Prueba de evaluación de Bachillerato para el

acceso a la Universidad (EBAU)

INGLÉS II

Se deberá escoger la Opción A completa o la Opción B completa. TODAS las preguntas deberán responderse en el
pliego de respuestas, NO en esta hoja.

OPCIÓN A

Eating out

Not so long ago, going to a restaurant was a rare event for most British people. Regular eating out was
restricted to the richest section of society. By now, a far larger number of people do it. But because of this history,
there remains an element of snobbery related to it. Merely being in an expensive restaurant sometimes seems to be
more important to people than the food eaten in it. And in such restaurants, and even some less expensive ones, in a
country where few public notices appear in any language other than English, you find a unique phenomenon: many
of the dishes have non-English names, most commonly French (reflecting the general high regard for French
cuisine).
Very few restaurants in Britain could be described as British. They do not serve distinctively British food, so
the names of the dishes are not in English. History may help to explain this fact. Because they did it so rarely,
people wanted something different when they went out to eat. By now, people have got used to several kinds of
‘ethnic’ cuisine and Britain’s towns and cities are almost totally dominated by restaurants offering them. Even the
smallest towns have at least one Indian restaurant, one Italian, and probably a Chinese one as well. Thai restaurants
have also become numerous in recent decades.
Apart from pubs, only three types of distinctively British eating places exist. One offers mostly fried food of
the ‘English breakfast’ type, and for this reason it is sometimes known as a ‘greasy spoon’. Second, there is the fish
and chip shop, used mainly for take-away meals. Again, the fish is fried. Finally, there are establishments in the
centre of towns which are commonly referred to as ‘tea rooms’. They are open only during the day and serve cakes
and other light snacks (and, of course, tea).

• QUESTIONS. Do not copy literally from the text. (1 punto por respuesta = 4 puntos)
1. What attitude did the British use to take towards eating out?
2. According to the text, in what way is eating out an act of snobbery?
3. Why can’t most restaurants in Britain be considered British?
4. Where can you find typical British food?

• EXERCISES

5. Fill in the gaps with the correct, most appropriate word in each case. (0,25 por acierto = 1 punto)

Britain and good food are two things (A) _____ are not commonly associated. Most visitors to Britain seem
to agree that the food is terrible. Why? The answer cannot be that British tastes are different (B) _____
everybody else’s. The (C) _____ frequent complaint is not that British food has a strange, unpleasant taste,
but (D) _____ that it has very little taste.

6. Rephrase the following sentences so that their meaning is as similar to the original as possible. (0,25 por acierto
= 1 punto)
A) Jerry didn’t steal the jewels. He didn’t know where the key to the safe was.
Jerry can’t…
B) Tom’s level of English was not good enough so, as a result, he was not given the job.
If Tom’s level of English had…
C) The Prime Minister was to have opened the new national museum.
The new national museum was…
D) I ate all the ice-cream and now I regret it.
I wish…

7. Write a composition about the following topic (100-120 words). (4 puntos)

Some people like to eat in restaurants, others like to eat at home. Which do you prefer? Why?

Universidad de Oviedo
Prueba de evaluación de Bachillerato para el acceso a la Universidad
2017-2018
 Prueba de evaluación de Bachillerato para el
acceso a la Universidad (EBAU)
Curso 2017-2018

OPCIÓN B

Spain

It has long been a cliché that Spain is a great place to live but a terrible country to work. One Spanish
researcher concludes that the clichés about Spain are more or less true. ‘Despite the crisis, the country is still a great
place to live: the climate, the food, the healthcare and education systems, the way people socialize… But let’s admit
it: working practices are poor, we’re not really professional about our work,’ she says. Over the last eight years, as
the economic crisis has grown deeper, many of those lucky enough still to have a job are finding themselves
working harder, often for lower wages and with fewer resources in favour of greater competitiveness.
Spaniards sleep fewer hours and work longer days than their European neighbours, but are less productive.
Instead of looking to do our best at work, ours is a culture of being seen to be working. The typical Spanish working
day tends to be from around 8.30 or 9 am to around 1.30 pm and then again from 4.30 or 5 pm to around 8 pm. Most
people tend to go home for lunch. The Spanish tradition of long lunches and afternoon breaks has been challenged in
recent years. Increased competition from other European and worldwide markets has resulted in many employers
abandoning long established practices in favour of the intensive working day, where employees –particularly if you
are an employee in an office in the city– have a short lunch break of around 30 minutes (they eat lunch at work), and
finish earlier in the afternoon.
At the same time, Spain fails to attract overseas talent, while tens of thousands of well-educated Spanish
youngsters are going abroad in search of work. The country also has one of the European Union’s highest school
drop-out rates and a work culture hostile to the needs of families with young children.

• QUESTIONS. Do not copy literally from the text. (1 punto por respuesta = 4 puntos)
1. What evidence given in the text supports the idea that Spain is a good place to live?
2. In what ways are workers in Spain different from their colleagues abroad?
3. Describe the typical Spanish working day, and say how the working day is changing if you work in an office in
the city.
4. What is the situation of the Spanish youth as described in the text?

• EXERCISES

5. Fill in the gaps with the correct, most appropriate word in each case. (0,25 por acierto = 1 punto)

Productivity would increase if office hours (A) _____ more rational. The (B) _____ is to move towards a
more compact working day (C) _____ reducing lunch breaks. Bringing the prime-time slot on TV earlier by
one hour to 8 pm, (D) _____ in the rest of Europe or North America, would also help.

6. Rephrase the following sentences so that their meaning is as similar to the original as possible. (0,25 por acierto
= 1 punto)
A) It’s a pity she did not insure her personal computer.
She wishes…
B) It isn’t necessary to translate every word.
You…
C) The new managing director is going to offer Sue a full-time job.
Sue is…
D) I couldn’t drink the coffee because it was too hot.
The coffee was…

7. Write a composition about the following topic (100-120 words). (4 puntos)

Describe your dream job

Universidad de Oviedo
Prueba de evaluación de Bachillerato para el acceso a la Universidad
2017-2018