Examen de Inglés PAU Valencia 2021 · Extraordinaria

TEXT A

CLOTHES WASHING LINKED TO PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE ARCTIC

The Arctic is polluted by microplastic fibres that most likely come from the washing of synthetic clothes by people in Europe and North America. The most comprehensive study to date found the microplastics in 96 of 97 sea water samples taken from across the polar region. More than 92% of the microplastics were fibres, and 73% of these were made of polyester and were the same width and colours as those used in clothes. Most of the samples were taken from 3-8 metres below the surface, where much marine life feeds.

The researchers also found plastic fibres at the North Pole. With plastic recently discovered at the deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, and the peak of Mount Everest, it is clear humanity’s litter has polluted the entire planet. It is known to injure wildlife that mistake it for food. People also consume microplastics via food and water, and breathe them in, although the health impact is not yet known.

Much more water flows into the Arctic from the Atlantic than the Pacific, and the new research found higher concentrations of the microplastic fibres nearer the Atlantic, as well as longer and less degraded fibres. “We’re looking at a dominance of Atlantic inputs, which means sources of textile fibres in the North Atlantic from Europe and North America are likely to be driving the contamination in the Arctic Ocean,” said Peter Ross, who led the study. “With these polyester fibres, we’ve essentially created a cloud throughout the world’s oceans.”

Adapted from an article by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, 12-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

A1. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account the information in the text. (2 points: 1 point each)

a.

Why do researchers think most microplastics come from clothes?

b.

Do microplastics affect people’s health?

TEXT A

CLOTHES WASHING LINKED TO PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE ARCTIC

The Arctic is polluted by microplastic fibres that most likely come from the washing of synthetic clothes by people in Europe and North America. The most comprehensive study to date found the microplastics in 96 of 97 sea water samples taken from across the polar region. More than 92% of the microplastics were fibres, and 73% of these were made of polyester and were the same width and colours as those used in clothes. Most of the samples were taken from 3-8 metres below the surface, where much marine life feeds.

The researchers also found plastic fibres at the North Pole. With plastic recently discovered at the deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, and the peak of Mount Everest, it is clear humanity’s litter has polluted the entire planet. It is known to injure wildlife that mistake it for food. People also consume microplastics via food and water, and breathe them in, although the health impact is not yet known.

Much more water flows into the Arctic from the Atlantic than the Pacific, and the new research found higher concentrations of the microplastic fibres nearer the Atlantic, as well as longer and less degraded fibres. “We’re looking at a dominance of Atlantic inputs, which means sources of textile fibres in the North Atlantic from Europe and North America are likely to be driving the contamination in the Arctic Ocean,” said Peter Ross, who led the study. “With these polyester fibres, we’ve essentially created a cloud throughout the world’s oceans.”

Adapted from an article by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, 12-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

A2. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Identify the part of the text that supports your answer by copying the exact passage on the answer sheet. (1.5 points: 0.5 each)

a.

Plastic debris can be found in the deepest and the highest places on the globe.

True (T)

False (F)

b.

The Atlantic contains fewer amounts of plastic fibres than the Pacific, although they are longer.

True (T)

False (F)

c.

North America is solely responsible for Arctic plastic fibre pollution.

True (T)

False (F)

TEXT A

CLOTHES WASHING LINKED TO PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE ARCTIC

The Arctic is polluted by microplastic fibres that most likely come from the washing of synthetic clothes by people in Europe and North America. The most comprehensive study to date found the microplastics in 96 of 97 sea water samples taken from across the polar region. More than 92% of the microplastics were fibres, and 73% of these were made of polyester and were the same width and colours as those used in clothes. Most of the samples were taken from 3-8 metres below the surface, where much marine life feeds.

The researchers also found plastic fibres at the North Pole. With plastic recently discovered at the deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, and the peak of Mount Everest, it is clear humanity’s litter has polluted the entire planet. It is known to injure wildlife that mistake it for food. People also consume microplastics via food and water, and breathe them in, although the health impact is not yet known.

