Reading Comprehension – Instructions and Marking:

There are two tasks which include 10 multiple-choice questions each. For each question there are
three options and the student has to select “a”, “b” or “c”. Answer the multiple-choice questions
on the answer sheet. Each correct answer receives 0.4 points and 0.13 points are subtracted for
wrong answers. Time allowed: 60 minutes.

The minimum pass mark is 50%.

MODELO A

READING COMPREHENSION.

TEXT 1: Future Homes

Future homes will be located in all places on earth plus beyond the planet’s atmosphere as
well. In the U. S. there are approximately 6,000 underground homes to date. Many of these
homes are equipped with advanced energy conservation and generation characteristics
such as solar panels, solar windows and smart home technology.
But, these underground homes are only the tip* of the iceberg in relation to high tech
dwellings* as there are also techy homes in the North Pole and the Antarctic region. Of
course, these homes may be temporary, set up by scientists doing research, but they
provide protection nonetheless. And all of these dwellings could be smart homes equipped
with smart meteorological technology; smart apps that communicate with the electricity
company, plus ones you can interact directly with your PC or smart phone app.

In the near-term we can expect future homes to use similar technology over the entire
house. Each future home will be its own electricity generation station. Many future homes
will be tied into the network so that they may even distribute electricity to those
homeowners and businesses that have not made the transition yet. Future homes, of
course, will take advantage of robots to do chores* such as cleaning and organizing. Some
of this technology is happening now.

Smart phone apps that interact with one’s home will increase exponentially over the next
few years. Do you want to check the temperature of your refrigerator, turn on the oven, or
start the laundry? Well, there’s an app for that. And this is just the beginning because there
will be apps created to interact with your future home robots to tell them to put food in the
oven, clothes in the laundry, feed the cat and clean the bathroom. From your smart phone
you’ll be able to check the food in your refrigerator and order more from the grocery store.
Or you’ll use future home automation so that you don’t have to worry about this daily as
your pre-programmed smart home technology will take care of this for you and you will be
able to change its decisions whenever you want by using your phone application.
Future home entertainment systems will be out of this world. By combining future
augmented reality, virtual reality and mediated reality, movies and television will be more
interactive than ever before. Imagine in your living room playing a future version of Wii golf
or tennis with your virtual friends while watching breaking news or the latest 3-D movie.
Adapted from http://futuretechnology500.com/index.php/future-homes/

* Tip: The pointed end of something.

* Dwelling: A house or place to live in.
* Chore: Domestic work.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (a, b or c)
which best fits according to the text. There is an example at the beginning (0):

0. High tech dwellings in cold areas are ________________

a) mainly temporary.
b) only used by scientists.
c) connected with the world outside.

1. Which of the following statements is true?

a) Some underground homes, but not all, are provided with conservation and generation
characteristics.
b) A large number of underground homes are provided with conservation and generation
characteristics.
c) Almost all underground homes are provided with conservation and generation
characteristics.

2. According to the text, ________________.

a) in the future, there will be 6,000 underground homes in the U.S.
b) in the U.S. there are not homes in the atmosphere.
c) all underground homes have smart technology.

3. Underground homes are ________________.

a) also located in very cold areas.
b) not the only existing high tech homes.
c) mostly temporary.

4. According to the text, high tech homes in the North Pole and the Antarctic region are
_______________.
a) not necessarily built underground.
b) usually built underground.
c) built on the tip of an iceberg.
5. Which of the following statements is true?
a) In the future, only robots will do chores.
b) Future homes will be efficient because of the robots.
c) Robots are already being used to help with chores.

6. According to the text, smart phone apps will help people ______________.
a) enjoy more free time.
b) interact faster with robots.
c) with all the house chores.

7. Which of the following statements is not true?

a) Nowadays a lot of people interact with their homes using their smart phones.
b) Roughly there are 6,000 underground homes in the U. S.
c) Few underground homes in the U. S. aren’t provided with high technology equipment.

8. Robots will ________________.

a) be able to make any decision concerning home chores.
b) be useful for pet owners.
c) design smart phone apps to interact with house owners.

9. According to the text, ________________.

a) the home automation can make decisions concerning the shopping.
b) people will have control of their entire home by using a robot.
c) homes with sophisticated technological equipment won’t need robots.

10. Future home entertainment systems will ________________.

a) provide sports partners.
b) be focused on sports.
c) allow you to take part in a movie.

TASK 2: Read this text about the benefits of drawing and painting. Then for each
paragraph (11 – 20), choose the option that best summarizes its content (a, b, c). The
first one has been done for you as an example (0):
0. a) People can use painting and drawing to release* stress.
b) Releasing stress through painting and drawing can be very beneficial to reduce the risk
of other illnesses.
c) The people who suffer from stress feel definitely inclined towards art.

As the pressures of life can be very tiring, individuals have tried painting and drawing to
relax from the demanding requirements of life. They are able to free themselves from the
stress that has accumulated by releasing it in the form of color and drawing. As they
temporarily exit the world of fears and worries, they enter the world of fun and excitement.
11. a) Painting is something everybody can do.
b) Everybody can be an artist.
c) Tools for painting and drawing are easy to get.

Painting and drawing are two very enjoyable activities. As creative products, these are fairly
easy to do and wouldn’t require very expensive tools. One can simply have a pencil or
paintbrush and a notebook to begin making his artworks.

12. a) In general, painting and drawing are good for the improvement of the brain.
b) Specific types of painting improve the health of the brain.
c) Everybody can use abstract painting to express their feelings.

