Texto EBAU Canarias 2018 Opción B

Why Bob Dylan Shouldn’t Have Gotten a Nobel

Bob Dylan does not deserve the Nobel Prize in Literature. He does deserve the many Grammys he has received, including a lifetime achievement award, which he won in 1991. He unquestionably belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1988. He is a wonderful musician, a world-class songwriter and an enormously influential figure in American culture. But by awarding the prize to him, the Nobel committee is choosing not to award it to a writer, and that is a disappointing choice.
Yes, Mr. Dylan is a brilliant lyricist. Yes, he has written a book of prose poetry and an autobiography. Yes, it is possible to analyze his lyrics as poetry. But Mr. Dylan’s writing is inseparable from his music. He is great because he is a great musician, and when the Nobel committee gives the literature prize to a musician, it misses the opportunity to honor a writer. As reading declines around the world, literary prizes are more important than ever. A big prize means a jump in sales and readership even for a well-known writer. But more than that, awarding the Nobel to a novelist or a poet is a way of affirming that fiction and poetry still matter, that they are crucial human endeavors worthy of international recognition.
The committee probably did not mean to discredit fiction or poetry with its choice. By honoring a musical icon, the committee members may have wanted to bring new cultural recognition to the prize and make it feel relevant to a younger generation. They could have chosen a writer who has made significant innovations in the form. They could have selected a writer from the developing world, which remains sadly underrepresented among Nobel laureates. Instead, the committee gave the prize to a man who is internationally famous in another field, one with plenty of honors of its own. Bob Dylan does not need a Nobel Prize in Literature, but literature needs a Nobel Prize. This year, it won’t get one.   
                                                                               (334 words)
www.nytimes.com, October 2016

1.- Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. Copy the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)
a) Bob Dylan’s lyrics are not considered a literary work on their own.
b) The Nobel committee’s decision to award Bob Dylan might have been taken to make the prize gain more significance among younger people.
c) The author’s reason to criticise the decision of the committee is that it deprives writers of getting it.


2.- Choose ONLY THREE of the following words and write a synonym (=), an opposite (≠), a definition or a sentence (  only one of these four)   to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words. (1.5 points)
a) – to deserve (line 1)
d) – to discredit (line 15)
b) – lifetime (line 2)
e) – instead (line 19)
c) –worthy (line 14)
f) – field (line 20)


3.- Read this conversation and complete your part. Write the numbers (1-8) and complete each sentence on your exam paper. (2 points)
You are talking to your English teacher about your final mark
You: Teacher, (1)______________________________ please?
Teacher: I only have a moment because I have a class in five minutes.
You: It’s just for  a minute.(2) ______________________________ ?
Teacher: Of course, but not now. I have the exams in the English office. What’s the matter?
You: I have been thinking and (3) ______________________________
Teacher: Your mark is correct.
You: I disagree! (4) ______________________________
Teacher: In reading comprehension? Higher? Why?
You: Yes,(5) ______________________________
Teacher: The final mark is not only the mark of one exam.
You: Then,(6) ______________________________?
Teacher: Everything you do for the English class counts in the final mark.
You: Sorry teacher, but (7) ______________________________
Teacher: The marks you have in every skill (listening, speaking, reading and  writing) and grammar affect  your  final mark. You made some mistakes because you didn’t understand the questions or the instructions given.
You: Sorry teacher, but I disagree! (8)__________________________
Teacher: Ok, You have the right to do it. No problem. Do it if you want to. I’ll have to write a report to the headmaster then.


4.- Choose only 4 of the following situations. Write what you would say in or about each one to show that you understand the context of the situation. Write between 6 and 20 words. (2 points)
1. -You and some of your classmates want to organize a summer trip. Make a suggestion and give a reason to support it.
2. - Your cousin is texting while driving. Give her some advice.
3. -You lent a friend your mobile to phone his/her mother but he/she is looking at your photos. Complain and express your dissatisfaction.
4.-  Your biology teacher says, “Animals shouldn’t be in zoos or a circus.” Express your agreement or disagreement.
5.- A friend of yours says, “Lyrics should be a very important part of a song. That’s why I don’t like reggaeton music”. Make a comment.
6.- You borrowed a friend’s mobile to phone your mother but he/she sees you are looking at his/her photos. Apologize and try to give an explanation.


