Vemos por el número de visitas registradas en el blog 

que os está siendo de gran utilidad. 

  Para los.......


.......que os ayude y os sirva para preparar y repasar la materia antes de los exámenes.







Y para los......

.......para trabajar sobre todo las nuevas pruebas EBAU, que nos acaban de legislar, en la misma línea que hacíamos con las pruebas PAU.

Os agradeceríamos que al igual que nosotros compartimos con vosotros nuestros materiales, nos enviaráis, si tenéis a bien, algunos de los que estéis trabajando con vuestros alumnos. Por supuesto, añadiríamos la procedencia de estos materiales, al igual que agradecemos cuando lo hacéis con los nuestros.

     


Cuantos más materiales difundamos a través del blog, más ayudaremos a nuestros alumnos y de paso nos facilitamos todos el trabajo!!!


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Amazon

There is no doubt that online shopping is big business. Amazon, the world’s biggest retailer, had a net sales figure of over $61 billion in 2012. The retail giant, which was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, started off as an online bookshop. Then it widened its product range to CDs, DVDs, software and other electronics. Nowadays, it sells everything from food and cosmetics to jewellery, toys and kitchen appliances.

            However, shopping online can be a problematic experience for customers. Not being able to touch the product or at least see it properly is a big disadvantage. It is often difficult to know what a product is really like until it lands on your doorstep. And then what if you don’t like it? Of course, you can send it back, but many potential customers see that as a risk.

            That’s why Amazon’s customer reviews are so important. Reviews are written by customers who have already bought and tried out the product. They are often considered more reliable than the information that you get from the manufacturer of the product because, it is claimed, the reviews are written by real people. These people take the time to praise – or warn other customers about – a product that they have spent their hard-earned money on.

            However, a recent report on National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA has revealed that the most frequent reviewers on Amazon aren’t really customers like you and me. They are people who have been sent thousands of dollars’ worth of products by manufacturers every week to use and write about on the website. Amazon has setup a system whereby top reviewers are invited to review the products that are sold on the site. Each week, they are sent a list of products available for review. The number of products is limited so you have to choose quickly if you want to get the more interesting items. Otherwise you could end up reviewing a roll of adhesive tape. Once the reviewers have chosen what they what to review, the products are sent to them by courier for free.

            These reviewers are obliged to review the products within thirty days and they are not subsequently allowed  to sell or give them away. What’s more, Amazon can ask reviewers to return the products at any time, although this has never happened. Nevertheless, before you dismiss the system as somehow dishonest or misleading, you must remember that Amazon are very clear about another requirement of their top reviewers – they insist on honest reviews that will help customers make better choices. The bottom line is better choices make happier customers.

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

       a) When Amazon was first set up, it sold books, DDs, DVDs , software and other electronics.

       b) Customers don’t mind buying online, since they can return the products they don’t like.

       c) Customers reviews are written by people who work for the manufacturers.

       d) Reviewers have a limited time to review the product.

       e) Amazon wants reviewers to tell the truth about the products they write about.

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

      

       a) number (p. 1)

       b) test, examine (p. 3)

       c) trustworthy (p. 3)

       d) found, create (p. 4)

       e) reject (p. 5)

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1. National Public Radio

      a) found out that Amazon reviewers don’t really exist.

      b) found out that top reviewers were not really normal customers.

      c) have worked as reviewers for Amazon.

2. Why do the reviewers have to choose products quickly?

      a) Because the choice of products is small and not all the products are interesting.

      b) Because Amazon sends out a list of products every week.

      c) Because most of the products are boring.

3. Reviewers

      a) can sell or give away the products.

      b) can always keep the products.

      c) have to send the product back to Amazon if asked.

4. Amazon’s customer reviews are good for business because they

      a) are never misleading.

      b) help customers to choose.

      c) make customers happy.

Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

Advantages and disadvantages of buying online.

KEY

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

       a) False. started off as an online bookshop

b) False. Of course, you can send it back, but many potential customers see that as a risk.

c) False. Reviews are written by customers who have already bought and tried out the product

       d)True. These reviewers are obliged to review the products within thirty days

       e) True. they insist on honest reviews

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

      

       a) figure

       b) try out / tried out / have tried out

       c) reliable

       d) set up / has set up

       e) dismiss

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1.   b) found out that top reviewers were not really normal customers.

2.   a) Because the choice of products is small and not all the products are interesting.

3.   c) have to send the product back to Amazon if asked.

4.   b) help customers to choose.

Rephrasing 13

Rewrite the sentences with the words in brackets. Do not change the original meaning.

    1.   I began doing pottery about a year ago. (for)

          ..............................................................................................

    2.   “Will you be going to Lynn’s party tonight?” Ron asked me. (whether)

          ..............................................................................................

