Código asignatura Nombre asignatura

04790041 Inglés Superior C1 (C.U.I.D.)

Fecha alta y origen Convocatoria
07/09/2016
Curso Virtual
Junio 2016 (2ª Semana – Tipo B)
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READING COMPREHENSION
MODELO B
Aciertos: 0.17
Penalización: 0.05

TEXT 1

Read the article and choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

LOST IN TRANSLATION?
There’s a well-known story in the world of literary translators about the
translator who was thrilled to see his work appear at great length in an article in
a prestigious magazine. He had translated a number of novels by a little-known
Scandinavian novelist, who he believed had been neglected and not received
the attention or praise he deserved. He had dedicated much of his working life
to trying to get this novelist some recognition. The article agreed with his
assessment of the novelist’s work and illustrated its view of his worth by
quoting long passages from the translations.
But something was missing. The translator searched in vain for a mention of
his name. It didn’t appear anywhere. The translator’s joy at the coverage of his
favourite author was considerably spoiled by this. He felt that he himself
should have had some recognition in the article. The implication was that the
translations had just appeared from nowhere, or even perhaps that the novelist
had done them himself. It was as if the translator did not exist, and all the
efforts he had made had never happened.
This incident raises a fundamental question about the status and function of the
literary translator. Most people would agree that it was wrong of the magazine
to omit any mention of the translator. However, it is also true that readers
themselves operate in exactly the same way, and for them it is also as if the
translator didn’t exist. When people read a translation of a novel, they want to
feel they are reading what the novelist, and not someone else, wrote. They
don’t want to be reminded that they are not reading, and would not be able to
read, the original novel as created by the novelist. The translator has fulfilled a
necessary function for them, but they do not wish to know who the translator
was or pay any attention to what they have done. Readers are simply the
receivers of what the translator does. So even though we might wish for direct
contact with the novelist, we depend on the translator.
In this global age, translators have become even more important. More and
more works of fiction are being translated into more and more languages.
Readers are now able to experience and understand other cultures more than
ever through the reading of translated novels. The works of more and more
novelists are now accessible to people in other parts of the world. This applies
not only to new novels but also to fresh translations of old classics. The
adventurous reader can now enjoy novels from many eras and many cultures
that previously they would not have been able to.
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And central to this is the translator, working heroically to come up with the
translation that captures exactly what is in the original work, and often poorly
paid. Although readers may be happy for them to remain obscure, perhaps they
should be getting the recognition they deserve.

1. What do we learn about the translator mentioned in the first paragraph?

A He sent an article about a certain novelist to an important magazine.
B His opinion of a certain novelist was shared by an important magazine.
C He had worked with a certain novelist on translations of his novels.
2. When the translator looked closely at the article, ________
A he did not mind the fact that his name did not appear.
B he was annoyed that some of the information was false.
C he felt that his own efforts had not been rewarded.
3. The writer says that the example of the article illustrates ________
A something that literary translators should realize.
B a general attitude towards literary translators.
C a point often made by literary translators.
4. The writer says that readers of translated novels ________
A would prefer to be reading the original work.
B assume that the translation is not as good as the original work.
C are sometimes unaware that it is a translation.
5. The writer says that readers________
A wish to know who the translator was.
B do not wish to know who the translator was.
C want to pay attention to what the translator has done.
6. The writer says that translators have become even more important in this global
age because ________
A there are fewer translators in the world.
B there aren’t many translators who can do a good job.
C more works of fiction are being translated in more languages.
7. When talking about the global age, the writer emphasizes ________
A the variety of fiction now available to readers.
B the importance of fiction in comparison with other forms of literature.
C the number of readers who may read a particular work of fiction.
8. The writer uses the phrase ‘working heroically’ in the last paragraph in order to
________
A describe how enjoyable translation work can be.
B make a joke about translators.
C express sympathy with translators.
9. What is the main topic of the article?
A Changing attitudes to translators.
B The importance of translators.
C What translators are trying to do.
10. Which of the following does the writer express in the article as a whole?
A Understanding of why translators do not receive recognition.
B Annoyance at the attitude of some readers.
C Doubts about the whole idea of reading translated novels.
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TEXT 2
Read the article and choose the correct answer, A, B or C.