Much more water flows into the Arctic from the Atlantic than the Pacific, and the new research found higher concentrations of the microplastic fibres nearer the Atlantic, as well as longer and less degraded fibres. “We’re looking at a dominance of Atlantic inputs, which means sources of textile fibres in the North Atlantic from Europe and North America are likely to be driving the contamination in the Arctic Ocean,” said Peter Ross, who led the study. “With these polyester fibres, we’ve essentially created a cloud throughout the world’s oceans.”

Adapted from an article by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, 12-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

A3. Find a synonym for each of the four words below from these six options. All words are underlined in the text (1 point: 0.25 each)

comprehensive • width • litter • injure • dominance • throughout

a.

b.

c.

d.

TEXT A

CLOTHES WASHING LINKED TO PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE ARCTIC

The Arctic is polluted by microplastic fibres that most likely come from the washing of synthetic clothes by people in Europe and North America. The most comprehensive study to date found the microplastics in 96 of 97 sea water samples taken from across the polar region. More than 92% of the microplastics were fibres, and 73% of these were made of polyester and were the same width and colours as those used in clothes. Most of the samples were taken from 3-8 metres below the surface, where much marine life feeds.

The researchers also found plastic fibres at the North Pole. With plastic recently discovered at the deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, and the peak of Mount Everest, it is clear humanity’s litter has polluted the entire planet. It is known to injure wildlife that mistake it for food. People also consume microplastics via food and water, and breathe them in, although the health impact is not yet known.

Much more water flows into the Arctic from the Atlantic than the Pacific, and the new research found higher concentrations of the microplastic fibres nearer the Atlantic, as well as longer and less degraded fibres. “We’re looking at a dominance of Atlantic inputs, which means sources of textile fibres in the North Atlantic from Europe and North America are likely to be driving the contamination in the Arctic Ocean,” said Peter Ross, who led the study. “With these polyester fibres, we’ve essentially created a cloud throughout the world’s oceans.”

Adapted from an article by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, 12-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

A4. Choose a, b, or c, in each question below. Only one choice is correct. (1.5 points: 0.5 each)

1. In the polar region, most microplastics in sea water...

2. Our health might be in danger because...

3. According to the new study, important amounts of microplastic fibres are driven towards...

Part II. Composition (130 to 150 words approximately) (4 points)

A5. How can we reduce microplastic pollution?

TEXT B / TEXTO B

DO WE HAVE TO AGE?

When the biologist Andrew Steele tells people that we might one day cure ageing as if it were any other disease, they are often skeptical. He understands the reaction: ageing is an inescapable fact of life – we’re born and we grow old. However, “anti-ageing medicine would identify the causes of dysfunction as we get older, then slow their progression or reverse them entirely,” Steele reports.

The hope isn’t that we live longer for the sake of it, it is that we live longer in good health. Humans have searched for a cure for ageing for thousands of years. In the past, countless people made lengthy, futile quests for life-extending elixirs. Lately, research has accelerated. A 2018 study extended the life expectancy of mice by 10%, though it comes with side-effects, including the loss of hair. Last year, scientists transplanted cells from young mice into elderly ones, adding three months to their lives, which in equivalent human terms could be worth more than a decade.

To Steele this is all thrilling, although it is the fact that human trials have begun that excites him most. A recent study found that a combination of hormones and drugs helps rejuvenate some organs, which degenerate rapidly with age. “Research foreshadows a future where ageing will be treated,” Steele says, “We are likely to have a drug that treats ageing in the next 10 years.” Steele isn’t talking about immortality, but science which will make lifespans longer than what we currently consider normal.

Adapted from an article by Alex Moshakis, The Observer, 3-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

B1. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into account the information in the text. (2 points: 1 point each)

a.

What would the benefits of medicine against age be?

b.

Have there been efforts to stop getting old in history?

TEXT B / TEXTO B

DO WE HAVE TO AGE?

When the biologist Andrew Steele tells people that we might one day cure ageing as if it were any other disease, they are often skeptical. He understands the reaction: ageing is an inescapable fact of life – we’re born and we grow old. However, “anti-ageing medicine would identify the causes of dysfunction as we get older, then slow their progression or reverse them entirely,” Steele reports.

