Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
Nivel: AVANZADO Paper: READING (1 h 15 min) ! A. Read the following text, adapted from http://voanews.com
New Fact Checking Website Arrives
JOHANNESBURG— The ‘facts’ in South Africa now have a kind of watchdog.
Africa Check, a fledgling fact checking website, is attempting to pin down unfounded claims made by the country's leaders, media outlets along with widely held beliefs.
There is a common claim in Johannesburg that it has the largest man-made forest in the world. It's easy to believe; the city has lush, green canopy that covers many neighborhoods. (1) But it's not true, according to Africa Check, which found that the largest man-made forest is actually in China, next to the Gobi desert.
Debunking bogus claims, politically charged fictions and unfounded statements, Africa Check is a website that challenges media, politicians and the occasional social media celebrity when they massage the truth, or ignore it completely, said Julian Rademeyer, southern Africa editor for the site.
"I think the fundamental element of our work is that we are trying to get people to question what they're told, what they read, what politicians say to them, and to look at what the information that is there and ask essentially what the fundamental question is 'Where is the evidence?' If someone makes a claim, where is the evidence to support that claim, and to actually interrogate those claims and not to accept things purely for what they are," Rademeyer said.
(2) Africa Check was launched in June 2012 by the Agence France Press foundation in partnership with the University of Witswaterand's journalism department. Rademeyer and a researcher are the site's two full-time employees. There is also a team of freelance reporters who work on fact checking assignments.
Following in the footsteps of popular American websites like PolitiFact and Factcheck.org, Africa Check is the first media outlet in South Africa to solely work in fact checking. South Africa has a strong legacy of investigative journalism and photography that dates back to the apartheid era. But like many countries, Rademeyer says its news industry has been hampered by shrinking budgets and newsrooms.
"Because of the fact that newspapers don't have the resources they would've had in the past, or don't have specialist beat reporters," he said. "It allows public figures and it allows politicians to make claims that don't go checked. I think that's where we play a role. We come in and look at those claims and we have the ability and the time to go through those claims.”
(3) Paula Fray, former editor for the Star Newspaper and a media consultant, says Africa Check may put a much-needed pressure on newsrooms.
"At the moment Africa Check is not known as much as I'm hoping as it going to be known," she said. "I'm hoping that eventually journalists will be writing their stories and thinking if my news Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI …………………………………………………………. editor doesn't pick up that something hasn't been verified, Africa Check might pick up that it hasn't been verified. So I'm not going to put anything in my stories unless I can prove it."
(4) She also hopes it will create a greater culture of accountability. "I think the more organizations out there holding journalism to account the better actually for the industry," Fray said.
The site also takes on myths that get repeated so often that they go unchecked. When a South African musician with 175,000 Facebook followers made the claim that white South Africans are being killed at an alarming rate, Africa Check looked into the facts. It found that most of the musician's claims were exaggerated or untrue.
But the report also shed light on one of the challenges of South African statistics from the apartheid era.
"The crime data from apartheid South Africa for white neighborhoods is generally fairly accurate." Rademeyer said. "But the problem is that a lot of the crime reporting for instance from apartheid era homelands, the crime reporting from townships in the 1970s and 80s was appalling. Statistics weren't kept, and they're a mess. And historically those are challenges that you do have to deal with," he said.
(5) The site has also debunked claims made about traditional healers, South Africa's rate of asylum seekers and a BBC report about white squatter camps in South Africa.
Long term, Rademeyer envisions the site expanding across the continent. "I really do think as a project it could play a very important role," he said. "We've done some very basic fact checking or fact sheet-related reporting on elements of the elections in Zimbabwe recently. We'd obviously like to do more of that in the next elections in Zimbabwe, for instance, and elections in neighboring countries. And try to expand our reach."
With presidential elections looming next year in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia, the site will be busy. !
1. The following sentences have been removed from the text. Put them back in the right places. There are two extra sentences that you do not need to use.
A. -(not used)- Around half of Africa Check’s investigations are triggered by readers wanting to know anything from the veracity of claims made by pop stars to supposed disease-busting local herbs.