The rise of competitions and ‘compers’

A phenomenon that most people in the UK see around them as they go on their regular
shopping trips – but which they may not really have noticed – is the rise of
competitions. Go to any supermarket, and if you took the trouble to search them out,
you would find a great many competitions connected with various products. You might
even decide to enter the odd one from time to time, if it’s connected with a product you
would have bought anyway, and if the prize is appealing enough. What you might not
be aware of is that the proliferation of competitions has given rise to another
phenomenon, that of ‘comping’ and ‘compers’.
Compers are people who enter large numbers of competitions as a hobby, or in some
cases, as a way of life. For some, it can occasionally prove quite lucrative, as the value
of the prizes on offer can be high. Indeed, the number of competitions offering high-
value prizes such as cars and holidays is on the increase. This is particularly so with
competitions attached to food products, reflecting a growing pattern in the food
industry, whereby companies are told by supermarkets that they can only have their
products promoted in stores if there is something special about them that will boost
sales. That something is either a price reduction or a competition, and since many
companies have already kept their prices to a minimum, the latter is the option they
frequently take.
For the companies, competitions represent ‘brand exposure’ in stores without cutting
profit margins. For the growing band of compers, they represent a chance to supplement
their income or even make a living, albeit probably a modest one. Dedicated compers –
industry insiders reckon that there are around 25,000 of them – are entering as many as
50 competitions a week, and the successful ones are then selling their prizes via the
Internet. There’s a flourishing trade in electronic gadgets and other consumer goods that
have been won in competitions on the web now and some compers are doing quite well
from it.
Successful compers are the ones whose approach to the whole business is sophisticated.
They know the best strategy for each kind of competition, and they put time and effort
into giving themselves the best chance of winning. Some of their tactics are more
legitimate than others, and involve a level of deviousness that is causing the competition
promoters to be extra vigilant. One legitimate tactic compers employ for online
competitions to improve their chances of winning, is to enter late at night. If the
competition involves draws for prizes taking place on a 24-hour basis, those entering
late are more likely to win. They also use several different mobile phones to send entries
for competitions that are entered by text message. Incredible as it may seem to most
people, there are compers using as many as 100 mobile phones to enter that kind of
competition.
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To counteract some of this activity, competition promoters have got cleverer with the
terms and conditions of their competitions. For example, some now require that people
make a purchase before they can enter a competition. Compers have responded to this
development by buying large numbers of the relevant product to maximize their
chances. One recent competition required entrants to get unique codes from the sticks of
a certain brand of ice cream, and enter that code into hourly prize draws. Some compers
bought hundreds of ice creams and removed the sticks, basing their tactic on having
worked out the statistical chances of winning a prize this way.
Compers are also very adept at finding loopholes in the rules. One company had to
change the rules of a biscuit competition that required people to buy packs of the
biscuit, and get codes from them. Compers were exchanging codes via the Internet
rather than buying the product. The problem was that the packs did not each have a
unique code; instead, the same code appeared on thousands of packs with the same date
on them. Clever compers, wise to this very quickly, were entering in huge numbers
every day and winning prizes, as a result, the company had to limit prize claims to one a
day.
To discourage this kind of thing, companies should be aware of one research finding
regarding consumer competitions. It would seem that the way to deter many compers,
and stop people from bending the rules, is to have an element of skill in the competition.
Competitions of that kind are entered by far fewer people. And a competition that
requires entrants to buy a stamp and leave the house to post their entry is likely to attract
far fewer entrants than web-based prize draws that are free to enter.
11. The writer’s main topic in the first paragraph is _________
A changes in people’s shopping habits.
B developments the reader may not know about.
C a situation the reader may not approve of.
12. According to the writer, one reason why the number of competitions has risen is
that ________
A companies want to have more competitions than their rivals.
B they enable companies to satisfy a requirement of shops.
C they are easier to run than other kinds of promotion.
13 In the third paragraph, the writer makes it clear that compers________
A often prefer to keep the prizes they have won.
B sometimes help each other with competitions.
C are unlikely to gain a high regular income from comping.
14 In the fourth paragraph, the writer expresses surprise at…
A how much effort some compers put into winning competitions.
B how complicated some of the competitions are.
C how easy it is to win prizes in some competitions.
15 In the last paragraphs the writer indicates that…
A it is possible to win some competitions without buying the product.
B having to make a purchase deters many compers from entering competitions.
C it is possible to break the rules of any competition involving products.
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TEXT 3
Read the text about how different animals locate their food. Are these sentences
true (T), false (F) or not given (NG)?