The hope isn’t that we live longer for the sake of it, it is that we live longer in good health. Humans have searched for a cure for ageing for thousands of years. In the past, countless people made lengthy, futile quests for life-extending elixirs. Lately, research has accelerated. A 2018 study extended the life expectancy of mice by 10%, though it comes with side-effects, including the loss of hair. Last year, scientists transplanted cells from young mice into elderly ones, adding three months to their lives, which in equivalent human terms could be worth more than a decade.

To Steele this is all thrilling, although it is the fact that human trials have begun that excites him most. A recent study found that a combination of hormones and drugs helps rejuvenate some organs, which degenerate rapidly with age. “Research foreshadows a future where ageing will be treated,” Steele says, “We are likely to have a drug that treats ageing in the next 10 years.” Steele isn’t talking about immortality, but science which will make lifespans longer than what we currently consider normal.

Adapted from an article by Alex Moshakis, The Observer, 3-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

B2. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Identify the part of the text that supports your answer by copying the exact passage on the answer sheet. (1.5 points: 0.5 each)

.

TEXT B / TEXTO B

DO WE HAVE TO AGE?

When the biologist Andrew Steele tells people that we might one day cure ageing as if it were any other disease, they are often skeptical. He understands the reaction: ageing is an inescapable fact of life – we’re born and we grow old. However, “anti-ageing medicine would identify the causes of dysfunction as we get older, then slow their progression or reverse them entirely,” Steele reports.

The hope isn’t that we live longer for the sake of it, it is that we live longer in good health. Humans have searched for a cure for ageing for thousands of years. In the past, countless people made lengthy, futile quests for life-extending elixirs. Lately, research has accelerated. A 2018 study extended the life expectancy of mice by 10%, though it comes with side-effects, including the loss of hair. Last year, scientists transplanted cells from young mice into elderly ones, adding three months to their lives, which in equivalent human terms could be worth more than a decade.

To Steele this is all thrilling, although it is the fact that human trials have begun that excites him most. A recent study found that a combination of hormones and drugs helps rejuvenate some organs, which degenerate rapidly with age. “Research foreshadows a future where ageing will be treated,” Steele says, “We are likely to have a drug that treats ageing in the next 10 years.” Steele isn’t talking about immortality, but science which will make lifespans longer than what we currently consider normal.

Adapted from an article by Alex Moshakis, The Observer, 3-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

B3. Find a synonym for each of the four words below from these six options. All words are underlined in the text (1 point: 0.25 each)

disease • skeptical • countless • lengthy • thrilling • currently

.:

TEXT B / TEXTO B

DO WE HAVE TO AGE?

When the biologist Andrew Steele tells people that we might one day cure ageing as if it were any other disease, they are often skeptical. He understands the reaction: ageing is an inescapable fact of life – we’re born and we grow old. However, “anti-ageing medicine would identify the causes of dysfunction as we get older, then slow their progression or reverse them entirely,” Steele reports.

The hope isn’t that we live longer for the sake of it, it is that we live longer in good health. Humans have searched for a cure for ageing for thousands of years. In the past, countless people made lengthy, futile quests for life-extending elixirs. Lately, research has accelerated. A 2018 study extended the life expectancy of mice by 10%, though it comes with side-effects, including the loss of hair. Last year, scientists transplanted cells from young mice into elderly ones, adding three months to their lives, which in equivalent human terms could be worth more than a decade.

To Steele this is all thrilling, although it is the fact that human trials have begun that excites him most. A recent study found that a combination of hormones and drugs helps rejuvenate some organs, which degenerate rapidly with age. “Research foreshadows a future where ageing will be treated,” Steele says, “We are likely to have a drug that treats ageing in the next 10 years.” Steele isn’t talking about immortality, but science which will make lifespans longer than what we currently consider normal.

Adapted from an article by Alex Moshakis, The Observer, 3-1-2021

Part I. Reading Comprehension

B4. Choose a, b, or c in each question below. Only one choice is correct. (1.5 points: 0.5 each)

.

Part II. Composition (130 to 150 words approximately) (4 points)

B5.

Do you think that today's diseases, for example cancer, will disappear in the near future?