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4 This & That
PEOPLE AND LIFESTYLE
6 Hot as Hell
9 Psychology of Narcissism
12 5 Memory Tricks
14 About Winston Groom
CULTURE
17 The Klan Back on Track
20 Cook Like a Brit
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24 In the Kitchen
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32 Welcome to Mexico
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36 On a British Couch
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 This & That

Step inside the weird and wonderful world of strange but weird wɪəd
| sonderbar,
true statistics. Here is a collection of interesting facts on bizarr
the topics of wildlife and geography which are likely to open
quite a few eyes.

WILDLIFE 

The largest salmon

ever caught tipped the
scales at an incredible
126 pounds (=over 57 kg).
It was taken out of the
water near Petersburg
The world’s biggest species of crab is in Alaska back in 1949.
the Japanese spider crab, which has
a leg span of 3.8 m; the smallest spe-
salmon ˈsæmən | Lachs
cies of crab on Earth is the pea crab,
which is less than 10 mm wide and
The largest spider in the
lives along the Atlantic and Pacific
world in terms of mass
coasts of North, Central and South
is the Goliath birdeater,
America.
a giant tarantula weighing
species ˈspiːʃiːz | Spezies, Gattung in at up to 175 g. Its bite
leg span | Beinspannweite has been likened to a wasp
sting, so its venom is not
really lethal to humans.

in terms of sth | 

in Bezug auf etw.
bite | Biss
to be likened to sth
| vergleichbar sein mit etw.
wasp sting | Wespenstich
venom | Gift
lethal ˈliːθl | tödlich

However, the world’s most toxic

spider to humans is the male
– not the female – funnel-web
spider, AKA Atrax robustus.
What is even more terrifying
is that this species
resides in the back
gardens of Sydney and
other cities in
The world’s largest spider by diameter is thought to be the Giant
New South Wales!
huntsman, whose legs can reach a maximum length of over 30
centimetres. It is found in large parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and male | männlich
the Americas. aka = also known as | 
alias, auch bekannt als
diameter daɪˈæmɪtə(r) | Durchmesser terrifying | furchterregend

ü
4
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

GEOGRAPHY
Interestingly, while America
and Australia are divided into
states, although some admin-
istrative areas of Australia are
called territories, Canada and
New Zealand are divided into
provinces.

to be divided into sth | in etw.

aufgeteilt sein

Russia is also home to the highest mountain peak on

the entire continent of Europe, Mount Elbrus, which
is 5,642 m above sea level. At 4,808 metres above
LAKE ONEGA sea level, Mont Blanc is the highest mountain peak in
Western Europe but only the seventh highest in the
whole of Europe.
FINLAND

LAKE mountain peak | Berggipfel, Bergspitze

LADOGA above sea level | über dem Meeresspiegel
St. Petersburg

ESTONIA
RUSSIA

LATVIA

The two largest and deepest lakes in Europe are both

in North West Russia, between the Leningrad Oblast
(Region) and the Autonomous Republic of Karelia.
Lake Ladoga near Saint Petersburg is 17,700 km2 in
surface area and 230 m. in depth, whilst Lake Onega is
9,700 km2 in surface area and 127 m in depth.

autonomous ɔːˈtɒnəməs | autonom

surface ˈsɜːfɪs | Oberfläche, Fläche
depth | Tiefe

ü
5
 Hot as Hell
People and Lifestyle

English Matters asks London firefighter Anthony Williams the burning

questions about keeping London safe.

EM: Hi Anthony, thanks for help-

ing us create an interview hot off the
press! Let’s start with a little bit about
you: how long have you been a London
firefighter?
AW: I joined the London Fire Brigade
18 years ago in 2001. Like all new, trainee
firefighters then, I had to successfully
complete 17 weeks basic training before
starting at a fire station. Then there’s
a four-year probation to complete a per-
sonal development record before becom-
ing fully qualified. I have remained on
the same watch – green watch at Hendon
fire station in NW London, for all of my
career. I’ve seen a lot of personnel changes,
but have always had a great group of col-
leagues around me. The station’s ground
(the immediate area we cover) includes
residential properties, industrial units, open
spaces and main roads, so I’ve seen a large
variety of incidents.
EM: How is the area you work in
determined? And do you move between
areas much?
AW: Firefighters are posted at a base
station, which will be their normal place
of work. Sometimes a station will have
more than the minimum number of per-
sonnel they need, so any extra staff can
be asked to cover at another station which
is short of their minimum number of staff
that day. In theory, this could be anywhere
in London. As well as individual moves, it
is also sometimes necessary to send a fire
London firefighter Anthony Williams
appliance and crew from its base station
to cover at another station which may be
out at a protracted incident or involved in to cover sth | etw. abdecken, umfassen
a training exercise. to include sth | etw. einschließen
EM: Being a firefighter is obviously property | Grundstück, Objekt, Besitz
not a nine to five job – what are the industrial unit | Industrieanlage,
hours? -gebäude
staff | Personal, Mitarbeiter
1 fire brigade | Feuerwehr fire appliance | Feuerwehrfahrzeug
trainee | Praktikant, Azubi protracted | langwierig, sich hinziehend
watch | Wache, Feuerwache involved in sth | in etw. eingebunden
colleague ˈkɒliːɡ | Arbeitskollege obviously ˈɒbviəsli | offensichtlich

1
ü
6
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

AW: In London, all fire stations

People and Lifestyle

are whole-time, meaning they provide
24-hour cover. The general shift pattern
follows an eight-day repetitive cycle con-
sisting of: two days 09:30-20:00, then two
nights 20:00-09:30, then four rest days.
This works out to just over 42 hours per
week.
EM: Wow, you must be tired after
working through the night! How do
you cope?
AW: Thankfully my family are very
understanding and accommodating. They
allow me to sleep during the day when
I’m working nights. It can be very diso-
rientating and confusing for your body
working shift patterns like these, so it’s
important to listen to your body and rest
when needed. This also ensures you’re
ready for action whatever shift you’re
working.
EM: As the name suggests, his-
torically a firefighter’s role was solely
combatting fires, but in the modern
world your duties are surely a lot more
diverse: what other actions do you typi-
cally perform?
AW: Yes that’s correct. People are bet-
ter educated in fire safety nowadays and
technology has evolved to help detect fires
in their infancy to give warning before
they develop. In fact, these days a lot of
our work is based around community
fire safety where, for example, we visit
homes to carry out safety checks and give
advice; we’ll even supply and fit smoke
detectors for free! That said, fires do still
occur, which obviously is our bread and
butter, but the list of emergencies we
could get called to is endless. I never to consist of sth | aus etw. bestehen to carry out sth | etw. ausführen/
cease to be amazed by some of the call to work out | hier: betragen, hinauslaufen durchführen
outs we get. The most common incidents auf etw. safety check | Sicherheitskontrolle
we attend are: faulty/accidental alarm tired ˈtaɪəd | müde smoke detector | Rauchmelder
actuations, people shut in lifts, road traffic to cope with sth | mit etw. fertig werden to occur | auftreten, passieren
collisions, people locked in/out of rooms/ accommodating | entgegenkommend bread and butter | Brotverdienst
buildings and floodings (from burst pipes/ to allow sb to do sth | jdm. erlauben, etw. emergency ɪˈmɜːdʒənsi | Notfall
leaving taps running/heavy rain). Then zu tun to get called to sth | zu etw. gerufen werden
there are the less common and sometimes confusing | verwirrend to cease to do sth | aufhören, etw. zu tun
quite peculiar ones: noisy boilers, burst to ensure sth | etw. gewährleisten faulty | falsch, fehlerhaft
gas mains, scaffolding  collapses and yes, to combat sth | etw. bekämpfen lift | Aufzug
cats up trees! duty | Pflicht flooding | Überflutung, Rohrbruch
EM: What’s the strangest or most diverse | vielfältig burst | Bruch, Platzen
surprising “shout” you’ve had? to evolve | sich entwickeln pipe | Rohr
AW: I remember attending an incident to detect sth | etw. erkennen, tap | Wasserhahn
at a builders’ yard where a large fire was entdecken peculiar | seltsam, merkwürdig
to be in one’s infancy | (noch) in den gas mains | Gasleitungen
2 shift pattern | Schichtschema, Kinderschuhen stecken scaffolding | Gerüst, Baugerüst
Arbeitszeitenplan community | Gemeinschaft collapse | Zusammensturz, Einsturz

2
ü
7
 spreading quite rapidly. All of a sudden
People and Lifestyle
there were some loud bangs and fizzing
as several gas cylinders shot into the sky
like rockets. Pretty scary! On a less seri-
ous note, when called to a 14-year-old boy
stuck in a baby swing in the local park, it
was difficult not to laugh.
EM: Do you still put out a lot of
fires then? What’s the biggest you’ve
battled?
AW: Inevitably there will always be
fires, whether accidental or deliberate.
We’re particularly busy dealing with fires
– shrub, grass, woodland, etc. during
prolonged periods of hot, dry weather
– not quite on the scale of the wildfires
in California, Indonesia and Australia
that you see on the news, but devastating
nonetheless.
Two years ago, my watch was first on
the scene to (what became) a 15-pump
fire (15 fire appliances with 70 firefight-
ers). A mid-terraced shop with resi-
dential flats above and to the rear had
caught fire. Three people were trapped
in a second floor flat, shouting for help
through the thick smoke bellowing
from a window. My colleagues and
I made the decision to put up a ladder in
the extremely confined position below
the window, with no time to don our
breathing apparatus due to worsening
conditions and time running out for the
trapped people. We didn’t hesitate to
scale the ladder into the smoke to rescue
the three people – three generations of
the same family. I’m pleased to say that,
except for smoke inhalation, there were
no further injuries. Following treatment
in hospital (for the rescued people and
the firefighters) everyone made a full
recovery.
EM: You perform a heroic job. How
do you cope with the risks it involves?
Interesting Terms
The London Fire Brigade has
a style guide for all written
materials! Here are three exam-
ples of common terms and their
official equivalents:
• Fire engine – Fire appliance
• Fireman – Firefighter
• Car crash – Road traffic col-
lision
3 4
8
And what recognition is given to fire-
fighters for their work?
AW: Firefighters are trained and
expected to take risks on a daily basis due
to the nature of their work and recognition
for this is not anticipated, although praise
and thanks is often (happily) received
from members of the public. Where
actions above and beyond our normal
roles are exhibited – similar to the difficult
ladder pitch and smoke risk mentioned
earlier, a letter of commendation can be
awarded from senior officers, including
our Commissioner. And for exceptional
circumstances the Queen’s Fire Service
Medal for Distinguished Service could
be awarded.
EM: You definitely deserved that
commendation. Thank you for all the
work you do keeping the people of
London safe. Finally, what advice can
you give our readers regarding fire or
road safety?
AW: Common sense can avert a lot of
potential incidents – don’t leave cooking,
burning candles or other hazards unat-
tended. And we recommend not leaving
the house with chargers plugged in or
washing machines, tumble dryers and
dishwasher on. For road safety – drive to
arrive alive. 
3 to spread | sich ausbreiten
all of a sudden | urplötzlich
bang | Knall, Bums
fizzing | Zischen
pretty scary | ziemlich unheimlich/
beängstigend
baby swing | Babyschaukel
to put out sth | etw. löschen
inevitably ɪnˈevɪtəbli | zwangsläufig,
unvermeidlich
whether | ob
accidental | zufällig
deliberate | absichtlich, vorsätzlich
shrub | Busch, Strauch
woodland | Waldgebiet, Wald
prolonged | anhaltend, langwierig
wildfire | Lauffeuer, Wildfeuer
nonetheless | nichtsdestotrotz
mid-terraced | Reihen-, terrassenartig
flat | Wohnung
rear | Hinter-, rückseitig
to catch fire | sich entzünden, entflammen
trapped | gefangen, eingeschlossen
thick | dick, dicht
confined | begrenzt, beengt
ü
London Fire
Brigade in
Numbers
• Formed: 1865
•S  tations: 103
• Engines: 157
• Employees: 5,992
• Average annual shouts per sta-
tion: 1,000
• Busiest station in London:
approx. 4,000 calls a year –
3,000 false alarm, 500 fires,
500 special service.
• Average number of staff per
station: From 7-22 per watch
average | durchschnittlich,
Durchschnitts-
to don sth | (sich) etw. überziehen, etw.
anlegen
due to sth | wegen/aufgrund von etw.
worsening | sich verschlechternd
running out | ablaufend, knapp werdend
to hesitate | zögern
except for sth | außer etw.
injury | Verletzung
to make a full recovery | sich vollständig
erholen
4 recognition |  Anerkennung, Würdigung
on a daily basis | (tag)täglich
anticipated | erwartet
exhibited ɪɡˈzɪbɪtɪd | gezeigt, zur Schau
gestellt
pitch | Steigung, Winkel, Neigung
letter of commendation
| Anerkennungsschreiben
including sb | einschließlich jdm.
circumstance | Umstand, Sachlage
definitely | absolut, bestimmt
regarding sth | bezüglich etw.
common sense | gesunder
Menschenverstand
to avert sth | etw. abwehren, vermeiden
charger | Ladegerät
plugged in | eingesteckt
tumble dryer | Wäschetrockner
on | eingeschaltet
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

