1. NIVELL C2. ÚS DE LA LLENGUA
(USE OF ENGLISH)
PART 1. OPEN CLOZE TEST. Read the text and fill in the blanks with ONE word. The
activity begins with an example (0). Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET in
Your TASK BOOKLET.
How to Save the Grasslands
To many, the Western grasslands still reflect (0) …the... essence of this country: the vast
plains that are home to herds of cattle and the cowboys that run them. Yet this indelible
image belies the facts, as much of the nation's rangeland has been degraded (1) …………
overgrazing. Land where lush grasses flourished is now eroded and only sparsely covered by
plants. One consequence, says farmer and rural public policy expert Michael Bowman of
Wray, Colorado, is that "hundreds of small communities whose economies relied (2) …………
healthy grassland are withering with the grass."
Many ranchers, conservationists, and investors are determined to revive (3) ………… magical
and (once) highly productive landscape. And have embarked on doing (4) ………… by
increasing the density of livestock.
Wait — wasn't overgrazing the problem?
The key is (5) ………… grazing animals are managed. For according to Shannon Horst, CEO
and co-founder of the Savory Institute, an organization dedicated to restoring the world's
grasslands by Holistic Management, ranchers can consistently (6) …………, triple and even —
depending on the condition of the land and adherence to the practices — quadruple livestock
capacity (7) ………… time.
However, more cattle per acre is just one benefit. By actively planning and managing the
grazing and recovery of the plants as opposed to allowing continuous grazing, ruminants
become part of the solution (8) ………… of a burden to the land. Allan Savory, who developed
Holistic Management as a researcher and farmer in Southern Africa, saw the relationship (9)
………… roaming animal herds and grassland vitality. The dynamic is as follows: the animal
chews the grass (10) ………… to stimulate plant and root growth, and allow sunlight to get
(11) ………… to the growth points, then moves on in a herd formation, (in a leisurely (12)
…………) to find fresher grass or (with a pounding of hooves) to elude a predator. He found
that when domestic livestock are managed to replicate this behaviour (13) ………… degraded
lands, the grasses come back: the deep-rooted plants enrich and aerate the soil and the hoof
movements chip away at hardened earth so that (14) ………… can germinate and grow and
water can penetrate.
Specialists in land restoration say that (15) ………… by considering animals, plants, soil and
water as a system, can farmers and ranchers work to restore the carbon, water and plant
nutrient cycles that underlie land's biological productivity, and as a result, economic viability.
Adapted from Time magazine
1
PART 2. MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE TEST . Read the following text and then decide
which of the words (A, B, C or D) best fits each space. An example (0) has been
done for you. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET in your TASK BOOKLET.
Plastics
In our eyes, the (0) …desirability… of a material or object is inextricably linked to its
availability. If it is (1) ……………… and therefore cheap, it becomes unattractive. It is a simple
basic human (2) ……………… that has brought about a reversal in the perception of plastics in
the twentieth century. As the industrial uses have grown, the appreciation of plastics as
materials having an intrinsic beauty has (3) ……………….
Bakelite, a material discovered by L.H. Bakeland, (4) ……………… the changing attitude of the
public to plastics. In the early stages of its development, it was made into decorative objects
and was used as a (5) ……………… substitute for onyx and marble. As demand for Bakelite (6)
……………… , it was produced in greater quantities, became cheaper and began to be used for
light-fittings, telephones and ashtrays, thus losing any of the pretensions to (7) ……………… it
once had. The same attitude applies to all plastics nowadays, to the extent that “plasticky”
has become a (8) ……………… term even though many plastic items are very expensive.
Fluorocarbons in particular perform well in situations where no other material, (9) ………………
the cost, would be able to survive.
Because of this change in attitude, plastics are rarely used for purely aesthetic purposes.
Although some beautiful products are still made, the sad truth is that plastics are now usually
chosen for the simple reason that production is not (10) ……………… in any other material.
0. a)
1. a)
2. a)
3. a)
4. a)
5. a)
6. a)
7. a)
8. a)
9. a)
10. a)
benefit
plentiful
certainty
demeaned
typified
shaped
arose
stylishness
disparaging
however
likely
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
b)
profit
scarce
truth
diminished
characterized
twisted
raised
affluence
contemptuous
moreover
feasible
c) desirability
c) lavish
c) veracity
c) shrivelled
c) coerced
c) designed
c) grew
c) appearance
c) derogatory
c) needless
c) doable
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
d)
eligibility
profuse
falsehood
lowered
distinguished
moulded
plummeted
flamboyance
deprecating
notwithstanding
impractical
PART 3. WORD BUILDING. Read this text about the effects of unsuitable films
on children. For questions 1-10, use the word in brackets to help you write a
related word which fits the context. The exercise begins with an example(0).
Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET in your TASK BOOKLET.
Plea to Film Makers
Given the enormous influence the (0)_______MAKERS______(MAKE) of films, television
programmes and music videos now have on our young people, we believe they have a moral
(1)__________ (DUE) to exercise that power responsibly. We appeal to them to avoid the
(2)_____________ (GLORY) of violence and (3)______________(HONEST) and antisocial
behaviour
and ask them not to (4) _______________(COURAGE) sexist, racist or
xenophobic attitudes. We expect them to (5) ________________ (KNOWLEDGE) that all
their productions including “adult” films will inevitably be seen by many children and to
recognize the (6) _____________ (HARM) effects such material can have. This may range
from the frightening and the (7)________________(SET), to the terrifying and the (8)
_____________ (DEEP) disturbing. We find the (9)___________(ARGUE) that it is for the
parents to decide what their children see totally (10)________________ (REAL) in this age
of working mothers and independent young people.
Adapted from Towards Proficiency
2
PART 4. GAPPED SENTENCES. Each question consists of three discrete
sentences, with one gap in each one. Supply the word which fits appropriately
in ALL three sentences. There are 5 questions in total. The activity starts with
an example (0). Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET in your TASK
BOOKLET.
0.
Natasha could just make out two tall … figures ... in the distance.
I don’t know if we can afford it, we’ll have to look at the … figures ...
The … figures … and tables in my new Maths book are excellent.
1.
He .................... up his courage and told his friend the truth.
The carnival parade .................... a large crowd of followers as it went through town.
The old locomotive slowly ................... speed when it left the station.
2.
I was on the ................... of phoning you when you knocked on my door.
In ................... of fact, I never lived at the address stated on the form.
They rambled on and would not get to the ...............
3.
Since he wanted to manage his property well he .................... the services of professional
property managers.
My wife is now ................. in business transactions. She doesn’t work for Barclays any
longer.
They got ………………… last month, but I doubt there will be a wedding in the near future.
4.
Banks should .................... less than 10% while lending to microfinance institutions.
He’s being tried on a ............... of murder.
Yesterday there were student demonstrations and a violent ................ by the police.
5.
He is a quiet person but, as they say, 'Still waters run ....................', so there may be more
to it than appears.
Unusually, her wedding dress was .................... purple rather than the traditional white.
A sense of historical outrage against the British runs .................... in many Irish people.
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PART 5. KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATIONS. Complete the second sentence so
that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do
not change the word given. Use between 3 and 8 words. The activity starts
with an example (0). Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET in your TASK
BOOKLET.
0. Jessica was looking forward to spending some time with her family again after having
spent a year living alone in Brazil.
wait
Jessica ………………couldn’t wait to spend some time……………………………. with her family
again after all this time alone.
1. Despite being disappointed by her boss’s decision, Karina did not think badly of him.
bore
Although she ……………………………………………………………………………………………… feelings towards
her boss.
2. Finn and Sarah had met in Wales, then spent most weekends together after that, and
a year later, they got married.
place
After Finn and Sarah met, they saw each other most weekends, and their
……………………………………………………………………………………………… a year later.
3. My grandfather was a prisoner of war during the Second World War, but when he
arrived home, apart from being a little thin, at first he did not seem to have been
through such a terrible ordeal.
worse
Though my grandfather was a bit thin upon his return from the war, he seemed
……………………………………………………………………………………………… his ordeal.
4. It was only a few months later that my grandfather began to talk about the effects of
his experience.
affected
A few months later my grandfather began to talk about ………………………………………
……………………………………………………… his experience.
5. All too often we are disappointed by the film adaptation of a favourite book; there is
rarely any resemblance between the book and the film.
bear
Rarely ……………………………………………………………………………………………… to the book.
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2. NIVELL C2. COMPRENSIÓ LECTORA
(READING COMPREHENSION)
Part 1. GAPPED TEXT. You are going to read an extract from a newspaper
article about modern gadgets. Nine paragraphs have been removed from the
extract. From the paragraphs A-I, which are in your task booklet, choose the
one which fits each gap (1-8). The exercise begins with an example: (0)
which corresponds to paragraph D. Write your answers on the ANSWER
SHEET in your TASK BOOKLET.
