SchulLV Logo
Lerninhalte
Inhaltsverzeichnis

Reading Comprehension

  1. Plastic pollution

1
(1) Since the end of World War II, so many useful plastic products have been devel-
2
oped, that we can no longer imagine life without them. Plastics revolutionized
3
medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and
4
jets – saving fuel and lessening pollution. The conveniences plastics offer, how-
5
ever, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: Today,
6
single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year.
7
Many of these products are used for just minutes, yet they may persist in the envi-
8
ronment for hundreds of years.
9
(2) Plastic production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to
10
448 million tons by 2015 and production is expected to double by 2050. Every
11
year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal
12
nations. For every meter of coastline around the world, try to imagine 15 bags full
13
of plastic trash. Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flex-
14
ible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if
15
they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break
16
down.
17
(3) Most of the plastic trash in the oceans flows from land. Trash is also carried to
18
sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash
19
as they move downstream. Once at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coast-
20
al waters. But once caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the
21
world. On Henderson Island, uninhabited and isolated in the middle of the ocean
22
between Chile and New Zealand, scientists found plastic waste from Russia, the
23
United States, Europe, South America, Japan, and China.
24
(4) Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year. Most of the deaths to animals
25
are caused when they get caught in old fishing equipment, or by starvation. Seals,
26
whales, turtles, and other animals are strangled by abandoned fishing gear. Micro-
27
plastics have been found in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp,
28
and mussels. In many cases, these tiny bits pass through the digestive system and
29
are expelled without consequence. But plastics have also been found to have
30
blocked digestive tracts or pierced organs, causing death.
31
(5) Once in the ocean, it is very difficult to get plastic waste out of the water. Me-
32
chanical systems, such as Mr. Trash Wheel, a litter interceptor in Maryland’s
33
Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of plastic. But once
34
plastics break down into microplastics and drift throughout the water column in
35
the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to recover. The solution is to prevent
36
plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place. This could be accom-
37
plished with improved waste management systems or recycling.

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/worlds-plastic-pollution-crisis-explained/ (abgerufen am 27. 05. 2024, adaptiert)

Match the five correct headings to each part of the text (1-5).

Be careful – there are two headings more than you need.

A

PLASTIC IN NUMBERS

B

FIGHTING THE PLASTIC TIDE

C

HARMFUL TO WILDLIFE

D

TRASH COLLECTOR PICKS UP MICROPLASTICS

E

CONVENIENT BUT HARMFUL

F

UNDISPUTED LIFESAVER

G

FROM RIVERS TO REMOTE ISLANDS

part of the text

heading

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

5 pts.

  1. Eleanor Roosevelt

1
Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884, in New York. Her family, the Roosevelts,
2
were a prominent and wealthy family and Eleanor’s uncle, Theodore Roosevelt, was the
3
26th president of the United States from 1901 until 1909. Eleanor’s family always taught her
4
that helping others in the community was essential. Both her parents passed away before she
5
was 10, and her family took care of her. The death of her father, whom she was very close to,
6
was hard for her.
7
In 1899, at the age of 15, Eleanor attended Allenswood, a girls’ boarding school in London.
8
There she was taught and influenced by the French headmistress, Marie Souvestre. Her curi-
9
osity and taste for travel awakened similar interests in Eleanor.
10
After returning to New York in 1902, she married her distant cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
11
in 1905 and they had six children. Later in 1911, when Franklin entered the New York Senate,
12
Eleanor became interested in politics.
13
In 1920, her husband Franklin was nominated for vice president but was not chosen. When he
14
became Governor of New York in 1929, Eleanor’s interest in politics increased.
15
After her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt became the 32nd president of the United States, in
16
1933, she played an important role. As First Lady, she represented her own ideas on many
17
issues and was involved in a wide range of activities. She travelled a lot to all parts of the
18
country and supported liberal ideas. Eleanor defended the rights of African Americans, young
19
people and the poor, bringing these groups into politics.
20
She understood social conditions better than any of her predecessors and she transformed the
21
role of First Lady accordingly. She never avoided official entertaining; she greeted thousands
22
with charming friendliness. She also broke with tradition by holding press conferences, giving
23
lectures and radio broadcasts, and expressing her opinions in a daily newspaper column, “My
24
Day."
25
In 1945, at the end of World War II, 51 countries founded the United Nations (UN). It is an
26
international organization which aims to prevent future wars. The cruel human rights abuses
27
during the Nazi times, such as the killing of Jews, Romani people, and others, highlighted the
28
need to protect human rights. President Truman chose Eleanor as diplomat to represent the
29
United States at the UN. Her ideas and the need to work for world peace were strongly influ-
30
enced by her experiences during the two world wars. She worked hard to make sure these ideas
31
became a reality because she believed in equality, justice, and human dignity all around the
32
world. From 1946 to 1951, Eleanor served as chairwoman of the Commission on Human
33
Rights which was made up of 18 members from various political, cultural and religious back-
34
grounds.
35
Ever since she was young, she believed that everyone has the right to speak his or her mind,
36
and in her last book, Tomorrow is Now, she stressed the necessity of individual action. She
37
emphasized the fact that one should not do just what everyone else is doing. In her opinion,
38
the state is supposed to serve the people and the citizens are supposed to be informed. She
39
expressed the importance of having respect for other nations and other people.
40
When Eleanor Roosevelt, the American First Lady, diplomat, and humanitarian, died in 1962,
41
in New York City, she was widely admired and considered one of the world’s most powerful
42
women in her time. She is buried alongside her husband in the Rose Garden of their estate at
43
Hyde Park, now a national historic site.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eleanor-Roosevelt (abgerufen am 27. 05. 2024, adaptiert);

