Reading Comprehension - Intermediate

EXERCISE
01 READING COMPREHENSION
TEXT
1 I like to go out for a walk every day if possible, but I don’t always have the time. It’s not that I’m busy,
sometimes I’m simply lazy. When I do go out, though, there is usually one route that I take that takes
me about two hours to complete. While I walk I listen to music, or sometimes to an audio book in a
foreign language. It’s a great way to learn and to pass the time! Sometimes I go to the park and do
some people watching, and I suppose some of them watch me too as I walk by listening to music and
maybe even singing out loud. I wonder if they think I’m crazy? Other times, I head toward the city and
lose myself in the streets. Since I don’t have a car, this is a good way to get to know the city, though
I must admit I still don’t know a lot of street names because the signs with the names on them are
on the sides of buildings. I’ve always thought that wasn’t really the best place to put the sign with the
street’s name on it because it’s not a very convenient place to look, especially if you’re driving. They
really should look into a way to make those signs more visible.
EXCERCISE
2 1. The author goes out for a walk every day. 1. True False
2. When the author doesn’t go for a walk, it’s 2. True False

because he’s too busy.
3. The author has one route that he usually 3. True False

takes.
4. How long does the author’s normal route take 4. ..............................................................................

him to complete? ..............................................................................
5. What does the author do while he walks? 5. ..............................................................................

..............................................................................
6. Why does the author wonder if people think 6. ..............................................................................

he’s crazy? ..............................................................................
7. The author always knows where he is when 7. True False

he’s walking.
8. Why doesn’t the author know the names of the 8. ..............................................................................

streets he walks on? ..............................................................................
..............................................................................
9. Why doesn’t the author think it’s a good idea 9. ..............................................................................

to put the signs there? ..............................................................................
..............................................................................
10. The “they” in the last sentence probably refers 10. True False
to drivers.
11. Who do you think the “they” in the last 11. ..............................................................................
sentence refers to? ..............................................................................
1 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 In human beings, a rise in the amount of heat generated results in the dilation of blood vessels close
to the skin, which causes blushing, that characteristic red color of skin, and facilitates cooling. Another
cooling mechanism available to the body is perspiration, which cools the body through the effect of
transpiration as the liquid sweat on the skin evaporates. You can get an idea of how this works by
putting some alcohol on your skin and letting it evaporate. The energy required for the liquid to turn to
vapor is provided by your body’s heat, and thus helps to cool you down. When your body is cold, on the
other hand, it wants to preserve heat. It does this by contracting blood vessels, shivering, which makes
your body shake to generate heat, and by the raising of body hairs, which increases the insulation
provided to the body by the hair.
EXCERCISE
2 1. This article discusses three main methods the 1. True False

body has for cooling down.
2. What color does blushing cause skin to turn? 2. ..............................................................................

..............................................................................
3. When you sweat, where does the energy for 3. ..............................................................................

the sweat to evaporate come from? ..............................................................................
4. Sweat uses alcohol to aid in the evaporation 4. True False

process.
5. Blood vessels can expand or contract to help 5. True False

regulate body temperature.
6. Shaking helps regulate the loss of heat by 6. True False

raising body hairs, which insulates the body.
7. How many methods does the article mention 7. ..............................................................................

for raising body temperature? ..............................................................................

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 The more scientists learn about the world of subatomic particles, the stranger that unseen world
becomes. Because the particles being studied are so tiny, scientists have to rely on indirect observations,
and a lot of ingenuity and mathematical ability, to try to gain some insight into the world of the impossibly
small. And the word “impossibly” is not there by accident. In fact, some research seems to suggest that
electrons, one of the smallest of subatomic particles, may not even exist as matter, that they may just
be energy fluctuations in the fabric of space and time. And the particles that reside inside the atomic
nucleus may be even stranger still. These infinitesimal bits of matter, called quarks, are supported more
by theory than anything else, since they are too small to be seen by even the most powerful detectors.
And there are particles, called neutrinos, that are so elusive, that the vast majority of neutrinos that have
been created since the Big Bang, the explosion that resulted in the birth of the universe some 13.7 billion
years ago, have never interacted with any other type of matter. But that’s not all. Incredibly enough, the
properties of subatomic particles can have an effect on some of the strangest bodies in the universe,
the so-called neutron stars, which are created after the massive supernova explosions that signal the
end of certain types of stars. It is believed that if not for an effect called “neutron degeneracy,” that every
supernova would result in the creation of a black hole.
EXCERCISE
2 1. Which of the following is NOT true? 1. a) scientists aren’t really sure what an electron is,
b) at least some subatomic particles are not
directly observable,
c) scientists rely exclusively on indirect
observations to learn about subatomic
particles,
d) there is a connection between particle
physics and astrophysics.
2. The article raises the possibility that electrons 2. True False
may not even be matter.
3. The next paragraph in this article will probably 3. a) explain Einstein’s famous E=mc2 equation,
b) discuss further connections between
subatomic particles and astronomy,
c) explain how the sun was created,
d) describe the mathematics behind the theory
of quarks.
4. Quarks have been directly observed in the 4. True False
laboratory.
5. The article provides one possible explanation 5. True False
for the birth of the universe.
6. It may be deduced from the article that 6. a) neutrinos are smaller than electrons,
b) neutrinos are not matter,
c) neutrinos were only created in the Big Bang,
d) some neutrinos are 13.7 billion years old.
7. Neutrons 7. a) cause the supernova explosions that result
in neutron stars,
b) have a property that keeps neutron stars
from collapsing into black holes,
c) do not interact with matter,
d) result in the creation of black holes.
8. Every supernova explosion produces a black 8. True False
hole.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 The potato is still one of the most important crops in the United States, both in terms of its economy and
in terms of land devoted to farming it. Although the potato was first farmed in the mountainous regions
of South America –there are records of Incas cultivating the potato in Peru as far back as 200 A.D.– in the
United States it is referred to as the Irish potato. This is probably because of the widespread cultivation
of the potato in Ireland in the 1600s, where it supplied practically all of the population with the food they
needed for survival. Naturally, the large inflow of Irish immigrants to the United States meant that the
potato, too, made the journey back across the Atlantic Ocean, this time to North America. But while
the potato was traveling from east to west, the blight disease was going in the other direction, affecting
nearly 100% of the potato crop in Ireland in the mid 19th century. The destruction of the crop resulted in
the starvation of thousands in Ireland and in the increased prominence of potato farming in the United
States.
EXCERCISE
2 1. This paragraph is mainly about 1. a) the origins of the potato,