    3.   We studied and then we went out. (after)

          ..............................................................................................

    4.   Why isn’t it possible for us to stay here? (can’t)

          ..............................................................................................

    5.   I doubt it took her only two hours to finish. (must)

          ..............................................................................................

    6.   “Don’t give money to this charity because it’s fake,” Steve warned. (me)

Key 

1. I’ve been doing pottery for about a year.

2. Ron asked me whether I would be going to Lynn’s party that night.

3. After we’d studied, we went out.

4. Why can’t we stay here?

5. It must have taken her more than two hours to finish. / She must have taken more than two hours to finish.

6. Steve warned me not to give money to that charity because it was fake.

Even if, even though, whether, unless or although

Translate the following sentences into English using even if, even though, whether, unless or although

1. Debes ir mañana aunque no estés listo.
2. A no ser que partamos de inmediato llegaremos tarde.
3. Si no sales de inmediato llegarás tarde.
4. A no ser que ella tuviera un permiso no podría conseguir un trabajo.
5. Si ella no tuviera un permiso no podría conseguir un trabajo
6. No nos llames si necesitas ayuda.
7. No nos llames a no ser que necesites ayuda.
8. Le preguntaré a Tom a no ser que prefieras que le pregunte a John.
9. Debes ir esta noche estés listo o no.
10. Ella no sabía si ir o quedarse.
11. Debo hacerlo aunque pueda ser difícil.
12. Aunque pueda parecer imposible, en realidad es muy fácil.
13. Ganó el campeonato de belleza aunque su belleza no sea nada del otro mundo.
14. Si no me lo das iré a la policía.
15. A no ser que me lo des iré a la policía.

KEY

1. You must go tomorrow even if you aren’t ready.
2. Unless we start at once we’ll be late.
3. If you don’t leave at once, you’ll be late.
4. Unless she had a permit, she couldn’t get a job.
5. If she didn’t have a permit, she couldn’t get a job.
6. Don’t call us if you need help.
7. Don’t call us unless you need help.
8. I’ll ask Tom unless you prefer me to ask John.
9. You must go tonight whether you are ready or not.
10. She didn’t know whether to go or to stay.
11. I must do it even though it may be difficult.
12. Even though it may seem impossible, in fact it’s quite easy.
13. She won the beauty contest although her looks are nothing out of this world.
14. If you don’t give it to me I’ll go to the police.
15. Unless you give it to me I’ll go to the police

Translation SECOND CONDITIONAL

 1.  Mi prima no tiene suficiente dinero, así que no puede comprarse un ordenador portátil. Si tuviera más dinero se lo compraría.

2. Creo que deberías decirles la verdad a tus padres. Yo en tu lugar, les diría la verdad.

3.  No vivo en una ciudad, así que no hay mucho que hacer por las noches. Si viviera en una ciudad, habría mucho que hacer.

 4. Mi abuela no comprará un perro porque vive en un piso muy pequeño. Si viviera en piso más grande, se compraría un perro.

5.  Estás muy cansado por la mañana porque te vas muy tarde a la cama. Si te fueras a la cama más pronto, no estarías tan cansado.

 6.Tardo mucho en ir al cole porque no tengo bici. Si tuviera una bici, no tardaría tanto.

Key

 1.  My cousin hasn’t got enough money, so she can’t buy a laptop. If she had more money, she would buy it.

2.  I think you should tell your parents the truth. If I were you, I would tell them the truth.

3.  I don’t live in a city, so there is not much to do in the evenings. If I lived in a city, there would be lots to do.

4.  My grandma won’t buy a dog because she lives in a small flat. If she lived in a bigger flat, she would buy a dog.

5. You are very tired because you go to bed very late. If you went to bed earlier, you wouldn’t be so tired.

6 It takes me very long to get to school because I haven’t got a bike. If I had  a bike, it wouldn’t take me so long.

Rephrasing 12

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence.

      1.   The vet is checking my dog’s eyes today.

             I’m .....................................................................................................................  .

      2.   When did researchers start tracking the wolves?

             How long .......................................................................................................  ?

      3.   I got the job only because of you.

             If it .....................................................................................................................  .

      4.   “Don’t put your hands into the tiger enclosure.”

             The zookeeper warned us ..........................................................................  .

      5.   It’s too bad we weren’t able to pet the lion.

             I wish ................................................................................................................  .

      6.   We must stop deforestation.

             Deforestation ..................................................................................................  .

KEY

    1.   having / getting my dog’s eyes checked today

    2.   have researchers been tracking the wolves / have the wolves been tracked by researchers

    3.   hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t have got the job

    4.   not to put our hands into the tiger enclosure

    5.   we had been able to pet the lion / we could have petted the lion

    6.   must be stopped

Researchers Test Mobile Phone Games

Researchers in the United States and China are exploring how games on mobile phones can be used to teach children the Chinese language. The results may help promote the idea of mobile phones as learning devices, especially in rural areas of China.

