Examen de Inglés PAU Navarra 2022 · Extraordinaria

1. Answer these questions about the text. Use your own words wherever possible (2 points, 1 each).

a)

In the USA extroversion is preferred over introversion. What are the consequences of this for introverts?

b)

How does Susan Cain see her own introversion?

Opción B

WHY DO PEOPLE BUY DESIGNER BRANDS?

My name is Naomy. Let me tell you what I think about why people buy expensive designer brands like Nike, Adidas, Michael Kors, Rayban, etc. I was sitting in mass last week when a woman sat down in front of me. She was wearing a Michael Kors bag. I looked at it and started to wonder: how much did she pay for that bag? And why? This was just a plain black over the shoulder bag, nothing you couldn't get at a much cheaper prize, except for the fancy logo with the brand name ( Michael Kors) on it, of course. Why did she spend £500 on a handbag? Is it better quality? Will it last longer? As I see things, people don't wear branded clothes, they wear brands. It's not just a top, it's an “Adidas” top. Not just a bag, it's “Michael Kors”, those aren't sunglasses, they're “Raybans”. People don't buy branded clothes to wear them, but to be seen wearing them. If branded clothes didn't have logos on them, would people still buy them? Do you like that Nike top? Yes. Would you pay £50 for it if it was made by Nike but didn't have the logo? Would it still be “worth” the £50 if people couldn't see it was Nike ? Hmm I don't know.

I own no “designer” brands, I never have. All the items I own are affordable. My logic has always been the following: why should I buy 1 top for £50 if I can buy 5 for the same price? In other words, I'd rather have a cheap purse with more money in it, than a designer purse that's nearly empty. However, my no-logo behavior comes at a price. Schoolkids often laugh at me and my clothes. Well, if I can buy the same thing they have but for £60 cheaper, surely I should be laughing at them! This peer pressure, however, drives some people to buy brands purely to fit in, regardless of whether or not they actually like the goods. Honestly, there are some hideous items out there that wouldn't be popular if they weren't made by a designer brand.

If something is a certain style or design that only one designer brand really does or specializes in, then fair enough – I can see why people might want to buy it. But I don't really get the concept of paying extortionate amounts of money to buy an item just because of its logo. Shouldn't the brand companies be paying you? Wearing clothes with obvious branding kind of makes you a walking billboard advertising for them. I get it from the companies' points of view, I mean why pay models to promote your clothes when you can get consumers to do it for free?

1. Answer these questions about the text. Use your own words wherever possible.

[2 points, 1 each]

a)

According to Naomy, why do people buy expensive designer brands like Nike, Adidas, Michael Kors, Rayban, etc.?

b)

What's Naomy's logic when buying items? What price does she pay for it?

2. Read the following statements, decide whether they are true or false and justify your answer by quoting evidence from the text (1 point, 0.50 each).

a)

Group work is still rare in schools and workplaces.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

Working on one's own triggers creativity.

TRUE

FALSE

Opción B

WHY DO PEOPLE BUY DESIGNER BRANDS?

My name is Naomy. Let me tell you what I think about why people buy expensive designer brands like Nike, Adidas, Michael Kors, Rayban, etc. I was sitting in mass last week when a woman sat down in front of me. She was wearing a Michael Kors bag. I looked at it and started to wonder: how much did she pay for that bag? And why? This was just a plain black over the shoulder bag, nothing you couldn't get at a much cheaper prize, except for the fancy logo with the brand name ( Michael Kors) on it, of course. Why did she spend £500 on a handbag? Is it better quality? Will it last longer? As I see things, people don't wear branded clothes, they wear brands. It's not just a top, it's an “Adidas” top. Not just a bag, it's “Michael Kors”, those aren't sunglasses, they're “Raybans”. People don't buy branded clothes to wear them, but to be seen wearing them. If branded clothes didn't have logos on them, would people still buy them? Do you like that Nike top? Yes. Would you pay £50 for it if it was made by Nike but didn't have the logo? Would it still be “worth” the £50 if people couldn't see it was Nike ? Hmm I don't know.

I own no “designer” brands, I never have. All the items I own are affordable. My logic has always been the following: why should I buy 1 top for £50 if I can buy 5 for the same price? In other words, I'd rather have a cheap purse with more money in it, than a designer purse that's nearly empty. However, my no-logo behavior comes at a price. Schoolkids often laugh at me and my clothes. Well, if I can buy the same thing they have but for £60 cheaper, surely I should be laughing at them! This peer pressure, however, drives some people to buy brands purely to fit in, regardless of whether or not they actually like the goods. Honestly, there are some hideous items out there that wouldn't be popular if they weren't made by a designer brand.

If something is a certain style or design that only one designer brand really does or specializes in, then fair enough – I can see why people might want to buy it. But I don't really get the concept of paying extortionate amounts of money to buy an item just because of its logo. Shouldn't the brand companies be paying you? Wearing clothes with obvious branding kind of makes you a walking billboard advertising for them. I get it from the companies' points of view, I mean why pay models to promote your clothes when you can get consumers to do it for free?

2. Read the following statements, decide whether they are true or false and justify your answer by quoting evidence from the text.

[1 point, 0.50 each]

a)

Naomy noticed that the Michael Kors bag was really worth its price.

True

False

b)

Naomy cannot find a single reason to justify why people buy designer brands.

