
matter. She has agreed to meet me in person. That's all that matters now.
What should I wear on the date? She says she wants to go to the cinema. But
first she wants to meet me in a bar to get to know each other a bit more. She
also sent me her phone number so I can contact her. This is going to be so
good. We are going to have so much fun together. And maybe she will have a
little crush on me. And maybe, just maybe this will develop into a
relationship. What a wonderful day! I'm going to reply to her message now.
We need to set a day and a time for our date. Today is Monday. When should
we meet? Tomorrow? This seems too soon. Sounds kind of desperate! Let's
give it a few days. Thursday evening looks good. I'm so looking forward to
this evening! I'm going to have a heart attack when I meet her because I'm so
excited. It's going to be so good!

Text 3
Hello, how are you? I saw you recently on the street and I would like to take
you out for dinner. Or maybe you would like to go for a drink? Can I have
your phone number? Or do you want my number? What do you think? Would
you like to go out with me? I really would love to go out with you. To be
honest, I’ve got a little crush on you and I really would love to get to know
you. Please, say yes. Here is my phone number. Think about it and give me a
call. My phone number is 05573 102463. Call me whenever you feel like it.
Or just message me. I will definitely reply. I would be really happy if we
could make this happen. Perhaps we can spend a romantic evening together.
Bye.

Text 4
Did you think about my proposal? I would still be really happy to go out with
you. You would make me really happy. I find you so attractive. I love your
long, black hair and your dark eyes. I would love to learn more about you.
You seem like an interesting person. Would you like to meet me and go out
with me? I really want to get to know you. I want to know what you like,
what you love and what you dream of. We could go for dinner. Or you could
come to my house for dinner. What do you think? What would you like to
do? Just tell me what you want to do. I'm open to everything. I just want to
spend some time with you and learn more about you and your life. You won't
regret it I promise. I’m inviting you to dinner; we’ll have some drinks and
talk. And if you don’t like me after this, you don’t have to see me again. Does
this sound like a nice idea to you? I hope so. Just call me and tell me when
you are free and we’ll set something up. I hope to see you soon. Call me!
Bye.

Text 5
It's been two weeks now that you left me and I'm still very sad and
devastated. I can't believe you don't want to be with me anymore. I thought
we were made for each other. I feel really bad. I cry all day and can't think
clearly. I don't know what to do. I just want you back. I'm happy for you as
you seem very happy with your new boyfriend and I hope you'll find your
way together. But it breaks my heart. You are all I’ve ever wanted and now
you are gone. I still can't believe it. I would never have imagined that we
would break up this way. I would have done everything for you. A few weeks
ago we said we loved each other and now you are gone? Did you lie to me all
that time? I don't know what to think anymore. I just want you back in my
life.

Text 6
Barkeeper: Hey, how are you? What would you like to drink? Is it your first
time here?
Guest: Yes. I'd like a cup of coffee, please. Actually, I’ve walked past the
window several times and saw you. And well, I wanted to say hello and get to
know you a bit.
Barkeeper: Ah great. And what makes you think I'm interested in getting to
know you better?
Guest: Well, you could give me a chance. I‘ll sit here and we can talk a bit
and see where it goes.
Barkeeper: Alright, why not. It's your lucky day, I guess. I just have a few
guests today so therefore not too much to do. So use your time wisely.
Guest: Great. So what's your name? I’m David?
Barkeeper: My name is Claudia. What do you do for a living? I'm a
barkeeper as you can see.
Guest: I work in an office for a big company. My job is not particularly
interesting. What do you like? How can I win over your heart? Chocolate or
flowers? Philosophy and literature?
Barkeeper: Neither flowers nor chocolate. That's pathetic. You have to be a
nice, intelligent and interesting person. So philosophy and literature might do.
What do I want with flowers and chocolate? That's so last century. I earn my
own money so I can buy chocolate when I want. I'm an independent woman
and absolutely not fond of 20th-century gallantry.
Guest: What are you interested in? What makes you care or passionate about
something?
Barkeeper: It's your job to find this out. But I appreciate you asking.
Guest: Would you like to go to the museum? It's a museum of modern art.
Do you like art? There’s an exhibition opening tonight. I would love to see it.
Maybe you would like to come with me? It seems to be an amazing
collection from what I've heard so far.
Barkeeper: I love modern art. I’d love to go with you. But this is not a date,
ok?
Guest: Understood. Where would you like to meet? Could you give me your
phone number?
Barkeeper: Nice try, but no. It's a bit too early to give you my phone
number. Maybe I'll give it to you after tonight. I finish work at 7. Pick me up
from here.
Guest: Cool, this sounds great. I'm happy that you want to come with me. It
surely is going to be a nice evening.
Barkeeper: As I already said, this is not a date. I'm interested in art, so
you’re lucky.
Guest: Nevertheless I'm looking forward to a nice evening with you and to
getting to know you better. Maybe you will like me in the end. I believe that I
am quite interesting and entertaining. I will definitely try my best.
Barkeeper: Of course you will. But just be yourself. I'll see you this evening.
Guest: I can't wait. See you later.
 Fairytales

Text 1
Once upon a time there was a little girl who always wore a red cape and was
called Red Riding Hood by everyone in her village. One day she came home
to her mother taking a rich cake from the oven. Red Riding Hood thought she
should visit her grandmother and bring her some cake, some fruit and a bottle
of wine. Her grandmother had been ill for a few days already and Red Riding
Hood and her mother wanted to surprise her. They put everything into a small
basket, and as the little girl was just about to leave the house and set out for
the forest, her mother held her hand and said: “Don't go too deep into the
forest! Stay on the path! Always follow the path and don't leave it. Be careful
as the forest is a dangerous place for a young girl! Take care and stay safe!”
Red Riding Hood promised to be careful and left. She walked for a while,
singing and skipping and enjoying the journey to her grandmother's house.
After a while she discovered a small area in the forest with many beautiful
flowers. She stopped and thought: “What gorgeous flowers! I shall pick some
for my grandmother. She’ll surely love them!” She began to pick the most
beautiful and colorful ones and after a little while she had collected a nice
little bouquet for her grandmother. Then suddenly she realized how far into
the wood she had wandered and she was very afraid. She turned around and
headed back to the path as quickly as possible. On her way she met a wolf,
who lived in this part of the forest. “Hello little girl, what brings you to the
forest? Don't you know that it is dangerous for little girls to leave the path? ,
asked the wolf. “I just wanted to collect some flowers for my ill grandmother.
She lives on the other side of the forest. I better go now”, said the little girl.
“Didn't you see the beautiful blue flowers behind those trees? They would be
lovely in your bouquet”, said the wolf. This seemed like a good idea to Red
Riding Hood so she decided to collect some blue flowers. In the meantime
the wolf ran to the grandmother's house. He knocked on the door and the
grandmother answered: “Who is there? I'm ill and I'm too weak to leave my
bed. Is it you, granddaughter? Just come in, the door is open.” The bedroom
was very dark because all the windows were shut, therefore her grandmother
didn't see the wolf. The wolf run quickly towards the bed and devoured the
grandmother. Then he put on her clothes, put her glasses on his nose and got
into the bed.
In the meantime Red Riding Hood had finished collecting flowers for her
bouquet and had arrived at the house. She knocked at the door and her
grandmother answered: “Who is there? I'm ill and I'm too weak to leave my
bed. Is it you, granddaughter? Just come in, the door is open.” As it was still
very dark in the bedroom the little girl didn't notice that it was the wolf that
lay in the bed. She approached the bed and when she saw her grandmother,
she asked full of surprise: “Grandmother, why do you have such large ears?”
And the wolf answered: “They help me to hear you better.” And why do you
have such big eyes?” “They help me to see you better.” “And why are your
hands so big?” “They help me to hug you tighter.” “And why do you have
such a terrifying big mouth full of sharp teeth?”, “to help me eat you!”
shouted the wolf and seized Little Red Riding Hood and devoured her. Then
he lay down on the bed again and fell asleep because his stomach was so full.
He started to snore very loudly. After a while a hunter came by the
grandmother's house and heard the wolf snoring. “How loudly does the old
woman snore? I will have a look to be sure that everything is alright”,
thought the hunter. He entered the house and found the wolf in the
grandmother's bed. “Finally I have found you! I've been looking for you
everywhere.” The hunter wanted to shoot the wolf with his rifle but then it
occurred to him that the wolf might had eaten the grandmother and decided to
wait. He looked around for a pair of scissors and found some in the kitchen.
He used the scissors to open the wolf's belly and soon he could already see
the little girl. He dragged her out and went on cutting and soon he dragged
the grandmother out of the wolf's stomach. Both were well and unharmed.
Red Riding Hood ran quickly to the nearby river and picked up some heavy
stones. She brought them to the hunter and he filled the wolf's stomach with
the stones and they closed his belly with a needle and some thread. Then they
decided to wake the wolf up. The wolf jumped out of the bed and felt a
burning in his throat. He ran to the river and started to drink but the heavy
stones in his belly dragged him into the water and the wolf drowned. The
hunter, Red Riding Hood, and her grandmother sat down at the table together
and enjoyed the cake, fruit and wine which Red Riding Hood had brought in
her basket.

