Examen de Inglés PAU Madrid 2023 · Ordinaria (2ª lengua)

TEXTO A

Coins Treasure Hidden in Kitchen

While renovating their kitchen in July 2019, residents discovered a cup hidden underneath the concrete and floorboards of their home, according to the auction house Spink & Son press release sent to CNN. The cup, described as being no larger than a soft-drink can, contained over 260 gold coins dating from 1610 to 1727. The coins have an estimated value of £100,000 in today's spending power and could be easily sold to collectors for £250,000.

Gregory Edmund, from Spink & Son, said the remarkable treasure is unlike any find in British archaeology or any coin auction in living memory. “It is a wonderful and truly unexpected discovery from such a modest location. This coin treasure is also one of the largest on archaeological record from Britain, and definitely for the 18th century period.”

“The coins almost certainly belonged to Joseph and Sarah Maisters, who married in 1694”, reads the press release. According to Spink & Son, the Maisters were an influential mercantile family from the 16th century to the 18th century. They traded iron, timber and coal from the Baltic states and several generations took up posts as lawmakers in the early 1700s. Their family line disappeared soon after the couple died, and the coins were never retrieved.

Edmund said the findings reflect the standard £50 and £100 coins that were used at the time of the English Civil War. Joseph and Sarah chose to keep the money at home because they clearly distrusted the newly-formed Bank of England, the “banknote” and even the gold coinage of their day. Why nobody ever retrieved the coins when they were really easy to find just beneath the original 18th century floorboards is an even bigger mystery.

Adapted from “Coins worth up to $290,000 found under kitchen floorboards,” CNN, September 2, 2022. <https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/gold-coins-england-kitchen-intl-scli/index.html>

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)

According to the press, it is highly likely that Joseph and Sarah were the owners of the treasure.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

Joseph and Sarah had the coins at home because there were no banks at that time.

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)

When and where were the coins discovered?

b)

Mention two reasons why this discovery is archeologically different.

TEXTO A

Coins Treasure Hidden in Kitchen

While renovating their kitchen in July 2019, residents discovered a cup hidden underneath the concrete and floorboards of their home, according to the auction house Spink & Son press release sent to CNN. The cup, described as being no larger than a soft-drink can, contained over 260 gold coins dating from 1610 to 1727. The coins have an estimated value of £100,000 in today's spending power and could be easily sold to collectors for £250,000.

Gregory Edmund, from Spink & Son, said the remarkable treasure is unlike any find in British archaeology or any coin auction in living memory. “It is a wonderful and truly unexpected discovery from such a modest location. This coin treasure is also one of the largest on archaeological record from Britain, and definitely for the 18th century period.”

“The coins almost certainly belonged to Joseph and Sarah Maisters, who married in 1694”, reads the press release. According to Spink & Son, the Maisters were an influential mercantile family from the 16th century to the 18th century. They traded iron, timber and coal from the Baltic states and several generations took up posts as lawmakers in the early 1700s. Their family line disappeared soon after the couple died, and the coins were never retrieved.

Edmund said the findings reflect the standard £50 and £100 coins that were used at the time of the English Civil War. Joseph and Sarah chose to keep the money at home because they clearly distrusted the newly-formed Bank of England, the “banknote” and even the gold coinage of their day. Why nobody ever retrieved the coins when they were really easy to find just beneath the original 18th century floorboards is an even bigger mystery.

Adapted from “Coins worth up to $290,000 found under kitchen floorboards,” CNN, September 2, 2022. <https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/gold-coins-england-kitchen-intl-scli/index.html>

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)

They were successful treasure seekers

earned big sums of money before

(move) to Italy.

b)

She didn't expect

(discover) a lot of valuable items when she

(explore) the pirates' caves.

c)

If I

(win) the lottery, I would have spent my money

a brand new car.

d)

This is

(easy) way I know to reach your town. However, it looks quite complicated and time-consuming

other people.

A.5.- Write about 150 to 200 words on the following topic. (Puntuación máxima: 3 puntos)

Many people say money can solve any problem. Do you agree? Justify your opinion.

TEXTO B

The "4-Color" BIC©: A Timeless 50-Year-Old Pen!