5.- Write a composition of about 100 – 120 words on ONE of the following topics. (3 points)
a) Most awards are given on the basis of marketing rather than on the basis of talent. Give your opinion.
b) Reading is much more than just entertainment. Give your opinion.

Texto EBAU Canarias 2018 Opción A

The Failures of Spain’s Fight Against Domestic Abuse

Ten years after Spain introduced a network of courts* specializing in domestic violence cases, experts are warning that sexist stereotypes and sexist forms of behavior persist.  In fact, last year, in the whole of Spain, sixty women were murdered – beaten to death, stabbed or burnt by partners or ex-partners – as a result of gender violence. The highest rate of victims of domestic violence is in the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands while the lowest ratio is in La Rioja. The national average is 15.2 cases per 10,000 women.
Organizations that work with victims insist on the need to eradicate sexist attitudes that remain deeply established in Spanish society and to report domestic abuse more frequently. However, a survey by the Adecco Foundation found that 91 percent of abused women failed to report violence for fear that either they or their partners would lose their job.  The foundation, which helps victims find employment, ties the number of complaints to the effects of the economic crisis. The report also revealed that 65 percent of victims did not have a job at the time of the abuse. And 81 percent responded that the best way to deal with abuse was to be financially independent.
Fortunately, the latest Interior Ministry figures show that six percent of Spanish prison inmates are serving sentences for gender violence. The president of the Domestic and Gender Violence Observatory, Ángeles Carmona, welcomes the rise in the number of criminal convictions for gender violence. “Abuse no longer enjoys impunity,” says Carmona.
Her predecessor, Inmaculada Montalbán, also applauds the change but adds that a major tool in the domestic violence law – education – has suffered setbacks in the last decade. “The best vaccine against violence is education; the justice system acts when the violence has already taken place”, she explains.  Montalbán believes that the elimination of civic education courses from the school curriculum has “deactivated” a good tool for breaking stereotypes.           

                     (322 words) Taken from different sites *courts = tribunals

1.- Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. Copy the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)

a) Education in schools is not an effective weapon to eradicate sexist abuse.
b) Gender violence crimes started a decade ago. 

c) According to statistics, women in the two Spanish archipelagos are at increased risk for domestic violence.

2.- Choose ONLY THREE of the following words and write a synonym (=), an opposite (≠), a definition or a sentence (  only one of these four)   to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words. (1.5 points)
a) –whole (line 2)

d) – to deal with  (line 13)

b) – deeply (line 7)

e) – figures (line 14)

c) – to tie (line 11)

f) – major (line 18)

3.- Read this conversation and complete your part. Write the numbers (1-8) and complete each sentence on your exam paper. (2 points)
Your friend Bob and you are going to share an apartment next year when you start university

You: We have to find an apartment. (1) _________________________________?

Bob:  In the city center near the shopping area.

You: But don’t you think we should live much closer to the Schools of Chemistry and Mathematics, where we’ll be studying.

Bob: OK. But I don’t want anything too expensive. I can’t afford it.

You: All right. And (2)_____________________________________?

Bob: I think we need at least two bedrooms; we should each have our own. That way, we’ll be able to study better. Don’t you think so?

You:  (3) ____________________________________________

Bob: And what about cleaning the flat?

You:  (4) ______________________________

Bob: I don’t agree with you. That’s not enough.

You: Really? And (5) ____________________________?

Bob: I think we should pay someone to clean it.

You:  But you’ve just said you don’t have a lot of money. (6) __________________?

Bob: True, I don’t, but cleaning is so boring!

You: Yes, but if we do the cleaning ourselves, (7) _______________________________

Bob: All right, all right.  And who’s going to do the cooking?