Psychology of

People and Lifestyle

Narcissism
Arrogance, a sense of specialness,
inflated ego or maybe a hunger for
appreciation, these are the common
associations that people have on
hearing the word narcissist. However,
narcissism can wear many masks and is more
complicated than it may seem. So, it’s time
to take a closer look at this swashbuckling,
all-me-all-the-time behaviour.

psychology saɪˈkɒlədʒi
| Psychologie
narcissism ˈnɑːsɪsɪzəm
| Narzissmus
inflated | aufgeblasen, überhöht
hunger for sth | Sucht nach etw.
appreciation | Anerkennung
swashbuckling ˈswɒʃbʌklɪŋ
| draufgängerisch, großschnäuzig
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 What is Narcissism?
People and Lifestyle
Who hasn’t met a self-centred, bossy
or arrogant person with an inflated opin-
ion of themselves? That’s a rhetorical
question, as we all possess some narcissis-
tic qualities which run along a spectrum
– some individuals are lower on the trait
and others higher, with many landing in
the middle. The word narcissism, defined
as the pursuit of gratification from an
egotistic admiration of an idealised self-
image, inordinate fascination with oneself
or excessive self-love, has become quite
popular nowadays. However, we should
be aware of the fact that there’s a radical
difference between having narcissistic
qualities (e.g., being obnoxiously self-
centred) and being a full-fledged narcis-
sist diagnosed with narcissistic personal-
ity disorder, something which according
to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders affects an estimated
1% of the general population, 50-75 % of
whom are men (APA, 2010).
Narcissistic Personality
Disorder
This is a type of personality disorder
in which people have an inflated sense
of their own importance, a deep need for
excessive attention as well as admira-
tion, troubled relationships, and a lack of
empathy for others – they’re just not all
that interested in feelings that aren’t their
1 bossy |  rechthaberisch, herrisch
pursuit pəˈsjuːt | Streben, Jagd
gratification | Befriedigung, Belohnung
inordinate | übertrieben, übermäßig
excessive | übermäßig, übertrieben
nowadays | heutzutage
to be aware of sth | sich etw. bewusst sein
obnoxiously əbˈnɒkʃəsli | unausstehlich
full-fledged | vollentwickelt, vollwertig
narcissistic personality disorder
| narzisstische Persönlichkeitsstörung
troubled | gestört, schwierig
lack of sth | Mangel an etw.
2 confidence |  Selbstvertrauen
fragile ˈfrædʒaɪl | zerbrechlich, brüchig,
schwach
self-esteem | Selbstachtung,
Selbstwertgefühl
vulnerable ˈvʌlnərəbl | verwundbar,
anfällig
1 2
ü
10
own. However, not everyone is aware of
the fact that behind this mask of extreme
confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s
vulnerable to the slightest criticism.
Although it may seem that narcissists
are self-confident and completely satisfied
with their lives, the truth is that nothing
can make them happy, unless they are
given the special favours or admiration
they believe they deserve. People suffer-
ing from NPD have problems in many
areas of life, such as relationships, work,
school or financial affairs. Moreover,
because of a limited or minimal ability
to experience emotions, they may find
their relationships unfulfilling, and others
may not enjoy spending time with them.
What are the Traits of
a Narcissist?
The most common symptoms of NPD
include: an exaggerated sense of self-
importance, achievements and abilities.
Diagnosed narcissists are preoccupied
with outward appearance, beauty, fan-
tasies about success and power, using
a distortion and illusion known as magi-
cal thinking. They insist on having the
best things, like cars, houses or offices.
Furthermore, their lack of empathy leads
them to take advantage of people with-
out regretting it. Severe narcissists have
a predatory, score-keeping approach to the
social world, hence they become green
with envy of others’ achievements and
slight | leicht, gering
self-confident | selbstbewusst
unless | außer, es sei denn
ability əˈbɪləti | Fähigkeit
to include sth | etw. enthalten, einschließen
exaggerated | übertrieben, übermäßig
achievement | Leistung, Erfolg
outward | äußerlich
appearance | Aussehen, Erscheinung
distortion | Verzerrung
to insist on sth | auf etw. beharren/bestehen
to take advantage of sb | jdn. übervorteilen/
ausnutzen
to regret sth | etw. bereuen, bedauern
severe | ernst, stark, massiv
predatory | rücksichtslos, räuberisch
score-keeping | zielgerichtet, aufs Ergebnis
konzentriert
approach to sth | Einstellung zu etw.,
Herangehensweise an etw.
believe others envy them. Because of
poor emotional regulation, they tend to be
ultra-sensitive and thin-skinned, they may
angrily lash out at any negative feedback
as well as criticism, or become impatient
or angry when they feel like they’re not
getting special treatment. Although they
can be described as vain, self-righteous
and conceited, with a lack of remorse,
compassion and empathy for others, in
fact, a deep sense of insecurity, shame
and vulnerability is hidden under all of
these traits.
How Does a Person
Become a Narcissist?
There is a constant question whether
genetic or environmental factors have
a bigger influence on an individual’s
behaviour. Do inherited traits or experi-
ences play a greater role in shaping our
personality? The nature (which refers
to genes and hereditary factors) versus
nurture (which refers to environmental
variables) debate is one of the oldest top-
ics in psychology. How is it with NPD?
Actually, the cause of narcissistic per-
sonality disorder is complex, but there
is no one-size-fits-all answer to what
causes this mental condition. However,
it is probably a combination of inherited
characteristics and the way the child
was raised. Either excessive adoration
and idolisation, or on the other hand
constant reprimanding and criticism
3 to envy | beneiden
thin-skinned | dünnhäutig
to lash out at sb | auf jdn. losgehen
vain | eitel, eingebildet
self-righteous ˌself ˈraɪtʃəs | selbstgerecht
conceited kənˈsiːtɪd | arrogant, eingebildet
remorse | Reue, Gewissensbisse
vulnerability | Verletzlichkeit
environmental | Umwelt-
inherited | vererbt, geerbt
hereditary həˈredɪtri | erblich, angeboren,
vererbt
versus | gegen, versus
nurture ˈnɜːtʃə(r) | Erziehung
variable | Variable, Größe
actually | wirklich, eigentlich
complex | kompliziert, komplex
raised | aufgezogen
on the other hand | auf der anderen
Seite, andererseits
3
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020
can have a great influence on a child’s
future behaviour. Both ways of bringing
up a child may cause the development of
NPD. Both create a highly competitive
atmosphere that can cause stress, and an
obsession with being the absolute best. It
is crucial for children to develop healthy,
lasting levels of self-esteem to be able to
protect and care for themselves, while
caring about parents or siblings. When
they do not develop empathy while
growing up, it can cause a serious per-
sonality disorder as an adult, including
the narcissistic type.
How is Narcissism
Diagnosed and Treated?
Prevention is better than cure.
Therefore, providing a healthy envi-
ronment with loving parents but with-
out being exclusively and possessively
close to a child would definitely have
a positive influence on their future
behaviour. However, if we suspect that
someone may suffer from NPD, we
should be careful. Because of its com-
plex nature there is no simple solution
to cure the disorder. One thing is certain
– a person should never self-diagnose
and resist diagnosing others. There
are no medications specifically used to
treat narcissistic personality disorder.
However, taking part in psychotherapy
can be helpful. Thanks to it, a patient
not only learns to relate better with
others, but also understands the causes
of their own emotions. Therefore, their
relationships become more enjoyable,
rewarding and intimate.
A Relationship
with a Narcissist
Taking all this into consideration, liv-
ing with a narcissist is a hard nut to crack.
At home, narcissists can behave totally
differently than in their public life. They
may privately denigrate the person they
were just entertaining. Because of their
perfectionist nature, they never appreciate
the efforts of the people they live with.
Moreover, narcissists are not fond of the
word “no” and often expect others to
know their needs without having to ask.
They are great manipulators, too, by using
their charm, persuasion, or coercion to
4 5
ü
People and Lifestyle
Narcissist
The word narcissist originates from Greek mythology. One day a handsome,
young hunter Narkissos stopped to drink cool water from a completely still, sil-
ver pond and fell in love
with his own reflection.
As he couldn’t stop look-
ing at his own beauty, he
disregarded eating and
drinking. Eventually, he
died and was turned into
the beautiful flower the
narcissus, or daisy, that
now bears his name.
to originate from sth | von
etw. stammen
still | unbewegt
to fall in love with sth
| sich in etw. verlieben
to disregard sth | etw.
vernachlässigen
eventually | letztendlich,
schließlich
pressure people into giving them what higher self-esteem which is not a bad
they want. Certain narcissists are even thing, we need to remember though
deliberately uncooperative, because from that narcissism is a mental condition
their toxic and distorted point of view, it that can manifest itself in a patho-
is better to be a pain in the neck than to logical form as narcissistic personality
be a nobody. disorder. Even though most narcissists
feel superior, deep down they may feel
In a Nutshell like an ugly duckling, even if they
don’t want to admit it. Therefore, for
Most of us want to be loved, liked those who live or work with narcissists,
or admired. We constantly seek accept- perceptive awareness and assertive
ance from our colleagues or friends communication are essential to estab-
and don’t want to become the shunned lish healthy and mutually respectful
black sheep. We all have lower or relationships. 
4 bringing up | Erziehung, Kinderstube to be fond of sth | etw. mögen, gern
competitive | konkurrierend, kompetitiv haben
siblings | Geschwister charm tʃɑːm | Charme, Reiz
adult | Erwachsener coercion | Zwang
including sth | einschließlich/eingeschlossen 5 deliberately |  absichtlich, bewusst
etw. distorted | verzerrt
prevention is better than cure | Vorbeugen pain in the neck | Nervensäge
ist besser als Heilen in a nutshell | in aller Kürze
definitely | bestimmt, absolut, definitiv to seek sth | etw. suchen
to cure sth | etw. heilen shunned | gemieden
rewarding | bereichernd, lohnend 6 superior |  überlegen, besser
hard nut to crack | eine harte Nuss ugly duckling | hässliches Entlein,
to denigrate sb | jdn. verunglimpfen, missachtete Person
schlechtmachen to admit sth | etw. zugeben
to entertain sb | jdn. unterhalten mutually | gegenseitig, für beide Seiten
6
11
 5
People and Lifestyle

Memory
TRICKS

Let me tell you a secret. There

are no memory tricks. No magic
formulas or mysterious recipes
that would make you remember
innumerable sets of data in no
time. However, most of us dream
of being able to retain in memory
and easily call to mind those
useful pieces of information that If you follow these scientifically proven rules, you will be sure
to succeed in retaining more things in your long-term memory.
could make our conversations For those wishing to explore this subject further, English Matters
more engaging and our recommends a fascinating book entitled Make it Stick; The
Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown. Good luck!
presentations more informative.
The good news is that there do recipe ˈresəpi | Rezept
innumerable ɪˈnjuːmərəbl | unzählig
exist simple and brain-friendly set of sth | Reihe von etw.
learning strategies that will data | Daten, Werte, Einzelheiten
to retain sth in memory | etw. im Gedächtnis behalten
help you memorise things more efficiently | effizient, wirksam
efficiently.. Read on to find out!
efficiently good luck | Viel Erfolg/Glück!

ü
12
 1
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

Make It Personal
Create personal emotional associations with the things you want to learn. It
will be much easier to retrieve the information in the future. For instance,
when learning grammatical constructions make sentences describing your
own experiences. The more vivid the examples, the better they stick in
your memory.

association | Assoziation, vivid | anschaulich, lebendig

2
Zusammenhang to stick in sth | in etw. bleiben/haften

To Learn, Test Yourself

The more effort you put into testing your memory regularly, the better the
results of your learning. Testing interrupts the process of forgetting and
strengthens the knowledge you already have. Keep in mind that trying to
actually recall some information from your memory (e.g. by answering
questions) is much more effective than just rereading a given article or
list of words.

effort | Aufwand, knowledge ˈnɒlɪdʒ | Wissen

Anstrengung actually | wirklich, eigentlich

3
to strengthen sth | etw. stärken to recall sth | sich an etw. erinnern

Space Out Your Practice

It is important to avoid massed practice, also called ‘cramming’. Try to space
out your learning sessions so that your memory has time to consolidate.
Sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, so there should be at
least a one-day break between your revisions.

to space out sth | etw. verteilen to avoid sth | etw. vermeiden

4
/aufteilen at least | wenigstens

Introduce Variety
The point is not to practise things always in the same way. For instance, if
you want to remember some English words, revise them using a variety of
methods: translating them, using them in sentences or essays, presenting
them in the form of pictures, diagrams or mind-maps.

to introduce sth | etw. einführen

5
variety | Vielfalt

Teach Somebody
After a brief session of studying some information try to teach it to some-
body from memory. If there are no peer students around, teach it to yourself
reciting things out loud.

peer | Gleichaltriger, -kollege

ü
13
 About W
inston Francis Groom was born in Washington
People and Lifestyle

DC on 23 March 1943, but grew up in Mobile

County in the Southern State of Alabama.