b) the introduction of potatoes to Ireland,
c) the connection between the Irish and the
potato,
d) the Irish potato famine.
2. The potato 2. a) is native to Ireland,
b) provided most of the calories Americans
needed for survival,
c) was introduced to the United States by the
Incas,
d) was first cultivated in the second century
after Christ.
3. The potato was the primary source of food for 3. True False
the Irish prior to the famine.
4. The paragraph implies that the potato was 4. True False
introduced to the United States after the great
potato famine in Ireland.
5. Why is the word “back” (underlined) used? 5. a) because the potato had been exported from
the United States into Ireland,
b) because the potato had originated in the
Americas,
c) because thousands of Irish immigrants
sailed across the Atlantic many times,
d) because the famine in Ireland caused
potatoes to be re-introduced into the United
States.
6. The blight disease 6. a) affected nearly all of the potato crop in the
United States,
b) was introduced to Ireland from America,
c) infected and killed thousands of Irish,
d) forever eliminated potato farming in Ireland.
7. Concerns about the blight disease caused 7. True False
potato farming to decrease in the United
States.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 As is the case with many inventions, the first codes were developed for military use, specifically as a
way of sending secure messages to generals in the field. But these codes, which relied on a simple
substitution of letters, were easy to break. So other schemes were soon developed involving increasingly
harder ciphers (códigos). The mathematical properties of numbers were investigated to give code
makers and code breakers alike more sophisticated tools in their efforts to conceal, or to reveal,
secrets. It wasn’t long before mathematicians became as important to winning wars as generals in the
field. In fact, you could argue that without the pioneering work of England’s code breakers, that England
would have eventually fallen to Nazi Germany. You could also argue that it was exactly these same
efforts that led to the development of the modern computer. So it is no surprise, then, that the internet,
which is no more than a vast network of interconnected computers, relies on ciphers to keep our most
vulnerable transactions private. These ciphers, which today are based on prime numbers (numbers that
are divisible only by themselves and by one), are absolutely essential to the vast number of electronic
transactions that take place every day. But code writers know the history of ciphers very well, and they
know that it’s only a matter of time before even today’s ultra-secure communications are compromised.
That’s why they are already working on the next generation of codes, which will rely on the properties of
subatomic particles to keep our secrets hidden from unwelcome eyes.
EXCERCISE
2 1. In the first sentence the author implies that 1. a) many inventions are developed by generals
in the field,
b) the first combatant to develop an
unbreakable code often won the war,
c) many inventions arose from military necessity,
d) without wars there wouldn’t be inventions.
2. The first codes took advantage of the 2. True False
mathematical properties of numbers.
3. The first codes were easy to break. 3. True False
4. The author probably believes that 4. a) a good code is as important as a good battle
strategy,
b) mathematicians should lead troops into battle,
c) ciphers and computers are unrelated,
d) code breakers are smarter than code writers.
5. The mathematical properties of numbers 5. a) creating codes only,
were useful to b) creating and breaking codes,
c) designing computers,
d) generals in the field.
6. The author probably believes that the 6. True False
first code breakers would have been good
computer scientists.
7. Without encryption codes, 7. a) we wouldn’t have computers,
b) there wouldn’t be an internet,
c) online banking would be impossible,
d) prime numbers would be useless.
8. Today’s encryption methods 8. a) will always be secure,
b) are no longer being developed by
mathematicians,
c) are essential to the proper operation of the
internet as we know it,
d) were developed during World War II.
9. Today’s codes rely on the properties of 9. True False
subatomic particles.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 Some inventions are more glamorous than others. There is no denying the convenience of the cellular
telephone or portable GPS unit, and while both have certainly made life more comfortable, it can hardly
be said that either is absolutely essential to the average person. This is not the case, however, for the
common, and definitely unglamorous, toilet. Yes, that unassuming (humilde) little bathroom fixture is
a marvel of technology, one that people in the first world would truly be hard pressed to live without.
Consider, for a moment, what life must have been like in a large city before the invention of this porcelain
wonder. You don’t have to go back too far. Although the Romans, Egyptians and Persians are known to
have had public toilets, which looked much like they do today, their use, especially in private homes, did
not become widespread until the mid-19th century. So, if you were walking down a sidewalk in, say, London
in 1750, you might have heard someone cry out “l’eau” (from which the modern word “loo” is derived), an
abbreviated form “gardez l’eau”, from the French for “watch out for the water”. This would have been your
signal that someone was tossing the contents of their chamber pot (orinal) out the window. Needless to say,
local residents were not aiming the water and the other “contents” at the sewer (alcantarilla), since there
wasn’t any. Instead, wherever the refuse ended up, there it stayed until rain came along to wash it away,
usually into a local river. And whatever didn’t get washed away was stepped on by the equine, canine and,
not surprisingly, human residents of the city. So the next time you’re walking down a relatively clean street
talking on your phone about nothing in particular and wondering how you ever lived without it, think about
the lowly toilet and how truly essential this invention is to our daily lives.
EXCERCISE
2 1. A good title for this paragraph might be 1. a) How the word “loo” originated,
b) The cell phone versus the toilet: a study in
convenience,
c) The birth of modern sewage systems,
d) The toilet: A truly indispensable invention.
2. The author probably believes that neither 2. True False
a cell phone nor a GPS unit has ever saved
anyone’s life.
3. What do you think the expression “to be hard 3. ..............................................................................
pressed” means? ..............................................................................
4. Toilets from ancient times would be 4. True False
unrecognizable to us today.
5. People yelled “à l’eau” 5. a) so that others in the house would know they
were using the bathroom,
b) when throwing their waste out the window,
c) when someone was about to step in fecal matter,
d) only in French cities.
6. Why do you think the author chose London 6. a) because London was the most important city
for his example of life before indoor plumbing in the world in 1750,
(fontanería)? b) because indoor toilets were first used in London,
c) to explain the origins of the word “loo”,
d) because people in other large cities didn’t
empty their chamber pots out the window.
7. The author probably thinks 18th-century 7. a) dirty,
London was b) pleasant,
c) clean,
d) crowded.
8. Which of the following should NOT be implied 8. a) the toilet is more essential than the cell
from the last sentence? phone,
b) without cell phones, streets would be cleaner,
c) without toilets, streets would be filthy,
d) the importance of the toilet is often taken for
granted (tomar por entendido).