Sitcom Star on His Crusade against “Infernal Gadgets”
No iPod or Mobile…That’s the Good Life
Well, I’m pleased to tell you I belong to a rather elite club with a dwindling membership: I’m one
of the few people in Britain who doesn’t have a mobile phone. I don’t possess one because I’m
anti-progress and very reactionary. I’m also 75, bad-tempered and I don’t want to talk to anyone
that much.
As an actor, I’ve always found that the landline in my sitting room is all that’s necessary both for
work and social communication. I barely know how to operate my answering machine. If my agent
has a job for me and I happen to be out, he phones me later when I’m back, meanwhile, the
phone remains silent. We have, for the past 50-odd years, always found this to be a perfectly
satisfactory arrangement.
0. D. No request is so urgent that it has to be relayed to me as I walk breathlessly along
the High Street straining to hear the caller above police sirens, traffic noise and the
insistent, mindless chatter of all those mobile phone users.
I particularly detest mobile phones when I’m sitting peacefully on a train reading my newspaper.
I’m afraid to say, at the risk of sounding like some dreadful curmudgeon, that the older I get the
less tolerant I become of the beeps, jingles, pop tunes and tinny renditions of classics that
emanate from those infernal gadgets. Neither do I want to be forced to eavesdrop on multiple
inane conversations or be regaled with strangers’ life stories.
1.
The other day I was travelling by rail to Euston from Coventry, relishing the prospect of a quiet
hour’s reading and gentle contemplation of the passing landscape. Sadly, I was denied these
simple pleasures because the chap opposite me was yelling into his mobile for the duration of the
journey. He was also talking in an incomprehensible foreign language and, I would judge – if the
deafening volume at which he was shouting was anything to go by – to someone on a particularly
bad line several continents away.
2.
My father was famous for railing against the “bloody phone”, and I suppose I have inherited his
intolerance. But I also like to think I’m an old-fashioned chap with sound values at heart. I cherish
courtesy, kindness; thoughtfulness and all these virtues seem conspicuously lacking in folk who
bellow ceaselessly into their mobiles. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have just one day’s truce from them
every week on an experimental basis?
3.
It will doubtless come as no surprise to you that aside from the mobile, I also eschew almost
every other form of modern technology. I do not own a computer and, thank God, I wouldn’t have
the faintest clue about how to send an email. I’ve always found a hand-written postcard
dispatched with a first-class stamp does the job adequately.
Of course, I know that young people idle away hours chatting to their chums on these newfangled
social networking sites. But at my age, alas, so many of my dearest friends are dead. Those who
5
soldier on are mostly actors. Having spent a lifetime in a very rowdy profession, like me they
value tranquillity and have no wish to share the minutiae of their everyday lives with hundreds of
new “ friends “ via the Internet.
4.
I make no apologies that my home – in which my wife, Ann, and I have lived for 42 years and
raised our two children – is a shrine to a slower-paced era, when household goods were made to
last and no one with a scintilla of common sense threw anything away if it still worked. I still
possess a gramophone and a fine collection of 78s. My second cousin, the actor Terry-Thomas,
who died in 1990, initiated me into the joys of listening to the Ink Spots, a popular AfricanAmerican group of my boyhood, and I still have a selection of their original discs.
Do I need or desire an iPod? Of course not! I’m afraid I won’t live long enough to find time to
listen to the 10,000 tunes you’re supposed to be able to store on them. More-over, I would not
want to contribute to the sound pollution on our railways by wearing headphones that leak a
continual infuriating din.
5.
My grandchildren, who while away most of their leisure hours playing with some form of electronic
gadgetry, doubtless consider me an old fossil. But I am, frankly, too old to change.
I have never been ambitious about the acquisition of possessions, and at my time of life I discard
more than I acquire. But I do love books. I have shelf after shelf of them. I relish the feel and
scent of them; the act of sitting down with them, leafing through their pages and revisiting
favourite chapters. So you will not be remotely surprised to learn that I haven’t the slightest wish
to own an electronic book which stores umpteen volumes that can be accessed at the press of a
button.
6.
I don’t covet a new car either. Our modest Japanese hatchback is ten years old. I bought it
second-hand because I think it the height of folly to fritter away hard-earned cash on a new model
which depreciates in value as soon as you drive it out of the showroom. So I am irrevocably and
unashamedly old-fashioned. I subscribe to the Oldie magazine – written expressly for the grumpy
elderly – and I relish a good whinge.
I do, I confess, own a facsimile machine – a virtually obsolete piece of technology in itself – but I
still haven’t the remotest idea how to send a fax.
7.