Winston
He was educated at the local University
Military School, known today as UMS-Wright Preparatory
School. Originally, he wanted to follow in his father’s foot-
steps and become a lawyer, but his stint as literary editor at

Groom
college gave him a taste for writing. He graduated from the
University of Alabama in 1965, and during his studies he
belonged to the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

Guns, Courts and Books

From 1965 to 1969, Groom served in the US Army, chiefly
within the Fourth Infantry Division, which involved a tour of
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duty in the notorious Vietnam War. After returning home, he

began working for the Washington Star, a newspaper specialis-
ing in matters concerning the department of justice and federal
court system. However, after a while he decided to leave this
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In an interview on the NPR (National Public Radio) pro-
gramme All Things Considered on Monday 3 October 2016,
Groom said he had always wanted to write, but did not have
anything to write about – until he went to war in Vietnam. He
likened the experience to a yearlong car wreck. However,
Winston Groomit
was this traumatic experience that inspired him to start writing
novels. His exact words from the interview were: “Well at least
I’ve done this. Let’s see if I can make some sense of it”.

First Few Novels

And so, in 1978, he published his debut novel Better Times
Than These, about a rifle company in the Vietnam War whose
lives and patriotism are both devastated. Two years later came

0 nearly |  fast, beinahe

prolific | produktiv, erfolgreich

1 to grow up | aufwachsen

originally | ursprünglich
to follow in one’s footsteps | in jds. Fußstapfen treten
lawyer | Rechtsanwalt
Nearly everyone has heard of the stint | Aufgabe, Zeit
lovable film character Forrest chiefly | hauptsächlich
to involve sth | etw. einschließen, umfassen
Gump, played by Tom Hanks. The notorious | berüchtigt
creator of the novel that led concerning sth | etw. betreffend
novel | Roman
to the hit movie is Mr. Winston interview | Interview
Groom, but there is more to this to liken sth to sth | etw. mit etw. vergleichen
car wreck | Autounfall
prolific author than the Gump at least | wenigstens
saga. rifle | Gewehr

1
ü
14
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

People and Lifestyle

The novel Forrest Gump alone did not
bring Groom worldwide acclaim. Only in 1994,
when Robert Zemeckis transformed it into
a blockbuster film of the same name, did the book
become a bestseller.

the release of his second novel, As Summers Die (1980), about
a lawyer from a small town in Louisiana who initially doesn’t
demand much from life. This is until oil is discovered in the
locality, and the lawyer feels the power of love and dreams. The
central character of his next creation, Conversations with the
Enemy (1982), is Marine PFC Robert Garwood, who escapes
from a Vietnamese Prisoner of War camp and then flies home
to the States. Fourteen years later, the same man is arrested for
desertion. This book was a milestone in Groom’s literary career
as it was nominated for the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for General
Non-Fiction.
Forrest Gump
The Film Makes the Book
However, the novel Forrest Gump alone did not
bring Groom worldwide acclaim. Only in 1994, when Robert
Zemeckis transformed it into a blockbuster film of the same
name, did the book become a bestseller. World-famous actor
Tom Hanks played the title role, that captured the hearts of
audiences throughout the globe. In actual fact, Mr. Hanks was
not the only candidate for the part of Forrest Gump, which
could instead have gone to Bill Murray, Chevy Chase or even
John Travolta. Moreover, the role of Jenny was rejected by both
Nicole Kidman and Demi Moore before eventually going to
Robin Wright Penn.
2 release |  Veröffentlichung

Moving back to Mobile, Alabama in 1985, Mr. Groom milestone | Meilenstein

started working on his next project: a magical realism novel childhood | Kindheit
entitled  Forrest Gump, which was published the following nonetheless | nichtsdestotrotz
year. The book is named after the main character and nar- benign bɪˈnaɪn | liebevoll, gütig
rator, who is basically a simple man from Mobile whose IQ mate | Kumpel
is 75. In his childhood, people keep telling him: stupid is as bully | Rüpel, Mobber
stupid does. This has become one of the story’s best-known hence | daher, deswegen
quotes. Nonetheless, Forrest has a heart of gold, and his inten- plot | Handlung
tions are always benign. In the book he finds himself running to unfold | sich entfalten/abspielen/entwickeln
through his childhood with Jenny, his only mate, alongside miraculously mɪˈrækjələsli | auf wundersame Weise
him. It was she that told him to escape from bullies, hence the endearingly | liebenswert
immortal quote Run, Forrest, Run! childlike | kindlich
The unique plot unfolds amid momentous events like the 3 worldwide acclaim | weltweites Lob, globale Anerkennung
presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the blockbuster | Kassenschlager
Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. Miraculously, the audience ˈɔːdiəns | Zuschauer
endearingly childlike Forrest finds himself playing for the instead | stattdessen
University of Alabama football team and then becoming a hero rejected | abgelehnt
of the Vietnam War, a table-tennis champion and even a rule- eventually | letztlich, schließlich
breaking professional wrestler.
2 3
ü
15
 In any case, the movie received six Academy Awards, includ- the then President, James K. Polk during the Mexican-American
People and Lifestyle

ing both Best Actor and Best Picture. Moreover, on 6 May 2011 War, the Annexation of Texas and the American Civil War. The
in Monroeville, Alabama, Winston Groom was given the Harper former is on a quest of westward adventure, while the latter is
Lee Award for Alabama State’s Distinguished Writer of the Year. determined to fulfil his expansionist desires.
Another Groom gem is The Generals: Patton, MacArthur,
Other Bestsellers Marshall, and the Winning of World War II. This tells the stories of
three remarkable generals in the making from the First and Second
Forrest Gump is, of course, not Groom’s only best- World Wars: George Patton, Douglas MacArthur and George Marshall.
seller. Only (1984) is about a clumsy orphan sheepdog called…
Only. Gone the Sun (1988)  revolves around Beau Gunn,
a Vietnam veteran-turned-playwright, while the central figure El Paso (2016)
in Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl (1999) is about Delia Jamison, the
anchor of a Californian network news show who is sure she In 2016, thirty years after Forrest Gump was first published,
is being blackmailed by an ex-lover. Mr. Groom produced his latest fictional epic, El Paso. It fea-
tures Colonel Shaughnessy and the Mexican general Francisco
‘Pancho’ Villa at the time of Mexican Revolution. The Colonel
Gump & Co (1995) and his adoptive son set out on a rough journey aiming at saving
their family. The book is a mixture of history and imagination
Most hit films and books have sequels, and Forrest Gump is with a compelling story and fictional yet credible characters.
no exception. In 1995, Groom produced Gump & Co., in which
a slightly older and, perhaps, wiser Gump finds himself in the
1980s, a time of greed and selfishness. More than Forrest Gump’s Maker
It may be tempting to wonder whether Winston Groom’s writ-
Not All Fiction ing career would have taken off so suddenly if Forrest Gump had
not been adopted into a movie. He probably would not have sold
After writing Forrest Gump, Groom decided it was time to as many as 1.7 mln copies worldwide. Nevertheless, with so
take a break from writing fiction. During his interview on All many successful titles behind him, Mr. Groom has undoubtedly
Things Considered, he contended: the trouble with so many proved himself to be a multi-talented author – and no-one can
novelists is that they keep on writing novels even when they take that away from him. 
run out of ideas. ... So I was thinking, after the commercial
success of Forrest Gump, that I didn’t really have any ideas
that really grabbed me.
Consequently, he has also produced a fair number of factual Fact File
works on quite a broad spectrum of historical topics. One of
his history books is Kearny’s March: The Epic Creation of the Winston Groom grew up in Alabama State, whose
American West, 1846–1847 (2011). The story presents the conflict name is of questionable etymological origin. Accord-
of interests between Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny and ing to some sources; Alabama means tribal town in
the native American Creek language; others contest
4 including sth | etw. to grab sb | jdn. erregen,
the claim, saying it roughly translates as vegetation-
einschließlich/eingeschlossen ergreifen, packen
gatherers in the Choctaw Indian language.
distinguished | ausgezeichnet fair | ordentlich, hübsch
questionable ˈkwestʃənəbl tribal | Stammes-
clumsy | ungeschickt, 5 the former | ersterer,
| fraglich, zweifelhaft to contest a claim | eine
tollpatschig erstgenannter origin | Herkunft, Behauptung angreifen
orphan ˈɔːfn | Waise westward | westwärts Ursprung gatherer | Sammler
to revolve around sth | sich um the latter | letzterer, according to sth | laut etw.
etw. drehen letztgenannter
anchor | Moderator remarkable | bemerkenswert,
blackmailed | erpresst außergewöhnlich
slightly | leicht, etwas rough | bewegt, holperig, hart,
greed | Gier rau
to take a break from sth | eine credible | glaubhaft
Pause von etw. einlegen tempting | verlockend
to contend | behaupten, to take off | durchstarten, starten
argumentieren undoubtedly ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli
to run out of sth | an etw. | zweifellos
knapp werden, etw. nicht mehr to prove oneself | sich (selbst)
haben beweisen/bewähren

4 5
ü
16
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

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Culture
THE KLAN
Back on Track
The notorious Klu Klux Klan – also known as the KKK or even just the
Klan – refers to three secret extreme right-wing movements active
during various periods of American history. Klan members have always
been avid supporters of white supremacy and fervent opponents
of immigration and multiculturalism. Today the Klan is experiencing
a revival in the States, which some find disturbing.

notorious | berüchtigt supporter | Anhänger, Befürworter revival rɪˈvaɪvl | Wiederbelebung,

right-wing | rechts, rechtsorientiert white supremacy | Überlegenheit der Weißen Wiederaufblühen
avid | eifrig, begeistert fervent | leidenschaftlich, eifrig disturbing | beunruhigend

