EBAU PRACTICE.

3rd Term

BARCELONA CHATS

A question that is often asked is “Is social media making us less social?”. Surveys carried
out over the last ten years suggest that it is. These surveys have found that young people feel more
lonely and disconnected from human relationships than in the past. Some people, though, are
determined that random, face-to-face encounters do not die out completely.
5 A few years ago, Barcelona resident Adrià Ballester was feeling a bit down, so he decided
to take a walk. In Collserola Park, he bumped into a stranger who started up a conversation. At the
end of their brief chat, they simply went their separate ways without the usual swapping of phone
numbers, Facebook profiles or WhatsApp numbers. For Adrià, the effect was life changing. In
much better spirits than before, he had an idea.
10 Grabbing two folding chairs, he headed for a popular tourist area in front of a cathedral,
where he sat down in front of a sign offering free chats in English, Spanish or Catalan.
Unfortunately, the reaction wasn’t what he’d hoped for; rather than taking up his offer, people
avoided him. Apparently, not many people feel comfortable chatting to someone they don’t know.
However, Adrià persevered. He used social media to advertise his idea and slowly built
15 up a following. Nowadays, his services are in demand, with the conversations always taking place
against a background of curious tourists. So, who are his customers? They are mainly young
people, under the age of 30. Some people use him as a sort of therapist, which he finds
disconcerting, as it is difficult to know how to help if you haven’t been trained.
Adrià has now set up the Free Conversations Movement and hopes it will encourage
20 people in other cities to follow his example. He also acknowledges the irony that social media is a
vital tool for spreading the word of a movement which is fighting the very problems that social
media can cause.

1) BRIEFLY ANSWER ONLY 4 OUT OF THE FOLLOWING 6

QUESTIONS WITH ONLY THE DATA REQUIRED (NOT A WHOLE
SENTENCE) (2 POINTS; 0.5 POINTS EACH).
1. In the phrase suggest that it is (line 2), the word “it” refers to …
2. In the phrase who started up a conversation (line 6), the word “who”
refers to …
3. What didn’t happen at the end of his conversation with the stranger?
4. Why does the writer suggest that people were reluctant to chat to
Adrià?
5. What happens now when Adrià chats to people?
6. Does Adrià feel comfortable when strangers share their problems with
him?
 EBAU PRACTICE. 3rd Term

2) ARE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? INDICATE

THE LINES THAT SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER (1 POINT).
1. Surveys suggest that social media has had a negative effect on social
interaction.
2. Adrià can’t see any benefits of social media.

3) CHOOSE a OR b. ONLY ONE CHOICE IS CORRECT ACCORDING TO THE

TEXT (1 POINT).
a) A stranger suggested the free conversation idea to Adrià.
b) Adrià’s idea didn’t take off immediately.

4) VOCABULARY (2 POINTS).
4.1 Choose one of the options below and find one word in the text for its
definition (0.6 POINTS):
a) taking hold of something quickly and firmly
b) recognises and admits
4.2 Find a synonym in the text for one of the two words below (0.6
POINTS):
a) unplanned
b) meetings
4.3 For one of the following words from the text, give a synonym that fits the
meaning of the text (0.8 POINTS):
a) down (line 5)
b) swapping (line 7)

5) WRITE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING TOPIC USING BETWEEN 120-150

WORDS (4 POINTS).
Because of the harm social media can cause, it should be banned for under-18s.