Inglés / Edad 1

Ministerio de Educación Pública Programa de Educación Diversificada a Distancia

División de Control de Calidad y Prueba Inglés 2
Macroevaluación del Sistema Educativo Total de puntos: 60
Departamento de Pruebas Nacionales Convocatoria: 02-2004
Convenio MEP – ICER

SELECTION 60 ITEMS

Read the recipe. Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences,
from it.

1) One of the ingredients which is not solid in

this recipe is ________________.

A) flour
B) sugar
Adapted from Intercom 2000

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.

squares.
(Add the chopped nuts). Pour into greased square pan and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into
Combine butter, eggs, and vanilla, and add that mixture to dry ingredients. Mix well.
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix well.

How to prepare

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
C) vanilla
D) cocoa powder

2) The first step to prepare brownies is to

_____________________.

A) put together the dry ingredients

B) separate the eggs and butter
C) have two cups of sugar
D) buy some cups of flour

3) When you prepare brownies you need

_____________________.

A) a dozen eggs
B) three cups of flour
Brownies
Ingredients:

C) two cups of chopped nuts

D) one small spoon of vanilla

4) Salt is used _____________________ in

brownies recipe.

A) in big quantities
B) in very little quantity
C) as the main ingredient
D) before you combine the dry ingredients

5) Cocoa powder and flour are ___________

ingredients.

A) dry
B) liquid
C) optional
D) greased

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 Inglés / Edad 2

Read the dialogue.

Situation: Tom is from the United States. He is talking to Ana, her Costa Rican friend.

Tom: What do you usually have for breakfast?

Ana: Sometimes, I eat “gallo pinto” with eggs. Sometimes, I have tortillas with
sour cream, or I eat bread and butter with cheese. I seldom eat cereal. I
always drink coffee, too. What about you?

Tom: Well, here in Costa Rica, I eat “gallo pinto”, eggs, and tortillas. I drink coffee,
too. But at home, I usually have cereal, pancakes or fried bacon with eggs. I
drink orange juice or milk.

Ana: Really? Is it true that people in your country don’t eat much for lunch?

Tom: Yes. We usually eat a sandwich, a hamburger, a piece of pizza or a salad.

Lunch is a light meal for us almost every day. But here, I love “casados” with
meat and “picadillo”.

Ana: Great! I’m glad you like our food.

Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, according to the

dialogue above.

6) Tom and Ana are ______________.

A) having a light meal

B) eating dinner at home
C) talking about food customs
D) discussing about their countries

7) Costa Ricans’ breakfast is ________________________.

A) the same as a “casado”

B) usually cereal or pancakes
C) usually heavier than the U.S’s
D) as light as the one in Tom’s country

8) Tom enjoys to eat ______________________ the most.

A) casados
B) picadillos
C) gallo pinto
D) homemade tortillas

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 Inglés / Edad 3

9) U.S. people ________________________.

A) eat a light lunch

B) have a heavy breakfast
C) prefer a sandwich in the morning
D) eat tortillas with sour cream for dinner

10) In the dialogue, Tom says he ________________________ for breakfast.

A) rarely eats eggs

B) never drinks coffee here
C) drinks a different thing at home
D) always prefers to eat pancakes

11) The word “casados” refers to a ________________________.

A) type of breakfast
B) light meal for dinner
C) heavy dish including picadillo
D) dish of “gallo pinto” with eggs

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 Inglés / Edad 4

Read the article.

“Electronic Signature”
Program Unveiled

Science and Technology Minister showed the final version of the government’s
“Electronic Signature” program last week, which will eventually allow users to
authenticate legal documents and commercial transactions with “computerized
signatures.”
Electronic signatures are unique computerized codes made up of hundreds of
thousands of numbers used, instead of printed signatures, to validate legal
documents, money transfers and purchases.
Last year, a special commission was appointed to study the system about
“Electronic Signature” and draft a bill for Congress. The bill is now under study and
awaiting vote.
The system would be especially beneficial to the Judicial System because
rural lawyers will be able to present signed documents without having to travel to
San José.
Fifteen government institutions are already backing the proposal, the minister
said.
“Electronic signatures are an extremely safe way to validate documents. The
signature codes are practically impossible to forge”, he explained.