A couple of years ago our dear friend the actress Penelope Keith, who co-starred with me in the
Seventies The Good Life, came for supper. She walked into our sitting room, spotted our elderly
TV with its screen and wood surround, and roared with laughter.
“Why on earth have you still got that old relic? “ she shrieked. I think we’d had it for a couple of
decades, and on the principle that it still functioned perfectly, I insisted on keeping it. But Penny
embarrassed me into swapping it for a new flat-screen model. I still feel vaguely piqued that I was
cajoled into doing so.
Perhaps I should have been born in the Edwardian era. I’m sure I could have adapted to a Bertie
Wooster-ish lifestyle. I enjoyed playing P.G Wodehouse’s great comic creation on the radio, on the
“wireless” as we oldies call it, and there was no electronic equipment to moan about then.
8.
In the absence of mobile phones, I’d probably have been penning furious letters to the
newspapers about the deafening din of horses’ hooves in the street.
Richard Briers. Taken from “The Mail on Sunday”. August 2010.
6
PART 2. You are going to read a newspaper article about the publication of a
book about one of the British Secret Services. For questions 1 – 8, which are in
your task booklet, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best
according to the text. The exercise begins with an example (0). Write your
answers on the ANSWER SHEET in your task booklet.
A Talent for Spying
The publication of the history of MI6 reveals the British gift for espionage.
The concept of an authorised history of a secret agency, which did not officially exist until
1992, is slippery, to say the least. The publication of Professor Keith Jeffery’s MI6: The
History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909 – 1949, is notable for the very fact of its
existence as well as the secrets that it reveals. It also invites a much broader question. Why
is British identity so bound up with espionage and subterfuge? Have the British made
unusually good spies, and if so, do they continue to do so in today’s very different diplomatic
environment?
MI6 began with a mistake. “We went to the office and remained there all day but saw no one,
nor was there anything to do”. That was the verdict of Mansfield Cumming in 1909 after his
first day at work as head of the foreign section of the new Secret Service Bureau, the agency
that later became the Secret Intelligence Service (or MI6). For once there was simple
explanation: Cumming had accidentally started work a week early.
That inauspicious start quickly gave way to serious victories. La Dame Blanche, the most
successful intelligence network of the First World War, orchestrated 880 men and women
working behind enemy lines. During the operation to penetrate occupied France and Germany
in the Second World War, an agent’s average life expectancy was three weeks. An
incalculable debt is owed to the bravery of those men and women.
But even armed with the evidence of this book, taking measure of MI6 is unusually difficult.
First, although MI6 has opened up in recent years (it now has a more conventional
recruitment process than the donnish tap on the shoulder) it remains much more secretive
than its sister agency MI5. Second, Mr Jeffrey’s evidence covers only 1909- 1949 – perhaps
because it stops just short of the most embarrassing era in MI6’s history. In 1951, a
Cambridge spy ring was exposed, in which double agents such as Kim Philby had betrayed
British state secrets in the service of the Soviet Union.
That MI6 was once so dominated by Oxbridge and the public schools exposes both the genius
and the fault line in British intelligence. The British class and education system, by honing the
ability to hide real feelings beneath charm and polish, made for natural spies. Charm, in
Evelyn Waugh’s phrase, “is the English disease”. But the ability to say one thing while feeling
another has practical benefits. “For the British it could be said that the inclination to deceive
is already available as a natural asset,” concluded one American intelligence chief. Indeed,
the United States did not even have a secret service until 1942.
In recent decades, MI6 has been accused of being slow to adapt. The absence of weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq undeniably tarnished its reputation. And MI6 was influenced by
America’s overreliance on high-tech intercepts, rather than face-to-face human intelligence.
But 9/11 showed that high-tech systems can only augment traditional intelligence, never
replace it.
MI6 has continued to punch above its weight. Oleg Gordievsky’s defection was a Cold War
triumph. And Libya’s decision to abandon its nuclear programme in 2003 owed much to MI6’s
relationships, its agents’ ability to persuade. When it comes to human intelligence, it remains
the case that nobody does it better.
Adapted from The Times, August 2010.
7
Part 1: Extracts A - I from the text “No iPod or Mobile…”. Remember to write
your answers on the ANSWER SHEET in THIS TASK BOOKLET.
A. Similarly, I don’t want to learn how to send a text, operate a satellite-navigation
device or buy something of dubious value on eBay. I find a Biro, a set of maps – ably
read by my wife – and the clutter I already have around at home are sufficient for my
limited needs.
B. So we confine our socialising to the occasional leisurely lunch and that does us all very
nicely.