ü
17
 T
he Klan’s heartland has always
been the American South.
The original KKK came into
existence in Pulaski, Tenessee
at some point between December 1865
and August 1866. The second Klan was
created in 1915 on Stone Mountain near
Atlanta, Georgia. The third KKK evolved
in the 1950s and 60s as a number of
independent organisations particularly
active in states like Alabama, Louisiana,
Culture
Mississippi and Florida.
The First Klan
The founders of the original Klan were
a group of six ex-Confederate Army offic-
ers led by the Grand Wizard, General
Nathan Bedford Forrest. Members of the
KKK made their own terrifying costumes
to conceal their identities. These consisted
of robes, conical hats and masks. It was
originally a fraternal social club, but it
targeted Afro-American leaders with
acts of violence. Its ultimate goal was
to depose all the Republican govern-
ments of the former Confederate States
in the American South. It also sought to
resist the so-called Reconstruction of the
southern States: this was a programme
implemented by the United States’ gov-
ernment between 1863 and 1877 in an
attempt to abolish slavery in the South
and give their Afro-American residents
constitutional equality.
The KKK intimidated black people
and their supporters by burning their
houses, attacking them and sometimes
killing them, leaving their corpses to rot
1 heartland | Hochburg, Kerngebiet
to evolve | sich entwickeln
founder | Gründer
to conceal sth tə kənˈsiːl ˈsʌmθɪŋ | etw.
verbergen, verstecken
identity | Identität
to consist of sth | aus etw. bestehen
robe | Robe, Gewand
conical | konisch, kegelförmig
originally | ursprünglich
fraternal | brüderlich,
brüderschaftlich
ultimate ˈʌltɪmət | endgültig, höchste
to depose | etw. absetzen
the former | frühere, ehemalige
to resist sth | sich etw. widersetzen
1 2
ü
18
on the roads. This did succeed in weak-
ening the black political establishment,
by driving many Afro-Americans out of
politics. However, the Enforcement Acts
passed by the US Federal Government
in 1870 and 1871 quickly suppressed
the Klan.
The Second Klan
The second KKK was a fraternal
organisation founded by William J.
Simmons, a Methodist preacher from
Alabama. He drew his inspiration from
The Clansman (1905), a book written by
the famous North Carolina dramatist,
novelist and legislator Thomas Dixon,
as well as the film The Birth of a Nation
(1915) by Dixon’s friend, D.W. Griffith.
Both the book and film expressed sympa-
thy with the Klan. The two main reasons
for the revival of the KKK were nostalgia
for the old Southern way of life and fear of
the Russian Bolshevik revolution spread-
ing into America.
New Targets for KKK
Aggression
Although all members of the Klu Klux
Klan have always considered African
Americans to be their ultimate enemies,
the Second Klan – who were Protestants
– were also dead against both Catholicism
and Judaism. The new KKK preached
One Hundred Percent Americanism
and openly condemned the Catholic
Church during the 1920s, a period of
in an attempt to do sth | in einem Versuch,
etw. zu tun
to abolish sth | etw. beseitigen, abschaffen
slavery | Sklaverei
equality iˈkwɒləti | Gleichheit
to intimidate sb | jdn. einschüchtern
corpse kɔːps | Leiche, Leichnam
to rot | verrotten, verwesen
2 to weaken sth | etw. schwächen
to suppress sb | jdn. unterdrücken
preacher | Prediger
to spread into sth | sich in etw. ausbreiten
dead against sth | absolut/strikt gegen etw.
Judaism ˈdʒuːdeɪɪzəm | Judentum,
Judaismus
to condemn sth | etw. verurteilen
mass immigration from predominantly
Catholic Southern and Central European
countries. Therefore, many white peo-
ple became targets for KKK aggression
purely because of their religious beliefs.
When William J. Simmons formed the
Second Klan on 16 October 1915, he led
a group of white men up to the peak of
Stone Mountain in Georgia, where they
built an altar and declared the revival of
the Klan by burning a cross – an unnerv-
ing act of blasphemy, especially for a sup-
posedly Christian group. So began the
ritual of cross burning, which took place
at the Second Klan’s intimidating mass
parades. By the beginning of the 1920s,
the organisation had garnered five million
members all over the US and had used the
language of hate to indoctrinate priests in
thousands of American churches.
According to Southern Publicity
Association, the fund-raising agency
that handled the Second KKK’s public-
ity, Klan membership had increased by
85,000 within the first six months of its
national recruitment campaign. By the
mid-1920s, the Klan claimed to have
recruited 4 mln men, around 15 % of the
eligible population. However, the demise
of the Second Klan in the 30s and 40s was
mostly due to internal divisions.
The Third Klan
Today’s Klan has been going since
the 1950s. It consists of several isolated,
localised organisations operating under
the KKK banner. These have violently
targeted supporters of the Civil Rights
3 purely ˈpjʊəli | völlig, rein, bloß
belief | Glauben, Überzeugung
altar ˈɔːltə(r) | Altar
unnerving | nervenaufreibend
blasphemy | Blasphemie
to garner sb | jdn. sammeln/versammeln/
ansammeln
according to sb/sth | laut jdm./etw.
to handle sth | etw. handhaben, bewältigen
to increase | ansteigen, erhöhen
eligible ˈelɪdʒəbl | berechtigt, wahlberechtigt
demise | Niedergang
due to sth | wegen/aufgrund etw.
internal | intern, innere
division | Abteilung
banner | Banner, Fahne
3
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020
Movement, the campaign for equal rights
for Afro-Americans.
In the Fifties and Sixties, the Third
KKK would frequently join forces with
police departments or even governors
in southern States. These included the
police department in Birmingham,
Alabama and the then Alabama State
Governor George Wallace. In 1963,
numerous Klan members were behind
the infamous 16th Street Baptist Church
bombing in Birmingham, which killed
several innocent black men, women and
4 to iclude sth | etw. einschließen, umfassen
infamous | berüchtigt
5 fatal | tödlich
to blow up sth | etw. in die Luft sprengen/
jagen
plant | Fabrik, Werk
council ˈkaʊnsl | Rat
to launch a campaign | eine Kampagne
starten
to ban sb from sth | jdn. von etw.
ausschließen
stance on sth | Stellung/Haltung zu etw.
clash | Konflikt, Zusammenstoß
6 influence | Einfluss
current | gegenwärtig, aktuell
despite sth | trotz etw.
4 5
children. This was one of a series of
fatal bombings on Afro-Americans in
Alabama’s largest city, which became
known as Bombingham.
In April 1997, four members of the so-
called True Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
were arrested by FBI agents in Dallas,
Texas for attempting to blow up a natural
gas processing plant. In 1999, Charleston
City Council in South Carolina officially
declared the KKK a terrorist organisa-
tion. More recently, in 2004 one of the
professors of the University of Louisville
in Kentucky launched a campaign to ban
the Klan from its campus.
The Current Situation
One key element of Donald Trump’s
2016 Presidential election campaign
was a tougher stance on immigration.
Following the violent clashes between
white nationalist demonstrators and
counter-demonstrators in Charlottesville,
Virginia on 12 August 2017, Mr. Trump
condemned both sides – not just the
nationalists – as some counter-demon-
strators had also been guilty of violence.
The Klan understandably read this as
ü
Culture
a hopeful sign, and the Southern Poverty
Law Centre claims that there may be
8,000 KKK members in the US today.
Still Alive and
Dangerous
The American white supremacy move-
ment is far from dead. Although the Klan
was born and raised in the South, its influ-
ence has spread all over the States. Even
during the current century, there have
been reports of black political activists
being lynched by white supremacists.
Despite the efforts of civil rights cam-
paigners, the KKK will not go away. 
Fact File
The name Ku Klux Klan is
a combination of the Greek
word kyklos (=circle) plus the
Scots Gaelic clan, which means
family or offspring.
offspring | Nachwuchs
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19
 Cook Like
a Brit
Culture

English Matters takes a look at the

food an average Brit has at home
and what Brits eat throughout
the day. If you’d like to cook
like a Brit, why not follow
this guide while having
a cup of tea – just don’t
forget to add milk!

T
he Brits are not particularly
known for their delicious food,
but that doesn’t mean they don’t
have a certain amount of culi-
nary prowess – just look at Jamie Oliver or
Gordon Ramsay for example – they’re both
Brits and both world-respected chefs. From
an outsider’s perspective, food in Britain is
often considered plain and simple – perhaps
that is why the average Brit can cook it. That
being said, the typical food and drink that
a Brit eats may be a surprise for you, and
cooking it might not be as simple as people
expect – it’s not always a piece of cake!

average | durchschnittlich, Durchschnitts-

amount | Menge
prowess ˈpraʊəs | Können, Talent
world-respected | auf der ganzen Welt
angesehen
outsider | Außenseiter
considered | angesehen, betrachtet
piece of cake | Kinderspiel

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ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

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Culture

Dinner in Britain
is the main meal
ofthe day.

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21
 A Typical Breakfast
This meal is arguably the one
which Brits are most famous
for – the full English
breakfast! However, this
is not the normal way
to start the day for the
average member of the
British public. Rather,
British people usually
Culture
A standard lunch (for most school children and office workers
alike) has three or four elements: sandwiches, a cold drink,
a sweet snack such as a chocolate bar, plus optional fruit and/
or crisps. The most important element here – the sandwich – is
always a filling with a slice of bread above and below. Typical
fillings are: BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato); chicken and
mayonnaise; cheese and pickle; tuna and mayonnaise; and
egg mayonnaise. It is also common for children to have jam
sandwiches.

have toast or cereal. Toast Five O’Clock

for British people means
sliced bread (usually white)
toasted, then prepared with
butter and – often – jam. This is
a popular, quick breakfast for young professionals and is consumed
with tea. Cereal is offered in great variety in kitchen cupboards up and
down the country, and is especially popular with young families. It’s
usually eaten with cold milk, and adults often have a cup of tea, too.
This is not the time to drink tea in Britain! Well, actually it
can be, because every time is a good time to drink tea…but there
is no tradition of drinking it at 5 pm. It’s around this time that
people start thinking about dinner – usually eating between 5:30
and 7 pm. Dinner in Britain is the main meal of the day. Here
are a few popular traditional dishes and how to prepare them:

Baked/Jacket Potato – this is a whole

Lunch Time potato cooked in the oven. It’s usually
topped with butter and any combination
For anyone who doesn’t know, lunch in Britain is not a big of baked beans, coleslaw or cheese.
thing. It’s a light meal, usually eaten between 12 and 2 pm It’s eaten from the inside out, with
just to keep you going until dinner (the main meal of the day). the skin either savoured or discarded
at the end, depending on personal pref-
1 meal |  Mahlzeit, Essen erence.
arguably | wohl
cereal | Getreideflocken, Cornflakes
variety | Vielfalt, Auswahl Cottage/Shepherd’s Pie – this is minced
up and down the country | landauf, landab beef (cottage) or lamb (shepherd’s) mixed
adult | Erwachsener with a few vegetables such as peas or
2 sandwich ˈsænwɪtʃ | Sandwich, belegtes Brot chopped carrots and gravy, topped
snack | Snack, Imbiss with mashed potato and cooked in
bar | Riegel the oven. It’s a large dish which many
crisps | Chips people can have a portion of.
filling | Füllung, Belag
lettuce ˈletɪs | Kopfsalat
mayonnaise ˌmeɪəˈneɪz | Mayonnaise
common | üblich, gewöhnlich
actually | wirklich, eigentlich
oven ˈʌvn | Ofen
baked | gebacken Crisp Flavours
bean | Bohne Like cereal, the vari-
either…or.. | entweder ... oder ... ety of crisps on the
to savour | genießen, kosten British market is
to discard sth | etw. wegwerfen staggering. The
depending on sth | abhängig von etw. range of flavours
minced mɪnst | zerhackt, fein gehackt available includes:
beef | Rindfleisch tomato ketchup, cheese and bacon, flame
lamb læm | Lamm grilled steak, sausage and mustard, beef and onion,
peas | Erbsen butter and mint, prawn cocktail, and salt and vinegar.
chopped | geschnitten, gehackt
gravy | Bratensoße staggering | atemberaubend
topped with sth | abgerundet/garniert mit etw. prawn | Garnele, Krabbe
mashed potato | Kartoffelpüree

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ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

Toad in the Hole – another

simple, but favourite, dish. Tea or Coffee
This is sausages cooked
in Yorkshire pudding You may have noticed
batter. It’s prepared in there are many times that
a large dish, then divided Brits drink tea, but they
upon serving. The more do drink coffee, too.
extravagant Brits also prepare Typically, at least two
gravy to replace the ketchup it is usu- coffees in the morning
ally eaten with. break up the daily tea
marathon. Within the

Culture
homes of Brits, tea
Something and Chips – bags will be plenti-
in true British culinary ful, while the coffee
adventurous spirit, a very making facilities
popular dinner is to cook vary considerably.
chips in the oven and eat The more modern
them with a piece of meat households will often
or fish! The most popular have a coffee machine –
choices are chicken nuggets, probably one which uses
breaded cod or chicken breast. For capsules. Others often
a healthier option, the addition of boiled carrots and/or peas have a cafetière or percola-
or beans is welcomed. All of this is almost always eaten tor, but only use them when
with salt and ketchup. entertaining guests – the rest of
the time, instant coffee is used.

Super Supper?
Supper is not the most common word in Britain. Everyone
knows the meaning, but it’s not like people say, “what’s for sup-
per today mum?” very often. This is probably because eating
another meal after the big dinner is not something that’s expected
or scheduled. If someone is hungry in the time between eating
dinner and going to bed, they might have a snack, but rarely
a formal enough meal to warrant the term ‘supper.’ That being
said, evening food in the country could be a bowl of cereal, some
cold meats and cheese, a slice of toast, or (most often) something
sweet to go with one of the inevitable many cups of tea.
A Typical House
As well as the things needed to make the meals
described here, most houses contain basic ingredients for baking
and cooking (eggs, flour etc) and ready-made snacks to enjoy
anytime (biscuits, crackers, some chocolate). Brits are generally
not proud of their cuisine, but they are definitely not ashamed of
it either – like most nations, they enjoy their food and find it com-
forting. Overall, British food is not complicated, but that doesn’t
mean it’s not tasty! 
3 batter |  Backteig

divided | geteilt
to replace sth | etw. ersetzen, austauschen
adventurous | abenteuerlustig, kühn
chips | Pommes, Bratkartoffeln
breaded cod | panierter Dorsch/Kabeljau
boiled | gekocht
Potatoes! scheduled ˈʃedjuːlt | geplant
Potatoes feature heavily in the to warrant sth | etw. garantieren
British diet. From jackets to chips, cold meats | Fleischaufschnitt
mash to crisps – there is always room inevitable | unvermeidlich
for potatoes. Did you know there are 4 at least | wenigstens

over 500 types of potato grown around the world? Of
those, about 15 are widely available in Britain, and three
types are most commonly used: Rooster, Maris Piper
and Charlotte.
jacket | Schale, gekochte Kartoffelschale
available | erhältlich
to break up sth | etw. auflockern
coffee making facility | Gerät zum Kaffeekochen
considerably | beträchtlich, erheblich
household | Haushalt
percolator | Kaffeemaschine
definitely | entschieden, definitiv
ashamed of sth | wegen etw. beschämt
comforting | behaglich, beruhigend

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Conversation Matters

In the Kitchen
They say food brings people together, but understanding one
another while you’re chowing down doesn’t hurt. Get your apron on
as English Matters shares how to converse about cuisine.
to bring sb together | jdn. zusammenbringen
to chow down | zuschlagen, futtern
apron | Schürze
cuisine kwɪˈziːn | Küche

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ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

Verbs for Cooking to fry sth | etw. braten

to bake sth | etw.
• First, we need to fry the vegetables. backen
• My husband baked these potatoes. to season sth | etw.
• We will roast the duck tonight. würzen
• Have you seasoned the soup yet? to boil sth | etw.
• She grilled the most amazing sausages last week. kochen
• Let me just boil some water before we begin.

