English

ICFES Component
Incomplete Texts

Teenagers feel that it's rather difficult to get a job after 1 school. In general they feel
disappointed 2 this situation. However, many of them end 3 getting a decent job after all.

At first, they believe that it will be difficult for them to 4 it, especially if they are still studying
at university. But then, they realize that it's not as hard as they thought.

On one 5 the possibility of working gives them freedom and independence. On

the 6 they develop professional skills that can only be acquired at work.

Nevertheless, it's important that the new job doesn't stress them 7 . If at any moment the situation
gets difficult and they are 8 a lot of stress, they should consider working part-time. This is a good
alternative to be able to work and study 9 the same time. And it offers the opportunity to 10 the
same benefits like in any other job.

1. 4. 7.
A. finishing A. go A. up
B. down
B. end B. start C. out
C. abandon C. face
8.
A. on
2. 5. B. under
A. for A. side C. down
B. about B. part 9.
C. on C. hand A. in
B. by
C. at
3. 6.
A. by A. other 10.
A. get
B. with B. another B. reap
C. up C. side C. like

156 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°

 EASY PANCAKE RECIPE
Eileen: Hey, you know how to make a cake, don’t you?
Natalie: I wish I knew, but I don’t.
Eileen: Really? Last week Daniel told me you made a cake in his house.
Natalie: No, I didn’t. I made pancakes.
Eileen: Oh, sorry. Would you tell me how to make them?
Natalie: Sure. Do you have something to write with?
Eileen: Yes, I do.
Natalie: OK. First you should measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and
nutmeg.
Sift the ingredients into a bowl.
Then in a separate large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, add the milk, sour cream, melted butter (or
oil), vanilla extract, and whisk to blend.
Next whisk the ingredients just until blended (about 10 seconds).
Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
After that for each pancake, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter onto the hot skillet. You should be able
to cook 3 or 4 pancakes at a time.
Cook the pancakes for about 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 minutes on the first side, flip and cook them
about half the time or until the second side is golden brown.
Finally serve the pancakes at once, preferably on plates.
Top with butter and honey maple.
Eileen: I got it. Thank you so much.
Natalie: OK. You are very welcome. I hope you can make some delicious pancakes.

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 157

 Indirect Questions
Indirect questions have the same purpose
as direct questions, but are considered more
formal. To use an indirect question, you have
to put an introductory phrase followed by the
question itself in positive sentence structure.
Connect the two phrases with the question
word or if.
Example:
• Can you tell me where your car is?
• Do you know when Cesar regularly
leaves?
• I wonder if he will be on time.
• I’m not sure if she is coming to work
today.
• I don’t know when they are going to
teach at the university.
• I have no idea if she will go to the party
tonight.
• He doesn't know who the boss of the
company is.
• I don't care whom you invite.
• She isn't sure whose car that is.
Here are some of the most common phrases
used for asking indirect questions. Many of
these phrases are questions.
• Do you know…?
• I wonder / was wondering ….
• Can you tell me…?
• Do you happen to know...?
• I have no idea...
• I'm not sure...
• I'd like to know...
• Have you any idea...?
• I’m not sure…
• I don’t know…
158 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°
Wish
Wishes about Present and Future
We use wish + past simple to express that we
want a situation in the present or future to be
different.
• I wish I spoke German. (I don't speak
German right now)
• I wish I had a big motorcycle. (I don't have
a big motorcycle in this moment)
• I wish it was the weekend tomorrow. (It's
Wednesday today)
We use wish + past continuous to express
that we want to be doing a different action in
the present or future.
• I wish I was swimming in a pool. (I'm still
working)
• I wish it wasn't raining. (It is raining)
• I wish you were coming next month (You
are not coming next month)
Wishes about the Past
We use wish + past perfect to express a
regret, or that we want a situation in the past
to be different.
• I wish I hadn't drunk so much last night. (I
drank a lot last night)
• I wish they'd come to the beach with us.
(We went to the beach without them)
• I wish I had studied harder English at
school. (I didn’t like English at school)
Wish + Would
We use wish + would + bare infinitive
to express impatience, annoyance or
dissatisfaction with a present action.
• I wish you would stop flirting to her. (You
are flirting to her and it is annoying me)
• I wish it would stop raining. (It is raining
and I want to go outside. (I’m impatient))
• I wish he'd be quiet. (I am annoyed
because he is speaking too loud)
Important points

1. To simply express that you want
something to happen in the
future (not talking about wanting
an action or situation to be
different, and not talking about
impatience or annoyance) we
use 'hope', not 'wish'.
• I hope it's sunny tomorrow. NOT I wish it was
sunny tomorrow.
• I hope I pass my exam next week. NOT I wish
I was passing my exam next week.
• I hope the train doesn't crash tomorrow. NOT
I wish the train wouldn't crash tomorrow.

