Radio interview: 'soll angeblich' and the rumour of a bicycle ban
You are listening to a 2-minute radio interview on Bayern 2 about a proposed bicycle ban on a 1.2 km stretch of the Hauptstraße. The interviewer says that 4,000 people have signed a petition. The councillor, Frau Reiter, says: 'Die Stadt soll angeblich planen, die Hauptstraße für Fahrräder zu sperren. Das ist aber ein Gerücht. Es gibt bisher nur einen Prüfauftrag.' Your notes read: 'Stadt plant Fahrradsperre, 1,2 km, 4.000 Unterschriften.' In the practice question you write: 'Die Stadt will die Hauptstraße für Fahrräder sperren.' The marking schedule asks for the speaker's attitude to the rumour. The audio is played twice; you have 30 seconds between playings.
1. Why is 'Die Stadt will die Hauptstraße für Fahrräder sperren' a misreading of Frau Reiter's statement?
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The modal 'soll' in 'Die Stadt soll angeblich planen' reports what others say; it does not express the city's own intention. 'Angeblich' marks the claim as unverified, and the next sentence explicitly calls it 'ein Gerücht'. Frau Reiter does not confirm the ban; she downgrades it to a 'Prüfauftrag', a review mandate. 'Will' expresses intention or volition, which is stronger than 'soll planen' and loses the hearsay. A precise answer would be: 'Ein Gerücht besagt, dass die Stadt eine Sperre prüft; die Stadträtin dementiert die Darstellung.' The difference matters because the exam asks for attitude, not just content. A candidate who hears only the words 'Stadt', 'Hauptstraße' and 'sperren' will overstate the city's commitment.
2. What does 'Es gibt bisher nur einen Prüfauftrag' imply about the decision status?
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'Bisher nur' limits the status: there is only a review mandate, not a decision or a plan. 'Prüfauftrag' means someone has been asked to examine feasibility; it does not commit the city to a ban. 'Bisher' leaves open that a decision may come later, so the statement is not a permanent denial. This is the detail that contradicts the candidate's note 'Stadt plant Fahrradsperre'. A strong answer distinguishes 'prüfen' (examine) from 'planen' (plan) and 'sperren' (ban). It also notes that the 4,000 signatures belong to the interviewer's context, not to Frau Reiter's statement, and they do not prove that the ban is real or decided.
3. How should you use the number 1.2 km in your answer?
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The 1.2 km is the length of the stretch under discussion, not the number of signatures or the number of cyclists affected. Use it to show scope: 'Es geht um einen 1,2 km langen Abschnitt der Hauptstraße.' Do not use it as evidence for the ban's status. In a listening answer, precise numbers support comprehension, but they do not replace the stance question. The 4,000 signatures belong to the petition and should be attributed to the interviewer, not to Frau Reiter. A strong answer separates three quantities: the length (1.2 km), the petition (4,000 signatures), and the legal status (a review mandate, not a ban). Mixing them up suggests you heard numbers but not their function.