Different Courses course | Gang

starter/appetiser
• I prefer small starters/appetisers so I don’t get too | Vorspeise
entrée ˈɒntreɪ

Conversation Matters
full.
• The main course/entrée is the most important part | Hauptgang,
of a meal. Hauptgericht
dessert dɪˈzɜːt
• I try to avoid dessert/pudding whenever I can. | Nachspeise, Dessert
• This party is so formal that they even have hors hors d’oeuvres
d’oeuvres. | Vorspeise,
Horsd’œuvre

Cooking Collocations nourishing | nahrhaft

• My grandma makes the most nourishing meals. to feel peckish
• I can cook up a light meal if you’re feeling peckish. | hungrig sein
square meal
• I could really use a square meal right now. | ordentliche/reichliche
• There’s nothing quite like home-cooked food. Mahlzeit
• My cousin can prepare the best gourmet meals. gourmet ˈɡʊəmeɪɪ
| Gourmet-/
Feinschmecker-

Culinary Phrasal Verbs to go off | schlecht

• Keep this refrigerated so it doesn’t go off. werden, verderben
to thaw out sth
• If you thaw out the chicken now, it’ll be ready to
| abtauen, auftauen
cook later today. pork | Schweinefleisch
• Put the rice on now, and I’ll make the salad.
• Have you heated up the pork yet?
• Make sure the soup doesn’t boil over, please.

Kitchen Idioms to make one’s mouth

• Her cooking always makes my mouth water. water | jdm. den Mund
wässrig machen
• He’s got a sweet tooth, so make sure you have des-
to have a sweet tooth
sert ready. | eine Naschkatze sein
• I got a baker’s dozen* pastries from the shop. pastry | Gebäck
• It’s OK if you don’t like my dish. It’s an acquired taste. finger-licking | so
• This food is finger-licking good. lecker, dass man sich
• I prefer serving my guests with small bites. I don’t die Finger ablecken
want them binge eating. möchte
binge eating
* a baker's dozen means 13 of something | Heißhungeressen

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 A TASTY

CONVERSATION 1
Food Adjectives
– Taste

MYSTERY
• This sauce is too bitter/sour.
• I found the dish rather bland.
• Would you like a spicy or mild
main dish?
• I’m sorry, it’s just too salty/sugary. Penelope: I want everyone to close their eyes and take a bite of the food that
• It’s sickly sweet. I place in front of them. I want to see who can guess what I’ve been busy
• This is delicious. preparing all day.
Amy: Ooh, I’ll go first…OK, it tastes delicious. It’s very tender. I just can’t
bitter | bitter salty | salzig put my finger on it.
sour | sauer sugary | süß Doug: It’s got a nice kick to it. Not too spicy, but just right for me. You can
bland | fade sickly | ekelhaft,
definitely tell it was cooked with love.
spicy | scharf übersüß
Ralph: It’s a bit too gamey for me. Definitely not chicken, turkey or anything
Conversation Matters

like that. Bold flavours though…

Food Adjectives
– Quality
• His lamb came out too greasy/oily.
• My fish is a little underdone/under-
cooked.
• My mum’s cooking is very stodgy/
heavy.
• The chicken was bone-dry.
• I’d like my steak rare/medium/
well-done.
lamb | Lamm bone-dry
greasy | fettig | knochentrocken
underdone/under- rare | blutig
cooked | nicht medium | rosa,
gar medium
stodgy/heavy well-done | (gut)
| schwer durch
verdaulich
Dieting is Nuts
What’s the newest superfood you
should nibble on to lose some weight?
A new Harvard study found that
replacing an unhealthy snack each
day with a handful of nuts can stunt
weight gain. This is especially true
for older people. Nuts are packed
with fibre, protein, and a number of
vitamins and minerals. Instead of
something like crisps or chocolate,
as little as 14g of nuts on a daily basis
can set you up for a slimmer future.
These results come from a Harvard
experiment that examined the life-
styles of almost 190,000 people over
more than 20 years. The participants
ranged in age from 24 to 75. Across
the board, people who added nuts
Penelope: I appreciate the feedback. Now open your eyes and have a look.
What do you think it is?
Amy: Wow, it looks stunning. Like something I could get at a Michelin-star
restaurant. But it’s not any dish I can recognise.
Doug: You know, it’s intense, but it’s also sweet. This wouldn’t be rabbit,
would it?
Penelope: Right you are! I hope you don’t mind my little experiment. I tasted
this before and really wanted to treat you all to it.
tender | zart
kick to sth | Bei-/Nachgeschmack
definitely | definitiv, absolut
gamey ˈɡeɪmi | angegangen, nach Wild schmeckend
bold | ausgeprägt, kräftig
stunning | atemberaubend
to recognise sth | etw. (wieder)erkennen
to a healthy diet and ditched
detrimental snacks fared
the best. As one researcher
put it, “incorporating nuts
[into] a healthy diet by
replacing less healthy foods
may…beneficially contribute to the
prevention of obesity.”
to be nuts | verrückt sein
to nibble on sth | etw. naschen, an etw.
knabbern
snack | Snack, Imbiss
to stunt sth | etw. hemmen, behindern
fibre | Ballaststoff
instead of sth | anstatt etw.
on a daily basis | täglich
across the board
| allgemein, generell
to ditch sth | etw. stehen
lassen, weglassen
detrimental | schädlich
to fare | abschneiden
to contribute to sth | zu
etw. beitragen
obesity əʊˈbiːsəti
| Fettleibigkeit, Adipositas

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 ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

CONVERSATION 2
A KITCHEN NIGHTMARE
Derek: So, how did you like my dinner? Come on, you can be honest.
Zoe: To be perfectly frank, I just don’t think it was for me. I’m not a big fan of pork.
Derek: Really? Everyone else seemed to eat it right up. It’s a shame you’re such a picky eater.
Zoe: That’s not fair. You know what? Everyone was whispering about how much they detested it. They just ate it to
be polite.
Derek: What are you talking about? People love it when I cook for them.
Zoe: Derek, the pork was bone-dry. It was overdone. Way overdone.
Derek: Well, perhaps I kept it in for a minute or two longer than I should have…
Zoe: And it was utterly tasteless. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted something so
bland. A little salt wouldn’t kill you every once in while, you know?

Conversation Matters
frank | aufrichtig
picky eater | wählerischer/pingeliger Esser
to whisper | flüstern
utterly | absolut, gänzlich

As Sweet As Honey
Think all honeys are basically the honey is said to have many
the same? Think again. In one curative powers, too.
of 2019’s quirkiest stories, a bee-
keeper in Turkey believes he has quirky | skurril sonderbar
definitive proof that more expen- beekeeper | Imker
actually | eigentlich, in Wirklichkeit
sive honeys are actually a cut
to be a cut above the rest | etw.
above the rest. Whose palettes is Besseres als jd. sein
he trusting? Those of local bears. penchant for sth ˈpɒ̃ʃɒ̃ fə(r) ˈsʌmθɪŋ
Ibrahim Sedef from the coastal | Faible/Vorliebe für etw.
town of Trabzon discovered that beehive | Bienenstock
bears were stealing the honey that to entice sb away from sth | jdn. von
his bees were producing. In his etw. weglocken
consistently | regelmäßig, beständig
efforts to keep the thieves away, customer | Kunde
Sedef found that the bears had apart from sth | außer etw.,
a penchant for the honeys that he abgesehen von etw.
considered higher quality. curative powers | heilende Wirkung
To protect his various beehives,
Sedef put many different bowls of
food around his farm to entice the
bears away from his bees. Most
of the bowls had different types
and different qualities of honey
in them. Time and time again,
the bears would consistently go to
the bowl with the most expensive
honey. The other bowls hardly had
any visitors. Somehow, the
bears had the same tastes as
Sedef’s human customers.
In case you’re curious,
the premium honey in
question is known as
Anzer honey. Apart
from its fantastic taste,

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 20+ 5 I’m pretty far from ok.
Mir geht es (ganz und gar) nicht gut.
Me, myself and I. Do you often
begin a sentence with I? Don’t
worry! It does not have to
I’m sorely tempted
mean you are self-centred or to accept this offer.
egocentric. English Matters Ich bin sehr versucht, dieses Angebot
presents 25 sentences that are anzunehmen.
pretty useful when talking about
yourself.
Conversation Matters

T
I was a rookie then.
he following handy phrases, that can be used Ich war damals ein Anfänger.
in small talk or daily communication, will not
only enrich your vocabulary but also improve
your exchanges with the other people you come
across every single day. Let’s take a look at them and their
translations: I was astonished to see my
favourite poet.
to enrich sth | etw. bereichern
Ich war erstaunt, meinen Lieblingsdichter zu
to improve sth | etw. verbessern
sehen.
exchange ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ | Austausch
to come across sb | jdm. zufällig begegnen

I’ll take an
umbrella in case it rains.
Ich nehme einen Regenschirm mit, falls es
regnet.

I’m dog tired.

I don’t fancy going out tonight.
Ich bin hundemüde. Ich möchte heute Abend
I’m gonna
nicht ausgehen.
hit the sack.
Ich gehe ins Bett.

I can’t
I wouldn’t get used to working at
put up with it. night, I’m not a night owl.
Ich würde es nicht ertragen. Ich kann mich nicht daran gewöhnen, nachts zu
arbeiten, ich bin keine Nachteule.
owl aʊl | Eule

I’m sick
and tired of hearing your
complaints. I’m hard up at
Ich habe es satt, deine Beschwerden the moment.
zu hören. Ich habe im Moment kein Geld.

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ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020
I swear to God, I think I’m
jinxed.
Ich schwöre bei Gott, ich glaube, ich bin
verhext.
jinxed dʒɪŋkst | verhext
I wish to hell I could stay and fix it.
Ich wünschte, ich könnte bleiben und es
reparieren.
I was hooked
in seconds.
Ich war sofort süchtig.
I’m snowed under with work.
Ich bin mit Arbeit überlastet.
I hog the bathroom
every morning, which
I understand can be really annoying.
Ich nehme jeden Morgen das Bad in Beschlag,
was, wie ich verstehe, sehr ärgerlich sein
kann.
I was feeling really
under the weather.
Ich habe mich wirklich angeschlagen
gefühlt.
I hit it off with her
immediately.
Ich habe mich sofort mit ihr verstanden.
immediately ɪˈmiːdiətli | sofort
If I were you, I would
apply for this job.
Wenn ich Du wäre, würde ich mich für diese
Stelle bewerben.
I’ve only
a hazy idea what you mean.
Ich habe nur eine verschwommene
Vorstellung davon, was Du meinst.
I hope I’m
not a disappointment to you.
Ich hoffe, ich habe Dich nicht enttäuscht.
Conversation Matters
I was pour-
ing sweat.
Ich habe (in Strömen) geschwitzt.
to pour tə pɔː(r) | fließen, strömen
I’ll be
with you in a mo/in a jiffy.
Ich bin in einem Moment/im
Handumdrehen bei Dir.
jiffy ˈdʒɪfi | Augenblick, Moment
It was so hot
that I dozed off.
Es war so heiß, dass ich eingenickt bin.
I have
quite a sweet tooth, so
I always look forward to the dessert.
Ich bin eine ziemliche Naschkatze und
freue mich deshalb immer auf das
Dessert.
If you want to have better conversations in your social or
working life, learn the above phrases, incorporate them
into your daily vocabulary and then communicate more
effectively. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for you!
to keep one’s fingers crossed for sb | jdm. die Daumen drücken
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 How to Get Into
Shape at Home
You want to get into shape and feel great, but have no desire to join
a health club – it is too expensive, there is no gym nearby, or maybe
you just do not have time or energy after work to go out again. Many
people wish they could get a perfect beach body from eating junk
food and being a couch potato, but this is just not going to happen.
Even though getting fit sounds like a gruelling and time-consuming
process, the effort will have many positive effects. So if you want to
start your journey to having a better body and feeling healthy, here
are some tips to follow:

