Examen de Inglés PAU Madrid 2022 · Ordinaria Lunes

TEXTO A

Firms Hire for “Cultural Fit”

Job rejections are like break ups – they are never fun, but some are worse than others. ‘We were impressed by your resume, but you’re not a cultural fit’ is the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ of job rejections. It is vague, confusing and almost always means there was something about you personally they didn’t like, but didn’t want to say out loud. Sandra Okerulu experienced this first-hand earlier this year. She applied for a role at a New York-based company and had an interview which went “perfectly”, she says. The company told her that her experience was what they were looking for, and she’d get an email about a second interview shortly. But she heard nothing for days. “Then I got an email saying I wasn’t a good fit, so they went with somebody else,” she says.

Of course, candidates understand job interviews are about more than checking qualifications. They’re also compatibility assessments – if your working style and behaviours mean you’ll function well within an organisation. The problem is that, too often, these assessments are subjective. That can mean candidates who look, act or sound different to recruiters are at an immediate disadvantage. Being dismissed for ‘cultural fit’ can leave demoralised candidates struggling to decipher what they did wrong. It can also leave certain workers unable to access particular roles or sectors.

Although many recruiters only hire candidates they think will fit with the company culture, research shows it’s actually in companies’ interests to stop doing this if they want to build better teams. In fact, there’s a significant disadvantage for companies who rely on cultural fit: they can end up very homogenous, so diversity is actually better for business.

Adapted from “What Does Being a ‘Cultural Fit’ Actually Mean?” BBC Worklife, October 20, 2021. <https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean>

QUESTIONS

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

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Not being ‘cultural fit’ is never used as an excuse to turn down candidates because of their personality.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

Sandra Okerulu’s position was taken by another candidate.

TRUE

FALSE

A.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)

Which two consequences can potential workers suffer if rejected for not being ‘cultural fit’?

b)

How can companies benefit from not applying the ‘cultural fit’ policy when hiring workers?

TEXTO A

Firms Hire for “Cultural Fit”

Job rejections are like break ups – they are never fun, but some are worse than others. ‘We were impressed by your resume, but you’re not a cultural fit’ is the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ of job rejections. It is vague, confusing and almost always means there was something about you personally they didn’t like, but didn’t want to say out loud. Sandra Okerulu experienced this first-hand earlier this year. She applied for a role at a New York-based company and had an interview which went “perfectly”, she says. The company told her that her experience was what they were looking for, and she’d get an email about a second interview shortly. But she heard nothing for days. “Then I got an email saying I wasn’t a good fit, so they went with somebody else,” she says.

Of course, candidates understand job interviews are about more than checking qualifications. They’re also compatibility assessments – if your working style and behaviours mean you’ll function well within an organisation. The problem is that, too often, these assessments are subjective. That can mean candidates who look, act or sound different to recruiters are at an immediate disadvantage. Being dismissed for ‘cultural fit’ can leave demoralised candidates struggling to decipher what they did wrong. It can also leave certain workers unable to access particular roles or sectors.

Although many recruiters only hire candidates they think will fit with the company culture, research shows it’s actually in companies’ interests to stop doing this if they want to build better teams. In fact, there’s a significant disadvantage for companies who rely on cultural fit: they can end up very homogenous, so diversity is actually better for business.

Adapted from “What Does Being a ‘Cultural Fit’ Actually Mean?” BBC Worklife, October 20, 2021. <https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean>

A.3.- Find the words in the text that mean: (Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

a)

b)

c)

d)

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

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Hiring is often subjective,

means some applicants may not be selected even

they have excellent qualifications.

b)

When writing an

(apply) for a job, recruiters suggest

(include) skills and work experience in the resume.

c)

Some jobs require being good

digital marketing, such

social media.

d)

Candidates who are culturally fit

(think) to be

(bad) for a firm than others.