2. We can use wish + infinitive or • I wish to start now. (+ infinitive)

wish + object + infinitive to mean • I wish to talk to her now. (+ infinitive)
'want' in a formal situation. • I wish my name to appear on the list. (+ object
+ infinitive)

3. We can use '(I) wish you' in fixed • I wish you a happy Thanksgiving Day.
expressions. • We wish you good luck in the test.

Conditionals

Condition means "situation or circumstance".

If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens.

Examples:
• If y = 2 then 2y = 4
• If a = 3 and b = 4 then a + b = 7

Structure of Conditional Sentences

The general structure of most conditionals is just “if + condition + result” or “result + if + conditional”.

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 159

Examples:
IF condition result
IF y = 10 2y = 20

result IF condition
2y = 20 IF y = 10

First Conditional: Real possibility

We use this conditional when we are talking about the future; we are thinking about a particular
condition in the future, and we are thinking about its result. In this case we use the present
simple tense to talk about the possible future condition, and we use simple future to talk about
the possible future result. The important thing about the first conditional is that there is a real
possibility that the condition will happen.

Examples:
IF Condition Result
Present simple Future simple
If I write down the song, I will learn it.
If it rains tomorrow, she will stay at home.
If we don’t put gas before leaving, we will run out of gas.

Result IF Condition
Future simple Present simple
I will learn the song if I write it down.
She will stay at home if it rains tomorrow.
We will run out of gas if we don’t put gas before leaving.

Second Conditional: Unreal possibility or dream

As the first conditional, we are thinking about a particular condition in the future and in the
result of this condition, but there is not a real possibility; so, you are thinking in the result of
the condition as a dream, perhaps the condition is not true but the result would be possible at
any time. In this case we use the past simple tense to talk about the future condition and we
use would + base form of the verb to talk about the future result. The important thing about the
second conditional is that there is an unreal possibility that the condition will happen.

160 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°

Examples:
IF Condition Result
Past simple Would + base verb
If I were her boyfriend, I would be happy.
If you were an actor, you would be able to go to that party.
If we asked the principal for the payment rise, we would have it.

Result IF Condition
Would + base verb Past simple
I would be happy if I were her boyfriend.
You would be able to go to that party if you were an actor.
We would have it if we asked the principal for the payment rise.

Third Conditional: No possibility

We use this conditional when we are thinking about the past. We talk about a condition in the past
that did not happen, so it is now impossible to happen. The third conditional is also like a dream,
but there is no possibility for the dream to become true or real; so, in this case we use the past
perfect tense to talk about the impossible past condition and we use would have + past participle
to talk about the impossible past result. The important thing about the third conditional is that both
the condition and result are impossible now.

Examples:
IF Condition Result
Past perfect WOULD HAVE + past participle
If I had had a dog, I would have taken it out to pee.
If he had been free yesterday, she would have invited him.
If it had rained last night, you would have stayed at home

Result IF Condition
WOULD HAVE + past participle Past perfect
I would have taken a dog out to pee if I had had one.
She would have invited him if he had been free yesterday.
You would have stayed at home if it had rained last night.

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 Zero Conditional: Certainty

We use the zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like
a scientific fact.

Now we are thinking about a result that is always true, the result of the condition
is an absolute certainty; we are not thinking about the future or the past or even
the present, we are thinking about a simple fact; so, we use the present simple
tense to talk about the condition, and we also use the present simple tense to
talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the
condition always has the same result.

Examples:

IF Condition Result
Present simple Present simple
If I miss the 5 o'clock train, I am late for my class.
If she eats a lot, she becomes fat.
If you stay at home, your mom is happy.

Result IF Condition
Present simple Present simple
I am late for my class if I miss the 5 o'clock train.
She becomes fat if she eats a lot.
Your mom is happy if you stay at home.