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been to San Jose. The first time was when I was in my
early 20s. I went there to interview for a job, and even though I didn’t get the job, I ended up renting an
apartment and staying in the area for about six months. I’ve gone back many times since to visit the
friends I made during that stay. Of course, these days with the internet it’s easy to keep in touch, but I
prefer to go there in person. My best friends in the area are a married couple, Tom and Cindy. It turns out
that they both work at the company I interviewed for, though that’s not where I met them. They lived in
the same apartment building as me, one on the floor above mine and the other on the floor below. Now
they have a beautiful house on the bay, a little girl and another on the way. They don’t know whether it’ll
be a boy or a girl, but they’ve asked me to be the godfather (padrino), so it looks like I’ll be going back to
San Jose in a few months.
EXCERCISE
2 1. In the first sentence, you can substitute 1. True False

“recall” for “remember”.
2. In the first sentence, you can substitute 2. True False

“remind” for “remember”.
3. “in my early 20s” probably refers to the time 3. True False

period between 1920 and 1923.
4. The narrator first went to San Jose to visit his 4. True False
friends, Tom and Cindy.
5. The narrator’s first visit to San Jose lasted 5. True False

about six months.
6. Why was the purpose of the narrator’s first 6. ................................................................................

visit to San Jose? ................................................................................
7. Where do Tom and Cindy work now? 7. .................................................................................

.................................................................................
8. Tom, Cindy and the narrator all used to live in 8. True False
the same apartment building.
9. What does the “it” (underlined, last sentence) 9. .................................................................................

refer to? .................................................................................
10. Why will the narrator be going back to San 10. .................................................................................
Jose soon? .................................................................................

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 Like most other hobbies, stamp collecting can be exhilarating, time-consuming and, for the uninitiated,
overwhelming. Consider this - it is estimated that in the last 100 years alone, close to one billion different
stamps have been issued by governments all around the world. Not only that, but some of these stamps
are as rare, and as expensive, as Renaissance paintings. The most famous is probably the upside-down
airplane stamp, valued at almost 1 million dollars. Also the result of a printing mistake is the world’s
most expensive stamp, the Treskilling Yellow, so called because it was originally worth three shillings
when issued in Sweden in 1855, and because it was supposed to be printed in green, this being the
only known sample in yellow. This stamp was recently sold at auction for 1.7 million pounds, making it
the single most expensive item by weight in the world. Of course, amateur philatelists would do well to
concentrate on a sub-section of the wonderful world that is philately, such as collecting every stamp
issued by a certain government in a year, or collecting every stamp of a particular design, etc. Any other
approach to this hobby is a surefire recipe for frustration and perhaps for ruin.
EXCERCISE
2 1. This article mainly 1. a) tells hobbyists how to get into stamp

collecting,
b) warns of the expenses involved,
c) describes the history of stamps,
d) describes the sale of the most expensive
stamp in the world.
2. The most famous stamp is also the most 2. True False
expensive.
3. Which of the following adjectives is/are NOT 3. a) stressful,
used to describe stamp collecting? b) time-consuming,
c) wonderful,
d) uninitiated..
4. The author uses the figure of one billion to 4. a) exciting,
prove that stamp collecting can be b) boring,
c) time-consuming,
d) overwhelming.
5. Both of the stamps mentioned have printing 5. True False
mistakes.
6. How many pieces of advice does the article 6. a) 1,
give to focus the efforts of a new philatelist? b) 2,
c) 3,
d) 4.
7. The article implies that 7. a) only stamps with printing mistakes are
valuable,
b) stamp collecting is an expensive hobby,
c) if you buy a cheap stamp now it could be
worth millions in the 22nd century,
d) a disorganized approach to stamp collecting
will result in disappointment.
8. The sale of the world’s most expensive stamp 8. True False
was arranged through a private dealer.
9. The world’s most expensive stamp was 9. True False
originally supposed to be green.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 While the average European knows more about American history than the average American does about
European history, there is one document that every American school child has heard of that not many
Europeans know about: the Gettysburg Address (en este contexto, discurso). The address, delivered by
Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of a civil war cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is considered
to be one of the greatest speeches in American oratory, both for its duration -it lasted a little over two
minutes-, and for the legend that surrounds the writing of the brief speech. Contrary to popular belief,
Lincoln did not write the address on the back of an envelope, nor did he write it while on the train ride to
Gettysburg. There are five copies of the Address in Lincoln’s writing known to exist, though the wording
and punctuation differ in all of them, with the “official” text of the speech generally considered to be that
found on a version written well after the Gettysburg event on the only copy of the text that Lincoln signed
(known as the Bliss copy). Even the texts of the speech published in newspapers at the time all differed
somewhat. The first few words of the speech, Four score and seven years ago…, are synonymous with the
Gettysburg Address, and it is thanks to this speech that Americans know the meaning of the now disused
term “score”, which Lincoln thought would be more poetic than simply saying “eighty-seven years ago”.
Of the five copies written by Lincoln, the Bliss copy is in the Lincoln Room of the White House, and two
are in the Library of Congress. It is not known which of the five, if any, was the copy from which Lincoln
actually read the address.
EXCERCISE
2 1. The writer probably thinks that Europeans 1. True False

