Ejercicio B.1 - B.2 · Inglés PAU Madrid Ordinaria (2ª lengua) 2023

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.