0 gym dʒɪm | Fitnessstudio

1 Exercise Daily
Try to work out daily, or as often as you
can, for at least an hour – consistency is the
key! Use simple tools to turn your home
into a gym. No need to invest in expensive
equipment to get a full-body workout at
home. A doorway pull-up bar, a yoga ball,
or small weights can give you everything
you need to build up all the major muscle
Tips
4 Choose the Stairs
Instead of the Lift
Do you live on the sixth floor? Fall in
love with your stairwell and the next time
you go shopping, forget the elevator and
carry your bags up. Once you get used
to climbing the stairs, it will become
a calorie-burning habit.
junk food | Junk-Food
couch potato ˈkaʊtʃ pəteɪtəʊ | Couch-Potato,
Bewegungsmuffel, Stubenhocker
to get fit | fit werden, sich körperlich
ertüchtigen
gruelling ˈɡruːəlɪŋ | strapaziös, zermürbend
daily | täglich
at least | wenigstens
consistency | Beständigkeit, Konsistenz
doorway pull-up bar | Türklimmzugstange

groups in the privacy of your own home. weights weɪtz | Gewichte

2 Work Out in Front
of Your TV Set
You can get your heart pumping by jog-
ging in place, stretching, or doing simple
lunges in your living room while watching
all your favourite TV shows.
3 Make it Your
‘Me Time’
Find a quiet space for your workout heaven
at home and let your family know that your
exercise time is sacred. If you can have half
an hour or so of uninterrupted “me time”
when nobody will trouble you while you are
exercising, you may find yourself starting to
long for working out instead of dreading it.
5 Eat Good Stuff and
Portion Each Meal
Try to stay away from sweets. Fruits and
vegetables are the best thing to eat when
getting into shape. Green veggies, such as
broccoli and spinach keep the digestive
system running. Stick to lean meats like
turkey, chicken or fish. These foods are full
of protein and valuable nutrients to help
keep muscles fit and ready for exercising.
Also, remember to portion what you eat.
6 Be Sure to Get
Enough Sleep
Even though most of us have jobs during
the day, it is essential to get enough sleep to
recharge the body’s batteries. Six to eight
hours of sleep will keep you going throughout
muscle ˈmʌsl | Muskel
stretching | Dehnen
lunge lʌndʒ | Ausfallschritt
workout | Training
uninterrupted | ununterbrochen
to trouble sb | jdn. stören
instead of sth | anstatt etw.
to dread sth | etw. fürchten, scheuen
2 lift | Aufzug
to fall in love with sth | sich in etw. verlieben
stairwell | Treppenhaus
elevator | Aufzug
to stay away from sth | sich von etw. fernhalten
digestive | Verdauungs-
to stick to sth | sich an etw. halten
lean meat | mageres Fleisch
turkey | Truthahn
nutrient | Nährstoff
enough | genug, genügend
to recharge batteries | seine Batterien
wiederaufladen

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ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

the day, but if you feel tired after coming home enthusiast of plain water, add slices of
from work, by all means, take a short, half-an- orange, lemon, lime or cucumber.
hour nap before exercising. In the long term,
it lowers your risk of heart disease and helps
you keep fit. For the best rest, turn in and wake 9 Go Offline
up at about the same time every day.

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Do you often check your email or social
media? The latest updates from friends
7 Do Not Skip and family are just a click away, but do
Breakfast you really need to see the pics of your

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This is important for lots of reasons. It
jump-starts your metabolism and stops you
from overeating later. In addition, research
has shown that adults who have a healthy
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neighbour’s latest outfit? Let it wait until
morning. Log out and put the phone down.
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When you cut back on the screen time, you
ceq
will be free to do other things like taking ODER HÖR ES
a walk, reading a book or exercising. DIR AN AUF

breakfast perform better at work. If a big english-matters-magazin.de

plate of food the first thing in the morning

does not sound like a good idea to you,
just have a muesli bar or a piece of fruit.
8 Drink
Plenty of Water
It can do so much good for you. Staying
hydrated is not only at the top of the list,
but may also help you lose weight. Do
you need another reason to go for H2O?
Fizzy drinks are full of sugar and linked
to obesity and diabetes. If you are not an
3 by all means | absolut, unbedingt
nap | Nickerchen
in the long term | langfristig
to lower sth | etw. verringern, reduzieren
heart disease | Herzleiden, -krankheit
to skip sth | etw. auslassen, übergehen
10 Be Mindful
It might involve meditating, or simply stop-
ping to smell the roses. Whatever you do,
research shows that mindfulness lowers
stress, relieves pain and improves your mood.
According to one study, eight weeks of regular
meditation might positively affect the parts
of your brain tied to emotions, learning and
memory. Even washing up can be good for
your brain, as long as it is done mindfully.
The good news is that by acting on
these pieces of advice, you can get into
shape and feel awesome without leav-
ing your home. Through a combination
of at-home exercises, good habits and
a healthy diet, you can be well on your
way to a better and happier life. 

to jump-start sth | etw. auf Touren bringen
overheating | Überhitzen, Überhitzung
to perform | performen, agieren, leisten
plenty of sth | eine Menge (von) etw.
hydrated | hydriert
to lose weight | Gewicht verlieren,
abnehmen
fizzy drink | kohlensäurehaltiges Getränk
obesity əʊˈbiːsəti | Adipositas, Fettleibigkeit
diabetes ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz | Diabetes
4 slice of sth | Scheibe (von) etw.
outfit | Outfit, Kleidung
to put sth down | etw. weglegen/aus der
Hand legen
mindful | aufmerksam, achtsam
to involve sth | etw. einschließen, beinhalten
to relieve pain | Schmerz lindern
according to sth | laut etw.
to affect sth | etw. beeinflussen
tied to sth | verbunden mit etw.
piece of advice | Ratschlag, Rat
awesome ˈɔːsəm | überwältigend, großartig
Household chores
What if we told you that carry-
ing out household chores can
actually replace hitting the gym?
According to the latest research, giv-
ing your kitchen a thorough going-
over might burn as many calories as
a 20-minute spin class. Age, weight
and gender do play a role, but, on
average, it is possible to burn from
100-300 calories per hour doing
housework. The estimates below
are for a person weighing about 68
kilograms:
• Sweeping x 10 minutes = 37 calo-
ries
• Vacuuming x 10 minutes = 37 calo-
ries
Tips
• Ironing x 20 minutes = 50 calories
• Mopping x 20 minutes = 42 calories
• Making beds x 10 minutes = 23
calories
• Washing dishes x 10minutes = 26
calories
chore tʃɔː(r) | Hausarbeit, Arbeit
actually | wirklich, eigentlich
to hit the gym | ins Fitnessstudio gehen
thorough | gründlich, sorgfältig
going-over | in die Mangel nehmen,
Reinigung, Saubermachen
gender | Geschlecht
on average | im Durchschnitt
sweeping | Kehren, Fegen
vacuuming | Staubsaugen
ironing | Bügeln

3 4
ü
31
 Welcome
to Mexico
Travel
Fact File: Cinco de Mayo
Ever heard of Cinco de Mayo? While Mexican-themed parties
are held all over the world on 5 May, this date really doesn’t
receive much fanfare in Mexico itself. Contrary to popular
belief, it is not Mexico’s Independence Day. That is observed
annually on 16 September. Instead, 5 May commemorates a
32
Mexican victory against the French in the Battle of Puebla.
The state of Puebla still marks this day with festivities, but
it’s nothing special for other Mexicans. Mexican immigrants
abroad began observing this day decades ago, and the interna-
tional community swiftly embraced the parties. Today, people
will chow down on Mexican dishes, listen to Mexican tunes,
and enjoy a crisp Mexican beer or two.
ü
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020
Itching for adventure? Thirsting for something
new? Ditch those humdrum holidays and head
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to Mexico for your next big getaway. English
Matters gives you the scoop on all Mexico has
to offer.
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M
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htj exico is a country like
ODER HÖR ES
DIR AN AUF no other. It gives off
english-matters-magazin.de a  Mediterranean vibe,
yet it never strays from its
Mesoamerican roots. Whether you’re on
the lookout for urban hotspots, historical
havens or breezy beaches, Mexico has it
all. If you haven’t been, come see exactly
USA
what you’ve been missing out on.
Mexico
Mexico
Tourism Tidbits
City
In 2018, Mexico had the seventh-
highest number of international tourist
arrivals. A record 41 mln tourists crossed
its borders that year, a figure that’s only
expected to keep on rising. Over 10 mln
annual visitors are from the USA, and
another 2 mln come from Canada. The
top European nations sending citizens
to check out Mexico are the UK, Spain,
Germany and France. After the United
States, Mexico is the second-most popular
destination in the Americas.
As the fifth-largest country in the
Americas in overall area, Mexico pro-
vides tourists with no shortage of experi-
ences. Ten cities across the country have
populations that surpass one mln, spoiling
urban explorers with a glut of sights to
0 to itch for sth tu ɪtʃ fə(r) ˈsʌmθɪŋ | begierig
sein nach etw.
to thirst for sth | Lust auf/Verlangen nach etw.
to ditch sth | etw. stehen lassen, sich etw.
entledigen
humdrum | eintönig, langweilig
getaway | Ausflug, Trip
scoop on sth | exklusive Informationen über/
zu etw.
1 Mediterranean ˌmedɪtəˈreɪniən | mediterran,
südländisch
to stray from sth | von etw. abschweifen
urban ˈɜːbən | städtisch, urban
haven | Hafen, Zufluchtsort, Paradies
to cross borders | Grenzen überschreiten
annual | jährlich
to check out sth | etw. ausprobieren, testen
1 2
ü
behold. With over 9,000 km of coastline
and perennial idyllic weather, Mexico’s
beaches, straddling both the Caribbean
Sea and the Pacific Ocean, rank among
the world’s best. Mexico has nine peaks
exceeding 4,000 m in elevation, making
its mountain ranges a hiker’s paradise.
Sizzling Cities
Most international tourists to Mexico
come in by plane to one of the country’s
bustling metropolises. For many, the capi-
tal of Mexico City is a vacation destination
all on its own. A population of nine mln
residents ensures that no one will feel
alone or bored on the city streets. Any
local will tell you that the beating heart of
the city is the Zócalo, known to the rest
of us as Constitution Square. This square,
one of the world’s largest, is where you’ll
find the National Palace, the Metropolitan
Travel
Cathedral, and the ruins of the ancient
Aztec capital. Mexico City’s largest park,
Chapultepec Park, houses stunning lakes
and a botanical garden. It’s also home to
three worthwhile museums: the National
History Museum, the National Museum
of Anthropology, and the Museum
of Modern Art. Other crowd-pleasing
s hortage of sth | Mangel an etw.
to surpass sth | etw. übersteigen, übertreffen
to spoil sb with sth | jdn. mit etw. verwöhnen
glut ɡlʌt | Überfluss, Schwemme
sight | Sehenswürdigkeit
2 perennial | beständig, ganzjährig
to straddle | sich erstrecken, überspannen
Caribbean ˌkærɪˈbiːən | Karibik, karibisch
peak | Gipfel, Berggipfel
to exceed sth | über etw. liegen, größer sein
als etw.
sizzling | brutzelnd
bustling | geschäftig, wuselig
to ensure | garantieren, sicherstellen
stunning | atemberaubend
worthwhile | lohnenswert, lohnend
a tad | ein bisschen
33
 Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan
attractions include a Mexican cooking
class and a night out experiencing lucha
libre, or Mexican professional wrestling.
For something a tad tamer, a sojourn
Travel
in Mexico’s second-biggest municipality,
Guadalajara, is a fantastic option. The
western city provides many outsiders with
a sublime mix of Mexican folk traditions.
You’ll find mariachi music on every street
corner. Lively rodeo competitions, called
charreadas, delight locals and tourists
alike. Guadalajara is also a great place to
learn a Mexican folk dance or two.
Urban centres in far-flung regions
of Mexico are not to be missed either.
Up north, the ultra-modern Monterrey
gives you a taste of Mexico’s wealth,
without abandoning its colonial charm.
The spectacular Santa Lucia Riverwalk
combines a majestic man-made river, the
monumental Macroplaza, and the festive
Fundidora Park. In Mexico’s extreme
northwest corner, the city of Tijuana is
one of the country’s fastest-growing. The
city’s proximity to the US border brings
scores of American tourists every day.
Many of them come for the legal gam-
bling and inexpensive plastic surgery,
along with other more sordid services.
Heading out east, Mérida is a calmer
3 4
ü
34
alternative to other rowdy cities. Mérida
is the Yucatán Peninsula’s largest city. It
possesses a gorgeous historical old town
and serves as the gateway to the area’s
more exotic hideaways.
Booming Beaches
Mexico’s metropolises are one thing,
but many tourists think a trip to Mexico
is incomplete without a stop at one of the
country’s beautiful beaches. On the east-
ern tip of the Yucatán, Cancún is prob-
ably the most popular beach destination
with the best tourist infrastructure. It’s
famous for its uninterrupted beaches with
powder white sand and turquoise water.
Its densely packed Hotel Zone is teeming
with all-inclusive resorts that are typically
packed with tourists, many of them from
North America. Bargain and luxury hotel,
restaurant, and shopping options abound.
Cancún has loads of Mayan ruins as well,
for those looking for a change of pace.
Just south of Cancún, you’ll find
the Riviera Maya, a Caribbean hotspot
that includes a number of cities with
world-class beaches. The top destina-
tion here is Playa del Carmen, but other
impressive tourist hubs can be found in
Tulum, Akumal and Puerto Morelos. The
island getaway of Cozumel is located
just off the coast of this region too, giv-
ing pleasure seekers even more tanta-
lising choices. This area has relaxing
beach resorts, but it also offers more
3 tame | zahm, friedlich, ruhig
sojourn ˈsɒdʒən | Aufenthalt
folk | Volks-
far-flung | entlegen, weit verstreut
wealth | Reichtum
proximity | Nähe
scores of sb | viele, eine Menge (von) jdm.
gambling | Glücksspiel
plastic surgery | plastische Chirurgie,
Schönheitsoperation
sordid | schäbig, schmutzig
4 rowdy | laut
gorgeous | wunderschön, hinreißend
hideaway | Zufluchtsort, Refugium
booming | blühend, florierend, boomend
uninterrupted | ununterbrochen
to teem with sth | vor etw. strotzen
resort | Ferienort, Urlaubsort, Resort
pace | Tempo
to include sth | etw. einschließen,
beinhalten
hub | Zentrum, Knotenpunkt
5 tantalising | betörend, verlockend
5
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

adventurous fare like open water fishing

and hopping nightclubs.
On Mexico’s Pacific coast, the best
beaches can be found in Cabo San Lucas on
the southern edge of Baja California. When
it comes to natural splendour and liveliness,
Cabo matches or surpasses Cancún and
Mexico’s other coastal gems. It has gained
a reputation for being a massive party town
with glittering nightlife, where it’s easy to spot
a celebrity or two. Watersports like scuba div-
ing are popular picks for a number of beachgo-
ers. Apart from the crisp waters, tourists also
delight in whale watching, horseback riding
and sightseeing in the charming old town.

