Ejercicio B · Inglés PAU Madrid Modelo 2023

TEXTO B

Sports in America

Youth is synonymous with energy — mental and physical. Organized and informal sports offer teens the opportunity to expend some of that energy and, more importantly, to learn the value of fair practice, to accomplish objectives, and to just have fun.

In 2003, 58% of boys and 51% of girls in American high schools played on a sports team. The most commonly chosen sports by boys are American football, basketball, track and field, baseball, and soccer (international football). But for girls, the most prevalent are basketball, track and field athletics, volleyball, softball, and soccer. As a result of a U.S. law that encourages women to take part in athletics, girls' participation in high school athletics has risen by 800% over the past 30 years. Other organized high school sports often include gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, tennis, and golf.

Away from school, teenagers participate year-round in community-sponsored sports leagues. Besides, particularly in the summer, young people participate informally in one sport or another in the streets and parks of their neighborhoods. A high percentage of high school seniors reported taking part in music and performing arts activities, academic clubs, student council, and the school newspaper.

Sports also play a crucial role in the everyday social scene at American colleges and universities. There are university sports programs at the intercollegiate (organized competition) and internal (club-like, less competitive) levels. Grants are offered at the intercollegiate level to students who are both academically qualified and skilled in a sport. Athletic scholarships are awarded for everything from archery to wrestling, with an eye on gender equality to achieve a balance between men's and women's scholarships. These scholarships are administered directly by each academic institution on a percentage basis and universities have strict limits on the total amount they can award each year.

Adapted from “Sports in America>School & College Sports,” U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany, November 23, 2021. <https://usa.usembassy.de/sports-youth.htm>

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)

Female participation in school sports is now higher than three decades ago.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

Being good at a sport is the only requirement to get a grant.

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 benefits do teenagers get from playing sports? Mention two.

b)

According to the text, is the number of scholarships different for boys and girls? Why?