Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deportes

PRUEBA DE CERTIFICACIÓN LINGÜÍSTICA

INGLÉS INTERMEDIO
JUNIO 2015

COMPRENSIÓN ESCRITA

INSTRUCCIONES PARA LA REALIZACIÓN DE ESTA PARTE:

DURACIÓN: 40 minutos.
PUNTUACIÓN: La calificación de APTO se obtendrá con el 50% de respuestas correctas.
A cada respuesta acertada le corresponderá un punto. Las respuestas erróneas no descontarán
puntos.
Esta parte consta de dos tareas.
Lea las instrucciones al principio de cada tarea y realícela según se indica.
Las respuestas escritas a lápiz o en rojo no se calificarán.
No está permitido el uso del diccionario.
NO ESCRIBA NADA EN LAS ÁREAS EN GRIS.

ESCRIBA A CONTINUACIÓN LOS SIGUIENTES DATOS:

APELLIDOS:

NOMBRE:

DNI:

GRUPO Y LETRA:

CALIFICACIÓN:
CONSEJERÍA DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES
PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIÓN LINGÜÍSTICA IN_B1_CE_PR_J_2015

READING COMPREHENSION

TASK 1
Read the text and choose the best option (A, B or C) to complete each gap. Only one answer is
correct. When you have finished transfer your answers to the ANSWER BOX. Gap 0 has been done
as an example.

THE HARDEST LANGUAGE

People often ask which the most difficult language to learn is, and it is not
easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration.
Firstly, in a first language the differences are unimportant as people learn
their mother tongue naturally, (0) ____ the question of how hard a
language is to learn is only relevant when (1) ____ a second language.

Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn,

possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system,
and the pronunciation of Chinese does (2) ____ to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for
Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, the writing skill will be less
difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet. The greater the differences between the
second language and our first, (3) ____ it will be for most people to learn, so first language can affect the
acquisition of a second language.

Some people seem to learn languages without any effort, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and
the circumstances (4) ____ the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner's
motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often do
it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day to day life.

Different cultures and individuals (5) ____ those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the
case of Hungarian for British learners, for instance, it is not a (6) ____ of the writing system, which uses a
similar alphabet, but of the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find
it easier, while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy.

(7)____ language is easy to learn well. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge,
but that does not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. (8) ____, it is impossible to say
that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.

(Adapted from: http://www.usingenglish.com)

CONSEJERÍA DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES
PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIÓN LINGÜÍSTICA IN_B1_CE_PR_J_2015

0. A-so B. providing C. nevertheless

1. A. learning B. should learn C. will learn

2. A. appear B. resemble C. show

3. A. as hard B. the harder C. the hardest

4. A. in that B. in what C. in which

5. A. at B. from C. to

6. A. debate B. affair C. question

7. A. Any B. No C. None

8. A. In spite of B. In the end C. Even though

ANSWER BOX
Numbered SCORE
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Gap

Answer A
Examiner
CONSEJERÍA DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES
PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIÓN LINGÜÍSTICA IN_B1_CE_PR_J_2015

TASK 2
Read the text with 9 numbered paragraphs. Match each of them with the summaries (A-L) on the
next page. The first one has been done as an example. There are three summaries you will not need
to use. When you have finished transfer your answers to the ANSWER BOX. Only one answer is
correct.
WHY PEOPLE GET TATTOOS

0. Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly
scratched his skin. He was getting a tattoo. His friend Tony had recently got
a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by Tony's bravery and his tattoo that
he decided to get one too.

1. Getting a tattoo because your friends and peers have them is just one of
the reasons why a lot of young people in North America get tattoos. Peer
pressure, media influence, and personal expression are some of the
common reasons for wearing tattoos today.

2. Tattoos are everywhere. Tattoos are respectable. Once associated with

sailors, convicts and gang members, now one in five US adults say they have one and will possibly have a
second one in the next few years. A contribution to it has been made by highly popular celebrities with multiple
body markings. This has led to the decision by many to adopt tattoos that would have been considered rude or
tasteless a few years ago.

3. The desire to be part of a group, to be accepted by one's friends or peers, can have a great influence on what a
person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs often use
special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group.

4. However, it is not only gangs that have this type of special 'uniform'. Young people often belong to a certain
group of friends. Some of these groups wear only brand-name clothes. Some wear only black clothes. Others
wear tattoos.

5. The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America. A wide variety of media
images show tattoos. Tattoos can be seen on people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars. Famous
sports heroes with tattoos are shown in magazines. Fashion models are often seen in magazines and on TV
wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colourful patterns. These media
images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status. As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its
fashion and status value.

6. It is not always the influence of other people or the media that results in a person getting a tattoo. Many people
decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings -- in other words, to
show their individuality.

7. A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm. Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of
endangered animals on their shoulders. Lovers may tattoo each others' names over their hearts. A tattoo can be
a public sign to show what is important in a person's life.

8. There are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a group's uniform. It can
be a sign of fashion. It can be an expression of individuality. The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of
the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself. For Jack, it was a mixture of all three.

(Adapted from: http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc)

CONSEJERÍA DE EDUCACIÓN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES
PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIÓN LINGÜÍSTICA IN_B1_CE_PR_J_2015

Summaries

A. A decision to get a tattoo because of the admiration for a friend’s courage.

B. A tattoo may symbolize an individual’s particular taste or beliefs.
C. Another reason may be to show what matters most to a person.
D. Celebrities and gangs are followed by millions and their tattoos imitated.
E. Fashion victims or gang members are more likely to get a tattoo.
F. Getting a tattoo is thought to lead people into succeeding in life.
G. In general, several reasons count when wearing tattoos in today’s North American society.
H. Other young people behave differently to show their identity.
I. Tattoos should be admired, not feared if you rely on the best professional.
J. The combination of a few reasons has been considered in order to get a tattoo.
K. The origin of tattoos and how trends have changed.
L. The wish to relate to a specific group makes some people wear tattoos.

ANSWER BOX
Paragraph SCORE
number
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Summary A

Examiner

PUNTUACIÓN
TAREA 1 TAREA 2
TOTAL

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