Englischverständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger – Buch 1

ways of killing herself might Cleopatra have used?
    4. What two problems did Egypt have when Cleopatra became queen?
    5. Where was Actium?
    6. Who gave the command to kill Pompey?
    7. What happened to Cleopatra’s two brothers?
    8. What strange Egyptian tradition is mentioned?
    9. What two languages does the text say that Cleopatra spoke?
    10. True or false – Cleopatra was intelligent.
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Englisch-Verständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger - Buch 2
     

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Machu Picchu

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    Machu Picchu (which means “old mountain” in the Quechua language) is a ruined Inca city from the 15th century. The ruins are at a very high altitude (about 2400 metres above sea level). Machu Picchu is in the Cusco Region of Peru, South America. It is often called the "Lost City of the Incas" and it is one of the most famous symbols of the Inca civilization. It is situated on top of a mountain above the Urubamba Valley in Peru (home to the Urubamba River), which is 80 kilometres northwest of Cusco. 
    Machu Picchu is a mysterious place. Experts know its functions were both residential and religious, but they are still guessing about its cosmic positioning and its political importance. However, most archaeologists believe that the Incas built Machu Picchu as an estate for an Inca emperor called Pachacuti (1438–1472),
    Machu Picchu is divided into different parts. In one part you will find the three major archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana (a huge ritual stone), the Temple of the Sun (where the Incas worshipped the sun god) and the Room of the Three Windows (an impressive room). These three buildings were dedicated to Inti, the Inca sun god and their most important deity (god).
    Another part of the ancient city is the Popular District, also called the Residential District. It is the place where the working people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses. There is also a royalty area, which is a group of houses in rows over a slope. Finally, the Monumental Mausoleum is a statue covered in carved drawings. It was used for religious rites and human sacrifices!
    Machu Picchu is the most popular South American archaeological site and it has an extremely high number of visitors. Every day coach tourists, backpackers and serious hikers visit the ancient ruins. Unfortunately, the number of visitors has worried people, such as international scientists and archaeologists. Since being discovered in 1911, the number of tourists visiting Machu Picchu, has skyrocketed. For example, in the year 2000 there were 400,000 visitors. Such a large number of people walking around was causing damage to the ground so the Peruvian government restricted the number of visitors to 2500 per day in 2011.
    The central buildings of Machu Picchu are in the classical Inca architectural style. This style uses special polished walls. This building technique was called ashlar and the Incas were very good at it. The ashlar style of building uses blocks of stone which are made to fit together completely without mortar. Many intersections in the central city are so perfect that even a sheet of paper will not fit between the stones.
    Although mortar was used in some buildings, it was not common. There was a very good reason for this. Peru is a seismic country, which means there are many earthquakes.  Not using mortar made buildings more earthquake-resistant. When there are earthquakes, the stones of the dry-stone walls can move slightly without collapsing. This was an extremely clever idea of the Incas.
    Machu Picchu is set in beautiful humid subtropical forests. There are endangered species of plant, such as ferns and palms.  There are several endangered animal species. The most famous is the spectacled bear, also known as the Andean bear. This beautiful creature is the only bear species in South America.
    Another beautiful, yet deadly, creature found in the area surrounding Machu Picchu is the jaguar. This spotted cat looks like the leopard, although it is usually larger and less slim. It has a very unusual killing method as it bites into its prey’s skull piercing the brain. Although a jaguar could easily kill a human, they will not normally attack groups of people so visitors to Machu Picchu are usually safe.
    With its splendid architecture, breath-taking views, interesting history and wonderful wildlife, Machu Picchu is an