Examen de Inglés PAU Canarias 2021 · Junio (Humanidades)

GRUPO A

Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigns after sexist remarks

After a wave of criticism, Mori, 83, apologised and retracted his remarks saying they were inappropriate and

against the Olympic spirit. “If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their

speaking time is restricted; they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying. We have about seven women

at the organizing committee, but everyone understands their place,” he said. Mori added that he felt his

5 comments were misinterpreted by the media and that he was not prejudiced against women.

Mori’s resignation came as pressure grew on him over the past week. Major sponsors came forward to

criticize his comments, including Toyota, one of the biggest Olympic backers. Toyota’s president Akio

Toyoda said the company was disappointed.

The controversy has also put the spotlight on the sexism and gender inequality that still survives among

10 Japan’s conservative, male-dominated elites. The issue has dominated parliamentary sessions for days with

the opposition urging the country’s government to take action against Mori, a former prime minister

himself. A group of female opposition congresswomen wore white, in homage to the women’s suffrage

movement. And they also exhibited roses on their lapels, in protest of Mori’s remarks.

Japan is behind other developed nations in promoting gender equality. It stands 121st out of 153 countries

15 in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 gender gap index, which highlights gender-based differences around

the world. Japan’s gender gap is by far the largest among all advanced economies and has widened over the

past year, the index said, with only 15 percent of senior and leadership positions held by women.

Although the younger generation is more socially progressive and more sensitive to gender equality issues,

social practices are slower to change and Japan is behind — especially in the absence of female

20 representation in positions of leadership, said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Tokyo’s Sophia

University. “This is precisely why Mori’s comments were so strongly rejected by the public,” he added.

“The Japanese are often afraid to take positions on issues that are seen as political, but the negative reaction

was practically unanimous on this one,” Nakano said.

But while Mori’s comments and resignation are one more crisis that the Tokyo Games organizers have to

25 tackle, it will likely get lost in comparison with the pandemic. That will be what people will remember these

games for.

Fragment adapted from NBC.News, February 2021

1. Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. COPY the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)

a)

Yoshiro Mori left his post on the Olympic Committee immediately after he was criticised for being prejudiced against women.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

The Japanese are reluctant to express their political views.

TRUE

FALSE

c)

Yoshiro Mori’s remarks are the only disaster of the Tokyo Olympic Games

TRUE

FALSE

GRUPO A

Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigns after sexist remarks

After a wave of criticism, Mori, 83, apologised and retracted his remarks saying they were inappropriate and

against the Olympic spirit. “If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their

speaking time is restricted; they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying. We have about seven women

at the organizing committee, but everyone understands their place,” he said. Mori added that he felt his

5 comments were misinterpreted by the media and that he was not prejudiced against women.

Mori’s resignation came as pressure grew on him over the past week. Major sponsors came forward to

criticize his comments, including Toyota, one of the biggest Olympic backers. Toyota’s president Akio

Toyoda said the company was disappointed.

The controversy has also put the spotlight on the sexism and gender inequality that still survives among

10 Japan’s conservative, male-dominated elites. The issue has dominated parliamentary sessions for days with

the opposition urging the country’s government to take action against Mori, a former prime minister

himself. A group of female opposition congresswomen wore white, in homage to the women’s suffrage

movement. And they also exhibited roses on their lapels, in protest of Mori’s remarks.

Japan is behind other developed nations in promoting gender equality. It stands 121st out of 153 countries

15 in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 gender gap index, which highlights gender-based differences around

the world. Japan’s gender gap is by far the largest among all advanced economies and has widened over the

past year, the index said, with only 15 percent of senior and leadership positions held by women.

Although the younger generation is more socially progressive and more sensitive to gender equality issues,

social practices are slower to change and Japan is behind — especially in the absence of female

20 representation in positions of leadership, said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Tokyo’s Sophia

University. “This is precisely why Mori’s comments were so strongly rejected by the public,” he added.

“The Japanese are often afraid to take positions on issues that are seen as political, but the negative reaction

was practically unanimous on this one,” Nakano said.

But while Mori’s comments and resignation are one more crisis that the Tokyo Games organizers have to

25 tackle, it will likely get lost in comparison with the pandemic. That will be what people will remember these

games for.

