academia (GH) @ wwwacademiamgh.es © 915466773 -915596356 EXAMEN DICIEMBRE INGLES TEXTOS 1. Thai Water Festival Thousands of Thais and foreign tourists armed with water pistols faced each other outside one of Bangkok's biggest shopping centres for a soaking 10-minute shoot-out to celebrate Thailand's Songkran Water Festival. The three-day Songkran (meaning ‘w) festival is celebrated annually in Thailand as the traditional Buddist Day activity. During festivities, people spray water on each other's faces to symbolise washing away the sins from the old year. The previous largest water fight world record was set in Spain in 2007 Quest We learn that the festival is: a) Held inside a shopping centre b) To celebrate western New Year. ©) Held every y 4) Holds the world record. 2. Language protest Children taking part ina run on a mist-covered Welsh mountain lost their way after a man removed safety signs and course markings because they were written only in English. Race organisers said the man was seen carrying one sign and removing another shortly before the youngsters, some as young as seven, set off. The alarm was raised when runners failed to reach the finishing line in the expected time. When they eventually started to arrive at the end of the course ~ coming from different directions they complained that there were no signposts or course markings on the course. Police have been called in to investigate. The race’s organiser said he believed the signs were taken down by a person who is a Welsh activist and who is against anything English. Question Why did the children get lost? a) Because the hills were covered in fog b) Because they were only 7 years old ©) Because someone removed the d) Because the signs were onl 3. Farmer paints sheep A farmer painted his sheep orange to discourage thieves, after a rise in rustling. The farmer decided desperate measures were needed to stop the raids that were decreasing the numbers of sheep. His solution to the problem has created an eye-catching sensation on his farm after he turned his sheep orange. The flock of 250 sheep was put through a Page 1 of 13 © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmail.comacademia GGA) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773 -915596356 harmless bath of orange dye making them highly visible. The farmer had lost 200 sheep over the past few years but says the orange dye is working wonders. Sheep rustling has become a big problem in Britain. The rustlers are obviously nervous about stealing such easily distinguished animals. The non-toxic dye does the sheep no harm, and the dye eventually wears off with no side effects for the animals but has caused bemused reactions from onlookers, Question Why did the farmer change the colour of the sheep? a) To stop people stealing the sheep. b) To make people look at the sheep. ©) To stop people noticing the sheep. d) To make people confused. 4. Crech president caught taking pen More than 5,000 Czechs have signed up to a campaign to mail pens to their president afier a video of him, pocketing a pen he took an obvious liking to during an officia signing ceremony last week in Chile, became widely popular on the internet. In his defence, the President said it was customary for leaders to Keep pens after signing agreements. But the manner in which he looked at the pen - encrusted with semiprecious Chilean stones - and then slipped it into his pocket while he sat at a desk alongside the Chilean President has earned him the ridicule of some of his countrymen. The Czech Foreign Ministry declined comment when asked if they thought the huge YouTube exposure could harm the country's image. Question What information is given about the Czech president? a) He wants people to give him pens. b) He said it was usual to steal pens, c) He put the pen into his briefcase. d) He is being laughed at by Czechs. 5. Britons lack of taste Cheap or nasty? Most Britons can't tell the difference between cheap and fine wine. Spending more than £5 on a bottle of wine is a waste of time, according to a study Most people cannot tell the difference between the cheapest supermarket wines and quality wines that cost up to £30. In a series of blind tests, members of the publ correctly identified whether they were drinking a cheap or expensive wine half the time ~ a success rate that is no better than chance. The study questioned whether more expensive wines were good value for money. He said that they were remarkable results, Page 2 of 13, © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmaiacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773-915596356 and that people were unable to tell expensive from inexpensive wines and so in these times of financial hardship the message is clear ~ the inexpensive wines that were tested tasted the same as their expensive counterparts Ques jon What is the conclusion about wines sold in Britain? a) It’s better to spend more than €5 on a bottle of wine. b) British people can identify cheap wines frot c) Expensive wines are definitely value for money d) Cheap wines taste like dear ones. 6. Britain's oldest worker dies ‘A 104-year-old van cleaner believed to be Britain's oldest worker has died - shortly after clocking off from his shift. Cigarette-smoking Buster Martin, who also completed the London Marathon in 2008 at the age of 101, died on Tuesday evening. He had been employed by a London plumbing company for the past five years washing the company’s vehicles. Mr. Martin claimed he was born in September 1906, and that his mother smuggled him into the UK from France. The hard working employee refused to retire and even reported for work on his 100th birthday. He relaxed by enjoying a beer or two and 20 cigarettes daily. Although he is believed to be the oldest person to finish the London Marathon, the Guinness Book of Records refused to acknowledge the record because Mr. Martin did not have a valid birth certificate Question What do we learn about the man? a) He died in work. b) He was born in France. c) He wanted to retire at an early age 4) He is in the Guinness Book of Records. 