C. Dreadful! Imagine a bookcase on which sits a single sterile box containing all one’s
favourite literature. I can’t think of anything less appealing, and finally I flatly refuse
to contemplate the thought of settling down in my armchair to read “Little Dorrit” on a
screen.
D. No request is so urgent that it has to be relayed to me as I walk breathlessly
along the High Street straining to hear the caller above police sirens, traffic
noise and the insistent, mindless chatter of all those mobile phone users.
E. That said, I’m certain I would have found something to be cross about.
F. And all this applies especially when I’m cooped up with no means of escape from the
cacophony; unless of course I throw myself from the moving carriage – which is an
extreme measure I might yet be forced to consider.
G. I’m sure everyone would discover they could rub along quite happily – even the very
youthful, who would have to be surgically detached from theirs – and we would all find
ourselves infinitely less fraught as a result.
H. On one occasion only have I been shamed into updating the ancient electronic
equipment in my home.
I.
There were momentary respites as we went through tunnels, then the awful noise
would start up again. I felt like snapping: “ For God’s sake shut up!” but, of course,
I’m far too British for that.
8
Part 2: Questions on “A Talent for Spying”. Remember to write your answers on the
ANSWER SHEET in THIS TASK BOOKLET.
0. Where
a)
b)
c)
d)
would you expect to find such a text?
In a broadsheet.
In a tabloid.
In a magazine.
On a special interest website.
1. The existence of Professor Keith’s MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service is
surprising because …
a) of the secret nature of the organization which was not publicly recognised until
relatively recently.
b) of the fact that organizations such as MI6 consider that an authorized history of the
Secret Service is slippery.
c) it reveals other questions not included within its cover.
d) not everyone would agree with the publication of the activities of the Secret
Services.
2. During the First World War, MI6….
a) carried out exceptional work despite its undistinguished beginnings.
b) began in a spectacular way but went on to make an important contribution to the
war effort.
c) started off badly and suffered disastrous losses of its men and women.
d) was a disaster from its very beginnings and never expected its spies to live very
long.
3. MI6 has traditionally recruited its agents by….
a) testing them in the field
b) tapping them on the shoulder in the street
c) choosing them from among acquaintances
d) recruiting directly from public schools
4. The fact that MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service ends in 1949 is significant
because ….
a) it seems to deliberately avoid the more difficult periods in the Service’s history.
b) the information after that period is probably still classified.
c) it does not cover the period when Russian spies infiltrated Cambridge University.
d) MI6 has refused to allow its more embarrassing history to be widely known.
5. The fact that MI6 has traditionally drawn its agents from the higher echelons of British
society may have been …
a) the reason it is faultless.
b) viewed at times as something negative.
c) admired by the rest of the world.
d) the only secret of its success.
6. It could be said that during the period described in the book, MI6 agents possessed certain
skills, which if sharpened, could …
a) allow them to hide their feelings from others under questioning.
b) be used to say one thing and mean another.
c) be used as excellent espionage tools when dealing with foreigners.
d) allow them to use their background to great effect.
7. In the final two paragraphs of the text, the author seems to be saying that recently, …
a) MI6 has pulled off some very important deals for Britain.
b) MI6’s reputation has been irretrievably damaged by the weapons of mass
destruction scandal.
c) MI6 is excessively influenced by USA intelligence methods.
d) MI6 is still more than holding its own in the way it gains and uses intelligence.
9
3. NIVELL C2. COMPRENSIÓ AUDITIVA
(LISTENING COMPREHENSION)
LISTEN:
PART 1. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST. You are going to listen to an interview with the
author of a book about a family’s experience of living for a year without buying
any products with the label «Made in China». You have TWO minutes to read the
questions carefully. Choose the best answer from the options (a, b or c). You will
hear the recording twice. The task begins with the example (0).
Life without Goods Made in China
0. This conversation takes place …
a. in a radio studio.
b. in a private home.
c. on TV.
1. Ms. Bongiorni’s book is born of her family’s …
a. boycott of Chinese products.
b. experience of trying to live a normal life without certain products.
c. decision to keep a New Year’s resolution.
2. Ms. Bongiorni and her family made a conscious decision to …
a. buy things that had some Chinese components.
b. avoid buying things that might have Chinese-made components.
c. just avoid buying things that were made entirely in China.
3. Ms. Bongiorni admits that perhaps she and her family might have …
a. been too lenient in the way they approached the experiment.
b. undergone a lot of hassle and time-wasting for no results on occasion.
c. lapsed just a few times when life became just too complicated.