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Universal-Declaration-of-Human-Rights (abgerufen am 27. 05. 2024, adaptiert);

https://kids.kiddle.co/Eleanor_Roosevelt (abgerufen am 27. 05. 2024, adaptiert);

https://www.history.com/news/eleanor-roosevelt-universal-declaration-human-rights (abgerufen am 27. 05. 2024, adaptiert);

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/first-families/anna-eleanor-roosevelt (abgerufen am 04. 09. 2024, adaptiert);

https://www.fdrlibrary.org/er-biography (abgerufen am 04. 09. 2024, adaptiert);

https://roosevelt.ucsd.edu/about/about-eleanor.html#Civil-Rights (abgerufen am 19. 10. 24, adaptiert)

Tick () the right statement. There is only one possible answer per statement.

a)

Theodore Roosevelt

was Eleanor's father.

was president of the United States.

passed away before Eleanor was 10.

didn't allow Eleanor to attend school.

b)

By the age of 10, Eleanor Roosevelt

had already lost her parents.

took care of her family.

was already interested in politics.

had to move with her parents.

c)

During her time in London, Eleanor

lived at a teacher's house.

travelled a lot.

was inspired by her headmistress.

influenced the interests of other girls.

d)

In ________, her husband failed in his political ambition.

1911

1917

1920

1929

e)

When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president of the United States,

Eleanor only played a minor role.

the press rejected interviews with the First Lady.

Eleanor raised her voice for the rights of minorities.

Eleanor didn't really care about social issues.

f)

Eleanor was the "First" Lady who

avoided the media.

refused to hold press conferences.

followed traditional ideas.

published her opinion.

g)

In 1945, the UN were founded to

bring people into politics.

represent the United States.

avoid wars and protect human rights.

highlight the importance of diplomats.

h)

As a diplomat for the UN, Eleanor

served as a chairwoman of President Truman's cabinet.

entitled 18 members of different backgrounds to play a key role.

wrote documents on the history of the United States.

fought for peace and human dignity.

i)

In her last book Tomorrow is Now Eleanor emphasized that

all nations should observe their citizens.

individual action is essential.

too much information can be confusing.

all citizens should behave the same.

j)

When Eleanor died in 1962,

her influence was forgotten soon.

Hyde Park was a national historic site.

she was buried next to her husband.

there were protests against social injustice.

10 pts

  1. Meeting Sindi

    Zoe has lost her memory after an accident. In the following extract, she describes how Noah, her new friend, takes her to his sister Sindi to get her some clothes.

