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Abitur English practice questions

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Question 1Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

In a listening comprehension task, you hear a speaker say: 'The council has decided to postpone the decision until the next meeting.' What does the speaker report?

  1. The decision will be made later. Correct answer.
  2. The decision has already been made.
  3. The council cancelled the meeting.
  4. The council rejected the proposal.

Explanation

The verb 'postpone' means to move an event or decision to a later time, so the decision is deferred rather than finalised. Listening for verbs of deferral such as 'postpone', 'delay' or 'put off' helps you identify that the outcome is still pending.

Question 2Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A radio presenter says: 'Traffic is heavy on the A4, so drivers heading to the airport should allow an extra twenty minutes.' What is the practical advice for listeners?

  1. Take a different route to the airport.
  2. Expect the A4 to be closed soon.
  3. Avoid the airport entirely today.
  4. Leave earlier to reach the airport on time. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Allow an extra twenty minutes' means building more time into your journey, which in practice means setting off earlier. The key is recognising functional language of advice and translating it into the action the speaker intends.

Question 3Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear: 'Well, I suppose the film was alright, but I wouldn't rush to see it again.' What is the speaker's attitude towards the film?

  1. Mildly unenthusiastic Correct answer.
  2. Completely indifferent
  3. Strongly negative
  4. Enthusiastically positive

Explanation

Hedging words such as 'I suppose' and 'alright' combined with 'I wouldn't rush' convey lukewarm, qualified praise rather than enthusiasm. Recognising downtoning expressions is central to interpreting attitude in listening tasks.

Question 4Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A voicemail says: 'Hi, it's Sam. Could you call me back before six? It's about the project deadline.' What is the caller's main purpose?

  1. To confirm that a deadline was met
  2. To cancel a project meeting
  3. To request a return call about a deadline Correct answer.
  4. To complain about a missed deadline

Explanation

The request 'Could you call me back' plus the topic 'the project deadline' identifies the purpose as asking for a return call on that subject. In short messages, the purpose is usually carried by the main request verb.

Question 5Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A speaker says: 'The museum is open daily except Mondays, and entry is free for students.' A student visiting on Tuesday should expect to pay:

  1. A small booking fee
  2. Nothing at all Correct answer.
  3. A reduced student rate
  4. The full admission price

Explanation

The speaker states entry is free for students, and Tuesday is not excluded because only Mondays are closed. Two pieces of information must be combined: the opening days and the pricing rule.

Question 6Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear: 'If I'd known the tickets were so expensive, I'd have booked earlier.' What does the speaker imply?

  1. They decided not to attend at all.
  2. They bought the most expensive tickets.
  3. They did not book early. Correct answer.
  4. They booked early and saved money.

Explanation

The third conditional 'If I'd known... I'd have booked' describes an unreal past situation, implying the speaker did not in fact book early. Recognising conditional structures is essential for inferring what actually happened.

Question 7Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A lecturer says: 'The results were, to put it mildly, surprising.' What does the lecturer convey about the results?

  1. They were exactly as expected.
  2. They were somewhat surprising.
  3. They were extremely surprising. Correct answer.
  4. They were not worth reporting.

Explanation

The phrase 'to put it mildly' signals that the speaker is understating something, so the real emphasis is stronger than the words chosen. This rhetorical device intensifies rather than softens the message.

Question 8Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

In a news bulletin you hear: 'The company denies that it plans to close the factory.' What is being reported?

  1. The company confirms a factory closure.
  2. The company rejects a claim about closure. Correct answer.
  3. The company has already closed the factory.
  4. The company is planning to open a factory.

Explanation

The reporting verb 'denies' introduces a claim that the company says is untrue, so the closure plan is rejected rather than confirmed. Distinguishing reporting verbs like 'deny', 'confirm' and 'announce' is a core listening skill.

Question 9Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

Two speakers are talking. Speaker A: 'Did you manage to finish the report?' Speaker B: 'I got as far as the introduction.' What does Speaker B mean?

  1. They completed only the beginning. Correct answer.
  2. They refused to write the report.
  3. They finished the whole report.
  4. They have not started the report.