4. Which of the following is true? On one occasion Ms. Bongiorni …
a. bought some Chinese made shoes for a child.
b. ordered an expensive garment from abroad.
c. paid an excessive amount for what is a very ordinary item.
5. When it is suggested that the experiment must have had an important effect on family
finances, Ms. Bongiorni explains that they …
a. spent a great deal more than they would have expected.
b. bought fewer things and therefore saved money.
c. spent less on goods imported from countries other than China.
6. Ms. Bongiorni’s family had to …
a. come up with ingenious solutions to small domestic problems.
b. throw away their blender when they were unable to get a replacement part.
c. buy expensive domestic appliances to replace the Chinese ones.
7. The experiment has shown Ms. Bongiorni that she and her family …
a. depend on China for the things they need and want.
b. rely on imports from the rest of the world if they want to have an easier life.
c. find it satisfying to have learned how connected they are to China.
8. Now that the experiment has finished, Ms. Bongiorni and her family are …
a. happy to find they have come to terms with Chinese products.
b. determined to continue to avoid purchasing Chinese goods as much as possible.
c. keen to follow a more moderate approach to buying Chinese goods.
Source: NPR radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12056295
10
PART 2. GAPPED TEXT. You are going to hear a talk about Leonardo
DaVinci's famous portrait, the Mona Lisa. You will hear the recording
TWICE. Fill in the numbered gaps with ONE or TWO words that you will
hear in the recording. You will have TWO minutes to read the text
carefully. The activity begins with an example (0).
LISTEN:
The Mona Lisa's Twin Painting Discovered
Recent news from the art world is (0) ...transforming... what we thought we knew
about the Mona Lisa.
The radio presenter explains that there is a (1) ............... of the Mona Lisa, which
was painted at the same time as the Leonardo masterpiece.
Martin Bailey explains that art restoration experts have carried out tests on the
painting using (2)............... / ............... .
These experts have discovered that both the original and the copy had a
(3)............... which had been painted over at a later date.
This layer of black paint has recently been (4)............... removed by the
conservators and the rest of the painting has been cleaned.
The experts believe that the changes made to the copy (5) ............... those
that were made to the original, and they have concluded that the two paintings were
probably created side-by-side on (6) ............... situated very close to each other.
The presenter hypothesizes on the possibility that while Leonardo was (7) ..............
the background of his masterpiece, the other artist was making the same changes to
the copy.
Bailey suggests that there will be a lot of discussion among Leonardo (8) ...............
as to the identity of the painter of the copy.
Bailey comments on the difficulty of seeing the Mona Lisa clearly due to the layers of
varnish which has (9) .............. over time and in parts has even (10) ............. .
The presenter states that she feels that there is more mystery in the original and this
might be due to the fact that the image is (11) ................ on our mind.
Bailey does not concur and says that he feels that too much (12) ............... has
been created about the original Mona Lisa.
Source: NPR radio http://www.npr.org/2012/02/02/146288063/painting-sheds-new-light-on-the-mona-lisa
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4. NIVELL C2. EXPRESSIÓ ESCRITA
(WRITTEN COMPOSITION)
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: You must write TWO composition exercises.
The task in PART 1 is compulsory. In PART 2, choose either task A or
B, and clearly indicate which task you have chosen. Please follow all task
instructions carefully. If you do not, your final mark may be negatively
affected. When writing a LETTER, do not include any postal addresses.
PART 1.
In the developed world many people buy more than they need: “faster, better,
cheaper” has become an economic mantra based on a relentless desire to buy
and sell regardless of other tangible costs.
Write an article for a consumer magazine about the above topic discussing
the underlying causes of this phenomenon and exploring the hidden costs of
modern consumerism for our society. (250-270 words).
PART 2.
Write about ONE of the following topics (280-300 words):
A. You have recently become aware of the existence of a situation which you
believe to be wrong or unjust and which you think should be dealt with by the
authorities. Write a letter to a newspaper clearly describing that situation,
explaining the problems it causes and saying what you believe should be done
about it.
B. A TV listings magazine has invited readers to contribute a review of a TV
series that is particularly popular at the moment. Write a review, explaining
why this programme is so popular in your opinion and commenting on whether
you believe it deserves such popularity.
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5. NIVELL C2. EXPRESSIÓ ORAL
(SPEAKING TEST)
Total score: 25
Pass mark: 15 (60%)
The oral test addresses the curricular topics.
Sample task
Preparation time: 10 mins.
EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT: SCHOOLS
PREPARATION TIME: 10 MIN.