    1
    A few hours later [...] we found ourselves standing outside an apartment building back in
    2
    downtown Joburg. [...] I looked around. This place was obviously very cool. This was the
    3
    kind of apartment that oozed coolness and trendiness. The kind of apartment that artists and
    4
    other creatives would live in. A brightly colored mural covered the entire side of the building.
    5
    The painted faces that stared down at me looked familiar, but I didn't quite recognize them
    6
    until ...
    7
    "Nelson Madela." I pointed excitedly when one of the smiling faces leapt out at me.
    8
    "Yes," Noah said.
    9
    [...]
    10
    "Who lives here?" I asked.
    11
    "My sister."
    12
    "Wait, no. I can’t borrow clothes from your sister. I don’t even know her."
    13
    "It’s okay, you won’t be borrowing her clothes."
    14
    "Hello!" A voice came through the intercom.
    15
    "Hey. It's me!" Noah replied.
    16
    "Come up," the voice said, and then the gate buzzed open.
    17
    We walked inside and Noah went straight for the staircase and started walking up it. "If it’s
    18
    not her clothes I’m borrowing, then whose?"
    19
    […] "My sister’s a stylist for TV and theatre. She has a whole wardrobe of clothes left over
    20
    from productions, or clothes she made for productions. And she loves dressing people up, so
    21
    you're in luck!"
    22
    "Really," I said [...].
    23
    "We're here," Noah said, stopping outside a bright yellow door. I looked down the passage.
    24
    All the other doors were brown or gray, but hers was like sunshine. It made me feel […] as if
    25
    I'd just swallowed the sun.
    26
    "Hey." I heard a voice and then the door opened. Noah and his sister fell into a big hug and,
    27
    when she pulled away, I found myself looking at the coolest person I’d ever seen. I stared at
    28
    her for a while, trying to take her all in, but not wanting to be rude.
    29
    "Hey there," she said, and also pulled me into a hug.
    30
    "Oh. Hi. Thanks." I patted her on the back awkwardly, not sure how to respond.
    31
    "Oh, we're a family of huggers," she said quickly, pulling away. "Sooooo. Wow! I mean,
    32
    wow. Noah told me what happened to you ... unbelievable!"
    33
    I nodded. "I know."
    34
    "It's like a storyline from a soapie," she said.
    35
    "Sindi!" Noah scolded her.
    36
    "It's okay, it does sound like a storyline from a soapie," I said with a smile of genuine amuse-
    37
    ment, as memories came rushing back to me from soapies that I’d watched.
    38
    "But it’s not as unbelievable as the time Marlena was possessed by the devil on Days of our
    39
    Lives."
    40
    "She remembers TV shows more than anything else," Noah explained to Sindi.
    41
    "I don’t remember that," Sindi said. "I think that was before our time … wait, how old are
    42
    you?"
    43
    "I don't know," I replied.
    44
    She stepped back and looked me up and down. "You can’t be older than thirty, unless you
    45
    have some seriously good genes or know the secret of eternal youth."
    46
    I reached up and touched my face, concentrating on the skin around my eyes, and then looked
    47
    at the backs of my hands for a while.
    48
    "Honestly, I have no idea. I could be fifty, for all I know."
    49
    "Wow. That’s crazy." She looked at me with wide brown eyes.
    50
    "It’s not crazy," Noah quickly corrected.
    51
    "Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that," Sindi added.
    52
    "Don’t worry. I know what you mean. It is crazy that I don’t remember things like that."
    53
    "It’s fairly common after a traumatic event. It’s the brain’s way of coping," Noah said.
    54
    "Oh, stop being all medical for a moment." She gave him a swat. "You’re cool to talk about it
    55
    like this, aren’t you?" she asked me.
    56
    "I am. I’ve kind of gotten used to it these last few days, not knowing things. Not that it doesn’t
    57
    freak me out sometimes, but I expect it now. And it’s quite nice to talk about it casually."

Jo Watson: Just the way I am, London: Headline Eternal 2021, S. 115 –117, adaptiert

Answer the questions.

a)

What does the apartment building look like from the outside? (Name two details.)

______________________________________

______________________________________

2 pts.

b)

What job does Noah’s sister Sindi do?

______________________________________

1 pt.

c)

Why does Sindi have a wardrobe full of clothes?

______________________________________

1 pt.

d)

How does Zoe react when Sindi hugs her?

______________________________________

1 pt.

e)

How does Zoe react when they are talking about her age?

______________________________________

1 pt.

f)

How does Noah explain Zoe’s memory loss after the traumatic event?

______________________________________

1 pt.

g)

How does Zoe cope with her memory loss?

______________________________________

1 pt.

You cannot find the answers to the following questions directly in the text:

h)

What could Zoe mean when she says, “It made me feel […] as if I’d just swallowed the sun.”?

______________________________________

______________________________________

1 pt.

i)

What could Sindi mean when she says, “It’s like a storyline from a soapie.”?

______________________________________

______________________________________

1 pt.

a)

What does the apartment building look like from the outside? (Name two details.)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 pts.

b)

What job does Noah’s sister Sindi do?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

c)

Why does Sindi have a wardrobe full of clothes?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

d)

How does Zoe react when Sindi hugs her?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

e)

How does Zoe react when they are talking about her age?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

f)

How does Noah explain Zoe’s memory loss after the traumatic event?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

g)

How does Zoe cope with her memory loss?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

You cannot find the answers to the following questions directly in the text:

h)

What could Zoe mean when she says, “It made me feel […] as if I’d just swallowed the sun.”?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

i)

What could Sindi mean when she says, “It’s like a storyline from a soapie.”?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 pt.

Weiter lernen mit SchulLV-PLUS!

monatlich kündbarSchulLV-PLUS-Vorteile im ÜberblickDu hast bereits einen Account?
  • Link zur App im AppStoreLink zur App im PlayStore

SchulLV