Examen de Inglés PAU La Rioja 2024 · Extraordinaria

TEXT A. DIGITAL HABITS ACROSS GENERATIONS

Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations' online habits couldn't be more different. In the UK the over-55's are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5. million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in the mailbox. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”

Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they are not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It's my alarm clock so I have to,” she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.”

Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. “We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,” she says. “It's changed my social life completely.”

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. “I was always connected, and I felt like I was always working,” he says. “How would I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?” So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. “I'm not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.”

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

© British Council

1A. Choose the correct answer A, B or C. (3 points, 0.5 each)

.

TEXT A. DIGITAL HABITS ACROSS GENERATIONS

Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations' online habits couldn't be more different. In the UK the over-55's are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5. million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in the mailbox. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”

Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they are not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It's my alarm clock so I have to,” she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.”

Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. “We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,” she says. “It's changed my social life completely.”

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. “I was always connected, and I felt like I was always working,” he says. “How would I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?” So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. “I'm not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.”

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

© British Council

2A. Answer the following questions in no more than 8 words. (1 point, 0.25 each)

1.

How did Sheila's grandparents know about her life?

2.

How does Chloe justify sleeping with her smartphone?

3.

What is the main difference between Sheila's generation and her Chloe's regarding friends?

4.

How has Peter solved his excessive smartphone usage?

TEXT A. DIGITAL HABITS ACROSS GENERATIONS

Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations' online habits couldn't be more different. In the UK the over-55's are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5. million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in the mailbox. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”

Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they are not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It's my alarm clock so I have to,” she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.”

Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. “We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,” she says. “It's changed my social life completely.”

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. “I was always connected, and I felt like I was always working,” he says. “How would I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?” So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. “I'm not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.”

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

© British Council

3A. Find a word in the text for each of these definitions. (1 point, 0.25 each)

1.

Publishes something such as a message or picture on a website or using social media.

2.

Probably.

3.

To plan, prepare for, or organize something.

4.

First users of a new product, especially a new piece of technology.

TEXT B. THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

London was a busy city in 1666. It was very crowded. The streets were narrow and dusty. The houses were made of wood and very close together. Inside their homes, people used candles for light and cooked on open fires. So, a fire could easily get out of control. In those days there were no fire engines or firefighters to stop a fire from spreading.

The fire began in the early Sunday morning on the 2 nd of September. It started in Pudding Lane in the shop of the King's baker, Thomas Farrinor. When Thomas went to bed, he did not put out the fire that heated his oven. Sparks from the oven fell onto some dry flour sacks and they caught fire. The flames spread through the house, down Pudding Lane and into the nearby streets.

Soon London was filled with smoke. The sky was red with huge flames from the fire. By Monday, 300 houses had burned down. Everybody was in a panic. People loaded their things onto carts and tried to leave town. Others tried to get away on boats on the river. Some people buried their things in the garden, hoping to save them from the fire.

The fire still spread, helped by a strong wind from the east. London Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral were both burnt. On Tuesday, King Charles II ordered that houses and shops be pulled down to stop the fire from spreading. By Wednesday, they had the fire under control. But by then, 100,000 people were homeless. Thomas Farrinor and his wife got out of their bakery in time, but a woman who worked for them was too frightened to jump from the roof. She was the first to die. Surprisingly, only nine people died as a result of the fire.

Two people have left us eyewitness accounts of the fire. The first is Samuel Pepys, who worked for the Navy. He kept a diary from 1660-1669. The second is John Evelyn, who also kept a diary. Both men describe how dramatic and scary the fire was. Not everyone at the time thought that the fire was an accident. However, the fire was most likely caused by chance rather than by a deliberate act.

King Charles II declared 10 October 1666 as a day of fasting on account of the fire. He told the Lord Mayor of London to support collections for victims of the fire. Later, close to Pudding Lane, a monument was built so that people would not forget the fire. It was the work of Sir Christopher Wren, who designed many new buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral, when the city was rebuilt after the fire.

© www.esolcourses.com

1B. Choose the correct answer A, B or C. (3 points, 0.5 each)

.

TEXT B. THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

London was a busy city in 1666. It was very crowded. The streets were narrow and dusty. The houses were made of wood and very close together. Inside their homes, people used candles for light and cooked on open fires. So, a fire could easily get out of control. In those days there were no fire engines or firefighters to stop a fire from spreading.

The fire began in the early Sunday morning on the 2 nd of September. It started in Pudding Lane in the shop of the King's baker, Thomas Farrinor. When Thomas went to bed, he did not put out the fire that heated his oven. Sparks from the oven fell onto some dry flour sacks and they caught fire. The flames spread through the house, down Pudding Lane and into the nearby streets.

Soon London was filled with smoke. The sky was red with huge flames from the fire. By Monday, 300 houses had burned down. Everybody was in a panic. People loaded their things onto carts and tried to leave town. Others tried to get away on boats on the river. Some people buried their things in the garden, hoping to save them from the fire.

