Preparation Manual

Competency 005—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of oral communications in the target language.

1. Worum geht es hauptsächlich in diesem Interview?

1. Um die Wirkung von Architektur
2. Um den Erhalt von Infrastruktur
3. Um den Wert der Bildung
4. Um die Streitereien der Politik

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option B is correct because the interview is centrally concerned with the condition of bridges in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, analyzing the reasons why they were neglected in the past, and predicting whether or not they will function adequately into the future. Option A is incorrect because the interview does not focus on the aesthetic impact of architecture. Option C is incorrect because it doesn't have much to say about the value of education. Option D is incorrect because the interview does not examine political differences in any detail. Even though the guest does represent a political party, he presents a largely technocratic argument about bridge upkeep and is remarkably reticent about blaming any particular political party for past maintenance failures.

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Competency 006—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to infer, interpret and evaluate meaning from oral communications in the target language.

2. Warum hat man nicht schon in den 1990er Jahren angefangen, die Brücken in Nordrhein-Westfalen zu sanieren?

1. Man plante, an ihrer Stelle völlig neue Brücken zu bauen.
2. Zu dieser Zeit waren die staatlichen Kassen wegen der wirtschafltichen Rezession fast leer.
3. Zu dieser Zeit sind öffentliche Gelder in den Wiederaufbau der ehemaligen DDR geflossen.
4. Man ging davon aus, dass der Verkehr in Zukunft abnehmen würde.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option C is correct because Mr. Klocke implies that bridge renovation in North Rhine-Westphalia was not carried out in the 1990s because there was a "great concentration" on the East at that time and that transport infrastructure in the former East Germany had the highest priority; in the West, meanwhile, he states that maintenance was deferred: "da hat man die Sachen zurückgestellt." Option A is incorrect because nothing in the audio supports the idea presented that a wave of replacement bridges was planned. Option B is incorrect because the audio does not support either of the contentions, neither that there was an economic recession at that time, nor that the German government coffers were empty as a result. Option D is incorrect because its contention is that traffic experts at the time were predicting less need for bridges owing to declining traffic volumes; this is not stated in the audio.

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Competency 005—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of oral communications in the target language.

3. Warum erwähnt Herr Klocke Zahnärzte in diesem Kontext?

1. Bei Brücken und Zähnen zugleich wird der Schaden größer, wenn man nichts unternimmt.
2. Wie bei Zähnen ist eine Brückenreparatur oft mit temporären „Schmerzen" verbunden.
3. Bei Brücken und Zähnen zugleich ist eine regelmäßige Untersuchung der Schlüssel zur „Gesundheit".
4. Wie bei Zähnen braucht man bei Brücken vor allem fachlich ausgebildete Experten, wenn man die Dinge instand halten will.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option A is correct because Mr. Klocke compares bridge maintenance to the maintenance of teeth, and states that a delay in carrying out necessary repairs only results in bigger problems in the future. Option B is incorrect because he does not emphasize that repairs can cause the "pain" of temporary inconvenience to travelers. Option C is incorrect because, although it is plausible with its recommendation of regular check-ups, Mr. Klocke does not actually draw this particular parallel in the audio; his focus is on the size of the repairs to be made, and not a schedule that will prevent repairs being necessary. Option D is incorrect because, although it is a plausible statement, it does not reflect anything that is said in the audio.

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Competency 006—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to infer, interpret and evaluate meaning from oral communications in the target language.

4. Was ist Herrn Klockes Prognose für die Situation der Brücken in Nordrhein-Westfalen?

1. Es wird noch weitere Sperrungen geben.
2. Das Schlimmste ist schon vorbei.
3. An der Verkehrssituation wird sich mittelfristig nicht viel ändern.
4. Ohne drastische Sofortmaßnahmen steht ein Verkehrschaos bevor.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option A is correct because Mr. Klocke says several times that the situation is likely to get worse, thus implying that the current bridge closure at Leverkusen will be followed by others. Option B is incorrect because he does not take the optimistic stance that "the worst is behind us." Option C is incorrect because he does not assert that things have reached a kind of steady state. Option D is incorrect because he refuses to portray the situation as one that will soon result in a dramatic "traffic chaos."

