Understanding texts

Most of Alaska is wilderness; tundra, mountains and forests. Part of it has been changed by man and his technology. Since 1940 big companies have come to Alaska with hundreds of machines, thousands of workers and millions of dollars. When they discovered oil in 1968 they didn´t know how to transport it to the South. They tried out transport by sea. Then they made plans to build a pipeline. People thought that a pipeline would be safer and quicker although they feared that in the cold winters the oil would be too thick to run through it. The Indians who were living in Stevens Village didn´t want the pipeline to go through their land. After long discussions with the Indians they were given millions of dollars, and the oil companies were allowed to build the pipeline. Most of the men who work for the oil companies earn good money, so they don´t mind the hard winters and bad weather. Life can be boring in the middle of winter when you can´t see the sun for over two months.

a)

Was erfährst du im Text über die Wildnis Alaskas?

b)

Was geschah dort 1968?

c)

Welche Vor- und Nachteile einer “pipeline” werden genannt?

d)

Wie konnten Gegner der “pipeline” zufrieden gestellt werden?

e)

Wie sind die Lebensbedingungen der Arbeiter im Winter?

(Prüfungsaufgabe Hauptschule Baden-Württemberg, 1991)