B. -(3)- Paula Fray, former editor for the Star Newspaper and a media consultant, says Africa Check may put a much-needed pressure on newsrooms.
C. -(1)- But it's not true, according to Africa Check, which found that the largest man-made forest is actually in China, next to the Gobi desert.
D. -(2)- Africa Check was launched in June 2012 by the Agence France Press foundation in partnership with the University of Witswaterand's journalism department.
E. -(5)- The site has also debunked claims made about traditional healers, South Africa's rate of asylum seekers and a BBC report about white squatter camps in South Africa.
F. -(4)- She also hopes it will create a greater culture of accountability.
G. -(not used)- In an age when information cascades down Twitter feeds by the millisecond, it is increasingly difficult to sieve for facts, especially when it comes to much of Africa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
2. There are 8 words highlighted in the text. Use them to complete the following sentences, which clarify their meanings in the text. The words are: watchdog, fledgling, bogus, massage, freelance, hampered, appalling, looming. a. This is a __ fledgling__ company, quite new and not yet much developed. b. The police investigation was __ hampered__ by lack of help from the community. c. __Bogus__ documents are those which pretend to be real, but they are false. d. With the deadline to hand in his work _looming_ just around the corner, he chose to stay awake all night and finish the school project. e. Well, of course! If you __massage_ your data in that way, you will find your evidence. But it is only information that has been manipulated. f. Have you heard of Tom? He’s working as a __freelance___ writer for some magazines. He says he doesn’t like to be employed by only one company. g. Be careful with what you do, as we are acting as a ___watchdog__. We will check that you behave legally and provide good services. h. John finally left the company. The __appalling__ working conditions he suffered, made him take his final decision to quit. ! !
B. Read the following text about a painter
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, was born in Daugavpils, Latvia in 1903. His father emigrated to the United States, afraid that his sons would be drafted into the Czarist army. Mark stayed in Russia with his mother and older sister; they joined the family later, arriving in the winter of 1913, after a 12-day voyage.
Mark moved to New York in the autumn of 1923 and found employment in the garment trade and took up residence on the Upper West Side. It was while he was visiting someone at the Art Students League that he saw students sketching a nude model. According to him, this was the start of his life as an artist. He was twenty years old and had taken some art lessons at school, so his initial experience was far from an immediate calling.
In 1936, Mark Rothko began writing a book, which he never completed, about the similarities in the children's art and the work of modern painters. The work of modernists, which was influenced by primitive art, could, according to him, be compared to that of children in that "child art transforms itself into primitivism, which is only the child producing a mimicry of himself." In this same work, he said that "the fact that one usually begins with drawing is already academic. We start with colour."
It was not long before his multiforms developed into the style he is remembered for; in 1949 Rothko exhibited these new works at the Betty Parsons Gallery. For critic Harold Rosenberg, the paintings were a revelation. Rothko had, after painting his first multiform, secluded himself to his home in East Hampton on Long Island, only inviting a very few people, including Rosenberg, to view the new paintings. The discovery of his definitive form came at a period of great grief; his mother Kate died in October 1948 and it was at some point during that winter Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI …………………………………………………………. that Rothko chanced upon the striking symmetrical rectangular blocks of two to three opposing or contrasting, yet complementary colours. As part of this new uniformity of artistic vision, his paintings and drawings no longer had individual titles; from this point on they were simply untitled, numbered or dated. However, to assist in distinguishing one work from another, dealers would sometimes add the primary colours to the name. Additionally, for the next few years, Rothko painted in oil only on large vertical canvasses. This was done to overwhelm the viewer, or, in his words, to make the viewer feel enveloped within the picture.
On February 25, 1970, Oliver Steindecker, Rothko’s assistant, found him in his kitchen, lying on the floor in front of the sink, covered in blood. His arms had been cut open with a razor. The emergency doctor arrived on the scene minutes later to pronounce him dead as the result of suicide; it was discovered during the autopsy that he had also overdosed on anti-depressants. He was just 66 years old. h p://www.usingenglish.com/ !
