Getting ready for the EBAU test

Especial EBAU

As we usually do, here is our last entry of the year with tips and hints for the test. 

We have adapted it to the new format, of course!!!! 

We hope they'll help you get a high mark!!!

Click on each question below and a new window will open with tips to succeed on your EBAU test

QUESTION 1   QUESTION 2   QUESTION 3   QUESTION 4

Toblerone's trim: Is this the thin end of the wedge?

Here's the good news. There's no need to plan your January diet this year. The food brands are doing it for you. They're selling you a slimmed down version of their product for the same price.

            So while the checkout till rings up the same total as usual, your shopping bag may be considerably lighter because manufacturers are shaving costs by giving us slightly less chocolate, or fish or ice cream, in what looks like the usual packet. It's known as "shrinkflation". If the portion size is getting stingier - shrinking - but the price stays the same, then you're effectively paying more - inflation.

            For instance, as you'll no doubt have heard, the Toblerone is being redesigned for the UK market; its Alpine peaks are being eroded to compensate for the rising cost of ingredients, and a lighter bar is being sold for the same price. The 400g bar is now a 360g bar and instead of 15 peaks it boasts only 11.

            But - and here's the bad news - there could be more of it to come. According to the consumer organisation Which?, several brands were guilty of this "sneaky way of increasing prices" last year. Tropicana reduced the size of its Orange and Raspberry juice by 15%, packets of McVitie's Digestive dark chocolate biscuits lost around 10% in weight, and Princes is putting less mackerel in each of its tins. But thanks to the pound's recent weakness and higher costs of ingredients, manufacturers may be tempted to go further.

            "I think it's going to happen even more," says Ratula Chakraborty, retail specialist at the University of East Anglia. Manufacturers want to keep their prices low, and inflation is happening, commodity prices are changing, so who is going to pay for it? It will be you and I who pay for it." She thinks we should keep an eye on products across the board in coming months."I would say we should be watching out everywhere, food products, fresh produce, household products, grocery products."

            Toblerone's owner Mondelez says,” It is cost pressures that are behind the change. Cocoa in particular has risen sharply in price over the last decade. And the weaker pound since the UK's vote to leave the EU means it's even more expensive to pay for those kinds of raw ingredients on the world market.”

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. Food packets change according to the amount of the product inside.

b. The Toblerone bar will be smaller everywhere.

c. Some other brands reduced the weight of their products before Toblerone did it.

d. The pound’s instability will encourage manufacturers to go on with this practice.

e. Ratula Chakraborty is afraid that "shrinkflation" will be applied to a lot more products in the future.

Question 2 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. to reduce (par.1)             

b. tricky, dishonest  (par.4)    

c. to attract, invite (par.4)

d. to look closely (par.5)     

e. unprocessed (par.6)

Question 3 (2 points) Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text

1.  Shrinkflation occurs …

a.    when the portion gets smaller and the price stays the same.

b.    if you pay more.

c.    unless the portion gets smaller.

      2.  Toblerone bar in the UK …

a.    is heavier and has fewer peaks

b.    has more alpine peaks

c.    weighs less and has fewer peaks

       3.  Mondelez said …

a.    it is getting easier and easier to pay for the ingredients they need to manufacture the bar

b.    the price of cocoa is higher and higher

c.    the pound is getting stronger and stronger

      4.  Ratula Chakraborty believes shrinkfation is ….. in the future

a.    not going to happen

b.    more likely to happen

c.    stopping

Question 4 (4 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

“We should think in advance what we need before going to the shops”. What do you think?

KEY

Question 1

a) False. “manufacturers are shaving costs by giving us slightly less chocolate, or fish or ice cream, in what looks like the usual packet.

b) False. “, the Toblerone is being redesigned for the UK market”

c) True. “Tropicana reduced the size of its Orange and Raspberry juice by 15%, packets of McVitie's Digestive dark chocolate biscuits lost around 10% in weight, and Princes is putting less mackerel in each of its tins.”

d) True. “She thinks we should keep an eye on products across the board in coming months."I would say we should be watching out everywhere, food products, fresh produce, household products, grocery products."

e) True "I think it's going to happen even more," says Ratula Chakraborty or “She thinks we should keep an eye on products across the board in coming months”

Question 2

a) Slimmed down / to Slim down

b) Sneaky

c) Tempted / to tempt

d) Watching out / to watch out

e) Raw

Question 3

1.  a  when the portion gets smaller and the price stays the same.