Text 2
Once upon a time there was a lumberjack and his family. He had 2 children.
Their names were Hansel and Gretel. They lived in a small cottage at the
edge of a forest. Times were hard and the family barely had enough food.
The lumberjack and his wife were very desperate. In their desperation they
made a decision to leave their children alone in the forest. The children were
so hungry that they couldn’t sleep. They had heard what their parents were
talking about and knew about their sinister plan. When their parents had
fallen asleep, Hansel sneaked outside and collected many white stones he
found in the little garden in front of the cottage. The next morning their
mother came and woke them up very early. She told them that the whole
family had to go into the forest to collect wood in order to sell it at the
market. She gave to each of the children a piece of bread and they set out for
the forest. Hansel dropped the stones he had collected the night before every
5 steps or so marking a path for them. Their parents didn't notice anything
and they continued on their way. When they were deep in the forest, they
stopped and took a rest. The father sent the children to collect small twigs and
dry leaves to make a fire so they would stay warm. They left the children
seated by the burning fire and continued into the forest. The children believed
that they were chopping wood nearby because they heard a chopping noise
but it was just a big branch which the parents had bound to a stem slapping
against the stem because of the wind. When it got dark Gretel was afraid. She
wanted to go home. Hansel calmed her and told her that they would go home
soon. She would just have to be a little more patient. So they waited a bit
longer and then they set out for home. With the help of the white stones it
was pretty easy to find their way back. Their father was very happy when
they arrived home but their mother didn't seem pleased at all. A few weeks
later the situation hadn't changed and they still didn't have enough food to
feed themselves. Again, the parents decided to bring the children into the
forest and leave them there. The children had heard the entire conversation.
Once again, Hansel tried to go outside and collect the shiny stones which had
led him back home the first time. But this time Hansel couldn't leave the
room because their evil mother had locked the door. The next morning, their
mother woke them up and gave them their piece of bread. Hansel decided to
use the bread instead of stones. During their walk he dropped the crumbs and
hoped that they would lead them home that night. They made a fire again and
the parents left the children back in the forest. When night fell the children
wanted to go home but they couldn't find the crumbs. The birds of the forest
and other animals had eaten them during the day and so there was no chance
to find their way back home. They tried and tried but they couldn't find their
way back. After a few days of searching desperately they came to a house
made of ginger bread. They were so hungry that they couldn’t resist and
started to break off big pieces of the house and ate them. Hansel ate a piece of
the roof and Gretel ate from a window sill. They ate and ate until after a
while an old woman came out of the house. “Who is eating my house? Who
dares to break off pieces from my house to eat?” cried out the old woman.
“We are very sorry, but we can't find our way back home and we are starving.
Don't be mad at us! It is an emergency!” cried the children. Unfortunately,
the old woman was a wicked witch and she loved to eat little children. She
seized Hansel by his arm and dragged him to a cage inside the house. Then
she shut the door and locked it. Gretel had to work for the wicked witch. She
had to clean, to cook and to get water from a nearby brook. And she had to
feed Hansel with a lot of food. The wicked witch wanted him to become fat
and juicy because she wanted to roast him in her oven. One day the witch
didn't need Gretel anymore and decided to roast her first. She told her to
climb into the oven in order to clean it. But Gretel realized the witches plan
and told her: “I don't believe that I will fit into the oven. I think the oven door
is too small for me.” “You are a stupid, silly little girl. Of course you can fit
through the door. Even I fit through the door”, answered the witch. The witch
put her head through the opening of the oven to show Gretel how it had to be
done. This was Gretel's chance. With all her force she pushed the witch into
the oven, closed it and locked it from the outside. The witch burned alive in
the flames of her own oven. Gretel ran quickly to the cage where Hansel was
kept captive and unlocked the door. Finally there was no need to be afraid of
the wicked witch anymore. As they looked around the house they realized
that there were chests full of gold, jewels and diamonds everywhere. They
filled their pockets and a few bags which they found full to the brim and they
left to try to find their way home. After a while the forest started to seem
more familiar and a little bit later they arrived at their family's cottage. The
evil mother had died some time ago and only their father was left. He was
very happy to see his children again. And with all the wealth they had found
in the witch's house they didn't have to worry about anything anymore and
had as much food and money as they needed to live a good life.

Text 3
Once upon a time there was a fisherman and his wife. They lived in a small
house on the coast. The fisherman went down to the sea every day to try to
catch some fish. One day he was sitting by the sea fishing when suddenly
something pulled very strongly on the fishing rod. The fisherman reeled in
the rod and there was a fish at the end. But the fish wasn't a normal fish at all.
“Please, I beg you, let me live and don’t kill me. I'm an enchanted prince”,
begged the fish. The fisherman let the fish go. Who would kill a talking fish
anyway, he thought. Then he gathered his things and went home. “Didn't you
catch anything today? What am I supposed to cook for dinner? I can't prepare
dinner out of thin air”, asked his wife when he arrived. The fisher told her
about his encounter with the fish. And didn't you ask him to fulfill a wish for
you?” asked the woman. “Why should he have fulfilled a wish for me?”
“You silly man, everyone knows that if you catch a magical being and you
set it free again, it is obliged to grant you a wish!”, answered the wife.
“Quick, go down to the sea again and cry out for the fish. When he comes to
you, ask him for a bigger house. I'm sure that he will fulfill your wish.” As
the fisherman loved his wife very much and wanted her to be happy and
content, the fisherman agreed to go back to find the fish. The fish didn't take
long to appear and the man told him about his wife's wish. “No problem, just
go home, she sits already in your new living room.
The fisher and his wife had spent a couple of weeks in the house when one
morning the wife told her husband: “You know, I really like the new house
but don't you feel like it could be a bit bigger? If the fish can give you a
bigger house, he just might give you a castle, too, don't you think? Please, go
to the sea and ask the fish for a castle. I'm sure he won't have any problem
with this.” The fisherman went down to the sea and called the fish. Again, he
didn't take long to appear and the fisherman told him about his wife's new
wish. “Don't worry; just go home to your wife. She already sits on her new
throne. She will be happy”, said the fish. The fisherman went home and
found a big castle where their big house once stood. Every room was full of
gold and jewels and there were many servants, apparently working for the
fisherman and his wife. He entered a big hall where he found his wife sitting
on a golden throne. “Now we can be happy and enjoy our life, don't you
think? We have more now than we could ever dream of”, said the fisherman
to his wife. “We shall see”, answered his wife. One morning the fisherman
found his wife standing at a window, looking out over the fields and pastures
surrounding their castles. “You know, my beloved husband, these lands
should be ours. I should be queen and reign over these lands. Living in a
castle without being queen doesn't feel right. A castle needs a queen and a
queen needs lands and an empire. Go and see the fish again. He owes you his
life and will happily grant you this wish.” Only because he loved his wife so
much and thought that this time it would be the last time, the fisherman went
down to the sea again. He called out for the fish and the fish appeared. The
fisherman already felt quite embarrassed but he told the fish about his wife's
wish. “Just return to your wife. She already sits on her throne”, answered the
fish. The fisherman went home and found his wife sitting on a golden throne
with a big crown on her head. “Are you happy now, wife?” asked the fisher
desperately. “No, I'm not!” cried the wife, madness shining in her eyes, “If I
can be queen, I surely can be empress! I want to be empress because it is not
acceptable to have anyone above me! Go and make it happen!” The
fisherman went to the beach and called the fish. “Return home, your wife is
now the empress.” When he arrived at home his once small house had
become a gigantic castle. His wife was sitting on her throne and she was
clothed in gold, velvet and wore a crown with diamonds and jewels. “I hope
this is want you wanted, my beloved wife”, sighed the fisherman. “No, no,
no. I realize that there is someone above me and this someone is God! And I
want to be like him! I want to be an equal to God! Do as I've told you and do
it fast.” “This is not right. This woman has gone crazy. The fish won't accept
her behavior and he will put an end this once and for all”, the fisherman
thought while he walked down to the sea. The fish was already waiting for
him. “Don't worry, your wife now sits in her old living room” said the fish.
And the fisherman went back and was really relieved and happy that he had
got back his old, humble life.
 Social Networks

Text 1
What is a social network? A social network is a community. In this
community there are many people who correspond with each other and
exchange information and ideas. The largest social network is Facebook. A
social network is not only for young people but it is also interesting and
fascinating for adults. How does a social network work? First of all the user
needs to create a profile and become a member of the community. In their
profile they share information about themselves. They write about their
hobbies, their favorite movies or their favorite teams. In addition they can
upload a profile picture which allows others see who they are talking to. This
makes the experience for other users more personal. After creating a profile,
they can connect with their friends. They can also find new friends via social
networks; these are friendships which exist for example on Facebook, yet
they may never meet in real life because they live in different countries or on
different continents. But it is still very interesting to have these kinds of
friendships. They can exchange cultural differences, learn languages together
or learn how to cook food from the respective country. It is also possible to
share videos, pictures, photos or articles through social networks. This is
often very interesting and you discover things you maybe would have never
discovered otherwise but sometimes it is also quite silly or annoying. Social
networks form part of peoples' lives today and many couldn't live without
their daily access anymore. What do you think about social networks? Do
you use them? How would you describe your personal use of this type of
website? Can you imagine living without them?

