Ejercicio A · Inglés PAU Madrid Ordinaria (2ª lengua) 2020

TEXTO A

Girls and STEM

Women represent half of the UK workforce, yet only 22 per cent of people working in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) jobs in the UK are female. But things are starting to change. WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), which campaigns for gender and balance in STEM roles, has set a goal of one million women working in core STEM jobs by 2020. As Helen Wollaston says: “We simply have to get better at showing girls that maths, science and technology open doors to exciting, well-paid jobs where they can make a real difference to the world.”

Schools are doing their bit too, encouraging girls to study STEM subjects and showcasing the exciting opportunities in the workplace. A survey by software company Exasol in 2018 showed that the percentage of female students taking STEM subjects at A level had increased from 6.5 per cent to 11.8 per cent in the last five years. Lowena Hull, a pupil at Portsmouth High School, recently won £7,500 in a UK Space Agency competition for her idea to use satellites to track down lost supermarket trollies. A team from James Allen’s Girls’ School also reached the final of this year’s TeenTech Awards with an app that helps you find your theatre or cinema seat in the dark.

At the university level, Brighton College engages girls in STEM subjects by inviting women scientists to speak as part of its careers programme. It also holds a Women in Science event solely for year 11 girls. Meanwhile, an all-girls team at Epsom College recently came third in the International Youth Rocketry Challenge. As Chris Telfer-Mason, head of physics, explains: “We have removed stereotyping by promoting STEM to both genders and encouraging students to work together in mixed teams, with job roles allocated based on an individual’s ability and skill.”

Adapted from: “Girls and STEM,” The Week, 6 September 2019. <https://www.theweek.co.uk/103141/girls-and-stem>

QUESTIONS

A.1 (2 puntos) Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

a)

According to WISE, in 2020 there will already be one million women working in core STEM jobs.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

At Brighton College, scientists of both genders are giving talks to persuade girls to undertake STEM subjects.

TRUE

FALSE

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

a)

Explain both prize-winning school projects mentioned in the text.

b)

According to Chris Telfer-Mason, how do they avoid stereotyping?