Examen de Inglés PAU Murcia 2024 · Ordinaria

TEXT A

A study published in The New York Times lamented the fast pace of modern parenting and found that regardless of education, income, or race, parents believed children who are bored should be enrolled in extracurricular activities. According to Erin Westgate, a professor of psychology at the University of Florida, there is a kind of cultural stigma attached to boredom, particularly in the United States.

Only boring people get bored, the saying goes. But the reality is that boredom is “normal, natural, and healthy,” said Dr. Westgate, whose research focuses on what boredom is, why people experience it, and what happens when they do. She believes that in moderate doses, boredom can offer a valuable learning opportunity, encouraging creativity and problem solving, and motivating children to seek out activities that feel meaningful to them. “Preventing kids from ever feeling bored is not suitable in the same way that preventing them from ever feeling sad, or frustrated, or angry is not suitable,” she said.

Here’s what you and your children can learn from feelings of boredom.

Boredom is informative. Boredom is like an indicator light on a car’s dashboard: “Boredom is telling you what you’re doing right now isn’t working,” which means the task you are doing is too easy or too difficult, or lacks meaning. One way parents can help children, particularly younger ones, to learn to manage boredom is to help them distinguish between feeling sad or bored. Another way is to normalize the feeling. “We have a tendency to treat boredom as a sign of discomfort, or a sort of call for help,” Dr. Westgate said. “Boredom is uncomfortable, but it’s not necessarily negative.”

Boredom can lead to fulfillment. Boredom offers children an opportunity to experiment with the kinds of activities that feel fulfilling and interesting to them. For example, if you let your kids loose in the backyard, they may feel bored initially, but they can then learn to prevent that feeling, or resolve it, by finding activities that feel meaningful to them, whether that’s counting bugs, playing with a ball, or drawing with sidewalk chalk. “If parents don’t allow for free, imaginative play, children may never discover their innate love of nature, sports, or art, or even the pleasure they can find in simply relaxing or playing,” Dr. Westgate said.

1. Read the text and decide whether statements 1.1 to 1.4 are true or false. Then, find a text fragment which confirms your answer in either case. Write “TRUE” or “FALSE” plus the fragment (one or two lines maximum) on your answer sheet. [Score: 4 items x 0.5 marks = 2 marks]

E.g.: Parents believed that out-of-school activities can be the solution to child boredom.

TRUE:... regardless of education, income, or race, parents believed children who are bored should be enrolled in extracurricular activities.

1.1.

According to Dr. Westgate, only boring people get bored.

TRUE

FALSE

1.2.

Dr. Westgate does not recommend parents to prevent their kids from ever feeling bored.

TRUE

FALSE

1.3.

Young children may confuse sadness with boredom.

TRUE

FALSE

1.4.

It’s in the parents’ hands to help their kids substitute boredom for meaningful activities.

TRUE

FALSE

TEXT A

A study published in The New York Times lamented the fast pace of modern parenting and found that regardless of education, income, or race, parents believed children who are bored should be enrolled in extracurricular activities. According to Erin Westgate, a professor of psychology at the University of Florida, there is a kind of cultural stigma attached to boredom, particularly in the United States.

Only boring people get bored, the saying goes. But the reality is that boredom is “normal, natural, and healthy,” said Dr. Westgate, whose research focuses on what boredom is, why people experience it, and what happens when they do. She believes that in moderate doses, boredom can offer a valuable learning opportunity, encouraging creativity and problem solving, and motivating children to seek out activities that feel meaningful to them. “Preventing kids from ever feeling bored is not suitable in the same way that preventing them from ever feeling sad, or frustrated, or angry is not suitable,” she said.

Here’s what you and your children can learn from feelings of boredom.

Boredom is informative. Boredom is like an indicator light on a car’s dashboard: “Boredom is telling you what you’re doing right now isn’t working,” which means the task you are doing is too easy or too difficult, or lacks meaning. One way parents can help children, particularly younger ones, to learn to manage boredom is to help them distinguish between feeling sad or bored. Another way is to normalize the feeling. “We have a tendency to treat boredom as a sign of discomfort, or a sort of call for help,” Dr. Westgate said. “Boredom is uncomfortable, but it’s not necessarily negative.”

Boredom can lead to fulfillment. Boredom offers children an opportunity to experiment with the kinds of activities that feel fulfilling and interesting to them. For example, if you let your kids loose in the backyard, they may feel bored initially, but they can then learn to prevent that feeling, or resolve it, by finding activities that feel meaningful to them, whether that’s counting bugs, playing with a ball, or drawing with sidewalk chalk. “If parents don’t allow for free, imaginative play, children may never discover their innate love of nature, sports, or art, or even the pleasure they can find in simply relaxing or playing,” Dr. Westgate said.

2. Complete each sentence with information from the text but using your own words ( about 10-15 words of your own per sentence). DO NOT COPY LITERALLY from the text nor from statements 1.1 to 1.4. Write the two sentences on your answer sheet. [Score: 2 items x 0.5 marks = 1 mark]

2.1.

2.2.