The fire still spread, helped by a strong wind from the east. London Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral were both burnt. On Tuesday, King Charles II ordered that houses and shops be pulled down to stop the fire from spreading. By Wednesday, they had the fire under control. But by then, 100,000 people were homeless. Thomas Farrinor and his wife got out of their bakery in time, but a woman who worked for them was too frightened to jump from the roof. She was the first to die. Surprisingly, only nine people died as a result of the fire.

Two people have left us eyewitness accounts of the fire. The first is Samuel Pepys, who worked for the Navy. He kept a diary from 1660-1669. The second is John Evelyn, who also kept a diary. Both men describe how dramatic and scary the fire was. Not everyone at the time thought that the fire was an accident. However, the fire was most likely caused by chance rather than by a deliberate act.

King Charles II declared 10 October 1666 as a day of fasting on account of the fire. He told the Lord Mayor of London to support collections for victims of the fire. Later, close to Pudding Lane, a monument was built so that people would not forget the fire. It was the work of Sir Christopher Wren, who designed many new buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral, when the city was rebuilt after the fire.

© www.esolcourses.com

2B. Answer the following questions in no more than 8 words. (1 point, 0.25 each)

1.

Why was it difficult to stop a fire extending?

2.

What caused the sky to turn red?

3.

Which means of transport did people use to escape?

4.

Where did the two witnesses document their observations of the fire?

TEXT B. THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

London was a busy city in 1666. It was very crowded. The streets were narrow and dusty. The houses were made of wood and very close together. Inside their homes, people used candles for light and cooked on open fires. So, a fire could easily get out of control. In those days there were no fire engines or firefighters to stop a fire from spreading.

The fire began in the early Sunday morning on the 2 nd of September. It started in Pudding Lane in the shop of the King's baker, Thomas Farrinor. When Thomas went to bed, he did not put out the fire that heated his oven. Sparks from the oven fell onto some dry flour sacks and they caught fire. The flames spread through the house, down Pudding Lane and into the nearby streets.

Soon London was filled with smoke. The sky was red with huge flames from the fire. By Monday, 300 houses had burned down. Everybody was in a panic. People loaded their things onto carts and tried to leave town. Others tried to get away on boats on the river. Some people buried their things in the garden, hoping to save them from the fire.

The fire still spread, helped by a strong wind from the east. London Bridge and St Paul's Cathedral were both burnt. On Tuesday, King Charles II ordered that houses and shops be pulled down to stop the fire from spreading. By Wednesday, they had the fire under control. But by then, 100,000 people were homeless. Thomas Farrinor and his wife got out of their bakery in time, but a woman who worked for them was too frightened to jump from the roof. She was the first to die. Surprisingly, only nine people died as a result of the fire.

Two people have left us eyewitness accounts of the fire. The first is Samuel Pepys, who worked for the Navy. He kept a diary from 1660-1669. The second is John Evelyn, who also kept a diary. Both men describe how dramatic and scary the fire was. Not everyone at the time thought that the fire was an accident. However, the fire was most likely caused by chance rather than by a deliberate act.

King Charles II declared 10 October 1666 as a day of fasting on account of the fire. He told the Lord Mayor of London to support collections for victims of the fire. Later, close to Pudding Lane, a monument was built so that people would not forget the fire. It was the work of Sir Christopher Wren, who designed many new buildings, including St Paul's Cathedral, when the city was rebuilt after the fire.

© www.esolcourses.com

3B. Find a word in the text for each of these definitions. (1 point, 0.25 each)

1.

Not far away.

2.

To stop someone or something from being killed, injured, or destroyed.

3.

Unexpectedly or in a way that is unusual.

4.

A person who saw something happen, such as a crime or accident.

PART 2. USE OF ENGLISH: Choose FOUR of the following statements and rephrase them so that their meaning is as similar as possible to the original. (2 points, 0,5 each)

1.

Although she was ill, she visited other countries.

Despite

2.

This is the man. His dog bit my sister in the park.

This is the man

3.

If your friend doesn't arrive before midday, we will have to leave.

Unless

4.

Smoking is forbidden in most restaurants.

You

5.

The teacher said to me: "Wait for me outside".

The teacher told me

6.

The last time Jean wrote a poem was two years ago.

Jean

7.

The hairdresser cut my hair yesterday morning.

I

8.

John forgot to phone his mother yesterday.

John didn't remember

PART 3. WRITING

Choose ONE of the following topics and write a 135-180 words long text.

1.

Write a REPORT about social networks.

Name and describe briefly at least three different social networks. Include information about what type of content is published on them and who their main users are.

PART 3. WRITING

Choose ONE of the following topics and write a 135-180 words long text.

2.

Write an INFORMAL E-MAIL answering to the following one.

You are Mary, and Alex has emailed you about organizing your history project. Reply to all the questions Alex asks.

Hi,

It's great that we're going to work together on the college history presentation. Do you think we should choose the Fire of London as our topic?

We only have two weeks to prepare, so can we start tomorrow?

Where can we go to prepare the presentation? My grandparents are staying at my house at this moment so, we can't work there because it's too noisy.

We can give our presentation to the class either in the morning or the afternoon. Which would you prefer?

Let me know ASAP.

Alex.