To forge: to make an imitation

Tico Times – Fabián Borges

Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, using the previous
reading.

12) Electronic signatures are used to _______________________________.

A) send letters
B) send e–mails
C) make hundreds of thousands of numbers
D) authenticate legal documents and money transfers

13) This technology will bring particular advantages to the _________________________.

A) Judicial system of Costa Rica

B) public and private entities abroad
C) Technology Minister of Costa Rica
D) fifteen government institutions of the country

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 Inglés / Edad 5

14) This Electronic Signature is ___________________________.

A) very hard to forge

B) absolutely insecure
C) completely commercial
D) impossible to authenticate

15) The “Electronic Signature” ___________________________.

A) allows anyone to access the information

B) permits the money transference manually
C) is a new program proposed by the government
D) codifies all the legal information related to government

16) The bill about “Electronic Signature” is ___________________________.

A) a law right now

B) waiting to be approved
C) being used by rural lawyers
D) being drafted by the Minister of Science and technology

17) The lawyers in the countryside benefit from this bill because they ________________.

A) don't sign any documents more

B) don't need to validate legal documents
C) won't have to come to the capital to sign
D) won't use computerized codes any more

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 Inglés / Edad 6

Read the dialogue. Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions,
according to the dialogue.

18) What are John and Kathy talking about?

Situation: John and Kathy are
schoolmates. They are A) Types of keyboards.
talking. B) The news of the future.
C) The computer of the future.
D) The new uses of keyboards.
Kathy: Have you heard about the
new computer it is coming
out? It will be able to
recognize any voice 19) Which is one characteristic of the new
command, so you won’t computer? It includes ______________.
ever need to use the
keyboard. A) a special keyboard
B) voice recognition command
John: Yeah, and soon everyone C) a keyboard that fits on the palm of the
will use computers that fit hand
into the palm of one’s hand. D) a small instrument that compresses the
information
Kathy: Within 20 years, all our
news and information will
be coming through
computers. 20) How big will the future computers be?

John: By then, magazines and A) Bigger than the keyboard.

newspapers have B) Smaller than a baby’s hand.
disappeared and the C) As big as the today’s computer.
delivery person too. D) As small as the palm of one’s hand.

Kathy: Wow! Computers are going

to take over our lives one of
these days. 21) How might people be informed in twenty
years?
John: Yeah! Isn’t it great!
A) By man’s hands.
Adapted from New Interchange B) By delivery people.
C) Through computers.
D) Through the newspapers.

22) What does John think about the computer control of human lives? It is ___________.

A) awful
B) terrible
C) dreadful
D) fantastic

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 Inglés / Edad 7

Read the text.

Choose the appropriate alternative to

answer the questions, from the previous
text.

23) Why are the campesinos happy with the

Boyeros Day? Because it
__________________.

A) brings them many changes

B) is just a Costa Rican holiday
C) helps them to forget their past
D) is a recall of the campesino’s way of life

24) What does the celebration mean for the

campesinos? It’s ___________________.

A) a family festival
B) the campesino’s parades
C) Costa Rican parades of oxcarts
D) a way to keep the country's traditions

25) When does the event take place?

_______________________.

A) One Saturday each month

B) On Friday
C) In March
D) In May

26) Which activities do people carry on during

the celebration?

A) Opening band festivals.

B) Parades of rich families.
C) A show of colorful oxcarts full of free
food for everybody.
D) Parades of colorful painted oxcarts
representing the cultural roots.

27) What is a title for the text?

A) Culture and Value.

B) National Boyeros Day.
C) San Antonio de Escazú.
D) Commemoration of all cultural roots.

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 Inglés / Edad 8

Read the text.