True

False

3. Find in the text the word or group of words which match these definitions (1 point, 0.20 each).

a)

Large groups of people who are together in one place (paragraph 1).

b)

Useful and enjoyable (paragraph 1).

c)

Something that someone has said or written and that you consider silly or not true (paragraph 2).

d)

Directly, saying exactly what you think without caring about people's feelings (paragraph 2).

e)

Towards the inside of something (paragraph 3).

Opción B

WHY DO PEOPLE BUY DESIGNER BRANDS?

My name is Naomy. Let me tell you what I think about why people buy expensive designer brands like Nike, Adidas, Michael Kors, Rayban, etc. I was sitting in mass last week when a woman sat down in front of me. She was wearing a Michael Kors bag. I looked at it and started to wonder: how much did she pay for that bag? And why? This was just a plain black over the shoulder bag, nothing you couldn't get at a much cheaper prize, except for the fancy logo with the brand name ( Michael Kors) on it, of course. Why did she spend £500 on a handbag? Is it better quality? Will it last longer? As I see things, people don't wear branded clothes, they wear brands. It's not just a top, it's an “Adidas” top. Not just a bag, it's “Michael Kors”, those aren't sunglasses, they're “Raybans”. People don't buy branded clothes to wear them, but to be seen wearing them. If branded clothes didn't have logos on them, would people still buy them? Do you like that Nike top? Yes. Would you pay £50 for it if it was made by Nike but didn't have the logo? Would it still be “worth” the £50 if people couldn't see it was Nike ? Hmm I don't know.

I own no “designer” brands, I never have. All the items I own are affordable. My logic has always been the following: why should I buy 1 top for £50 if I can buy 5 for the same price? In other words, I'd rather have a cheap purse with more money in it, than a designer purse that's nearly empty. However, my no-logo behavior comes at a price. Schoolkids often laugh at me and my clothes. Well, if I can buy the same thing they have but for £60 cheaper, surely I should be laughing at them! This peer pressure, however, drives some people to buy brands purely to fit in, regardless of whether or not they actually like the goods. Honestly, there are some hideous items out there that wouldn't be popular if they weren't made by a designer brand.

If something is a certain style or design that only one designer brand really does or specializes in, then fair enough – I can see why people might want to buy it. But I don't really get the concept of paying extortionate amounts of money to buy an item just because of its logo. Shouldn't the brand companies be paying you? Wearing clothes with obvious branding kind of makes you a walking billboard advertising for them. I get it from the companies' points of view, I mean why pay models to promote your clothes when you can get consumers to do it for free?

3. Find in the text the word or group of words which match these definitions.

[1 point, 0.20 each]

a)

Ask yourself, think about something because you want to know more about it (paragraph 1).

b)

Entirely in one colour and without decoration or extra things added (paragraph 1).

c)

Expensive and fashionable (paragraph 1).

d)

Expression you use when you want to say that a statement, decision, or action seems reasonable to a certain extent (paragraph 3).

e)

A large advertisement (paragraph 3).

4. Complete the text using the correct words from the box below. There are 2 words that you won't need (2 points, 0.25 each).

SEEM

AS A

SEEMS

OUT

FRIENDLY

SUCH

GREATEST

ALSO

INCREDIBLY

AS

Yes, I am an introvert. People sometimes (a)

surprised when I say this, because I'm a pretty (b)

person. This is one of the (c)

misconceptions about introversion. We are not anti-social; we're differently social. I can't live without my family and close friends, but I (d)

need solitude. I feel (e)

lucky that my work (f)

writer affords me hours a day alone with my laptop! I have a lot of other introvert characteristics, such (g)

thinking before I speak, disliking conflict, and concentrating easily. According to the latest research, one third to one half of us are introverts – that's one (h)

of every two or three people you know.

4. Complete the text using the correct words from the box below. There are 2 words that you won't need.

[2 points, 0.25 each]

HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP

WASN'T

LOOK

EMBARRASSED

DOES

OTHERWISE

EMBARRASSING

DON'T

FOR

HAD BROUGHT UP

When a leading shoe brand releases a new pair of goodies and a high street shop releases a similar “copycat” version, why do people feel

(a)

to be seen in these “fakes”? If you're buying something

(b)

the design and appearance, then what difference

(c)

a logo on the side make? I doubt the lack of logo somehow makes it

(d)

hideous. I do not buy designer brands. But that's me, and that's my preference.

I have always been a cheap and cheerful kind of person. I guess this is why I don't understand people who choose

(e)

.

I'm sure I'd think differently if I

(f)

thinking that brands actually mattered, but I

(g)

so I

(h)

.

And I'm perfectly happy this way, buying and wearing “cheap” things – I don't want to be “branded”, I am not a cow.

5. Write a composition of around 150-200 words on ONE of the following topics [4 points]:

a.

You are tired of going to parties and making superficial friendships. You want to start a group of people to do quiet activities and really get to know each other. Write a blog entry to explain what you would like to do and why. Also, encourage people to join you.

b.

Discuss the following quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination".

5. Write a composition of around 150-200 words on ONE of the following topics (4 points):

a

What do you think about wearing expensive designer brands (for example Nike, Adidas, etc.)?

b

Some of your friends have been laughing at a new student who wears very different clothes. Write a mail to them and tell them what you think about their behaviour.