Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad (PAU)

Universidad de Extremadura
Curso 2024-2025

Materia: Lengua Extranjera (Inglés) Tiempo máximo de la prueba: 1h 30 min

INSTRUCCIONES PARA REALIZAR EL EXAMEN
El estudiante deberá elegir UNO de los dos textos propuestos y responder a todas las preguntas de Comprensión únicamente del
texto elegido (Preguntas 1-4). No podrán mezclarse preguntas de los dos textos. La pregunta 4, en caso de que haya más de una
opción gramaticalmente, correcta, deberá responderse siempre con la opción que se ajuste a la información contenida en el texto.
En la pregunta de Expresión (Pregunta 5), el estudiante deberá responder a una de las dos opciones propuestas,
independientemente del texto elegido. La calificación de la pregunta de Expresión (Redacción) será como sigue: a) Coherencia,
cohesión y adecuación a la temática y estilo del texto propuesto: 1.5 puntos; b) Corrección gramatical, léxica y ortográfica del
texto producido, así como su presentación: 1.5 puntos.
Text 1: Valencia floods: Spain clings to fragments of hope in time of disaster

Floods and torrential rain returned to the Valencia region on Wednesday night, but this time they were ready for it, and the areas
hit two weeks ago escaped further disaster. More than 220 people died in this eastern coastal area at the end of October, and the
town of Paiporta was hit hardest with the loss of 60 lives.
During despair, the local population are understandably searching for hope, for example the remarkable story of what happened
at the Whitby English language school in Paiporta. As the whole road became engulfed in water, the college’s co-director, Daniel
Burguet, repeatedly pounded against a door with a chair leg that he’d just picked up. Filmed from a 3rd floor balcony across the
street, Daniel is seen pounding constantly against the glass. He is trapped with his 11-year-old daughter, Noa, and three younger
children inside the school, unable to reach a higher floor. Eventually, Danny breaks down the door of the next building along and,
one by one, he pulls the children to safety. Local media have hailed Danny as the "Hero of Pairporta."
Rebuilding Spain’s traumatised communities will require a heroic effort that goes on for months. The threat hasn’t gone away.
Two weeks after the worst floods to hit a single European country this century, Paiporta is still full of firefighters, police officers as
well as the Red Cross and an army of daily volunteers. But many residents feel the unofficial community-generated effort is not
being matched by the authorities—either at the regional or national level.
“It was a tsunami,” declares Juan José Montane. He shows the video he took from his apartment as floating cars were smashed
against the walls below him. “This is shameful, we feel abandoned," says Juan José. "For four days we didn’t see the army coming
to help. We need more troops here.” His sister, Lourdes, fears for how the town will re-build with so much lost and now a severe
lack of infrastructure. “We feel imprisoned here. There are no roads, it is horrible,” she explains. "We lost everything in this town,
everything.”
Source: BBC.com (adapted). November 2024.

Comprehension Questions
1. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Quote the fragment from the text that justifies your answer. Marks: 2
points (0.5 points per correct answer).
A. During the floods, Paiporta suffered the highest number of deaths.
B. There is no evidence of how Daniel managed to save the children.
C. The reconstruction is expected to take between four to five weeks.
D. People believe that the Valencian and Spanish governments are doing a good job.

2. Answer 2 of the following 3 questions with one or two sentences. Use your own words as far as possible. Marks: 2 points
(1 point per correct answer).
A. What happened in the Valencia region in late October?
B. Why is Danny considered a hero?
C. What is the general opinion of the people interviewed in the report?

3. Find words in the text as requested. Use one word in each case. Marks: 1.5 points (0.5 points per correct answer).
A. An adjective to describe a place that is by the sea.
B. A synonym for incapable, powerless.
C. People who offer help without being paid.

4. Complete these sentences with one of the options given. Marks: 1.5 points (0.5 points per correct answer).
A. Danny managed to break the door open with a tool he ____________.
a. Had found b. will find c. has found d. have found
B. Volunteers ____________ supported by the government.
a. is b. are been c. are not being d. is being
C. People in Paiporta are ___________ new infrastructure.
a. At the gates of b. under the bridge of c. on the line with d. in need of
 Text 2: Avocado toast: a guilty pleasure?

The environmental impact of avocados came into the spotlight recently by celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh—so should we all
be cutting down on the nutritious tropical fruit? Titchmarsh is alarmed at the high carbon footprint of avocados, saying that when it
comes to breakfast choices, people should consider cereals such as cornflakes instead.
Other experts have suggested that the picture is not quite as simple as it is made out—and that the popular millennial breakfast
snack might not be as problematic as people imagine. The reason avocados are problematic is that they have a carbon footprint
five times higher than a banana but also need twice the amount of water required to grow an apple. Avocado production is notably
more water-intensive compared to many other crop foods. According to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, producing one
kilogram of avocados requires around 650 litres of water. However, the water footprint of animal products is even higher, with pork
requiring around 6,000 litres per kilogram and beef using approximately 16,700 litres per kilogram.
Another concern is transportation. Perishable items such as avocados require specialized handling to maintain quality throughout
transit. Cargo flights from Nairobi to Frankfurt, as well as other European destinations, help ensure produce reaches its destination
quickly, minimizing spoilage. All these factors increase pollution and carbon emissions, not to mention the price of products.
Other organisations in the industry pointed out that avocado farming practices have evolved—with most fruit now coming from
areas with no rainforest. A World Avocado Organisation spokesman told reporters: “While we appreciate and respect Alan
Titchmarsh's concerns about sustainability and acknowledge his expertise as a respected gardener, it is important to note that his
area of expertise does not extend to the avocado industry.” Mark Everett, avocados director at Worldwide Fruit, said in response to
Titchmarsh's claims: “We have not sourced a box of avocados from Mexico in the last 12 months, with most of our supply coming
from drier regions of the world where there has been no rainforest. Actually, where our suppliers have established avocado farms
in Peru and Chile, they are classified as a carbon sink—a system that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it
releases—and aid biodiversity”.

Source: Daily Mail (adapted). March 2025.

Comprehension Questions
1. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Quote the fragment from the text that justifies your answer. Marks: 2
points (0.5 points per correct answer).
A. Titchmarsh advises consumers to choose other breakfast foods rather than avocados.
B. Avocados need more water than meat to be grown.
C. Some people think that Titchmarsh does not know much about the avocado industry.
D. Some avocado farms in South America are beneficial to flora and fauna.

2. Answer 2 of the following 3 questions with one or two sentences. Use your own words as far as possible. Marks: 2 points
(1 point per correct answer).
A. What are the environmental risks of avocados?
B. Why is transportation a major concern with avocados?
C. What reasons do avocado producers give to refute Titchmarsh’s claims?

3. Find words in the text as requested. Use one word in each case. Marks: 1.5 points (0.5 points per correct answer).
A. Green beans are very ____________ because they contain essential vitamins and minerals.
B. A synonym for manipulating, managing.
C. A synonym for areas, zones.

4. Complete these sentences with one of the options given. Marks: 1.5 points (0.5 points per correct answer).
A. If avocados were ________ sustainable __________ cheap, I’d buy them.
a. Neither / nor b. neither / or c. either / or d. either / nor
B. Avocado crops need ___________ 600 litres of water per kilo—usually more than that.
a. at least b. by far c. fewer than d. less than
C. From now on, foods that need to be shipped from distant countries ______________.
a. Had been banned b. will be banned c. will ban d. has been banned

Written Expression

5. Write ONE of the following two compositions Write between 120-150 words. Marks: 3 points.
A. What would you do in the event of a natural catastrophe?
B. Do you think we should buy our food from local farmers? Why or why not?