have a better knowledge of American history
than Americans.
2. The Gettysburg Address 2. a) refers to a physical location in Gettysburg,
b) is as famous as the Declaration of
Independence,
c) lasted just over two minutes,
d) was written by Lincoln on the back of an
envelope.
3. The average American probably thinks that 3. True False
Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on a
train.
4. How many copies of the Gettysburg Address 4. a) 0,
were signed by Lincoln? b) 1,
c) 4,
d) 5.
5. Why is the word official in quotes? 5. .................................................................................
.................................................................................
.................................................................................
6. What does the word “score” in the opening 6. a) eighty,
line of the Gettysburg Address mean? b) twenty,
c) decade,
d) year.
7. People today still use the word “score” to 7. True False
mean the same thing that Lincoln expressed
in his speech.
8. The only copy of the Gettysburg Address 8. True False
signed by Lincoln is in the Library of Congress.
9. Which of the following would be an 9. a) Lincoln and America’s Civil War,
appropriate title for this passage? b) The Gettysburg Address: Fact or fiction?
c) How Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address,
d) Lincoln’s most famous speech.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 It may seem hard for us to believe in this, the age of heart attacks and cancer, but one of the most
common causes of death in prehistoric man was tooth decay. At first this may seem highly improbable;
after all, you’ve likely never heard of anyone dying in the dentist’s chair. But many thousand years ago,
when dental hygiene was non-existent, the same bacteria that cause tooth decay and cavities (caries)
today would multiply unchecked (desenfrenado) and spread to the tissues (tejidos) surrounding the
mouth, one of those being, of course, the brain. Once there, the bacteria quickly affected brain functions
until the victim died of what today is easily preventable by a simple routine of tooth brushing or a visit
to the dentist. Contributing to this situation was the generally bad health of our early ancestors, who
rarely ate enough high quality food to meet all their nutritional needs. This left their immune systems
weakened and less able to fend off the bacteria that ravaged (devastar) their bodies. These bacteria, in
a more evolved form, continue to attack us today, though for the most part they go unnoticed, killed by
our immune systems or by the many medicines that we have at our disposal. We should not, however,
take dental hygiene for granted (dar por sentado). Although the odds (probabilidad) of dying from tooth
decay are exceedingly low in first world countries, failing to take care of our teeth can still have some
undesirable, and very painful, consequences.
EXCERCISE
2 1. The first sentence implies that 1. a) heart disease was a problem in prehistoric
man,
b) most deaths in modern man are from heart
attacks and cancer,
c) people still die from tooth decay,
d) prehistoric man died from heart attacks,
cancer and tooth decay.
2. Which of the following does NOT explain why 2. a) heart disease was a problem in prehistoric
early man died from tooth decay? man,
attacks and cancer,
3. The passage implies that if we stopped 3. True False
brushing our teeth, we too would probably die
from tooth decay just like prehistoric man did.
4. What do you think the phrasal verb “fend off” 4. a) prevent,
(underlined) means? b) avoid,
c) fight,
d) detect.
5. How many reasons does the author give 5. a) 1,
for why the bacteria that attack us today go b) 2,
unnoticed? c) 3,
d) 0.
6. Better nutrition and the availability of 6. True False
antibiotics means we can ignore dental health.
7. A good title for this passage would be: 7. a) Tooth decay: still a killer,
b) A history of dentistry,
c) Good nutrition: key to dental health,
d) Tooth decay and prehistoric man.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 I like to go out for a walk every day if possible, but I don’t always have the time. It’s not that I’m busy,
sometimes I’m simply lazy. When I do go out, though, there is usually one route that I take that takes
me about two hours to complete. While I walk I listen to music, or sometimes to an audio book in a
foreign language. It’s a great way to learn and to pass the time! Sometimes I go to the park and do
some people watching, and I suppose some of them watch me too as I walk by listening to music and
maybe even singing out loud. I wonder if they think I’m crazy? Other times, I head toward the city and
lose myself in the streets. Since I don’t have a car, this is a good way to get to know the city, though
I must admit I still don’t know a lot of street names because the signs with the names on them are
on the sides of buildings. I’ve always thought that wasn’t really the best place to put the sign with the
street’s name on it because it’s not a very convenient place to look, especially if you’re driving. They
really should look into a way to make those signs more visible.
EXCERCISE
2 1. The author goes out for a walk every day. 1. True X False
2. When the author doesn’t go for a walk, it’s 2. True X False

because he’s too busy.
3. The author has one route that he usually 3. X True False

takes.
4. How long does the author’s normal route take It takes him two hours.
4. ..............................................................................
him to complete? ..............................................................................
5. What does the author do while he walks? He listens to music and sometimes to
5. ..............................................................................
audio books.
..............................................................................
6. Why does the author wonder if people think Because he sings out loud.
6. ..............................................................................
he’s crazy? ..............................................................................
7. The author always knows where he is when 7. True X False

he’s walking.
8. Why doesn’t the author know the names of the Because the signs with the names
8. ..............................................................................
streets he walks on? of the streets are on the sides of
..............................................................................
buildings.
..............................................................................
9. Why doesn’t the author think it’s a good idea Because it’s not a very convenient
9. ..............................................................................
to put the signs there? place to look, especially if you’re
..............................................................................
driving.
..............................................................................
10. The “they” in the last sentence probably refers 10. True X False
to drivers.
11. Who do you think the “they” in the last City authorities or officials.
11. ..............................................................................
sentence refers to? ..............................................................................

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 In human beings, a rise in the amount of heat generated results in the dilation of blood vessels close
to the skin, which causes blushing, that characteristic red color of skin, and facilitates cooling. Another
cooling mechanism available to the body is perspiration, which cools the body through the effect of
transpiration as the liquid sweat on the skin evaporates. You can get an idea of how this works by
putting some alcohol on your skin and letting it evaporate. The energy required for the liquid to turn to
vapor is provided by your body’s heat, and thus helps to cool you down. When your body is cold, on the
other hand, it wants to preserve heat. It does this by contracting blood vessels, shivering, which makes
your body shake to generate heat, and by the raising of body hairs, which increases the insulation
provided to the body by the hair.
EXCERCISE
2 1. This article discusses three main methods the 1. True X False

body has for cooling down.
2. What color does blushing cause skin to turn? Red.

2. ..............................................................................
..............................................................................
3. When you sweat, where does the energy for Your own body.
3. ..............................................................................
the sweat to evaporate come from? ..............................................................................
4. Sweat uses alcohol to aid in the evaporation 4. True X False

process.
5. Blood vessels can expand or contract to help 5. X True False

regulate body temperature.
6. Shaking helps regulate the loss of heat by 6. True X False

raising body hairs, which insulates the body.
7. How many methods does the article mention 3

7. ..............................................................................
for raising body temperature? ..............................................................................

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 The more scientists learn about the world of subatomic particles, the stranger that unseen world
becomes. Because the particles being studied are so tiny, scientists have to rely on indirect observations,
and a lot of ingenuity and mathematical ability, to try to gain some insight into the world of the impossibly
small. And the word “impossibly” is not there by accident. In fact, some research seems to suggest that
electrons, one of the smallest of subatomic particles, may not even exist as matter, that they may just
be energy fluctuations in the fabric of space and time. And the particles that reside inside the atomic
nucleus may be even stranger still. These infinitesimal bits of matter, called quarks, are supported more
by theory than anything else, since they are too small to be seen by even the most powerful detectors.
And there are particles, called neutrinos, that are so elusive, that the vast majority of neutrinos that have
been created since the Big Bang, the explosion that resulted in the birth of the universe some 13.7 billion
years ago, have never interacted with any other type of matter. But that’s not all. Incredibly enough, the
properties of subatomic particles can have an effect on some of the strangest bodies in the universe,
the so-called neutron stars, which are created after the massive supernova explosions that signal the
end of certain types of stars. It is believed that if not for an effect called “neutron degeneracy,” that every
supernova would result in the creation of a black hole.
EXCERCISE
2 1. Which of the following is NOT true? 1. a) scientists aren’t really sure what an electron is,
b) at least some subatomic particles are not
directly observable,
c) scientists rely exclusively on indirect
observations to learn about subatomic
particles,
d) there is a connection between particle
physics and astrophysics.
2. The article raises the possibility that electrons 2. ; True False
may not even be matter.
3. The next paragraph in this article will probably 3. a) explain Einstein’s famous E=mc2 equation,
b) discuss further connections between
subatomic particles and astronomy,
c) explain how the sun was created,
d) describe the mathematics behind the theory
of quarks.
4. Quarks have been directly observed in the 4. True ; False
laboratory.
5. The article provides one possible explanation 5. True ; False
for the birth of the universe.
6. It may be deduced from the article that 6. a) neutrinos are smaller than electrons,
b) neutrinos are not matter,
c) neutrinos were only created in the Big Bang,
d) some neutrinos are 13.7 billion years old.
7. Neutrons 7. a) cause the supernova explosions that result
in neutron stars,
b) have a property that keeps neutron stars
from collapsing into black holes,
c) do not interact with matter,
d) result in the creation of black holes.
8. Every supernova explosion produces a black 8. True ; False
hole.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 The potato is still one of the most important crops in the United States, both in terms of its economy and
in terms of land devoted to farming it. Although the potato was first farmed in the mountainous regions
of South America –there are records of Incas cultivating the potato in Peru as far back as 200 A.D.– in the
United States it is referred to as the Irish potato. This is probably because of the widespread cultivation
of the potato in Ireland in the 1600s, where it supplied practically all of the population with the food they
needed for survival. Naturally, the large inflow of Irish immigrants to the United States meant that the
potato, too, made the journey back across the Atlantic Ocean, this time to North America. But while
the potato was traveling from east to west, the blight disease was going in the other direction, affecting
nearly 100% of the potato crop in Ireland in the mid 19th century. The destruction of the crop resulted in
the starvation of thousands in Ireland and in the increased prominence of potato farming in the United
States.
EXCERCISE
2 1. This paragraph is mainly about 1. a) the origins of the potato,