Text 2
Who doesn't have a Facebook account today? Almost everyone has a
Facebook account and uses it often. On Facebook there are many different
activities you can do. You can read articles which others have published or
you can comment on articles your friends have shared. You can share things
you would like your friends to see. You can see what your friends do during
the day and respond as you like. You can search for new friends and add your
own friends. You can post links to interesting websites. You can post your
own status and you can share videos and photos with your friends. It helps
you to stay connected with people all over the world. It's quite fun but you
have to be careful, too. There is still a life besides Facebook and you
shouldn’t forget about it!
Text 3
There are many different ways to stay in touch and exchange information on
the Internet. Social networks are very popular amongst the young and old.
What do you do on a social network? First of all you need to create a profile.
A profile is like a virtual business card. You upload a picture of yourself and
provide some personal information, for example your name, your relationship
status, what languages you know and your hobbies. After that you can search
for people you know. When you find a friend you can send them a friend
request. Your friend can accept your friend request or decline it. If they don’t
want to accept it, you can still become one of their followers. This means that
you follow their account and you can see the things they share. It’s better
than nothing. Other functions you can use include messaging and chat. Many
people enjoy chatting via messages with their friends. There are people who
hardly ever use their telephones but send messages all day long to
communicate. A more recent function is the video-call function. You can call
your friends and send an image of yourself to your friend's computer so that
they can see you. Social networks are part of the Web 2.0. Web 2.0 means
that users actively create and contribute to the Internet. They create content,
write articles, develop software and share it with the world. So users are not
only passive consumers but are also active producers and contributors.
Another interesting function is the possibility of sharing content you like. For
example, when you read an interesting article and you feel like others should
read it, too, then all you have to do is to share it on your or a friend's wall.
Then you can talk about it together. Another option you have is to express
your own ideas, moods or feelings and post it to your wall so that your
friends can see it. In addition there are endless opportunities to make friends
and get to know new people from all over the world. This is a really nice
feature. Suppose you learn a foreign language and you need someone to talk
to. Just search for one of the many groups with the language you are learning
and find a language partner. It's a great chance to meet new people, learn
about the culture and their customs and participate in their daily lives. It's
also really useful to stay in touch with people who you grew up with or who
you met on vacation. They might live far away but with the Internet they are
just one click away. Despite all these positive and useful functions there is of
course a dark side. The topic of privacy is very important here. Many users
forget about its importance while they are surfing the Internet. But you must
be careful. There is a lot of money in the data business and quite a lot of
people will try to use your personal data without your consent. Don't disclose
too much about yourself and if you’re not sure about anything, leave it out
rather than regret it later. The Internet doesn't forget and ‘foresight is better
than hindsight’ as the saying goes.

Holidays

Text 1
Once a year you celebrate your birthday. You may have a party and you
invite all your friends. You do this by invitation. On the invitation you write
the time and venue of the party. At the party a big birthday cake is served
with many candles on it. Your friends bring small gifts for you. They try to
find something that you might like, something personal, or something that
reminds them of you. It doesn't need to cost a lot of money. A cool idea often
proves to be more valuable than an expensive item. All your guests are in a
good mood and really enjoy themselves. The place is decorated with
balloons, streamers and flowers to add to the atmosphere. After blowing out
the candles and singing ‘happy birthday’, everyone enjoys a slice of cake
with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
You say: Happy birthday

Text 2
Every year in spring Christians celebrate Easter. Easter is a religious
celebration which celebrates the resurrection of Christ. People go to church
on Good Friday and Palm Sunday. There is a lot of nice food and typical
pastries which are only available around Easter. Besides the religious event
there is also a chance for children to enjoy a visit from the Easter bunny. He
brings chocolate easter eggs to all the children. It's a very nice custom,
especially when you have small children. A couple of days before Easter
parents bring the children to the forest to collect twigs and moss. Then at
home they build a nest with the twigs and use the moss for a roof together in
the garden. The easter nest is for the easter bunny so that he knows where to
leave the eggs, the chocolate and the other surprises for the children. The
parents rush silently into the garden at night when the children are asleep and
hide the easter gifts in and around the nest. The next morning the whole
family starts an easter egg-hunt and search for the eggs and the chocolate in
the garden. It’s a lot of fun and a really nice activity for the whole family.
You say: Happy Easter!

Text 3
Another celebration celebrated in Christian countries is Christmas. Religious
people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable in Bethlehem over 2000
years ago. It is one of the most important celebrations Christians have. Many
people go to church and celebrate the birth of God's son. Everything is
festively decorated and adorned with candles, stars and different kinds of
decorations. Many families set up a Christmas tree in their homes. This is
usually a fir tree which is decorated with tinsel and Christmas balls. You can
hear Christmas carols everywhere you go, on the radio, in the streets or in the
supermarket. It's a very special atmosphere. On Christmas evening the family
gathers and eats dinner together. People give gifts to each other and sing
carols. If they are religious they attend a church service together. The
following days are holidays. Many people visit friends and family. It's a quiet
and peaceful time, very different to other times of the year.
You say: Merry Christmas!

Text 4
A nice custom in fall is Halloween. It takes place on the last day of October.
It has its origins in the belief that on this special night both the worlds of the
living and the dead are especially close to each other and therefore the dead
souls get the chance to return to the world of the living. So as not be taken by
the dead, people leave food outside to please the souls. Another way of
avoiding the dead on this night is to dress up like them so they won’t
recognize the living amongst the dead. These are the origins for today's more
modern version of Halloween. Many people dress up in funny or scary
costumes. They dress up as monsters, witches or mythological creatures.
There are some really crazy costumes. There are parties everywhere. People
decorate their houses with scary things like spider webs or the famous
pumpkin heads. Children go from door to door and repeat “trick or treat”,
asking for sweets and candies. Most children don't trick anymore today when
they don't get candy. However, some of them do. For example, they put toilet
paper in trees, use toothpaste or soap to write on windows or throw eggs at
people’s houses. Adults go to Halloween parties. There is always a
competition for the best and most original Halloween party or Halloween
costume. Halloween is most common in countries like the US and Canada.
However, in recent years it has spread to other countries in Europe and so
you can find children in scary costumes on the streets in countries like
Germany, France and Spain, too. It's a funny custom which people like and
enjoy today all over the world.
 Debate

Text 1
In a debate there is always an argument in favor of or against a standpoint, a
pro and a con. Every topic has two sides. There are advantages and
disadvantages. It is always important to consider two sides. An argument
should be evaluated, put in perspective and judged. An opinion or a
standpoint is not a natural law. It means that everyone has the right to their
opinion or point of view. Everyone has the right to criticize each other’s
points positively. In case someone thinks that the opinion of another person is
wrong, flawed or incomplete, they have to argue clearly and then defend their
own opinion with good arguments. A debate should be led in a fair manner.
This means that one considers the other side's argument fairly and one doesn't
attack the other side personally. Something that can happen in many debates
is that one side starts to attack the other side personally. This is called ‘ad
hominem’. For example: “Of course you believe in nonsense like this
because you are a woman.” This statement doesn’t focus on the fact
mentioned but on the person who made it, which doesn’t add to the argument.
It's not about a point made by the person but about her gender which very
likely doesn't have anything to do with the debate. In a good debate the aim is
to attack and refute the other side's arguments through strong and valid facts.
A proper and fair debate is supposed to bring both sides a step closer towards
the truth.

Text 2
A: I think that you should quit smoking. It's not good for your health.
B: You have never smoked. You have no idea how difficult it is to quit. And
besides, I like my cigarettes. So why should I quit smoking anyway?
A: This isn't a valid argument. There are scientific studies which show that
smoking is bad for your health. It raises the risk of getting cancer. Do you
really care so little about yourself?
B: But there are also many people who have smoked their whole life and
have grown old nevertheless. It's just a risk. I live in a big city. The smog
here is also said to cause cancer.
A: But you could try to lower the risk at least. Smog and cigarettes are two
risks. Dying of lung cancer isn't a nice death. And I don't want you to die
before your time. I would like to spend many more years with you. And
besides, think about all the money you would save if you quit smoking.
B: You buy new clothes every month. I don't do this. You spend your money
on clothes and I smoke. Both cause unnecessary costs. You quit buying new
clothes and I will quit smoking. Or else, everyone spends their money as they
please. Do we have a deal?
A: You really can't compare the two subjects. Clothes are important. I need to
look nice when I go to work or to a bar. But there is no need to smoke when
you go to a bar.
B: And there is no need to buy clothes every week, neither for your work nor
for your nightlife. I think we should stop the discussion here. It seems a bit
pointless to discuss the matter further.
A: Maybe you are right. At least we can agree on this!

Text 3
I would like to buy a new car. I have found a very nice model. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of this car? I'd like to consider the pros and
cons to help me come to a decision.
The advantages are the following: The color of the car is my favorite color. It
has four doors. It is big and very spacious. I need a lot of space because I
often transport things from one place to another. In addition it is very fast and
accelerates from 0 to 100 miles per hour in 8 seconds. It has air conditioning,
a car radio and an integrated CD-player. Furthermore it is equipped with a
guidance system. This comes in handy when I'm in a city or a region which I
don't know well. It is also really quiet. You can barely hear the engine. I don't
like noisy cars. This is definitely a good point in favor of this car.
These are the disadvantages: I live in a city and there is little space for big
cars. A big car means difficulty when it comes to parking. I already find it
difficult to find parking with my current car which is much smaller. With the
bigger car it's going to be close to impossible to find a parking space. A big
car is heavy what means it consumes more gas. What does that mean for long
journeys? The car will become quite costly. And the insurance for it is much
higher.
Well, now it's time to consider the pros and the cons. Which will benefit me
more? I need to evaluate the two sides calmly, put them into perspective and
make a decision I will make a list and write down all the advantages and
disadvantages which come to my mind. This will help me to make the right
decision.
 Teenager

Text 1
A teenager can be described as someone whose age falls within the range
from 13 to 19 years. Within these years the teenagers aren't children anymore
and want to be treated more and more as young adults and make their own
decisions. As a result of this there can be a lot of friction between parents and
their children. A teenager complains that they are always told what to do,
what they are allowed and not allowed to do. They don’t like to be told what
they should and shouldn't do with their life all the time either. They want to
make their own decisions on how to live and shape their own life. Parents
make rules and demands that they feel their children should comply with. In
school young adolescents are told about discipline and rules. It is important
that teenagers comply with these. But it is also important that a teenager is
given space to make their own mistakes and create their own experiences.
They need the opportunities to develop their own identity. These
opportunities have to be created by the parents and teachers. A teenager
doesn't get educated solely by their teachers or parents but they also get
shaped by their own personal experiences, be they bad or good. Therefore it
is very important that an environment is created where there are clear rules
and boundaries as well as possibilities to escape the iron grip of parental care.
Experiences and mistakes have to be made by a young person in order to
shape them and to help them grow into their own person.

