I85PREP
⌘ K
Andalusia PAU English study materials
Andalusia PAU English study resources

Andalusia PAU English practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Andalusia PAU English understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Málaga's council voted to pedestrianise the city centre in 2019. Shopkeepers feared a drop in trade, but three years later footfall had risen by 40% and several empty premises had reopened. Residents, however, complain that rents in the old town have doubled.' Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?

  1. Pedestrianisation always increases footfall in city centres.
  2. Rents in Málaga's old town are now unaffordable for most residents.
  3. The pedestrianisation of Málaga's centre produced clear commercial gains alongside significant social costs. Correct answer.
  4. Málaga's shopkeepers were wrong to oppose the pedestrianisation project.

Explanation

A main-idea option must cover the whole passage, not one detail. The text balances two findings: commercial improvement (footfall, reopened shops) and a negative consequence (rising rents). Only the first option captures both sides in one statement.

Question 2Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The olive harvest in Jaén now starts weeks earlier than it did in the 1980s. Farmers say the fruit ripens sooner, but the earlier picking yields less oil per kilo. Cooperative managers suspect the shift is linked to milder autumns.' What is the main purpose of this passage?

  1. To explain in detail how olive oil is pressed
  2. To report an observed change in harvest timing and the concerns it raises Correct answer.
  3. To compare Jaén with other olive-producing regions
  4. To persuade readers to buy olive oil from Jaén

Explanation

The passage presents a phenomenon (earlier harvest), a consequence (less oil per kilo) and a suspected cause, which is the classic structure of an informative report. It does not argue a position, give a process description, or draw regional comparisons.

Question 3Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Alhambra receives over two million visitors a year. Since 2020, tickets have been sold in timed slots, and night visits are limited to a few hundred people. Guides say the experience is calmer, though some tourists complain that spontaneity has been lost.' Which statement is directly supported by the passage?

  1. Timed entry slots were introduced in 2020. Correct answer.
  2. Night visits are no longer permitted.
  3. The Alhambra now receives fewer than one million visitors annually.
  4. All tourists prefer the new system.

Explanation

An explicit-information question is answered by a sentence actually present in the text. The passage states that since 2020 tickets have been sold in timed slots, which matches the first option exactly.

Question 4Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Seville's tapas culture is often presented as a purely social ritual. Yet historians point out that small portions were originally a practical response to a lack of refrigeration: food was served in quantities that would be eaten immediately.' What can be inferred about the origin of tapas?

  1. Tapas were invented by restaurant owners to increase profits.
  2. Practical concerns about food preservation played a role in its development. Correct answer.
  3. Tapas have always been served for purely social reasons.
  4. Refrigeration was common in Seville before tapas appeared.

Explanation

An inference must follow from clues in the text without being stated outright. The passage links small portions to a lack of refrigeration and to eating food immediately, which implies a practical preservation motive.

Question 5Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Granada's Sierra Nevada ski resort closed its highest runs during the 2023 season. The resort's director blamed unusually warm temperatures, while environmental groups argued that artificial snow-making had masked the problem for years.' What is the purpose of quoting both the director and the environmental groups?

  1. To advertise the resort's highest ski runs
  2. To describe the technical process of making artificial snow
  3. To show that environmental groups are always right
  4. To present two contrasting explanations for the same situation Correct answer.

Explanation

When a text gives two voices on one issue, the usual purpose is to set competing perspectives side by side. The director blames weather while the groups blame snow-making, so the contrast is the point.

Question 6Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Camino de Santiago attracted a record number of walkers last year. Local councils welcome the income but warn that paths and villages are struggling to cope with the volume. Some pilgrims now book accommodation months in advance.' Which sentence best summarises the passage?

  1. Growing numbers on the Camino bring economic benefits but also pressure on infrastructure. Correct answer.
  2. Local councils want to limit the number of walkers.
  3. Pilgrims should stop booking accommodation so far in advance.
  4. The Camino de Santiago is the most popular walking route in Europe.

Explanation

A summary must combine the passage's main strands: record numbers, income welcomed, and strain on paths and villages. The first option captures both the benefit and the pressure.

Question 7Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'In Andalusian secondary schools, English is now taught partly through content subjects such as history and science. Supporters say pupils use the language for real tasks; critics worry that weaker students fall behind in the subject itself.' Which statement is directly stated in the passage?