b) the introduction of potatoes to Ireland,
c) the connection between the Irish and the
potato,
d) the Irish potato famine.
2. The potato 2. a) is native to Ireland,
b) provided most of the calories Americans
needed for survival,
c) was introduced to the United States by the
Incas,
d) was first cultivated in the second century
after Christ.
3. The potato was the primary source of food for 3. ; True False
the Irish prior to the famine.
4. The paragraph implies that the potato was 4. True ; False
introduced to the United States after the great
potato famine in Ireland.
5. Why is the word “back” (underlined) used? 5. a) because the potato had been exported from
the United States into Ireland,
b) because the potato had originated in the
Americas,
c) because thousands of Irish immigrants
sailed across the Atlantic many times,
d) because the famine in Ireland caused
potatoes to be re-introduced into the United
States.
6. The blight disease 6. a) affected nearly all of the potato crop in the
United States,
b) was introduced to Ireland from America,
c) infected and killed thousands of Irish,
d) forever eliminated potato farming in Ireland.
7. Concerns about the blight disease caused 7. True ; False
potato farming to decrease in the United
States.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 As is the case with many inventions, the first codes were developed for military use, specifically as a
way of sending secure messages to generals in the field. But these codes, which relied on a simple
substitution of letters, were easy to break. So other schemes were soon developed involving increasingly
harder ciphers (códigos). The mathematical properties of numbers were investigated to give code
makers and code breakers alike more sophisticated tools in their efforts to conceal, or to reveal,
secrets. It wasn’t long before mathematicians became as important to winning wars as generals in the
field. In fact, you could argue that without the pioneering work of England’s code breakers, that England
would have eventually fallen to Nazi Germany. You could also argue that it was exactly these same
efforts that led to the development of the modern computer. So it is no surprise, then, that the internet,
which is no more than a vast network of interconnected computers, relies on ciphers to keep our most
vulnerable transactions private. These ciphers, which today are based on prime numbers (numbers that
are divisible only by themselves and by one), are absolutely essential to the vast number of electronic
transactions that take place every day. But code writers know the history of ciphers very well, and they
know that it’s only a matter of time before even today’s ultra-secure communications are compromised.
That’s why they are already working on the next generation of codes, which will rely on the properties of
subatomic particles to keep our secrets hidden from unwelcome eyes.
EXCERCISE
2 1. In the first sentence the author implies that 1. a) many inventions are developed by generals
in the field,
b) the first combatant to develop an
unbreakable code often won the war,
c) many inventions arose from military necessity,
d) without wars there wouldn’t be inventions.
2. The first codes took advantage of the 2. True X False
mathematical properties of numbers.
3. The first codes were easy to break. 3. X True False
4. The author probably believes that 4. a) a good code is as important as a good battle
strategy,
b) mathematicians should lead troops into battle,
c) ciphers and computers are unrelated,
d) code breakers are smarter than code writers.
5. The mathematical properties of numbers 5. a) creating codes only,
were useful to b) creating and breaking codes,
c) designing computers,
d) generals in the field.
6. The author probably believes that the 6. X True False
first code breakers would have been good
computer scientists.
7. Without encryption codes, 7. a) we wouldn’t have computers,
b) there wouldn’t be an internet,
c) online banking would be impossible,
d) prime numbers would be useless.
8. Today’s encryption methods 8. a) will always be secure,
b) are no longer being developed by
mathematicians,
c) are essential to the proper operation of the
internet as we know it,
d) were developed during World War II.
9. Today’s codes rely on the properties of 9. True X False
subatomic particles.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 Some inventions are more glamorous than others. There is no denying the convenience of the cellular
telephone or portable GPS unit, and while both have certainly made life more comfortable, it can hardly
be said that either is absolutely essential to the average person. This is not the case, however, for the
common, and definitely unglamorous, toilet. Yes, that unassuming (humilde) little bathroom fixture is
a marvel of technology, one that people in the first world would truly be hard pressed to live without.
Consider, for a moment, what life must have been like in a large city before the invention of this porcelain
wonder. You don’t have to go back too far. Although the Romans, Egyptians and Persians are known to
have had public toilets, which looked much like they do today, their use, especially in private homes, did
not become widespread until the mid-19th century. So, if you were walking down a sidewalk in, say, London
in 1750, you might have heard someone cry out “l’eau” (from which the modern word “loo” is derived), an
abbreviated form “gardez l’eau”, from the French for “watch out for the water”. This would have been your
signal that someone was tossing the contents of their chamber pot (orinal) out the window. Needless to say,
local residents were not aiming the water and the other “contents” at the sewer (alcantarilla), since there
wasn’t any. Instead, wherever the refuse ended up, there it stayed until rain came along to wash it away,
usually into a local river. And whatever didn’t get washed away was stepped on by the equine, canine and,
not surprisingly, human residents of the city. So the next time you’re walking down a relatively clean street
talking on your phone about nothing in particular and wondering how you ever lived without it, think about
the lowly toilet and how truly essential this invention is to our daily lives.
EXCERCISE
2 1. A good title for this paragraph might be 1. a) How the word “loo” originated,
b) The cell phone versus the toilet: a study in
convenience,
c) The birth of modern sewage systems,
d) The toilet: A truly indispensable invention.
2. The author probably believes that neither 2. True X False
a cell phone nor a GPS unit has ever saved
anyone’s life.
3. What do you think the expression “to be hard To have difficulties or trouble: to
3. ..............................................................................
pressed” means? have one’s back against the wall.
..............................................................................
4. Toilets from ancient times would be 4. True X False
unrecognizable to us today.
5. People yelled “à l’eau” 5. a) so that others in the house would know they
were using the bathroom,
b) when throwing their waste out the window,
c) when someone was about to step in fecal matter,
d) only in French cities.
6. Why do you think the author chose London 6. a) because London was the most important city
for his example of life before indoor plumbing in the world in 1750,
(fontanería)? b) because indoor toilets were first used in London,
c) to explain the origins of the word “loo”,
d) because people in other large cities didn’t
empty their chamber pots out the window.
7. The author probably thinks 18th-century 7. a) dirty,
London was b) pleasant,
c) clean,
d) crowded.
8. Which of the following should NOT be implied 8. a) the toilet is more essential than the cell
from the last sentence? phone,
b) without cell phones, streets would be cleaner,
c) without toilets, streets would be filthy,
d) the importance of the toilet is often taken for
granted (tomar por entendido).

