Examen de Inglés PAU Valencia 2022 · Extraordinaria

TEXT A / TEXTO A

IS THAT REALLY ME? THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BEAUTY FILTERS

Mia started using filters when one of her TikTok videos unexpectedly went viral and her audience suddenly skyrocketed. “At that point, I was around 100kg, so it was really scary for me to have people looking at me,” she says. As her video clocked up more than 1m views, abusive comments started pouring in. “I was getting a lot of hate,” she says, adding: “The filters on TikTok are so smooth and flawless – they don’t look like a filter. So it felt so easy to use them, just to make me feel a little better… but honestly, it doesn’t even look like me.”

“Social media is promoting a beauty ideal that’s not attainable because nobody looks like that … and that’s where the harm can come from,” Dr Jasmine Fardouly, a body image expert, says. “Body dissatisfaction is an important predictor for eating disorders, and for depression and low self-esteem… There is also a link to increased interest in cosmetic surgery.”

Fardouly says social media companies should not be held solely responsible for the harm caused by unattainable beauty standards. “It’s kind of human nature… A lot of the problems with the platforms come from people’s desires and motivations offline as well. People have always wanted to present themselves positively to others; that’s not new. It’s just that social media really gives us the tools to control how we appear, and to spend a lot of time investing in our self-presentation – and that’s where the harm can come from.”

Adapted from an article by Matilda Boseley, The Guardian, 1-6-2022

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 did Mia start using filters on her TikTok videos?

b.

Why is the ideal of beauty promoted by social media damaging?

TEXT A / TEXTO A

IS THAT REALLY ME? THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BEAUTY FILTERS

Mia started using filters when one of her TikTok videos unexpectedly went viral and her audience suddenly skyrocketed. “At that point, I was around 100kg, so it was really scary for me to have people looking at me,” she says. As her video clocked up more than 1m views, abusive comments started pouring in. “I was getting a lot of hate,” she says, adding: “The filters on TikTok are so smooth and flawless – they don’t look like a filter. So it felt so easy to use them, just to make me feel a little better… but honestly, it doesn’t even look like me.”

“Social media is promoting a beauty ideal that’s not attainable because nobody looks like that … and that’s where the harm can come from,” Dr Jasmine Fardouly, a body image expert, says. “Body dissatisfaction is an important predictor for eating disorders, and for depression and low self-esteem… There is also a link to increased interest in cosmetic surgery.”

Fardouly says social media companies should not be held solely responsible for the harm caused by unattainable beauty standards. “It’s kind of human nature… A lot of the problems with the platforms come from people’s desires and motivations offline as well. People have always wanted to present themselves positively to others; that’s not new. It’s just that social media really gives us the tools to control how we appear, and to spend a lot of time investing in our self-presentation – and that’s where the harm can come from.”

Adapted from an article by Matilda Boseley, The Guardian, 1-6-2022

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. Mia began to use filters when the audience of her TikTok videos decreased.

True (T)

False (F)

b. Having eating disorders makes people feel depressed.

True (T)

False (F)

c. It’s not only because of social media that people want to show a good image of themselves.

True (T)

False (F)

TEXT A / TEXTO A

IS THAT REALLY ME? THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BEAUTY FILTERS

Mia started using filters when one of her TikTok videos unexpectedly went viral and her audience suddenly skyrocketed. “At that point, I was around 100kg, so it was really scary for me to have people looking at me,” she says. As her video clocked up more than 1m views, abusive comments started pouring in. “I was getting a lot of hate,” she says, adding: “The filters on TikTok are so smooth and flawless – they don’t look like a filter. So it felt so easy to use them, just to make me feel a little better… but honestly, it doesn’t even look like me.”

“Social media is promoting a beauty ideal that’s not attainable because nobody looks like that … and that’s where the harm can come from,” Dr Jasmine Fardouly, a body image expert, says. “Body dissatisfaction is an important predictor for eating disorders, and for depression and low self-esteem… There is also a link to increased interest in cosmetic surgery.”