You: I think we should both take turns because (8)__________________________

Bob:  That’s not a bad idea.

4.- Choose only 4 of the following situations. Write what you would say in or about each one to show that you understand the context of the situation. Write between 6 and 20 words. (2 points)

1. - You have received the best mark on an exam in your Maths class. What do you say to your best friend, who failed the exam?

2. - Your Science teacher is organising activities to raise environmental awareness. Make a suggestion.

3. - Your classmates ask you for help to organise a party to celebrate the end of the academic year. Give them a polite refusal. 

4. - You’ve lost your sister’s MP4 player. Explain and apologise.

5. - Your friend has uploaded a picture of yours to Facebook without asking for permission. Complain to her/him, showing you are angry.

6. - At school, you see a student being bullied. Try to convince her/him to report it, giving her/him some advice.

5.- Write a composition of about 100-120 on ONE of the following topics. (3 points)

a) – Write an e-mail to your school newspaper editor suggesting what can be done in your school to fight against domestic abuse.

b) – Being a woman in Spain: no gender equality

Reading Comprehension: Muzak

“MUZAK”

 “One moment, please.” As your telephone call is put on hold, music suddenly swells through the receiver. Muzak, “the background music “ so familiar to us today in public places as well as on the telephone, was invented by General George Squier in 1922. It was originally designed to increase productivity in the workplace but is has also had other purposes; for example, in the 1920s , Muzak was introduced into the lifts of skyscrapers to calm the passengers. But, can background music control behaviour as well as feelings? Psychology Proffesor Adrian North conducted a study to discover if this music could influence customers’ choices. His team arranged for a supermarket to play French accordion and German brass-band music at different times to see if this affected the sale of wines from these countries. The wines were clearly labelled and identified by country name and flag to avoid confusion, and the prices of the wines were comparable. After two weeks, the results were clear. When the German music was broadcast, 73% of the wine sold was German. Conversely, when the French music was aired, 77% of the wine sold was French. Most of the customers interviewed after doing their shoppings insisted that they had no preference for either country’s wine.

QUESTIONS 

1.-ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FROM THE TEXT:

 a) Why was background music originally designed?

b) What did Proffesor Adrian North wanr to discover?

c) How were French and German wines identified?

2.-SAY IF THESE STATEMENTS ARE TRUE OR FALSE . PROVIDE SOME EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT. 

a) Muzak was introduced into the lifts of skyscrapers to make people work harder.

 b) Customers had previous preference for French wines.

 3.- FIND WORDS OR PHRASES IN THE TEXT THAT MEAN :

a) Become larger:

 b) Aims:

 c) Similar:

 4.1.- Change into the active voice:

Background music was invented by George Squier. _______________________________________________________________

 4.2.- Write the question for this answer :

 Paul has been listening to music for three hours. _________________________________________________________________?

4.3.- Write the following sentence in the negative:

The wines were clearly labelled and identified . _________________________________________________________________

 5.-WRITING: Write an e-mail to a friend or relative telling him/her about your plans for next summer

Reading comprehension: Travelling

TRAVELLING

 The government has recently presented its plans for air travel. It wants to make the two London airports bigger. Some people have already started complaining. They say that planes already make too much noise and cause too much pollution. They also say that the air travel is very cheap and easy. They think that the government should make air travel more expensive and stop people travelling by plane.

Of course there are problems with air travel but there are also so many good things about it.

My grandparents never went abroad and they didn’t know much about the rest of the world. They thought that the north of England was a foreign country. My life is very, very different. I work for a German company, so I often need to travel to Germany, I live with my Argentinean wife, and we go to Japanese, Italian, Spanish restaurants. We watch films from all over the world. We speak three different languages.

 Long ago it took days to travel from Europe to America and only rich people could travel, but now things have changed a lot. You can find very cheap tickets in the Internet. We sometimes go to Holland to spend the weekend –or France or Spain.