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been to San Jose. The first time was when I was in my
early 20s. I went there to interview for a job, and even though I didn’t get the job, I ended up renting an
apartment and staying in the area for about six months. I’ve gone back many times since to visit the
friends I made during that stay. Of course, these days with the internet it’s easy to keep in touch, but I
prefer to go there in person. My best friends in the area are a married couple, Tom and Cindy. It turns out
that they both work at the company I interviewed for, though that’s not where I met them. They lived in
the same apartment building as me, one on the floor above mine and the other on the floor below. Now
they have a beautiful house on the bay, a little girl and another on the way. They don’t know whether it’ll
be a boy or a girl, but they’ve asked me to be the godfather (padrino), so it looks like I’ll be going back to
San Jose in a few months.
EXCERCISE
2 1. In the first sentence, you can substitute 1. ; True False

“recall” for “remember”.
2. In the first sentence, you can substitute 2. True ; False

“remind” for “remember”.
3. “in my early 20s” probably refers to the time 3. True ; False

period between 1920 and 1923.
4. The narrator first went to San Jose to visit his 4. True ; False
friends, Tom and Cindy.
5. The narrator’s first visit to San Jose lasted 5. ; True False

about six months.
6. Why was the purpose of the narrator’s first 7RLQWHUYLHZIRUDMRE

6. ................................................................................
visit to San Jose? ................................................................................
7. Where do Tom and Cindy work now? $WWKHFRPSDQ\ZKHUHWKHDXWKRUKDG

7. .................................................................................
WKHMRELQWHUYLHZ
.................................................................................
8. Tom, Cindy and the narrator all used to live in 8. ; True False
the same apartment building.
9. What does the “it” (underlined, last sentence) 7RPDQG&LQG\VQH[WFKLOG

9. .................................................................................
refer to? .................................................................................
10. Why will the narrator be going back to San 7REHWKHJRGIDWKHUWR7RPDQG&LQG\V

10. .................................................................................
Jose soon? QHZFKLOG
.................................................................................

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 Like most other hobbies, stamp collecting can be exhilarating, time-consuming and, for the uninitiated,
overwhelming. Consider this - it is estimated that in the last 100 years alone, close to one billion different
stamps have been issued by governments all around the world. Not only that, but some of these stamps
are as rare, and as expensive, as Renaissance paintings. The most famous is probably the upside-down
airplane stamp, valued at almost 1 million dollars. Also the result of a printing mistake is the world’s
most expensive stamp, the Treskilling Yellow, so called because it was originally worth three shillings
when issued in Sweden in 1855, and because it was supposed to be printed in green, this being the
only known sample in yellow. This stamp was recently sold at auction for 1.7 million pounds, making it
the single most expensive item by weight in the world. Of course, amateur philatelists would do well to
concentrate on a sub-section of the wonderful world that is philately, such as collecting every stamp
issued by a certain government in a year, or collecting every stamp of a particular design, etc. Any other
approach to this hobby is a surefire recipe for frustration and perhaps for ruin.
EXCERCISE
2 1. This article mainly 1. a) tells hobbyists how to get into stamp

collecting,
b) warns of the expenses involved,
c) describes the history of stamps,
d) describes the sale of the most expensive
stamp in the world.
2. The most famous stamp is also the most 2. True ; False
expensive.
3. Which of the following adjectives is/are NOT 3. a) stressful,
used to describe stamp collecting? b) time-consuming,
c) wonderful,
d) uninitiated..
4. The author uses the figure of one billion to 4. a) exciting,
prove that stamp collecting can be b) boring,
c) time-consuming,
d) overwhelming.
5. Both of the stamps mentioned have printing 5. ; True False
mistakes.
6. How many pieces of advice does the article 6. a) 1,
give to focus the efforts of a new philatelist? b) 2,
c) 3,
d) 4.
7. The article implies that 7. a) only stamps with printing mistakes are
valuable,
b) stamp collecting is an expensive hobby,
c) if you buy a cheap stamp now it could be
worth millions in the 22nd century,
d) a disorganized approach to stamp collecting
will result in disappointment.
8. The sale of the world’s most expensive stamp 8. True ; False
was arranged through a private dealer.
9. The world’s most expensive stamp was 9. ; True False
originally supposed to be green.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 While the average European knows more about American history than the average American does about
European history, there is one document that every American school child has heard of that not many
Europeans know about: the Gettysburg Address (en este contexto, discurso). The address, delivered by
Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of a civil war cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is considered
to be one of the greatest speeches in American oratory, both for its duration -it lasted a little over two
minutes-, and for the legend that surrounds the writing of the brief speech. Contrary to popular belief,
Lincoln did not write the address on the back of an envelope, nor did he write it while on the train ride to
Gettysburg. There are five copies of the Address in Lincoln’s writing known to exist, though the wording
and punctuation differ in all of them, with the “official” text of the speech generally considered to be that
found on a version written well after the Gettysburg event on the only copy of the text that Lincoln signed
(known as the Bliss copy). Even the texts of the speech published in newspapers at the time all differed
somewhat. The first few words of the speech, Four score and seven years ago…, are synonymous with the
Gettysburg Address, and it is thanks to this speech that Americans know the meaning of the now disused
term “score”, which Lincoln thought would be more poetic than simply saying “eighty-seven years ago”.
Of the five copies written by Lincoln, the Bliss copy is in the Lincoln Room of the White House, and two
are in the Library of Congress. It is not known which of the five, if any, was the copy from which Lincoln
actually read the address.
EXCERCISE
2 1. The writer probably thinks that Europeans 1. True ; False

have a better knowledge of American history
than Americans.
2. The Gettysburg Address 2. a) refers to a physical location in Gettysburg,
b) is as famous as the Declaration of
Independence,
c) lasted just over two minutes,
d) was written by Lincoln on the back of an
envelope.
3. The average American probably thinks that 3. ; True False
Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on a
train.
4. How many copies of the Gettysburg Address 4. a) 0,
were signed by Lincoln? b) 1,
c) 4,
d) 5.
5. Why is the word official in quotes? EHFDXVHHYHU\YHUVLRQRIWKHVSHHFK
5. .................................................................................
WKDWZHKDYHLVGLIIHUHQWVRWKHUH
.................................................................................
LVQRRIILFLDOYHUVLRQ
.................................................................................
6. What does the word “score” in the opening 6. a) eighty,
line of the Gettysburg Address mean? b) twenty,
c) decade,
d) year.
7. People today still use the word “score” to 7. True ; False
mean the same thing that Lincoln expressed
in his speech.
8. The only copy of the Gettysburg Address 8. True ; False
signed by Lincoln is in the Library of Congress.
9. Which of the following would be an 9. a) Lincoln and America’s Civil War,
appropriate title for this passage? b) The Gettysburg Address: Fact or fiction?
c) How Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address,
d) Lincoln’s most famous speech.