7. How languages die A local language in Mexico is at risk of dying out as the only two speakers refuse to speak to each other. Two men are the only two people who can speak it fluently, but they will not talk to each other, despite living only 500 metres from each other in a village in Mexico. One man reportedly spoke the language with his brother until he died around 10 years ago, and he still converses with his son and wife, who understand him but are unable to speak more than a few words. The other is understood to not speak to anyone in the language. The men are thought to disagree over aspects of the language but it is not known why the pair doesn’t talk to each other. Page 3 of 13 © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gm comacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773-915596356 Question What information is given about the disappearing language? a) ‘The men who speak it live a long way away from each other. b) It is spoken fluently by one man’s family. ©) The men who speak it disagree about parts of the language. 4) We know the reason why they do not speak to each other. 8. A long headache A two-centimetre long rusted bullet, embedded in the head of a farmer for 23 years, has been removed at a local hospital. In 1988 a Chinese man, was knocked unconscious on his way home by a blow to the head. He woke up in a hospital bed, was given drugs by the doctors and sent home. Soon after he started having headaches which grew progressively worse over the next two decades. He thought he had been hit by a slingshot, because he saw a man standing on a hill and thought something hit him, Twenty-three years later on a return trip to the hospital for treatment for his problems the bullet was seen on a brain scan. The doctor said that the survival rate for being shot in the head would usually be one out of several thousand, but the bullet missed his brain's main veins. Question What does the report say about the incident and the man? a) He was unconscious for 23 years. b)_ The bullet came from a slingshot c) He had headaches before he was shot d) He was lucky not to be killed 9. Expensive termites Police in India are investigating claims by bank staff that termites had ‘eaten’ more than €200,000 in rupee notes from a strong room in a State Bank of India branch. Local officials initially sought to cover up the loss, but the disappearance of more than ten million rupees was discovered following the arrival of a new manager. The notes had been kept in a wooden box at the branch, and officials were reported to be horrified to have found most of them reduced to dust by termites when they inspected the contents. Senior officials from the state headquarters and local detectives were called in to investigate the claims. Police officers, however, said they have not yet ruled out ‘foul play’ in the disappearance. Question a) The staff made excuses about the loss. Page 4 of 13, © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gm comacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773 -915596356 b) The local bank officials informed the police. ©) The disappearance was found by the new manager. d) The police are sure it was termites that ate the money 10. Pay for a taxi with your mobile Taking a cab, you suddenly realise that the money you thought you had. you actually spent earlier. Or even worse, you discover during your journey that you've forgotten your money - and your bank card. So how will you pay for the cab fare? Will you be thrown out and left to walk home? Well, not necessarily ~ if you've remembered your mobile phone. Vodafone is introducing a new way to pay- by text. And if you discover the battery is empty, don’t worry - the cabs are also fitted with charger units, allowing you to re-charge your phone on the move. To pay by phone, passengers simply text the word ‘taxi’, followed by the vehicle number and the amount they wish to pay, which is then charged to their phone account What do we learn about the new payment system? a) If you can’t pay you are always thrown out b) Your phone needs to be fully charged. ©) You have to ring the taxi d) The taxi fare will be added to your phone bill 11. Keeping the animals cool In an attempt to keep animals cool during hot weather zookeepers at London Zoo have given tigers ice-creams made with blood, while the gorillas have been given frozen blocks with sunflower seeds, in an attempt to keep the animals cool and active. ‘The gorillas often try to get the seeds out by kicking and biting on the blocks. As well as keeping them cool, the ices act as part of the animal’s programme of activity designed to encourage their natural behaviour and curiosity, Question What does the report say about giving animals ice creams? a) The animals receive the ice creams all year. b)_ The ices are