Read Englischverständnis für fortgeschrittene Anfänger – Buch 1 for Free Online

a white background.
    As the capital city of Sweden, Stockholm is the home of the government and the royal family. However, Stockholm is also Sweden's financial centre. Many major Swedish banks have their headquarters in Stockholm and it is the location of Sweden's stock exchange (Stockholmsbörsen). Furthermore, approximately 45% of Swedish companies, with more than 200 employees, have their headquarters in the capital.
    In recent years, tourism has had an important part in the city's economy. Stockholm is the 10th most visited destination in Europe, with over 10 million tourist overnight stays per year. Many of the tourists arrive on cruise ships, which can dock within walking distance of the city centre.
    There are many things for tourists to do in Stockholm. For example, there are many cafés. Café culture is very important in Sweden. On average, the Swedish drink 4.5 cups of coffee each day. Getting a coffee, served with a dessert or cake, is now a favourite Swedish pastime. They call it ‘fika’, which translates as ‘ indulge in coffee and chat at leisure’.
    The Stockholm archipelago is a popular destination in the summer months. It begins just a few miles east of the capital, covering about 140 kilometres (90 miles) from north to south. There are only 150 inhabited islands and many Stockholmers have summerhouses there. The landscape is very diverse. The inner archipelago has woods and forests but some of the outer islands are treeless and rocky.
    Stockholm has something for everyone, from backpackers on a budget , to couples looking for a luxurious and romantic break. It’s a city with a lot going on!  
    Click here to watch a video on Stockholm
     
    Glossary
    major – big, important. bedeutend, groß, wichtig
    emerged – ‘to emerge’, to come out. In this context, ‘to become’. entstehen, sich entwickeln
    roughly – in this context ‘approximately’. ungefähr
    numerous – many zahlreich
    medieval - of or relating to the Middle Ages. mittelalterlich
    sank – the past tense of ‘to sink’, to go down under the water. sinken, untergehen
    extensive – large, big. weit, umfangreich
    commuter – someone who travels to work. Pendler
    vintage – something old and of high quality. erlesen
    trams – a type of transport also known as a trolley car. Straßenbahnen
    headquarters – the main offices of an organisation. Hauptquartier
    indulge in – ‘to indulge in something’, to enjoy it. sich etwas gönnen, einer Sache frönen
    archipelago - a group of islands. Archipel
    inhabited – ‘to be inhabited’, to have inhabitants (people who live there). bewohnt sein
    on a budget – ‘to be on a budget’ to plan how you will spend your limited money. sparen müssen
     
    Questions about the text
    1. What are ‘T-bana’?
    2. What is the most popular museum in Stockholm?
    3. What do some people call Stockholm?
    4. Which part of Stockholm has old-fashioned buildings?
    5. What four types of transport are mentioned in the text?
    6. When do trams travel to Djurgården Island?
    7. What is a popular Swedish leisure activity?
    8. What does the Vasa Museum have?
    9. Who has their headquarters in Stockholm?
    10. True or false? – Many people live on the Stockholm archipelago.
    Click here to check your answers.

Papua New Guinea
     

    © Kgtoh | Dreamstime.com
     
    Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania which occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (and over 600 smaller islands). It is located in the south-western Pacific Ocean. Cape York, which is the northern tip of Australia, is only 150km away from Papua New Guinea. The country is divided into four regions with twenty provinces . The capital is Port Moresby.
    The country's has a very diverse landscape and in some places it is extremely rugged . The New Guinea Highlands (a chain of mountains) go from one end of the island to the other end.  There is a populous region in the highlands and this has many tropical rainforests. There is also the