domingo, 25 de mayo de 2008

Guía examen selectividad


UNHEARD SOUNDS

For centuries, teenagers have looked for creative and original ways to rebel against their parents and teachers. Recently, teenagers have found a new weapon that is aimed at irritating parents and teachers alike: a ringtone that many adults cannot hear.
Since the advent of the mobile phone, teachers have battled with students attempting to receive calls and text messages in class. The new ringtone, which cannot be heard by most people over the age of 20, signals to a student that he or she has got a text message. He or she is then able to receive the message without the fear of being detected by the teacher. The ringtone is based on an invention called the Mosquito, a sound system which was originally developed to annoy teenagers and satisfy adults, not the other way around. The technology relied on the fact that adults gradually lose the ability to hear high frequencies of sound. As a result, the system used an annoying high-pitched sound, which many adults can´t hear, but most young people can. It was intended to help shopkeepers get rid of teenagers standing in front of their shops, while leaving adults unaffected. Now, teenagers have reinvented the Mosquito as a ringtone.
The craze started a few months after the Mosquito was launched, when the high-pitched tone was downloaded to a mobile phone. The ringtone was then passed on via text messages and “Teen Buzz”, as it was affectionately named by teenagers, quickly caught on, spreading from teenage phone to teenage phone. Yet, despite its popularity, the new technology has got its limitations. Most importantly, not all adults are unable to hear the high-pitched tone. Some adults claim that they can hear the sound, though apparently not as piercingly as students can. It would appear, however, that “Teen Buzz” is here to stay. The new ringtone allows students to get pleasure from the fact that the whole class is able to hear their phones ringing while the teacher has got no idea what´s going on. Technology may be changing, but evidently human nature is not!

QUESTIONS

I.- READING COMPREHENSION: Add TRUE or FALSE and copy the evidence from the text to support your answer (2 points)
1.- The new ringtone is inaudible for teenagers
2.- The Mosquito was invented based on the ringtone
3.- The new ringtone takes advantage of the fact that many adults cannot hear certain sounds
4.- The tone can be downloaded to a mobile phone
II.- EXPRESSING THE MAIN IDEAS: Answer the questions using your own words (1pt)
1.- What does the new ringtone signal to students?
2.- How is technology different from human nature?
III A.- LEXICON: Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as these given(1pt)
a.- discovered
b.- slowly
c.- lovingly
d.- clearly
III B.- PHONETICS:
a.- Write two words from the text with the same sound as teenagers / i : /and underline it
b.- Which of these words contain the diphthong /ai /: “alike”, “ways”, “message”?
c.- Find three words with the sound / ŋ /

IV.- USE OF ENGLISH: Rewrite these sentences starting with the words given(3p)
1.- Teenagers have looked for creative and original ways to rebel against the adults
Creative………………………………………………………………………….
2.- I couldn´t read the message because I didn´t take the mobile phone
I wish………………………………………………………………
3.- “Can you lend me your car”? Steve asked his father
Steve asked his father………………………………………………
4.- Although the text was difficult, we passed the exam
Despite the fact that…………………………………………..
5.- I don´t earn much money. I can´t buy a new MP4
If ………………………………………………………………….
6.- Your bag is nice, but mine is nice too
Your bag……………………………………………………………

V.- COMPOSITION(3 points)
1.- Why do you think teenagers have always looked for ways to rebel against adults?
2.- Is it appropriate for mobile phones to be used in public places such as restaurants and shops, and on public transport? What do you usually do?

1.- Guided composition: Writing a paragraph: Have a look at this composition and learn about some ideas to develop in your own writing.

Teenagers have always looked for ways to rebel against adults because it´s a way to feel independent (Topic sentence). (Body or supporting sentences): First of all, to rebel against adults means that they don´t have to give explanations for what they do. Secondly, they feel that , for example, wearing strange clothes or piercing their bodies is a way to show their own ideas because teenagers aren´t adults yet and they are trying to identify themselves or looking for their own personality. Thirdly, it´s difficult for a teenager to live with other friends because they don´t have money to live their own lives.(Concluding sentence): In short, teenagers are rebel because they aren´t free to live their lives and depend on the adults to do whatever they want to do.

2.- Guided composition: Writing a for and against essay:

(Opening sentence): Many people use their mobile phones to have conversations in the street, or in public places such as the bus or restaurants. However, this use can be a problem.
(Body: presentation of the side the writer agrees with):
On the one hand, mobile phones are useful because it´s the way to keep in contact with your friends or your parents. For example, if you have a date with your friends and you can´t find them you can use the mobile phone to meet them in a place. If you go out at night and it´s very late you can phone your parents to take you home; or perhaps you have a problem and can call the police…
(Body: presentation of the side the writer disagrees with):
On the other hand, using a mobile phone in public places is not good if you speak very loud and people can hear what you are saying although your conversation is not important for the people around you. Many people shout when they speak on mobile phones and this is very annoying.
(Conclusion: Writer´s opinion)
In conclusion, I use my mobile phone in public places but I try to find a place where I can have a private conversation.
ANSWERS:

I.- READING COMPREHENSION
1.- It is false because the text says: “a ringtone that many adults cannot hear”(paragraph one)
2.- It is false because the text says: “The ringtone is based on an invention called the Mosquito” (paragraph two)
3.- It is true because the text says: “the system used an annoying high-pitched sound, which many adults can´t hear, but most young people can.” (paragraph three)
4.- It is true because the text says: “the high-pitched tone was downloaded to a mobile phone. The ringtone was then passed on via text…” (paragraph three)

II:_ EXPRESSING THE MAIN IDEAS
1.- It signals that the student has got a message
2.- Technology changes every day but human nature is always the same: students usually want to take advantages from everything.

III.- LEXICON:
a.- detected
b.- gradually
c.- affectionately
d.- evidently

III.- PHONETICS:
a.- / i : / : teenagers, teachers, weapon, hear, receive, shopkeepers, leaving, piercingly
b.- / ai /: alike, mobile, signals, satisfy
c.- / ŋ /: found, ringtone, advent, attempting, being

IV.- USE OF ENGLISH:
1.- Creative and original ways to rebel against their parents and teachers have been looked for by teenagers
2.- I wish I had taken the mobile phone/ I wish I had read the message
3.- Steve asked his father if he could lend him the car
4.- Despite the fact that the text was difficult, we passed the exam
5.- If I earned more money, I could /would buy a new MP4
6.- Your bag is as nice as mine

 
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