Fardouly says social media companies should not be held solely responsible for the harm caused by unattainable beauty standards. “It’s kind of human nature… A lot of the problems with the platforms come from people’s desires and motivations offline as well. People have always wanted to present themselves positively to others; that’s not new. It’s just that social media really gives us the tools to control how we appear, and to spend a lot of time investing in our self-presentation – and that’s where the harm can come from.”

Adapted from an article by Matilda Boseley, The Guardian, 1-6-2022

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)

unexpectedly • abusive • flawless • link • harm • solely

a. exclusively

—

b. perfect

—

c. without warning

—

d. insulting

—

TEXT A / TEXTO A

IS THAT REALLY ME? THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BEAUTY FILTERS

Mia started using filters when one of her TikTok videos unexpectedly went viral and her audience suddenly skyrocketed. “At that point, I was around 100kg, so it was really scary for me to have people looking at me,” she says. As her video clocked up more than 1m views, abusive comments started pouring in. “I was getting a lot of hate,” she says, adding: “The filters on TikTok are so smooth and flawless – they don’t look like a filter. So it felt so easy to use them, just to make me feel a little better… but honestly, it doesn’t even look like me.”

“Social media is promoting a beauty ideal that’s not attainable because nobody looks like that … and that’s where the harm can come from,” Dr Jasmine Fardouly, a body image expert, says. “Body dissatisfaction is an important predictor for eating disorders, and for depression and low self-esteem… There is also a link to increased interest in cosmetic surgery.”

Fardouly says social media companies should not be held solely responsible for the harm caused by unattainable beauty standards. “It’s kind of human nature… A lot of the problems with the platforms come from people’s desires and motivations offline as well. People have always wanted to present themselves positively to others; that’s not new. It’s just that social media really gives us the tools to control how we appear, and to spend a lot of time investing in our self-presentation – and that’s where the harm can come from.”

Adapted from an article by Matilda Boseley, The Guardian, 1-6-2022

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

1. The filters on TikTok...

2. People...

3. Harm can result because...

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

A5.

Do you use filters on social media? Why?

TEXT B / TEXTO B

PLASTIC DISASTER

Plastic is cheap and durable and has revolutionized human activity. Modern life is addicted to and dependent on this versatile substance, which is found in everything from computers to medical equipment to food packaging. Unfortunately, an estimated 19 billion pounds of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year. Much of this plastic comes from single-use packaging, such as soda bottles, and from other single-use products such as disposable diapers. One study suggested that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish!

Plastic pollution is more than unsightly. It has a deadly and direct effect on wildlife. Many marine organisms get physically entangled in plastic trash. Others eat the plastics, mistaking the ubiquitous materials for food. Sea turtles often confuse plastic bags for their jellyfish prey and asphyxiate. Seabirds, especially albatrosses, and other birds that scoop food from the sea have been found dead on their nests, their bellies too full of plastics to survive. A recent study found plastic trash in 90 percent of seabirds, with pieces ranging from bottle caps to rice-sized fragments that look like seeds.

Perhaps even more worrisome is microplastic pollution. The vast majority of plastics are not biodegradable, meaning they break down into smaller and smaller particles but never leave the environment entirely. Pieces smaller than 5 mm are classified as microplastics. These particles are too small for waste management systems to filter and are directly discharged into the oceans.

Adapted from an article by Melissa Petruzzello, Britannica, 31-1-2022

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.

Why is modern life so dependent on plastic?

b.

What are microplastics?

TEXT B / TEXTO B

PLASTIC DISASTER

Plastic is cheap and durable and has revolutionized human activity. Modern life is addicted to and dependent on this versatile substance, which is found in everything from computers to medical equipment to food packaging. Unfortunately, an estimated 19 billion pounds of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year. Much of this plastic comes from single-use packaging, such as soda bottles, and from other single-use products such as disposable diapers. One study suggested that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish!