Choose the correct option (A, B, C or D) to answer or complete the following:
1. Mark Rothko arrived in the United States
A. with his mother and brothers
B. with his father,
C. with his mother and younger sister
D. some time later than his father
2. He travelled from Russia to America
A. by sea, on a 12-hour journey
B. by plane, during the winter
C. when he was ten
D. with his mother and father
3. In New York, he
A. worked in the Art Students League
B. worked in the commerce of clothes
C. had his own business
D. sketched nude models
4. Rothko wanted to be an artist
A. from his early childhood
B. when he joined the Art Students League
C. when he watched students drawing
D. when he moved to the Upper West Side ! ! Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
5. What did Rothko think about modern art?
A. That it could be compared to the work of children
B. That it was primitive
C. That it was academic
D. That it was childish
6. Rothko’s distinctive style
A. was admired by Rosenberg
B. defined itself at a very sad moment of his life
C. resulted from his moving to Long Island
D. involved particular colour titles he gave to his paintings
7. At the age of 66, Rothko
A. died after a long illness
B. died alone in his house
C. was found dead in his kitchen by his critic
D. died of an overdose on anti-depressants !
C. Read the following article and solve the exercise below.
Crime-time Basketball
Alfred Jones didn't have much going for him when he was 17; a high school dropout living in the poor Atlanta suburb of Jonesboro South, he had little to look forward to other than a life of unemployment and petty crime, if not more crime. No one respected young men like Alfred, and Alfred had no self respect either. No ambitions.
Yet today Alfred is a student at Atlanta's Clark University, his self respect has returned, and he's looking forward to getting a proper job. It's all down to basketball.... and a bit more.
Crime comes easily to many young men in the tough parts of America's cities; it's almost second nature, specially to guys who have no jobs and no money, and nothing to do.
It comes easily at any time of day, of course; but at night it comes more easily still. The middle of the night is prime time for crime, and it always has been, specially when the nights are warm and it's good to be out of doors.
Yet the level of crime in America's big cities has fallen considerably in recent years. In some cities, such as New York, the fall has been spectacular, and though America's cities may still be dangerous places at night, compared to most European cities, the improvement is real. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
One reason for this improvement is statistical; the number of young men in the 15-25 age group has fallen. However there are other factors too, including stricter policing; but less spectacularly, perhaps, there are also the numerous programs that have been set up, by cities and volunteer groups, to provide young people with alternatives to crime.
While Curtis Sliwa's Guardian Angels showed New Yorkers, then people in other cities, that tough young men could be just as happy and effective combating crime as participating in it, many other programs have also helped bring down the crime rate. The idea behind them all is much the same; to give people something constructive or enjoyable to do, and channel their efforts away from crime.
The concept of Midnight Basketball was first launched in 1986 in Maryland, by a retired federal employee, G. Van Standifer working at the time as town manager at Glendarden, a suburb of Washington. The federal capital has one of the highest rates of criminality in the U.S.A..
Faced with an "escalating crime rate" among "at risk" young men, mostly Blacks, Van Standifer saw that one of the main reasons for the rapidly worsening situation was boredom, the fact that young men had nothing to do - or at least, nothing they could afford to do, given that few of them had jobs.
With the help of some friends and volunteers, he set up the first Midnight Basketball program, opening the doors of a local sports center from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and inviting in anyone who wanted a game. Word soon got round, and before long groups of Glendarden's young men were dropping in to take part or cheer on their friends.
The idea spread, and before long other cities and urban areas started opening up facilities to encourage young men in off the streets for basketball; by the early 90's, Midnight Basketball programs were running in 44 American cities, and a network of regional leagues was established. In 2014, twenty-eight years later, after some ups and downs, the concept of Midnight Basketball is still going strong, and Midnight Basketball tournaments are organised in many US cities, such as New Orleans, Newark and San Antonio. The idea has even spread to Australia..
However, there is more to Midnight Basketball than just playing ball; there are conditions. Many players first take part in a "HOPE" session, HOPE being an acronym for Helping Other People Evolve.
Hope is a commodity that is often in short supply in America's run-down inner cities; at Midnight Basketball HOPE sessions, educators, community leaders and people with useful skills show 17-25 year olds how they can improve their situation in life. Pre- game seminars concentrate on subjects such as getting a job, respect for women, and developing skills. When appropriate, participants are encouraged to get back into education of some sort. Many participants in the Midnight Basketball program are indeed high school dropouts, with no skills and no qualifications; for some, Midnight Basketball provides an opening that they would never otherwise have had.