Edson Arantes, known as Pelé, was born in 1940 in Brazil. He was an outstanding
soccer player, but as a boy he didn’t have formal training in this sport. He learned to
play soccer with his friends on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. His first match for the
Brazilian national soccer team was in 1955, and by 1958 he was a world–famous
soccer player. From 1958 to 1968, he scored 1200 goals for the Santos Club in Brazil
and the Brazilian national team. He played for Brazil in four World Cup competitions,
and Brazil won three of these.
Everybody loved to watch Pelé. He was an excellent athlete, a wonderful team
member and a funny person too. He retired from Brazilian soccer in 1974, and the
next year he went to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos. He helped to
make the Cosmos team a very good one. He retired as a soccer player in 1977. He
now lives in Brazil where he works as soccer coach.

(From Tico Times)

Choose the appropriate alternative that completes each statement, according to the
reading above.

28) Edson ______________________________.

A) founded the Santos Club in Brazil

B) was well-trained since his childhood
C) played with the Cosmos team since 1958
D) was a distinguished athlete in the last century

29) Edson Arantes __________________________.

A) was Pelé’s best friend

B) participated in three World Cup matches
C) was the trainer of the Brazilian national team
D) scored one thousand two hundred goals in ten years

30) Pelé ___________________________.

A) played professional soccer in his country during nineteen years

B) didn’t continue in the soccer world after nineteen seventy-four
C) didn’t score any goal after nineteen sixty-three
D) won all the World Cup matches with his team

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 Inglés / Edad 9

31) After Pelé’s retirement as a soccer player from Brazil, he ______________________.

A) decided to stay in the United States

B) became a soccer coach in New York
C) helped the Cosmos to be a good team
D) played soccer with his friends on the beaches

32) Pelé retired as a soccer player when he was ___________________ years old.

A) forty
B) forty-one
C) thirty-four
D) thirty-seven

33) Edson Arantes had the first match for the Brazilian national soccer team when he was
around _________________.

A) seventeen
B) eighteen
C) twenty
D) fifteen

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 Inglés / Edad 10

Read the text.

The Sound of Music

Do you like popular music from latin America, The United States, or Asia?
Many musicians from around the world mix their country’s music with popular
sounds.

Caetano Veloso after thirty years, is still one of Brazil’s most important
musicians. He mixes rock with the music of the Bahia region. Bahia is a state of
Brazil that is strongly influenced by African culture. Caetano Veloso is an
excellent songwriter and poet. He says of this music, “I make my songs like a
painter paints his canvas.”

Bonnie Raitt is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Her music

blends rock with country and the blues. The blues is a kind of folk music that is
often sad. It is usually about love and the problems of life. Bonnie Raitt’s strong,
rough voice is perfect for singing country and the blues.

Cui Jian (pronounced “tsay jyan”) is a very important musician and singer in
the growth of rock music in China. Western styles, like jazz and rap, clearly
influence his music. However, his music is very Chinese in its instruments and
sounds. Cui Jian says his music expresses the feelings of Chinese young people.

Blend = mix together

canvas= the material that artist uses to paint pictures
rough= not smooth, gentle or delicate

Based on the reading, choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions.

34) What do these three musicians have in common? They _____________________.

A) all sing only rock music.

B) combine rhythms such as jazz, rap and country.
C) blend popular rhythms with their country’s music.
D) all sing to express the way they feel about youngsters.

35) Why is Bonnie Raitt’s voice good for country and blues music? Because
______________.

A) she’s a very sad songwriter.

B) she has a strong and rough voice.
C) her voice reflects feelings and strong emotions.
D) those rhythms are part of the folcklore of America.

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 Inglés / Edad 11

36) What does Cui Jian want to express through his music? The

A) representation of Chinese youth feelings.

B) development of rock music in China.
C) Chinese instruments and sounds.
D) influence of Western styles.

37) What is the word “blues” related to, in the text? A ______________________.

A) type of paint
B) variety of folk music
C) country rhythm for a strong voice
D) mixture of rock and African rhythm

38) What is the similarity among the three musicians?

A) All of them sing love songs.

B) Their songs are country music.
C) The three use Chinese instruments.
D) Their music mixes different rhythms.

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 Inglés / Edad 12

Read the information.

Do you know how to get inexpensive airline and train tickets?

On a recent flight, Laura was talking happily with the woman in the next seat –until
the conversation turned to fares. The woman, who bought her ticket two months
in advance, paid $109. Laura paid the full fare of $457. She decided that next
time she would find out how to travel for less.