Text 2
Growing up means many tasks are not done by your parents anymore.
Adolescents have to learn how to do their own laundry. They also have to
learn how to prepare delicious meals by themselves. Dinner is not cooked and
served by Mom every night anymore but now needs to be prepared by the
young man or woman him or herself. They have to learn that not all their
problems can and will be solved by their parents. They have to find ways to
solve their problems on their own. Their problems need to be addressed and
solved by their own creativity and reasoning. They also have to learn that
money doesn’t grow on trees but needs to be earned first before it can be
spent. But they also receive more freedom and space so that they can develop
and thrive. They are no longer told what they are allowed to do or not.
Therefore there is space to experiment and try new things out. But they still
know that they can rely on their parents in case of emergency.
 Grandparents

Text 1
People grow older and older. Therefore the number of elderly people in
industrialized countries grows steadily. Look at your grandparents for
example. They have experienced a lot in their long lives. They had already
been living for many years before you were born. When you were a child
they had already worked for many years. They had gone to school and had
traveled a lot. You didn't go to their wedding because they had married many
years before your birth. They had met many nice and interesting people and
they had already spent many beautiful evenings together before they met you.
They may have traveled to many different countries and learned about
foreign cultures and customs. They had watched many movies and had gone
to the cinema hundreds of times before you even watched your first movie.
When you went to your first football match with your grandfather, he had
already seen many victories and defeats of your favorite team before. When
you went to your first concert, your grandfather had already enjoyed many
concerts. And when you celebrated your first birthday, your grandparents had
already celebrated quite a number of big birthdays. Somebody had invented
the television and the first man had been to the moon. A lot had already
happened before you were born and so much more will happen in the future.
Our lives are just small moments in time.

Text 2
Last week I visited my grandfather. He had made tea, baked a small cake and
had set up the chessboard. My grandfather lives at a retirement home. Until a
year ago he still lived with my grandmother in their own house.
Unfortunately my grandmother died last year, and suddenly my grandfather
was on his own and alone. My grandmother had always been a big help to
him. She had always cleaned the house and always helped my grandfather to
get dressed. She used to go to the supermarket and she always prepared the
meals. After my grandmothers death he wasn’t been able to live alone
because he was already too weak and too old. Therefore he had to leave his
beloved home and move to a retirement home. Ever since then I have visited
him every week. We speak a lot and have a lot of fun together. He has been
very sad for a very long time. He misses my grandmother a lot. I have always
tried to make him a bit happier and more joyful. Sometimes it has worked out
quite well and sometimes it has been in vane because he is just too sad.
Today he was in a good mood and we played chess for many hours. We
laughed a lot and I told him what I had been up to during the week. I told him
that I had fallen asleep in school and that I had gotten detention for it. He
laughed a lot while listening to my story and then told me about his own
mischievous actions when he was at my age. And I told him that I had met a
nice girl and that I had asked her to go out with me. I had given her my phone
number and wanted to go to the cinema with her. He seemed very pleased
and promised me he would tell me the story of how he met my grandmother
the next time I came to visit him. We had a lovely afternoon together and I
was very happy to see my grandfather in such a good mood. Hopefully he'll
be in the same mood next week when I visit him again.

Text 3
My grandfather had met my grandmother in 1940. He had met her in a
supermarket. She had been a beautiful tall blond woman, with a wonderful
smile. He had fallen in love with her at first sight. He had asked her if she
would like to go to the cinema with him. You know, cinema at that time was
still a very big thing for everyone. He said that he still wonders how he had
managed to talk to her without fainting. It was a wonder that he had dared to
speak to her so bluntly, he said. They had met in a small restaurant and ate
dinner there. They laughed a lot and enjoyed each other's company. They ate
and drank some wine and after the dinner they went to the cinema. They had
booked tickets for a film but my grandfather couldn't remember what movie
it was. It wasn't that important anyway because he didn't focus too much on
the film. He had been so absorbed by my grandmother's presence. After the
movie they went to a park and went for a walk there. It had snowed and
everything was covered with a white layer of snow. It was beautiful outside
but also quite cold. After a while they decided to go home and planned to
meet another day. After this first date they met many more times. Sometime
later my grandfather had asked my grandmother to marry him and she said
yes. They got married and enjoyed a beautiful honeymoon together on a
tropical island. My grandmother got pregnant there and 9 months later my
father was born. My father grew up and met my mother and they married.
And a few years later I was born. Here I am now to tell you the beautiful
story about how my family found each other.
 Music

Text 1
There are many different types of music. I like to listen to electronic music.
This type of music is produced on a computer. It has a heavy bass and is very
melodic. I enjoy listening to this kind of music most on the dance floor at a
club. But I also like to listen to it while I'm working. But then it isn’t as heavy
but rather smooth and relaxing. The music creates a nice vibe to help write
and think. Another music style I like very much is rap. Rap is full of energy. I
love to listen to it when I'm running or working out. It's the perfect music to
keep me motivated to reach my body limits. For this purpose, rock music is
another good alternative. I love to feel its aggression and energy. And when I
want to calm down and relax I listen to jazz music. It's the perfect music to
close my eyes to and lose myself. What do you listen to in order to relax?
What type of music do you like to listen to in order to get you going and
motivated? And what type of music makes you dance?

Text 2
Humans have been making music for a very long time. The oldest
instruments, which have been found, are 35 000 years old are flutes, which
were made of bones. One believes that music itself is even older. Nobody
knows why humans started to make music, so there only remains speculation
as to the reasons why. Different people have been using instruments and
music for thousands of years in their religious ceremonies and rituals. They
use drums, singing and dancing to conjure and please the gods and spirits.
The most renowned ritual is arguably the rain dances of the Native American
people. But of course there are many other rituals with different purposes and
meanings. In the middle ages the understanding and perception of music
changed and music became what we know it to be today. As time evolved the
profession of a composer and the creation of pieces of music became an art
form. The composer wanted to express their ideas through their music and
transmit a message to their listeners. Of course, not everyone’s piece of
music is art. Many compositions are not as unique as a piece of art would
require. Many people just listen to music because they want to enjoy it, lose
themselves or relax. So music for them means entertainment. They listen to it
while working, exercising, relaxing or dancing. They enjoy the rhythm, the
emotions and the energy which music brings to their lives.

Text 3
A musical instrument is an item which is built to make music. Theoretically,
every object that can produce sound can be referred to as an instrument.
Some people say that the human voice should be counted as an instrument,
too. There are different categories of musical instruments. They are
distinguished by the way in which they produce sounds. There are the wind
instruments for example. Wind instruments are instruments like the
saxophone, the trumpet and the flute. The musician blows into the instrument
and creates air which produces a sound. This is the reason why they are
called wind instruments. Another instrument type is the percussion
instruments. Percussion instruments are drums or a xylophone. The sounds
are produced through percussion, which means the percussionist hits the body
of the object and the air inside the body starts to swing. Because the
percussion is needed to produce the sounds, these instruments are called
percussion instruments. Another category of instruments are string
instruments such as the violin, the cello or the contrabass. The sound is
created by making the strings of the instruments swing. This is done by either
the fingers plucking the strings or by rubbing the string with a bow. The
string begins to vibrate and produces a sound. That's why they are called
string instruments. Another category is the keyboard instruments. They are
called keyboard instruments because they are played with a keyboard. The
musician hits the keys on the keyboard and sound is produced when the key
hits against the string inside the instrument. A piano and accordion belong to
this category. The mechanism which produces the sound inside the
instrument is different from instrument to instrument. The final category, are
the plucked instruments, like the harp. The player briefly plucks a string and
it starts to swing and produces a sound. It's similar to the string instruments
except that the player doesn't use a bow to play the instrument. What's your
favorite instrument? Do you know how to play one?
Text 4
Thomas sings in a choir and plays in an orchestra. He has a very nice voice
and a good feeling for the rhythm. In the orchestra he plays the guitar. He has
been practicing the guitar since childhood. He practices every week for a few
hours and takes classes in a music school. When he is older, he wants to play
in a successful band and perform at concerts. The orchestra already plays
many concerts and even records CDs in a professional studio. But Thomas
would like to compose his own music and write his own lyrics. Therefore he
practices the guitar every day, exercises his voice, writes lyrics and composes
melodies for his songs. Maybe one day you will see his CDs in your local
music store!
 Social classes