PART A. Monologue
Prepare a talk of AT LEAST 5 minutes on the subject of schooling. You may use the
following contents if you wish:
1.
2.
3.
4.
The best and worst aspects about your country’s education system.
The effects of the so-called “new technologies” on education.
Your view of ethics or moral instruction in education.
Lifelong education.
You may make some notes for your talk to take into the exam. These should not
exceed five lines.
Part B. Interaction. In this part of the test, the examiner will ask you some
questions about topics related to the main theme of EDUCATION AND
ENTERTAINMENT. This part of the examination will last AT LEAST 5 minutes.
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TEACHER’S SHEET (NOT SEEN BY STUDENTS)
PART B. INTERACTION: QUESTIONS FOR SAMPLE TASK
EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT (SCHOOLS)
1. A. Do we need to teach knowledge in school or should we focus more
attention on life skills such as self-control, motivation, resilience, etc.?
1.
B. What is the difference between educational innovation and
educational reform?
2.
2. A. What are your memories of school? Were you taught well or do you
have any criticisms?
3.
B. What are the biggest challenges for our schools today?
3. A. Do you think that high school students study too many subjects? Is
it better to specialize early or to have a broader educational grounding?
B. Should high school students have more say in what they study?
4.
A. A.
Some sportspeople spend years training and sacrificing many
aspects of their lives but never have any significant success in their
chosen sport. What do you think happens to these people?
B.
B. What is musical talent? Are you born with it or do you develop it by
practicing hard?
5. A.
What is the difference between the way you and your family
entertain yourselves today and how you grandparents did?
B. What attracts people to doing extreme sports and risking their lives
to achieve a world record?
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PROVES DE NIVELL D’ANGLÈS
SOLUCIONS A LES MOSTRES DE PROVES DE NIVELL (KEYS)
NIVELL C2
1. USE OF ENGLISH
PART 1. OPEN CLOZE TEST - How to Save the Grasslands
0
THE
4
SO/THIS
8
INSTEAD
MANNER/WAY/
12
FASHION
1
BY/FROM
5
THAT/HOW
9
BETWEEN
13
2
ON
6
DOUBLE
10
3
THIS/THE
7
OVER/IN
11
SO/AS
THROUGH/
DOWN
15
ON/OVER
THEY/SEEDS/
14
THESE
ONLY
PART 2. MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE TEST - Plastics
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
PART 3 WORD BUILDING - Plea to Film Makers
0
MAKERS
1
DUTY
6
HARMFUL
2
GLORIFICATION/GLORIFYING
7
UPSETTING
3
DISHONEST
8
DEEPLY
4
ENCOURAGE
9
ARGUMENT
5
ACKNOWLEDGE
10
UNREALISTIC
PART 4. GAPPED SENTENCES.
0
1
FIGURES
GATHERED
2
3
POINT
ENGAGED
4
5
CHARGE
DEEP
15
PART 5. KEY-WORD TRANSFORMATIONS.
0. Jessica was looking forward to spending some time with her family again after having
spent a year living alone in Brazil.
wait
Jessica ………………couldn’t wait to spend some time………………. with her family again.
1. Despite being disappointed by her boss’s decision, Karina did not think badly of him.
bore
Although she ………was disappointed, Karina bore no ill… feelings towards her boss.
2. Finn and Sarah had met in Wales, then spent most weekends together after that, and
a year later, they got married.
place
After Finn and Sarah met, they saw each other most weekends, and their…marriage/
wedding took place…… a year later.
3. My grandfather was a prisoner of war during the Second World War, but when he
arrived home, apart from being a little thin, at first he did not seem to have been
through such a terrible ordeal.
worse
Though my grandfather was a bit thin upon his return from the war, he seemed
…..no worse for /none the worse for.… his ordeal.
4. It was only a few months later that my grandfather began to talk about the effects of
his experience.
affected
A few months later my grandfather began to talk about …how he had been affected
by/having been affected by/being affected by… his experience.
5. All too often we are disappointed by the film adaptation of a favourite book; there is
rarely any resemblance between the book and the film.
bear
Rarely ……does the film version bear any/a resemblance …… to the book.
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2. READING COMPREHESION
PART 1. GAPPED TEXT
No iPod ….
