Bloque A - Text 1 · Inglés PAU Andalucía Ordinaria Suplente 2021

TEXT 1: COW HUGGING: A NEW WELLNESS TREND

1 Embracing cows is more than a cute wellness trend. With immense mental health benefits, the practice has aroused global interest.

2 From goat yoga to sound baths, the world is full of wellness trends designed to relieve and calm both body and spirit. Named “koe

3 knuffelen” in Dutch (literally “cow hugging”), the practice is centred on the healing properties of a good human-to-animal physical

4 contact. Cow huggers typically start by taking a tour of the farm before resting against one of the cows for two to three hours. The

5 cow’s warmer body temperature, slower heartbeat and giant size can make hugging them an incredibly satisfying experience, and

6 giving the animal a backrub, reclining against them or even getting licked is all part of the therapeutic encounter.

7 Cow hugging is believed to promote positivity and reduce stress by boosting oxytocin in humans, the hormone released in social

8 bonding. The calming effects of resting with a pet or emotional support animal, it seems, are accentuated when hugging larger mammals.

9 This healthy pastime emerged in rural Dutch provinces more than a decade ago and is now part of a wider Dutch movement to bring

10 people closer to nature and country life. Today, farms in Rotterdam, Switzerland, and even the USA are offering cow-hugging sessions

11 and promoting their healing properties.

12 The hugging experience can even be pleasurable for the cattle themselves. A 2007 study in a scientific journal states that cows show

13 traces of deep relaxation, stretching out, and allowing their ears to fall back when massaged in particular areas of their neck and upper back.

14 It seems that heartfelt bonding with bovines may just be what should be advised by doctors.

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

1.

According to the text, cow hugging...

2.

According to the text, a typical cow-hugging session in a farm includes...

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.

Cows usually feel less cold than humans.

TRUE

FALSE

4.

The bigger the bovine you embrace, the better the benefits you get.

TRUE

FALSE

5.

Cows also find the experience rewarding.

TRUE

FALSE

6.

Cow hugging is a treatment already prescribed by health experts.

TRUE

FALSE

7. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

7.1.

ONE OPPOSITE FOR “metropolitan” (adjective):

7.2.

ONE SYNONYM FOR “signal” (noun):

8. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

8.1.

ONE WORD MEANING “an administrative division of a country”:

8.2.

ONE WORD MEANING “an activity that is done for enjoyment”: