Examen de Inglés PAU Valencia 2024 · Extraordinaria

TEXT A/TEXTO A

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE’S HUNGER FOR DATA

AND ITS THIRST FOR WATER AND ENERGY

One of the most dangerous myths about digital technology is that it is somehow weightless or immaterial. But datacentres – those enormous metallic cabins containing tens or even hundreds of thousands of noisy servers – consume massive amounts of electricity and need lots of water for their cooling systems. Consider Ireland, a small country with an awful lot of datacentres. In 2022 those centres consumed more electricity (18%) than all the rural dwellings in the country, and as much as all Ireland’s urban homes.

And as far as water consumption is concerned, a study estimated that one medium-sized datacentre used as much water as three average-sized hospitals. Although these industrial spaces are representative of the metaphor of “cloud computing”, there is nothing vague or incorporeal about them. There are now between 9,000 and 11,000 of these datacentres in the world and many of them are beginning to look a bit out-of-date.

But that is going to change, because the industrial interest around Artificial Intelligence (AI) means that the materiality of the computing “cloud” is going to become harder to ignore. Machine learning needed in AI requires a different kind of computer processors which are considerably more complex (and expensive) than conventional processors.

Additionally, they also run hotter, and need significantly more energy. Within the technology industry, it has been widely known that AI faces an energy crisis, but it was only at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024 that one of its leaders finally spoke clearly about this crisis.

Adapted from an article by John Naughton, The Guardian, 2-3-2024.

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

a.

What is the impact of computer datacentres on the environment nowadays?

b.

What is the difference between conventional computers and those used in Artificial Intelligence?

TEXT A/TEXTO A

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE’S HUNGER FOR DATA

AND ITS THIRST FOR WATER AND ENERGY

One of the most dangerous myths about digital technology is that it is somehow weightless or immaterial. But datacentres – those enormous metallic cabins containing tens or even hundreds of thousands of noisy servers – consume massive amounts of electricity and need lots of water for their cooling systems. Consider Ireland, a small country with an awful lot of datacentres. In 2022 those centres consumed more electricity (18%) than all the rural dwellings in the country, and as much as all Ireland’s urban homes.

And as far as water consumption is concerned, a study estimated that one medium-sized datacentre used as much water as three average-sized hospitals. Although these industrial spaces are representative of the metaphor of “cloud computing”, there is nothing vague or incorporeal about them. There are now between 9,000 and 11,000 of these datacentres in the world and many of them are beginning to look a bit out-of-date.

But that is going to change, because the industrial interest around Artificial Intelligence (AI) means that the materiality of the computing “cloud” is going to become harder to ignore. Machine learning needed in AI requires a different kind of computer processors which are considerably more complex (and expensive) than conventional processors.

Additionally, they also run hotter, and need significantly more energy. Within the technology industry, it has been widely known that AI faces an energy crisis, but it was only at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024 that one of its leaders finally spoke clearly about this crisis.

Adapted from an article by John Naughton, The Guardian, 2-3-2024.

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.

Datacentres in Ireland consume more electric power than all the houses in the cities of the country.

True (T)

False (F)

b.

The needs of Artificial Intelligence are not going to solve the environmental impact of computer datacentres.

True (T)

False (F)

c.

AI industry leaders have always warned about the electricity crisis this industrial sector is experiencing.

True (T)

False (F)

TEXT A/TEXTO A

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE’S HUNGER FOR DATA

AND ITS THIRST FOR WATER AND ENERGY

One of the most dangerous myths about digital technology is that it is somehow weightless or immaterial. But datacentres – those enormous metallic cabins containing tens or even hundreds of thousands of noisy servers – consume massive amounts of electricity and need lots of water for their cooling systems. Consider Ireland, a small country with an awful lot of datacentres. In 2022 those centres consumed more electricity (18%) than all the rural dwellings in the country, and as much as all Ireland’s urban homes.

And as far as water consumption is concerned, a study estimated that one medium-sized datacentre used as much water as three average-sized hospitals. Although these industrial spaces are representative of the metaphor of “cloud computing”, there is nothing vague or incorporeal about them. There are now between 9,000 and 11,000 of these datacentres in the world and many of them are beginning to look a bit out-of-date.

But that is going to change, because the industrial interest around Artificial Intelligence (AI) means that the materiality of the computing “cloud” is going to become harder to ignore. Machine learning needed in AI requires a different kind of computer processors which are considerably more complex (and expensive) than conventional processors.

Additionally, they also run hotter, and need significantly more energy. Within the technology industry, it has been widely known that AI faces an energy crisis, but it was only at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024 that one of its leaders finally spoke clearly about this crisis.

Adapted from an article by John Naughton, The Guardian, 2-3-2024.

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)

myths weightless dwellings representative out-of-date interest

a.

homes:

b.

attention:

c.

obsolete:

d.

typical:

TEXT A/TEXTO A

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE’S HUNGER FOR DATA

AND ITS THIRST FOR WATER AND ENERGY

One of the most dangerous myths about digital technology is that it is somehow weightless or immaterial. But datacentres – those enormous metallic cabins containing tens or even hundreds of thousands of noisy servers – consume massive amounts of electricity and need lots of water for their cooling systems. Consider Ireland, a small country with an awful lot of datacentres. In 2022 those centres consumed more electricity (18%) than all the rural dwellings in the country, and as much as all Ireland’s urban homes.

And as far as water consumption is concerned, a study estimated that one medium-sized datacentre used as much water as three average-sized hospitals. Although these industrial spaces are representative of the metaphor of “cloud computing”, there is nothing vague or incorporeal about them. There are now between 9,000 and 11,000 of these datacentres in the world and many of them are beginning to look a bit out-of-date.

But that is going to change, because the industrial interest around Artificial Intelligence (AI) means that the materiality of the computing “cloud” is going to become harder to ignore. Machine learning needed in AI requires a different kind of computer processors which are considerably more complex (and expensive) than conventional processors.

Additionally, they also run hotter, and need significantly more energy. Within the technology industry, it has been widely known that AI faces an energy crisis, but it was only at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2024 that one of its leaders finally spoke clearly about this crisis.

Adapted from an article by John Naughton, The Guardian, 2-3-2024.

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

1.

The idea that digital technology is non-material is…

a

true because it is all about intangible data all over the country.

b

false because energy consumption is immaterial and intangible.

c

false because it needs a lot of energy and water consumption.

2.

Datacentres in Ireland are…

a

many for such a small country.

b

abundant and consume more electricity in cities than in rural areas.

c

very few but consume a lot of energy.

3.

Computer servers used in AI…

a

do not get as hot and noisy as conventional computers.

b

cost the same as computers normally found in average houses.

c

rely on more complicated processors than conventional computing.

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

A5.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence?

TEXT B/TEXTO B

“GENDER INEQUITIES ARE IMPORTANT”: WHY COUPLES FALL OUT OF LOVE

A new study unpicks the reasons men and women call time on a relationship and finds that grievances really do matter. “The desire to get married is a primal instinct in women,” observed the late, great Nora Ephron. “It’s followed by another basic and primal instinct: the desire to be single again.” Relationship wisdom is full of generalisations but, according to a recent study, women do appear to fall in and out of love more extremely than men.

Saurabh Bhargava of Carnegie Mellon University has published a new study in Psychological Science which has a number of striking findings. The first is that women reported having feelings of love almost twice as frequently as men. The second is that, over the course of a long relationship, women on average experience a much steeper decline in these feelings compared to their male partners.

Joanna Harrison is a former divorce lawyer who, having decided she wanted to help relationships before they broke down, became a couple’s counsellor. She is also the author of Five Arguments All Couples (Need to) Have, which bears the imperishable subtitle: and why the washing up matters.

Harrison points to “a brilliant” study entitled: “Gender Inequities in Household Labour Predict Lower Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men.” The study claims to “show that gender inequities are important contributors to low desire in women partnered with men.” It seems that if men want more action in the bedroom, they need to be more active in the kitchen.

Adapted from an article by Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, 13-01-2024.

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 is the difference between women and men in love relationships according to a recent study?

b.

What is the key to increase women’s desire according to the text?

TEXT B/TEXTO B

“GENDER INEQUITIES ARE IMPORTANT”: WHY COUPLES FALL OUT OF LOVE

A new study unpicks the reasons men and women call time on a relationship and finds that grievances really do matter. “The desire to get married is a primal instinct in women,” observed the late, great Nora Ephron. “It’s followed by another basic and primal instinct: the desire to be single again.” Relationship wisdom is full of generalisations but, according to a recent study, women do appear to fall in and out of love more extremely than men.

Saurabh Bhargava of Carnegie Mellon University has published a new study in Psychological Science which has a number of striking findings. The first is that women reported having feelings of love almost twice as frequently as men. The second is that, over the course of a long relationship, women on average experience a much steeper decline in these feelings compared to their male partners.

Joanna Harrison is a former divorce lawyer who, having decided she wanted to help relationships before they broke down, became a couple’s counsellor. She is also the author of Five Arguments All Couples (Need to) Have, which bears the imperishable subtitle: and why the washing up matters.

Harrison points to “a brilliant” study entitled: “Gender Inequities in Household Labour Predict Lower Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men.” The study claims to “show that gender inequities are important contributors to low desire in women partnered with men.” It seems that if men want more action in the bedroom, they need to be more active in the kitchen.

Adapted from an article by Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, 13-01-2024.

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.

Getting married seems to be a primary instinct.

b.

Men fall in love more often than women do according to Saurabh Bhargava’s study.

c.

Joanna Harrison is a couple’s counsellor who became a lawyer to help couples divorce.

TEXT B/TEXTO B

“GENDER INEQUITIES ARE IMPORTANT”: WHY COUPLES FALL OUT OF LOVE

A new study unpicks the reasons men and women call time on a relationship and finds that grievances really do matter. “The desire to get married is a primal instinct in women,” observed the late, great Nora Ephron. “It’s followed by another basic and primal instinct: the desire to be single again.” Relationship wisdom is full of generalisations but, according to a recent study, women do appear to fall in and out of love more extremely than men.

Saurabh Bhargava of Carnegie Mellon University has published a new study in Psychological Science which has a number of striking findings. The first is that women reported having feelings of love almost twice as frequently as men. The second is that, over the course of a long relationship, women on average experience a much steeper decline in these feelings compared to their male partners.

Joanna Harrison is a former divorce lawyer who, having decided she wanted to help relationships before they broke down, became a couple’s counsellor. She is also the author of Five Arguments All Couples (Need to) Have, which bears the imperishable subtitle: and why the washing up matters.

Harrison points to “a brilliant” study entitled: “Gender Inequities in Household Labour Predict Lower Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men.” The study claims to “show that gender inequities are important contributors to low desire in women partnered with men.” It seems that if men want more action in the bedroom, they need to be more active in the kitchen.

Adapted from an article by Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, 13-01-2024.

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)

primal

study

striking

decline

imperishable

active

a.

extraordinary

b.

reduction

c.

basic

d.

research

TEXT B/TEXTO B

“GENDER INEQUITIES ARE IMPORTANT”: WHY COUPLES FALL OUT OF LOVE

A new study unpicks the reasons men and women call time on a relationship and finds that grievances really do matter. “The desire to get married is a primal instinct in women,” observed the late, great Nora Ephron. “It’s followed by another basic and primal instinct: the desire to be single again.” Relationship wisdom is full of generalisations but, according to a recent study, women do appear to fall in and out of love more extremely than men.

Saurabh Bhargava of Carnegie Mellon University has published a new study in Psychological Science which has a number of striking findings. The first is that women reported having feelings of love almost twice as frequently as men. The second is that, over the course of a long relationship, women on average experience a much steeper decline in these feelings compared to their male partners.

Joanna Harrison is a former divorce lawyer who, having decided she wanted to help relationships before they broke down, became a couple’s counsellor. She is also the author of Five Arguments All Couples (Need to) Have, which bears the imperishable subtitle: and why the washing up matters.

Harrison points to “a brilliant” study entitled: “Gender Inequities in Household Labour Predict Lower Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men.” The study claims to “show that gender inequities are important contributors to low desire in women partnered with men.” It seems that if men want more action in the bedroom, they need to be more active in the kitchen.

Adapted from an article by Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, 13-01-2024.

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)

4.

After getting married, we…

5.

In a long relationship, women experience…

6.

Joanna Harrison wrote a book that explained…

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

B5. Do you think that men and women are equal in today's society? Discuss.