At the B1 level, you are expected not just to describe situations but to express and defend your opinions in German. Several formulaic phrases make this easy to do. Use Ich finde, dass ... to introduce a personal view, with the verb sent to the end: Ich finde, dass Deutsch eine schöne Sprache ist. For more formal contexts, use Meiner Meinung nach, which inverts the word order: Meiner Meinung nach sollte man mehr Sport treiben. To take a stance on a proposal, you can say Ich bin dafür (I am in favor) or Ich bin dagegen (I am against), often followed by a dass-clause: Ich bin dafür, dass wir mehr Pausen machen. To express belief, use Ich bin der Meinung, dass ... or Ich glaube, dass ..., and to agree with someone else's statement, use Es stimmt, dass ....
B1 learners are also expected to have a basic knowledge of German society. Germany consists of 16 Bundesländer (federal states). The largest by area is Bayern (Bavaria), with its capital in München, while the most populous is Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW), with around 18 million inhabitants and its capital in Düsseldorf. Three states are Stadtstaaten (city-states) because they are both cities and Bundesländer at the same time: Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen. Berlin is also the federal capital. Other important states include Baden-Württemberg (Stuttgart), Hessen (Wiesbaden), and Sachsen (Dresden).
The German school system begins with Grundschule (primary school, grades 1–4), after which students are sorted into different tracks based on ability and recommendation. Hauptschule ends around grade 9 and prepares students for manual or vocational careers; Realschule ends with grade 10 and leads to mid-level careers; and Gymnasium is the academic track that concludes with das Abitur (often shortened to Abi), the university-entrance qualification. Without the Abitur, students usually pursue eine Ausbildung, vocational training. A particularly famous model is the duale Ausbildung, which combines practical work at a company with classes at a Berufsschule over 2 to 3.5 years. Being able to talk about the Bundesländer, the school system, and your own Berufsfeld demonstrates the kind of cultural and civic competence expected at B1.