Alfred Jones is just one young man from the suburbs of Atlanta who has been successful; others, in other US cities, have done as well as he has, or even better. Alternatively, like Tony Johnson from San Francisco, they have got jobs. "I've changed my life completely," says Tony, who now has a full-time job with Nestlé. Previously, Tony's life was just "hangin' on the streets, bein' a menace, sellin' drugs." Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
Not all Midnight Basketballers will end up with a job or a qualification; not all will abandon crime. "It brings a lot of criminals to one spot and keeps 'em off the streets 'til it's over," says a San Francisco cop, without much enthusiasm. In San Francisco, as elsewhere, uniformed cops regularly sit in with the spectators, as trouble can flare up easily at Midnight Basketball sessions.
Yet for many, Midnight Basketball has provided at least a first foot back on the road to hope; and that is a chance that, without it, they might never have had. ! 1. Answer the following questions with the options in the box (A to F), according to what you read in the article
A. Alfred Jones B. Curtis Sliwa C. G. Van Standifer D. HOPE E. Tony Johnson F. Midnight Basketball programs
According to the text, who or what…
• … provides an opportunity for young people to abandon the streets at night 1 __F_
• … runs a program that demonstrated that strong young men can also fight crime 2 _B_
• … started with midnight basketball programs 3 _C_
• … consists of seminars to help young people develop their skills and find a job 4 _D_
• … has been successful changing his life 5 __A_, 6 _E_
• … had the idea of giving young people something to do, that would take them away from crime 7__B__, 8__C__
• … had abandoned school and is now a student at university 9 _A_
• … used to sell drugs 10 _E_ ! 2. Say whether the following are True (T), False (F) or not explicit (?) in the text
1. Young people with no jobs and no money often turn to crime in some American cities. __T_
2. Alfred Jones and Tony Johnson do not have families __?__
3. The Guardian Angels started in New York __T__ Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
4. Van Standifer was a federal employee when he started the Midnight Basketball program __T__
5. The Basketball program takes place in the streets of some cities __F__
6. It took a long time and a lot of effort for the program to be successful __F__
7. San Francisco cops are fans of these games __F_
8. Most participants in the Midnight Basketball program have left crime __?__ ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
Nivel: AVANZADO Paper: USE OF ENGLISH ! 1. Complete the following text with one option (a, b, c or d) from the list below, in each gap !
Fatal addiction: the story of Scott Douglas
Two years ago Scott Douglas died of a heroin (1) ___a____. Why, then, is his father, who is a staunch opponent of drugs, calling for all drugs to be (2) ___c_____?
"Legalise, don't criminalise" is Howard Douglas' (3) ____b____. He insists the only way to control drugs is to regulate the sale of them. "I don't want a soft line on drugs. I wish to God that people wouldn't use them. But they do, and so we need to put some order into the market."
He firmly (4) ___d_____ that his son would still be (5) ___b_____ today if heroin had been legal. Scott Douglas was 33 when he died two years ago. A long-time heroin user, he was forced to do without the drug during a five-week prison (6) ___a______. He was killed by his first (7) ___a_____ after being released.
An inquiry into Scott's death found that because he had been without the drug for several weeks, his body could not (8) ____d____ his normal dose. It also revealed that his final shot contained an impurity - urine acetylcodeine. "If there had been a controlled (9) ____c____ for my son to take his heroin, and it had been (10) ______legally, he would still be alive. There are basically two (11) ___b_____ options: you can legalise and regulate the supply, as you do with other drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, or you can leave criminals to (12) ____c____ everything.”
