30-3 febrero 2012
Part A. Reading Comprehension. Read the following text:
Amphibians may soon disappear
The Chinese calendar says 2008 is the year of the Rat, but according to the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA), 2008 should be the Year of the Frog. The reason is that frogs are disappearing from
our planet at an alarming rate and, in a few years, they may all be extinct.
In August 2007, more than 230 delegates representing zoos and aquariums from 35 countries gathered
in Hungary to sign a petition, calling on governments to help preserve amphibian life. This marks the
first time that zoos and aquariums have initiated a global call to action on behalf of an endangered
class of animals. Their concern is that one-third to one-half of all species of frogs are in danger of
becoming extinct in the near future — which would be the largest mass extinction since the
disappearance of the dinosaurs.
About 4,000 species of amphibians exist worldwide and most of them are frogs and toads. The term
amphibian comes from the Greek amphibios and means double life, referring to the fact that they begin
life in the water as tadpoles and gradually transform themselves into land dwelling creatures with legs.
Frogs are "cold-blooded" and rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. The skin of a
frog is moistened by the secretion of numerous mucous glands and plays a vital part in the frog's water
balance, respiration and protection. But since the skin is highly permeable to water, it also makes them
highly susceptible to environmental changes.
TEXT 2
Britain’s mean streets
Staying home in the face of danger isn’t the British way. Yet last year more than a fifth of Britons avoided going out at night rather than risk encounters with a new form of terror: groups of children. Britons are frightened of their own young.
On any Saturday night it’s easy to see why. “It usually starts outside McDonald’s -that’s the hot spot”, explains one London youth. There are always people there, with nothing to do but intimidate and get kicks.
The English boys and girls who casually pick fights are often fuelled by cheap alcohol. And they try drugs or start smoking earlier than other Europeans. As Gordon Brown has recently said: “Kids are out of control... They’re roaming the streets. They’re out late at night. There’s an issue about gangs in Britain and an issue about gun crime as well as knife crime”.
According to one expert, for a “significant minority” of British children, criminality, excessive drinking, drug-taking and promiscuity really have created a crisis. “If I was sitting in government, I’d be really worried, not about terrorist bombs but about this”.
All over the world, teenagers give their parents headaches. Why are British kids worse? It may be that parents aren’t always around to help socialise their children or even just to show them affection. Compared to other cultures, British kids are less integrated into the adult world and spend more time with other kids. Many British adults seem to view children as an entirely separate species. And if no adult has love for you, you aren’t going to feel love for other people when you get older.
I. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account the information in the text (2 points: 1 point each)
a. Why did more than a fifth of Britons avoid going out at night last year?
b. According to Gordon Brown, why are British kids out of control?
II. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Identify the part of the text that supports your answer by copying the exact passage on the answer sheet (1.5 point: 0.5 each)
a. British youngsters’ violence is favoured by access to alcohol.
b. Gordon Brown is worried about terrorist bombs and teenage violence.
c. Many British children lack affection from their parents.
III. Find a synonym for each of the four words below from these six options: (1 point: 0.25 each)
Encounters FRIGHTENED, SIGNIFICANT, WORRIED, HEADACHES, INTEGRATED
a. substantial
b. meetings
c. scared
d. preoccupied
IV. Choose a, b, or c, in each question below. Only one choice is correct (1.5 points: 0.5 each)
1. Kids intimidate and get kicks outside McDonald’s because...
a) there are many people outside and cannot enter the restaurant.
b) they have no intention to do anything else.
c) they can only socialise outside and not inside.
2. Fights and alcohol...
a) are the only two factors of kids’ lives that the government should be worried about.
b) are two of the factors of kids’ lives that have caused a crisis in Britain.
c) are the two factors that lead to kids’ promiscuity and drug-taking.
3. British kids...
a) need their parents in order to be positively integrated into society.
b) need their parents more than children from other cultures.
c) need their parents in order to stop giving them headaches.
Part B. Composition (130-150 words approximately). Choose one of the following topics (4 points)
1. Do you think that Spanish kids are like British kids and have similar problems?
2. What can be done to integrate kids into society? How can we prevent kids from being violent, taking drugs, drinking heavily and being promiscuous?
I. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account the information in the text (2 points: 1 point each)
a. Why does AZA state that 2008 should be the Year of the Frog?
b. Why does the Greek word amphibios mean double life?
II. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Identify the part of the text that supports your answer by copying the exact passage on the answer sheet (1.5 point: 0.5 each)
a. Most frogs became extinct just after the disappearance of dinosaurs.
b. Frogs and toads are the most common amphibians.
c. The skin of frogs is waterproof.
III. Find a synonym for each of the four words below from these six options: (1 point: 0.25 each)
rate
a. dampened
b. request
c. worry
d. pace
petition endangered concern Worldwide moistened
:
IV. Choose a, b, or c, in each question below. Only one choice is correct (1.5 points: 0.5 each)
1. In August 2007, delegates from 35 countries gathered ...
a) to discuss the preservation of amphibian life.
b) to study the extinction of dinosaurs.
c) to write a book about frogs.
2. Frogs are born as ...
a) land dwelling creatures with legs.
b) toads.
c) tadpoles.
3. The body temperature of frogs ...
a) is rarely affected by the environment.
b) is only sensitive to rain.
c) changes depending on the weather.
Part B. Composition (130-150 words approximately). Choose one of the following topics (4 points)
1. Are all animals equally important and necessary? Give reasons.
2. Why do you think some animals became extinct and others are in danger of extinction?
Comentarios