Plastic pollution is more than unsightly. It has a deadly and direct effect on wildlife. Many marine organisms get physically entangled in plastic trash. Others eat the plastics, mistaking the ubiquitous materials for food. Sea turtles often confuse plastic bags for their jellyfish prey and asphyxiate. Seabirds, especially albatrosses, and other birds that scoop food from the sea have been found dead on their nests, their bellies too full of plastics to survive. A recent study found plastic trash in 90 percent of seabirds, with pieces ranging from bottle caps to rice-sized fragments that look like seeds.

Perhaps even more worrisome is microplastic pollution. The vast majority of plastics are not biodegradable, meaning they break down into smaller and smaller particles but never leave the environment entirely. Pieces smaller than 5 mm are classified as microplastics. These particles are too small for waste management systems to filter and are directly discharged into the oceans.

Adapted from an article by Melissa Petruzzello, Britannica, 31-1-2022

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)

a.

According to a study, the oceans will likely contain more plastic than fish in the next decades.

True

False

b.

Marine organisms are trapped in plastic waste.

True

False

c.

Plastic pollution is more dangerous than microplastic pollution.

True

False

TEXT B / TEXTO B

PLASTIC DISASTER

Plastic is cheap and durable and has revolutionized human activity. Modern life is addicted to and dependent on this versatile substance, which is found in everything from computers to medical equipment to food packaging. Unfortunately, an estimated 19 billion pounds of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year. Much of this plastic comes from single-use packaging, such as soda bottles, and from other single-use products such as disposable diapers. One study suggested that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish!

Plastic pollution is more than unsightly. It has a deadly and direct effect on wildlife. Many marine organisms get physically entangled in plastic trash. Others eat the plastics, mistaking the ubiquitous materials for food. Sea turtles often confuse plastic bags for their jellyfish prey and asphyxiate. Seabirds, especially albatrosses, and other birds that scoop food from the sea have been found dead on their nests, their bellies too full of plastics to survive. A recent study found plastic trash in 90 percent of seabirds, with pieces ranging from bottle caps to rice-sized fragments that look like seeds.

Perhaps even more worrisome is microplastic pollution. The vast majority of plastics are not biodegradable, meaning they break down into smaller and smaller particles but never leave the environment entirely. Pieces smaller than 5 mm are classified as microplastics. These particles are too small for waste management systems to filter and are directly discharged into the oceans.

Adapted from an article by Melissa Petruzzello, Britannica, 31-1-2022

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)

durable

versatile

disposable

unsightly

ubiquitous

worrisome

a. single-use

→

b. flexible

→

c. omnipresent

→

d. resistant

→

TEXT B / TEXTO B

PLASTIC DISASTER

Plastic is cheap and durable and has revolutionized human activity. Modern life is addicted to and dependent on this versatile substance, which is found in everything from computers to medical equipment to food packaging. Unfortunately, an estimated 19 billion pounds of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year. Much of this plastic comes from single-use packaging, such as soda bottles, and from other single-use products such as disposable diapers. One study suggested that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fish!

Plastic pollution is more than unsightly. It has a deadly and direct effect on wildlife. Many marine organisms get physically entangled in plastic trash. Others eat the plastics, mistaking the ubiquitous materials for food. Sea turtles often confuse plastic bags for their jellyfish prey and asphyxiate. Seabirds, especially albatrosses, and other birds that scoop food from the sea have been found dead on their nests, their bellies too full of plastics to survive. A recent study found plastic trash in 90 percent of seabirds, with pieces ranging from bottle caps to rice-sized fragments that look like seeds.

Perhaps even more worrisome is microplastic pollution. The vast majority of plastics are not biodegradable, meaning they break down into smaller and smaller particles but never leave the environment entirely. Pieces smaller than 5 mm are classified as microplastics. These particles are too small for waste management systems to filter and are directly discharged into the oceans.

Adapted from an article by Melissa Petruzzello, Britannica, 31-1-2022

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)

1.

Sea turtles...

2.

Seabirds have been found dead because...

3.

Microplastics are...

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

B5. Is it possible to reduce the use of plastics? Give reasons.