  1. All Andalusian schools have abandoned traditional English lessons.
  2. History is the most common subject taught in English.
  3. Some people believe weaker pupils may struggle with the subject content. Correct answer.
  4. Content-based teaching has been proven to raise exam results.

Explanation

This question asks for information explicitly present. The passage says critics worry weaker students fall behind in the subject itself, which matches the first option.

Question 8Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Doñana wetlands depend on water from rivers that also supply nearby strawberry farms. Each dry year sharpens the dispute between conservationists and growers. Recent agreements have reduced some water use, but scientists say the marshes are still shrinking.' What does the passage suggest about the agreements?

  1. They have no connection to water use in the area.
  2. They were rejected by the conservationists.
  3. They represent progress but have not yet solved the underlying problem. Correct answer.
  4. They have fully resolved the dispute between the two sides.

Explanation

The passage calls the agreements a partial step ('reduced some water use') while noting scientists say the marshes keep shrinking. The inference is that progress has been made but the core problem persists.

Question 9Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Flamenco is often described as Spain's national music. In fact, its roots lie in a specific region, Andalusia, and it grew from the interaction of several communities over centuries. Tourists who see a single show may miss how varied the tradition is.' What is the author's main point about flamenco?

  1. Tourists should not be allowed to watch flamenco shows.
  2. Flamenco is not really Spanish music at all.
  3. Its regional and mixed origins make it more complex than the national label suggests. Correct answer.
  4. Flamenco has a single, clearly identifiable founder.

Explanation

The author corrects the 'national' label by stressing regional roots and centuries of interaction among communities, then adds that a single show hides this variety. The main point is complexity versus simplification.

Question 10Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'A study of Andalusian coastal towns found that beaches with dune systems suffered less damage during winter storms. The dunes absorbed wave energy, whereas sea walls in neighbouring towns redirected it. The authors argue that restoration of dunes should be prioritised over concrete defences.' What is the authors' purpose?

  1. To prove that winter storms are becoming more frequent
  2. To describe the construction of sea walls in detail
  3. To criticise the residents of coastal towns
  4. To argue for a change of approach in coastal protection Correct answer.

Explanation

The final sentence states a recommendation based on the study's evidence, which signals an argumentative purpose. The comparison of dunes and walls serves that recommendation.

Question 11Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'When the council removed parking spaces from a Sevilla neighbourhood to add a cycle lane, local businesses predicted ruin. Six months later, a survey found that two-thirds of shop owners reported stable or higher takings. The survey's authors caution that the period was short and the sample small.' What can be inferred about the survey findings?

  1. They challenge the businesses' predictions but are not conclusive. Correct answer.
  2. They prove that cycle lanes always help local trade.
  3. They were rejected by most shop owners.
  4. They measured parking use rather than sales.

Explanation

The findings contradict the earlier predictions, yet the authors themselves note the short period and small sample. The reasonable inference is that the results are suggestive rather than definitive.

Question 12Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Andalusian government has launched a scheme to bring fibre-optic internet to villages with fewer than 500 inhabitants. Officials stress that without connectivity, young people leave and small firms cannot operate. Installation is expected to take four years.' Which detail is explicitly given in the passage?

  1. The scheme is funded entirely by private companies.
  2. Installation has already been completed in most villages.
  3. Young people are returning to the villages in large numbers.
  4. The scheme targets villages with fewer than 500 inhabitants. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage directly states the population threshold for the scheme. The other options introduce facts (completion, funding source, return migration) that the text does not contain.

Question 13Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'A museum in Córdoba returned a set of archaeological pieces to their town of origin after decades on display. The museum director called it a gesture of respect; some visitors complained they had lost the chance to see a coherent collection. The town plans to open a small local museum.' Which tension does the passage illustrate?

  1. Between the cost of museum tickets and local funding
  2. Between archaeological research and tourism advertising
  3. Between the town's residents and the museum's visitors
  4. Between keeping objects accessible in a large collection and returning them to their community Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage sets the value of a coherent central collection against the value of returning objects to their place of origin. That is the tension driving the example.

Question 14Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Andalusian olive groves are increasingly irrigated by drip systems rather than flooded channels. Drip systems use less water, but they are expensive to install and require electricity. Smallholders say subsidies do not cover the full cost.' What is the main idea?