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 Vocabulary

Means of Transport

Airplane Avión
Bicycle Bicicleta
Boat Bote
Bus Bus
Canoe Canoa
Car Carro
Cruise Crucero
Ferry Transbordador
Glider Planeador
Helicopter Helicóptero
Hot air balloon Globo aerostático
Jet plane Avión a reacción
Moped Ciclomotor
Motorbike Motocicleta
Motorboat Lancha
Ocean liner Transatlántico
Pickup truck Camioneta
Raft Balsa
Rocket Cohete
Roller skates Patines
Sailboat Velero
Scooter Escúter, motoneta
Ship Barco
Skateboard Patineta
Streetcar/Trolley Tranvía
Subway Tren subterráneo
Taxi/cab Taxi
Train Tren
Truck Camión
Van Furgoneta
Wagon Vagón/carro

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 163

 British Vs. American English
There are some words and terms that are either used only in British or American English, but
some words can be used in both with the same meaning.

American English British English

Antenna Aerial
Airplane Aeroplane
Apartment Flat/ apartment
Area code Dialling code
Attorney, lawyer Barrister, solicitor
Baggage Luggage
Busy Engaged (phone)
Cab/taxi Taxi
Can Tin
Candy Sweets
Check/bill Bill
Cookie, cracker Biscuit
Corn Maize
Crib Cot
Crazy Mad
Diaper Nappy
Dumb, stupid Stupid
Eggplant Aubergine
Elevator Lift
Eraser Rubber, eraser
Fall, autumn Autumn
Faucet, tap Tap
First floor, second floor Ground floor, first floor
Flashlight Torch
French fries Chips
Garbage, trash Rubbish
Garbage can, trashcan Dustbin, rubbish bin

164 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°

Gas, gasoline Petrol
Gray Grey (colour)
Highway, freeway Main road, motorway
Hood Bonnet
Intersection Crossroads
Jelly Jam
Jell-O Jelly
Mad Angry
Mail Post
Mean Nasty
Movie, film Film
Pants, trousers Trousers
Pavement Road surface
Pitcher Jug
Potato chips Crisps
Purse Handbag
Raise Rise (salary)
Railroad Railway
Restroom Public toilet
Schedule, timetable Timetable
Sneakers Trainers (sports shoes)
Stand in line Queue
Stingy Mean
Store, shop Shop
Subway Underground
Truck Van, Lorry
Trunk Boot (of a car)
Two weeks Fortnight, two weeks
Vacation Holiday(s)
Windshield Windscreen
Yard Garden
Zee Zed
Zipper Zip

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 165

Exercises

Fill in the gaps with:

(Some options could be used more than once.)
were – where the station is – will be – will pass – would – what time you are
leaving – would play – you are coming to the party – wasn’t – will drive

• Where is the station?

Can you tell me ?

• Are you coming to the party?

Can you let me know if ?

• What time are you leaving?

Do you know at ?

• I wish I rich.

• I wish it stop raining.

• I wish the dog barking anymore.

• If I study, I the exam.

• If you were older, you in the soccer team.

• If David takes the driving text, he his car without any problem.

• If Laura goes to the movies, she happy.

Put in brackets American or British according to the variety of English.

Have you seen William's new truck? ( )

I like French fries, they're very crispy. ( )

What about another chocolate biscuit? ( )

Put this box into the garbage can, please. ( )

We'll have to stop at the next petrol station. ( )

166 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°

 Practice
Exercises
English
Answer the questions on the virtual answer sheet.

Reading Comprehension
Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in
March saying, “We’re thinking of running a children’s playscheme for a day in October half-term.
Would you be prepared to help?” My response was “Sure, why not?” In truth I was a little flattered
to be asked, even though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the
role. Still, I duly put the date in my diary and of course I forgot all about it. I don’t know if you’ve
noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and,
before I knew it, the day was dawning.

I arrived at the youth center that morning feeling full of trepidation. There was a gang of 12 helpers
including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine was the 10 to 11 year
old. Even with the planning meeting I had attended the week before, I worried about whether I
was up to the task. Why hadn’t I read through the copy of the lesson plans we were given before?
And wasn’t the average 10-year-old more interested in the latest Play Station game than making
things with paper and glue?

The children began arriving. The look of relief on parents’ faces as they handed their offspring
over to us was quite comical. A handful of the children were already members of the club but
the other forty-five or so were from the local primary schools. Again I asked myself why I had
elected to spend a day with all these ‘little monsters’ especially when I have two all of my own
to contend with!

