UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA

FACULTAD DE LENGUAS
SIMULACRO DE PARCIAL - LENGUA INGLESA

Nombre: ……………………………
SECCIÓN: Lengua
Reading Comprehension Section
A. Read about electronic transport

Drive Green
Electric transport is most certainly part of the massive technological transformations taking
place around the world at the moment, although it is not a new idea. Actually, this type of
vehicle was invented at the same time as petrol vehicles at the beginning of the twentieth
century but was never as popular.
However, after the end of World War II, the price of petrol was very low and
battery-powered vehicles disappeared. After some time, the price of oil began to rise
rapidly and the problem of climate change appeared too. Electric cars were a solution to
help reduce pollution.
Today a new generation of batteries, called lithium batteries, which are used for mobile
phones and other electronic devices, have become cheaper, allowing cars to run a few
hundred kilometers before needing recharging. An electric car can be recharged at
recharging stations and they can travel medium and long distances. The battery, the heart
of the electrical system, lasts for about 5 years or 100,000 km. Just like a smartphone, you
can plug in your electric vehicle when you get home and then it is ready for you to use the
next morning.
Electric cars cost double the price of other cars on the market today but they are cheaper
to use. Electricity is less than half the cost of a full tank of petrol; it has a silent engine and
reduces noise pollution. Europe is the world’s second-largest electric vehicle market after
China!
The biggest advantage of electric cars is that they help the environment. The use of electric
cars reduces gas emissions and improves public health.
So now close your eyes and imagine a world without smog or engine noise!

1. Read the text again and decide if the sentences below are True or False. Justify the false
statements. (5x2=10).
1 Battery-powered vehicles emerged after World War II due to the low petrol price.
A True B False
2 Electric cars are more expensive to use compared to petrol cars.
A True B False
3 Electric cars contribute to reducing noise pollution.
A True B False
4 China is the leading market for electric vehicles.
A True B False
5 Electric cars do not have any impact on public health.
A True B False

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA
FACULTAD DE LENGUAS
SIMULACRO DE PARCIAL - LENGUA INGLESA

2. Read the text again and ask questions. (5x4=20)

1 __________________________________________
Electric cars were invented at the same time as petrol vehicles at the beginning of the twentieth
century.
2 __________________________________________
Battery-powered vehicles disappeared after World War II due to the low petrol price.
3 __________________________________________
Electric cars have two main benefits: help reduce gas emissions and improve public health.
4 __________________________________________
No, electric cars do not emit more gas compared to traditional petrol cars.
5. __________________________________________
Electric cars can travel medium and long distances.

B. VOCABULARY

1. Choose a word from the box to fill in the sentences below. Write the word in the correct form.
There are extra ones ( 6x1=6)

runway/trend / hot springs/city tour/thriving/penchant haven/melting pot / cash-sapping

1. The models strutted down the ______________, showcasing the latest designer creations.
2. After a long hike, they relaxed in the ______________, enjoying the natural warmth of the
water.
3. During the city tour, the guide pointed out all the famous ______________ and historical
sites.
4. Despite economic challenges, the city's economy is ______________, with new businesses
opening regularly.
5. New York City is known as a ______________ of cultures, with people from all over the world
living and working together.
6. Renovating the historic building turned out to be a ______________ endeavor, requiring
more funds than initially estimated.

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA
FACULTAD DE LENGUAS
SIMULACRO DE PARCIAL - LENGUA INGLESA

C. Writing Section (33p)

Write an email to a friend telling him/her about the most beautiful place you have ever been to
while on holiday. (150 words)

Use the following words in any part of your text and HIGHLIGHT them:

Breathtaking- Landmark - Destination

Follow the instructions below to complete the task:

*Pay attention to form.

* Use content-specific vocabulary.
* Use connectors to show the relationships between ideas.
* Include the word count at the end.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA
FACULTAD DE LENGUAS
SIMULACRO DE PARCIAL - LENGUA INGLESA

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA

FACULTAD DE LENGUAS

SECCIÓN: Gramática

1. Read the following article and fill in the blanks with a suitable tense for the verbs in brackets.
(15x2p= 30p)
* Don’t worry about the words in capital letters, they have been selected for activity 2).

THE CAR THIEF

My cousin and her husband live in Hanwell, one of the SUBURBS of London. One morning they (0)
woke up (wake up) to find to their dismay that THEIR car (1) _____________________ (steal) from
outside their house. They immediately phoned the police to report the theft, before
(2)_____________________ (leave) for work by bus.

When they returned home later the same day, they (3) ___________________________________
(find) to their surprise that their car (4) ___________________________________ (bring back) and
was parked in its usual place outside their house. Under one of the windscreen wipers was a SMALL
ENVELOPE.

They quickly opened it and FOUND a note (5) _____________________ (apologize) profusely for
'borrowing' their car. The man who (6) _____________________ (write) it explained THAT he (7)
_____________________ (not have) a car HIMSELF, and his wife (8) _____________________ (go)
into labour in the middle of the night with their FIRST baby. SO he hoped they wouldn’t mind too
much that he (9) _____________________ (take) their car without their permission in order to run
her to the hospital, as it was something of an emergency.

By way of compensation, he had enclosed two tickets for THE West End show Sunset Boulevard on
Saturday evening. They were both delighted as they loved Andrew Lloyd Webber's music and (10)
_____________________ (try) for ages to get tickets to this particular musical.

It was a perfect evening. They had front row seats and the show itself was every bit as good as they
had expected. They (11) _____________________ (be) in such a good mood after it that they
decided to go for a meal at their favourite Italian restaurant. When they eventually got home just
after midnight, a new shock was awaiting them. While they were away, their house had been
burgled! had been burgled

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 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA
FACULTAD DE LENGUAS
SIMULACRO DE PARCIAL - LENGUA INGLESA

Everything of value had been stolen. They (12) _____________________ (know) immediately who
the thief was because (13) _____________________ (lie) on the kitchen table was a note in
handwriting they (14) _____________________ (recognize), (15) _____________________ (say):

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW!

2. Re-read the article and identify the parts of speech of the underlined words in capital letters.
Provide as much information as you can about them (except for the syntactic function they fulfil).
(10x2p = 20p)

1- SUBURB
2- THEIR
3- FOUND
4- SMALL
5- SO
6- ENVELOPE
7- THAT
8- HIMSELF
9- FIRST
10- THE

3. Write meaningful grammatical sentences with at least 8 words each, using the following words
as instructed. If any instructions are not possible, INDICATE “not possible”. (10x5p = 50p)

1. have (as a lexical and as an auxiliary verb if possible)

Lexical: ________________________________________________________________
Auxiliary: ________________________________________________________________

2. go (as a linking verb)

3. work (as a countable noun)

4. interrupt (as a monotransitive verb, indicating a habitual annoying action).

5. Well (as an adverb in the comparative degree: superiority)

6. send (as a ditransitive verb/on-the-spot decision)

7. seem (as a linking verb)

8. weep for joy

9. disgusting (in predicative position)