Fragment adapted from NBC.News, February 2021

2. ANSWER the questions below. COPY no more than 10 words and/or a number from the text to answer each question. (1.5 points)

a)

What position did Yoshiro Mori occupy in government before joining the Olympic Committee?

b)

Why did a group of politicians dress in white?

c)

What does the index of the World Economic Forum show?

GRUPO A

Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resigns after sexist remarks

After a wave of criticism, Mori, 83, apologised and retracted his remarks saying they were inappropriate and

against the Olympic spirit. “If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their

speaking time is restricted; they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying. We have about seven women

at the organizing committee, but everyone understands their place,” he said. Mori added that he felt his

5 comments were misinterpreted by the media and that he was not prejudiced against women.

Mori’s resignation came as pressure grew on him over the past week. Major sponsors came forward to

criticize his comments, including Toyota, one of the biggest Olympic backers. Toyota’s president Akio

Toyoda said the company was disappointed.

The controversy has also put the spotlight on the sexism and gender inequality that still survives among

10 Japan’s conservative, male-dominated elites. The issue has dominated parliamentary sessions for days with

the opposition urging the country’s government to take action against Mori, a former prime minister

himself. A group of female opposition congresswomen wore white, in homage to the women’s suffrage

movement. And they also exhibited roses on their lapels, in protest of Mori’s remarks.

Japan is behind other developed nations in promoting gender equality. It stands 121st out of 153 countries

15 in the World Economic Forum’s 2020 gender gap index, which highlights gender-based differences around

the world. Japan’s gender gap is by far the largest among all advanced economies and has widened over the

past year, the index said, with only 15 percent of senior and leadership positions held by women.

Although the younger generation is more socially progressive and more sensitive to gender equality issues,

social practices are slower to change and Japan is behind — especially in the absence of female

20 representation in positions of leadership, said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Tokyo’s Sophia

University. “This is precisely why Mori’s comments were so strongly rejected by the public,” he added.

“The Japanese are often afraid to take positions on issues that are seen as political, but the negative reaction

was practically unanimous on this one,” Nakano said.

But while Mori’s comments and resignation are one more crisis that the Tokyo Games organizers have to

25 tackle, it will likely get lost in comparison with the pandemic. That will be what people will remember these

games for.

Fragment adapted from NBC.News, February 2021

3. WRITE a synonym (=), an opposite (≠), a definition or a sentence for each of the following words to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words. (1 point)

a)

b)

c)

d)

Grupo A

4. READ this conversation and COMPLETE your part. Write the numbers (1-6) and complete each sentence on your exam paper. (1.5 points)

Getting ready to go to the supermarket

Dad:

We really need to go to the supermarket. Are you coming?

You:

(1)

Dad:

You're always giving excuses. I'm sorry, but you need to do some chores.

You:

You're right, I'll go. (2) ?

Dad:

Let's start with the list. Let's see... all the basics, certainly.

You:

(3) ?

Dad:

We'll also need some meat and vegetables. I'll make a lasagne later.

You:

That's great! (4)

Dad:

Yes, we all love it. You could learn how to make it.

You:

Really? (5)

Dad:

It's not such a complicated recipe.

You:

(6) ?

Dad:

Of course, your friends are always welcome.

Grupo A

5. Read the following situations and WRITE what you would say in each one to show that you understand the context of the situation. Write between 10 and 25 words. (1.5 points)

a)

You have received a phone call from a telephone company at six in the morning. Complain to the caller.

b)

There is a political debate in your classroom, and your classmates ask you for your opinion. Politely refuse to give it.

c)

Your friend is trying on some new clothes for a special occasion. You don't like them and he asks you for your opinion. Make a polite but sincere comment.

Grupo A

6. WRITE a composition of about 120-150 words on the following topic (3 points):

Is feminism still necessary? Give your opinion.

New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster

A super-enzyme that degrades plastic bottles six times faster than before has been created by scientists and could be used for recycling within a year or two. The super-enzyme, derived from bacteria that naturally evolved the ability to eat plastic, makes possible the full recycling of the bottles.

Plastic pollution has contaminated the whole planet, from the Arctic to the deepest oceans, and it is now known that people consume and breathe microplastic particles. It is currently very difficult to break down plastic bottles into their chemical constituents in order to make new ones from old, meaning more new plastic is being created from oil each year.