Text 1
In a society social classes exist; known as lower, middle and upper class.
People who find themselves in the lower class of society usually have little
money and live in less developed areas of the city. They have no or limited
education. Therefore they only find poorly paid jobs or are unemployed. If
they find a job, then they earn little money. It can be difficult for them to save
money as most of their salary goes on bills and covering monthly costs. A lot
of the time they can't afford a car or to go on vacation. People who are
unemployed have the possibility to apply for unemployment benefit. This
means that the state gives money to those in need to pay for rent and to buy
food. Being unemployed can have many negative effects on a person. They
find it difficult to remain part of their community and society and others
presume that they have a choice whether to work or not which is not always
the case. Children in this class can also suffer and can end up in the same
situation as their parents in later life. They go to bad schools, grow up in
dangerous neighborhoods and are surrounded by many pressures growing up.
It's a vicious circle and it is very difficult to break this cycle.
Life in the middle class is better. Many people have a good education; they
can develop their careers by doing an apprenticeship or studying at university
to earn a degree or masters. Usually they work in higher paid jobs and can
support themselves and their families for the future. They are able to go on
vacation and to buy luxury items like cars, computers and such things. They
can participate in social life. They can afford to go to the cinema or eat out in
restaurants. Middle class families often have one or even two cars. They can
get a mortgage and pay for a house over many years. They can afford to shop
and have hobbies such as tennis or skiing. The middle class in England and
the United States is the largest class in both societies. People seem happy and
content and enjoy their lives. Children of middle class families have a much
better chance of receiving a good education and thus have the possibility of
continuing this kind of life style.
People in the upper class have much more money than they actually need.
Their life style is also much more extravagant because people develop certain
standards of living throughout their life. They have expensive houses, cars
and enjoy more expensive hobbies like sailing and horse riding. It seems they
worry less about life and their finances than people in lower classes. In the
end we live in a world where money can buy almost anything.
Text 2
My name is Kevin and my family is poor. I'm 14 years old and I go to school.
My parents are divorced. I don't know where my father lives. He left us a few
years ago. I woke up one morning and he was gone. He didn't even write a
farewell-letter and didn't leave an address at where I could find him or a
phone number to contact him. I was very sad. Actually, I'm still very sad and
disappointed. I miss my father a lot. I'm angry, too, that he has left us behind.
I understand that he didn't love my mother anymore and that he didn't want to
be with her anymore. But does that mean that he doesn't love me either? I
wonder about this very often. What did I do wrong? Well, I have tried to
move on and accept the situation as it is. Now there is only my mother and I
left. We are very poor. We live in a small flat in a pretty bad area in the city.
It is very dirty and shabby and the houses are very ugly. Many windows are
broken and the walls are full of graffiti. Nobody here has the money to
renovate anything and nobody actually cares how things look, either. It is
very dangerous to go outside at night and I have to be home before it gets
dark. My mother is afraid that something might happen to me. There are
many people here who have lost faith and don't believe there will be any
improvement in their living conditions. They can't see the future; they just see
the darkness of the present. Alcohol and drugs are a big problem in this area.
I guess life looks a bit brighter when people can forget about the difficulties
of every day. I try to stay away from these things. But it's difficult. My
mother is an alcoholic. She drinks a lot, but only when I'm not at home or
when I'm already asleep. She doesn't want me to see her drinking. But well,
it's hard to hide that you are drunk. But I can't help her. She lives in a state of
self-denial. I'm very diligent and ambitious at school. I still have hope. I want
to believe that with ambition and diligence I will get the chance to leave this
life behind and start a new one. But there are many problems at my school,
too. There are many students who don't think like me. They think that society
has forgotten them and therefore there is no future and no place for them
outside of our area. They are angry and frustrated. They are convinced that
they will have the same destiny as their parents, whether they are ambitious
or they are lazy. They seem to be preparing for their future in a different way
or not preparing at all. They appear to be preparing for a life full of anger,
frustration and desperation. But I don't want to accept this fate. I want to be
happy and full of hope. When I'm in town and I see other children from richer
families, I see that there is something else. There is happiness, joy and hope:
children whose parents are nice, sober and happy. It keeps me going because
one day I will be at this point, happy, content and full of joy with my own
family. I just need to fight and must not lose my faith in my abilities.

Feelings
Text 1
Humans are emotional beings. They feel, show, communicate and explain
their feelings. Very often, we can even see the emotions of other individuals
in their face or through their body language. Why does the girl look so angry?
The girl looks angry because her brother has punched her. A brother shouldn't
punch his sister. Why does the little girl look so disappointed? The girl looks
disappointed because somebody has stolen her lollipop. She is very sad. Why
does the girl look so happy? The girl looks happy because her volleyball team
has won today's match. She is very happy. She is happy that her team hasn't
lost today. And why does the girl look so grim? The girl looks grim because
she wanted a horse but her parents didn't want to buy her one. She can't
understand that there isn't enough space in her room for a horse. Why does
the boy look so satisfied? He looks satisfied because he has just eaten ice-
cream, his favorite ice-cream, chocolate and strawberry. Why does the girl
look so puzzled? The girl looks puzzled because she has a question. She
doesn't understand a problem and is seeking for a solution.

Text 2
Why is the girl surprised? The girl is surprised because she has seen a
beautiful picture painted by her friend. Her friend gave it to her as a present.
She didn't know that he was able to paint such beautiful pictures. Why does
the boy look so ill? He looks ill because he has got the flu. He played for too
long outside in the rain yesterday and now he has got the flu. Why does the
boy look so skeptical? He doesn't believe what he has just read in the book he
is reading. He seems to lack any logic. Why does the girl look so tired? The
girl looks tired because she didn't get enough sleep last night. She had
nightmares and woke up many times. Why does the girl look so shy? She
looks shy because she has just met a nice boy and doesn't know what to say.
Why does the boy look so scared? The boy looks scared because he has just
seen a ghost.

Text 3
How does the boy look? The boy looks satisfied. Why does he look satisfied?
He looks satisfied because someone gave him a present. He likes the present
very much and therefore he is very satisfied. The girl looks puzzled? It looks
like she’s got a question. Why does she have a question? She doesn’t
understand something. She is looking for an answer. The girl looks very
grim. Why does she look so grim? It seems her parents don't want to fulfill
her wish. She can't understand it. Perhaps her parents will change their minds.
The girl looks very happy. Why does she look so happy? She won a
competition at school. She won a price and will travel to France next week
for a few days. The other girl looks very disappointed. Why does she look so
disappointed? Her team lost today's match. And she hates to lose. She would
have preferred to win the match. The girl looks very cheeky. Why does she
look cheeky? She is up to no good. She is planning on annoying her brothers.

Text 4
How does the boy look? The boy looks skeptical. Why? His father explained
something to him but he believes his father doesn’t have a clue. How does the
girl look? The girl looks shy. Why does she look shy? She saw a cute boy and
doesn't know how to start a conversation with him. She would like to talk to
him but is afraid that he might not want to. The girl looks ill? Why does she
look ill? She looks ill because she has got diarrhea. She has got fever, a
cough and a cold. The girl should go and see a doctor. She needs medication.
The other girl looks very scared. She looks so scared because she believes
that there are monsters under her bed. That's why she is hiding underneath the
blanket. And why does the boy look so tired? He looks tired because he
couldn't sleep last night. He has an exam today and didn't study for it. Now
he is afraid of getting a low grade. The girl over there looks very surprised.
Why does she look so surprised? Her father gave her a dog which was a very
nice surprise for her.
 Animals and their habitats

Text 1
The polar bear lives in the Arctic. In the arctic there is a lot of snow and ice.
The polar bear has thick fur and a thick layer of fat which protects them from
the cold. The fat layer can be up to 10cm thick! Polar bears can survive in the
most extreme conditions. Temperatures in the Arctic can reach as low as
minus 40 degrees, there is a lot of snowfall and an icy wind blows most of the
year round. Evolution equipped the polar bear with the capability to survive
this difficult climate. A polar bear can grow up to 3.4 meters tall and can
weigh up to 800 kilogram but on average they grow to about 2.6 meters and
weigh approximately 500 kilograms. They live to an age of between 25 to 30
years. They feed on seals and fish. The polar bear waits by holes which occur
in the ice, created by the wind and sea current. Seals come out of these holes
because they need to breathe and at that moment the polar bear catches the
seal and kills it. Polar bears live alone. Only the mothers live for a while
alongside their children. The polar bear is an endangered species. Their
number is steadily decreasing because of climate change. Snow and ice is
melting because of global warming which results in the natural habitat of the
polar bear being destroyed. If this continues, sadly it is suggested that the
polar bear may be extinct by the end of the century.

Text 2
The fox is a very interesting animal that lives in many different climate
zones. Many people believe that a fox is typically red and lives in the forest.
Yet, there are many different kinds of fox which also live in deserts and cold
and snowy regions. The fox is related to the dog and yet exists as a separate
species. The most common and widespread fox is the red fox. They live in
very cold regions as well as in tropical regions. They can be found in cities,
too. They hide during the day and leave their hideouts at night to find food.
Foxes can grow up to a size of a small dog, within 60 to 70 cm. They eat
almost anything they find: fruit, insects such as bugs and earthworms, as well
as rats, mice and poultry. A fox living in the wild can live up to 10 years.
Foxes live alone and in groups, called an earth. An earth of fax can display a
very complex social behavior. Foxes are often hunted in many countries.
Some people treat the hunt as a sport which can be very controversial and
therefore can cause frequent conflicts between hunters and animal rights
activists. People also breed foxes for their fur. However, wearing clothes
made of fur isn't so popular anymore and many people speak out against the
killing of animals and the use of its fur for fashion. The fox also plays a very
important role in mythology. There are many stories, tales and fables which
depict the fox as either a smart, dumb, good or bad animal.