Its smooth design has never changed. Emblematic, unique and original, the plastic Bic© 4-color pen has left its mark on the world over several generations. In 2020, this timeless cult object celebrated its 50th anniversary and the good news is that it hasn't aged a day! The pen was born within the Bic company in 1969, based on an idea developed by its founder, Marcel Bich. He wanted to create an item that made life easier for consumers by making it compact, resistant, reliable and affordable. It soon became a worldwide success and was first marketed in the United States in 1971.

Very light and fun with its characteristic click, this apparently simple pen is in fact very complex, a real concentration of technology. It has very precise machinery that allows the desired color to be selected mechanically, very innovative plastics that can resist many activations and high-quality ink. It is appreciated as much for its look, its simplicity, and its unique functionality as for its resistance!

The 4-color pen originally came in 2 versions: one with an orange body and a fine tip, the favorite of schoolchildren and students alike, the other with a blue body and a medium tip. Since then, the range has expanded and there are now around thirty varieties of 4-color Bic pens, including the "4 Fluorescent Colors" Bic launched in 2016, where green is replaced by fluorescent yellow ink, and the 2017 version comprising an integrated mechanical pencil instead of the green ink.

One thing is certain: the manufacturing process of the "4-color" pen has remained the same for 50 years. Classified as an industrial secret, its technology is jealously guarded, and few people have been able to enter the factory where it has been manufactured since its beginnings.

Adapted from "The '4-colour' BIC©: a timeless 50-year-old pen!" PlasticsleMag, 17 February 2021. <https://plastics-themag.com/The-4-colour-BIC:-a-timeless-50-year-old-pen>

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)

It took a long time for the pen to become a global hit.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

The factory where the pens are made is a tourist destination.

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)

What was Marcel Bich's original idea for the pen and how did he achieve it?

b)

Explain why the "4-Color" Bic is a complex object.

TEXTO B

The "4-Color" BIC©: A Timeless 50-Year-Old Pen!

Its smooth design has never changed. Emblematic, unique and original, the plastic Bic© 4-color pen has left its mark on the world over several generations. In 2020, this timeless cult object celebrated its 50th anniversary and the good news is that it hasn't aged a day! The pen was born within the Bic company in 1969, based on an idea developed by its founder, Marcel Bich. He wanted to create an item that made life easier for consumers by making it compact, resistant, reliable and affordable. It soon became a worldwide success and was first marketed in the United States in 1971.

Very light and fun with its characteristic click, this apparently simple pen is in fact very complex, a real concentration of technology. It has very precise machinery that allows the desired color to be selected mechanically, very innovative plastics that can resist many activations and high-quality ink. It is appreciated as much for its look, its simplicity, and its unique functionality as for its resistance!

The 4-color pen originally came in 2 versions: one with an orange body and a fine tip, the favorite of schoolchildren and students alike, the other with a blue body and a medium tip. Since then, the range has expanded and there are now around thirty varieties of 4-color Bic pens, including the "4 Fluorescent Colors" Bic launched in 2016, where green is replaced by fluorescent yellow ink, and the 2017 version comprising an integrated mechanical pencil instead of the green ink.

One thing is certain: the manufacturing process of the "4-color" pen has remained the same for 50 years. Classified as an industrial secret, its technology is jealously guarded, and few people have been able to enter the factory where it has been manufactured since its beginnings.

Adapted from "The '4-colour' BIC©: a timeless 50-year-old pen!" PlasticsleMag, 17 February 2021. <https://plastics-themag.com/The-4-colour-BIC:-a-timeless-50-year-old-pen>

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

(Puntuación máxima: 1 punto)

a)

about (paragraph 3):

b)

substituted (paragraph 3):

c)

sure (paragraph 4):

d)

stayed (paragraph 4):

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

a)

The founder of the company,

is located in the Paris region, developed the pen

(think) about the consumers’ desires.

b)

It is always a good idea

(keep) a pen in hand

you need it.

c)

The Bic

(introduce) a long time ago as a useful tool

kids and adults.

d)

Complete the following sentence to report what was said.

“Can I borrow your pen to fill in the form?”

She asked me

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

New inventions should be both useful and fashionable. Discuss.