Examen de Inglés PAU País Vasco 2026 · Ordinaria

SECTION I: Read the text and answer the subsections a), b) and c).

How a city feeds people and cuts waste

Every day, hungry people arrive at India’s first Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur in the hope of getting a hot meal. But they don’t pay for their food with money. Instead, they hand over packs of plastic such as old carrier bags, food wrappers and water bottles. There, people can trade a kilogram of plastic waste for a full meal that includes rice, two vegetable curries, dal, roti, salad and pickles.

The Garbage Cafe was launched in 2019 using the slogan “more waste, better taste” and the purpose was simple: to encourage low-income people, especially the homeless, to collect plastic waste from streets and landfills, and give them hot meals in return.

Rashmi Mondal is a local woman who brings plastic to the cafe. Every morning, she sets out early on the streets of Ambikapur in a search for abandoned plastic and, for her, collecting such rubbish is a means of survival.

The cafe has also had an impact on the amount of plastic waste going to landfill. Almost 23 tonnes of plastic have been collected in total since 2019, contributing to a wider fall in the amount of plastic going to landfill from 5.4 tonnes per year to 2 tonnes in 2024.

The plastic collected in the Garbage Cafe is sent to specialised local waste collection centres. Ambikapur now has 20 of these decentralised centres, which sort collected waste into more than 60 categories. The centres employ 480 women called swachhata didis or “cleanliness sisters”, to do this waste segregation as well as going door to door each day to collect household waste.

Staff at the waste collection centres are provided with gloves, masks and other sanitary facilities to reduce health risks while handling waste. In contrast, those collecting the waste on the streets are not provided with this hygiene support, so they have to face daily exposure to bacteria, sharp objects and toxic waste leading to a risk of illness.

However, such schemes have not always run smoothly. The city of Delhi also launched a plastic waste collection initiative using garbage cafes, but the operation has slowly collapsed. The lower enthusiasm might be due to the fewer people being on low incomes than in Ambikapur.

And while the plastic waste collection cafes have had an impact, they are not able to tackle problems such as the overproduction of plastic, non-recyclable plastics and lack of proper segregation in most Indian households. It is more like a quick fix that deals with the surface issues rather than the root causes of the plastic problem.

Abridged and adapted from: Hazra Khatoon (2025, August 19). Rice, two curries and dal: The Indian Cafes where you pay in rubbish. BBC.

I.- a) Answer 4 out of the following 6 questions according to the information given in the text. Write complete sentences using your own words. Do not copy from the text. (Choose 4 out of the 6 questions) (4 x 0.5 = 2 points)

1.

How do people pay at India's first Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur? Do they pay with money?

2.

What was the main purpose of launching the Garbage Cafe in 2019?

3.

What impact has the plastic collected by the Garbage Cafe had on the amount of waste going to landfill?

4.

What is swachhata didis ' role?

5.

What kind of risks do street collectors have to face compared to the staff at waste collection centres?

6.

Why are plastic waste collection cafes considered a "quick fix" rather than a solution?

SECTION I: Read the text and answer the subsections a), b) and c).

How a city feeds people and cuts waste

Every day, hungry people arrive at India’s first Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur in the hope of getting a hot meal. But they don’t pay for their food with money. Instead, they hand over packs of plastic such as old carrier bags, food wrappers and water bottles. There, people can trade a kilogram of plastic waste for a full meal that includes rice, two vegetable curries, dal, roti, salad and pickles.

The Garbage Cafe was launched in 2019 using the slogan “more waste, better taste” and the purpose was simple: to encourage low-income people, especially the homeless, to collect plastic waste from streets and landfills, and give them hot meals in return.

Rashmi Mondal is a local woman who brings plastic to the cafe. Every morning, she sets out early on the streets of Ambikapur in a search for abandoned plastic and, for her, collecting such rubbish is a means of survival.

The cafe has also had an impact on the amount of plastic waste going to landfill. Almost 23 tonnes of plastic have been collected in total since 2019, contributing to a wider fall in the amount of plastic going to landfill from 5.4 tonnes per year to 2 tonnes in 2024.

The plastic collected in the Garbage Cafe is sent to specialised local waste collection centres. Ambikapur now has 20 of these decentralised centres, which sort collected waste into more than 60 categories. The centres employ 480 women called swachhata didis or “cleanliness sisters”, to do this waste segregation as well as going door to door each day to collect household waste.

Staff at the waste collection centres are provided with gloves, masks and other sanitary facilities to reduce health risks while handling waste. In contrast, those collecting the waste on the streets are not provided with this hygiene support, so they have to face daily exposure to bacteria, sharp objects and toxic waste leading to a risk of illness.

However, such schemes have not always run smoothly. The city of Delhi also launched a plastic waste collection initiative using garbage cafes, but the operation has slowly collapsed. The lower enthusiasm might be due to the fewer people being on low incomes than in Ambikapur.

And while the plastic waste collection cafes have had an impact, they are not able to tackle problems such as the overproduction of plastic, non-recyclable plastics and lack of proper segregation in most Indian households. It is more like a quick fix that deals with the surface issues rather than the root causes of the plastic problem.

Abridged and adapted from: Hazra Khatoon (2025, August 19). Rice, two curries and dal: The Indian Cafes where you pay in rubbish. BBC.

I.- b) Indicate whether the following statements are True or False according to the text. Copy the part (and ONLY the part) of the text which justifies your answer using quotations marks. (Choose 2 out of the 3 statements) (2 x 0.5 = 1 point)

1.

