Examen de Inglés PAU Cantabria 2026 · Ordinaria

Greenwashing

1 Being green is big business, with one study showing that 66% of consumers worldwide are willing to pay more for products they believe to be socially and environmentally responsible. However, shoppers should exercise caution when shopping sustainably, as much of the language companies use to sell their products is not what it seems. The practice of greenwashing involves companies making misleading or exaggerated environmental statements about their products in order to gain a competitive advantage over similar items on supermarket shelves. "Companies are under a lot of pressure to become eco-friendly because consumers are looking for this," explains eco-influencer Mandy Spooner, "so they present a 'greener' image of themselves through advertising and packaging."

2 Some of the marketing tricks companies use include natural-looking imagery and vague terminology. For example, terms like biodegradable and compostable are often more complicated than they appear, as many products cannot be processed in a household compost bin and instead need specific commercial conditions to break down. Another strong example of a commonly greenwashed product is bottled water. Despite being marketed as clean and pure, the water industry drains local natural resources and uses vast quantities of petrol, shipping their "product" thousands of kilometres around the world. It is also a significant contributor to plastic waste. Just because a plastic water bottle is recyclable does not mean it will be.

3 A significant fallout of greenwashing is that it can erode consumer confidence, as Spooner explains: "When companies make sustainability claims that turn out to be false, they not only damage their own reputation but also brands genuinely committed to doing the right thing." Greenwashing can have serious consequences. To tackle this issue, the UK government recently published the Green Claims Code, a set of guidelines to help companies comply with the law and clearly communicate their environmental credentials.

4 So, how can consumers ensure they are buying truly sustainable products? A simple rule Spooner recommends is to always check the labels on the packaging and contact brands if their sustainability claims are vague or hard to understand: "It only takes a couple of minutes to email a company with a question or two." Spooner believes consumers have an obligation to ensure the products they buy are ethical and sustainable, as "the choices we make today can have a profound impact on the future." She explains, "Being a mum absolutely informs my decisions. I try to live sustainably for my children and for generations to come."

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 1 [2 points]

Indicate clearly by writing the words TRUE or FALSE whether the following statements are true or false according to the text and write down the sentence or the part of the text that you consider justifies your answer. The evidence must make sense and be grammatically and lexically coherent.

No points will be given if the evidence is not correct or if the handwriting is not sufficiently clear.

A.

Most consumers believe it is unacceptable that companies charge more money for environmentally friendly products.

TRUE

FALSE

B.

Greenwashing is a term used to describe when companies are dishonest about the environmental impact of their products

TRUE

FALSE

C.

Greenwashing has a negative impact on companies that are genuinely environmentally friendly.

TRUE

FALSE

D.

Spooner argues that consumers should not be held responsible for ensuring products are ethical or sustainable.

TRUE

FALSE

Greenwashing

1 Being green is big business, with one study showing that 66% of consumers worldwide are willing to pay more for products they believe to be socially and environmentally responsible. However, shoppers should exercise caution when shopping sustainably, as much of the language companies use to sell their products is not what it seems. The practice of greenwashing involves companies making misleading or exaggerated environmental statements about their products in order to gain a competitive advantage over similar items on supermarket shelves. "Companies are under a lot of pressure to become eco-friendly because consumers are looking for this," explains eco-influencer Mandy Spooner, "so they present a 'greener' image of themselves through advertising and packaging."

2 Some of the marketing tricks companies use include natural-looking imagery and vague terminology. For example, terms like biodegradable and compostable are often more complicated than they appear, as many products cannot be processed in a household compost bin and instead need specific commercial conditions to break down. Another strong example of a commonly greenwashed product is bottled water. Despite being marketed as clean and pure, the water industry drains local natural resources and uses vast quantities of petrol, shipping their "product" thousands of kilometres around the world. It is also a significant contributor to plastic waste. Just because a plastic water bottle is recyclable does not mean it will be.