Culture and Nature

If humming cities and trendy beaches
aren’t your scene, Mexico’s cultural sites
may be right up your alley. History buffs will
know to check out the many ancient ruins
that are littered across Mexico. The Mayan
remains at Chichen Itza and the Aztec pyra-
mids at Teotihuacan are some of the most
awe-inspiring structures in all the world. In
total, UNESCO has named 27 cultural sites
in Mexico to be World Heritage Sites. A num-
ber of these are pre-Hispanic archaeological
sites, but many are picturesque colonial-era
towns like Puebla and Zacatecas.
6 adventurous | abenteuerlich, kühn
fare | Kost, hier: Angebot
to hop | flitzen, hüpfen, tanzen
when it comes to… | wenn es um ... geht
gem | Juwel
scuba diving | Sporttauchen, Gerätetauchen
pick | Wahl
The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere
Reserve really is something to
behold.
buff | Fan
littered | übersät
awe-inspiring | ehrfurchtgebietend
picturesque ˌpɪktʃəˈresk | malerisch, pittoresk
refuge | Schutzgebiet
to cluster | sich sammeln
to sag | sich senken/durchbiegen

Moreover, the UN designated a further
six sites as natural World Heritage Sites.
These include the whale sanctuary at the
El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, Mexico’s
largest wildlife refuge. Also, the Monarch
Butterfly Biosphere Reserve really is some-
thing to behold. Millions of monarch but-
terflies come to this area each year. They
cluster onto the reserve’s trees, making
them appear orange and start to sag due to
the added weight. No other place on Earth
sees such a spectacular annual gathering.
Make Memories
in Mexico
Mexico should be on every international
tourist’s bucket list. It is generally affordable
and has comfortable subtropical and tropical
climate zones. Visitors who want to explore,
kick back or learn something will undoubt-
edly be satisfied by all the treasures situated
within Mexico’s borders. If you’re unsure
where to plan your next holiday, Mexico
may be more enchanting than you think. 
6
ü
Travel
apart from sth | abgesehen von/außer etw. due to sth | wegen/aufgrund etw.
crisp | frisch, klar, spritzig weight weɪt | Gewicht
sightseeing | Besichtigung von gathering | Zusammenkunft, Versammlung
Sehenswürdigkeiten, Sightseeing bucket list | Löffelliste
humming | brummend, dröhnend affordable | erschwinglich, bezahlbar
right up your alley | genau das Richtige für to kick back | ausspannen
jdn. enchanting | bezaubernd, hinreißend
Vocab Trainer
Many English words come from Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs.
Here are just a few:
• Coyote – a small wolf native to western North America
• Shack – a roughly built hut
• Chipotle – a smoked hot pepper that is used in cooking
• Ocelot – a nocturnal wildcat from Central and
South America
• Peyote – a hallucinogenic drug made from
a small spineless cactus of the same name
smoked | geräuchert
nocturnal | Nacht-, nachtaktiv
spineless | stachellos, wirbellos Ocelot
35
 On a British Couch
When going on holiday, there are now far more options than staying
in a hotel. English Matters looks at the pros and cons of staying in an
Airbnb or couchsurfing.
O
ne of the areas of the world
which has been surprisingly
transformed by the Internet
and other technological
advancements is the hotel industry. Apps
and person-to-person connectivity has
given rise to alternative accommodation
for people seeking alternative or cheap
places to stay when away. In England,
there are plenty of couches available,
as well as Airbnb’s. They have added to
the traditional BnBs dotted throughout
the country. This new type is usually
even more of a homely experience than
the traditional one, with people opening
up their homes to strangers who want
somewhere to stay, either in exchange for
money (Airbnb) or just in exchange for the
opportunity to do the same somewhere
Controversial Debate Topics
else (couchsurfing).
Couchsurfing Pros
This is probably the lesser-known of
the two alternative types of accommoda-
tion being looked at here. Couchsurfing is
an organisation which allows members to
offer their couch as a place for others to
sleep for the night for free. In exchange,
members also have the chance to stay on
other members’ couches for free!
1 2
ü
36
The major pro here should be obvious –
it costs nothing (although becoming a veri-
fied member of the website does involve
a small fee). The other pros include: getting
to know people, having a personal guide to
ask about the place you are staying, getting
to see the real life of a person living in your
destination, not just a hotel-version of the
place, and the choice of having many places
to stay in most areas (especially in big cities
like London).
Couchsurfing Cons
It’s a couch. If you’re looking for lux-
ury accommodation, or even just a bed,
couchsurfing is probably not the best
option. It’s usually (as the name sug-
gests) a couch that you’ll be sleeping on.
0 couch kəʊtʃ | Couch, Sofa
pros and cons | Vor-und Nachteile
1 advancement |  Fortschritt, Entwicklung
app | App
t o give rise to sth | etw. hervorrufen/
entstehen lassen
accommodation | Unterkunft, Unterbringung
available | erhältlich
dotted | verstreut
either…or… | entweder … oder ...
exchange for sth | Austausch für etw.
lesser known | weniger bekannt
to allow sb to do sth | jdm. erlauben, etw.
zu tun
2 obvious ˈɒbviəs | offensichtlich
to involve sth | etw. einschließen, erfordern
fee | Gebühr
to include sth | etw. einschließen, enthalten
luxury ˈlʌkʃəri | luxuriös, Luxus-
3
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020
For the same reason, it’s also not great for
couples, and almost totally unsuitable for
families. Another con is that the experience
is so dependent on the host and how you get
on with them. You’re entering a person’s
home while they’re still living there, so it’s
important not to be a burden or disturb them
– what if you don’t get on with that person?
Yes it’s nice to meet other people, but what
if you want some time alone, or find that you
have totally different interests to your host?
There is a massive amount of trust required
in couchsurfing, both in terms of safety and
security for all the people involved, but also
for comfort during the stay.
Airbnb Pros
In contrast to couchsurfing, when stay-
ing somewhere through Airbnb, you have
to pay for the accommodation. The website
is set up for people to offer spare rooms
or whole accommodation for short term
rentals. The accommodation is usually
within the home of the host while they are
still living there, but there are also options
on the website where people have prop-
erty specifically for the purpose – a sort
of private mini-hotel. Even in this latter
version, guests can get a little idea about
the life and typical décor of a typical house
in the chosen area, as the host would have
arranged it themselves. In the ‘spare-room’
scenario, one of the big pros is that you
In Numbers
• There are 183,600 couches on
offer in London on couchsurf-
ing.com.
• C ouc h su r f i ng.com a lso
arranges events to build
a community. At the time of
writing there are 122 events
planned for London.
• The Airbnb website has over
1,500,000 reviews of accom-
modation in London.
• For legal reasons, on Airbrb,
entire houses cannot be rented
for longer than 90 days per
year in London.
community | Gemeinschaft
entire | ganz, komplett
rented | gemietet
4
3 5
ü
get to see what it’s like in a normal house
in the area you are saying in – the kitchen
and bathroom which you use will be typical
of the area. In England for example, this
means that there will usually be a small
bathroom with bath and shower, plus a sink
with separate hot and cold taps! The toilet
is likely to be separate. Another pro is that
Airbnb offers more variety of location than
a hotel – as it’s personal housing, you’ll stay
on a normal street, not in a hotel complex
created for that purpose. Finally, Airbnb
is usually slightly cheaper than a hotel,
although there is a wide range of prices,
and they have all risen as the website and
idea has increased in popularity.
Airbnb Cons
It’s not a hotel, so forget about any hotel
comforts that you know and expect – there
will be no reception, no person to help
with your bags, and definitely no room
service! There might be towels and toilet-
ries included, but the building itself wasn’t
designed to be a hotel, so it might not be as
comfortable as staying in your own room in
a big hotel. The only information you have
about the accommodation is what the host
has put online and what previous guests
have said – this always creates a certain
level of uncertainty about the place you
have invested in for your holiday. It’s also
true that the Airbnb might not be as clean
or up-to-standard as a large hotel, which has
to achieve certain criteria by law. Finally,
when staying in another person’s home,
there is always the risk that you might not
like the hosts. Yes, it’s true you might have
a problem with other guests in a hotel, but
there you definitely have your own clearly
defined space which is totally separate to the
other guests. In an Airbnb, there is a certain
closeness to the host which could make it
harder for some people to relax.
Here to Stay
Airbnb has been so disruptive to the
hotel industry that some predict hotels as
we know them will cease to exist in the
future. Although this is quite an extreme
view, it’s obvious that alternative accom-
modation such as Airbnb and couchsurfing
are gaining in popularity and are likely to be
more common in the future. When going on
4 6
holiday, many people now look for private
accommodation in the heart of their chosen
destination, rather than a hotel in a tourist
area, and their options are becoming more
and more numerous. The hotel industry has
tried to fight back against this trend, and
there were even calls for Airbnb to be shut
down for tax-evasion a few years ago, but
the popularity of the scheme seems that this
type of accommodation is here to stay. 
3 couple |  Paar, Pärchen
unsuitable ʌnˈsuːtəbl / ʌnˈsjuːtəbl
| ungeeignet, unpassend
dependent on sb | abhängig von etw.
host | Gastgeber
to get on with sb | mit jdm. auskommen, sich
mit jdm. vertragen
burden ˈbɜːdn / ˈbɜːrdn | Belastung, Bürde
trust | Vertrauen
in terms of sth | in Bezug auf etw.
involved | involviert, beteiligt
stay | Aufenthalt
in contrast to sth | im Gegensatz zu etw.
set up for sb | aufgebaut/gegründet/
eingerichtet für jdn.
spare | frei, Extra-
short term rental | Kurzzeitmiete
within | innerhalb
latter | letzterer, letztgenannter
scenario səˈnɑːriəʊ / səˈnærioʊ | Szenario,
Plan, Gedankenspiel
Controversial Debate Topics
4 tap |  Wasserhahn
variety | Vielfalt
slightly | leicht, ein wenig
to rise | steigen
to increase in popularity | an Popularität
gewinnen/zulegen
definitely | bestimmt, definitiv
included | inbegriffen, einbezogen,
eingeschlossen
comfortable ˈkʌmftəbl | komfortabel,
angenehm, bequem
previous | vorheriger, voriger
uncertainty | Unsicherheit, Ungewissheit
up-to-standard | dem Standard
entsprechend
to achieve sth | etw. erreichen, erfüllen
disruptive | störend, zerstörerisch
to predict sth | etw. voraussagen,
prophezeien
to cease tə siːs | aufhören, enden, aussterben
to gain in popularity | an Popularität
gewinnen/zulegen
common | häufig, geläufig, verbreitet
5 numerous |  zahlreich
to fight back against sth | etw. bekämpfen
tax-evasion | Steuerhinterziehung
5
37
 A Short History of Cider
Humans and apples go back a long way, perhaps to Adam and Eve – did
they make cider? Well, no! Contrary to popular belief, the apple is not
actually mentioned in the Book of Genesis and it was just a simple case
of apple and evil being the same word in Latin. In truth, the first apple
trees began to spread in the Northern hemisphere about 50 million
years ago. Then people discovered that some apples might be eaten
raw or cooked, but others were only good enough to make apple cider.