Painting and drawing would obviously make use of one’s imagination. They would create
vivid images of houses, people, and places. People can even choose to express their
emotions and produce abstract art. As painting and drawing would involve the creation of
personal works, one would have to use his artistic skills. These activities would then play a
beneficial role in the development of one’s brain.

13. a) According to the part of the brain which is more active, people can obtain totally
different benefits from painting.
b) Right-brained* and left-brained* people paint for different reasons.
c) Creativity can be developed by painting and drawing in right-brained as well as in left-
brained individuals.

For right-brained or artistic people, painting and drawing would be healthy ways of
improving the creative skills that they already manifest. On the other hand, left-brained or
analytical people can also stimulate their creativity and improve it.

14. a) Young children who paint are better at school and develop stronger relationships
with their mates and their teachers.
b) Young children should be motivated to paint so that they can improve their learning
process and become better communicators.
c) Painting and drawing should be included in academic programs to improve young
children’s communication skills at school and at home.

Knowing these factors, drawing and painting are highly recommended for children. In fact,
many children who are at the developing ages are encouraged to engage in painting and
drawing. By promoting the development of their brains, they would be more prepared for
academic work. Furthermore, they would have an easier time expressing their ideas to their
mates.
15. a) Painting and drawing are activities which are particularly pleasant for Alzheimer
patients.
b) Painting and drawing have a beneficial impact on the lifestyle of an Alzheimer patient.
c) Painting and drawing make Alzheimer patients happier.

The health benefits of painting and drawing are also enjoyed by those who experience
illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease. Although they may have problems with their
memory, enabling them to engage in painting and drawing can help boost their ability to
remember things. As they improve their minds through imagination and thinking, they may
experience less complicated conditions of their illnesses. Thus, they may still enjoy a lot of
activities in their lives in spite of their condition.

16. a) It is not commonly known that painting and drawing make you more effective in
finding two solutions to problems.
b) Almost everybody knows how painting and drawing can strengthen their abilities to deal
with difficult situations.
c) Not everybody knows that painting and drawing can help you sort out* problems
creatively.

People may actually be surprised that painting and drawing can also instigate the
development of critical thinking and problem solving. In fact, painting and drawing enables
an individual to realize that there can be more than one solution to a single problem. As
they discover the artworks they can produce from a blank sheet of paper, they develop the
technique of thinking outside the box.*

17. a) Paintings and drawings always reduce the negative emotions within people.
b) The more people paint and draw, the happier they feel, particularly if they are good at
it.
c) People with low self-esteem may stop having negative thoughts when they start
painting.

Additionally, negative emotions would be replaced by the positive thoughts and feelings as
color and drawings would be exemplified. Of course, as one develops his skills in painting
and drawing, these would produce very good results. Hence, this may make an individual
feel good about his capabilities. These activities would boost his self-esteem and would
inspire him to believe in what he can do.

18. a) Liberating emotions through painting and drawing may help individuals leave painful
experiences behind them.
b) Drawing and painting may help people who are depressed forget their past.
c) Therapists are not surprised to see how their patients recognize and connect with their
emotions through painting and drawing.
 Knowing these benefits, it isn’t surprising to know that painting and drawing are highly
recommended for an individual’s recuperation from painful events such as war and abuse.
In fact, many therapists include these activities in the schedules of their patients. They
would encourage their patients to release* their feelings.

19. a) People engaged in painting and drawing are better at meeting people.
b) The positive effects of painting and drawing can be felt by several people at the same
time.
c) The attitude of people who paint and draw is more easily communicated to the people
in their environment.

Through the improvements in one’s personality and emotional stability, painting and
drawing do not benefit a single individual but even the people around him. As the individual
would be able to respond to the emotions felt by others, these people would also share the
positive effects of art.

20. a) When people start painting and drawing they discover things that they had never
seen.
b) Painting and drawing would make people more aware of the details of their
surroundings.
c) People who paint and draw develop their sense of sight or vision.

As one is more exposed to light, darkness, color, shading, and many other properties of
painting and drawing, he would be able to pay closer attention to finer details. His eyes
would be trained to look for complex designs and forms that may have been ignored in the
past. Thus, as the brain would let one’s concentration improve, an individual may see and
appreciate even the most miniscule details that can be viewed.

Adapted from: http://goodrelaxation.com/2015/01/health-benefits-of-painting-and-drawing/

*release: give freedom.

*right-brained: people whose right side of the brain is dominant.
*left-brained: people whose left side of the brain is dominant.
*sort out: solve.
*thinking outside box: thinking imaginatively using new ideas.
 Use of English - Instructions and Marking:

The task includes 5 multiple-choice questions. For each question there are three options and the student
has to select “a”, “b” or “c”. Answer the multiple-choice questions on the answer sheet. Each correct
answer receives 0.4 points and 0.13 points are subtracted for wrong answers. Time allowed: 30 minutes.

The minimum pass mark is 50%.

USE OF ENGLISH. Choose the correct answer. There is an example at the beginning
(0):

0. If I __________ more, I __________ make more money.

a) work / will b) worked / will c) will work / would

21. I am so upset ___________ my weight.

a) at b) to c) by

22. – I saw you yesterday. Why ___________? – The party started at 8.30 p.m. and I was
late.

a) did you run b) had you run c) were you running

23. I am ready ________ more advice.

a) to offer b) offering c) offer

24. If Mary ____________ a new cell phone, it _____________ her a great amount of
money.

a) bought / would have cost

b) had bought / would have cost

c) bought / will have cost

25. “Don’t touch anything in this room”. My dad ordered us _____.

a) that we didn’t touch anything in this room.

b) not to touch anything in that room.

c) not touch anything in that room.