Examen de Inglés PAU Andalucía 2024 · Ordinaria Reserva

TEXT 1: SAVING ABU SIMBEL

1 In the early 1960s, Egypt had to improve agriculture and provide electricity for its increasing population. In order to do so, the

2 country planned to build a huge dam across the Nile River that would flood an area with important archaeological sites. In the eyes

3 of the Egyptian government, the destruction of the treasures, while regrettable, was necessary. Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt,

4 the female chief curator of Egyptian antiquities at the Louvre Museum, appealed to Egyptian officials not to resign themselves to

5 this catastrophic loss of their cultural heritage.

6 Christiane proposed to them the most difficult archaeological rescue in history —a project of almost unthinkable magnitude and

7 complexity consisting in moving the fragile sandstone temple of Abu Simbel to higher ground. On top of the enormous engineering

8 problems, the project required cooperation among countries at a time of escalating global political tensions. But that didn't stop her.

9 After months of countless meetings, Christiane eventually won the support of UNESCO and Egypt's Minister of Culture, who

10 persuaded the Egyptian president to approve the rescue plan. This was a major step, but the project was doomed to fail without

11 massive financial help from Western countries, particularly the United States. It was then that an unexpected saviour, Jacqueline

12 Kennedy, appeared on the scene. Thanks to her influence, her husband, President John F. Kennedy, called on US Congress to

13 authorise money to ensure the rescue.

14 Ironically, the two women who played crucial roles in this landmark rescue apparently had no idea of each other's moves. Both

15 Christiane and Jacqueline had worked behind the scenes. Neither of them ever sought or received public attention for their

16 achievement, caring less about the credit than getting the job done.

CHOOSE AND WRITE THE CORRECT OPTION (A, B, C or D). (0.5 points each)

1.

According to the text, Abu Simbel...

2.

According to the text, Jacqueline Kennedy...

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE PRECISE WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT, OR USE YOUR OWN WORDS. (0.5 points each)

3.

The initial dam project involved leaving ancient treasures under the water.

4.

International conflicts added to the difficulty of the mission.

5.

Egypt had enough resources to carry out the rescue operation.

6.

Christiane and Jacqueline worked side by side.

7. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

7.1.

ONE SYNONYM FOR: “lamentable” (adjective)

7.2.

ONE OPPOSITE FOR: “gain” (noun)

8. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

8.1.

ONE WORD MEANING: “to make certain, guarantee.”

8.2.

ONE WORD MEANING: “a person who rescues another person or a thing from danger or harm.”

TEXT 2: THE STRENGTH OF WEAK SOCIAL TIES

1 I've been working as a psychotherapist since 1988. Through the years, I've dealt with hundreds of patients who come to my

2 practice because they feel lonely. Many report finding relief in brief, casual encounters. That's the case of Alice, who lived alone

3 for years after a divorce. Her family lived away from her, and she described feeling terribly lonesome, especially during the holidays.

4 One day, I asked her what helped cheer her up. "I love going to the library and chatting with Maria, the librarian, about historical

5 novels or cozy mysteries. I always leave feeling a warm connection with her."

6 Another patient, Sherry, gets great joy from her Sunday breakfasts at a local diner: "The manager's so nice. She calls me

7 'Sweety' and brings me extra whipped cream for my pancakes. I feel uplifted."

8 As for me, when I shop for groceries, I always go to a cashier I've chatted with for years. Our shared kindness and familiarity

9 give me a sense of community. What's more, even those we meet only once can leave a lasting impression. I'll never forget

10 discussing Don Quixote on an airplane with a well-read economics professor.

11 Relationships like these, generally referred to as "weak social ties", have been proved to be just as important to life satisfaction

12 as core or strong ties. When we feel blue or lonely, we tend to turn down social engagements, usually to avoid the imagined

13 embarrassment of being the only sad person in a group. But saying yes, despite the hesitation, offers an opportunity to feel less

14 isolated. Staying mindful of our strong and weak ties allows us to benefit from the comfort and the sense of community they provide.

CHOOSE AND WRITE THE CORRECT OPTION (A, B, C or D). (0.5 points each)

9.

Alice...

10.

The therapist...

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE PRECISE WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT, OR USE YOUR OWN WORDS. (0.5 points each)

11.

Sherry receives special attention at her usual restaurant.

TRUE

FALSE

12.

Casual encounters with strangers may be memorable.

TRUE

FALSE

13.

Short routine interactions are less rewarding than strong personal relationships.

TRUE

FALSE

14.

People often refuse to mix with others if they are feeling low.

TRUE

FALSE

15. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

15.1.

15.2.

16. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

16.1.

16.2.

FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE CORRECT FORM OF THE VERB IN BRACKETS:

17.1.

“I would rather you

near me.” (not smoke)

17.2.

“I wish I

abroad last year.” (travel)

FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE CORRECT OPTION:

18.1.

“We suggested... for an hour.”

18.2.

“I can't remember the meaning of this word. I'll look it... in the dictionary.”

TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO THE ACTIVE VOICE:

“The burgers are going to be prepared by Joseph.”

TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE VOICE:

“Nobody has bought the decorations for the party yet.”

GIVE A QUESTION FOR THE UNDERLINED WORDS: " The professor told the students to remain silent."

JOIN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING A RELATIVE. MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY: "The Chemistry teacher was late for her class that day. She is usually on time."

REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE WITHOUT CHANGING ITS MEANING. BEGIN AS INDICATED: "They spent a week repainting the kitchen." It took...

It took

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE: "We'll have to postpone the event so that..."

We'll have to postpone the event so that

25. THERE ARE TWO MISTAKES IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE. FIND THE MISTAKES AND REWRITE THE SENTENCE CORRECTLY:

“When King Charles arrived to the British Museum, everyone were waiting at the door.”

26. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO DIRECT SPEECH:

“Grace apologized to Will for having forgotten his birthday.”

27. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO REPORTED SPEECH:

“‘Your exam will take place next week, Peter,’ the teacher said.”

28. USE THE WORDS IN THE BOXES TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL SENTENCE. USE ALL AND ONLY THE WORDS IN THE BOXES WITHOUT CHANGING THEIR FORM:

got

dress

my

Armani

wedding

designed

sister

by

her

BLOQUE C (Redacción)

Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos

Deberá realizar una redacción de un mínimo de 120 palabras de UNO de los dos temas propuestos SOLAMENTE.

WRITING (3 points)

29. WRITE A COMPOSITION OF AT LEAST 120 WORDS ABOUT ONE OF THE TOPICS PROPOSED AND FOCUS ON IT. CHOOSE ONE TOPIC ONLY:

29.1.

Which places in the world do you find fascinating? Give reasons.

BLOQUE C (Redacción)

Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos

Deberá realizar una redacción de un mínimo de 120 palabras de UNO de los dos temas propuestos SOLAMENTE.

WRITING (3 points)

29. WRITE A COMPOSITION OF AT LEAST 120 WORDS ABOUT ONE OF THE TOPICS PROPOSED AND FOCUS ON IT. CHOOSE ONE TOPIC ONLY:

29.2.

What makes a good friend for you? Explain.