  1. Flooded channels are more efficient than drip systems.
  2. Electricity is no longer needed to grow olives.
  3. All Andalusian farmers have now switched to drip irrigation.
  4. A more efficient irrigation method exists but its cost limits its adoption. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents drip irrigation as water-saving yet costly, with subsidies insufficient. The main idea combines the advantage with the barrier to uptake.

Question 15Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The writer recalls her grandmother's kitchen in a whitewashed Andalusian village. She lists the copper pots, the smell of fried bread and the neighbours who entered without knocking. Only in the final line does she mention that the house was demolished in 1998.' What is the effect of placing the demolition in the final line?

  1. It proves that the village no longer exists.
  2. It shows the writer disliked her grandmother's house.
  3. It provides technical information about construction.
  4. It gives the nostalgic description a sudden sense of loss. Correct answer.

Explanation

The placement of the demolition at the end creates a contrast with the warm, detailed memory that precedes it, producing an effect of loss. The question tests how structure shapes meaning.

Question 16Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Despite the title of the article, "The Death of the Village Bar", the author describes three bars that have recently opened in rural Granada. She explains that the new bars are run by young families who moved from the city.' What is the author's attitude towards rural bars?

  1. Completely indifferent, as she reports no examples
  2. Confused, because she gives no evidence
  3. Openly hostile, since she blames young families
  4. Cautiously optimistic, since new openings contradict the gloomy headline Correct answer.

Explanation

The headline suggests decline, but the body supplies counter-evidence of new bars run by newcomers. Recognising this contrast lets you infer a cautiously positive attitude.

Question 17Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The town of Ronda is built on either side of a deep gorge. Visitors often photograph the Puente Nuevo from below, but reaching that viewpoint requires a steep path. The bridge itself took over thirty years to complete.' Which statement is a fact explicitly stated in the passage?

  1. The bridge is the highest in Spain.
  2. Most visitors avoid the steep path.
  3. The gorge was formed by an earthquake.
  4. The bridge took more than thirty years to complete. Correct answer.

Explanation

Explicit-information items require matching a stated fact. The passage gives the construction time as over thirty years, which corresponds to the first option.

Question 18Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'A language school in Málaga replaced its textbooks with short news articles. Teachers report that students argue more in class and ask more questions. Exam results, however, have stayed roughly the same. The director says the aim was engagement, not higher marks.' What is the purpose of the last sentence?

  1. To clarify the school's objective in response to a possible misunderstanding Correct answer.
  2. To criticise the teachers who reported the change
  3. To recommend textbooks for other schools
  4. To admit that the change was a failure

Explanation

The unchanged exam results could lead readers to judge the change a failure, so the director's sentence redefines success as engagement. This is a clarifying move.

Question 19Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Andalusian film industry has grown steadily, yet most productions shot in the region are foreign. Local crews are hired, but scripts, directors and profits remain elsewhere. Regional funding now requires a share of post-production work to be done locally.' What does the passage imply about regional funding?

  1. It pays for scripts to be written abroad.
  2. It has reduced the number of films shot in Andalusia.
  3. It is being used to keep more of the economic value of filming in the region. Correct answer.
  4. It is intended to attract only foreign productions.

Explanation

The funding condition ties money to local post-production, which implies an attempt to capture more value locally rather than merely hosting shoots.

Question 20Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Some argue that tourism taxes punish visitors unfairly. Others reply that visitors use roads, water and emergency services that residents pay for all year. A proposed Andalusian levy would add a small nightly charge, with revenue earmarked for sustainable tourism projects.' Which sentence best captures the debate?

  1. All visitors already pay the same taxes as residents.
  2. Tourists should be banned from Andalusia during peak months.
  3. The question is whether visitors should contribute to the public costs their presence creates. Correct answer.
  4. Emergency services in Andalusia are badly funded.

Explanation

The two sides disagree about fairness: do visitors impose costs on public services that they should help fund? The first option restates this core question without taking a side.

Question 21Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The researcher interviewed forty women who had left rural Andalusia for work in coastal cities. She expected them to describe only economic motives. Instead, many spoke first about the freedom to live without constant observation by neighbours.' What does the passage suggest about the researcher's expectations?

  1. They were too narrow, because they overlooked social motivations. Correct answer.
  2. They focused mainly on the coastal cities' climate.
  3. They were based on the women's own words.
  4. They were confirmed by all forty interviews.