            Computer scientists from Carnegie Mellon, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed two mobile learning games inspired by traditional Chinese games that emphasize cooperative playing, songs, and handmade objects. The Chinese language is more complex than most other languages because it uses 6,000 characters, each corresponding to a syllable or word. One game, Multimedia Word, has the player recognize and write a Chinese character correctly, based on hints such as a sketch or photo. A second game, Drumming Stroke, has a group of players practice writing Chinese characters in turns; participants must write stroke of the character in the correct order and then pass the mobile phone to the next player within the beat of a drum.

            Initially, the games were tested with children in Xin'an, China. Later, the testing was done at a private school in Beijing. In both cases the games showed that students could improve their knowledge of Chinese characters. ‘We believe that the cooperative learning encouraged by the games contributed to character learning,’ said Matthew Kam, assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science's Human-Computer Interaction Institute and project director. ‘The results of our studies suggest that further development of these games could make inexpensive mobile phones important learning tools, particularly for children in underdeveloped rural areas.’

            Despite their small screens and low computing power, Kam said, mobile phones could become a major educational resource as wireless carriers and mobile phone manufacturers extend sales into ever more rural areas of the globe.

            The use of mobile phone-based games for teaching English literacy has also been investigated to rural children in India and Kenya.

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

       a) One of the games gives the players clues on how to write the characters.

       b) Cooperative learning in itself helps improve character adquisition.

       c) The devices used do not necessarily have to cost much money.

       d) Children outside cities are the ones who could make the most out of these games.

       e) The bigger the screen, the better the learning of Chinese characters may get.

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

      

       a) to focus on (par.2)

       b) orderly (par.2)

       c) additional (par.3)

       d) gadget (par.3)

       e) to broaden, to develop (par.4)

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

      

1.     Researchers say that mobile phones could become important

a)     learning tools.

b)    entertainment devices

c)     means of communication.

2.     The learning games have been designed according to

a)     Chinese letters.

b)    Chinese computers.

c)     Chinese games.

3.     Chinese is a difficult language because it has

a)     complex vowels.

b)    so many characters.

c)     many letters.

4.     The use of mobile phones for the development of literacy has also been investigated

a)     in connection with poverty.

b)    in other countries.

c)     by the Chinese

Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

Education is a key factor in the development of a country. Do you agree?

KEY

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and  write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

       a) TRUE “One game, Multimedia Word, has the player recognize and write a Chinese character correctly, based on hints such as a sketch or photo.”

       b) FALSE “ cooperative learning encouraged by the games contributed to character learning.”

       c) TRUE “these games could make inexpensive mobile phones important learning tools”

       d) TRUE “particularly for children in underdeveloped rural areas.”

       e) FALSE “ Despite their small screens […] mobile phones could become a major educational resource”

      

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

      

       a) (to) emphasize

       b) in turns/ in the correct order

       c) further

       d) tool(s)

       e) (to) extend

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1. a) learning tools.

     

2. c) Chinese games.

     

3. b) so many characters.

     

4. b) in other countries.

      

Use of English

Complete the sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first, using the bold word. Do not change the bold word.

1. It wasn’t a habit of him to arrive late. (use)

He

2. I couldn’t rescue the cat on the tree. (able)

I

3. An improvement in his behaviour is expected. (improve)

We expect that

4. This is the first time I’ve been invited to Paul’s! (never)

I before!

5. He felt better after talking with her. (had)

After

6. My hairdresser usually cuts my hair. (have)

I

7. It is said that the weather will improve.(to)

The

8. He definitely knew what was happening.(have)

He must

9. The plane arrives just before 11:00. (will)

By 11:00

10. His employer was very nice. I’ve forgotten her name. (whose)

His employer,

11. Charles went to prison in 2000. (since)

Charles

12. It is possible that he escaped.(could)

He

13. We sat on some chairs. They weren’t very comfortable. (which)

The chairs

14. My sister always teaches me maths before the exams. (by)

I

15. Although he was late, he was allowed to enter the competition. (despite)

He

Key

1. He didn’t use to arrive late.
2. I wasn’t able to rescue the cat on the tree.
3. We expect that his behaviour will improve.
4. I have never been invited to Paul’s before!
5. After he had talked with her, he felt better.
6. I usually have my hair cut.
7. The weather is said to improve.
8. He must have known what was happening.
9. By 11:00 the plane will have arrived.
10. His employer, whose name I’ve forgotten, was very nice.
11. Charles has been in prison since 2000.
12. He could have escaped.
13. The chairs on which we sat weren’t very comfortable.
14. I am always taught maths before the exams by my sister’s.
15. He was allowed to enter the competition despite being late.