Teil 4: Leseverstehen

In the next five tasks you will read parts of the text. Match a question to each part. You may use a question only once. Two questions are not needed.

PART 1

If you’re looking for a different type of pet, why not try a spider – or should I say a very large spider – a tarantula? Many people have a tarantula as a pet. Tarantulas don’t need much space or a lot of looking after. There are many different species to choose from but the one most people own is the Chilean rose.

PART 2

They do bite, but their bites aren’t as bad as people think. If you are bitten, you won’t die – but it might hurt. Their bites are like bee stings – they hurt and one or two people may be allergic to them. The small hairs on the spider’s body can also annoy people’s skin.

PART 3

Their favourite food is crickets and other insects. They don’t need a lot of food and it doesn’t have to be regularly. If they eat a good meal once a week, that is usually enough. Tarantulas also need a bowl of water, so a small bowl is always a good idea – however, the water mustn’t be deep because a spider can fall into it and die. Put a small stone into the water so that the spider can climb out of it easily.

PART 4

Spiders usually frighten people but even the big ones are normally frightened of people. Holding tarantulas is not recommended because you can hurt them and they can hurt them­selves by jumping off your hand. They also run very quickly, so they can easily escape if you are not very careful.

PART 5

You don’t need a lot of space but different types of tarantula need different things. Some like to hide underground, so they need somewhere to do this. Others like to climb, so they need height and branches. But all of them like dark holes for shelter– and they like to be warm.

Look at the sign and then answer the questions using one to five words. Use the same words as on the sign.

What is the problem and where?

Put the parts of the story into the correct order so that you can read it.

The story starts like this:

Chelsea had always wanted to work for a television company and last week she received a letter.

Read the text carefully. Complete each gap with a word from the list. Four words are not needed.

In the next five tasks you will read the answers (one to five) that were given in an interview about a person’s home town. Match each answer to a question.

Answer 1

I come from Darlington in the north east of England. It’s a nice place to live and it has many interesting aspects. Darlington is about half way between York and Newcastle. It’s a large town with a super clock in the middle of the town centre – it’s a copy of Big Ben, but smaller.

Answer 2

It’s very different. The east coast is only 30 to 40 minutes away by car. Although Darlington itself is quite flat there are many hills near it. When I drive for half an hour, I can be in lovely hills and valleys with pretty villages and rivers. The Lake District is also not far away, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in Britain. So the area is nice to live in.

Answer 3

The north east is a very friendly place. This has something to do with former times when com­munities were poor and people had to help each other. Of course, this has changed a little but you’ll still find most people who were born in the area to be very friendly.

Answer 4

Yes and no. My town has an awful football team, but a lot of people still support them. The town hasn’t got that strong passion for one sport compared to Newcastle, for example, where foot­ball plays a big role in the community. A lot of people play cricket or rugby, go fishing or play golf, but these are nothing special.

Answer 5

Yes, it is … but not many people know about it – isn’t that strange? Darlington was the birth place of the railways. Here, the first passenger train began and Darlington then developed as a town where trains were built including many well-known ones. Darlington was also a Quaker town – the Quakers were a religious group where rich and poor were equal in status.