Explanation

The idiom 'get as far as' means to reach a certain point and no further, so only the introduction was completed. Idiomatic progress expressions often carry the key meaning in conversational listening.

Question 10Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A tour guide says: 'We'll meet back at the coach at half past three sharp, so don't be late.' What is emphasised?

  1. The tour ends at half past three.
  2. Punctuality is important. Correct answer.
  3. The coach leaves at three.
  4. The meeting point is optional.

Explanation

The word 'sharp' after a time means exactly at that time, and 'don't be late' reinforces the expectation of punctuality. Listening for intensifiers attached to times is a reliable cue.

Question 11Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a student say: 'I was going to hand in the essay on Friday, but then I realised the deadline had been moved forward.' What happened to the deadline?

  1. It was cancelled completely.
  2. It was brought to an earlier date. Correct answer.
  3. It stayed on Friday as planned.
  4. It was postponed to a later date.

Explanation

'Moved forward' in the context of deadlines means brought earlier in time, so the student's original plan no longer works. Temporal phrasal verbs can be ambiguous, so context and the contrast with 'going to' clarify the change.

Question 12Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A podcast host says: 'Now, before we move on, a quick word about our sponsor.' What is the function of this utterance?

  1. To end the podcast
  2. To introduce a commercial break Correct answer.
  3. To correct an earlier mistake
  4. To ask the audience a question

Explanation

The phrase 'a quick word about our sponsor' is a conventional signpost announcing advertising content. Recognising discourse markers that structure a programme helps listeners anticipate what comes next.

Question 13Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

Speaker A: 'Shall we take the train or drive?' Speaker B: 'The train's cheaper, but the drive's more convenient.' What is Speaker B doing?

  1. Weighing up two options Correct answer.
  2. Making a firm decision
  3. Complaining about the cost
  4. Refusing to travel

Explanation

Speaker B contrasts the advantages of two alternatives using 'but', which shows both are being weighed rather than one being chosen. Listening for contrastive connectors reveals that no decision has yet been made.

Question 14Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A weather forecast says: 'Rain will clear by mid-morning, leaving a bright but windy afternoon.' What should you expect in the afternoon?

  1. Heavy rain continuing
  2. Cloudy and calm conditions
  3. Sunshine with strong winds Correct answer.
  4. Snow and freezing temperatures

Explanation

'Bright' indicates sunshine and 'windy' indicates strong winds, so both features apply to the afternoon. Forecast language often compresses several conditions into a short clause, so each adjective must be captured.

Question 15Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear: 'Not only did she finish first, she also broke the record.' Which statement is correct?

  1. She neither finished nor broke a record.
  2. She finished first and set a new record. Correct answer.
  3. She finished first but missed the record.
  4. She broke the record without finishing first.

Explanation

The 'not only... but also' structure adds two achievements: winning and breaking the record. Inverted structures of this kind emphasise both clauses equally, so both facts must be retained.

Question 16Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A museum audio guide says: 'The painting you see before you was long attributed to Rembrandt, though most scholars now doubt this.' What is the current view?

  1. Experts are now unsure of the painter. Correct answer.
  2. The painting has been destroyed.
  3. Rembrandt definitely painted it.
  4. The painting is a modern copy.

Explanation

'Was long attributed' places the old view in the past, while 'now doubt this' shows current uncertainty. Noticing tense shifts and time adverbs is how listeners track changing claims.

Question 17Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A manager says: 'Feel free to run your ideas past me before the client meeting.' What is she asking the team to do?

  1. Write ideas down after the meeting
  2. Cancel the client meeting
  3. Present ideas directly to the client
  4. Share ideas with her beforehand Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom 'run something past someone' means to check or discuss it with that person first, so ideas should be shared with the manager before the meeting. Phrasal idioms of this type are common in workplace listening.

Question 18Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear: 'Had it not been for the traffic, we'd have caught the opening act.' What do we learn?

  1. Traffic helped them arrive early.
  2. They missed the opening act. Correct answer.
  3. They decided to skip the concert.
  4. They arrived in time for the opening act.

Explanation

This inverted third conditional describes an unreal past outcome: without the traffic they would have arrived in time, so in reality they did not. Recognising formal inversion in conditionals is a demanding but testable listening skill.

