Opción A - 1 · Inglés PAU Castilla y León Ordinaria (Fase Mejora de Nota) 2024

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?