Text 3
In Africa, Latin America and Asia many interesting and big cats, for
example, lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars exist. They are much bigger than
domestic cats; the cat kept as pets at home. The tiger is the biggest of the cats
and the lion the second biggest. The lion can grow up to a height of 2.5
meters and can weigh up to 190 kilogram. Lions have short, sand colored fur.
The male lion has a mane which is a crown of hair around the head of the
lion. A long mane is a sign that the lion is healthy and well fed. Lions live in
Africa and Asia. In former times they also lived in Western Europe but today
they are extinct there. The lion is an endangered species. Its survival is
threatened by diseases and by humans. Humans destroy its habitats and hunt
it for its fur or because they see it as a threat. Many cats are solitary animals
but lions live in groups which are called prides. A pride has an alpha-male
which leads it. The male lions fight for this position. The lioness, the female
lion, hunts at night and they are able to kill large animals because they hunt
in groups and use different tactics such as circling their target and attacking
quickly. They hunt young elephants, giraffes and hippos. But they also hunt
zebras, antelopes and gazelles. The lion is an important animal in African
mythology. A very well-known example is the head of the legendary Sphinx
of Gizeh in Egypt.

Text 4
Parrots are very colorful birds. They are found on all continents except
Europe. In Europe they are kept as pets in captivity. Parrots are marvelous
climbers and of course they can fly. They live in flocks. A flock can comprise
of a huge number of individuals. Parrots are social animals. They enjoy
having company. Therefore they shouldn't live alone and should have at least
one companion. Parrots are able to build nests. There they lay their eggs and
breed. They feed on many different things. Their beaks are perfect for
opening hard nuts and seeds. They also love ripe fruits and berries. They like
blossoms, bark and roots. Parrots are seen as very intelligent animals. They
have a good memory and can learn how to speak and imitate the human
voice. They can memorize many different words. They don't just repeat
words but they can use them in the correct context. A large number of parrots
are endangered. 50% of these beautiful birds are endangered and 25% are
critically endangered. Man has destroyed their habitats and endangered their
survival through hunting, trade and the sale of these colorful, intelligent
animals.

Text 5
Monkeys and apes are species which are biologically very close to us. Man
stems from the ape: is a common belief. It is fascinating to observe monkeys
and apes. Apes are especially interesting to us. They are mainly found today
in Southeast Asia and Africa. There are many different species, for example
orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Orangutans have a reddish fur,
chimpanzees and gorillas have black fur. The weight of gorillas ranges from
25 kg to 200 kg. Apes can be found on the ground or climbing in trees. They
are diurnal and sleep at night. They set up nests for the night which they use
as beds. They also enjoy a quick nap in the afternoon. Orangutans mostly live
alone whereas gorillas and chimpanzees tend to live in larger groups. Apes
are pretty intelligent and have a very complex social behavior. They have a
good memory and can remember the past, i.e. they have a notion of time.
Their diet consists mainly of fruit and leaves but they are also capable of
digesting meat. Apes are used for medical research because they have many
similarities to humans. This is a very controversial point and in many
countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, Austria and Great Britain, it is
forbidden by law to experiment on apes. All species of apes are endangered
because humans are destroying their habitats or keeping them captive as pets.
They also hunt them for their meat or to sell them for scientific research. This
is actually illegal by the Washington Convention for the protection of
endangered species. Nevertheless hunters continue to hunt and kill apes and
thus the number of apes is steadily decreasing.
 Importance of language

Text 1
Learning a language is very important: that's what parents tell their children
from a very young age. When the child comes home from school with a bad
grade in language, they are most likely to hear the same advice from their
parents: “Languages are important for your future. If you don't speak a
second language, you won’t find a good job later.” Are languages really this
important? Why should somebody learn another language? Which are the
reasons? What do you gain with a second language? There are obviously no
disadvantages if someone learns a new language. Or did you ever hear
someone say: “Don't study too much Spanish, son. What good is it speaking
and learning another language? Of course not! But what are the advantages of
learning a new language? What else can you tell your children other than the
same boring argument about jobs, money and their future?
It is of course true that languages are important for one’s career. Many
companies work on an international level today and need employees who are
able to operate in international markets. How could an English company
work with a Mexican company if nobody spoke each other’s language? How
would they communicate? I guess you see the point. But is this a valid
argument for a 12 year old student? Correct me if I'm wrong but I doubt it.
The student may be a long way away from international markets and
business. They may simply think that there are plenty of jobs in the domestic
industry so that there is no need for any further efforts in language learning.
Maybe the job-argument isn't the best way. Why not try to focus on the fun
side of learning a language and not always on its uses? Languages are so
much fun! It can take some time before you can use a new language fluently
but there are so many possibilities to learn with your child in a fun
environment. Try to make it a habit to use a foreign language at home. Why
not start with simple words around the house or phrases like “I would like an
apple. Could you give me an apple?” and maybe in a few days: “Quiero una
manzana. Me das una manzana?” You see it's actually pretty simple to get
started. Wake up the curiosity in your child. Watch simple videos together,
the Internet is full of suitable content to help children pick up a new
language. And keep up with what your child is learning at school. Get to
know the new words and the grammar structures your child is learning at
school and practice them together at home. Incorporate them in your daily
routines. Encourage your child to use them as often as possible because only
through the application and practice of the language will the child see its
benefits and enjoy the learning experience. This may be something new and
strange at the beginning but I guarantee that in the long run both of you will
enjoy it and benefit from it. There are many ways to learn a language and
learning in context will show the importance and fun of it.

Text 2
What's the benefit of learning a second language? Learning a language can be
a big investment. It takes time and costs money. It’s possible to speak with
certain fluency after six months and a lot of dedication but for most learners it
can take longer. Learning a language takes many hours of study, practicing
new vocabulary and applying language in context.
Time is money and a good language teacher wants to make some money, too.
You must think carefully about how dedicated you are to this. Are you
willing to invest time and money for a certain amount of time? Or is it just a
spontaneous idea that you will give up on your studies at the first chance if
things are not working out? Are you willing to pay for a teacher or would you
rather spend your money on something else?
It's very common to start with a language class and within 3 months lose
interest and the discipline to study. It means you lose money, and the time
you have invested in that short time seems wasted because everything you
have learned over the three months will be forgotten very quickly. It's
imperative to reach a certain level in order to avoid the loss of the knowledge.
It's pretty logical: If you don't use what you have learned, you start to forget
it. If you start to learn a language you have to reach a level which gives you
the confidence to use the language in your every day and to make the
language part of your life. You need to be able to create a circle of learning
and remembering. It means that you reach a level where you can read books
and newspapers, watch films and video clips and listen to music. By doing
these things, you make it a habit, you are less likely to forget and instead you
start to build on your existing knowledge.
Many people just see the economic benefits of learning a language. They
believe that they will make more money or get a better job when they speak a
second language. This may be the case one day. But you won't get to the
point of speaking a language if this is your sole motivation. Thankfully,
languages offer much more than just a higher salary. A language opens doors.
What does this mean? When you learn a new language, you start to dedicate
time to vocabulary and grammar but also to the country, its culture and its
people. After all, you will end up being immersed in a new country and it
opens your eyes to new things. The books, the movies and the music you use
for your studies come from another country and include ideas, philosophies
and views of its people. You can see it like looking over another person's
fence and getting a glance at their life. If you are really serious about learning
a new language you also will try to find somebody who can speak with you in
that language. And you may even travel to the country to learn more about it
and apply the language. You might even end up living abroad or at least
doing business there. You see how far we have come? It's not about a higher
salary anymore but about changing parts of your life and therefore your
future. Now this sounds like real motivation! Take the chance, learn a
language and shape a new future!
 Working world

Text 1
After many years in school, you finally graduate and the next step is to get a
job and become part of the working world. What is the working world? This
is where people work to support themselves and their family. First of all, you
have to find a job. Browse through the daily or weekly job offers on local and
national newspapers, search job sites on the Internet. and register with
employment agencies as they will help find a suitable job for you. It is a full
time job to find a job and remember you will be working every day so make
sure you enjoy what you do! Once you have found a job that interests you,
what do you do? You must create a resume. The resume gives information
about who you are, what qualifications you have, your skills and your
achievements and hobbies. First you offer some general information: name,
address, and marital status, date of birth, phone number and email. Then you
give an overview of your qualifications and achievements, for example where
you went to university, your academic degree and your specialization. It's
also good to attach a cover letter or letter of motivation which should give an
insight into your personal motivation as to why you want to work for the
company. Why are you the interested in working with the company? How do
you see yourself benefiting the company’s goals? What would the company
gain from employing you? Always ask someone to look over your resume for
any errors or for more input. When you are satisfied with it send it to the
company and wait for a reply. If the company likes your application and feels
you are a suitable candidate, they will invite you to an interview. At the
interview they will ask you many different questions as the interviewer wants
to make sure they are hiring the best candidate for the job. You must prepare
for the interview. Ask those who are already working and research questions
they were asked. And there are websites which help prepare people for their
first job interview. In addition you should think about what you shouldn't say
and what information you don’t need to share at the interview. Take your
time and think about the question you are being asked as a lot depends on
how the recruiter interprets your answers and perceives your personality and
your skills. So be yourself and professional so that you give the best of
yourself. Ensure you give an honest impression of who you are. Then you
have to wait again for a reply. If you receive the job offer, congratulations!
But if you are not successful, don't be too sad. Everyone receives knock-
backs but it is important to learn from the experience and try again the next
time. You can contact the interviewer for feedback which will help you
develop your interview skills for the next opportunity. It's nothing personal,
it's just how the working world works. Just try again and the next time you
surely will have more luck!
Text 2
So you have found a job and you are very happy. For some it is the job they
have always wanted. For most it is not always their dream job but a start in
the working world. It is an opportunity to earn some money. A contact is
signed before you get down to business full of motivation and determination.
The first day at the new job can be very exciting and scary. Everything is
new: you have new colleagues, a new office and many new tasks. But reality
hits and the situation feels a bit daunting. There is a lot to take in at the
beginning. You must figure out how things are done in the office and how to
prioritize your tasks. It’s also important to get to know your colleagues as
they will offer support if things feel too much. At the beginning time goes by
very quickly as you have so much to do and you want to do the best job and
make the best impression you can, even if that means working over-time.
After some time you develop a routine and you become more familiar with
how the office runs. You feel more confident. You look forward to your first
pay-check at the end of the month because now you can treat yourself for a
job well done. Once you have learned what you can in your first job you may
be eager to look for a new challenge or decide to stay with the same
employers and further your career with them.