1. Give full answers to the following questions:

a) What are the plans the English government has?

 b) Do people agree with those plans? Say why/why not?

 c) What do they say about airplanes?

d) How different is the writer’s life from his grandparents?

e) Where does the writer sometimes spend the weekends?

2. Say if these statements are true or false. Provide some evidence from the text.

1. My grandparents thought that the south of England was a foreign country.

2. People can find cheap tickets in the Internet.

3. Find words or phrases that mean:

1. Contamination

2. In a foreign country

3. Business

4. 1 Change into the passive voice: “ The government has recently presented plans for air travel”

4.2 Write the question for the underlines part of this answer: “Some people have already started complaining”

4.3 Write the following sentence into the reported speech: “ My grandparents never went abroad and they didn’t know much about the rest of the world”

Reading Comprehension: The Amish

THE AMISH

            The name “Amish” comes from Jacob Amman, a seventeenth-century bishop in Switzerland. Although the Amish originated in Europe, they emigrated to the U.S.A. in search of religious freedom.

               

They live in small towns, also called settlements in nineteen states in the U.S.A., southern Canada and Central America. No matter where they settled, they continued their traditional farm life and their religious customs.

               

Amish children are frequently educated at home or in traditional Amish one-room schools and they do not attend classes after the eighth grade. The Amish teach their young people how to be homemakers and farmers, carpenters and tradesmen from a very early age.

               

Some people think that the Amish are strange because they do not use petrol or electricity which pollute the environment. They are against cars, tractors, radio, television and telephones. They believe they should keep our planet clean.

               

Choosing a wife or husband is a key decision in an Amish person life. It is interesting that instead of a diamond or gold ring, a man gives his bride china or a clock before they get married. At the wedding ceremony, the bride wears a blue dress which is the most popular colour choice. Finally, the wedding usually takes place in November or December, on a Tuesday or a Thursday. It is a fascinating event.

               

They speak a dialect of German at home; they use “standard” German at their church services; and they learn English at school. They speak English when they have to communicate with anyone who is not Amish.

A. Decide whether the following statements are True or False. Provide the evidence. 3 points.

1. The Amish live in towns in nineteen countries.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. The Amish don’t like pollution at all.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. They don’t take marriage seriously.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Answer  these questions in your own words. 4 points.

1. Where are Amish children educated?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. When and what are the weddings like?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Synonyms. 2 points.

1. moved to (1^st par.): ____________           5. unusual (4^th par.): ________________

2. looking for (1st par.): __________            6. not in favour of (5^th p.): ___________

3. tiny (2^nd par.): ________________           7. amazing (5^th par.): _______________

4. typical (3^rd par.): ______________           8. study (6^th par.): _________________

D. Complete with the correct form of the grammar seen in class. 1 point.

1. Mike ______________________ (live) in Liverpool _____________ he was born.

2. ____________________ (Frank/ drink) champagne?

3. We _____________________ (not do) the washing-up.

4. My best friend ____________________ (not tidy) his room.

Reading Comprehension: Who reached the south pole first?

WHO REACHED THE SOUTH POLE FIRST?

                In 1900 there were two places in the world that were not explored. These were lands of snow and ice- The North Pole and the South Pole.

                As a young man in Norway, Roald Amundsen read about explorers who tried to reach the North Pole, and he wanted to reach it, too. It became his dream. The first step was to learn how to sail, so Amundsen went to sea as a worker on a ship when he was 22. Later, he worked on a ship that went to Antarctica. Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. The South Pole is in the center of Antarctica. It was an exciting trip, but they did not reach the South Pole.

                He sailed on many ships and worked his way up to the top jobs. In 1903, he was the captain of a ship on its way to the Arctic. This ship was the first to sail the Northwest Passage. The Northwest Passage was important because it helped people to travel from Europe to Asia.

                Amundsen was now a famous explorer, and he started to plan his voyage to the North Pole. Then he learned that an American named Robert Peary was already there. Amundsen wanted to be first, so he changed his plans and went to the South Pole instead. He heard that an English explorer named Robert Scott was on his way to the South Pole, so Amundsen sent him a message. He said that this was now a race.