only to keep the animals cool. ©) All animals receive the same types of ices. d) The ices are only part of the care of the animals 12. Judges nicer after eating Page 5 of 13 © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmaiacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773 -915596356 Research has found that judges are more likely to make favourable rulings after a meal break. Researchers, who followed judges granting parole to prisoners, found that shortly after a meal break they gave a favourable verdict up to 65 per cent of the time. But as the time passed they gave fewer and fewer inmates parole ~ until the next meal break that is. The findings show that even experts are not immune to the influence of outside influences when coming to decisions. The findings could equally hold for other kinds of decision making, claim the researchers, suggesting that prisoners whose cases were heard at the start of the day or soon afier a break had an advantage over other prisoners. The findings, according to the authors, bolster a view that judicial reasoning is hardly rational and may sometimes be prone to bias. Question From the article we learn the worst time to receive a judge’s decision could be: a) After the judges have eaten b) Just after the judges start work. c) When the judges have had a break d) When the judges are hungry 13. Checked in items According to Virgin Airlines staff some very strange objects have been checked in to fly. These include a car engine, a dead cow and bag of sand and even sea water. One lady even tured up at a JFK airport check-in desk with family members carrying her bath. It wasn’t even wrapped or packaged. Check-in staff at Virgin Atlantic were also presented with a giant cheese and a tarantula hidden in a lady's coat, according to a survey by the airline. Other passengers tried to check-in a bag of cutlery stolen from a previous Virgin Atlantic flight at Delhi Airport. For those who couldn't quite let go of their holiday there was a couple who fell in love on the island of Grenada and decided to try and check in a bag fll of sand, sea and water as a memory from the island Question What are we told about items people have tried to check-in: a) ‘The insect was hidden in a handbag. b) ‘The bath was in a plastic bag. c) The knives and forks were stolen from another airline stolen d)_ The water and sand were to remember a holiday. 14. Man with twelve fingers identified by his hands yspected of being a drug trafficker was detained by police after they confirmed y through a rare birth defect: six fingers on each hand. Police in a southern state of Brazil said his hands were the key to capturing the wanted man. The man had Page 6 of 13, com © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773-915596356 previously presented his bother’s papers as identification so they had no proof. Because he had 12 fingers they requested information from the hospital where he was born in the state where he was born, and with this feature it was possible to confirm his identity Question What do we learn about the suspected drug trafficker? a) He had 6 fingers on one hand only b) The fact of him havir c) The papers he showed to the police said he had 12 fing d) His identity was proved when he had to go to a hospital. 15. Facebook at work Many employers are still putting their employees’ interests as a low priority by not allowing them to use sites like Facebook. Using social networks in the office responsibly is not bad, banning them outright impacts negatively on employees’ approach to work, having a bad effect on the business as a whole. It is claimed that employees should be allowed to use Facebook because using the internet makes workers more productive because it helps reduce stress. The ban on using social networks is losing firms millions of Euro a year because employees are making less effort at work. The study found most workers felt more productive after an e break surfing the internet than they did after a coffee break. Tea breaks and smoking breaks have long been the most common types of break, but the report shows e breaks are fast becoming the most popular choice for workers. Question What information do we get about e-breaks? a) Banning them loses profits for the company. b) They reduce stress in workers ©) If workers have e breaks they work less. d) E breaks are the most popular breaks. 16. Mystery kiwi found in Russia New Zealand is looking at reports that a rare kiwi has been found in Russia. Kiwi, are endangered, long-beaked chicken-sized birds that cannot fly, and live only in New Zealand, Russian media reports said the bird had been found in a garden in the city. A local zoologist suggested it may have arrived on a cruise ship but officials said it was unlikely because controls were very tough. An expert also said he knew of no illegal trade in the birds because they were both shy and hard to handle. Local experts said they were now working out how to keep the bird alive and called for caution, saying similar Page 7 of 13 © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gm comacademia Q@iGH) = @wwwacademiamgh.es © 915466773-915596356 reports had turned out to be hoaxes. The number of kiwi remaining is estimated to be approximately 72,600. Question ‘The report says that the Kiwi: a) Taste like chicken. b) Only populate New Zealand c) Are friendly birds. d) Are easy to keep. 17, The day the mobile phone went public. Our lives have been