Examen de Inglés PAU Castilla y León 2024 · Ordinaria (Fase Mejora de Nota)

OPTION A

A MARATHON SHORT STORY: RUNNING FOR A CHANGE

I'm not a runner. In fact, for most of my life, I hated running. I was one of those people who thought

marathoners were superhuman and crazy to run for such long distances. I thought it was impossible for me

to do a marathon.

All it took was a brother, some unhappiness in life, and a desire for change to convince me. One

5 day, my brother Vu had a proposal for me: to do a marathon with him. My reaction? Absolutely, freaking

no. However, my brother was persistent. He had done his first marathon the year prior and loved it. He

thought that it could help me. I was going through a tough time, struggling through some relationships and

hating my desk job. I wanted something new. I wanted a boost in self-confidence.

It was an opportunity to prove to myself that I can do something I hated and to do what I believed

10 impossible. I didn't have anything to lose. After a month of consideration, I called my brother and told him,

I'm in.

At the 24th mile mark

Cramps on both legs. Excruciating pain. I wanted to give up. It was just 2 more miles, but it felt like

it would take like an eternity to get there. My mind was playing the devil's advocate, persuading me to give

15 up. While under all the negative chatter and physical pain, a voice told me to keep on going. It was thanks

to this voice that I passed the finish line.

Crossing the finish line

Seeing the line, I brought my hands up high and ran through. Feelings of awe, happiness, surprise,

exhaustion, and relief hit me at once. Never did I think that I would finish. I had proved to myself that I can

20 do the impossible. I had to wait for 10 minutes for my brother to finish. By then, my whole body was

aching. But boy, I was happy. I'm proud of myself for finishing a marathon. It has helped me change for

the better. Now, I realize I'm capable of more. (Fragment adapted from https://steemit.com)

1) BRIEFLY ANSWER ONLY 4 OUT OF THE FOLLOWING 6 QUESTIONS WITH ONLY THE DATA REQUIRED (NOT A WHOLE SENTENCE) (2 POINTS; 0.5 POINTS EACH).

1.

Who proposed the idea of doing a marathon to the narrator?

2.

When did the brother do his first marathon?

3.

What motivated the narrator to keep going despite the physical pain and desire to give up?

4.

What feelings did the narrator experience upon crossing the finish line of the marathon?

5.

Is the narrator ashamed of finishing the marathon?

6.

What does ‘it’ refer to in line 21?

OPTION A

A MARATHON SHORT STORY: RUNNING FOR A CHANGE

I'm not a runner. In fact, for most of my life, I hated running. I was one of those people who thought

marathoners were superhuman and crazy to run for such long distances. I thought it was impossible for me

to do a marathon.

All it took was a brother, some unhappiness in life, and a desire for change to convince me. One

5 day, my brother Vu had a proposal for me: to do a marathon with him. My reaction? Absolutely, freaking

no. However, my brother was persistent. He had done his first marathon the year prior and loved it. He

thought that it could help me. I was going through a tough time, struggling through some relationships and

hating my desk job. I wanted something new. I wanted a boost in self-confidence.

It was an opportunity to prove to myself that I can do something I hated and to do what I believed

10 impossible. I didn't have anything to lose. After a month of consideration, I called my brother and told him,

I'm in.

At the 24th mile mark

Cramps on both legs. Excruciating pain. I wanted to give up. It was just 2 more miles, but it felt like

it would take like an eternity to get there. My mind was playing the devil's advocate, persuading me to give

15 up. While under all the negative chatter and physical pain, a voice told me to keep on going. It was thanks

to this voice that I passed the finish line.

Crossing the finish line

Seeing the line, I brought my hands up high and ran through. Feelings of awe, happiness, surprise,

exhaustion, and relief hit me at once. Never did I think that I would finish. I had proved to myself that I can

20 do the impossible. I had to wait for 10 minutes for my brother to finish. By then, my whole body was

aching. But boy, I was happy. I'm proud of myself for finishing a marathon. It has helped me change for

the better. Now, I realize I'm capable of more. (Fragment adapted from https://steemit.com)

2) ARE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? INDICATE THE LINES THAT SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER (1 POINT).

1.

Initially, the narrator’s reaction to the marathon proposal was a definite “no.”

TRUE

FALSE

2.

At the 24 th mile mark, the narrator experienced no physical discomfort or cramps.

TRUE

FALSE

OPTION A

A MARATHON SHORT STORY: RUNNING FOR A CHANGE

I'm not a runner. In fact, for most of my life, I hated running. I was one of those people who thought

marathoners were superhuman and crazy to run for such long distances. I thought it was impossible for me

to do a marathon.

All it took was a brother, some unhappiness in life, and a desire for change to convince me. One

5 day, my brother Vu had a proposal for me: to do a marathon with him. My reaction? Absolutely, freaking

no. However, my brother was persistent. He had done his first marathon the year prior and loved it. He

thought that it could help me. I was going through a tough time, struggling through some relationships and

hating my desk job. I wanted something new. I wanted a boost in self-confidence.