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

(Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)

Is cultural diversity good for society? (Think about school, social relationships, work, etc.). Discuss.

TEXTO B

Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry

According to reports from 2019, the amount of clothes bought in the European Union (EU) per person has increased by 40% in just a few decades. This fact was driven by a fall in prices and the increased speed with which fashion is delivered to consumers.

Clothing accounts for between 2% and 10% of the environmental impact of EU consumption. This impact is often felt in third countries, as most production takes place out of the EU. The production of raw materials – e.g. pesticides for cotton –, spinning them into fibres, weaving fabrics and dyeing require enormous amounts of water and chemicals. Consumer use also has a large environmental footprint due to the water, energy and chemicals used in washing, tumble drying and ironing, as well as to microplastics shed into the environment.

Less than half of used clothes are collected for re-use or recycling when they are no longer needed, and only 1% are recycled into new clothes, since technologies that would enable recycling clothes into virgin fibres are only starting to emerge. Various ways to address these issues have been proposed, including developing new business models for clothing rental, designing products in a way that would make re-use and recycling easier (circular fashion), convincing consumers to buy fewer clothes of better quality (slow fashion), and generally directing consumer behaviour towards choosing more sustainable options.

In 2018, the EU adopted a circular economy package that will for the first time ensure that textiles are collected separately in all Member States by 2025 at the latest. The European Parliament has for years promoted the use of ecological and sustainable raw materials and the re-use and recycling of clothing.

Adapted from “Environmental Impact of the Textile and Clothing Industry,” European Parliament Think Tank, January 17, 2019. <https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI%282019%29633143>

QUESTIONS

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

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

EU clothes consumption has no consequences for non-EU countries.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

New regulations were approved to make all EU states classify clothing waste.

TRUE

FALSE

B.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)

Which reasons have caused the increase in clothes sales in recent years?

b)

How can clothes re-use or recycling be improved? Name two proposals.

TEXTO B

Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry

According to reports from 2019, the amount of clothes bought in the European Union (EU) per person has increased by 40% in just a few decades. This fact was driven by a fall in prices and the increased speed with which fashion is delivered to consumers.

Clothing accounts for between 2% and 10% of the environmental impact of EU consumption. This impact is often felt in third countries, as most production takes place out of the EU. The production of raw materials – e.g. pesticides for cotton –, spinning them into fibres, weaving fabrics and dyeing require enormous amounts of water and chemicals. Consumer use also has a large environmental footprint due to the water, energy and chemicals used in washing, tumble drying and ironing, as well as to microplastics shed into the environment.

Less than half of used clothes are collected for re-use or recycling when they are no longer needed, and only 1% are recycled into new clothes, since technologies that would enable recycling clothes into virgin fibres are only starting to emerge. Various ways to address these issues have been proposed, including developing new business models for clothing rental, designing products in a way that would make re-use and recycling easier (circular fashion), convincing consumers to buy fewer clothes of better quality (slow fashion), and generally directing consumer behaviour towards choosing more sustainable options.

In 2018, the EU adopted a circular economy package that will for the first time ensure that textiles are collected separately in all Member States by 2025 at the latest. The European Parliament has for years promoted the use of ecological and sustainable raw materials and the re-use and recycling of clothing.

Adapted from “Environmental Impact of the Textile and Clothing Industry,” European Parliament Think Tank, January 17, 2019. <https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI%282019%29633143>

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

(Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

a)

b)

c)

d)

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

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

I think that

(efficient) option to decrease fashion-driven pollution is beginning

(rent) clothes.

b)

Since 2018, people

(become) more and more aware

the clothing industry evironmental impact.

c)

In order to change consumer habits

are contributing to pollution, new regulations

(draw up) two years ago.

d)

Complete the following sentence to report what was said.

“Were only 2% of used clothes recycled in the country last year?”

The French minister asked

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

(Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)

“Clothes say a lot about you.” Do you agree with this statement? Justify your opinion.