Here are some ways to travel for less:

Cheap airline tickets. To fly for less money, you can buy non-refundable plane
tickets two or three months before your trip. The cheapest way to fly is as a courier.
In return for delivering a package for a courier company, you get a plane ticket that
costs as little as one-quarter of the regular fare – or even less if the company needs
someone at the last minute. Recently, a courier flew round trip from Los Angeles to
Tokyo for $100; a regular ticket costs around $1,800.

Train passes. If you’re going to do a lot of traveling by train, a train pass will save
you money. Buying a single pass gives you unlimited travel for a period of time.
Train passes can be especially useful in India, which has the world’s largest rail
system; in Japan where trains are fast and convenient; and in Europe where trains
go to over 30,000 cities.

Adapted from New Interchange 2

Based on the information above, choose the appropriate alternative to complete the
sentences.

39) The main idea of the reading is to let people know about _______________________.

A) places they can visit when traveling

B) ways to get cheaper tickets
C) the high price of tickets
D) how to travel to Tokyo

40) A way of getting plane tickets at a lower cost is by ___________________________.

A) paying $1,800 to the airline

B) buying the ticket at the last minute
C) traveling from Los Angeles to Tokyo
D) buying a ticket you can not return, some months before

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 Inglés / Edad 13

41) When traveling by train, you can save money _________________________.

A) buying a train pass

B) going to many different cities
C) visiting different places in India
D) traveling on the largest rail system

42) Laura learned she can _________________________.

A) fly everywhere buying the tickets in the courier company

B) buy some plane tickets for a cheaper price
C) pay more money to travel in a better seat
D) find out about full fare tickets next time

43) The least expensive flight tickets are _________________________.

A) those used in round trips

B) those used in regular flights
C) the ones bought in Los Angeles and Tokyo
D) the ones acquired by couriers at the last moment

44) The text says that ______________________________.

A) a single train pass can be used many times within a fixed period.
B) in India, the rail system is not well-developed.
C) traveling by train is a new system in Europe.
D) the less develop rail system is in Japan.

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 Inglés / Edad 14

Read the text. Select the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from
the text.

45) Sea turtles are/is ______________________.

Sea turtles are ancient animals
that have a protective shell and
live in the ocean. Sea turtles
have existed for 125 million
years, but now they are listed
as threatened or endangered.
Each spring, thousands of
these creatures leave the ocean
to lay their eggs. Year after
year, they instinctively return to
the beach where they
themselves were *hatched.
They dig a hole in the sand and
*release up to 150 eggs at a
time. Most of the eggs will
never hatch, because they will
be eaten by predator birds,
crabs, or insects. Nowadays
the turtle’s worst enemy is man.
*Poachers take their eggs, and
kill the adults for their shells.
*to release: to liberate.
*to hatch: to come out of an
egg.
*poachers: a person who
catches birds, animals, etc, on
somebody else’s property
without permission.
Adapted from Atlas
A) 150 million years old
B) a group of endangered species
C) new species of animals in the world
D) species which has eight protective shells
46) Sea turtles lay their eggs ___________.
A) without their protective shell
B) after spring season at any beach
C) at their home beach once in a year
D) in a very small nest with some birds around
47) Most of the turtle’s eggs are ______________.
A) difficult to find inside the turtle’s nest
B) eaten by predator birds and men
C) protected by poachers
D) never eaten by men
48) To lay eggs, sea turtles _________________.
A) make a hole in the sand
B) should wait for more than a month
C) look for a special place near crabs and
insects
D) do it in any of the many nests which
appear in the ocean

49) The number of eggs sea turtles release at a time is ___________________________.

A) a maximum of one hundred fifty

B) always less than a dozen
C) almost three millions
D) just five

50) The sea turtle is ______________________.