It was an opportunity to prove to myself that I can do something I hated and to do what I believed

10 impossible. I didn't have anything to lose. After a month of consideration, I called my brother and told him,

I'm in.

At the 24th mile mark

Cramps on both legs. Excruciating pain. I wanted to give up. It was just 2 more miles, but it felt like

it would take like an eternity to get there. My mind was playing the devil's advocate, persuading me to give

15 up. While under all the negative chatter and physical pain, a voice told me to keep on going. It was thanks

to this voice that I passed the finish line.

Crossing the finish line

Seeing the line, I brought my hands up high and ran through. Feelings of awe, happiness, surprise,

exhaustion, and relief hit me at once. Never did I think that I would finish. I had proved to myself that I can

20 do the impossible. I had to wait for 10 minutes for my brother to finish. By then, my whole body was

aching. But boy, I was happy. I'm proud of myself for finishing a marathon. It has helped me change for

the better. Now, I realize I'm capable of more. (Fragment adapted from https://steemit.com)

3) CHOOSE a OR b, ONLY ONE CHOICE IS CORRECT ACCORDING TO THE TEXT (1 POINT).

OPTION A

A MARATHON SHORT STORY: RUNNING FOR A CHANGE

I'm not a runner. In fact, for most of my life, I hated running. I was one of those people who thought

marathoners were superhuman and crazy to run for such long distances. I thought it was impossible for me

to do a marathon.

All it took was a brother, some unhappiness in life, and a desire for change to convince me. One

5 day, my brother Vu had a proposal for me: to do a marathon with him. My reaction? Absolutely, freaking

no. However, my brother was persistent. He had done his first marathon the year prior and loved it. He

thought that it could help me. I was going through a tough time, struggling through some relationships and

hating my desk job. I wanted something new. I wanted a boost in self-confidence.

It was an opportunity to prove to myself that I can do something I hated and to do what I believed

10 impossible. I didn't have anything to lose. After a month of consideration, I called my brother and told him,

I'm in.

At the 24th mile mark

Cramps on both legs. Excruciating pain. I wanted to give up. It was just 2 more miles, but it felt like

it would take like an eternity to get there. My mind was playing the devil's advocate, persuading me to give

15 up. While under all the negative chatter and physical pain, a voice told me to keep on going. It was thanks

to this voice that I passed the finish line.

Crossing the finish line

Seeing the line, I brought my hands up high and ran through. Feelings of awe, happiness, surprise,

exhaustion, and relief hit me at once. Never did I think that I would finish. I had proved to myself that I can

20 do the impossible. I had to wait for 10 minutes for my brother to finish. By then, my whole body was

aching. But boy, I was happy. I'm proud of myself for finishing a marathon. It has helped me change for

the better. Now, I realize I'm capable of more. (Fragment adapted from https://steemit.com)

4) VOCABULARY (2 POINTS).

4.1

Choose one of the options below and find one word in the text for its definition (0.6 POINTS):

Answer either a) or b) (or both):

4.2

Find a synonym in the text for one of the two words below (0.6 POINTS):

Answer either a) or b) (or both):

4.3

For one of the following words from the text, give a synonym that fits the meaning of the text (0.8 POINTS):

Answer either a) or b) (or both):

5) WRITE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING TOPIC USING BETWEEN 120-150 WORDS (4 POINTS).

What are the advantages or disadvantages (if any) of doing exercise? Justify your answer.

BRITAIN BECOMES LATEST TO BAN TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT PHONES

British authorities said Thursday that they are banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok

from government mobile phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the U.S. and European

Union. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament the ban applies, with immediate effect, to

work phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants. He described the ban as a

5 “precautionary move” and said it does not apply to personal phones and devices.

“Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it

is both prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of certain apps, particularly when it comes to apps

where a large amount of data can be stored and accessed,” Dowden told British lawmakers.

The U.S. government mandated last month that employees of federal agencies had to delete TikTok

10 from all government-issued mobile devices. Congress, the White House, the U.S. military, and more than

half of U.S. states already had banned the app. The European Union, Belgium and others have also

temporarily banned the app from employee phones.

The company has insisted such concerns are based on “misinformation”, and said it was taking steps

to boost protection of user data from Britain and Europe. “We believe these bans have been based on

15 fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in

the U.K. play no part”, the company said. “We remain committed to working with the government to

address any concerns, but we should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.”

Last year, the British Parliament shut down its TikTok account which was intended to reach younger

audiences just days after its launch, following concerns from lawmakers. (Fragment adapted from Los

20 Angeles Times.)

1) BRIEFLY ANSWER ONLY 4 OUT OF THE FOLLOWING 6 QUESTIONS WITH ONLY THE DATA REQUIRED (NOT A WHOLE SENTENCE) (2 POINTS; 0.5 POINTS EACH).

