Traductorado Literario y Técnico Científico en Inglés

LENGUA INGLESA II
PARCIAL FEBRERO 2025

Tutoras: Mariela Sanchez Reinaffé y Rosario Magaldi.

Student’s Name: Zoé Vera Guajardo DNI: 40825111

Score: ……71……./100

General Comments and Instructions.

● This exam comprises 8 pages; there are 3 sections and 6 activities.
● Read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand correctly
what you are supposed to do before you begin answering.
● Time management is vital: do not get stuck in a single activity for too
long. If you feel unconfident about a task, go on to the next one; you may
resume the unfinished activity later.
● Complete all the activities. Do not leave any task unfinished.
● Use grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules correctly.
● Proofread and edit your answers before submitting the exam.
● Remember that plagiarism or the use of AI is completely forbidden.
As mentioned in the Institution’s Code of Ethics, if AI is found to
have generated 100% of an answer, the question will not be marked.
If AI is partially detected, the score will be adjusted based on the
percentage of AI-generated content identified.
● Stay calm, stay focused, and enjoy the process.
Good luck to everyone!

Section A. Reading Comprehension.

ACTIVITY 1. Read an introduction to a book about the history of colour.

INTRODUCTION TO A BOOK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF COLOUR

This book examines how the ever-changing role of colour in

society has been reflected in manuscripts, stained glass, clothing,

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painting and popular culture. Colour is a natural phenomenon, of

course, but it is also a complex cultural construct that resists
generalization and, indeed, analysis itself. No doubt this is why
serious works devoted to colour are rare, and rarer still are those that
aim to study it in historical context. Many authors search for the
universal or archetypal truths they imagine reside in colour, but for
the historian, such truths do not exist. Colour is first and foremost a
social phenomenon. There is no transcultural truth to colour
perception, despite what many books based on poorly grasped
neurobiology or - even worse - on pseudoesoteric pop psychology
would have us believe. Such books unfortunatley clutter the
bibliography on the subject, and even do it harm.

The silence of historians on the subject of colour, or more

particularly their difficulty in conceiving colour as a subject separate
from other historical phenomena, is the result of three different sets
of problems. The first concerns documentation and preservation. We
see the colours transmitted to us by the past as time has altered
them and not as they were originally. Moreover, we see them under
light conditions that often are entirely different from those known by
past societies. And finally, over the decades we have developed the
habit of looking at objects from the past in black-and-white
photographs and, despite the current diffusion of colour photography,
our ways of thinking about and reacting to these objects seem to
have remained more or less black and white.

The second set of problems concerns methodology. As soon as

the historian seeks to study colour, he must grapple with a host of
factors all at once: physics, chemistry, materials, and techniques of
production, as well as iconography, ideology, and the symbolic
meanings that colours convey. How to make sense of all of these
elements? How can one establish an analytical model facilitating the
study of images and coloured objects? No researcher, no method, has
yet been able to resolve these problems, because among the

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numerous facts pertaining to colour, a researcher tends to select

those facts that support his study and to conveniently forget those
that contradict it. This is clearly a poor way to conduct research. And
it is made worse by the temptation to apply to the objects and images
of a given historical period information found in texts of that period.
The proper method - at least in the first phase of analysis - is to
proceed as do palaeontologists (who must study cave paintings
without the aid of texts): by extrapolating from the images and the
objects themselves a logic and a system based on various concrete
factors such as the rate of occurrence of particular objects and motifs,
their distribution and disposition. In short, one undertakes the internal
structural analysis with which any study of an image or coloured
object should begin.

The third set of problems is philosophical: it is wrong to project our

own conceptions and definitions of colour onto the images, objects
and monuments of past centuries. Our judgements and values are not
those of previous societies (and no doubt they will change again in
the future). For the writer-historian looking at the definitions and
taxonomy of colour, the danger of anachronism is very real. For
example, the spectrum with its natural order of colours was unknown
before the seventeenth century, while the notion of primary and
secondary colours did not become common until the nineteenth
century. These are not eternal notions but stages in the ever-
changing history of knowledge.

I have reflected on such issues at greater length in my previous

work, so while the present book does address certain of them, for the
most part it is devoted to other topics. Nor is it concerned only with
the history of colour in images and artworks - in any case that area
still has many gaps to be filled. Rather, the aim of this book is to
examine all kinds of objects in order to consider the different facets of
the history of colour and to show how far beyond the artistic sphere

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this history reaches. The history of painting is one thing; that of colour
is another, much larger, question. Most studies devoted to the history
of colour err in considering only the pictorial, artistic or scientific
realms. But the lessons to be learned from colour and its real interest
lie elsewhere.
(Source: CAE Handbook. Reproduced with permission from Cambridge English)

ACTIVITY 2. QUESTIONS. For questions 1-6, highlight in colour the

answer that fits best according to the text. (12 scores) SCORE: 10

1. What problems regarding colour does the writer explain in the first
paragraph? (2 scores)

A Our view of colour is strongly affected by changing fashion.

