Bloque A · Inglés PAU Andalucía Extraordinaria Suplente 1 2025

BLOQUE A (Comprensión lectora)

Puntuación máxima: 4 puntos. Debe responderse a las 8 preguntas del texto propuesto.

COMPREHENSION (4 points). READ THE TEXT AND ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS.

THE INGENIOUS STORY BEHIND MICHELIN STARS

1 If you made a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant, you might wonder why an elite restaurant guide has the same name

2 as Michelin, a company that makes tires. The roots of what became an incredibly influential ranking system did not begin with the

3 intent of recommending the highest-quality restaurants. Actually, it was a clever publicity campaign now legendary for its success.

4 The origin of the Michelin Star goes back to the early days of the automobile. French brothers André and Édouard Michelin

5 founded their self-named tire company in 1889. It was a pioneering move considering that there were fewer than 3,000 automobiles

6 in France at the time. Soon the brothers realized that if people drove more, the tires would eventually deteriorate, which would, as

7 a result, increase Michelin's sales. So, much like bloggers do today, they launched the Michelin Guide in 1900 to achieve that goal.

8 The guide contained information that any motorist would need—a detailed map, a compendium of mechanics and fuel stations,

9 instructions on how to replace a flat tire, and suitable restaurants and hotels to eat and stay while journeying across France. There

10 was nothing quite like that in the market, so it became an instant hit.

11 In 1926, the Michelins introduced the concept of using a Michelin Star to rank restaurants. Most of this information came from

12 the company's traveling salesmen, who spent much of their time on the roads and were, therefore, highly reliable sources. By the

13 late 1920s, Michelin's restaurant recommendations had become so influential that the brothers started to use undercover

14 reviewers, now known as inspectors, to determine if a restaurant was a fine dining establishment. The ratings put in place in the

15 1930s stand to this day—one star means the restaurant is "worth a stop," two means it's "worth taking a side trip," and three means

16 it's "worth a special journey."

17 Any restaurant under consideration will have served multiple inspectors, who decide whether the establishment delivers a

18 consistent experience in terms of product quality, mastery of cooking techniques and the personality of the chef. What's more, a

19 restaurant can lose the stars if it doesn't maintain Michelin Star-worthy standards.

20 Surprisingly, there's no evidence that the Michelin Guide ever increased tire sales. However, the brothers made Michelin

21 prestigious not only for tires but also for travel and gourmet cuisine.

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

A1.

At the beginning, the Michelin Guide...

A2.

According to the text, the Michelin Guide was born...

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

A3.

The Michelin brothers failed in their first attempt to launch the guide.

TRUE

FALSE

A4.

The star ranking system hasn't changed since the first half of the 20th century.

TRUE

FALSE

A5.

A Michelin star is a permanent award.

TRUE

FALSE

A6.

The Michelin Guide achieved the goal of boosting tire sales.

TRUE

FALSE

A7. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

A7.1.

A7.2.

A8. FIND IN THE TEXT: (0.5 points)

A8.1.

A8.2.