Englischverständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger – Buch 1

mentioned in the text.
    10. True or false? – The number of people having cosmetic surgery is rising each year?
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Stockholm
     

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    In 17th century, Sweden became a major European power. Because of this, the city of Stockholm grew in size and importance. In 1634, Stockholm became the official capital of the Swedish empire. By the second half of the 19th century, Stockholm had grown enormously. New industries emerged and Stockholm was transformed into an important trade and service centre.
    Today, Stockholm is still Sweden’s capital city and it is located on the country’s south-central east coast. This is also the location of Sweden’s third largest lake, Lake Mälaren. In 2010, The Stockholm metropolitan area had a population of just over two million people, which is approximately 20% of Sweden’s population ( roughly 26% of Stockholm’s residents are immigrants or have non-Swedish heritage).
    Stockholm is sometimes called ‘The Venice of the North’, this is because it is made up of fourteen islands and has many bridges and waterways, which can remind visitors of the Italian city with its numerous canals.
    Stockholm is an extremely attractive city and a big reason for this is its beautiful architecture. One lovely example is the city’s oldest section, Gamla Stan (‘Old Town’, in Swedish). This area has kept many of its original medieval buildings. It has narrow streets and is filled with gift shops and restaurants. Another thing which makes Stockholm an attractive city is the high number of parks - over 30% of the city is made up of parks and green spaces!
    Stockholm is home to over one hundred museums, which are visited by millions of tourists every year. The most visited of these museums is the Vasa Museum. This museum contains the incredible Vasa warship. The ship dates from the 17th century and it sank on its first ever voyage in 1628. The museum is on several levels so visitors can view the ship from different angles. A new museum dedicated to Abba, the famous Swedish pop group, opened in Stockholm in 2013 and is also likely to be very popular.
    The capital has an extensive network of underground trains called ‘T-bana’. There are also commuter trains and buses. For tourists, there are vintage trams which go from the city centre to Djurgården Island during the summer months. Underground station entrances are easy to find as they have a blue T on a white background.
    As the capital city of Sweden, Stockholm is the home of the government and the royal family. However, Stockholm is also Sweden's financial centre. Many major Swedish banks have their headquarters in Stockholm and it is the location of Sweden's stock exchange (Stockholmsbörsen). Furthermore, approximately 45% of Swedish companies, with more than 200 employees, have their headquarters in the capital.
    In recent years, tourism has had an important part in the city's economy. Stockholm is the 10th most visited destination in Europe, with over 10 million tourist overnight stays per year. Many of the tourists arrive on cruise ships, which can dock within walking distance of the city centre.
    There are many things for tourists to do in Stockholm. For example, there are many cafés. Café culture is very important in Sweden. On average, the Swedish drink 4.5 cups of coffee each day. Getting a coffee, served with a dessert or cake, is now a favourite Swedish pastime. They call it ‘fika’, which translates as ‘ indulge in coffee and chat at leisure’.
    The Stockholm archipelago is a popular destination in the summer months. It begins just a few miles east of the capital, covering about 140 kilometres (90 miles) from north to south. There are only 150 inhabited islands and many Stockholmers have summerhouses there. The landscape is very diverse. The inner archipelago has woods and forests but some of the outer islands are treeless and rocky.
    Stockholm has something for everyone, from backpackers on a budget , to couples looking for a luxurious and romantic break. It’s a city with a lot going on!  
    Click here to watch a video on Stockholm
     
    Glossary
    major – big, important. bedeutend, groß, wichtig
    emerged – ‘to emerge’, to come out. In this context, ‘to become’. entstehen, sich entwickeln
    roughly – in this context ‘approximately’. ungefähr
    numerous – many zahlreich
    medieval - of or relating to the Middle