3 A significant fallout of greenwashing is that it can erode consumer confidence, as Spooner explains: "When companies make sustainability claims that turn out to be false, they not only damage their own reputation but also brands genuinely committed to doing the right thing." Greenwashing can have serious consequences. To tackle this issue, the UK government recently published the Green Claims Code, a set of guidelines to help companies comply with the law and clearly communicate their environmental credentials.

4 So, how can consumers ensure they are buying truly sustainable products? A simple rule Spooner recommends is to always check the labels on the packaging and contact brands if their sustainability claims are vague or hard to understand: "It only takes a couple of minutes to email a company with a question or two." Spooner believes consumers have an obligation to ensure the products they buy are ethical and sustainable, as "the choices we make today can have a profound impact on the future." She explains, "Being a mum absolutely informs my decisions. I try to live sustainably for my children and for generations to come."

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 2 [2 points]

Choose and answer only TWO of the following questions in your own words according to the text.

A.

Why do companies engage in greenwashing? Give at least two reasons.

B.

What are the problems with companies labelling their products as biodegradable and compostable?

C.

How can shoppers know that the products they buy are sustainable?

Greenwashing

1 Being green is big business, with one study showing that 66% of consumers worldwide are willing to pay more for products they believe to be socially and environmentally responsible. However, shoppers should exercise caution when shopping sustainably, as much of the language companies use to sell their products is not what it seems. The practice of greenwashing involves companies making misleading or exaggerated environmental statements about their products in order to gain a competitive advantage over similar items on supermarket shelves. "Companies are under a lot of pressure to become eco-friendly because consumers are looking for this," explains eco-influencer Mandy Spooner, "so they present a 'greener' image of themselves through advertising and packaging."

2 Some of the marketing tricks companies use include natural-looking imagery and vague terminology. For example, terms like biodegradable and compostable are often more complicated than they appear, as many products cannot be processed in a household compost bin and instead need specific commercial conditions to break down. Another strong example of a commonly greenwashed product is bottled water. Despite being marketed as clean and pure, the water industry drains local natural resources and uses vast quantities of petrol, shipping their "product" thousands of kilometres around the world. It is also a significant contributor to plastic waste. Just because a plastic water bottle is recyclable does not mean it will be.

3 A significant fallout of greenwashing is that it can erode consumer confidence, as Spooner explains: "When companies make sustainability claims that turn out to be false, they not only damage their own reputation but also brands genuinely committed to doing the right thing." Greenwashing can have serious consequences. To tackle this issue, the UK government recently published the Green Claims Code, a set of guidelines to help companies comply with the law and clearly communicate their environmental credentials.

4 So, how can consumers ensure they are buying truly sustainable products? A simple rule Spooner recommends is to always check the labels on the packaging and contact brands if their sustainability claims are vague or hard to understand: "It only takes a couple of minutes to email a company with a question or two." Spooner believes consumers have an obligation to ensure the products they buy are ethical and sustainable, as "the choices we make today can have a profound impact on the future." She explains, "Being a mum absolutely informs my decisions. I try to live sustainably for my children and for generations to come."

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 3 [1.5 points]. Find in the text a word or phrase that corresponds to the meaning, definition, or opposite of each of the following.

A.

B.

C.

D.

Greenwashing

1 Being green is big business, with one study showing that 66% of consumers worldwide are willing to pay more for products they believe to be socially and environmentally responsible. However, shoppers should exercise caution when shopping sustainably, as much of the language companies use to sell their products is not what it seems. The practice of greenwashing involves companies making misleading or exaggerated environmental statements about their products in order to gain a competitive advantage over similar items on supermarket shelves. "Companies are under a lot of pressure to become eco-friendly because consumers are looking for this," explains eco-influencer Mandy Spooner, "so they present a 'greener' image of themselves through advertising and packaging."