2.  c   weighs less and has fewer peaks

3.  b  the price of cocoa is higher and higher

4.  b  more likely to happen

Qantas Airline to offer free in-flight Netflix and Spotify

     In-flight wi-fi has revolutionised the flying experience - your 239 Instagram followers must no longer be neglected for 11 hours straight, and you’d never step off a long flight to a barrage of online abuse, like one woman did three years ago. However, one airline has taken in-flight entertainment to new heights with the introduction of free Netflix and Spotify for passengers.

 
     Qantas Airline’s passengers will soon be able to continue binge-watching their favourite TV shows and listen to over 30 million songs from a height of 35,000 feet. The Australian Airline has teamed up with subscription sites Netflix and Spotify, as well as Australian TV app Foxtel, to offer passengers much more entertainment than you usually find on-board.

 
     While you have to pay for all three services normally, anyone can sign up for a free trial - you get 30 days without paying on Spotify and Netflix, and three days on Foxtel. The service will be rolled out on Qantas’ domestic flights later the month, along with superfast wi-fi that will reportedly be ten times faster than existing in-flight wi-fi. The rest of the airline’s domestic Boeing 737s and Airbus A330 aircrafts will be kitted out with the new technology from this summer.

 
Excitingly for non-Australians, Qantas says it’s looking into installing the new services on international flights too. “We know that email, online shopping and general web browsing will be popular uses when we switch on wi-fi,” said Olivia Worth, Qantas group executive of marketing. “But what a lot of people relish about flying is being able to catch up on their favourite TV shows or watch movies they didn’t get to see at the cinema.”

 
     Airlines are now battling to keep up with each other’s technological developments - last November, British Airways announced it would be launching super-fast in-flight wi-fi and Netflix on its short-haul flights, as wi-fi is already available for passengers taking short flights with Lufthansa and Norwegian. 

 
     As more and more travellers download films and TV shows to their phones, tablets and laptops to bring on-board, some airlines are even ditching seat-back screens because people simply aren’t using them as much any more. What could be next? In-flight virtual reality and dating apps? (from independent.co.uk)

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) Three years ago, one woman was accused of harassing people online while she was flying.

b) People travelling with Qantas airline can watch TV and listen to songs while they fly.

c) All domestic Qantas flights will start offering the service this month.

d) Airlines want to use the technological developments that other airlines use.

e) Every airline is getting rid of seat-back screens.

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


a) to ignore (par. 1)                    b) to study (par. 4)         c) to like (par. 4)          
d) to begin (par. 5)                     e) to abandon (par. 6)


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


1. Superfast wi-fi  ...
      a) is said to be ten times faster than existing in-flight wi-fi.
      b) is ten times faster  than existing in-flight wi-fi.
      c) is reported to have been ten times faster than existing in-flight wi-fi.
2. The new technology .... before the summer.
      a) will be used in both domestic and international flights
      b)will be used only in all domestic flights
      c)will be used only in some domestic flights
3. In-flight wi-fi will most frequently be used ...
      a) to install new services.
      b) to catch up with friends.
      c) to watch the films and TV shows that they missed.
4. Seat-back screens ...
      a) will be kept in all airlines.
      b) aren’t being used as much as they used to be.
      c) are being swapped to tablets.



Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
Internet has changed the way we travel. What do you think?
 
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. you’d never step off a long flight to a barrage of online abuse, like one woman did three years ago
       b) False. Qantas Airline’s passengers will soon be able to continue binge-watching their favourite TV shows and listen to over 30 million songs from a height of 35,000 feet
       c) False. The rest of the airline’s domestic Boeing 737s and Airbus A330 aircrafts will be kitted out with the new technology from this summer.
       d) True Airlines are now battling to keep up with each other’s technological developments
       e) False. some airlines are even ditching seat-back screens



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

a) to neglect
b) to look into
c) to relish
d) to launch
e) to ditch


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

1. a  is said to be ten times faster than existing in-flight wi-fi.
2. c  will be used only in some domestic flights
3. c  to watch the films and TV shows that they missed.
4  b  aren’t being used as much as they used to be.

rephrasing 18

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

       1.  “I’m leaving my house now,” Anne told me. (that)