Time is clearly important to the human race. For thousands of years we have used
different things to measure time and its passage. Evidence of this obsession is all around
us. There are the stone circles in places like France and England that are thought to be
some type of calendar – Stonehenge in south-west England is probably one of the most
famous of these. There are also artefacts dating back more than 6,000 years which
indicate that the moon was used to calculate time.
An array of different devices have been invented to keep track of time. Over 3,500 years
ago the Egyptians used a very crude sundial. It was made of a metal T-square which
was placed facing eastwards in the morning and then turned around at noon so it could
cast a shadow in the evening. The most accurate devices of the ancient world were
water clocks or clepsydra. Unlike sundials, they could be used at night to keep track of
the hours. The only drawback was that they had to be kept topped up with water and so
relied on someone maintaining the water and making sure it was flowing.
Of course, over time, the devices for measuring time improved. The water clocks that
were used in much of the Arab world were far more sophisticated, but it wasn’t until the
11th century that the first mechanical clocks were invented. And, like many inventions,
it was the Chinese who led the way.
In the 17th century, the famous Dutch astronomer and mathematician invented the
pendulum clock – a device that is still used today and can be found in many clocks.
Nowadays the most precise timekeeping devices are atomic clocks. They are accurate to
within a second over a period of a million years – although how anyone can measure
that is open to question.
Such devices are used in many different ways, but one of the most important is in
Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The link between time and space has been with us
ever since we started trying to measure time, so it is no surprise that knowing where we
are also relies on us knowing what time it is.
There are many concepts of time, and even serious disagreement of whether time
actually exists or is simply a construct of humans to help us explain the world we live
in. However, there can be little disagreement that time has played an important role in
how we see the world and how we live our lives.

16. Thousands of years ago, the moon was more important in terms of
measuring time than the sun was.
a) T b) F c) NG
17. Sundials weren’t a very reliable or effective way of measuring time.
a) T b) F c) NG
18. Mechanical clocks were used throughout the Arab world as far back
as the 11th century.
a) T b) F c) NG
19. Pendulum clocks are no longer around, as they have been replaced
by atomic clocks.
a) T b) F c) NG
20. There is no evidence that time really exists.
a) T b) F c) NG
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TEXT 4

Read the article and select A, B, or C to complete the blanks below.

Arguing is good for you
Some people like nothing better than a good argument, while others will do absolutely
anything to avoid one. The common view of arguments is that they are stressful events
and not good for you, even if you’re the (21) _______of person who starts them and
enjoys them. However, this isn’t necessarily (22) ______. According to research carried
out recently, quarrelling can actually be good for your health.
A psychologist analyzed nearly two thousand people (23) ________a wide variety of
age groups, and found that 62 per cent of them avoided conflict whenever they could.
The other 38 per cent liked to deal with disagreements in a very direct way. The
psychologist looked at their (24) _______levels of cortisol (a hormone connected with
stress) and discovered that people who tried to avoid conflict had abnormal rises and
falls in their levels of the hormone. These patterns showed that they were less able to
(25) ______ down after having a confrontation than the people who argued with others.
The study also indicated that avoiding arguments can be associated with other physical
symptoms, such as (26) _______ and pains the next day. So, (27) _______ things inside
and not dealing with them head-on might not be such a good idea. A lot of British
people (28) ________think that it is better to (29) _______ your lip and keep quiet than
to have an argument with someone… but perhaps they’re (30) _______ about that.

21. a) manner b) sort c) set

22. a) so b) it c) sure
23. a) throughout b) across c) along
24. a) compared b) relative c) parallel
25. a) ease b) rest c) calm
26. a) hurts b) aches c) sufferings
27. a) keeping b) closing c) stopping
28. a) indeed b) in truth c) in particular
29. a) bite b) chew c) clench
30. a) out b) untrue c) wrong