Explanation

The phrase 'She expected... Instead' signals that the data contradicted the hypothesis. The women's emphasis on freedom from observation shows social factors were missed.

Question 22Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article opens with a vivid scene of a fisherman mending nets at dawn, then moves to statistics on declining catches and EU quotas, and closes with the same fisherman at sunset, folding an empty net.' What is the function of the opening and closing scenes?

  1. They provide the main source of scientific data.
  2. They contradict the statistics in the middle section.
  3. They frame the statistical argument within a human story. Correct answer.
  4. They explain how EU quotas are calculated.

Explanation

A repeated personal scene around a factual core is a framing device: it humanises the data and gives the piece emotional coherence. The scenes do not supply or dispute the data.

Question 23Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Critics of the new high-speed rail link argue it will mainly benefit commuters between the two largest cities. Supporters counter that stations in smaller towns will attract businesses within a decade. Both sides accept the same cost figures but disagree about how to weigh short-term disruption against long-term gain.' What is the real source of disagreement between the two sides?

  1. Whether commuters should be allowed to use the train
  2. Whether the cost figures are accurate
  3. How to balance immediate costs against uncertain future benefits Correct answer.
  4. Whether the rail link will have any stations at all

Explanation

The passage states explicitly that both sides accept the same figures, so the dispute is about weighting present disruption against future gain. Recognising shared premises is key to locating the real disagreement.

Question 24Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'It would be comforting to believe that the whitewashed villages of the Alpujarra have remained unchanged for centuries. The truth is more interesting: their appearance was largely fixed in the twentieth century, when a disease destroyed many vines and families rebuilt with the materials to hand.' What is the author's attitude towards the popular belief?

  1. Angry at the villagers for misleading tourists
  2. Fully convinced by it
  3. Politely sceptical, preferring a more accurate account Correct answer.
  4. Uninterested in the history of the villages

Explanation

The phrase 'It would be comforting to believe' signals distance from the popular view, and 'The truth is more interesting' replaces it with a factual account. The tone is gently corrective rather than hostile.

Question 25Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The report notes that Andalusian beaches are being widened with sand dredged from the sea floor. This protects hotels in the short term, but the new sand erodes faster than natural beaches, so the work must be repeated every few years. The authors conclude that the practice treats a symptom rather than a cause.' What does the conclusion imply about beach-widening?

  1. It has no effect on the hotels it is meant to protect.
  2. It permanently solves the problem of coastal erosion.
  3. It is cheaper than all alternative approaches.
  4. It addresses visible erosion without tackling the processes that cause it. Correct answer.

Explanation

Treating a symptom rather than a cause means managing the visible result while leaving the underlying process intact. The passage supports this by noting repeated erosion and repeated work.

Question 26Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The town council of a small Andalusian hill town voted to ban new hotel licences in its historic centre. Supporters said the narrow streets could not absorb more visitors, and that residents were being priced out of rented flats. Hotel owners replied that tourism is the town's main income and that limits would push visitors to neighbouring towns.' What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. Hotel owners in the town have asked the council to build new hotels outside the historic centre.
  2. The hill town has decided to close all its hotels because residents can no longer find flats to rent.
  3. Tourism in the hill town has fallen sharply, so the council is encouraging visitors to return.
  4. A council decision to limit new hotels divides the town between concerns about overcrowding and fears for local income. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents two opposing positions on a single decision: the council's ban on new hotel licences. The main idea must capture that conflict, since both the supporters' reasons and the owners' objections are given equal space. Options that describe closure, expansion or falling visitor numbers contradict the text.

Question 27Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Málaga's English-language theatre group began twenty years ago with six amateur actors performing in a bar. Today it stages four productions a year in a converted warehouse, sells tickets online and works with a professional lighting designer. Its director says the group still refuses public subsidies, relying on ticket sales and small donations.' Which statement is supported by specific information in the passage?

  1. The group receives most of its funding from the city council.
  2. The group was founded by professional actors and a lighting designer.
  3. The group now performs in a bar with six actors.
  4. The group performs four times a year in a building that was originally a warehouse. Correct answer.

Explanation

The text states explicitly that the group stages four productions a year in a converted warehouse. A converted warehouse means the building was originally used for storage. The other options reverse details: the group refuses subsidies, began with amateurs, and has moved on from the bar.

