Englischverständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger – Buch 1

incredible place. Although their civilisation is gone, the Incas have left us this treasure. Can we look after it? 
    Click this link to watch a video about Machu Picchu.
     
    Glossary
    functions – what something is used for. Funktionen, Zwecke
    residential – where people live. auf den Wohnsitz bezogen
    cosmic – about the universe, cosmos. kosmisch
    estate – a large area of land belonging to someone. Anwesen
    treasures – precious things. Schätze
    dedicated – ‘to dedicate’, make something for a particular person. widmen
    storage – used to store things. Lager, Speicher
    slope – a surface of which one end or side is at a higher level than another. Hang, Gefälle
    covered in – having all over, e.g. ‘I am covered in spots!’ übersät von
    hikers – people who walk for pleasure. Wanderer
    skyrocketed – ‘to skyrocket’, to go very high, very fast. hochschießen, hochschnellen
    restricted – ‘to restrict’, to put a limit, to stop. begrenzen, beschränken
    polished – ‘to polish’, to make smooth and shiny. polieren
    mortar – a mixture of lime with cement, sand, and water, used in building to bond bricks or stones. Mörtel
    slightly – a little bit. etwas, ein bisschen
    is set in – ‘to be set in’ to be located. sich befinden in
    prey – a creature which is hunted and killed. Beute, Beutetier
    piercing – ‘to pierce’, to make a hole in. durchbohren, durchstechen
     
    Questions about the text
    1. What happened in 2011?
    2. Which two rare animals are mentioned in the text?
    3. Why was the high number of tourists a problem?
    4. Which natural disaster is common in Peru?
    5. Who did the Incas worship?
    6. What has happened to the number of visitors to Machu Picchu since 1911?
    7. What is ashlar?
    8. What was the advantage of not building with mortar?
    9. Who was Pachacuti?
    10. True or false? – The Incas practiced human sacrifice.
     
    Capybara

    © Diktattoor | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images
    The capybara is the biggest rodent in the world. They are about 50 cm tall and 130 cm long. A fully-grown capybara weighs between 35 and 70 kilograms. Capybara means “master of the grasses.” in Guarani (a language spoken by indigenous people). Capybaras are semi-aquatic, which means they spend much of their lives in the water. They inhabit the southern parts of Central America and the northern parts of South America. Their habitat includes savannahs and rain forests but they always live near ponds, rivers, or lakes.
    Capybaras live close to the water in groups of about 20. They are excellent swimmers and divers. If they have to, they can even sleep underwater (with only their noses showing). Water is essential to capybaras because if they are scared, they will dive into the murky ponds or rivers and hide from their predators (these include: include anacondas, caimans, jaguars, pumas, eagles and ocelots). Capybaras can stay underwater for five minutes.
    Although many animals hunt capybaras, their main threat is humans. Humans hunt them for their meat and their skin, which can be made into leather. In some countries, people have started to farm capybaras. As with all rainforest animals, deforestation is also a threat.
    Capybaras are very well-adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. They have webbed feet help which helps them move in water. They have their facial features on the top of their heads, which means they can see and breathe when they are swimming. Capybaras can stay under water for 5 minutes. When they come out of the water, their coarse hair is quick to dry.
    These huge rodents are herbivores and eat aquatic plants and grasses. An adult capybara can eat between 2.7 to 3.6 kilograms of fresh grass a day. They also eat their own faeces, which contains bacteria that help their stomach to digest the grass. When the weather is very dry or if there is a drought, capybaras will also eat melons, reeds, grains and squashes.
    Capybaras mate in the water. A capybara’s gestation period lasts five months. Female capybaras will give birth to four or five babies. All the females in the group will feed the new offspring.   
    At first, baby capybaras are not good swimmers, so they stay on land, hiding under plants. Because they cannot swim and they are small, they make an easy meal for predators such as, vultures, feral dogs, foxes and piranhas.
    Capybaras are very social animals and they live in small family groups of about 10 to 20. A group usually includes one male, some