Choosing a holiday
Read these texts about three different towns in Germany and then answer the questions. Don't be put off by longer texts – be guided by the questions and don't forget to use A word that is related to a word in another language. A cognate looks or sounds similar to a word in another language and also has the same meaning, eg Name (German) and name (English); Nord (German) and north (English); Computer (German) and computer (English)..
Hamburg
Question
Apart from culture lovers, which two other sorts of people would like Hamburg?
Sport fans, those who like shopping – Sportfreunde, man kann viel shoppen
Translation
Hamburg is situated (literally: lies) in northern Germany. It is a large town and offers a lot for sport and culture lovers.
It has two good football clubs (HSV and St Pauli) and there are always plays and concerts. In Hamburg you (one) can shop well!
Berlin
Question
- Where is the German capital city situated?
- What can you learn a lot about in Berlin?
- Why is it a good place for culture lovers to visit?
- In the east – im Osten
- The history of Germany – die Geschichte von Deutschland
- Lots of facilities for theatre and concert trips – viele Möglichkeiten ins Theater oder ins Konzert zu gehen
Translation
Berlin, the German capital city, is situated in the east. You (one) can visit many Museums and monuments there and learn a lot about the history of Germany.
There are also lots of opportunities to go to the theatre or to a concert.
There is always a lot for tourists in Berlin.
Trier
Question
- Where is Trier?
- Give two pieces of information about Trier
- What is worth seeing in Trier?
- What else can you visit near Trier?
- In the west – im Westen
- Old city – eine alte deutsche Stadt; founded by Romans – sie wurde von den Römern gegründet
- The Roman ruins – viele römische Ruinen
- Lots of castles – viele Schlösser
Translation
Trier is an old German town in the west and was founded by the Romans.
There are many Roman ruins which are well worth seeing there.
In the area, there are also many castles which you can visit.
Did you know?
The city of Dresden in the Bundesland of Sachsen (Saxony) was once known as the Florence of the north - Florenz des Nordens - because of its magnificent architecture.
But Dresden was severely bombed at the end of the Second World War. Approximately 25,000 civilians were killed and the city was completely destroyed.
After the war, the city was restored to its former glory, with planners ensuring that some of the most historic and beautiful buildings were reconstructed authentically.
