E - Klasse 7 - Arbeit Nr. 7 - GreenButterSolutions

Same old vertigo

Like many countries suffering from political instability, Afghanistan is a complicated and *weird place. In some areas, there

are few traces of modern life. Goods are carried by donkey or camel, and *oxen *plow the ground.
Old men with long beards sit beneath trees, fingering prayer *beads, their skin brown and *wrinkled. Many rural people

live as their ancestors probably did 400 years ago: iron pots over the fire, clothes they made themselves and babies delivered

by candlelight.

In other parts of the country, life is more complicated. Taliban troops speed around Kabul in their clean new Toyotapickup

trucks. On the sides they have painted pseudo-American phrases: ''City Boy,'' ''Fast Crew,'' ''King of Road.''

Inside, young solemn-looking Taliban men sit in their black holy dress, *sporting Ray-Bans. The juxtapositions canmake your

mind *reel. Donkey carts carrying computer equipment. Hungry children digging through garbage piles sing shovels from a

Mickey and Minnie Mouse sand-castle set. The number of people displaced from their homes is enormous. Populations of the

desperate *roam around, begging for money and scraps of food. People eat wild plants, garbage, insects and old animal parts

discarded by butchers. In one camp, an old man showed me a bowl filled with rotten cow *bowels, grass *poking out in

places. ''This is what we eat, sir!'' he said, wiping away tears with his fist.

Taliban troops and police are always easy to spot. They have black flowing clothes, long hair and big silky black turbans with

long tails running almost to the ankles. They are often tall and imposing, even impressive. Many wear black eyeliner (part of the

descendant-of-Muhammad costume), and their hair is long and curly. I once saw one buying Prell shampoo at the bazaar.

They carry themselves like supermodels.

 

(about 300 words)

Understand the above text with the help of your dictionary. Translate the following words into German. Mind the context.

 
Vocabulary:

weird:  

 

oxen:  

plow:  

wicker:  

beads:  

wrinkled:  

sporting:  

reel:  

bowels:  

poking:  

 
Questions on the text. Tick the right answer.

1.1. Which animal is used to turn the soil?

 ☼ bulls
 ☼ donkeys
 ☼ camels

1.2. Who paints the phrase “City Boy”?

 ☼ old men
 ☼ the religious authorities
 ☼ Taliban Troops

1.3. What do people usually eat?

 ☼ cheese
 ☼ wild plants
 ☼ meat

2.1. Large forests covered the country.

 

  
2.2. People speak of him with great respect.

 

  
2.3. A motor-car knocked the old man down.

 

  
2.4. In Australia they speak English.

 

Before Joff Hall left Byron Park Golf Hotel he went to say goodbye to Sheila.

Joff: I  (want) to say goodbye to you before I (leave) Byron Park Golf Hotel.

 

My parents  (collect) me in half an hour.

Sheila: My dad  (not can) collect me. He (go) on holiday yesterday so

 

I (travel) home with Bill on the train. Then I (stay) with my grandfather.

He  (not live) too far from our village.

Joff: I  (hope) I  (can) see you again soon.

Sheila: Well, why (you / not come) and visit me in Broughton? Why  (not come)

 

before school  (start) again?

Joff: Oh, thanks. I  (try) to come.

Sheila: How  (you / get) to Broughton?

Joff: I  (probably come) by train, but I (write) a postcard to you before then.