1. Read the text and choose the best option (A, B, or C) for items 1.1 to 1.4. On your answer sheet, draw a table like the one below and, for each item, copy only the letter that corresponds to your answer (A, B, or C). Use CAPITAL LETTERS. [Score: 4 items x 0.5 marks = 2 marks]

1.1. According to the opinions collected from different groups in the education sector, AI...

1.2. £2 million...

1.3. With the implementation of AI in education, teachers'...

1.4. As for pupils, AI tools...

2. Complete each sentence with information from the text but using your own words (about 10-15 words of your own per sentence). DO NOT COPY LITERALLY from the text nor from items 1.1 to 1.4. Write the two sentences on your answer sheet. [Score: 2 items x 0.5 marks = 1 mark]

2.1.

2.2.

SECTION II: OVERALL LANGUAGE ABILITY (USE OF ENGLISH) (3 marks)

3. Complete the text choosing the best option (A, B, or C) for each gap (1-15). On your answer sheet, draw a table like the one below and, for each gap (1-15), copy the letter that corresponds to your answer (A, B, or C). Use CAPITAL LETTERS. [Score: 15 items x 0.1 marks = 1.5 marks]

For Brazilians, the news of Pelé’s death did not come as a shock when it was announced (1) _____ 21 st December 2022. His daughter, Kely Nascimento, had been updating fans on social media ever (2) _____ he was taken to the hospital. He had been suffering (3) _____ health problems since 2012 when he had an operation (4) _____ left him needing a wheelchair, but it was cancer that had seen him go in and out of the hospital and eventually took his life. (5) _____ his death was expected, (6) _____ was emotional news for his fans. He was adored around the world. The man some called the greatest footballer (7) _____ and who in Brazil was known as The King (8) _____.

Born in 1940, Pelé grew up poor. He worked in cafes and tea shops from a young (9) _____ to make extra money. His father was footballer Dondinho, (10) _____ taught the young Pelé to play football. As they had no money to buy a proper football, they often used a sock filled (11) _____ newspaper and tied up with string. (12) _____ not, they would use a grapefruit.

Pelé’s favourite player was a goalkeeper named Bilé. His school friends joked about the way he pronounced the name, which sounded (13) _____ like “Pelé” than like “Bilé”. Although he protested, they began to use it (14) _____ his nickname and it stuck. Pelé (15) _____ said he thought it sounded childish, and it had no meaning in Portuguese.

.

)

4. Complete THREE of the following sentences so that each sentence keeps the meaning of the sentence printed before it and includes a clear change of linguistic structure. COPY THE COMPLETE SENTENCES (including the beginnings already given to you) onto your answer sheet. [Score: 3 items x 0.5 marks = 1.5 marks]

4.1.

If only I hadn't told Mark about my secret!

I Mark about my secret.

4.2.

We haven't had such bad weather in years.

This is the in years.

4.3.

Weather experts predict that this summer will be the hottest summer in ten years.

This summer the hottest summer in ten years.

4.4.

I did not start to look for another job because my boss gave me a promotion.

If my boss to look for another job.

4.5.

The army general said publicly, "The war will be over in a year."

The army general declared over in a year.

SECTION III: WRITING (4 marks)

5. Choose ONE of the four options below (a, b, c, or d) and write the corresponding text (150-175 words). Write your PARAGRAPH or TEXT on your answer sheet. [Score: 1 item x 4 marks = 4 marks]

a) Argumentative writing. Money cannot buy you happiness. Discuss.

WRITE AN ARGUMENTATIVE TEXT including arguments in favor of and against this statement. Make sure you provide a balanced discussion of the topic.

SECTION III: WRITING (4 marks)

5. Choose ONE of the four options below (a, b, c, or d) and write the corresponding text (150-175 words). Write your PARAGRAPH or TEXT on your answer sheet. [Score: 1 item x 4 marks = 4 marks]

b) Descriptive writing. Graduation ceremony and after-party.

WRITE A PARAGRAPH describing your ideal high school graduation ceremony and graduation after-party. (Don't narrate the story of your graduation or someone else's graduation ceremony or after-party. Describe what you think a perfect graduation ceremony and after-party would be like)

SECTION III: WRITING (4 marks)

5. Choose ONE of the four options below (a, b, c, or d) and write the corresponding text (150-175 words). Write your PARAGRAPH or TEXT on your answer sheet. [Score: 1 item x 4 marks = 4 marks]

c) Opinion writing. Too much time spent on social media is harmful to children's and/or teenagers' mental health. Do you agree?

WRITE AN OPINION PARAGRAPH/TEXT. Make sure you adopt a position and then provide the necessary arguments to convince your reader of it.

SECTION III: WRITING (4 marks)

5. Choose ONE of the four options below (a, b, c, or d) and write the corresponding text (150-175 words). Write your PARAGRAPH or TEXT on your answer sheet. [Score: 1 item x 4 marks = 4 marks]

d)

Email writing. One of your two best friends has decided to do a university degree in England, so you would like to throw him/her a surprise going-away party.

WRITE AN EMAIL to your other best friend to, at least, (a) explain to him/her your ideas regarding the theme and overall organization of the party, AND (b) to tell him/her in which way(s) he/she could help you organize the party.