Rashmi Mondal spends all mornings purchasing plastic from stores and donating it to a community centre.

TRUE

FALSE

2.

Delhi's garbage cafe scheme failed mainly because the city had fewer low-income people compared to Ambikapur.

TRUE

FALSE

3.

The Garbage Cafe initiative has completely solved the problem of plastic waste in India by addressing its root causes.

TRUE

FALSE

SECTION I: Read the text and answer the subsections a), b) and c).

How a city feeds people and cuts waste

Every day, hungry people arrive at India’s first Garbage Cafe in Ambikapur in the hope of getting a hot meal. But they don’t pay for their food with money. Instead, they hand over packs of plastic such as old carrier bags, food wrappers and water bottles. There, people can trade a kilogram of plastic waste for a full meal that includes rice, two vegetable curries, dal, roti, salad and pickles.

The Garbage Cafe was launched in 2019 using the slogan “more waste, better taste” and the purpose was simple: to encourage low-income people, especially the homeless, to collect plastic waste from streets and landfills, and give them hot meals in return.

Rashmi Mondal is a local woman who brings plastic to the cafe. Every morning, she sets out early on the streets of Ambikapur in a search for abandoned plastic and, for her, collecting such rubbish is a means of survival.

The cafe has also had an impact on the amount of plastic waste going to landfill. Almost 23 tonnes of plastic have been collected in total since 2019, contributing to a wider fall in the amount of plastic going to landfill from 5.4 tonnes per year to 2 tonnes in 2024.

The plastic collected in the Garbage Cafe is sent to specialised local waste collection centres. Ambikapur now has 20 of these decentralised centres, which sort collected waste into more than 60 categories. The centres employ 480 women called swachhata didis or “cleanliness sisters”, to do this waste segregation as well as going door to door each day to collect household waste.

Staff at the waste collection centres are provided with gloves, masks and other sanitary facilities to reduce health risks while handling waste. In contrast, those collecting the waste on the streets are not provided with this hygiene support, so they have to face daily exposure to bacteria, sharp objects and toxic waste leading to a risk of illness.

However, such schemes have not always run smoothly. The city of Delhi also launched a plastic waste collection initiative using garbage cafes, but the operation has slowly collapsed. The lower enthusiasm might be due to the fewer people being on low incomes than in Ambikapur.

And while the plastic waste collection cafes have had an impact, they are not able to tackle problems such as the overproduction of plastic, non-recyclable plastics and lack of proper segregation in most Indian households. It is more like a quick fix that deals with the surface issues rather than the root causes of the plastic problem.

Abridged and adapted from: Hazra Khatoon (2025, August 19). Rice, two curries and dal: The Indian Cafes where you pay in rubbish. BBC.

I.- c) Find the words or expressions in the text that mean: (Choose 4 out of the 6 questions) (4 x 0.25 = 1 point)

1.

pieces of paper, plastic, or thin metal which covers something you buy; packaging:

2.

a short phrase that is easy to remember:

3.

separate things into different classes, groups, or places:

4.

pieces of clothing which cover your hands:

5.

plans, programmes, strategies:

6.

deal with something in a very determined or efficient way:

SECTION II: Answer both subsections a) and b).

II.- a) Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given in brackets. Do not change the word given and do not use contractions. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. (6 x 0.25= 1.5 points)

1.

Although she had little money, she managed to feed her family. (DESPITE)

, she managed to feed her family.

2.

They are painting the school building this week. (IS)

The school building

this week.

3.

If Sara doesn't submit her application by Friday, she will not be considered for the scholarship. (UNLESS)

Sara won't be considered for the scholarship

by Friday.

4.

They postponed the concert because the sound equipment failed. (OFF)

They

because the sound equipment failed.

5.

"Did you finish the homework?", the teacher asked her. (IF)

The teacher asked her

the homework.

6.

The music was too loud at the event, and we couldn't hear each other talking. (SUCH)

at the event that we couldn't hear each other talking.

II.- b) In this text, fill in the gaps with the most suitable option from the four options given for each gap. (10 x 0.15 = 1.5 points)

I still remember my first day

(1)

work. I had just graduated from university and was excited to start my career. The office was located

(2)

the city centre, so I had to take the train every morning. I arrived early and waited nervously at the reception. The manager greeted me politely and showed me around. Everyone was friendly, and I quickly felt

(3)

part of the team. I was surprised by how busy the office was; people were working

(4)

and talking quietly. My tasks were simple at first, but they became more challenging

(5)

the first few weeks. I had to write reports, attend meetings, and help with customer service. I didn't know

(6)

about handling complaints, but my supervisor was very supportive.

(7)

I made a few mistakes, I learned quickly and improved my skills. I also discovered that working in a team is very different

(8)

studying alone. You need to communicate clearly and respect others' opinions. There were only

(9)

people in my department, so we got to know each other well. If I hadn't taken that job, I

(10)

have missed a great opportunity to grow professionally.

SECTION III

Write a composition of about 150 words on one of these topics. Specify your option. [3 points]

a)

Many towns are trying to reduce plastic waste, and some give rewards to people who recycle. These rewards can be small amounts of money, discounts, or other benefits. Write an opinion essay saying whether you think people should receive rewards for recycling or not.

SECTION III

Write a composition of about 150 words on one of these topics. Specify your option. [3 points]

b)

Is it better to ban single-use plastics than to promote recycling? Write a for-and-against composition on banning plastic items and encouraging recycling.