Question 19Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

Speaker A: 'So you're finally going to tell her?' Speaker B: 'I'm getting round to it.' What does Speaker B's reply suggest?

  1. They refuse to speak to her.
  2. They keep delaying the conversation. Correct answer.
  3. They have already told her.
  4. They told her yesterday.

Explanation

'Get round to something' means to finally do a task one has been putting off, and the continuous form suggests the action is still pending. The idiom implies repeated delay rather than completion or refusal.

Question 20Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A speaker says: 'It's not that I disagree with the proposal; it's just that the timing worries me.' What is the speaker's position?

  1. They want the proposal withdrawn.
  2. They oppose the proposal outright.
  3. They are indifferent to the proposal.
  4. They support it but have a concern. Correct answer.

Explanation

The 'not that... it's just that' construction explicitly denies opposition while raising a specific reservation, so support is qualified rather than withdrawn. Careful listening to contrastive frames prevents misreading a nuanced position.

Question 21Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear: 'The scheme was supposed to cut costs; in practice it did the reverse.' What does the speaker mean?

  1. The scheme increased costs. Correct answer.
  2. The scheme reduced costs as planned.
  3. The scheme had no financial effect.
  4. The scheme was never implemented.

Explanation

'In practice it did the reverse' means the actual outcome was the opposite of cutting costs, so costs rose. Contrasting theory with practice is a frequent pattern in academic and news listening.

Question 22Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A lecturer says: 'While the sample size was small, the findings are consistent with earlier studies.' How does the lecturer evaluate the research?

  1. As completely unreliable
  2. As entirely conclusive
  3. As cautiously supportive Correct answer.
  4. As irrelevant to the field

Explanation

The concessive 'while' acknowledges a limitation, but the main clause stresses consistency with prior work, producing a cautiously positive evaluation. Weighing concession against main clause is key to academic listening.

Question 23Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A news report says: 'The minister stopped short of announcing a full inquiry.' What does this tell us?

  1. A full inquiry was announced.
  2. The minister cancelled an inquiry.
  3. The inquiry has already concluded.
  4. The minister avoided announcing a full inquiry. Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom 'stop short of doing something' means to almost do it but not go that far, so no full inquiry was announced. This kind of near-miss expression is easily misheard as a positive statement.

Question 24Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

In a lecture, the speaker says: 'This brings me to my second point, which builds on what I said earlier.' What is the speaker doing?

  1. Ending the lecture
  2. Repeating the first point exactly
  3. Signposting the structure of the talk Correct answer.
  4. Asking for questions

Explanation

Phrases such as 'this brings me to my second point' and 'builds on what I said earlier' are signposts that signal the organisation of a talk. Tracking these markers helps listeners follow structure even when details are missed.

Question 25Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear: 'You must have been exhausted after the journey.' What does the speaker express?

  1. A firm instruction
  2. A complaint about lateness
  3. A logical deduction about the listener Correct answer.
  4. A question about the journey

Explanation

'Must have + past participle' expresses a strong deduction about a past situation, here that the listener was probably exhausted. Distinguishing modal deduction from obligation is a frequent listening distinction.

Question 26Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a radio interview: 'The council's decision to pedestrianise the high street was, we were told, the result of extensive consultation. The shopkeepers' association, however, says it was never contacted.' What is the interviewer's point?

  1. The shopkeepers' association supports the pedestrianisation plan.
  2. The consultation process may not have been as thorough as claimed. Correct answer.
  3. The interviewer believes the decision should be reversed immediately.
  4. The council conducted no consultation at all before deciding.

Explanation

The contrast between the council's claim of 'extensive consultation' and the shopkeepers' claim that they were never contacted implies that the consultation may have been incomplete or selective. The speaker does not assert that there was no consultation at all, only that the claim is questionable.

Question 27Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A train announcement says: 'Due to engineering works, the 14:05 service to Bristol will terminate at Swindon, where a replacement bus will run to Bristol Temple Meads.' What must passengers travelling to Bristol do?

  1. Wait for the next train to Bristol.
  2. Return to their starting station.
  3. Get off at Bristol Temple Meads.
  4. Change to a bus at Swindon. Correct answer.