2 Some of the marketing tricks companies use include natural-looking imagery and vague terminology. For example, terms like biodegradable and compostable are often more complicated than they appear, as many products cannot be processed in a household compost bin and instead need specific commercial conditions to break down. Another strong example of a commonly greenwashed product is bottled water. Despite being marketed as clean and pure, the water industry drains local natural resources and uses vast quantities of petrol, shipping their "product" thousands of kilometres around the world. It is also a significant contributor to plastic waste. Just because a plastic water bottle is recyclable does not mean it will be.

3 A significant fallout of greenwashing is that it can erode consumer confidence, as Spooner explains: "When companies make sustainability claims that turn out to be false, they not only damage their own reputation but also brands genuinely committed to doing the right thing." Greenwashing can have serious consequences. To tackle this issue, the UK government recently published the Green Claims Code, a set of guidelines to help companies comply with the law and clearly communicate their environmental credentials.

4 So, how can consumers ensure they are buying truly sustainable products? A simple rule Spooner recommends is to always check the labels on the packaging and contact brands if their sustainability claims are vague or hard to understand: "It only takes a couple of minutes to email a company with a question or two." Spooner believes consumers have an obligation to ensure the products they buy are ethical and sustainable, as "the choices we make today can have a profound impact on the future." She explains, "Being a mum absolutely informs my decisions. I try to live sustainably for my children and for generations to come."

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 4 [1.5 points]. Choose the correct option - A, B, C, or D - for each question. Indicate your choice clearly in your answer sheet, either by writing the letter A, B, C, or D or by copying the letter and the sentence that follows. No points will be given if the handwriting is not sufficiently clear.

1.

How do companies engage in greenwashing?

2.

What is the UK government's Green Claims Code?

3.

Why is bottled water such a powerful example of greenwashing, according to the text?

BookTok

1 BookTok is a TikTok subcommunity where people make content about the literature they love. Videos range from book reviews and reading recommendations to “book hauls” and bookshelf setups. What started as a small community of avid readers has now become one of the most popular corners of the social media platform, with #BookTok gaining 92.7 billion views and some posts up to 100,000 likes.

2 Publishing industry insiders say that BookTok has led to an unprecedented boost in book sales. Kristen McLean is the executive director of NPD Bookscan, an industry data provider that tracks book sales. She says that, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, BookTok has definitely been a factor in the recent boom in sales. McLean first noticed the platform’s influence in 2020, when it appeared to drive up sales in the young adult fiction genre before expanding into adult fiction and non-fiction.

3 One example of the “BookTok effect” is the massive success of author Colleen Hoover. Before BookTok became popular in 2020, Hoover had sold only 200,000 copies of her books. In August 2022, she sold 2.3 million copies, six of which entered the New York Times ’ fiction bestseller list. Another example is the number of older books becoming popular years after their initial release. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles went viral years after their publication, and both landed on bestseller lists many years later.

4 Many publishers and book retailers are keen to cash in on the BookTok trend. Some publishers hire younger employees who are familiar with the platform and can help create marketing campaigns that resonate with the BookTok community. Other publishers work directly with influencers, sending them book copies prior to release and paying them to promote the new titles. However, these strategies do not always work, as BookTok influencer Kendra Keeter explains: “A lot of sponsored content doesn’t do well because it just isn’t authentic. How can you trust someone’s book recommendation if you know they were paid to post?” BookTok is also influencing how retailers do business, with many dedicating spaces to “BookTok favourites” in online and physical shops. “BookTok has had an immense impact on sales,” says James Daunt from Barnes & Noble Books, “It’s bringing energy into our shops, with people of all ages coming together around a shared love for reading.”

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 1 [2 points]

Indicate clearly by writing the words TRUE or FALSE whether the following statements are true or false according to the text and write down the sentence or the part of the text that you consider justifies your answer. The evidence must make sense and be grammatically and lexically coherent.

No points will be given if the evidence is not correct or if the handwriting is not sufficiently clear.