The super-enzyme was created by linking two separate enzymes, both of which were found in the plastic-eating bacteria discovered at a Japanese waste site in 2016. In 2018, the researchers revealed an engineered version of the first enzyme, called PETase, which started breaking down the plastic in a few days. Further study analysed a second enzyme that doubled the speed of the breakdown by the first enzyme. Thus, the scientists thought that by connecting the two enzymes together, the speed of degradation might be increased. The new super-enzyme works six times faster.

“When we linked the enzymes, rather unexpectedly, we got a dramatic increase in activity,” said Professor John McGeehan, director of the Centre of Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, UK. “This is a trajectory towards trying to make faster enzymes that are more industrially relevant. But it’s also one of those stories about learning from nature, and then bringing it into the lab.”

A bacterium on its own would not be able to create the linked super-enzyme, as the molecule would be too large. So the scientists connected the two enzymes in the laboratory and saw a further tripling of the speed. The team is now examining how the enzymes can be altered to make them work even faster.

Besides, combining the plastic-eating enzymes with existing ones that break down natural fibres could also allow mixed fabric clothing to be fully recycled, McGeehan said. “Mixed fabrics [of polyester and cotton] are really tricky to recycle. We’ve been speaking to some of the big fashion companies that produce these textiles, because they’re really struggling to find a way to recycle the clothing they produce.” Today, millions of tonnes of such clothing is either dumped in landfill or incinerated.

Researchers have also been successful in finding bacteria that eat other plastics such as polyurethane, which is widely used but rarely recycled.

While activists insist that reducing the use of plastic is key, those working on recycling say that strong, lightweight materials like plastic are very useful and that true recycling is part of the solution to the pollution problem.

Fragment adapted from The Guardian, September 2020

1. Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. COPY the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)

a)

It is very simple to decompose plastic bottles for reuse.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

The new enzyme can evolve naturally from bacteria.

TRUE

FALSE

c)

The research group is still experimenting to see whether they can improve the speed of plastic breakdown further.

TRUE

FALSE

New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster

A super-enzyme that degrades plastic bottles six times faster than before has been created by scientists and could be used for recycling within a year or two. The super-enzyme, derived from bacteria that naturally evolved the ability to eat plastic, makes possible the full recycling of the bottles.

Plastic pollution has contaminated the whole planet, from the Arctic to the deepest oceans, and it is now known that people consume and breathe microplastic particles. It is currently very difficult to break down plastic bottles into their chemical constituents in order to make new ones from old, meaning more new plastic is being created from oil each year.

The super-enzyme was created by linking two separate enzymes, both of which were found in the plastic-eating bacteria discovered at a Japanese waste site in 2016. In 2018, the researchers revealed an engineered version of the first enzyme, called PETase, which started breaking down the plastic in a few days. Further study analysed a second enzyme that doubled the speed of the breakdown by the first enzyme. Thus, the scientists thought that by connecting the two enzymes together, the speed of degradation might be increased. The new super-enzyme works six times faster.

“When we linked the enzymes, rather unexpectedly, we got a dramatic increase in activity,” said Professor John McGeehan, director of the Centre of Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, UK. “This is a trajectory towards trying to make faster enzymes that are more industrially relevant. But it’s also one of those stories about learning from nature, and then bringing it into the lab.”

A bacterium on its own would not be able to create the linked super-enzyme, as the molecule would be too large. So the scientists connected the two enzymes in the laboratory and saw a further tripling of the speed. The team is now examining how the enzymes can be altered to make them work even faster.

Besides, combining the plastic-eating enzymes with existing ones that break down natural fibres could also allow mixed fabric clothing to be fully recycled, McGeehan said. “Mixed fabrics [of polyester and cotton] are really tricky to recycle. We’ve been speaking to some of the big fashion companies that produce these textiles, because they’re really struggling to find a way to recycle the clothing they produce.” Today, millions of tonnes of such clothing is either dumped in landfill or incinerated.

Researchers have also been successful in finding bacteria that eat other plastics such as polyurethane, which is widely used but rarely recycled.

While activists insist that reducing the use of plastic is key, those working on recycling say that strong, lightweight materials like plastic are very useful and that true recycling is part of the solution to the pollution problem.