Text 3
Some people prefer to start their own business instead of working for a
company. As a self-employed person you are your own boss but building a
client list falls on you. It can be more difficult to separate your work and
home life, when to take a day off or when to plan a vacation. Sometimes
work can take over as there is always something to be done. But the pleasure
comes from the fact that you have control over decisions made. There is a
sense of freedom and accomplishment but also a pressure that things have to
work out as there is no one to fall back on, hence there is a percentage of risk
involved in running your own company. Self-employed people believe in
themselves and their ideas and have to be extremely organized for things
such as their projects, their money, their pension and insurances. This is
sometimes really cumbersome but can also be very exciting and interesting.
 TV-interview

Text 1
QaQ: Good evening, ladies and gentleman, welcome to “Questions and
Questions”, your TV-program for those really important questions for your
favorite celebrities. Today we have the pleasure in speaking to the world-
renowned actor and singer Mad Hit. Welcome Mad!
Mad: Thank you, I'm very happy to be here.
QaQ: You have just come from the studio where you are shooting your new
movie. What can you tell us about it? Are there any interesting things
happening that you would like share with our listeners?
Mad: The movie is going to be pretty great; otherwise I wouldn't be making
it!!! Who likes to make bad films? This movie is about a young married
couple who aren’t very happy with their life in the big city anymore and
therefore move to a farm in the countryside. For typical townsfolk, as these
two are, this of course is an enormous challenge and they come across one
catastrophe after another. Often this is not only funny but also pretty tragic.
QaQ: This sounds like an interesting topic. Can you see yourself in a
situation like this? Did you ever think about saying good bye to your life in
the city and replace it for a quieter life? Or are you the kind of guy who loves
the city and everything it has to offer?
Mad: Of course there are those moments in which I say to myself: What
about a change? Wouldn't you prefer to do something else? Wouldn't you
prefer a quieter life? Breed cattle on a farm for example. But would that
really make me happy? I'm not that sure. Everything in life has its good and
bad, rarely there is only all bad. Of course many people and things that I
encounter on a daily basis play on my nerves but then I think, ‘would this be
any different on my farm’? The movie's main character arrives at a point in
his life as he watches a video of a crossroads on YouTube because he can't
stand the quietness of the countryside anymore. The reasons why you are not
satisfied or are annoyed only change, but they don't disappear without dealing
with them.
QaQ: This is an exciting topic, I think. What does being happy mean to you?
Or more precisely: Where and how do you find happiness? What do you
think about it?
Mad: Can you really find happiness? I rather don't think so. I can find coffee
in a coffee bar or a book in a library. But where do I find happiness? By
winning the lottery? No, I think the question is not where or how one finds
happiness but rather ‘am I able to see something positive in my situation’?
‘Am I able to be myself, realize my ideas and dreams and live my life’? I
think that when one is able to answer yes to this question, then is very likely
that they are already happy. It’s important for everyone to find their own way
and follow their dreams. Happiness and satisfaction are on the way. This is
also what the married couple learn during their adventures in the countryside.
It is not important where you are but how you contemplate life and develop
yourself.
QaQ: This sounds like it is going to be a comedy with depth: something to
laugh about but also something to think about? After all, often comedies are
made more for entertainment rather than to get the viewer thinking.
Mad: I don’t see any problem with a film being superficially funny but also
offering something to think about. Many people believe that learning and
thinking has to be cumbersome, like they remember it from school. Learning
is boring, difficult and tiring. People have lost their interest and curiosity.
They can’t see the wonders of this world anymore. And one of our great
capabilities is how we can question things. We believe that through humor
we can wake up the interest and the curiosity of the audience, from where
they can be more aware of the questions the movie poses. Those who are
uninterested rarely ask questions. We generally have to ask ourselves, how
can we wake up the curiosity in people? One possibility is through humor or
fun in general. A good method, I think.
QaQ: This is surely true. Unfortunately our time is almost up. Thank you for
the exciting interview and I'm already looking forward to your movie. When
will it be released to cinemas?
Mad: I believe at the end of the year. The movie will be released to cinemas
end of November or beginning of December. Thank you for the chat and see
you in the cinema!
Text 2
Today we had a very interesting interview with Mad Hit who spoke about his
upcoming movie. For those of you who missed the interview, here is a short
summary:
When asked about his new movie, Mad Hit had some interesting answers. He
believes that the movie is going to be very good, naturally, or else he couldn’t
be involved in the making of it. The movie tells the story of a young married
couple which can’t stand their life in the city anymore and therefore move to
the countryside. This brings its own challenges for the couple. Mad Hit tells
how it is advertised as a comedy but there is a twist the story as tragedy
strikes. On a personal level Mad Hit has had moments in which he thought
about moving to the countryside, but believes there are advantages and
disadvantages of living in the city and the country. This is something the
main characters would learn this in the movie, too. When asked what
happiness means to him. Mad Hit feels that happiness can be found within
oneself and how it is important for everyone to realize their own dreams and
ideas and live their own life. In his eyes it isn’t important where one is but
how one contemplates life. Finally we asked him if a movie with comedy
which leaves the audience with some questions would work. Mad Hit talked
about how people have lost their sense of curiosity and interest in things and
he feels that humor helps to put them as ease in order to question things
happening around them. It’s a story most people can relate too and so it opens
their interest in the situation. They put themselves in place of the actors and it
gets them curious as to how things could work out or how life could be
different.
His new movie will be released to cinemas at the end of the year and we are
very excited to find out whether the mixture of humor and depth will wake up
the curiosity within us. Thank you for reading, see you soon and good bye!
 Consumption

Text 1
In most parts of the world children don’t work and earn money. But they do
receive pocket money. A child in England receives an average of
approximately £25 per month. Money is a popular present to give. Parents,
grandparents and other relatives give about £64 per year to their
grandchildren, nieces or nephews, for birthdays and Christmas. Many parents
also use money to motivate their children to be more diligent in school.
Children spend their money on sweets, magazines, comics, ice-cream and
toys.
Almost 6million children live in England. This number is very interesting for
companies targeting children. They want to appeal to children from a young
age so they are likely to remain loyal customers throughout their teenage
years and even throughout their life. It's a gigantic market in which
companies can earn a lot of money. Companies have to follow some rules
when advertising to children in that they cannot directly ask children to buy
their product. Instead they use colorful and fun visuals that show the child
how amazing the product is. They use marketing strategies to draw the child
in to want the product. And after all this is the function of the commercial. It
inspires desires in the customer. Furthermore many companies go down the
route of “sponsorship”. They go to schools or sports clubs and sponsor them,
offering different items such as t-shirts, food, class trips and other things.

Text 2
The consumer behavior of children and teenagers can't be compared with that
of adults. The consumption of children and adolescents often serves as a
status symbol. They buy products to help their image which the young people
develop and cultivate. Teenagers want to be accepted and respected. They
want to be something special. They need the most up-to-date mobile phone,
the most expensive branded clothing and of course they eat at McDonald's
and drink coffee at Starbucks. Needless to say, this consumer behavior can be
very expensive for most. Usually this is the responsibility of the parents as
many teenagers don’t have a regular income to support their spending. This
becomes a burden for many families who can’t always afford to give their
children what they want. This can lead to problems within the family and can
lead to the children feeling frustrated and annoyed because they don’t always
understand why they can’t keep up with the latest fashion or gadgets. They
feel isolated in school and not part of the community. But is it right to give
teenagers and children everything they want? Or should the child learn that
there are more important things in life? How can we help teach children life
lessons when they have to deal with peer and many other types of pressures?
What can one do?

Text 3
Do we really know where the food we eat comes from? Everything we need
is sitting in the supermarket waiting to be bought. In the past we were more
informed about where our meat or fruit came from. Most likely it was from a
local farm or nearby town. The older generation may be more conscious of
the food they are buying as they probably see a huge change in the quality of
the products they buy today. They can tell the difference between that apple
which has been just picked and the one which has been stored for a number
of days and injected with chemicals. At the market one can find the perfect,
round, green apples for 2.50 € and the wild, not so perfect apples for 1€. The
vendor says that it is difficult to sell the wild apples because they don't look
that pretty, yet they taste a lot better as he tries to explain over and over
again. The customer wants products that are perfect and esthetically pleasing.
It's also bad for the cycle of nature. Less and less types are being cultivated
due to demand. Other types get lost forever. But we can change this. We have
a responsibility as consumers to change. This means that we need to demand
more sustainable consumption and production. What is sustainable
consumption? Sustainable consumption means the use of goods and services
that bring about a better quality of life resulting in a lower level of pollution
or negative effects on the environment.
For instance, a person should try and buy vegetables, fruits and meat locally
and in season. This will prevent overuse of land and production of food in an
unnatural way. Also we should ask ourselves: what is a fair price for these
good products. The farmers should also earn money. Those who are always
trying to save a penny, harm themselves in the end. What can you do?

