Opción A - I * Comprehension · Inglés PAU Andalucía Ordinaria Reserva A 2013

OPTION A: “Halloween, more than an American tradition”

1 Halloween, a Celtic Irish tradition and one of the world's oldest holidays, is still celebrated today in many countries. All

2 Souls' Day, a festivity two days after Halloween, is the most important part of the celebration for many people in Mexico,

3 Latin America and Spain. In Ireland and Canada, where Halloween was once a frightening and superstitious time of year, the

4 festivity is now celebrated as in the United States, with trick-or-treating, costume parties, and fun for all ages. Although most

5 people believe it is an American holiday, the custom was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants escaping their

6 country's potato famine.

7 The word “Halloween” comes from a contraction of “All Hallows Eve”. The expression referred to the eve of “All

8 Hallows Day” (or “All Saints Day”), the Catholic festivity celebrated on November 1st.

9 Different practices and symbols are associated to Halloween. The custom of trick-or-treat is believed to have originated

10 not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European tradition called souling, in which early Christians walked from

11 village to village asking for “soul cakes” or square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars received,

12 the more prayers they promised to say for the dead relatives of the donors.

13 The carved pumpkin, also called Jack-o-lantern, is perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday. This custom probably

14 comes from Irish folklore. The Irish used turnips originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that

15 pumpkins were far more abundant than turnips, and so the Jack-o-lantern became an emptied pumpkin in America.

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.

How is Halloween celebrated nowadays in Ireland? Explain.

2.

Why is Halloween not an American tradition?

3.

Justify the reason why Halloween is a word with a Catholic origin.

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

4.

It seems that the trick-or-treating tradition doesn't come from the Celts.

TRUE

FALSE

5.

In the old days, Irish Jack-o-lanterns were emptied turnips.

TRUE

FALSE