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Competency 004—The LOTE teacher understands the connections between language and culture, including the interactions among cultural products, practices and perspectives within the target language cultures.

5. Auf Ihre Kulturkenntnisse bezogen, in welchem Kontext ist das geflügelte Wort von „blühenden Landschaften" entstanden, das Arndt Klocke zitiert?

1. Es ist ein Zitat aus der Romantik, das die Sehnsucht nach einer schönen Heimat ausdrückt.
2. Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl hat den Menschen in der DDR „blühende Landschaften" infolge einer Wiedervereinigung mit der BRD prophezeit.
3. Es ist ein biblisches Zitat, das den Wunsch nach einem Leben im materiellen Komfort verkörpern soll.
4. Umweltgruppen in Deutschland benutzen häufig das Bild von „blühenden Landschaften", um ein Ideal des Lebens im Einklang mit der Natur zu illustrieren.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option B is correct because in 1990 German Chancellor Helmut Kohl addressed television viewers across Germany on the occasion of the currency union between the Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic and famously predicted that the five eastern states would soon be turned into "blühende Landschaften." Options A, C and D are incorrect because they offer incorrect etymologies for this phrase with a precise historical origin.

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Competency 005—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of oral communications in the target language.

6. In welcher Zeitform befindet sich der folgende Relativsatz aus dem Hörtext: „dass über 10, 15 Jahre die Maßnahmen nicht angegangen worden sind," die dringend notwendig waren?

1. Im Passiv Präsens
2. Im Passiv Perfekt
3. Im Passiv Präteritum
4. Im Passiv Plusquamperfekt

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option B is correct because the verb phrase consists of a past participle ("angegangen") together with a form of the verb werden, which marks it as a passive form; the verb werden, meanwhile, is present as an attenuated past participle ("worden") and the conjugated auxiliary verb sind, which means that the passive verb is being used in the present perfect tense. Options A, C and D are incorrect because they would not account for the occurrence of these particular verb forms in combination.

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Competency 005—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of oral communications in the target language.

7. Aus welchem Grund hat die Bundesbank dem 10-Euroschein eine neue Farbe gegeben?

1. Die neue Farbe können Fälscher nicht so leicht nachmachen.
2. Die neue Farbe passt besser zu dem Motiv auf dem neuen Schein.
3. Die neue Farbe hilft, den Schein von anderen Geldscheinen zu unterscheiden.
4. Die neue Farbe harmoniert besser mit den Farben der anderen Scheine.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option C is correct because Mr. Sommer states in the interview that the color of the 10 Euro banknote is more pronounced than on the old banknote, and that this is supposed to help to better distinguish between the different denominations of Euro banknotes. Options A, B and D are incorrect because he does not give any indication that the new color is supposed to make the banknote harder to counterfeit or that there is another reason for the color change, such as aesthetics or symbolic meaning.

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8. Warum wurde das Wasserzeichen auf dem neuen 10-er Euroschein ausgewechselt?

1. Das neue Wasserzeichen enthält eine neue Lichttechnik.
2. Das neue Bild sollte eine wichtige historische Persönlichkeit ehren.
3. Die Bevölkerung fand das alte Bild auf dem Schein nicht mehr zeitgemäß.
4. Menschen können sich das Aussehen von Gesichtern leichter merken.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option D is correct because in the interview, Mr. Sommer explains that changing the water mark on the new Euro banknote from a gate to the face of a mythological figure was based on the fact that humans generally find it easy to remember details of faces. Therefore it would be easier for people to notice if the watermark on a banknote contains an inconsistency, which in turn makes it harder for forgers to fake the watermark. Option A is incorrect because Mr. Sommer does not claim that the technology of the watermark or how it responds to light has changed. Options B and C are incorrect because it is not stated that the choice of Europa was based on any particular input: it was not based on support in the general population, and of course the mythological figure of Europa would not honor any actual historical personage.

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Competency 006—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to infer, interpret and evaluate meaning from oral communications in the target language.