I needn’t have worried of course as it turned out to be a marvelous day. We watched entertaining
DVD clips, learned ‘action’ songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games
and spent some time in quiet reflection. I say ‘we’ because I rediscovered my inner child and
joined in all the activities.

The particular highlight for me was the final rendition of “He’s got the whole world in his hands”
in the closing part of the day. The children knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so
loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. It’s difficult to explain those moments; only that
the body tingles with the pleasure of having witnessed something so magical.

Of course there were also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thinking of one
little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually that her mum was in the hospital and would be there for a
long time. It’s easy for us adults to idealize childhood and forget that some children have their own

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 167

burden of anxieties and concerns. When I got
home utterly exhausted, still with modeling
clay under my fingernails, I reflected on what
a privilege it had been.
There was one disappointment for the children
and that was that the playscheme was only
running for a day, and not the whole week.
As I said farewell to my group, one of the
children turned and said “Can we do it again
in the next holiday, Miss?” My response was,
“Sure, why not?”
1. When the job offer was made the writer
A. felt she had made a mistake to agree.
B. thought she had appropriate experience
for the job.
C. believed she shouldn't have been asked.
D. gave the impression she wasn't sure
about accepting the job.
2. When the day arrived the writer was
surprised
A. that the day had come around so quickly.
B. because she'd forgotten to write down
the date.
C. because she witnessed a car chase on
the way.
D. that she woke up at dawn.
3. When the writer arrived to start her job
she
A. put the children into pairs.
B. realized she should have done more
preparation.
C. felt confident she could deal with 10 and
11 year olds.
D. saw the children had brought their own
electronic games to play with.
168 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°
4. According to the writer, the parents were
A. happy to stay with their children all day.
B. worried about children from the other
schools.
C. nervous that their children might not
behave themselves.
D. glad to leave their children.
5. The writer needn't have worried because
A. the children were quiet during the day.
B. the children weren't doing messy
activities.
C. she had fun herself.
D. the time passed quickly.
6. The writer's best moment
A. occurred in the middle of the day.
B. took her by surprise.
C. was hard to put into words.
D. was when the day was over.
7. According to the writer, adults
A. think that being a child is a privilege.
B. sometimes forget that children have
worries too.
C. are usually exhausted by bringing up
their children.
D. don't have a stressful life.
8. What is the writer's attitude by the end of
the day?
A. She could imagine doing the job again
next time.
B. She was sad to say good bye to the
children.
C. She was disappointed with the
experience.
D. She hopes the playscheme will be longer
in future.
 Evaluative
Activity
English
Answer the questions on the virtual answer sheet.

Why is it that so many of your favourite singers and bands start out with songs that really strike a
chord with you but end up recording stuff that is unbelievably bland?

The really powerful songs are often those that express the life of an individual for whom social
reality is a problem. The individual reacts either by wanting to give something a good kicking or by
withdrawing. From these different sources we get, on the one hand, aggressive rock music with
lots of angry guitar playing and drum thrashing, while, on the other hand, we also have quieter
songs that express the frailty of the individual lost, alone and perplexed in the urban labyrinth.

The singers and bands that can give such a perfect musical form to feelings like these generally
lose their magical touch for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Drugs. Contrary to popular belief drugs aren't a great source of inspiration to the artist. Users
are more likely to slip into a routine of spending all their time watching daytime television in
rooms with the curtains drawn. Those who don't just dabble in drugs but develop a full-blown
addiction lose their creativity as they become more and more obsessed with trying to keep
the artificial high going. In the moments of lucidity between popping pills, snorting coke or
shooting up they feel so crap there is no possibility of a creative burst of songwriting. Since
the members of a band need to be working together on the same finely tuned wavelength, if
any of them are getting lost in their private hallucinatory worlds the music is bound to suffer.

2. Losing touch with your roots. The best pop music is rooted in the hopes and fears and
frustrations of ordinary guys on the street. Before the band makes it really big their songs
still speak of things the rest of us can identify with. Once they make it, the original drive to
be sincere can lead to them writing songs about expensive hotels, limousines, groupies,
and all the trappings of stardom - songs that only other popstars can identify with, and that
consequently mean absolutely nothing to the rest of us.

3. Finding God. In the most powerful pop songs the individual is out on a limb, relationships are
fragile and the only thing that really matters is the here and now. It's essentially an insecure
world and, as such, it is godless. Popstars who soothe their private angst by finding God or
Allah or Buddah or whatever no longer see the world in the way it has to be seen to write
powerful pop. The edge, the friction, the tension is lost and so the music becomes bland.