EXERCISE
TEXT
1 It may seem hard for us to believe in this, the age of heart attacks and cancer, but one of the most
common causes of death in prehistoric man was tooth decay. At first this may seem highly improbable;
after all, you’ve likely never heard of anyone dying in the dentist’s chair. But many thousand years ago,
when dental hygiene was non-existent, the same bacteria that cause tooth decay and cavities (caries)
today would multiply unchecked (desenfrenado) and spread to the tissues (tejidos) surrounding the
mouth, one of those being, of course, the brain. Once there, the bacteria quickly affected brain functions
until the victim died of what today is easily preventable by a simple routine of tooth brushing or a visit
to the dentist. Contributing to this situation was the generally bad health of our early ancestors, who
rarely ate enough high quality food to meet all their nutritional needs. This left their immune systems
weakened and less able to fend off the bacteria that ravaged (devastar) their bodies. These bacteria, in
a more evolved form, continue to attack us today, though for the most part they go unnoticed, killed by
our immune systems or by the many medicines that we have at our disposal. We should not, however,
take dental hygiene for granted (dar por sentado). Although the odds (probabilidad) of dying from tooth
decay are exceedingly low in first world countries, failing to take care of our teeth can still have some
undesirable, and very painful, consequences.
EXCERCISE
2 1. The first sentence implies that 1. a) heart disease was a problem in prehistoric
man,
attacks and cancer,
2. Which of the following does NOT explain why 2. a) heart disease was a problem in prehistoric
early man died from tooth decay? man,
attacks and cancer,
3. The passage implies that if we stopped 3. True ; False
brushing our teeth, we too would probably die
from tooth decay just like prehistoric man did.
4. What do you think the phrasal verb “fend off” 4. a) prevent,
(underlined) means? b) avoid,
c) fight,
d) detect.
5. How many reasons does the author give 5. a) 1,
for why the bacteria that attack us today go b) 2,
unnoticed? c) 3,
d) 0.
6. Better nutrition and the availability of 6. True ; False
antibiotics means we can ignore dental health.
7. A good title for this passage would be: 7. a) Tooth decay: still a killer,
b) A history of dentistry,
c) Good nutrition: key to dental health,
d) Tooth decay and prehistoric man.

Reading Comprehension - Intermediate

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Reading Comprehension - Intermediate

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EXERCISE

2. When the author doesn’t go for a walk, it’s 2. True False

3. The author has one route that he usually 3. True False

4. How long does the author’s normal route take 4. ..............................................................................

5. What does the author do while he walks? 5. ..............................................................................

6. Why does the author wonder if people think 6. ..............................................................................

7. The author always knows where he is when 7. True False

8. Why doesn’t the author know the names of the 8. ..............................................................................

9. Why doesn’t the author think it’s a good idea 9. ..............................................................................

1 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. This article discusses three main methods the 1. True False

2. What color does blushing cause skin to turn? 2. ..............................................................................

3. When you sweat, where does the energy for 3. ..............................................................................

4. Sweat uses alcohol to aid in the evaporation 4. True False

5. Blood vessels can expand or contract to help 5. True False

6. Shaking helps regulate the loss of heat by 6. True False

7. How many methods does the article mention 7. ..............................................................................

2 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

3 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. This paragraph is mainly about 1. a) the origins of the potato,

4 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

5 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

6 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. In the first sentence, you can substitute 1. True False

2. In the first sentence, you can substitute 2. True False

3. “in my early 20s” probably refers to the time 3. True False

5. The narrator’s first visit to San Jose lasted 5. True False

6. Why was the purpose of the narrator’s first 6. ................................................................................

7. Where do Tom and Cindy work now? 7. .................................................................................

9. What does the “it” (underlined, last sentence) 9. .................................................................................

7 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. This article mainly 1. a) tells hobbyists how to get into stamp

8 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. The writer probably thinks that Europeans 1. True False

9 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

10 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2. When the author doesn’t go for a walk, it’s 2. True X False

3. The author has one route that he usually 3. X True False

7. The author always knows where he is when 7. True X False

1 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. This article discusses three main methods the 1. True X False

2. What color does blushing cause skin to turn? Red.

4. Sweat uses alcohol to aid in the evaporation 4. True X False

5. Blood vessels can expand or contract to help 5. X True False

6. Shaking helps regulate the loss of heat by 6. True X False

7. How many methods does the article mention 3

2 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

3 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. This paragraph is mainly about 1. a) the origins of the potato,

4 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

5 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

6 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. In the first sentence, you can substitute 1. ; True False

2. In the first sentence, you can substitute 2. True ; False

3. “in my early 20s” probably refers to the time 3. True ; False

5. The narrator’s first visit to San Jose lasted 5. ; True False

6. Why was the purpose of the narrator’s first 7RLQWHUYLHZIRUDMRE

7. Where do Tom and Cindy work now? $WWKHFRPSDQ\ZKHUHWKHDXWKRUKDG

9. What does the “it” (underlined, last sentence) 7RPDQG&LQG\VQH[WFKLOG

10. Why will the narrator be going back to San 7REHWKHJRGIDWKHUWR7RPDQG&LQG\V

7 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. This article mainly 1. a) tells hobbyists how to get into stamp

8 · COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA · NIVEL INTERMEDIO

2 1. The writer probably thinks that Europeans 1. True ; False

6. Why was the purpose of the narrator’s first 7RLQWHUYLHZIRUDMRE

9. What does the “it” (underlined, last sentence) 7RPDQG&LQG\VQH[WFKLOG

10. Why will the narrator be going back to San 7REHWKHJRGIDWKHUWR7RPDQG&LQG\V