                                                                                                                                                           

       2.  Her daughter has painted some beautiful paintings. (by)

                                                                                                                                                           

       3.  Cheryl’s dress is being made by a designer. (having)

                                                                                                                                                           

       4.  Scientists will find solutions to the problem before 2020. (By 2020,)

                                                                                                                                                           

       5.  I can’t watch the game if they don’t repair my TV. (unless)

                                                                                                                                                           

       6.  It’s too bad that you didn’t pass your driving test. (wish)

                                                                                                                                                           

       7.  My friend Thomas speaks Italian fluently. We met him in Florence. (who)

                                                                                                                                                           

       8.  I’m sure he threw away that book. (must)

                                                                                                                                                           

KEY

1.  Anne told me that she was leaving her house then.

2.  Some beautiful paintings have been painted by her daughter.

3.  Cheryl is having her dress made by a designer.

4.  By 2020, scientists will have found solutions to the problem.

5.  Unless they repair my TV, I can’t watch the game. / I can’t watch the game unless they repair my TV.

6.  I wish you had passed your driving test.

7.  My friend Thomas, who we met in Florence, speaks Italian fluently.

8.  He must have thrown away that book.

A pill that has similar effects to exercising to be a reality soon

Not a fan of gymming? Then, you may be happy to know that scientists may be one step closer to developing a pill that delivers the same health benefits as a work out. Everyone knows that exercise improves health, and research continues to uncover increasingly detailed information on its benefits for metabolism, circulation, and improved functioning of organs such as the heart, brain, and liver. With this knowledge in hand, scientists may be better equipped to develop ‘exercise pills’ that could mimic at least some of the beneficial effects of physical exercise on the body, but a review of current development efforts ponders whether such pills will achieve their potential therapeutic impact, at least in the near future.

Researchers have recognized the need for exercise pills for some time and this is an achievable goal based on their improved understanding of the molecular targets of physical exercise, says coauthor Ismail Laher of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Several laboratories are developing exercise pills, which at this early stage are being tested in animals to primarily target skeletal muscle performance and improve strength and energy use–essentially producing stronger and faster muscles.                                  

But of course the benefits of exercise are far greater than its effects on only muscles.

Clearly people derive many other rewarding experiences from exercise, such as increased cognitive function, bone strength, and improved cardiovascular function, adding that it is unrealistic to expect that exercise pills will fully be able to substitute for physical exercise at least not in the immediate future. While exercise pills may provide some benefits for people in the general population, they might be especially helpful for those who are unable to exercise for a variety of reasons.

A Can you find synonyms for these words in the text?

1.Advantages

2.Training, exercise

3.To reveal

4.Phase

5.Completely

B Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?

1.  All the information about the benefits of exercise has already been revealed.

2. It is clear to all the researchers that exercise pills will have the effect they are supposed to have.

3. The new pills are being used just now to make animal muscles stronger.

4.  Researchers have discovered how exercise affects our molecules.

5  People shouldn´t use the pills as a complete substitute for real work out.

KEY

A 1. Benefits      2. Work out    3. To uncover     4. Stage      5. Fully

B 1. False       2. False      3. True       4. True        5. True

COMPARISON

TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES

 1  Algunas personas piensan que el chino es el idioma más difícil.

2.  Se me dan mejor las matemáticas que la química.

3.  Daniel es una de las personas más inteligentes que he conocido en mi vida.

4.  Deberías ir en tren. Sería mucho más barato.

5.  La vida en aquella ciudad se hacía cada vez más dura.

6  ¿Cuántas personas van a venir a la fiesta? Cuantas más mejor.

7.   Ana es una de mis mejores amigas.

8.  Este diccionario es mucho más útil que el que teníamos antes.

9.  Cuanto más frío hace más hambre me entra.

10.  Esta pregunta es más fácil de responder que la número dos.

  

KEY

1.  Some people think that Chinese is the most difficult language.

2.   I’m better at maths than at chemistry.

3. Daniel is one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met.

4.You should go by train. It would be much cheaper.

5. Life in that town was becoming harder and harder.

6.   How many people are coming to the party? The more the merrier.

7. Ana is one of my best friends.

8 This dictionary is much more useful than the one we had before.

9.The colder it is the hungrier I get.

10.This question is easier to answer than number two.