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 169

4. Falling in love and settling down. A careful look at the history of pop reveals that this is the
most common cause of popstars losing their touch. Pop music is based on dissatisfaction,
whether it be with love, life or the state of the world - pop is an expression of need, want and
desire - so it follows logically that as soon as a popstar gets what s/he wants, inspiration flies
out of the window. A popstar loaded with money in a villa with a pool and the love of their
life by their side have nothing worth singing about. Their musical repertoire narrows down to
lullabies for their newborn babies.

Tomado de: http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/archive/popstarsfade.html

Answer questions 1 – 8 according to the text.

1. What is the writer trying to do in this article?

A. tell readers to be fans of popstars that are fading away

B. describe strategies so that popstars do not fade away
C. show the different causes of the fading of popstars
D. encourage popstars to have hit songs

2. According to the reading which of the following people will write a powerful song

A. a person who has just won the lottery

B. a woman who is happy because she has just had a baby
C. a man who broke with his girlfriend and still loves her
D. a university student who passed a difficult exam

3. The word withdrawing in the second paragraph can be replaced by

A. relating
B. secluding oneself
C. getting together
D. being in contact

4. If song writers react to a problem by withdrawing, the songs they produce are

A. romantic because the song writers want to express their sufferings in love
B. aggressive with lots of angry guitar playing
C. quieter songs that express the strength of the musician
D. soft songs that reflect the debility of the individual lost in an urban labyrinth

5. Who lose the creativity according to the text?

A. People suffering from full-blown drug addiction

B. People who never try drugs
C. Musicians who want to give something a good kicking
D. Song writers who have lost love for life

170 LIBRO 8 PREICFES SABER 11.°

6. The underlined word them in the third paragraph refers to

A. ordinary guys on the street

B. groupies
C. members in a band
D. drug addicts

7. According to the text, a key to have a powerful pop song is

A. to go outside and be in contact with nature

B. to have God, Allah or Buddah as source of inspiration
C. not to alleviate the feeling of anxiety with a deity
D. not to have bland music

8. What is the argument of the writer to say that falling in love and settling down are the most
common cause of popstars losing their touch?

A. A careful look at the history of pop

B. His/her research on the personality of several popstars
C. A report about the relationship between drugs and the pop music world
D. His/ her common sense

Choose the correct indirect question

9. 12.

A. Could you tell me where the
pharmacy is?
B. Could you tell me where is the
pharmacy?
C. Where the pharmacy is?
D. Where is the pharmacy?
10.
A. What time is it?
B. I wonder what the time is.
C. What’s the time?
D. I wonder what is the time.
11.
A. I want to know what this word mean.
B. I want to know what does this word
mean.
C. What does this word mean?
D. I want to know what this word means.
A. What time did they leave?
B. Do you know what time did they leave?
C. Do you know what time they left?
D. What time do they leave?
13.
A. Do you know if is Luis going to the movies
tonight?
B. I don’t know if Luis is going to the movies
tonight.
C. Is Luis going to the movies tonight?
D. Luis is going to the movies tonight?
Imagine that you are in these situations.
Choose the correct sentence with wish.
14. I don’t have a tablet (and I need one)
A. I wish I have a tablet
B. I wish I had a tablet
C. I wish I didn’t have a tablet
D. I wish I don’t have a tablet

PREICFES SABER 11.° LIBRO 8 171

 15. I feel sick (I ate too much cake)

A. I wish I didn’t eat so much cake

B. I wish I hadn’t eaten so much cake
C. I wish I ate so much cake
D. I wish I eat so much cake

16. Your husband snores every night (that annoys you)

A. I wish Cristian snored so much

B. I wish Cristian didn’t snore so much
C. I wish Cristian wouldn’t snore so much
D. I wish Cristian would snore so much

Complete with the appropriate word(s)

17. If I had studied at Instruimos, I __________ a high score in the ICFES exam.

A. would have had

B. have
C. would have
D. had

18. I would have been healthier if I __________ vegetables when I was a child.

A. eat
B. ate
C. have eaten
D. had eaten

19. You __________ the bus if you don’t hurry.

A. will miss
B. miss
C. missed
D. would miss

20. If I won the lottery, I _______ to China.

A. would have gone

B. go
C. would go
D. went

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