EBAU JUNIO 2018

OPCIÓN DE EXAMEN Nº 1

How to Cope with an Excess of Emails

Email is over 30 years old and hasn’t changed that much since its invention. But over the years we have been letting it take over our lives. It started out as a basic electronic messaging system, and we now use it to communicate everything – from the simplest to the most complex messages. Many of us email people we sit next to in the office instead of talking face to face, and new emails interrupt whatever we are doing.

About 269 billion emails are sent daily, which means almost 2.4 million emails are sent every second. So it’s hardly surprising that email overload is now a major cause of stress and disruption. People either feel they can never completely disconnect, or find they are incapable of answering all their new emails.

There are a few approaches people use to help deal with email overload, like simply ignoring unwanted messages, trying to answer all emails immediately or checking their account constantly. Most of these approaches, and especially constantly checking email, can be bad for your health and well-being. Distraction from emails has helped reduce our concentration to eight seconds – less than that of a goldfish – according to a Microsoft study in 2015.

Since email has been around for so long we assume everyone knows how to use it effectively. But do they? Here are some ways to start changing your email behaviour: Firstly, turn off all new email alerts and set aside quality time to deal with the inbox. Secondly, move emails out to a folder as you deal with them (from reading to responding). Use your software to filter out all unimportant emails automatically.

Another essential option is to think before sending a message – Is email the best way to communicate? If not, use an alternative like actually having a chat in person. Finally, make it easy for people to reply properly – keep it short – try limiting yourself to five lines, and only mention essential topics or questions. Within that, make sure your message is structured, spell-checked and focused on a single topic.

The Guardian, 6th November 2017 (Adapted)

Question 1: [2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are TrUE or FAlSE and write down whichpart of the text justifies your answer.

a) Email is radically different now from when it started.
b) One reason that causes people stress is that they find it difficult to take a break from emails.
c) The author suggests you should simply not pay attention to certain messages.
d) Emails have increased our ability to focus on things according to the Microsoft study.

Question 2: [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text. 

a)What problems with email does the text mention?
b) How does the author suggest people should deal with their email problems?

Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a) to allow (paragraph 1).
b) each (paragraph 2)
c) straightaway (paragraph 3)
d) to suppose (paragraph 4)
e) correctly (paragraph 5)

Question 4: [1,5 POINTS] Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d for each question and COPY the sentence onto your answer sheet.

1. The text says that…

a) only a few people email colleagues who they work closely with.
b) a lot of people email colleagues who they work closely with.
c) some people never email colleagues who they work closely with.
d) most people rarely email colleagues who they work closely with.

2. If people are constantly looking at their emails,…

a) it might affect their health negatively.
b) it will definitely affect their health negatively.
c) it would have affected their health negatively.
d) it will always influence their health negatively.

3. The author suggests that people will find it easier to reply…

a) despite your answer being short and focused.
b) as long as your answer is short and focused.
c) although your answer is short and focused.
d) whether your answer is short and focused or not.

Question 5: [3 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

– What are the advantages and disadvantages of communicating with your friends electronically?

OPCIÓN DE EXAMEN Nº 2

Street Art Finds Permanent Home in Berlin

For decades, street art has been an essential part of Berlin’s cultural DNA. West Berliners would write messages of resistance along the Wall in the 1980s, and, after reunification, creative thinkers used the bombarded buildings of the east part of the city to express themselves. This earned Berlin a reputation as the world’s graffiti mecca and today, millions of tourists flock to the city to see its biggest street art attractions.

Now, a brand new museum offers street and urban art lovers another reason to visit Berlin. The Museum for Urban Contemporary Art opened in the Schöneberg neighbourhood on September 16, 2017. The project was made possible through the efforts of the Berliner leben Foundation and Yasha Young, the well-known gallerist. They renovated the museum space with the help of a €1 million grant from the Berlin lottery, which encourages culture in the city.

But this isn’t just a place to go and see the illegal graffiti commonly associated with street art. The new museum is home to some of the best examples of urban contemporary art from around the globe, showing how the art form has evolved since its early days in the 1970s to now include digital works, hyper-realistic paintings, sculpture and more. “I wanted to give urban contemporary art an archive where one could actually research the history much longer and much later. This project was 10 years in the making,” said Young, who is now the museum’s executive creative director.

Young worked with 10 museum curators to select 150 artists whose work is on display. For her, the museum was also an opportunity to raise the profile of these artists and preserve their work in a permanent collection. “It was a long process, and we worked until we found we had made a good varied selection of works to give a broad overview,” Young said. “We wanted to elevate work that isn’t necessarily considered by many people to be art, give these artists institutional recognition and make them part of a museum collection.”

Additionally, the new museum is designed to fit into Berlin’s street art scene. The art is not limited to the inside of the museum — in fact, Young made it a point to have creativity spilling out into the streets. The building’s facade is made up of panels that will display rotating murals, and the museum has commissioned several artists to create artworks in the surrounding blocks of Schöneberg.

USA Today, 7th November (Adapted)

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE and write down whichpartof the text justifies your answer.

a) The importance of street art in Berlin is a very recent phenomenon.
b) The new museum only displays exhibits from Germany.
c) Graffiti is the only type of exhibit on display in the new museum.
d) Some of the exhibits at the new museum are outside the actual building.

Question 2: [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text.

a) Why is Berlin known for street art?
b) What different things make the new museum special?

Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a) vital (paragraph 1)
b) famous (paragraph 2)
c) generally (paragraph 3)
d) to keep (paragraph 4)
e) what`s more (paragraph 5)

Question 4: [1,5 POINTS] Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d for each question and COPY the sentence onto your answer sheet.

1. The text says that…

a) many people visit the city of Berlin because of its street art.
b) many people visit the city of Berlin despite its street art.
c) many people visit the city of Berlin in order to create new street art.
d) many people will not visit the city of Berlin unless more street art is created.

2. Yasha Young …

a) worked completely on her own to choose the works for the new museum.
b) worked with a small team of museum staff to choose the works for the new museum.
c) worked with a very large group of artists to choose the works for the new museum.
d) worked with a group of more than one hundred museum staff to choose the works for the museum.

3. Various artists…

a) have asked to create artwork in the Schöneberg neighbourhood.
b) have been asked to create artwork in the Schöneberg neighbourhood.
c) have to be asked to create artwork in the Schöneberg neighbourhood.
d) have to ask to create artwork in the Schöneberg neighbourhood.

Question 5: [3 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

– Do you think traditional museums should change to make them more attractive to younger people? Justify your opinion.