C
ider making and drinking has
been a part of British history
for ages, even before Julius
Caesar tried a fermented apple
drink there in 55 BC. By the middle ages,
many farms had their own orchards, with
360 different varieties of cider apples.
The history of cider has had its ups and
downs, for example, in the 16th century,
when the popularity of cider declined in
favour of beer. Then, in the 18th century,
cider became a drink for all, both gentry
and working class: workers drank two
litres of it for breakfast, and some more
while toiling in the fields. Sadly, when
wine came to be trendy again, the market
for fine cider finally waned, but there is Revolution took people away from farms consumption is 54 litres per person/year,
Leisure

hope now, as small cider makers brew the
real thing – full of character and flavour.
Cider in North America
Before Europeans came to America,
native crab-apples grew across the con-
tinent, but the natives did not make any
cider. Some sources say that the first
apple trees from Europe were planted
in Virginia or Massachusetts in the 17th
century. Either way, cider soon became
the number one alcoholic drink in
America, even among children as water
was unsafe. In the 19th century, Johnny
Appleseed, one of America’s biggest folk
heroes, made creating new orchards and
planting thousands of apple trees his life’s
mission.
However, by the late 1800s, the popu-
larity of cider began to fall. The Industrial
and apple trees to live in the city. In
fact, cider making has never recovered,
although today craft apple cider is seeing
a revival.
Cider has also been popular elsewhere,
especially in northern Spain, where its
0 contrary to sth | entgegen etw.
actually | wirklich, eigentlich
to spread | sich ausbreiten
hemisphere | Halbkugel, Hemisphäre
raw rɔː | roh
1 orchard ˈɔːtʃəd | Obstgarten, Obstplantage
variety | Vielfalt, Sorte
ups and downs | Höhen und Tiefen
to decline | abflauen, sinken
in favour of sth | zugunsten (von) etw.
gentry | Oberschicht, niederer Adel
to toil | rackern, schuften
to be trendy | als schick gelten, in Mode sein
to wane | dahinschwinden, abflauen
to brew sth | etw. brauen, gären
probably the highest in the world.
If you want to try cider, you should
also know that it is full of antioxi-
dants, vitamin C and acetic acid and
has no gluten. So don’t be shy and raise
a glass. 
character ˈkærəktə(r) | Charakter, Note,
Wesen
crab-apple | Johannisapfel, Holzapfel
planted | gepflanzt
either way | so oder so, ganz egal
folk | Volks-
to fall | fallen, absinken, sinken
industrial | Industrie-, industriell
2 to take sb away from sth | jdn. von etw.
fortbringen/abziehen
although | obwohl
revival | Aufschwung, Wiederbelebung
3 acetic acid əˌsiːtɪk ˈæsɪd | Essigsäure
to raise sth tə reɪz ˈsʌmθɪŋ | etw. heben,
erheben

1 2 3
ü
38
 Confusing Adjectives

Adjectives may appear a bit problematic because they prolific/fertile

often sound similar or mean similar things but are used
in different contexts. Read our list of selected examples
to learn the difference between commonly confused
adjectives.
historic/historical
historic: important or likely to be important in history, e.g.
When the Berlin wall came down, it was a historic moment
for our country.
historical: connected with studying or representing things
from the past, e.g. He specialises in historical novels set in
19th-century England.
economic/economical
economic: relating to the economy of a particular country,
e.g. economic growth; trade, industry or money, e.g. The
economic forecast for next years is very good.
economical: not costing or spending a lot of money, e.g. I’m
prolific: it mainly refers to the production of a great number
or amount of something, e.g. books, songs.
He was a prolific writer of short stories.
fertile: is mostly used in a context of a fertile person, animal
or plant which are able to produce babies, young animals
or new plants.
People get less fertile as they get older.
readable/legible
readable – easy and pleasant to read, e.g. a book or an article
but also able to be read or deciphered, so the word may also
be used as a synonym for legible
legible – only means clear enough to be read, e.g. handwriting.
exceptional/exceptionable
something exceptional is superior, or rare (especially in
skill, intelligence, quality, e.g. courage, scores)

Language AUSSCHNEIDEN UND SAMMELN

very economical when it comes to buying presents. something exceptionable is offensive or undesirable —
open to objection, e.g. behaviour.
The exceptionable treatment of the patient led to lots of
prudent/prudish complaints.

prudent: cautious, careful and avoiding risks, e.g. It’s always As with anything in a foreign language, learning the dif-
prudent to have insurance cover. ference between these tricky adjectives takes some effort.
prudish: easily shocked or embarrassed by rude things, Fortunately, though, with a little bit of practice you’ll be
especially relating to sex. well on your way! 
My aunt is a bit prudish. She went as red as a beetroot
when she saw my sister wearing a deep V-neck and mini confusing | verwirrend reasonable | vernünftig
skirt. adjective ˈædʒɪktɪv | Adjektiv approach | Einstellung,
commonly | üblicherweise, Herangehensweise
häufig upset | verärgert,
drastic/dramatic novel | Roman erregt
economic ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk to burst into tears | in Tränen
drastic means sudden or extreme, e.g. drastic reductions | ökonomisch, ausbrechen
in price; wirtschaftlich prolific | erfolgreich,
dramatic may be used to describe a sudden or noticeable growth | Wachstum produktiv
event, but also refers to something suggestive of drama, full forecast | Prognose, fertile | fruchtbar
of action and excitement, e.g. a dramatic game. Vorhersage readable | lesbar,
when it comes to… | wenn es lesenswert
um ... geht legible | leserlich
sensible/sensitive cautious ˈkɔːʃəs | achtsam, handwriting | Handschrift
vorsichtig superior | besser
sensible: reasonable, having sense, logical and practical, insurance cover courage | Mut
e.g. a sensible answer/approach/person | Versicherungsdeckung undesirable ˌʌndɪˈzaɪərəbl
He is a sensible person who always acts on good judgement embarrassed ɪmˈbærəst | unerwünscht
and practical ideas. | beschämt, verlegen to lead to sth | zu etw.
sensitive: easily upset by the things people say or do. red as a beetroot | knallrot führen
When she burst into tears immediately, it showed she was noticeable ˈnəʊtɪsəbl complaint | Beschwerde
very sensitive to criticism. | auffällig, bemerkenswert fortunately | glücklicherweise

ü
 Confusing Adjectives | EXERCISES

I. Fill in the gaps with the following adjectives: Across:

historic • sensible • fertile • drastic • readable
• How many ________ buildings are damaged by natural
disasters each year?
Language AUSSCHNEIDEN UND SAMMELN
1. easily shocked or embarrassed by rude things, especially
relating to sex
3. r easonable and practical
6. surpassing what is common or usual or expected
7. suitable to or characteristic of drama; full of action and

• What a ________ novel. The plot was so enjoyable and excitement

gripping.
• The _________ woman gave birth to sextuplets. Down:
• Many employees had to accept ________ cuts in remu- 1. bearing in abundance, especially works like books,
neration. articles, CDs.
• It would be ________ to take an umbrella today. 2. (of handwriting, print, etc.) capable of being read or
deciphered
damaged ˈdæmɪdʒd | beschädigt sextuplets | Sechslinge 4. relating to the economy of a particular country; trade,
novel | Roman employee | Arbeitnehmer industry or money
plot | Handlung remuneration | Gehalt, 5. b elonging to the past; of what is important or famous
gripping | spannend, fesselnd Entlohnung
embarrassed | beschämt, verlegen
reasonable | vernünftig
II. U nderline the correct alternative: to surpass sth | etw. übertreffen, übersteigen
abundance | Überfluss, Fülle
• The child’s behaviour in public is exceptional/exception- print | Druck
able and should be corrected by his parents right away. trade | Handel
• Because I only get pocket money every month, I have to industry | Industrie
be extremely economical/economic in what I buy, so it
will last.
• It is not prudent/prudish to go swimming after drinking IV. F ind and circle the adjectives in the word search
five beers. puzzle below:
• There are many useful and highly legible/readable books
available in our library.

to underline sth | etw. pocket money | Taschengeld

unterstreichen extremely | extrem, äußerst
behaviour | Verhalten, Benehmen prudish | prüde
exceptionable ɪkˈsepʃənəbl legible | leserlich
| unschicklich, ungebührlich available | erhältlich

III. C omplete the crossword below:

legible
IV. economic, dramatic, prudish, prolific, sensible, exceptional, historical,
2. legible, 4. economic, 5. historical
III. across: 1. prudish, 3. sensible, 6. exceptional, 7. dramatic; down: 1. prolific,
II. e xceptionable, economical, prudent, readable
I. historic, readable, fertile, drastic, sensible
Answer key:

ü
ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

Over
From A to Z

Omnipresent O
• overbearing – wanting to control oth-
ers and their behaviour
I can’t stand my overbearing mother-
in-law.
• overjoyed – extremely happy
I was overjoyed when I heard the good
news.
omnipresent | allgegenwärtig • overdue – still not done after the date
that it should have already been done
I’m afraid it’s long overdue. You need
to pay this bill immediately otherwise
soon you won’t have electricity.
• to overburden sb – to give someone
too much work, responsibilities
I’ve been working here for two weeks
and I already feel overburdened.

overbearing | herrisch
mother-in-law | Schwiegermutter
extremely | extrem, äußerst
overdue ˌəʊvəˈdjuː | überfällig
bill | Rechnung
otherwise | andernfalls
to overburden sb tu ˌəʊvəˈbɜːdn ˈsʌmbədi
The Oval Office | jdn. überlasten

Since 1909 the Oval Office of the White House has been the office space of
the President of the United States. It has four doors and it is redecorated
by each president to suit their individual tastes. The main
piece of furniture for several presidents in the Office has to get/obtain
been the 19th century presidential desk called an someone’s
opinion on/ opinion to form
the Resolute Desk. (an opinion)
concerning

Leisure
sth

to give
Op shop to develop
an opinion
/express
(an opinion)

opinions
a difference
prevail Opinion of opinion
that…

to change/
to be of the
shift an same opinion
opinion
(opportunity shop) – a charity
shop with donated goods (new or
have
used). The money from the sale of an expert/
a high/low
professional
the goods goes to charity. opinion
opinion
a poor of sth
opinion
opportunity ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti | Gelegenheit
to prevail | vorherrschen,
charity | Wohltätigkeit
herrschen

ü
41
 ENGLISH MATTERS 2|2020

Rack Your Brain

1. R
 ead the text Cook Like a Brit and 3. Match the halves
answer the following questions
to raise ages
a) What does toast mean for British people?
middle a glass
b) What time is lunch usually eaten?
c) What are typical fillings of sandwiches? Industrial class
d) What time do people in Britain eat dinner?
ups a tree
e) What is the main meal of the day in Britain?
f) How is a baked/jacket potato prepared? contrary to way
g) What is inside shepherd’s pie?
to plant and downs
h) How is toad in the hole prepared?
i) How is supper perceived by the British? working Revolution
j) Do the British like eating potatoes?
either popular belief
sandwich ˈsænwɪtʃ | Sandwich, belegtes Brot
shepherd ˈʃepəd | Schafhirt, Schäfer to raise sth tə reɪz ˈsʌmθɪŋ | etw. (er)heben
perceived | wahrgenommen
/to plant a tree/either way/working class
Revolution/ups and downs/contrary to popular belief
Answer key: to raise a glass/middle ages/Industrial

2. Choose the correct answer

a) I’m sick and …………. of your excuses.
• tired • scared • jaded 4. F
 ill in the gaps with the
b) C ould you wait a few more days? I’m a bit hard …………. following words
this week.
• off • up • over gourmet • peckish • underdone • go off • home
c) I ’ll take a jacket in …………. it gets cold. square • underdone • thaw • bitter
• if • case • provided
d) I t was a pretty long day. I must admit that I’m …………. a) Let’s go and grab a bite. I’m starting to feel a bit ………….
Leisure

tired. b) It’s the best restaurant in the neighbourhood. It serves

• cat • mouse • dog truly …………. meals.
e) H e is not an early bird. On the contrary, he is a real night c) N othing compares to ………….-cooked food.
…………. d) A fter a whole day of hiking, we could really use a
• bird • owl • mole …………. meal.
f) I can’t go out with you this week. I’m snowed …………. e) You need to keep it in the fridge otherwise it will ………….
with work. f) This cucumber is really ………….
• over • up • under g) For me the meat is still …………. I like my meat to be
g) W e’ll be there in a …………. well-done.
• jiffy • jingle • jack h) Don’t forget to …………. out the meat. We’ll be prepar-
h) Don’t ask any cheeky questions. She won’t …………. up ing it later today.
with it.
• come • put • bring e) go off, f) bitter, g) underdone, h) thaw
a) peckish, b) gourmet, c) home, d) square,
Answer key:
excuse | Ausrede, Entschuldigung
to get cold | kalt werden
to admit that… | zugeben, dass ... to grab a bite | einen Happen essen
on the contrary | im Gegenteil neighbourhood | Nachbarschaft
owl aʊl | Eule hiking | Wandern
mole | Maulwurf otherwise | andernfalls
cheeky | frech, vorlaut well-done | gut durch
g)jiffy, h)put
Answer key: a)tired, b)up, c)case, d)dog, e)owl, f)under,

ü
42
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