Explanation

The announcement states that the train will end its journey at Swindon and that a replacement bus will continue to Bristol, so passengers must transfer to the bus at Swindon. The other options contradict the information given about the replacement service.

Question 28Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a podcast host say: 'We'll be back after the break, when my guest explains why she turned down a six-figure salary to work with refugees.' What is the host doing?

  1. Announcing the end of the podcast series.
  2. Previewing the next segment to keep listeners engaged. Correct answer.
  3. Summarising the main points of the previous segment.
  4. Apologising for an interruption in the recording.

Explanation

The host is signalling what will come after the break and highlighting an intriguing detail about the guest, which is a standard technique for maintaining audience interest. There is no apology, summary of earlier content, or indication that the series is ending.

Question 29Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

In a lecture, the speaker says: 'The figures I've just shown you are striking, but I should caution that they cover only the first two years of the trial.' What is the speaker doing?

  1. Claiming that the trial has been completed.
  2. Retracting the data because they are unreliable.
  3. Qualifying the significance of the data presented. Correct answer.
  4. Suggesting that the figures are unimportant.

Explanation

The speaker acknowledges that the figures are striking but limits their scope by pointing out that they cover only the first two years. This is a qualification of the data's significance, not a retraction or a dismissal of the figures.

Question 30Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You overhear: 'I wouldn't have missed it for the world.' What does the speaker mean?

  1. They would prefer to attend again.
  2. They nearly decided not to attend.
  3. They regret having attended.
  4. They are very glad they attended. Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom 'wouldn't have missed it for the world' expresses that the speaker valued the experience highly and is glad to have been present. It does not imply regret, hesitation, or a wish to repeat the experience.

Question 31Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A doctor says to a patient: 'The scan shows no cause for concern, though I'd like to keep an eye on things.' What is the doctor's message?

  1. The patient requires immediate treatment.
  2. The patient should stop all medication.
  3. The results are reassuring but monitoring will continue. Correct answer.
  4. The scan was inconclusive and must be repeated.

Explanation

The doctor combines reassurance ('no cause for concern') with a plan for continued monitoring ('keep an eye on things'). This is a message of cautious reassurance, not one of inconclusive results, urgent treatment, or stopping medication.

Question 32Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a student say: 'I was told the library had the book, but when I got there it was out on loan.' What is the student explaining?

  1. Why they returned the book late.
  2. Why the library has closed temporarily.
  3. Why they decided not to read the book.
  4. Why they could not borrow the book. Correct answer.

Explanation

The student reports that the book was unavailable because it was already on loan, which explains the failure to borrow it. The other options introduce reasons or events not mentioned in the utterance.

Question 33Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A news reader says: 'The mayor has pledged to review the housing policy, a promise critics say they have heard before.' How do the critics regard the mayor's pledge?

  1. With confusion, as the pledge was unclear.
  2. With indifference, as housing is not a priority.
  3. With enthusiasm, as the policy is long overdue.
  4. With scepticism, as similar promises have been made previously. Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'a promise critics say they have heard before' signals that the critics doubt the mayor's commitment because similar pledges have been made in the past. This is scepticism, not enthusiasm, indifference, or confusion.

Question 34Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a voicemail message: 'Hi, it's Sam. I'm stuck in a meeting, so I'll have to take a rain check on lunch. Can we say Thursday instead?' What is Sam doing?

  1. Cancelling the lunch permanently.
  2. Postponing the lunch appointment. Correct answer.
  3. Confirming the lunch for today.
  4. Asking to meet earlier than planned.

Explanation

The idiom 'take a rain check' means to decline an invitation now with the intention of accepting it later, and Sam proposes Thursday as an alternative. This is a postponement, not a permanent cancellation, a confirmation, or a request to meet earlier.

Question 35Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

In a documentary, the narrator says: 'Far from being a solitary genius, the inventor relied heavily on a team of assistants.' What is the narrator doing?

  1. Describing the inventor's difficult personality.
  2. Praising the inventor's independent work.
  3. Questioning whether the inventor existed.
  4. Correcting a common misconception about the inventor. Correct answer.

Explanation

The construction 'Far from being...' sets up a contrast with a widely held belief and replaces it with a more accurate account. The narrator is therefore correcting the myth of the solitary genius, not praising independence, describing personality, or doubting the inventor's existence.