B Analysis is complicated by the bewildering number of natural colours.

C Colours can have different associations in different parts of the world.

D Certain popular books have dismissed colour as insignificant.

2. What is the first reason the writer gives for the lack of academic work
on the history of colour? (2 scores)

A There are problems of reliability associated with the artefacts available.

B Historians have seen colour as being outside their field of expertise.

C Colour has been rather looked down upon as a fit subject for academic
study.

D Very little documentation exists for historians to use.

3. The writer suggests that the priority when conducting historical

research on colour is to… (2 scores)

A ignore the interpretations of other modern day historians.

B focus one's interest as far back as the prehistoric era.

C find some way of organising the mass of available data.

D relate pictures to information from other sources.

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4. In the fourth paragraph, the writer says that the historian writing about
colour should be careful… (2 scores)

A not to analyse in an old-fashioned way.

B when making basic distinctions between key ideas.

C not to make unwise predictions.

D when using certain terms and concepts.

5. In the fifth paragraph, the writer says there needs to be further research
done on… (2 scores)

A the history of colour in relation to objects in the world around us.

B the concerns he has raised in an earlier publication.

C the many ways in which artists have used colour over the years.

D the relationship between artistic works and the history of colour.

6. An idea recurring in the text is that people who have studied colour
have… (2 scores)

A failed to keep up with scientific developments.

B not understood its global significance.

C found it difficult to be fully objective.

D been muddled about their basic aims.

Section B. Use of English.

ACTIVITY 3. Forming Nouns with Prefixes and Suffixes. Form nouns
(singular or plural) with the words in BLOCK LETTERS and the suffixes
provided below. Some words may even require a prefix. (1 score each / 10
scores) SCORE: 10

REFRESH / APPROVE / EAGER / PROCEED / SIMPLE /

SIGNIFY / BREAK / LIKELY / ANXIOUS / DEPEND

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1. Her 5,000-metre run paled into …insignificance…… when compared with the
marathon her grandfather completed the following week.

2. In her …eagerness…. to answer the phone, she almost fell down the stairs.

3. He valued his …independence….. too much to ever want to get married.

4. There is every ……likelihood……. that prices will continue to rise next year.

5. Light ……refreshments.……. will be served from 3.30 pm in the main hall.

6. It's quite natural to experience a certain amount of ……anxiety……… on your

first day at work.

7. In the interests of safety, a number of standard …procedures…… need to be

followed.

8. The ……simplicity………… of the device is what has made it so popular.

9. Customers will be required to pay for any ……breakages…………

10. Union members expressed their …disapproval……… of the management’s

offer by walking out of the meeting.

ACTIVITY 4. Equivalence at Word Level. Mona Baker (2018) provides

detailed insights on how amply the lexical meaning of words usually vary.
Based on her thorough study, write a detailed analysis of the following
clusters of words (80 words per set of terms). Add your word count below
each analysis (5 scores each / 15 scores). SCORE: 7

a) to hunt / to chase / to follow / to hound

In this cluster of words, we can agree all four verbs involve a “going after”
action. To hunt implies pursuing (a job, an animal to kill as a sport) with intent
and effort. To chase conveys more urgency and speed (chase a thief,
[REMOVE COMMA] or a car). To follow is neutral, does not implicate urgency
or effort, and can be used metaphorically (follow on insta, follow a trend).
Finally, to hound suggests a pursuit often linked to harassment. We can
conclude that these verbs differ in intent, intensity, and context. Word count: 89

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b) horror / suspicion / panic / timidity / qualm

In the first place, Horror [NO CAPITALIZATION] expresses a feeling towards

something really terrifying, Suspicion denotes a feeling of doubt and uncertainty
that something is not as it seems. Panic refers to an immediate and strong
sense of fear or anxiety which may lead us to act fast. Timidity is a personality
trait and portrays a person who lacks confidence with a low profile. Lastly, A
qualm is a feeling of unease, doubt, or moral hesitation. A qualm is a feeling of
internal debate, doubt [INSERT COMMA] and uncertainty. These abstract
nouns represent different forms of uneasy emotions. Word Count: 94

c) cold / shivery / freezing / hypothermic

Firstly, the word cold is the most general and neutral term, describes [WRONG
VERB FORM] a state of low temperature, [WRONG PUNCTUATION MARK]
Shivery is the involuntary physical reaction to cold temperatures, Freezing
denotes a more intense ‘cold' and suggests extreme discomfort due to very low
temperatures. Lastly, Hypothermic describes a medical condition where body
temperature drops dangerously low [INSERT COMMA] caused by the cold.
These words describe the body [USE THE S-GENITIVE] reactions to outside
temperature, [WRONG PUNCTUATION MARK] they vary in intensity. Word
Count: 70

ACTIVITY 5. Adverbials. Within each paragraph, insert a total number of 7

(SEVEN) adverbs and adverbials (adjuncts, conjuncts, and/or disjuncts).
Underline the words or phrases included in the texts, and indicate their
function and type between brackets. See example. (14 scores each / 28
scores) SCORE: 24

For example:

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She was the first one to arrive at the office last Monday (non-adverb adverbial
of time/when; noun phrase). She said she had eaten her breakfast very quickly
(adverbial of manner; two adverbs). If she keeps eating like this (adverbial of
condition; adverbial clause), she is going to get sick soon.