Question 28Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article describes a Granada bookshop that survived a flood, two changes of owner and the arrival of online retail. The owner explains that the shop's advantage is not price but knowledge: staff can recommend a book for a reader in a few minutes. The article ends by noting that the shop now runs evening reading groups that regularly fill the back room.' What is the author's main purpose in writing the article?

  1. To compare the reading habits of Granada with those of other Spanish cities
  2. To show how one bookshop has survived by offering personal expertise rather than competing on price Correct answer.
  3. To persuade readers to stop buying books from online retailers
  4. To explain the financial causes of the flood that damaged the shop

Explanation

The article focuses on a single shop's survival and identifies its advantage as staff knowledge rather than price. The reading groups reinforce this portrait of a shop built on personal service. The purpose is therefore to illustrate that strategy through one example, not to campaign against online retail.

Question 29Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The notice on the door of the Cádiz fish market reads: "Fresh catch arrives at 6 a.m. Sold out by 9." A tourist arriving at ten finds only crates being hosed down. A local explains that the best fish never reaches the shops; it is bought by restaurant cooks who queue before dawn.' What can the reader infer from the passage?

  1. The fish sold in the market is not fresh.
  2. The market sells fish only to restaurants, never to individuals.
  3. Tourists are not allowed inside the market.
  4. Arriving early is necessary to buy the market's best fish. Correct answer.

Explanation

The notice, the empty crates at ten and the cook queueing before dawn all point to one conclusion: the best produce is gone early. This is an inference because the text never states it directly, but combines several details. Nothing suggests a ban on individuals or tourists.

Question 30Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Junta de Andalucía has published a guide for walkers using the GR-7 long-distance path. The guide lists water points, describes the difficulty of each stage and warns that mobile coverage is weak in the mountains. It advises walkers to carry paper maps and to tell someone their route before setting out.' In this passage, the word 'stage' most nearly means:

  1. a section of the route Correct answer.
  2. the period of a festival
  3. a wooden platform for actors
  4. the level of a competition

Explanation

The guide describes a long-distance path, so 'stage' refers to one part of the walk between two points. Context clues are 'water points', 'difficulty' and 'mobile coverage', all features of a section of trail. The other meanings of 'stage' belong to theatre, festivals or sport and do not fit.

Question 31Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article begins with a description of a Seville rooftop where neighbours grow tomatoes in old paint tins. It then explains that the city has more hours of sunshine than most European capitals and that rooftop gardens cool buildings in summer. It closes with a list of workshops teaching residents how to start their own.' What is the main idea of the article?

  1. Rooftop gardening in Seville is presented as a practical response to the city's climate, illustrated by one example. Correct answer.
  2. The city council has made rooftop gardens compulsory for residents.
  3. Seville has more sunshine than any other city in Europe.
  4. Tomatoes grow better in paint tins than in gardens in Seville.

Explanation

The article moves from an anecdote to a general explanation and then to practical workshops, all supporting the idea that rooftop gardens suit Seville's climate. The opening example illustrates the wider point rather than being the point itself. Careless reading may mistake a supporting detail for the main idea.

Question 32Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The Andalusian craft of guitar-making is concentrated in a few workshops, some of them family businesses of three generations. Young apprentices are few. One luthier says a single instrument can take two months and that buyers increasingly prefer cheaper factory models. He adds that his own son has chosen to study engineering.' What does the passage suggest about the future of the craft?

  1. It is protected by a law that requires sons to follow their fathers' trade.
  2. It has already disappeared from Andalusia.
  3. It is growing rapidly thanks to strong demand from international buyers.
  4. It faces uncertainty because of limited recruitment and competition from cheaper instruments. Correct answer.

Explanation

The shortage of apprentices, long production time and preference for cheaper factory models together suggest an uncertain future. The detail about the luthier's son reinforces the recruitment problem. This is a suggestion, not an explicit statement, so it is an inference.

Question 33Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The writer describes returning to the village of her childhood after thirty years. She finds the square unchanged, the same fountain, the same bench. Yet she feels like a visitor. The baker's shop is now a souvenir stand, and the woman who once sold her bread greets her politely, as a customer.' What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. The writer is angry that the baker now sells souvenirs.
  2. The writer has decided to move back to the village permanently.
  3. The village has changed completely and nothing from the writer's childhood remains.
  4. Physical familiarity does not prevent the writer from feeling like an outsider in her former home. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage contrasts the unchanged square with the writer's sense of being a visitor. That contrast carries the main idea: places can look the same while a person's belonging has gone. The other options either exaggerate the change or invent emotions and decisions not present.

