Examen de Inglés PAU Madrid 2019 · Extraordinaria

Vampire Child

Archaeologists have discovered the body of a 10-year-old child at an ancient Roman site which provides evidence of ancient “vampire burials”. A rock was inserted into the mouth of the child as part of a funeral ritual to prevent the deceased child from rising from the grave and spreading malaria, researchers believe. The unusual so-called “vampire burial” was described as “extremely mysterious” by the American archeologists who have been excavating the site in Teverina since 1987.

The find was unearthed at La Necropoli dei Bambini, an Italian cemetery that dates back to a malaria outbreak in 400 AD which killed many vulnerable babies and small children in the area. Previous excavations at this site have revealed the bones of infants and toddlers. There were also objects associated with witchcraft and magic, including raven talons, toad bones, bronze cauldrons filled with ash and the remains of puppies that appear to have been sacrificed.

Researchers had previously believed that the cemetery was designated exclusively for babies, toddlers and unborn fetuses, since the eldest body found had been a three-year-old girl. However, the discovery of the 10-year-old, whose age could be measured from dental development but whose sex is unknown, suggests that it may have been a burial location for older children as well.

Excavation director said: “Given the age of this child and its unique deposition, with the rock placed within his or her mouth, it represents an anomaly within an already abnormal cemetery.” “There are still sections of the cemetery that we haven’t excavated yet, so we don’t know if we’ll find other older kids,” said Mr Wilson, a doctoral student in anthropology at the University of Arizona.

Adapted from: Sky News <https://news.sky.com/story/vampire-child-discovered-buried-in-italy-with-stone-in-mouth-11524426>

QUESTIONS

1.- Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Researchers have been able to determine the gender and the age of the child whose body was discovered in Italy.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

Given that every inch of the cemetery has been examined, it’s unlikely that more bodies might be discovered.

TRUE

FALSE

2.- In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Why are these burials called “vampire burials”?

b)

Why did so many babies and young children die in 400AD?

Vampire Child

Archaeologists have discovered the body of a 10-year-old child at an ancient Roman site which provides evidence of ancient “vampire burials”. A rock was inserted into the mouth of the child as part of a funeral ritual to prevent the deceased child from rising from the grave and spreading malaria, researchers believe. The unusual so-called “vampire burial” was described as “extremely mysterious” by the American archeologists who have been excavating the site in Teverina since 1987.

The find was unearthed at La Necropoli dei Bambini, an Italian cemetery that dates back to a malaria outbreak in 400 AD which killed many vulnerable babies and small children in the area. Previous excavations at this site have revealed the bones of infants and toddlers. There were also objects associated with witchcraft and magic, including raven talons, toad bones, bronze cauldrons filled with ash and the remains of puppies that appear to have been sacrificed.

Researchers had previously believed that the cemetery was designated exclusively for babies, toddlers and unborn fetuses, since the eldest body found had been a three-year-old girl. However, the discovery of the 10-year-old, whose age could be measured from dental development but whose sex is unknown, suggests that it may have been a burial location for older children as well.

Excavation director said: “Given the age of this child and its unique deposition, with the rock placed within his or her mouth, it represents an anomaly within an already abnormal cemetery.” “There are still sections of the cemetery that we haven’t excavated yet, so we don’t know if we’ll find other older kids,” said Mr Wilson, a doctoral student in anthropology at the University of Arizona.

Adapted from: Sky News <https://news.sky.com/story/vampire-child-discovered-buried-in-italy-with-stone-in-mouth-11524426>

3.- Find the words in the text that mean:

(Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

a)

b)

c)

d)

4.- Complete the following sentences. Use the appropriate form of the word in brackets when given.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

I don't know

vampires are faster

human beings.

b)

Although people believe these scary stories are true, there is

evidence that vampires really

(exist).

c)

There

a lot of people around today

claim they are true vampires.

d)

Complete the following sentence to report what was said.

“Stop telling me scary stories or I’ll have to sleep with the lights on,” my mother told me.

My mother told me

5.- Write about 150 to 200 words on the following topic.

(Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)

You and your friends decide to spend a night in the forest. Write a horror story.

Quiz for divorce in China

In some parts of China, married couples trying to split up have been asked to take a quiz distributed by the local authorities. The more they knew about each other, including a spouse’s birthday or favorite food, the less likely they were to have their divorce immediately approved.

The quizzes, issued in at least two provinces since last year, follow the format of a typical three-part school exam. First, there are some fill-in-the-blank questions. Then, short answer questions and, finally, an essay. The topics of the questions are really varied from the mundane “when is your anniversary?” to the philosophical “have you satisfied your responsibility to your family?” The quizzes contain 15 questions, scored on a scale of 100 points. Liu Chunling, an official in Lianyungang told the Yangtse Late News that they were developed as a way to prevent “impulse divorces”. Local news agencies reported that the authorities considered a score of 60 points or higher to mean “room for recovery”, and those couples were encouraged to work on their marriages.

The divorce rate in China is rapidly rising, pushed mainly by working women who feel newly empowered to get one. But the government is trying to slow the trend, which it sees as a cause of social instability. The state’s focus on preventing divorce, experts said, stems from a Confucian belief that a stable society is made up of complete families. “Only through thousands of harmonious family units can an entire society achieve harmony,” said Mr. Liu, the Lianyungang official.

The Chinese government had previously regulated other many aspects of private family life, including religion and pregnancy. In this case, the authorities claim, the main objective is only to let the couple consider this rationally and to treat it seriously.

Adapted from “Want a Divorce in China? You Might Have to Fail a Quiz First,” The New York Times 30 May 2018.

QUESTIONS

1.- Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

It is easier to get a divorce in China if you do not know a lot about your couple.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

More women are making the decision of getting a divorce now than in the past.

TRUE

FALSE

2.- In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Why does the government want to prevent divorce?

b)

What does the idea of "room for recovery" refer to in the text?

Quiz for divorce in China

In some parts of China, married couples trying to split up have been asked to take a quiz distributed by the local authorities. The more they knew about each other, including a spouse’s birthday or favorite food, the less likely they were to have their divorce immediately approved.

The quizzes, issued in at least two provinces since last year, follow the format of a typical three-part school exam. First, there are some fill-in-the-blank questions. Then, short answer questions and, finally, an essay. The topics of the questions are really varied from the mundane “when is your anniversary?” to the philosophical “have you satisfied your responsibility to your family?” The quizzes contain 15 questions, scored on a scale of 100 points. Liu Chunling, an official in Lianyungang told the Yangtse Late News that they were developed as a way to prevent “impulse divorces”. Local news agencies reported that the authorities considered a score of 60 points or higher to mean “room for recovery”, and those couples were encouraged to work on their marriages.

The divorce rate in China is rapidly rising, pushed mainly by working women who feel newly empowered to get one. But the government is trying to slow the trend, which it sees as a cause of social instability. The state’s focus on preventing divorce, experts said, stems from a Confucian belief that a stable society is made up of complete families. “Only through thousands of harmonious family units can an entire society achieve harmony,” said Mr. Liu, the Lianyungang official.

The Chinese government had previously regulated other many aspects of private family life, including religion and pregnancy. In this case, the authorities claim, the main objective is only to let the couple consider this rationally and to treat it seriously.

Adapted from “Want a Divorce in China? You Might Have to Fail a Quiz First,” The New York Times 30 May 2018.

3.- Find the words in the text that mean:

(Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

a)

b)

c)

d)

4.- Complete the following sentences. Use the appropriate form of the word in brackets when given.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Fill-in-the gap questions are those

can

(answer) quickly with only a few words.

b)

Chinese authorities

(regulate) aspects of family life

many years.

c)

what her father thought, she considered that getting a divorce was the

(good) option for her.

d)

If she

(meet) him before, she

(marry) him.

5.- Write about 150 to 200 words on the following topic:

Divorce rates in Spain have increased in the last few years. Why do you think this is so? Justify your answer.

(Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)