Paragraph 1 (14 scores)

Ministers will be challenged in parliament next week (non-adverb

adverbial of time/when; noun phrase) about the disturbingly (adverbial of
manner; adverb) lack of planning controls on a proposed new spate
of office-to-residential conversions that are creating thousands
of tower block homes for the immigrants(non-adverb adverbial of
purpose/why; prepositional phrase) . Nigel Crisp, the former chief
executive of the NHS in England, will question the government
on the danger of the schemes in the residential conversions
(adverbial of place/position; prepositional phrase) delivering poor housing
that risks public health. As a result (adverbial of result, prepositional
phrase) new regulations extending what are known as permitted
development rights were introduced, recently (adverbial of
time/when; adverb) allowing the conversion of disused office blocks
into new homes without full planning permission.Anyhow
[INSERT COMMA] (adverbial of concession, adverb) They do not allow
for section 106 agreements, stipulating the provision of
affordable homes.

Paragraph 2 (14 scores)

Natasha Wilkie had a new hairstyle recently (adverbial of time/when;

adverb), a short blonded bob which shone beneath a rather
rakish trilby hat. Newson thought it looked very nice and said
so. Sergeant Wilkie replied that she thought the whole thing
made her look like a boy,to be hurtful (non-adverb adverbial of
purpose/why,prepositional phrase) [INCORRECT: ADVERBIAL

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PHRASE OF RESULT OR CONSEQUENCE] which was a

ridiculous notion. Natasha Wilkie was not a girl who was ever
going to look like a boy at work (non-adverb adverbial of place/where;
prepositional phrase), no matter what hat she was wearing or how
short her hair was. Inspector Newson had been the very
(adverbial of degree; adverb) last member of the investigation team
to arrive at the murder scene, a large detached house. The
traffic had been slow and there had been a kerfuffle at the front
door when he'd been unusually (adverbial of manner; adverb)
required to show his warrant card in order to gain access that
evening (adverbial of time/when; noun phrase). This was not an
uncommon experience for Inspector Newson. He did not look
like a policeman, or at least what people think a policeman
ought to look like. One who'd achieved such seniority at a
young age. He was thirty-four years old and a detective
inspector, but despite this [INSERT COMMA] (adverbial of contrast,
adverbial phrase) at five feet four Newson was not just short for a
copper—he was short for anyone. He was pale and freckly. A
ginger, not ginger in a fierce Celtic-type manner, more ginger
in a 'look at that ginger shortarse' sort of way.

Section C. Writing.
ACTIVITY 6. Restaurant Review. Write a short review of a restaurant you
have visited. Say whether you recommend it and why. Write 150-160
words. Your review must include all the words in the box, and they must
be highlighted in yellow. (35 scores) SCORE: 20

flavour / impressive / half full / mains (main courses) / side dish / overcooked /
serve / indulge / window display / cuts of beef / clad in / marbling of fat / cost /
linen tablecloths / multi-course offerings / baffled / garlic-marinated / briefly

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Start your review here:

Located in the heart of Downtown Denver, the restaurant Guard & Grace,
hosted our Valentine’s Day dinner this year. We were barely able to get a
reservation even though we had heard about the cost!. [INCORRECT
COMBINATION OF PUNCTUATION MARKS] Getting in [INSERT COMMA] we
were briefly able to absorb the cozy but impressive [INSERT NOUN] clad in
warm wooden tones ambiance [NOT CLEAR] before being taken to our table.
We were not interested in the multi-course offerings, we were there for the cuts
of beef [INSERT COMMA] so we knew what mains we were ordering. My
boyfriend ordered the bone in [THIS SHOULD BE HYPHONATED] ribeye steak
and made emphasis on [WORDY] how little he likes overcooked steak. I got the
garlic-marinated pork tenderloin, [WRONG PUNCTUATION MARK] we shared
a side dish of mac and cheese, and a bottle of red wine. When the plates came
in [INSERT COMMA] I was afraid I was going to end up half full; nevertheless,
after indulging [INSERT COMMA] we were baffled and blown away by the
flavour of everything!. We even wanted to take the linen tablecloths as a
souvenir. I absolutely recommend this restaurant [INSERT COMMA] and if
you’re not convinced yet [INSERT COMMA] I’ll attach a picture of the steak so
you can appreciate the marbling of fat, [CHANGE PUNCTUATION MARK +
INSERT A SUBJECT] almost looks like it's from a window display!.

References

Elton, B. (2004). Past Mortem. Black Swan.

Ungoed-Thomas, J. (2024). Labour condemned for allowing ‘new generation of

slum homes’ in England. The Observer.

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