Question 36Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A teacher says: 'By all means use the online resources, but don't rely on them exclusively.' What is the teacher advising?

  1. Avoiding the online resources altogether.
  2. Using only the online resources provided.
  3. Using the online resources in addition to other materials. Correct answer.
  4. Ignoring the resources recommended in class.

Explanation

The teacher permits the use of online resources ('by all means') while warning against exclusive reliance, which implies that other materials should also be used. This is advice to combine sources, not to avoid or depend solely on the online resources.

Question 37Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a colleague say: 'I've had a look at your draft, and there are one or two things we might want to tighten up before it goes to the client.' What is the colleague's tone?

  1. Overly enthusiastic and uncritical.
  2. Openly hostile and dismissive.
  3. Tactful and constructive. Correct answer.
  4. Uncertain and unable to comment.

Explanation

The hedged language ('one or two things', 'we might want to') softens the criticism and frames it as a shared task, which is tactful and constructive. It is not hostile, uncritically enthusiastic, or uncertain, since specific improvements are implied.

Question 38Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

In a radio debate, one speaker says: 'My opponent's proposal sounds attractive, but the costings simply don't add up.' What is the speaker's main criticism?

  1. The proposal is financially unrealistic. Correct answer.
  2. The proposal has not been described clearly.
  3. The proposal has already been rejected.
  4. The proposal is morally unacceptable.

Explanation

The phrase 'the costings simply don't add up' means the financial figures are not credible or consistent, so the criticism concerns financial realism. The speaker concedes that the proposal 'sounds attractive', so the objection is not about morality, clarity, or prior rejection.

Question 39Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

You hear a guide say: 'The castle you're now standing in was built in the twelfth century, though little of that original structure remains visible today.' What does the guide imply about the castle?

  1. Most of what can be seen now is not from the original period. Correct answer.
  2. The castle was abandoned shortly after it was built.
  3. The original structure is still fully intact.
  4. The castle was completely rebuilt in the twelfth century.

Explanation

Saying that little of the twelfth-century structure remains visible implies that most of what visitors see today dates from later periods. The other options contradict this by suggesting complete rebuilding, full survival, or early abandonment, none of which is stated.

Question 40Listening comprehension (Hörverstehen)

A speaker says: 'It's not so much a question of whether we can afford it, as whether we can afford not to.' What is the speaker arguing?

  1. The cost of inaction would be greater than the cost of acting. Correct answer.
  2. The decision should be postponed indefinitely.
  3. The project is too expensive to undertake.
  4. The financial cost is irrelevant to the decision.

Explanation

The contrast between 'afford it' and 'afford not to' shifts the argument from the cost of acting to the cost of failing to act, implying that inaction would be more costly. The speaker does not say the project is too expensive, that cost is irrelevant, or that a decision should be delayed.

Question 41Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

A non-fiction article opens with a short personal anecdote before presenting statistics on urban loneliness. Which function does this opening most plausibly serve in the rhetoric of the text?

  1. It undermines the author's credibility by introducing subjective material.
  2. It signals that the rest of the article will be fictional.
  3. It establishes a relatable emotional frame that prepares readers to accept the later factual argument. Correct answer.
  4. It proves statistically that loneliness is increasing among city dwellers.

Explanation

Anecdotal openings in argumentative non-fiction typically create identification and emotional involvement, which makes the audience receptive to evidence that follows. The anecdote does not itself provide statistical proof, nor does it make the text fictional or discredit it.

Question 42Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

In a literary prose passage, a narrator reports events in the third person but knows the private thoughts of several characters. Which narrative technique is being used?

  1. Third-person omniscient narration Correct answer.
  2. Dramatic or objective narration
  3. First-person unreliable narration
  4. Stream-of-consciousness interior monologue

Explanation

Third-person omniscient narration uses a third-person voice while granting access to the inner lives of multiple characters. First-person narration would use 'I', stream of consciousness would reproduce unedited thought flow, and objective narration would report only externally observable behaviour.

Question 43Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

Read this sentence from an opinion piece: 'The council's new cycling plan is not merely ambitious; it is reckless.' What is the rhetorical effect of the semicolon construction here?

