Die Austauschfahrt: Widersprüche im Aushang
Anil, a Class 12 student at a PSEB school in Ludhiana, finds this notice on the German classroom door:
„Austauschfahrt nach Nürnberg – Anmeldung bis 15. März. Die Fahrt findet vom 10. bis 17. Juni statt. Kosten: 180 €; Anzahlung von 50 € bis 20. März. Teilnehmen können Schüler der Klassen 11 und 12. Voraussetzung: mindestens Note 3 in Deutsch. Maximal 20 Teilnehmer. Anmeldeformular bei Frau Weber abgeben. Achtung: Die Fahrt ist nur für Klasse 11. Reisepass erforderlich; Kopie bis 30. April bei Herrn Müller.“
Anil is in Class 12, has Note 4 in German, and will turn 18 in May. He has a valid passport. He asks you whether he can apply and what he must do first. He has one free period before the application deadline and wants a clear answer, not a guess.
1. Which two details in the notice contradict each other, and what problem does this create for Anil?
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The contradiction is between „Teilnehmen können Schüler der Klassen 11 und 12“ and „Die Fahrt ist nur für Klasse 11“. The first sentence opens the trip to Class 12; the second closes it to Class 12. This matters because Anil is in Class 12: one line makes him eligible, the other excludes him. A careful reader cannot resolve the conflict from the notice alone, so Anil must ask Frau Weber (who receives the form) or Herrn Müller (who receives the passport copy) to confirm which rule is authoritative. He should not assume the more favourable line is correct, because a later „Achtung“ line often overrides an earlier general statement.
2. Assuming the contradiction is resolved in Anil’s favour, list the concrete steps he must take and identify the first deadline he faces.
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Even if the class-level conflict is resolved, Anil still has a second obstacle: the notice requires mindestens Note 3 in Deutsch, and Anil has Note 4. So the first step is not administrative but eligibility: he must ask whether an exception is possible. If an exception is granted, the steps are:
- Submit the Anmeldeformular to Frau Weber by 15. März.
- Pay the Anzahlung of 50 € by 20. März.
- Submit a copy of his passport to Herrn Müller by 30. April.
The earliest deadline is 15 March for the form, but the deposit follows only five days later, so both require immediate action. His passport being valid is necessary but not sufficient; the copy deadline is separate.