1. a) overdose b) take c) input d) attack
2. a) validated b) enforced c) legalised d) abolished
3. a) logo b) motto c) say d) symbol
4. a) agrees b) tells c) reports d) believes
5. a) live b) alive c) dead d) happy
6. a) term b) area c) environment d) moment
7. a) dose b) portion c) package d) parcel
8. a) support b) grab c) carry d) take
9. a) group b) time c) environment d) period
10. a) prescribed b) ordered c) supplied d) indicated
11. a) politic b) policy c) good d) common
12. a) take b) consume c) control d) deal
Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
2. The following text is the second part of Fatal addiction: the story of Scott Douglas that you read before. In most lines in this part, there is ONE extra word which is unnecessary and makes the line grammatically incorrect or incoherent in meaning. Find this word and write it on the right of the line. There are some lines which are correct. If you consider the line is correct, write OK. There are two examples at the beginning. Although Mr Douglas concedes that legalisation would be (00) _OK_ "anathema" for to many fellow parents, he would like to see (0) _for_ heroin has supplied by the health service to addicts and a (1) _has_ “clean and controlled environment" for it to be taken with (2) _OK_ free needles and medical advice.
One of obstacle is that the political will to tackle the problem (3) __of_ just does not exist yet. He says the other only prospect of (4) other_ change would be if "a government minister's son or daughter (5) daught a member of the royal family can dies from drug abuse”. (6) _can_
After Scott's death, Mr Douglas became deeply involved in the (7) _OK_ debate and was able to understand why for many young people (8) _for_ turn to drugs. “I am met a lot of Scott's associates and they (9) _am_ had one thing in common - they couldn’t have get to grips (10) _have with the world. "Scott could never understand why three- (11) _OK_ quarters of the world would had to go hungry while one (12) would quarter had more food than they needed. For a lot of them (13) _them addicts the world is a lot very painful place. Drugs take the (14) _lot_ edge off reality.” !
3. Complete the following text with the correct form of the word in capitals at the end of each line. There is an example at the beginning.
The bottom of the ocean
The ocean bottom — a region nearly 2.5 times (0) greater than the total GREAT land area of the Earth — is a vast frontier that even today is (1) largely unexplored and uncharted. Until about a century ago, the deep ocean floor was completely (2) inaccessible, hidden beneath waters averaging over 3,600 metres deep. (3) Totally without light and subjected to intense (4) pressures hundreds of times greater than at the Earth’s surface, the deep ocean bottom is a hostile environment to humans, in some ways as forbidding and remote as the void of (5) outer space. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
Although (6) researchers have taken samples of deep ocean rocks and sediments for over a century, the first detailed (7) global investigation of the ocean bottom did not actually start until 1968, with the (8) beginning of the National Science Foundation’s Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP). Using techniques first developed for the offshore oil and gas industry, the DSDP’s drill ship, the Glomar Challenger, was able to maintain a steady position on the ocean’s surface and drill in very deep waters, extracting samples of sediments and rock from the ocean floor.
The Glomar Challenger (9) took almost 20,000 core samples of seabed sediments and rocks at 624 drilling sites around the world. the Glomar Challenger’s core samples have allowed (10) geologists to reconstruct what the planet looked like hundreds of millions of years ago and calculate what it will probably look like millions of years in the future. Today, largely on the (11) strength of evidence gathered during the Glomar Challenger’s voyages, nearly all earth (12) scientists agreed on the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift that explain many of the geological recesses that shape the Earth. !
4. 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. You can use up to five (5) words.
1. They didn’t ask us, so they knew what to do. WOULD If they didn’t know what to do _they would have asked us_
2. Feel free to telephone if you have any further problems. CALL Do not _doubt to call______if you have any further problems
3. Making new friends was easy for her DIFFICULT She didn’t _find it difficult to make__ new friends.
4. They decided to cancel de barbecue due to the rain. CALLED The barbecue __was called off because__ of the rain.
5. The manager told me I had to take my shoes off before I entered the restaurant. INSISTED The manager insisted in my taking off_ my shoes before I entered the restaurant
6. He was late because of the traffic jam in the city centre. BEEN If he hadn’t got stuck in a traffic jam in the city centre he wouldn’t have been late. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
7. I think generally, women are better than men at learning languages. WHOLE I think on the whole, men are less successful than women at learning languages.
8. Immediately after Beth arrived home, the telephone rang SOONER No _sooner had Beth arrived_ home than the phone rang.
9. My brother has great ideas all the time. COMES My brother always _comes up with great_ ideas.
10. I don't think it's important how fast we drive, we're going to be late. MATTER We're going to be late __no matter how fast we_ drive. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
!Nivel: AVANZADO Paper: LISTENING A. Listen to the following conversation and say if the following are True (T) or False (F). Correct any False (F) statements.