A) one thousand meters long

B) a magical giant from the beaches
C) an animal that hatches just two eggs each year
D) one of the most ancient species man should protect

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Read the text. Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from
the text below.
The years following World
War ll seemed to promise
peace and more equality
among people. For
example, the United Nations
was founded in 1945 to help
countries resolve disputes
peacefully. This promise
was soon broken, by the
Cold War, tension between
the United States and the
Soviet Union. These two
superpowers engaged in an
arms race spending huge
sums of money on weapons.
The other nations of the
world were divided into two
“sides”, and the world was
frozen in a perpetual state of
hostility.
When the communist
governments collapsed in
the Soviet Union and
Eastern Europe, between
1989 and 1991, the Cold
War ended and the political
climate changed.
The end of Cold War tension
opened new channels of
communication between
nations.
Adapted from Channel
55) After the Cold War, the globe _____________.
A) collapsed under destruction
B) faced a terrible political climate
C) prepared more destructive weapons
D) opened new ways of communication
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Inglés / Edad 15
51) After World War II, there was a (n)
______________________.
A) aparent period of calm
B) proposal to create a peaceful institution
C) promise of complete equality forever
among people
D) decision to guarantee the union of the
world countries
52) Tension between the United States and the
Union Soviet was named the _____________.
A) Cold War
B) arms race
C) peaceful dispute
D) superpower engagement
53) The United States and the Soviet Union
______________________.
A) founded the United Nations
B) supported two superpowers
C) split their territories in two sides
D) spent a large amount of money in weapons
54) The Cold War finished _______________.
A) in the Western Europe in 1989
B) with the fall of communist governments
C) with the appearance of the communist
ideas
D) when the world froze in a hostility perpetual
state

Read the text.
Traditionally in Costa Rica, the
most popular means of
transportation were walking,
horse, boat, and oxcart. Then in
the late 19th century railways
were built to facilitate the export
of the main agricultural crops,
coffee and bananas. Before the
development of railways,
transportation was very slow; it
could take weeks for oxcarts to
travel from the Central Plateau
to the ports. Also since there
were no paved roads, it was
very uncomfortable.
Now transportation in modern
Costa Rica is easier, faster and
more comfortable. A network of
expressways paved and
unpaved roads means that
buses, cars and trucks reach
almost every community in the
country. People can travel to
the towns and cities to work,
study and buy things not
available in their local easily.
International airlines take Ticos
abroad and bring many tourists,
particularly destinations within
Costa Rica.
However, modern transportation
has its disadvantages. The
sharp increase in road traffic
means that roads, particularly in
and around San Jose are often
blocked by traffic jams;
pollution is reaching dangerous,
and many people are injured or
die in road accidents.
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Inglés / Edad 16
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete
the sentences, according to the previous text.
56) Before the 18th century, _________________.
A) many of the roads were paved
B) man built the railway to help himself
C) the means of transportation were very slow
D) there were many ports near the
communities
57) After the development of railways,
_________________________.
A) boats traveled faster to the ports
B) the use of oxcarts was increased
C) man could export banana and coffee easily
D) men took two weeks to travel to the Central
Plateau
58) The transportation system in Costa Rica
____________________.
A) has only paved road now
B) gets to most of the communities
C) is as uncomfortable and slow as before
D) are formed by walking, horse, boat and
ship, nowadays
59) The text says that ____________________.
A) Costa Rica has a well-developed
transportation system
B) there is no way for people to travel to the
nearest town
C) international airlines are not for foreigners
D) Tico airlines reach every community
60) One negative consequence of modern
transportation is the ____________________.
A) easy and fast transportation everywhere
B) traffic jam in the main roads
C) decrease of road accidents
D) availability of more roads
 Inglés / Edad 17

SOLUCIONARIO

Programa: EDAD 2 Convocatoria: 02 – 2004

Asignatura: Inglés Total de ítemes: 60

ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA

1. C 21. C 41. A
2. A 22. D 42. B
3. D 23. D 43. D
4. B 24. D 44. A
5. A 25. C 45. B
6. C 26. D 46. C
7. C 27. B 47. B
8. A 28. D 48. A
9. A 29. D 49. A
10. C 30. A 50. D
11. C 31. C 51. A
12. D 32. D 52. A
13. A 33. D 53. D
14. A 34. C 54. B
15. C 35. B 55. D
16. B 36. A 56. C
17. C 37. B 57. C
18. C 38. D 58. B
19. B 39. B 59. A
20. D 40. D 60. B

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