Text 4
Son: Dad, I need money for school. Could you give me £50 please?
Father: You need £50 for school? Why do you need so much money? Is
your class going on an excursion? What costs so much money?
Son: No, dad. I actually need a new pair of trousers for school because my
old trousers aren't cool anymore. All the other children have new trousers,
except for me. They tease me and say that we can’t afford new trousers. And
they don't want to play with me anymore. I'm always alone at school.
Father: Really? These children aren't very good friends if they don't want to
play with you because of your trousers. A real friend will like you for the
person you are not because of the price of your trousers. Maybe you will need
more than 1 pair of trousers?
Son: One pair is enough. Then I'll be able to play with my friends again. I'm
all alone at school at the moment. Nobody wants to play with me. I just need
one cool pair of trousers, nothing else.
Father: Son, you can't put on the same trousers every day. How will that
work? On Monday, Wednesday and Friday you are cool and on Tuesday and
Thursday you are not?
Son: I can wear the trousers from Monday to Friday and at the weekend I’ll
wash them. I know that £50 is a lot of money but I need a cool pair of
trousers for school.
Father: Listen. I want you to understand what is important here. If the other
children don't want to play with you because you don't have the right
trousers, they are not really your friends. I want you to understand that. The
children in your class should like you because you are a nice person, because
you are honest and helpful and because you are smart and diligent. You
understand?
Son: Yes, dad. I understand that. And I think that you are right. But
nevertheless I'm alone at school and nobody wants to play with me. What
shall I do? I don't want to be alone.
Father: If you have understood the lesson, we can go shopping now. Where
do we buy these cool trousers? And I believe that this month I have enough
money for two pairs. Then you can be cool the whole week. But don't forget:
Others should like because you are an amazing person, not because you are
wearing an expensive pair of trousers. OK?
 Technology

Text 1
What is technology? Technology is the creation of objects by humans with
the use of scientific knowledge. The goal of technology is to make life easier
and help humans in their daily lives. Objects like the alarm clock, the phone,
the computer, the bike or the car are used by humans every day. It’s hard to
imagine life with these things in our lives. Machines and devices can improve
life and make it easier. The tractor helps the farmer to work more effectively
and safely. In the past the farmer had to do much of their work by horse and
could only yield a small amount of food, whereas today machines have
increased the amount of work done in 1 day and so has increased the amount
of food produced to feed more people. With the car people can travel from
one city to another in a faster time and transport goods around the world. A
person can speak whenever they want to friends and family. The computer
helps people with their work. Many tasks can be performed faster and more
efficiently. Photocopy machines have allowed books to be printed in large
numbers instead of by hand as was the case in the past. Due to mass
production books became cheaper and more available. In the past only a
small number of books were published and so were only available to a small
number of people. Unfortunately there are also negative consequences to this
growth in technology. It can have huge negative effects on the environment,
accidents are more frequent and war is more strategic. There are
consequences to technology which create new problems which people have
to find a solution.

Text 2
The telephone is a very important and interesting invention. Can you imagine
not being able to simply pick up your phone and call your friends or family?
The invention of the telephone did not happen overnight. Many inventors
tried to transmit sound through a conductor. In the 18th century people used
to laugh at the idea of creating a telephone. They couldn't imagine the
benefits a telephone could have. A few decades later the teacher of
mathematics and physics, Philipp Reis, experimented with his “Sausage-skin-
telephone”. He had built himself a laboratory in a barn and conducted his
research in this laboratory. His aim was to transmit sound with his invention.
He built a receiver on which he stretched sausage-skin in order to resemble a
human ear. To this he connected a spring attached to a battery. He was
successful in transmitting sound in one direction only and producing sound
but it wasn’t very clear. As a result nobody was interested in his invention.
Another inventor was Graham Bell. He invented the first electronic speech
telephone. Thanks to him and his invention the telephone became popular.
Many other inventors tried to benefit from his success. He had to fight many
times in court because other inventors claimed that Bell had stolen their
inventions. But Bell won every time and is recognized as the inventor of the
telephone. Another important name is Thomas Edison. He invented the
telephone as we know it today. He invented the microphone which was
necessary to transmit sound such as the voice through the telephone. This
microphone was used until 1980 in old telephones.

Text 3
An automobile, or auto for short, is a motor vehicle with 4 wheels, an engine
which can transport people and goods. A motor vehicle is a vehicle with a
motor or engine that allows it to move. In the year 2010 there were 1 billion
motor vehicles in the whole world. Every year around 80 million new
vehicles are built due to the incredible efforts of its inventor Carl Benz. He
built a combustion engine inside which gasoline could be lit in order to
generate energy. With this generated energy the car was able to move. His car
created a lot of attention and Carl Benz became very famous. The car took
the place of the animals that were used for pulling carts or wagons. The car
was certainly more efficient and faster; it didn't need to stop for a rest and
could cover longer distances in a much shorter time. The automobile had
changed people’s lives significantly. It gave people the freedom to travel
further than they had ever before. The world has become smaller because of
the car. One can only imagine that in former times a distance of 50 km was
considered a day trip whereas today this journey takes less than an hour.
People were now flexible and mobile. Furthermore the vehicle opened up the
possibility of transporting large objects from one country to another. With all
these new possibilities came disadvantages too. For instance, every year
many people die in car accidents or suffer severe injuries. Moreover,
emissions cause huge damage to the environment adding to the effect of
climate change. Today, many smart people and big companies are
researching new engines which can run on electricity and hydrogen, for
example. The car is important for modern life but it is important that an
alternative to gasoline can be found. Man needs technology but also has to
protect the environment.

Text 4
The printing press as we know it today was invented by Johannes Gutenberg
in the 15th century. But there already existed a similar machine from the 8th
century in Asia. They used wooden boards on which letters had been carved.
The boards were covered with paint and then were pressed onto paper.
Johannes Gutenberg invented a machine which could print single letters. The
letters were made of metal and were arranged to prepare the text which could
be printed many times. The development of this way of printing was very
important. It opened up the world for so many more people by lowering the
cost of books and making books more available and created a
democratization of information and knowledge. This meant that more people
had the possibility to buy a book and to read. The first book which was
printed in a big quantity was the bible. The invention of printing counts as
one of the most important and most significant inventions of mankind.
People learned how to read and this in turn started an educational revolution
which changed the thinking and lives of people for the better.
 Climate Change

Text 1
Climate change is one of the most important topic and problem of our time.
Therefore it is important that we read up on climate change, its causes and
consequences and become aware of what is happening.
First we have to understand what climate actually is. Climate is the weather
over a long period of time in a particular area. The climate of an area can be
determined by looking at different areas such as temperature, humidity and
precipitation over a long period. One example is if the weather is mostly hot,
sunny and dry but with wetter winters, then the climate is considered a
Mediterranean climate. Not every day displays the same weather patterns but
generally the weather will be hot, sunny and dry.
In the last few decades climate change has become a very significant topic.
This is the long-term change in the planet’s weather patterns or average
temperatures due to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other gases in the
atmosphere, causing wide-ranging impacts such as extreme storms and
frequent flooding. For example in some parts of the world closer to the south,
the temperatures are rising and the wet periods are shorter. This impacts
farmers as they are unable to harvest crops from the drought and look after
their livestock which in turn yields less food for consumption. This can have
negative effects on people’s health too. In colder countries changes in the
climate have also been evident. For instance, in Germany, Austria and
Switzerland there has been a drop in the level of snow recorded. The climate
is much wetter and this has caused flooding to occur more often which affects
the land and caused huge damage to homes and crops. In addition the water
in the ocean rises. That means that cities which lie close to the coast may
disappear one day. And of course climate change is a big threat to many
animal species. The animals lose their habitats and if they don't find a new
habitat they die out.
What are the causes of climate change? The climate change is triggered
through greenhouse gases. These are dangerous emissions, like carbon
dioxide, which are generated through the combustion of gases from cars,
airplanes, factories and houses, for example. But also gases like methane are
a problem produced by cattle. Normally the earth reflects the sun rays and
prevents the earth from getting too warm. The greenhouse gases in the air
impede this and these gases remain in higher numbers in the atmosphere.
Thereby the atmosphere gets warmer, it heats up. The principle is similar to
that of a greenhouse. The earth gets warmer and that can have catastrophic
consequences. We have to stop climate change.
Text 2
If we want to stop climate change, we have to start at home. What can you
do?
1. Change your electricity supplier: Look for a supplier which offers you
green or more environmentally friendly electricity. Green electricity is
electricity which is produced with renewable energies, such as solar power,
wind power, ground heat and organic waste.
2. Use a bike: Leave the car at home and use your bike. That is good for your
health and good for the environment. If your work place is too far away, take
the bus or the train or ask your friends and colleagues and car-pool.
3. Eat less meat: Most of us eat far too much meat. Eat less and pay heed to
quality. Try to eat good quality local meat at least once a week
4. Fly less (especially over short distances): Flights are very bad for the
environment. Unfortunately it has become ‘en vogue’ to travel even short
distances by plane. Use the bus or the train!
5. Turn down the heat: You don't have to sit in the cold but if you turn down
the heating by only 1 degree, you can save a lot of energy. Put on a jumper
which is cozier and better for the environment.
6. Buy local organic products: Buy meat, fruit and vegetables from local and
national farmers. It is the madness of the modern world that our vegetables
are imported from farms 3000 km away. In addition you help the people in
your region. Your money stays in the region, you eat rich products and you
help the environment.
Of course you can do much more! Read on and do something to help the
environment! Start now.