A.

BookTok is not the only reason for the significant growth in book sales.

TRUE

FALSE

B.

The impact of BookTok has been limited to just one category of literature.

TRUE

FALSE

C.

Older people have stopped going to bookshops as a result of BookTok.

TRUE

FALSE

D.

Publishers have had mixed success when interacting with the BookTok community.

TRUE

FALSE

BookTok

1 BookTok is a TikTok subcommunity where people make content about the literature they love. Videos range from book reviews and reading recommendations to “book hauls” and bookshelf setups. What started as a small community of avid readers has now become one of the most popular corners of the social media platform, with #BookTok gaining 92.7 billion views and some posts up to 100,000 likes.

2 Publishing industry insiders say that BookTok has led to an unprecedented boost in book sales. Kristen McLean is the executive director of NPD Bookscan, an industry data provider that tracks book sales. She says that, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, BookTok has definitely been a factor in the recent boom in sales. McLean first noticed the platform’s influence in 2020, when it appeared to drive up sales in the young adult fiction genre before expanding into adult fiction and non-fiction.

3 One example of the “BookTok effect” is the massive success of author Colleen Hoover. Before BookTok became popular in 2020, Hoover had sold only 200,000 copies of her books. In August 2022, she sold 2.3 million copies, six of which entered the New York Times ’ fiction bestseller list. Another example is the number of older books becoming popular years after their initial release. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles went viral years after their publication, and both landed on bestseller lists many years later.

4 Many publishers and book retailers are keen to cash in on the BookTok trend. Some publishers hire younger employees who are familiar with the platform and can help create marketing campaigns that resonate with the BookTok community. Other publishers work directly with influencers, sending them book copies prior to release and paying them to promote the new titles. However, these strategies do not always work, as BookTok influencer Kendra Keeter explains: “A lot of sponsored content doesn’t do well because it just isn’t authentic. How can you trust someone’s book recommendation if you know they were paid to post?” BookTok is also influencing how retailers do business, with many dedicating spaces to “BookTok favourites” in online and physical shops. “BookTok has had an immense impact on sales,” says James Daunt from Barnes & Noble Books, “It’s bringing energy into our shops, with people of all ages coming together around a shared love for reading.”

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 2 [2 points]

Choose and answer only TWO of the following questions in your own words according to the text.

A.

How has BookTok impacted author Colleen Hoover's career? Give at least two reasons.

B.

How have publishers responded to BookTok? Give at least two examples.

C.

Why does Kendra Keeter think sponsored content on BookTok is problematic?

BookTok

1 BookTok is a TikTok subcommunity where people make content about the literature they love. Videos range from book reviews and reading recommendations to “book hauls” and bookshelf setups. What started as a small community of avid readers has now become one of the most popular corners of the social media platform, with #BookTok gaining 92.7 billion views and some posts up to 100,000 likes.

2 Publishing industry insiders say that BookTok has led to an unprecedented boost in book sales. Kristen McLean is the executive director of NPD Bookscan, an industry data provider that tracks book sales. She says that, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, BookTok has definitely been a factor in the recent boom in sales. McLean first noticed the platform’s influence in 2020, when it appeared to drive up sales in the young adult fiction genre before expanding into adult fiction and non-fiction.

3 One example of the “BookTok effect” is the massive success of author Colleen Hoover. Before BookTok became popular in 2020, Hoover had sold only 200,000 copies of her books. In August 2022, she sold 2.3 million copies, six of which entered the New York Times ’ fiction bestseller list. Another example is the number of older books becoming popular years after their initial release. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles went viral years after their publication, and both landed on bestseller lists many years later.