                When Amundsen reached Antarctica, he and four of his men started toward the South Pole. There was only ice and snow, and the wind was freezing. He had teams of dogs to pull sleds full with food and tents. They climbed mountains of snow and fell through holes in the ice. Finally, they were near the South Pole. They didn’t know whether Scott was already there. They reached the South Pole on December 14^th, 1911, and there was no sign of Scott.  Amundsen won the race. 

                Scott and his group were on their way, but they were not prepared for the extreme weather. They did not have the right clothes, and Scott had horses instead of dogs. The horses were not used to the freezing weather of Antarctica, and the men had to shot them. The men then had to carry everything. Scott and his men finally arrived at the South Pole, but 33 days after Amundsen’s group. Scott saw the Norwegian flag and was sad. He and his men returned to their camp. On the way, one man died. At the camp the four men didn’t have fuel for heat.

1. Decide whether the following sentences are True or False and copy the evidence from the text. 2 points

1. Amundsen never wanted to reach the North Pole.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Scott used horses to pull his sleds.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.  Answer the following questions according to the information in the text using your own words. 2 points

1. Where did Amundsen’s  ship go in 1903?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What happened with the horses?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Find synonyms in the text. 2 points

1. Get to_____________________p.2         5. Competition__________________ p.4

2. Journey ____________________p.2        6. Sledge ______________________p.5

3. Prepare ____________________p. 4        7. If _________________________ p.5

4. Alternatively_________________p.4      8. Combustible _________________ p. 6

Reading Comprehension: Travelling

TRAVELLING

 The government has recently presented its plans for air travel. It wants to make the two London airports bigger. Some people have already started complaining. They say that planes already make too much noise and cause too much pollution. They also say that the air travel is very cheap and easy. They think that the government should make air travel more expensive and stop people travelling by plane.

Of course there are problems with air travel but there are also so many good things about it.

My grandparents never went abroad and they didn’t know much about the rest of the world. They thought that the north of England was a foreign country. My life is very, very different. I work for a German company, so I often need to travel to Germany, I live with my Argentinean wife, and we go to Japanese, Italian, Spanish restaurants. We watch films from all over the world. We speak three different languages.

 Long ago it took days to travel from Europe to America and only rich people could travel, but now things have changed a lot. You can find very cheap tickets in the Internet. We sometimes go to Holland to spend the weekend –or France or Spain.

1. Give full answers to the following questions:

a) What are the plans the English government has?

 b) Do people agree with those plans? Say why/why not?

 c) What do they say about airplanes?

d) How different is the writer’s life from his grandparents?

e) Where does the writer sometimes spend the weekends?

2. Say if these statements are true or false. Provide some evidence from the text.

1. My grandparents thought that the south of England was a foreign country.

2. People can find cheap tickets in the Internet.

3. Find words or phrases that mean:

1. Contamination

2. In a foreign country

3. Business

4. 1 Change into the passive voice: “ The government has recently presented plans for air travel”

4.2 Write the question for the underlines part of this answer: “Some people have already started complaining”

4.3 Write the following sentence into the reported speech: “ My grandparents never went abroad and they didn’t know much about the rest of the world”

Reading Comprehension: SPAIN’S WATER WARS

Este es otro examen propuesto por la Universidad de Salamanca. En este caso nos dan una palabra de glossary para que nos resulta más fácil el texto. Pero la estructura general sigue siendo la misma.
Suerte!

Reading Comprehension: A UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE TO RACISM

Este texo es una propuesta de la Universidad de Salamanca para la selectividad del 2004. El formato con la actual EVAU no ha cambiado tanto, así que esta propuesta es una práctica útil para repasar vocabulario y practicar las respuestas a las preguntas.

English Text Exam 0 CYL

Este es el examen de inglés que ha dejado como modelo la Universidad de Salamanca.
Como veis hay dos opciones: A y B
A simple vista parece tener el mismo formato que otros años, aunque tiene pequeñas modificaciones.