Auf einen Blick / At a glance
Free Abitur English practice pack: analyse a text on AI and visions of the technological future, with guided annotation tools.
- Niveau / Level
- B2–C1 (GER/CEFR)
- Für / For
- Abitur
- Fertigkeiten / Skills
- Leseverstehen / Reading, Schreiben / Writing
- Schwerpunkt / Focus
- Text analysis
- Aufgaben / Tasks
- 5
- Kosten / Cost
- kostenlos, ohne Anmeldung / free, no sign-up
📘 Reference Guide: Rhetorical Devices
Example: "Isn't it time we asked what success really costs?"
Example: "When Maria was twelve, she watched her father work three jobs to pay the rent."
Example: "Nearly 40% of graduates now say they would take a pay cut for a shorter working week."
Example: "The corporate ladder has become a treadmill."
Example: "You already know the feeling — that quiet dread on Sunday evening."
Example: "They wanted freedom, flexibility, and a reason to get out of bed."
Example: "Our parents chased security; we chase meaning."
Exercise 1 · Match Rhetorical Devices
Read the article below. Match each highlighted quotation to the rhetorical/stylistic device it demonstrates.
The Machines We Made to Think: Living With Artificial Intelligence
Fifty years ago, a computer that could hold a conversation belonged firmly to science fiction. Would anyone in 1975 have believed that a machine could one day write poetry, diagnose illness, and argue philosophy — all before breakfast? Today, that machine sits quietly in millions of pockets.
Consider Dr. Amara Okafor, a radiologist in Toronto. Last year, an AI system flagged a tumour on one of her scans that she herself had missed on first review, and she has not looked at a scan the same way since. For her, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic curiosity — it is a colleague she did not choose but has come to rely on.
The scale of the shift is difficult to overstate. The American Medical Association reports that 66% of US physicians used AI tools in their work in 2024, up from 38% in 2023. What began as an experiment in laboratories has quietly become infrastructure.
Yet for every efficiency gained, a question is raised. We taught machines to see patterns we could not; now we must decide how much of our judgement we are willing to hand over in return. Optimists see a future of longer, healthier lives. Sceptics see a slow erosion of human expertise and accountability.
Both camps agree on one thing: the technology is not coming — it has already arrived. The only real choice left is not whether artificial intelligence will shape our future, but how wisely we choose to shape it back.
Exercise 2 · Purpose, Audience & Tone
Answer the following questions about the article's purpose, intended audience, and tone.
📄 Read the article again
Fifty years ago, a computer that could hold a conversation belonged firmly to science fiction. Would anyone in 1975 have believed that a machine could one day write poetry, diagnose illness, and argue philosophy — all before breakfast? Today, that machine sits quietly in millions of pockets.
Consider Dr. Amara Okafor, a radiologist in Toronto. Last year, an AI system flagged a tumour on one of her scans that she herself had missed on first review, and she has not looked at a scan the same way since. For her, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic curiosity — it is a colleague she did not choose but has come to rely on.
The scale of the shift is difficult to overstate. The American Medical Association reports that 66% of US physicians used AI tools in their work in 2024, up from 38% in 2023. What began as an experiment in laboratories has quietly become infrastructure.
Yet for every efficiency gained, a question is raised. We taught machines to see patterns we could not; now we must decide how much of our judgement we are willing to hand over in return. Optimists see a future of longer, healthier lives. Sceptics see a slow erosion of human expertise and accountability.
Both camps agree on one thing: the technology is not coming — it has already arrived. The only real choice left is not whether artificial intelligence will shape our future, but how wisely we choose to shape it back.
Exercise 3 · Effect Analysis
For each technique below, choose the answer that best explains its effect on the reader.
📄 Read the article again
Fifty years ago, a computer that could hold a conversation belonged firmly to science fiction. Would anyone in 1975 have believed that a machine could one day write poetry, diagnose illness, and argue philosophy — all before breakfast? Today, that machine sits quietly in millions of pockets.
Consider Dr. Amara Okafor, a radiologist in Toronto. Last year, an AI system flagged a tumour on one of her scans that she herself had missed on first review, and she has not looked at a scan the same way since. For her, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic curiosity — it is a colleague she did not choose but has come to rely on.
The scale of the shift is difficult to overstate. The American Medical Association reports that 66% of US physicians used AI tools in their work in 2024, up from 38% in 2023. What began as an experiment in laboratories has quietly become infrastructure.
Yet for every efficiency gained, a question is raised. We taught machines to see patterns we could not; now we must decide how much of our judgement we are willing to hand over in return. Optimists see a future of longer, healthier lives. Sceptics see a slow erosion of human expertise and accountability.
Both camps agree on one thing: the technology is not coming — it has already arrived. The only real choice left is not whether artificial intelligence will shape our future, but how wisely we choose to shape it back.
Exercise 4 · Order the Analysis Essay
Click the paragraph descriptions below in the correct order to build a well-structured analysis essay. Click a filled slot to send it back.
Exercise 5 · Write a Full Analysis
Write a full analysis paragraph (150–200 words) examining how the writer uses language to convey her message.
📄 Read the article again
Fifty years ago, a computer that could hold a conversation belonged firmly to science fiction. Would anyone in 1975 have believed that a machine could one day write poetry, diagnose illness, and argue philosophy — all before breakfast? Today, that machine sits quietly in millions of pockets.
Consider Dr. Amara Okafor, a radiologist in Toronto. Last year, an AI system flagged a tumour on one of her scans that she herself had missed on first review, and she has not looked at a scan the same way since. For her, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic curiosity — it is a colleague she did not choose but has come to rely on.
The scale of the shift is difficult to overstate. The American Medical Association reports that 66% of US physicians used AI tools in their work in 2024, up from 38% in 2023. What began as an experiment in laboratories has quietly become infrastructure.
Yet for every efficiency gained, a question is raised. We taught machines to see patterns we could not; now we must decide how much of our judgement we are willing to hand over in return. Optimists see a future of longer, healthier lives. Sceptics see a slow erosion of human expertise and accountability.
Both camps agree on one thing: the technology is not coming — it has already arrived. The only real choice left is not whether artificial intelligence will shape our future, but how wisely we choose to shape it back.
🎉 All Exercises Complete!
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