Question 34Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'A study of secondary pupils in Almería compared two groups learning English vocabulary. The first group read short articles and noted new words in context. The second memorised word lists. After eight weeks, the first group recalled more words in conversation, while the second scored slightly higher in written translation tests.' Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. The method used affects which skill improves rather than producing a single overall winner. Correct answer.
  2. Memorising lists is ineffective and should be abandoned.
  3. The two groups achieved identical results in all tests.
  4. Reading articles is the best method for every kind of language test.

Explanation

The results split by skill: the reading group did better in conversation, the list group slightly better in written translation. The defensible conclusion is therefore that each method favours a different skill. Options claiming one method is best everywhere, or that results were identical, misread the comparison.

Question 35Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article about the salt marshes near Cádiz opens with the story of a fisherman whose catch has declined. It then interviews a biologist, who explains how the marshes filter water and shelter young fish. Finally it reports that a conservation trust has bought part of the land to protect it.' Why does the author begin with the fisherman's story?

  1. To explain how the conservation trust raises its money
  2. To give a human example that makes the later scientific and institutional information matter to the reader Correct answer.
  3. To prove that fishing is more important than conservation
  4. To show that the biologist's research is unreliable

Explanation

Beginning with a personal story is a common technique for engaging readers before presenting technical or institutional material. The fisherman's declining catch illustrates the problem the biologist and the trust then address. The story does not argue for fishing over conservation, nor does it question the research.

Question 36Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The label "artisan ice cream" appears on freezers across Andalusia, but the term is not legally defined. A producer may use it after making the ice cream in small batches, even if the ingredients arrive frozen from a factory. Customers assume the phrase means handmade from fresh local produce, an assumption the label does not guarantee.' What is the author's main point about the label?

  1. It suggests more to customers than the regulations actually require. Correct answer.
  2. It guarantees that the ice cream is made from local produce.
  3. It is illegal and should be removed from freezers.
  4. It is used only by small family businesses.

Explanation

The passage contrasts what customers assume with what the undefined term actually requires. The main point is that the label carries an implication stronger than any rule behind it. The term is described as undefined, not illegal, and the text explicitly denies the guarantee of local produce.

Question 37Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The council installed sensors in the bins of a Córdoba district. The sensors report when a bin is full, so collection trucks can skip empty ones. Fuel use fell by a fifth in the first year. However, the scheme cost more to install than the fuel saved, and the council expects the balance to change only after several years.' What can be inferred about the council's decision to keep the scheme?

  1. It depends on raising taxes on residents.
  2. It was forced by a national law on recycling.
  3. It was made because the sensors were cheap to install.
  4. It rests on expected long-term savings rather than immediate financial gain. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states that the scheme currently costs more than it saves but that the balance should change after several years. The inference is that the council is looking beyond the first year's figures. Installation is described as expensive, and neither taxes nor national law appear in the text.

Question 38Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The reviewer praises the novel's opening chapters for their precise description of a Huelva mining town. She then argues that the middle section loses direction, as minor characters multiply without purpose. She concludes that the book is worth reading for its portrait of a place, though not for its plot.' What is the reviewer's overall judgement of the novel?

  1. It is flawless and should be read for its plot.
  2. Its middle section is the strongest part of the book.
  3. It is not worth reading at all.
  4. Its sense of place is strong even though its story is weak. Correct answer.

Explanation

The review separates two aspects: the successful portrait of a place and the flawed plot. The overall judgement combines praise and criticism, concluding the book is worth reading for the former. Options that make the judgement wholly positive or wholly negative miss this balance.

Question 39Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The mayor's speech promised that the new tram line would "bring the city together". The reporter notes that the line connects the university with the hospital but bypasses the two poorest districts, whose residents had asked for a stop. The speech does not mention those districts.' What is the reporter's attitude towards the mayor's claim?

  1. Admiring, because the speech was well delivered
  2. Sceptical, because the line leaves out the districts that most needed it Correct answer.
  3. Neutral, because the reporter gives no facts about the route
  4. Supportive, because the line links two important public services

Explanation

The reporter sets the mayor's unifying language against the fact that the poorest districts were bypassed. Presenting this gap without commenting on it directly signals scepticism. The reporter does supply facts about the route, so neutrality is not the right description.

