Englischverständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger – Buch 1

females and their babies (there will also be some young, subordinate males).
    We normally think of rodents as being smaller animals such as rats, mice and hamsters. It can seem bizarre to see these amazing creatures in the wild, where they look more like small buffalo!
    Click here to watch a short video on the capybara.
     
    Glossary
    rodents - a gnawing mammal of the order
Rodentia
that includes rats, mice, squirrels, etc. Nagetier
    inhabit – ‘to inhabit’, to live in. bewohnen
    savannah – a grassland almost without trees. Savanne
    divers – things which dive, ‘to dive’ to go under the water. Taucher, tauchen
    constant – all the time. ständig
    murky – dirty, not clear. trüb
    threat – a possible danger. Bedrohung
    webbed - having the toes connected by skin. mit Schwimmhäuten versehen
    facial features – eyes, nose and mouth. Gesichtszüge
    coarse – not soft, thick. grob
    drought – a time when there is no rain. Dürre
    mate – ‘to mate’, the act of reproduction. sich paaren
    offspring – babies. Nachkommen
    feral – having gone wild. wild, ungezähmt
     
    Questions about the text
    1. Why are baby capybaras easy to kill?
    2. What do capybaras do to help digest their food?
    3. How long can a capybara stay submerged?
    4. When would a capybara eat melons?
    5. How long does a capybara pregnancy last?
    6. Why do humans hunt capybaras?
    7. Why do capybaras need to live near water?
    8. The text mentions some animals which hunt capybaras. How many are there?
    9. What would a capybara do if it was frightened?
    10. True or false? – Capybaras are solitary creatures.
     

Über den Autor
     
    Nachdem er sein Linguistikstudium mit einem erstklassigen Abschluss absolviert hatte, zog Stephen nach Spanien, wo er Englisch unterrichtete und Spanisch lernte. Seither unterrichtet er Erwachsene und Kinder und lebt derzeit in Manchester.
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Antworten
     
    The Komodo Dragon
     
    1. Why is the bite of a Komodo dragon dangerous?
    Dragon saliva has more than 50 types of bacteria. If a prey animal is bitten and escapes, it usually dies quickly of blood poisoning. Komodo dragons also have razor sharp teeth.
    2. Why might a Komodo dragon vomit?
    A Komodo dragon might vomit to become lighter so it can escape.
    3. How do Komodo dragons hunt?
    Komodo dragons hunt using camouflage and patience. They lie in wait and attack passing prey.
    4. How are Komodo dragons different from other large carnivores?
    Komodo dragons are different from other large carnivores because they eat most of their prey (they leave only 12 per cent).
    5. What happened in 1926?
    The existence of the Komodo dragon was confirmed in 1926. It is the year that the explorer W. Douglas Burden led an expedition to Komodo.
    6. Name three factors that have made Komodo dragons endangered.
    Three from: natural disasters (e.g. volcanic eruptions), hunting, human expansion and forest fires.
    7. How do Komodo dragons find prey which they have bitten, but which has escaped?
    They locate animals they have bitten using their excellent sense of smell.
    8. There are not many Komodo dragons in captivity. Why is this?
    There are not many Komodo dragons in captivity because they are vulnerable to diseases and parasitic infection.
    9. How many Komodo dragons did W. Douglas Burden take back to America?
    He took fourteen back in total – twelve dead and two live specimens.
    10. True or false? - Komodo dragons can run quickly for long periods of time.
    False – Komodo dragons can run briefly at 20 km an hour. ‘Briefly’ means only for a short time.
    Back to The Komodo Dragon
     
    Jainism
     
    1. What is the most important belief of Jains?
    Non-violence.
    2. Why do Jains not eat meat?
    Jains believe that animals and plants and human beings, have souls. They believe each of these souls is equal and that they should be treated with compassion, love and respect.
    3.  What is one of the differences between the Digambara and Svetambara sects?
    They disagree on the spiritual status of women. Svetambara Jains believe that tirthankaras can be men or women but Digambra Jains believe that women can't be tirthankaras.
    4. Who changed Jainism into its current form?
    Mahavira, the most recent of the twenty-four tirthankaras.
    5. Which belief do Jains have in common with scientists?
    That the