  1. It introduces a direct quotation.
  2. It heightens the contrast by setting up a sharp corrective after the semi-colon. Correct answer.
  3. It softens the criticism by balancing two positive adjectives.
  4. It lists two unrelated policies.

Explanation

The pattern 'not merely X; it is Y' uses the semicolon to stage a rhetorical correction, replacing a mild description with a stronger, more damning one. The two clauses are closely linked in meaning, so they are not unrelated items in a list.

Question 44Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

Which statement best describes the difference between skimming and scanning as reading strategies in an exam context?

  1. Skimming means looking for keywords; scanning means summarising the whole text.
  2. Skimming means reading every word slowly; scanning means reading aloud.
  3. Skimming means reading for gist quickly; scanning means searching for specific details. Correct answer.
  4. Skimming and scanning are two names for the same strategy.

Explanation

Skimming is a fast, global reading to grasp the main idea or structure, whereas scanning is a targeted search for particular information such as names, dates or figures. Confusing the two leads candidates to read at the wrong speed for the task.

Question 45Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

A text says: 'The minister claimed the reform would 'cost nothing'.' What does the use of quotation marks around 'cost nothing' most likely signal?

  1. That the author is distancing herself from the claim and marking it as questionable. Correct answer.
  2. That the phrase is a direct translation from another language.
  3. That the phrase is grammatically incorrect.
  4. That the author endorses the minister's statement.

Explanation

Quotation marks around a single contentious phrase, often called scare quotes, indicate that the writer is citing the wording critically rather than adopting it. This creates ironic distance between the author's voice and the quoted claim.

Question 46Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

In a short story, a character repeatedly describes the family house as 'a museum nobody visits'. Which reading of this image is most defensible?

  1. It suggests the house is literally open to tourists.
  2. It conveys emotional coldness and a sense of neglected, frozen family life. Correct answer.
  3. It indicates the story is set in a museum.
  4. It proves the family is wealthy and cultured.

Explanation

The comparison of a home to an unvisited museum connotes preservation without warmth, suggesting emotional distance and stagnation. A figurative comparison should be interpreted for its associations rather than taken literally.

Question 47Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

Which sentence uses a concessive structure that would be useful when writing a balanced analysis of a controversial text?

  1. The author is biased and therefore wrong.
  2. Although the author's evidence is thin, her central concern is legitimate. Correct answer.
  3. The author is biased; the text is unreliable.
  4. The author's evidence is thin, so the text fails.

Explanation

A concessive structure acknowledges a counterpoint before asserting the main claim, typically introduced by 'although', 'though' or 'while'. This is the standard move for balanced argumentation in analysis essays.

Question 48Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

A student must identify the main idea of an expository text. Which approach is most reliable in an exam?

  1. Copy the first sentence of the text verbatim as the main idea.
  2. Combine the topic and the author's central claim about it into a single general statement. Correct answer.
  3. Select the longest sentence in the final paragraph.
  4. Choose the sentence that contains the most difficult vocabulary.

Explanation

The main idea is the central claim the text makes about its topic, so it must be stated as a generalisation covering the whole passage. Neither difficulty of vocabulary nor position alone reliably marks it.

Question 49Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

A passage states: 'Sales of electric cars doubled last year; however, they still represent under three per cent of the market.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. Electric cars have become the dominant vehicle type.
  2. Rapid relative growth can coexist with a small absolute market share. Correct answer.
  3. The statistics are contradictory and unusable.
  4. The market for electric cars has stopped growing.

Explanation

The concessive 'however' contrasts strong proportional growth with a still modest overall share. The reader must distinguish relative change from absolute magnitude, a common source of misreading in data-driven texts.

Question 50Reading comprehension and text analysis (Leseverstehen und Textanalyse)

In an argumentative essay, a writer introduces an opposing view and then refutes it. What is this structural element called?

  1. Topic sentence
  2. Thesis statement
  3. Concession and rebuttal Correct answer.
  4. Narrative frame

Explanation

Concession acknowledges a counter-argument, and rebuttal explains why it does not defeat the writer's position. This pairing strengthens an argument by showing awareness of alternative views.