Question 40Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article examines why so few Andalusian teenagers continue reading in English after leaving school. It interviews teachers, surveys reading habits and compares figures with other regions. It ends by describing a library club in Jaén where pupils discuss English novels with a teacher once a week.' What is the function of the final paragraph?

  1. It summarises the statistical findings of the survey.
  2. It criticises teachers for not doing enough.
  3. It introduces a new problem unrelated to the rest of the article.
  4. It offers a concrete example of a practice that addresses the problem discussed earlier. Correct answer.

Explanation

The article identifies a problem, examines it through interviews and data, and then closes with a working example. The library club shows a practice that responds to the decline in reading. It does not introduce a new problem, summarise statistics or blame teachers.

Question 41Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The guidebook entry for a whitewashed village states: "Best visited in spring. The famous viewpoint is a fifteen-minute climb and offers no shade. Parking is limited to twenty spaces, and the road closes to cars at weekends in July and August."' A traveller planning a car trip on a Saturday in August should conclude that:

  1. the viewpoint can be reached by car in fifteen minutes
  2. spring is the only season when the village can be visited
  3. the car must be left outside the village on that day Correct answer.
  4. parking is unlimited at weekends in summer

Explanation

The entry says the road closes to cars at weekends in July and August, so a Saturday in August requires leaving the car outside. The reader must combine the date with the access rule. The other options misread the climb time, the parking limit or the seasonal advice.

Question 42Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article notes that Andalusian towns often restore their castles with regional funds, then struggle to pay for staff and maintenance. One mayor says the opening ceremony was crowded but that the castle now costs the town more each year than it earns. The author suggests that restoration budgets should include running costs from the start.' What solution does the author propose?

  1. Asking the regional government to stop funding restoration
  2. Planning for day-to-day costs at the same time as restoration work Correct answer.
  3. Closing restored castles until visitors pay more
  4. Transferring all castles to private companies

Explanation

The final sentence proposes that restoration budgets include running costs from the beginning. This directly answers the problem of towns that can restore but not maintain. The other options are not suggested; the author criticises the omission of running costs, not regional funding itself.

Question 43Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The writer remembers her first teaching post in a village school: forty children in one room, a stove that smoked, and a cupboard of books donated by a city library. She calls those two years the hardest of her career. She also calls them the years she learned most, and she has returned to the village every summer since.' What does the writer mean by calling the years both 'the hardest' and the ones when she 'learned most'?

  1. She believes the children learned more than she did.
  2. Difficult conditions and valuable experience are not opposites in her account. Correct answer.
  3. She regrets having taken the post and wishes she had refused it.
  4. She is exaggerating the difficulty of the conditions for effect.

Explanation

The writer holds two ideas together: the post was demanding and it was formative. The contrast is not a contradiction but a way of valuing an experience she found hard. Her return every summer confirms the positive side, ruling out regret or mere exaggeration.

Question 44Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The newspaper reports that a Sevilla neighbourhood association has collected signatures against a plan to cut down a row of orange trees to widen a pavement. The council says the trees cause accidents by dropping fruit on the road. The association replies that the fruit is collected each winter and that the trees shade the pavement in summer.' Which statement best describes the structure of the passage?

  1. It describes a plan that has already been carried out and its results.
  2. It compares orange trees with other species planted in Sevilla.
  3. It sets out a council plan, the council's reason for it and the residents' counter-argument. Correct answer.
  4. It presents only the residents' point of view and ignores the council.

Explanation

The passage moves from the plan, to the council's justification, to the association's reply. Each element is clearly marked, so the structure is a claim and counter-claim. The plan is still being opposed, not completed, and both sides are represented.

Question 45Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The article describes a Málaga start-up that turns olive stones into fuel pellets. It explains the process, gives production figures and notes that the founders received a regional innovation prize. The final paragraph quotes an energy economist who warns that the pellets are only as green as the transport used to collect the stones.' Why does the author include the economist's warning?

  1. To recommend that the company move to another region
  2. To show that the start-up did not deserve its prize
  3. To qualify the positive account with a condition the reader should keep in mind Correct answer.
  4. To prove that olive stones cannot be used as fuel

Explanation

After describing the company's success, the author adds a caution that limits the environmental claim. The warning functions as a qualification, balancing the positive account. It does not attack the prize, deny the technology or advise relocation; it adds a condition about transport.

