Download I - BBZ Merzig

FOS-Prüfung 1997
I.
Translate the following text into German: (max. 20 points)
News and Entertainment Media in the USA
Technological advances have made mass communication inexpensive and immediately
available to everyone. Americans spend more time absorbing the products of the mass
communications media than in any other activity except working and sleeping. As a result,
Americans are probably among the best informed people in the world; although they are
not as well informed as they might be.
Turning to the mass communications media more often for entertainment than for
information, they know very little about foreign affairs. But what of the more interested
person wanting to know what's happening in the world and why? Can he get the truth from
the mass communications media? More or less that depends on how long and how far he
looks, since every form of mass communication is influenced by certain forces.
Book publishers, for example, publish what they think will sell. This means, that an
exaggerated, attention-getting exposé may appear in print while a high-quality novel or
book of poetry by an unknown author is likely to remain unpublished.
The American media have always been different from Western European and British
media for reasons having to do with cultural, economic and political variables as well as
the size of the United States. The mass media of the United States have been and still are
privately owned businesses.
Annotations:
entertainment advance
to absorb
to publish
exposé
novel
poetry
variable
-
public amusement
progress
to take in
to have printed and put on sale
a piece of writing
a book that tells an invented story
poems
a factor that can change in quality, quantity or size
II Reading Comprehension (max. 25 points)
Train, plane, car - make your choice
There is no doubt, today's forms of transport are the car and the aeroplane. We know that
there are a lot of advantages, but also disadvantages becoming more and more important
with the increasing number. of cars. In recent years there has also been a trend towards
greater safety, economy and less pollution, particularly in the fields of air traffic and the
motor car.
Travelling by train is not often seriously considered as an alternative to the inconvenience
of a car journey, including traffic, jams and costly parking problems,. Many believe that
future transport will be totally carried out by aircraft and motorways. Most people have no
idea what modern train travel is like, nor do they know the advantages it offers today, such
as speed, comfort and convenience. Due to the inconvenient location of airports, modern
trains can even compete against the Airbus on journeys up to three hours. That means
trains are real competitors to short-haul jets.
But so far the railway has lost passengers and is no longer profitable. That's why the
railway management is looking for ways to make train travelling more attractive. Their
main concern is how to take people as quickly as possible from one place to another in
reasonable comfort. Speed has become a question of survival. To make up for the delays,
it is necessary to travel twice as fast as the car for at least an hour, say 200 km/h as a
minimum. So if the intercity passenger train is to become more popular with travellers,
maximum speeds must be lifted from 200 km/h to 300 km/h. There is no question that
these speeds can be reached, but at what cost?
Technical advances will probably lift the speed to maybe 350 km/h or even a little more,
but the limit is there. Because with rising speed noise becomes more of a problem and for
economic reasons we have to think twice about additional stops to serve intermediate
towns - a former advantage of the train over the plane. For passenger conveniences and
safety, curves must be of larger radius to keep centrifugal forces within acceptable limits.
Railway engineers are left with this problem to solve. If they cannot, new lines will have to
be built.
Annotations:
location
place
short-haul jet Kurzstreckenflugzeug
concern
serious care or interest
advance
progress
intermediate in between
a former advantage - an advantage of an earlier period
Part A: Questions on the text (max. 13 points)
1.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences using your own
words:
1.1,
What kind of inconveniences does a car journey of today include? (Name and
explain 2 aspects!)
2p.
1.2
In what way will the railway management make train journeys more attractive?
What should be done in your opinion? (3 aspects)
3p.
1.3
What are the problems railway engineers will have to solve regarding more
comfortable train journeys?(2 aspects)
2p.
2.
True or false?
Give reasons for your answers using your own words: (1,5 p each)
2.1
Railways have no chance against planes.
2.2
Modern train travel must be faster to become more popular.
2.3
There is no limit to increasing speeds.
2.4
Putting high speed trains on old track (Schienen) causes no problems.
Part B: Language (max. 12 points)
1.
Find a synonym for each of the following words: (0,5p each)
1.1
1.2
.increasing
to consider
2.
Find an antonym for each of the following words: (0,5p each)
2.1
2.2
has lost
larger
3.
Give the corresponding words belonging to the same word family: (0,5p
each)
3.1
possible (noun)
3.2
survival (verb)
3.3
probably (adjective)
3.4
economic (adverb)
4.
Find the words corresponding with the following definitions from the text:
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
to be of profit to...
a person travelling by train...
well liked by many people...
a choice between two or more things...
5.
Define the following words:
5.1
5.2
traffic jam
delay
6.
Change the participle-construction into a relative clause:
(0,5p)
We know that there are a lot of advantages, but also disadvantages becoming more and
more important with the increasing number of cars.
7.
Change the sentence into the active:
(1p)
Future transport will be totally carried out by aircraft and motorways.
8.
Change into if-clause pattern II:
(1p)
If they cannot solve this problem, new lines will have to be built.
9.
Change into reported speech:
(0.5 p)
He said: "To make up for the delays, it is necessary to travel twice as fast as the car for at
least an hour."
III.
Composition (max. 15 points)
Write a composition of at least 220 words on one of the following subjects:
1.
Discuss the importance and dangers .of the media!
2.
Travel and tourism -the largest industry in the world!
(Point out the positive and negative aspects!)