1.

On which grounds are British authorities banning TikTok?

2.

Who are the owners of the phones and devices affected by the UK ban?

3.

How did Oliver Dowden describe the move to ban TikTok?

4.

How many U.S. states have also banned the app?

5.

What is TikTok requesting UK government in reference to competitors?

6.

Who were worried about the launching of the British Parliament TikTok account?

BRITAIN BECOMES LATEST TO BAN TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT PHONES

British authorities said Thursday that they are banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok

from government mobile phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the U.S. and European

Union. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament the ban applies, with immediate effect, to

work phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants. He described the ban as a

5 “precautionary move” and said it does not apply to personal phones and devices.

“Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it

is both prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of certain apps, particularly when it comes to apps

where a large amount of data can be stored and accessed,” Dowden told British lawmakers.

The U.S. government mandated last month that employees of federal agencies had to delete TikTok

10 from all government-issued mobile devices. Congress, the White House, the U.S. military, and more than

half of U.S. states already had banned the app. The European Union, Belgium and others have also

temporarily banned the app from employee phones.

The company has insisted such concerns are based on “misinformation”, and said it was taking steps

to boost protection of user data from Britain and Europe. “We believe these bans have been based on

15 fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in

the U.K. play no part”, the company said. “We remain committed to working with the government to

address any concerns, but we should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.”

Last year, the British Parliament shut down its TikTok account which was intended to reach younger

audiences just days after its launch, following concerns from lawmakers. (Fragment adapted from Los

20 Angeles Times.)

2) ARE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? INDICATE THE LINES THAT SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER (1 POINT).

1. Oliver Dowden stated that the reasons for the government ban on TikTok were to protect information from apps which store and access a lot of sensitive data.

TRUE

FALSE

2. In order to avoid the bans, the many users of TikTok in the UK have claimed a greater role in geopolitics.

TRUE

FALSE

BRITAIN BECOMES LATEST TO BAN TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT PHONES

British authorities said Thursday that they are banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok

from government mobile phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the U.S. and European

Union. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament the ban applies, with immediate effect, to

work phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants. He described the ban as a

5 “precautionary move” and said it does not apply to personal phones and devices.

“Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it

is both prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of certain apps, particularly when it comes to apps

where a large amount of data can be stored and accessed,” Dowden told British lawmakers.

The U.S. government mandated last month that employees of federal agencies had to delete TikTok

10 from all government-issued mobile devices. Congress, the White House, the U.S. military, and more than

half of U.S. states already had banned the app. The European Union, Belgium and others have also

temporarily banned the app from employee phones.

The company has insisted such concerns are based on “misinformation”, and said it was taking steps

to boost protection of user data from Britain and Europe. “We believe these bans have been based on

15 fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in

the U.K. play no part”, the company said. “We remain committed to working with the government to

address any concerns, but we should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.”

Last year, the British Parliament shut down its TikTok account which was intended to reach younger

audiences just days after its launch, following concerns from lawmakers. (Fragment adapted from Los

20 Angeles Times.)

3) CHOOSE a OR b, ONLY ONE CHOICE IS CORRECT ACCORDING TO THE TEXT (1 POINT).

)

BRITAIN BECOMES LATEST TO BAN TIKTOK ON GOVERNMENT PHONES

British authorities said Thursday that they are banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok

from government mobile phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the U.S. and European

Union. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament the ban applies, with immediate effect, to

work phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants. He described the ban as a

5 “precautionary move” and said it does not apply to personal phones and devices.

“Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it

is both prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of certain apps, particularly when it comes to apps

where a large amount of data can be stored and accessed,” Dowden told British lawmakers.

The U.S. government mandated last month that employees of federal agencies had to delete TikTok

10 from all government-issued mobile devices. Congress, the White House, the U.S. military, and more than

half of U.S. states already had banned the app. The European Union, Belgium and others have also

temporarily banned the app from employee phones.

The company has insisted such concerns are based on “misinformation”, and said it was taking steps

to boost protection of user data from Britain and Europe. “We believe these bans have been based on

15 fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in

the U.K. play no part”, the company said. “We remain committed to working with the government to

address any concerns, but we should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.”

Last year, the British Parliament shut down its TikTok account which was intended to reach younger

audiences just days after its launch, following concerns from lawmakers. (Fragment adapted from Los

20 Angeles Times.)

4) VOCABULARY (2 POINTS).

4.1

Choose one of the options below and find one word in the text for its definition (0.6 POINTS):

4.2

Find a synonym in the text for one of the two words below (0.6 POINTS):

4.3

For one of the following words from the text, give a synonym that fits the meaning of the text (0.8 POINTS):

5) WRITE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING TOPIC USING BETWEEN 120-150 WORDS (4 POINTS).

Should social networks which endanger personal information be banned by the government? Justify your answer.