Question 46Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'In a study of coastal Cádiz, researchers asked residents to rank the town's problems. Unemployment came first, traffic second and noise from bars last. Yet when the same residents were asked what they discussed with neighbours, noise from bars dominated. The researchers conclude that what people talk about is not the same as what they consider most important.' What does the study's conclusion imply about surveys that simply record the issues people mention most often?

  1. They are always more accurate than ranking exercises.
  2. They show that unemployment is not a real problem in Cádiz.
  3. They may mistake frequent conversation for genuine priority. Correct answer.
  4. They should be replaced by interviews with bar owners.

Explanation

The study separates what residents rank as important from what they discuss, and concludes the two differ. A survey that only counts mentions would therefore confuse the most talked-about issue with the most important one. The implication is a limitation of such surveys, not a claim that they are superior.

Question 47Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The essay argues that the white villages of the Alpujarra are often photographed as if frozen in time. The author points out that their white paint is renewed every year, that satellite dishes appear in most photographs and that the terraces were reshaped by twentieth-century irrigation schemes. "The picture is not false," she writes, "but it is a picture of a decision, made again each spring."' What does the author mean by 'a picture of a decision, made again each spring'?

  1. The villages should stop renewing their white paint.
  2. The photographs were taken by decision-makers in spring.
  3. Spring is the only season when the villages are photographed.
  4. The villages look as they do because residents actively maintain them, not because time has stood still. Correct answer.

Explanation

The essay lists evidence of ongoing change and maintenance, then reframes the white appearance as the result of yearly work. The 'decision made again each spring' is the choice to repaint and maintain, which contradicts the frozen-in-time image. The phrase is metaphorical, not a comment on photographers' schedules.

Question 48Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'Two letters respond to an article on water use in Andalusian agriculture. The first argues that drip irrigation has made farms far more efficient and that criticism is outdated. The second replies that efficiency per hectare has risen while total water use has not fallen, because drip systems allow farmers to irrigate more land. Both letters agree that water is scarce.' Which statement captures the disagreement between the two letters?

  1. Whether greater efficiency per hectare actually reduces the total amount of water used Correct answer.
  2. Whether the original article was published
  3. Whether water is scarce in Andalusia
  4. Whether farmers should be allowed to irrigate at all

Explanation

The first letter treats efficiency as proof of improvement, while the second accepts the efficiency figure but denies that it lowers total consumption. The disagreement is therefore about the link between efficiency and total water use. Both letters accept scarcity, and neither questions publication or irrigation itself.

Question 49Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'The novelist sets her story in a hotel on the Costa del Sol in August. The narrator, a chambermaid, describes the guests' towels, their complaints and their tips with the same flat tone she uses for the view of the sea. Only once, when a child leaves a drawing in a room, does the tone change, and the paragraph becomes almost tender.' What is the effect of the narrator's flat tone elsewhere in the passage?

  1. It shows that the narrator dislikes the sea.
  2. It makes the single moment of tenderness stand out more sharply. Correct answer.
  3. It suggests the narrator is too young to understand the guests.
  4. It proves that the guests are kind to the narrator.

Explanation

A consistently flat tone establishes a baseline against which the one tender paragraph becomes noticeable. The effect is contrast, which the passage highlights by noting the tone changes only once. The flat tone is not evidence of dislike for the sea, nor of the guests' kindness or the narrator's age.

Question 50Reading comprehension: main idea, specific information, inference and text purpose

Read this passage: 'A heritage group proposes marking the route of an old mining railway that once crossed the hills above Huelva. The track has gone, but cuttings and bridge foundations remain. The group argues that a walking route would attract visitors and explain the area's industrial past. A landowner objects that walkers would cross private land and that the group has not consulted him.' Which question is left unanswered in the passage?

  1. Whether the landowner has been consulted
  2. Whether the group wants to explain the area's industrial past
  3. Whether the walking route would be legally permitted across the private land Correct answer.
  4. Whether the railway once crossed the hills above Huelva

Explanation

The landowner says walkers would cross private land and that he was not consulted, but the passage does not say whether a route would be legally allowed. That question remains open. The other three points are all stated directly in the text.