Fragment adapted from The Guardian, September 2020

2. ANSWER the questions below. COPY no more than 10 words and/or a number from the text to answer each question. (1.5 points)

a)

When will the new enzyme be ready to be used for recycling?

b)

What has been the effect of plastic pollution on humans?

c)

Apart from plastic, what other materials could be recycled through the linking of enzymes?

New super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster

A super-enzyme that degrades plastic bottles six times faster than before has been created by scientists and could be used for recycling within a year or two. The super-enzyme, derived from bacteria that naturally evolved the ability to eat plastic, makes possible the full recycling of the bottles.

Plastic pollution has contaminated the whole planet, from the Arctic to the deepest oceans, and it is now known that people consume and breathe microplastic particles. It is currently very difficult to break down plastic bottles into their chemical constituents in order to make new ones from old, meaning more new plastic is being created from oil each year.

The super-enzyme was created by linking two separate enzymes, both of which were found in the plastic-eating bacteria discovered at a Japanese waste site in 2016. In 2018, the researchers revealed an engineered version of the first enzyme, called PETase, which started breaking down the plastic in a few days. Further study analysed a second enzyme that doubled the speed of the breakdown by the first enzyme. Thus, the scientists thought that by connecting the two enzymes together, the speed of degradation might be increased. The new super-enzyme works six times faster.

“When we linked the enzymes, rather unexpectedly, we got a dramatic increase in activity,” said Professor John McGeehan, director of the Centre of Enzyme Innovation at the University of Portsmouth, UK. “This is a trajectory towards trying to make faster enzymes that are more industrially relevant. But it’s also one of those stories about learning from nature, and then bringing it into the lab.”

A bacterium on its own would not be able to create the linked super-enzyme, as the molecule would be too large. So the scientists connected the two enzymes in the laboratory and saw a further tripling of the speed. The team is now examining how the enzymes can be altered to make them work even faster.

Besides, combining the plastic-eating enzymes with existing ones that break down natural fibres could also allow mixed fabric clothing to be fully recycled, McGeehan said. “Mixed fabrics [of polyester and cotton] are really tricky to recycle. We’ve been speaking to some of the big fashion companies that produce these textiles, because they’re really struggling to find a way to recycle the clothing they produce.” Today, millions of tonnes of such clothing is either dumped in landfill or incinerated.

Researchers have also been successful in finding bacteria that eat other plastics such as polyurethane, which is widely used but rarely recycled.

While activists insist that reducing the use of plastic is key, those working on recycling say that strong, lightweight materials like plastic are very useful and that true recycling is part of the solution to the pollution problem.

Fragment adapted from The Guardian, September 2020

3. WRITE a synonym (=), an opposite (≠), a definition or a sentence for each of the following words to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words. (1 point)

a)

b)

c)

d)

Grupo B

4. READ this conversation and COMPLETE your part. Write the numbers (1-6) and complete each sentence on your exam paper. (1.5 points)

You're trying to convince your mother to buy you a motorbike

Your mother: I can't believe you're back to that, again!

You: But, Mum, (1)

Your mother: I know you do, but you already have a scooter.

You: That's not cool. (2)

Your mother: I don't care about what other people do. Motorbikes are really dangerous.

You: Mum, you know (3)

Your mother: I trust you, but other drivers can cause an accident.

You: My goodness, (4)

Your mother: OK, I won't think about the bad things. But why are you so crazy about having one?

You: (5)

Your mother: I think what you want is to show off and flirt!

You: Please, Mum, (6)

?

Your mother: I don't know, but I'm sure you'll keep insisting.

Grupo B

5. Read the following situations and WRITE what you would say in each one to show that you understand the context of the situation. Write between 10 and 25 words. (1.5 points)

a)

Your sister is using her phone during lunch as always. Complain about it.

b)

Your teacher is going to give you too much homework. Try to persuade her not to.

c)

Your classmate comments that he doesn't like being an only child. Give your opinion.

Grupo B

6. WRITE a composition of about 120-150 words on the following topic: (3 points)

Plastic products are so essential in our daily life that it is impossible to reduce their use. Give your opinion.

Write a well-structured essay (introduction, arguments with examples, and conclusion) following the required word count (120-150 words).