Examen de Inglés PAU Madrid 2019 · Ordinaria

Homesickness

Whether you've gone away to college, moved to a new city or even just travelled for vacation, homesickness is a common emotional experience. Longing for home is the subject of books, songs and films. Celebrities have opened up about feeling homesick, and many people have shared their tips for overcoming it.

But what exactly are we feeling when we experience homesickness and why do we feel it so deeply – in a way that sometimes manifests physically? Joshua Klapow, a professor of public health at the University of Alabama, points out that “homesickness has everything to do with attachment”. When we feel homesick, we're feeling insecure or uncomfortable with where we are, physically and emotionally, he adds. “We're longing for something that in our minds is known, predictable, consistent and stable.”

Other psychologists emphasise that homesickness is a very normal part of the human experience and is about overcoming a period of adjustment to a new environment. To get over it, homesick people are encouraged to find a coffee shop or another place they can visit repeatedly and that will start to feel familiar. Over time, they will form new attachments.

Even though it's normal and common, homesickness can be associated with very difficult emotions and experiences, according to Ricks Warren, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Warren compares homesickness to losing a loved one, although what the person is grieving is the loss of the familiar place. It's associated with insomnia, problems with appetite, and difficulty concentrating.

Adapted from “What Happens To Your Mind And Body When You Feel Homesick,” The Huffington Post 29 June 2018. <https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-happens-mind-body-homesick_n_5b201ebde4b09d7a3d77eee1.>

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

a)

Homesickness is often treated in literature, music and the cinema.

b)

One of the symptoms of homesickness is the lack of sleep.

Homesickness

Whether you've gone away to college, moved to a new city or even just travelled for vacation, homesickness is a common emotional experience. Longing for home is the subject of books, songs and films. Celebrities have opened up about feeling homesick, and many people have shared their tips for overcoming it.

But what exactly are we feeling when we experience homesickness and why do we feel it so deeply – in a way that sometimes manifests physically? Joshua Klapow, a professor of public health at the University of Alabama, points out that “homesickness has everything to do with attachment”. When we feel homesick, we're feeling insecure or uncomfortable with where we are, physically and emotionally, he adds. “We're longing for something that in our minds is known, predictable, consistent and stable.”

Other psychologists emphasise that homesickness is a very normal part of the human experience and is about overcoming a period of adjustment to a new environment. To get over it, homesick people are encouraged to find a coffee shop or another place they can visit repeatedly and that will start to feel familiar. Over time, they will form new attachments.

Even though it's normal and common, homesickness can be associated with very difficult emotions and experiences, according to Ricks Warren, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Warren compares homesickness to losing a loved one, although what the person is grieving is the loss of the familiar place. It's associated with insomnia, problems with appetite, and difficulty concentrating.

Adapted from “What Happens To Your Mind And Body When You Feel Homesick,” The Huffington Post 29 June 2018. <https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-happens-mind-body-homesick_n_5b201ebde4b09d7a3d77eee1.>

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

a)

What emotions do people experience when being homesick?

b)

What advice is given in the text to mitigate homesickness?

Homesickness

Whether you've gone away to college, moved to a new city or even just travelled for vacation, homesickness is a common emotional experience. Longing for home is the subject of books, songs and films. Celebrities have opened up about feeling homesick, and many people have shared their tips for overcoming it.

But what exactly are we feeling when we experience homesickness and why do we feel it so deeply – in a way that sometimes manifests physically? Joshua Klapow, a professor of public health at the University of Alabama, points out that “homesickness has everything to do with attachment”. When we feel homesick, we're feeling insecure or uncomfortable with where we are, physically and emotionally, he adds. “We're longing for something that in our minds is known, predictable, consistent and stable.”

Other psychologists emphasise that homesickness is a very normal part of the human experience and is about overcoming a period of adjustment to a new environment. To get over it, homesick people are encouraged to find a coffee shop or another place they can visit repeatedly and that will start to feel familiar. Over time, they will form new attachments.

Even though it's normal and common, homesickness can be associated with very difficult emotions and experiences, according to Ricks Warren, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Warren compares homesickness to losing a loved one, although what the person is grieving is the loss of the familiar place. It's associated with insomnia, problems with appetite, and difficulty concentrating.

Adapted from “What Happens To Your Mind And Body When You Feel Homesick,” The Huffington Post 29 June 2018. <https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-happens-mind-body-homesick_n_5b201ebde4b09d7a3d77eee1.>

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

a)

b)

c)

d)

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

a)

After

(live) in my new city for three months, I have started feeling less homesick than when I first

(move) in.

b)

Feeling homesick is compared

the emotion that we experience

losing a beloved person.

c)

(long) you live in a new place,

(good) you get to know it, and the less homesick you feel.

d)

Complete the following sentence to report what was said.

“When did you last visit your hometown?”, David asked me.

David asked me

.

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

Have you ever felt homesick? Describe your experience.

(Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)

Change in Activism

It has always been the youth who have promoted changes. From the Vietnam protests to Tiananmen Square, young people have been the catalyst for many moments of social change and expression of resistance. This moment in time is no different, with millennials and Generation Z transforming activism into a form appropriate for this new technological age.

The sharp increase in activism from young people is in direct correlation with the historic events that took place in 2016, that is, the Brexit vote in June and the US presidential election in November. These events triggered a powerful wave of activism, led by young people disillusioned with institutions and frustrated with the direction our society is moving in. A key moment of youth activism was March for Our Lives. This was an entirely student-led protest to demand gun control legislation in America. It finally resulted in the third largest march in US history.

In the UK, The Pink Protest was created to form a community of activists more accessible to young people. The Pink Protest ’s mission manifested in the #FreePeriods campaign of last year. The protest’s aim was to provide young girls in need with free menstruation products like sanitary towels and tampons. As a result of the campaign, £1.5 million were given by the UK government to address this problem.

This new germination has created a wave of socially engaged young people, eager to use their social media presence for good. From #BlackLivesMatter to #LoveWins, social media has changed the meaning and the practice of activism. It is no longer needed to take to the streets to make an impact; it is now easier and more productive to reach greater numbers of people through a screen. Activism is no longer a scary or unattainable notion but a democratic concept where anyone can find their place.

Adapted from “This Generation is Stepping up and Leading the Change in Activism,” The Student Newspaper 13 October 2018.

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)

The recent rise in youth protests is closely related to the technological advances which have developed for the last two years.

Statement a)

b)

Despite the use of social media, demonstrations are still the most effective way of protesting.

Statement b)

Change in Activism

It has always been the youth who have promoted changes. From the Vietnam protests to Tiananmen Square, young people have been the catalyst for many moments of social change and expression of resistance. This moment in time is no different, with millennials and Generation Z transforming activism into a form appropriate for this new technological age.

The sharp increase in activism from young people is in direct correlation with the historic events that took place in 2016, that is, the Brexit vote in June and the US presidential election in November. These events triggered a powerful wave of activism, led by young people disillusioned with institutions and frustrated with the direction our society is moving in. A key moment of youth activism was March for Our Lives. This was an entirely student-led protest to demand gun control legislation in America. It finally resulted in the third largest march in US history.

In the UK, The Pink Protest was created to form a community of activists more accessible to young people. The Pink Protest ’s mission manifested in the #FreePeriods campaign of last year. The protest’s aim was to provide young girls in need with free menstruation products like sanitary towels and tampons. As a result of the campaign, £1.5 million were given by the UK government to address this problem.

This new germination has created a wave of socially engaged young people, eager to use their social media presence for good. From #BlackLivesMatter to #LoveWins, social media has changed the meaning and the practice of activism. It is no longer needed to take to the streets to make an impact; it is now easier and more productive to reach greater numbers of people through a screen. Activism is no longer a scary or unattainable notion but a democratic concept where anyone can find their place.

Adapted from “This Generation is Stepping up and Leading the Change in Activism,” The Student Newspaper 13 October 2018.

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)

Explain why youths organised activist movements in 2016.

b)

What did the #FreePeriods campaign demand?

Change in Activism

It has always been the youth who have promoted changes. From the Vietnam protests to Tiananmen Square, young people have been the catalyst for many moments of social change and expression of resistance. This moment in time is no different, with millennials and Generation Z transforming activism into a form appropriate for this new technological age.

The sharp increase in activism from young people is in direct correlation with the historic events that took place in 2016, that is, the Brexit vote in June and the US presidential election in November. These events triggered a powerful wave of activism, led by young people disillusioned with institutions and frustrated with the direction our society is moving in. A key moment of youth activism was March for Our Lives. This was an entirely student-led protest to demand gun control legislation in America. It finally resulted in the third largest march in US history.

In the UK, The Pink Protest was created to form a community of activists more accessible to young people. The Pink Protest ’s mission manifested in the #FreePeriods campaign of last year. The protest’s aim was to provide young girls in need with free menstruation products like sanitary towels and tampons. As a result of the campaign, £1.5 million were given by the UK government to address this problem.

This new germination has created a wave of socially engaged young people, eager to use their social media presence for good. From #BlackLivesMatter to #LoveWins, social media has changed the meaning and the practice of activism. It is no longer needed to take to the streets to make an impact; it is now easier and more productive to reach greater numbers of people through a screen. Activism is no longer a scary or unattainable notion but a democratic concept where anyone can find their place.

Adapted from “This Generation is Stepping up and Leading the Change in Activism,” The Student Newspaper 13 October 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.

a)

If I had known everything was going to be so chaotic, I

(not join) the protest last Sunday. It

(be) a waste of time.

b)

They didn't apologise

the trouble they caused. What's worse, they even complained

the organisation.

c)

(you ever participate) in a social media campaign? If so, who was it organised

?

d)

The young activists,

had met at a university event, enjoyed

(discuss) new ideas after meetings.

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

“Today's Spanish youngsters are conformists and feel less committed to social issues than previous generations.” Do you agree or disagree, and why?

(Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)