9. Welches potenzielle Problem glaubt der Moderator bei den neuen Sicherheitsmerkmalen von 10-Euro-Scheinen zu sehen?

1. Die distinktive raue Oberfläche des neuen 10-Euro-Scheins wird nicht lange halten.
2. Die meisten Leute werden bei einem 10-Euro-Schein gar nicht erst prüfen, ob er echt ist.
3. Der neue 10-Euro-Schein ist immer noch zu leicht zu fälschen.
4. Die Kassierer im Geschäft haben keine Zeit, um die feinen Merkmale zu überprüfen.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option B is correct because moderator is concerned that people might not check to see if a 10-Euro banknote is real or a fake. Halfway through the interview, the reporter counters Mr. Sommer's explanation of the new anti-forgery measures with the observation that cashiers usually don't take the time to check a 10-Euro banknote the way they would with a 50-Euro banknote, suggesting concern that the new security measures might not be effective in preventing forgery. Mr. Sommer responds by explaining that cashiers are usually good about noticing if a banknote is fake by its general feel and appearance, without having to carefully check it first. Option D is incorrect because the moderator does not claim that cashiers have no time to check banknotes — this is also contradicted by his somewhat exaggerated observation that they will "run a 50-Euro banknote through 17 different scanners." Option A is incorrect because, although the embossed surface of the new banknote is mentioned, the moderator does not identify it as a problem. Option C is incorrect because the moderator does not find fault with any of the specific security measures described by Mr. Sommers and also makes no general assertion that the new banknote might be too easy to fake.

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Competency 005—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of oral communications in the target language.

10. Was macht die Deutsche Bundesbank, um die Probleme mit Geldautomaten, die es bei der Einführung des 5-Euro-Scheines gab, dieses Mal zu vermeiden?

1. Die Bundesbank gibt den Automatenherstellen die neuen Scheine frühzeitig, damit sie ihre Automaten anpassen können.
2. Die Bundesbank überprüft, ob alle existierenden Automaten die neuen 10-Euro-Scheine korrekt erkennen können.
3. Die Bundesbank stellt den Automatenherstellern neue Geldscheinlesegeräte zur Verfügung, die sie in ihre Automaten einbauen können.
4. Die Bundesbank wird die alten 10-Euro-Scheine so lange behalten, bis die Automaten vollständig an die neuen Scheine angepasst sind.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option A is correct because the moderator mentions problems that occurred with the introduction of a new 5-Euro banknote, when vending machines had trouble recognizing the new banknotes, and asks what is being done to prevent similar problems with the 10-Euro banknote. Mr. Sommer answers that the Deutsche Bundesbank does not have any control over this issue, but that it is doing its part to help by supplying the producers of vending machines with the new banknotes "as of now" so that they will be able to adjust their machines to the new currency. Option B is incorrect because he specifically states that the Bundesbank has no means of checking whether all vending machines are able to recognize the new banknote. Option C is incorrect because no mention is made of a plan for the government to supply the vending machine makers with the necessary parts for accurate reading. Option D is incorrect because Mr. Sommer does not mention any plan to time the rollout of the new banknote based on the needs of the vending machine industry.

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11. Dr. Sommer spricht im Hörtext über „einige Sicherheitsmerkmale, die es den Fälschern etwas schwerer machen sollen, die Banknote zu fälschen" In welchem Fall steht das Nomen „den Fälschern"?

1. im Nominativ
2. im Akkusativ
3. im Dativ
4. im Genitiv

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option C is correct because in the quoted sentence, "den Fälschern" (dative plural form of "der Fälscher") is the dative object of the verb. Options A, B and D are incorrect because the case identified in each does not match the form of noun as given.

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Competency 004—The LOTE teacher understands the connections between language and culture, including the interactions among cultural products, practices and perspectives within the target language cultures.

12. Auf Ihre Kulturkenntnisse bezogen, was war die offizielle Währung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland zwischen 1947 und 2002, als der Euro eingeführt wurde?

1. Der Taler
2. Die Reichsmark
3. Der Groschen
4. Die Deutsche Mark

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Option D is correct because the Deutsche Mark was introduced as the currency of the Federal German Republic in 1947 and was used until 2002, when it was completely replaced by the Euro for all types of transactions. Options A, B and C are incorrect because they refer to older types of currency.

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