Ejercicio Option A - I * COMPREHENSION · Inglés PAU Andalucía Extraordinaria Titular 2013

OPTION A: “Hearing Dogs”

1 Dogs are commonly known as man's best friend, but it turns out they may also be a child's – particularly if the child is

2 one of the 45,000 deaf children in the UK. “Hearing dogs”, as they are known, could transform many young lives by offering

3 companionship, confidence and independence. Not only that, but these specially trained dogs could improve children's

4 behaviour and lead to better academic performance, a recent study has found. Children are also more likely to wear a

5 hearing aid, which often leads to improved speech.

6 James Cheung is 11 years old and the owner of Kurt, a golden labrador retriever. Kurt is specially trained to respond to

7 household sounds that a deaf child cannot hear, like a telephone ringing or any alarms going off in the home.

8 But Kurt has proved to be much more than just a dog who hears. “He is a wonderful accompaniment to our family,” says

9 James's mother, Louise. “James had sleep anxieties, which he was being treated for, but now that Kurt sleeps in his

10 bedroom he feels much less isolated when he takes out his hearing aid at night.” Kurt has also helped James's social

11 interaction, which he had always found difficult because of a speech disability.

12 Hearing dogs are trained to alert children by touching the child with their nose. They can also be used to carry

13 messages in a small purse.

14 All hearing dogs are retired at 11 years of age but families usually keep them. “The connection between family and

15 hearing dog is so strong. It's a joy to see. They just become part of the family,” says Louise.

I * COMPREHENSION (4 points: questions 1-3, 1 point each; 4-5, 0.5 points each)

ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-3 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS.

1.

Do hearing dogs help improve children's speaking skills? Explain.

2.

Why is James sleeping better since he has Kurt?

3.

Why did James find it difficult to communicate with people?

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

4.

Hearing dogs can help deaf children improve their results at school.

TRUE

FALSE

5.

Families usually keep the dogs after retirement age.

TRUE

FALSE