Gareth talks about a scary time when he had to deal with criminal behaviour.
1) Gareth believes England is not safe, and he has lived there his whole life. (_F_) …He believes England is not safe, but he has been away for a while…. ………………………………………………………………………………………. 2) Once he met a man who was yelling at him. This man seemed confused. (_T_) …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………. 3) The man walked along with Gareth and he was rather worried as the road to his house was across the city centre. (_F_) ……The road that led to his house was secluded.…………………… 4) After some time, the man asked Gareth to use his mobile phone. (_T_) …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………. 5) Gareth was really scared and started to run when the man asked about his watch. (_F_) …Gareth started to run when the man asked him about his money…. 6) The man followed Gareth in his run, reached him and pushed him to the ground. (_T_) …………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………. 7) Luckily, the police arrived and the thief ran away (_F_) …A lady started walking down the road…………. 8) The police were really very helpful and worried about catching the thief (_F_) ……The police were not helpful, not worried about the streets or about catching the thief. They didn’t do much………. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
B. Listen to this radio interview to Susan Conroy, a specialist in light pollution.
Provide short answers to the following questions:
1. The specialist mentions some figures (between 25 and 35%). What do these figures refer to?
……To total energy costs that are completely wasted by inefficient / wasteful use of lighting……………………………………………………………………………………
2. What, according to the specialist, constitutes ‘light pollution’?
……Light pollution is when areas are over-lit, or lighting is badly designed or badly positioned, and they generate excessive glare……//light that is shining up into the sky which blocks out the stars…// excessive waste of energy and money due to bad lightning.……………………………………
3. According to Susan, does intensive lighting prevent crime?
……No, it doesn’t. bad lighting creates very strong light and shadow contrasts which creates good hiding places for criminals……………
4. Mention some of the measures the specialist refers to that can be taken to avoid light pollution.
………Street lighting that eliminates above-horizontal light escape. Avoid the light emitted to escape upwards into the sky. Restrictions on how much light is used to illuminate a given areas. Lighting needs to be suitable and directed correctly. ……
5. What can ordinary citizens do to help with the problem?
……Write to local representatives to support this issue. Make sure your lighting is well directed, angled downwards, and that the light has a good cover. Illuminate the front of your house with a light fixture attached to the roof and not to post in front of your house. ……………………………………………… !
Detailed understanding.
Complete the following passages with expressions from the interview.
1. Light pollution is one of (1) …the most pervasive forms … of pollution in the
modern world and yet it is something that very few people know much about
even though, conversely, it is the form of pollution that people come into contact
with most often (2) …on a daily basis.… Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Facultad de Ciencias Humanas-SEREX ! Examen de Acreditación de Niveles de Lengua Inglesa 2014 Candidate’s Name .………...……………………………… DNI ………………………………………………………….
2. The International Dark-Sky Association has estimated that, here in the USA, 1.5
billion dollars is spent every year generating electricity for light which is then
(3)…wasted..… That's the equivalent of about 6.000.000 tons of coal to produce
that electricity, (3) …just wasted..! The United States' reliance on imports of oil
could be reduced in a matter of months if a few (4)…basic regulations….
were introduced and enforced.
3. Light pollution is not only light that is (5)…shining up into the sky… which blocks
out the stars we were just talking about. Light pollution is also when areas are
over-lit, for example, or lighting is badly designed or (6)……badly positioned.…,
which then creates excessive glare. This can obviously be dangerous if drivers
are affected.
4. Next, we need (7) …tough restrictions on…. how much light is used to illuminate
a given area. That way, we avoid the problem of what is called light trespass,
where light (8) ……escapes from…. the area that it is supposed to illuminate
and goes, for instance, into nearby windows or roads.
5. The lighting needs (9) ……to be suitable … and, above all, (10) …directed
correctly… We are a becoming a society obsessed with turning night into day
but I can tell you now, not everybody finds this situation satisfactory. ! ! ! !