4 Many publishers and book retailers are keen to cash in on the BookTok trend. Some publishers hire younger employees who are familiar with the platform and can help create marketing campaigns that resonate with the BookTok community. Other publishers work directly with influencers, sending them book copies prior to release and paying them to promote the new titles. However, these strategies do not always work, as BookTok influencer Kendra Keeter explains: “A lot of sponsored content doesn’t do well because it just isn’t authentic. How can you trust someone’s book recommendation if you know they were paid to post?” BookTok is also influencing how retailers do business, with many dedicating spaces to “BookTok favourites” in online and physical shops. “BookTok has had an immense impact on sales,” says James Daunt from Barnes & Noble Books, “It’s bringing energy into our shops, with people of all ages coming together around a shared love for reading.”

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 3 [1.5 points]

Find in the text a word or phrase that corresponds to the meaning, definition, or opposite of each of the following.

A.

A synonym for “accumulate” [paragraph 1]

B.

A word that means “to record the development of someone or something over time” [paragraph 2]

C.

A synonym for “publication” [paragraph 3]

D.

A verb and preposition combination that means “to make money from an event or situation” [paragraph 4]

BookTok

1 BookTok is a TikTok subcommunity where people make content about the literature they love. Videos range from book reviews and reading recommendations to “book hauls” and bookshelf setups. What started as a small community of avid readers has now become one of the most popular corners of the social media platform, with #BookTok gaining 92.7 billion views and some posts up to 100,000 likes.

2 Publishing industry insiders say that BookTok has led to an unprecedented boost in book sales. Kristen McLean is the executive director of NPD Bookscan, an industry data provider that tracks book sales. She says that, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, BookTok has definitely been a factor in the recent boom in sales. McLean first noticed the platform’s influence in 2020, when it appeared to drive up sales in the young adult fiction genre before expanding into adult fiction and non-fiction.

3 One example of the “BookTok effect” is the massive success of author Colleen Hoover. Before BookTok became popular in 2020, Hoover had sold only 200,000 copies of her books. In August 2022, she sold 2.3 million copies, six of which entered the New York Times ’ fiction bestseller list. Another example is the number of older books becoming popular years after their initial release. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles went viral years after their publication, and both landed on bestseller lists many years later.

4 Many publishers and book retailers are keen to cash in on the BookTok trend. Some publishers hire younger employees who are familiar with the platform and can help create marketing campaigns that resonate with the BookTok community. Other publishers work directly with influencers, sending them book copies prior to release and paying them to promote the new titles. However, these strategies do not always work, as BookTok influencer Kendra Keeter explains: “A lot of sponsored content doesn’t do well because it just isn’t authentic. How can you trust someone’s book recommendation if you know they were paid to post?” BookTok is also influencing how retailers do business, with many dedicating spaces to “BookTok favourites” in online and physical shops. “BookTok has had an immense impact on sales,” says James Daunt from Barnes & Noble Books, “It’s bringing energy into our shops, with people of all ages coming together around a shared love for reading.”

Adapted from Yahoo! News, December 2025

Question 4 [1.5 points].

Choose the correct option - A, B, C, or D - for each question. Indicate your choice clearly in your answer sheet, either by writing the letter A, B, C, or D or by copying the letter and the sentence that follows. No points will be given if the handwriting is not sufficiently clear.

.

PART 2 [3 points]. Written production. Option 1.

Choose ONE of the two options below and write a short composition (120-150 words). Compositions up to 200 words will not be penalized. Remember that compositions MUST NOT be signed.

You have received an email from your friend Anouk.

I can't wait to visit you next week in Santander! Will you be able to meet me at the train station? I arrive at 10:00. I have checked the weather forecast but I'm still not sure what clothes to bring. What do you think? I'd also like to know what we'll do when I'm there. Have you planned anything special for us?

Write an email response to Anouk providing her with the information she needs.

PART 2 [3 points]. Written production. Option 2.

Choose ONE of the two options below and write a short composition (120-150 words). Compositions up to 200 words will not be penalized. Remember that compositions MUST NOT be signed.

"Schools and universities should prohibit all use of artificial intelligence (AI)." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons to justify your opinion.