changed over the past 15 years by the mobile phone. So it may come as a surprise that the world’s first mobile phone call was made 38 years ago. The first public telephone call made by a man walking down the street took place in 1973. The inventor took a prototype mobile phone for a walk around New York Unsurprisingly, the reaction he received from passers-by was one of complete surprise He recalled that walking down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New Yorkers were amazed at the sight of someone moving around while making a call. He made numerous calls, including one crossing the street while talking to a New York radio reporter - probably one of the more dangerous things he had ever done in my life. Question What do we learn about mobile phones? a) The first call was made 15 years ago. b) The first eall was made in New York ©) People were not surprised when they saw him. d) Making mobile phone calls was dangerous then 18. Last mechanical typewriters sold The world's last mechanical typewriter manufacturer says it has only 500 left in stock The firm's typewriter business was 50,000 per year as the Indian economy took off in the 1990s, but reduced as computers took over. The company still sells a few of its remaining mechanical typewriters to courts and government offices in India but the factory has since been converted to produce refrigerators for the growing middle clas: The first successful production typewriter was invented in 1867 and went into production in 1873. Hundreds of millions of office workers live with that machine's legacy in the form of the QWERTY keyboard, which has endured despite the development of more efficient layouts. Although the mechanical typewriter appears to be dead, there are several manufacturers still making electronic versions. One company Page 8 of 13 com © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773 -915596356 makes transparent models designed for use in prisons so inmates cannot hide thi inside. Question What do we find out about typewriters? a) Computers helped them to produce more typewriters. b) The factory still makes typew 1. c) The QWERTY keyboard is the most efficient layout. d) A company now makes a see-though typewriter 19. Tycoon's fortune divided up after 92 years When an American man died in 1919 at the age of 87, he ordered that the maj his fortune not be distributed until 21 years after the death of his last surviving grandchild. The unusual arrangement has been attributed to family feuds and to the eccentricity of the man, who was once one of the USA’s 10 richest men, but no one has been able to say why he chose it. Except for one son who received $30,000 a year from the will, his own children received only $1,000 to $5,000 a year. The last of the surviving grandchildren died in November 1989. This meant the 21-year term ended in 2010, prompting a flood of applications for cash from relatives. A total of 12 heirs are due to receive payouts of up to $16 million later this month. Their totals will differ depending on their proximity on the family tree. The legacy comes too late however for many of his relatives who did not live long enough or were ineligible the judge overseeing the process, said it had been one of the most difficult of his career Question The story about a strange will tells us a) The reason for this unusual will is not known. b) His children all received the same amount. ©) Not many relatives applied for the money. d) All the relatives will get the same amount of money. 20. The new paper milk bottle. A company in Britain has developed an alternative to plastic milk bottles, they are made of paper. The bottles consist of a paper shell and an inner plastic liner that holds the liquid. While plastic bottles take an estimated 500 years to decompose and can be recycled just once, the outer paper shell of the new bottles will decompose in approximately five weeks. The paper casing can also be recycled up to five times or can be disposed of on a compost heap. The claims the bottle, which has a carbon footprint around one third smaller than that of a plastic bottle, could ease a growing landfill crisis. More than 15 million plastic milk bottles are used every day in the UK, and even Page 9 of 13 © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gm comacademia (GH) @ wwwacademiamgh.es © 915466773 +915596356 they're recycled, the vast majority end up in landfill. ‘The price and production speed of the paper bottles is comparable to plastic bottles, and there's no negative for the ordinary person ~ no cost difference, no usage difference. The business aims to make a billion bottles in three years. Question What information is given about the new bottles? a) ‘The new bottles consist of two parts b) Both parts will decompose in 5 weeks. c) The leave a larger carbon footprint. d) The new bottles will cost more to produce. 21. Teen music prodigy can learn pi Ss quickly A teenage music prodigy has surprised his tutors with his ability to expertly play the most difficult piano pieces in a few hours despite being unable to read music. The boy has never had a piano lesson but can remember pieces by composers such as Chopin and Beethoven in minutes because of his note perfect memory. The teenager had intended to pursue a career as a barrister. However, his teachers have urged him to make his future in the field of music instead. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in sections and then working out the notes and says that comes easily to him. He started playing two years ago and the first piece he played was Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven Question We learn the following about the young pianist a) He plays the music from memory. b) He originally wanted to be a musician ©) He finds playing the piano very difficult. d) He has been playing the piano for many years. 22. The dish that whistl Microwave ready-made dishes can be a nightmare. How do you know when they are ready? They can either still be frozen, or bum your mouth. However a new kind of ready meal has an old-fashioned solution to these problems — pressure-cooker packaging that whistles when it’s ready. A British supermarket is launching a range of food using Swedish technology, which uses a valve in the film lid to create a vacuum after the meals are cooked in the factory ~ sealing in nutrients, textures and flavours and keeping out bacteria. This same valve whistles when the meal is done, ensuring the meal is removed from the microwave before it is overcooked, There is no need to prick Page 10 of 13, © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmaiacademia (GH) @ www.academiamgh.es © 915466773 -915596356 the lid or stir mid-way through cooking. A similar process has been used in a vending machine that sells hot ready meals for some time. Question The article gives the following information about the system: a) The system automatically tells you when the food is cooked. b) The range of food used in this system is produced in Sweden. ©) There isa valve in the lid which you remove before cook' d) The system has not already been tried in vending machines 23. Endeavour prepared for final flight The space shuttle Endeavour is ready to take off on its final flight after wiring problems and bad weather grounded the mission last month. NASA officials said conditions - from weather to technical issues - couldn't look much better for the scheduled launch today. The protective structure that surrounds Endeavour was moved out of the way - a milestone in launch preparations that allows fuelling to begin. The conditions are far different from last month's launch attempt when the launch was delayed by storms and the eventually cancelled. The shuttle's main goal on its 16-day mission is to carry an astronomy and physics experiment to the international space station. It will be the penultimate flight for the 30-year-old space shuttle fleet. And it is the final flight of the shuttle Endeavour, NASA's youngest orbiter, which has flown 116.4 million miles in 24 previous flights Question The article tells us the following about the latest flights: a) Last month’s flight was delayed only by electrical problems. b) All conditions fora launch are perfect. ©) They have already begun to fuel the shuttle 4) tis the last flight for all the shuttles. 24, Samoa goes to the future On Dec 29, Samoa will catapult itself 24 hours into the future. Samoa is moving from the eastern side of the international-date-line to the western side. The change will put the Pacific island on the same day as its neighbours to the west, including Australia and New Zealand, and it is aimed at making trade with the countries easier and boosting the economy. The move comes 119 years afier the island last shifted time zones, moving from west to cast, The Prime Minister said when it's Friday in Samoa, it's Saturday in New Zealand and on Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane where it’s Monday. The change will shift Samoa from being 21 hours behind Sydney to just three hours ahead. Page 11 of 13, © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gm comacademia (GH) @ wwwacademiamgh.es © 915466773-915596356 Question What have we learned about the change in Samoa’s time zone? a) Samoa will lose 2 days when the change occurs. b) The date change will have no effect on finance. ¢) It’s is the second time Samoa has changed their dates. d) Samoa will continue to be behind Sydney after the chang 25. New elephant species? The idea that there are two species of African elephant first emerged about a decade ago. The animals are very different in size; the bush elephants stand about a metre taller, and weigh twice as much as the forest-dwellers. But whether this means they are truly different species hasn't been clear. Now a team of researchers, say they've resolved the issue, and their analysis proves the existence of two distinct spe there may be important implicat in Central and We s. If it is confirmed, ns for conservation. Forest elephants are mainly found tern Africa; the areas where illegal hunting and ivory smugg! most serious. There, populations are declining. Further south, in the of the savannah elephants, the animals are thriving. Conservationists say proving the species split could help concentrate attention where it's most needed, on nations that have done little to crack down on poachers and smugglers. Question What does the research say about African elephants? a) ‘That there are at least two types of African elephants. b) That both types live in the same areas of Africa. c) That knowing there are different types helps conservation. d) All nations in Africa have been strict with smugglers and poachers. SOLUCIONES: 1C - 2C - 3A - 4C - 5D - 6B - 7C - 8D - 9C - 10D 11D-12D - 13D - 14B - 15B - 16B -17B-18D-19A-20A 21A - 22A - 23B - 24C - 25C Page 12 of 13 © Av. Menéndez Pelayo 115, 28007 Madrid @ academiamgh@gmai