0
D
3
G
6
C
1
F
4
B
7
H
2
I
5
A
8
E
PART 2. MULTIPLE CHOICE
A Talent for Spying
0
A
3
C
6
D
1
A
4
A
7
D
2
A
5
B
3. LISTENING COMPREHENSION
PART 1. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST
Life Without Goods Made in China
0
A
3
B
6
A
1
B
4
C
7
B
2
B
5
B
8
C
PART 2. GAPPED TEXT
The Mona Lisa's Twin Painting Discovered
0
TRANSFORMING
1
REPLICA
7
TWEAKING
2
INFRARED
REFLECTOGRAPHY
8
SCHOLARS
3
LANDSCAPE
9
DARKENED
4
PAINSTAKINGLY
10
CRACKED
5
MIRRORED
11
ENGRAINED
6
EASELS
12
MYSTIQUE
17
PART 1. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST. You are going to listen to an interview with the
author of a book about a family’s experience of living for a year without buying
any products with the label « Made in China ». You have TWO minutes to read
the questions carefully. Choose the best answer from the options (a, b or c).
You will hear the recording twice. The task begins with the example (0).
Life without Goods made in China
0 This conversation takes place …
a. in a radio studio.
b. in a private home.
c. on TV.
1
Ms.
a.
b.
c.
Bongiorni’s book is born of her family’s …
boycott of Chinese products.
experience of trying to live a normal life without certain products.
decision to keep a New Year’s resolution.
2
Ms.
a.
b.
c.
Bongiorni and her family made a conscious decision to …
buy things that had some Chinese components.
avoid buying things that might have Chinese-made components.
just avoid buying things that were made entirely in China.
3
Ms.
a.
b.
c.
Bongiorni admits that perhaps she and her family might have …
been too lenient in the way they approached the experiment.
undergone a lot of hassle and time-wasting for no results on occasion.
lapsed just a few times when life became just too complicated.
4
Which of the following is true? On one occasion Ms. Bongiorni …
a. bought some Chinese made shoes for a child.
b. ordered an expensive garment from abroad.
c. paid an excessive amount for what is a very ordinary item.
5
When it is suggested that the experiment must have had an important effect on family
finances, Ms. Bongiorni explains that they …
a. spent a great deal more than they would have expected.
b. bought fewer things and therefore saved money.
c. spent less on goods imported from countries other than China.
6
Ms.
a.
b.
c.
7
The experiment has shown Ms. Bongiorni that she and her family …
a. depend on China for the things they need and want.
b. rely on imports from the rest of the world if they want to have an easier
life.
c. find it satisfying to have learned how connected they are to China.
8
Now that the experiment has finished, Ms. Bongiorni and her family are …
a. happy to find they have come to terms with Chinese products.
b. determined to continue to avoid purchasing Chinese goods as much as possible.
c. keen to follow a more moderate approach to buying Chinese goods.
Bongiorni’s family had to …
come up with ingenious solutions to small domestic problems.
throw away their blender when they were unable to get a replacement part.
buy expensive domestic appliances to replace the Chinese ones.
Source: NPR radio.
18
PART 2. GAPPED TEXT. You are going to hear a talk about Leonardo
DaVinci's famous portrait the Mona Lisa. You will hear the recording TWICE.
Fill in the numbered gaps with ONE or TWO words that you will hear in the
recording. You will have TWO minutes to read the text carefully. The acti
vity begins with an example (0).
The Mona Lisa's Twin Painting Discovered
Recent news from the art world is (0) TRANSFORMING what we thought we knew
about the Mona Lisa.
The radio presenter explains that there is a (1) REPLICA of the Mona Lisa, which
was painted at the same time as the Leonardo masterpiece.
Martin Bailey explains that art restoration experts have carried out tests on the
painting using (2) INFRARED / REFLECTOGRAPHY .
These experts have discovered that both the original and the copy had a
(3)LANDSCAPE which had been painted over at a later date.
This layer of black paint has recently been (4) PAINSTAKINGLY removed by the
conservators and the rest of the painting has been cleaned.
The experts believe that the changes made to the copy (5) MIRRORED those that
were made to the original and they have concluded that the two paintings were
probably created side-by-side on (6) EASELS situated very near to each other.
The presenter hypothesizes on the possibility that while Leonardo was
(7)TWEAKING the background of his masterpiece, the other artist was making the
same changes to the copy.
Bailey suggests that there will be a lot of discussion among Leonardo (8)SCHOLARS
as to the identity of the painter of the copy.
Bailey comments on the difficulty to see the Mona Lisa clearly due to the layers of
varnish which have (9) DARKENED over time and in parts have even
(10)CRACKED .
The presenter states that she feels that there is more mystery in the original and this
might be due to the fact that the image is (11) ENGRAINED on our mind.
Bailey does not concur and says that he feels that too much (12) MYSTIQUE has
been created about the original Mona Lisa.
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