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Castilla y León PAU English study materials
Castilla y León PAU English study resources

Castilla y León PAU English practice questions

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Question 1Reading comprehension of a written text in English

In a PAU reading passage, the instruction 'Answer the following question in your own words' means the candidate should:

  1. copy the exact sentence from the text that contains the answer
  2. translate the relevant sentence into Spanish and then back
  3. give a personal opinion about the topic of the passage
  4. paraphrase the relevant information rather than lift whole sentences from the text Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'in your own words' signals paraphrase: the examiner wants evidence of comprehension, so the content must be accurate but the wording reformulated. Verbatim copying does not demonstrate understanding and is usually penalised. Personal opinion is a different task type, normally marked by cues such as 'do you agree'.

Question 2Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A true/false item in the PAU reading task is followed by 'Justify your answer with evidence from the text.' What must the candidate provide?

  1. A short quotation or close reference to the line that supports the chosen verdict Correct answer.
  2. A general comment on whether the topic is interesting
  3. The translation of the statement into Spanish
  4. A summary of the whole passage in three lines

Explanation

Justification requires textual evidence, normally a brief quotation or a precise reference to the relevant part of the passage. The verdict alone earns only partial credit. Broad summaries or personal reactions do not function as justification.

Question 3Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read this extract: 'The council had promised to open the new library by March, but by September the building was still surrounded by scaffolding.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The building was completed but never used
  2. The council cancelled the library project permanently
  3. The scaffolding was erected in March as planned
  4. The library opening was delayed well beyond the announced date Correct answer.

Explanation

The contrast between the March promise and the September reality of scaffolding supports only the conclusion that the opening slipped. The text gives no information about cancellation, the date the scaffolding appeared, or whether the finished building was used.

Question 4Reading comprehension of a written text in English

In a PAU reading passage, the pronoun 'they' in a sentence such as 'They were reluctant to admit the error' is resolved by:

  1. treating it as an impersonal form with no referent
  2. identifying the plural noun phrase in the preceding context that the pronoun refers back to Correct answer.
  3. looking for the nearest singular noun in the following sentence
  4. assuming it always refers to the author and the reader

Explanation

Reference questions are answered by anaphora: the pronoun points back to a previously mentioned plural entity. Candidates should scan the preceding clause for a compatible plural noun phrase. Number agreement rules out singular candidates, and forward reference to a later sentence is not the default.

Question 5Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Which question type in the PAU reading section typically asks the candidate to relate the passage's content to their own experience or society?

  1. An opinion or personal-response question Correct answer.
  2. A synonym-matching exercise
  3. A true/false justification item
  4. A pronoun-reference item

Explanation

Personal-response items explicitly invite the candidate to react to the text's theme, often with cues like 'Do you agree?' or 'In your experience'. The other task types are text-bound: they check comprehension, lexis or cohesion rather than personal reaction.

Question 6Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Although the experiment produced promising results, the researchers cautioned that the sample was small.' What is the function of 'Although' in this sentence?

  1. It introduces a concession that qualifies the main clause Correct answer.
  2. It introduces a causal explanation for the results
  3. It marks a condition that must be met for the results to hold
  4. It adds a second, equally weighted piece of evidence

Explanation

'Although' is a concessive conjunction: it grants one fact while the main clause presents a contrasting or limiting point. Here the promise of the results is conceded but immediately qualified by the small sample. Cause is marked by 'because', condition by 'if' or 'provided that'.

Question 7Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A candidate is asked to find a word in the passage that means 'very tired'. The passage contains 'exhausted', 'weary' and 'fatigued' in different paragraphs. What should the candidate do?

  1. Choose the first synonym encountered in the text
  2. List all three synonyms to be safe
  3. Choose the longest word, as it is likely to be the most formal
  4. Choose the option that fits the exact context of the question and matches the requested meaning Correct answer.

Explanation

Synonym questions in the PAU require a single word that matches the meaning in context; where several near-synonyms appear, the surrounding sentence determines the best fit. Listing several answers is not accepted. Length or position in the text is irrelevant.

Question 8Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Which of these best describes the register of a typical PAU reading passage from a British or American newspaper?

  1. Technical English restricted to a single discipline's jargon
  2. Poetic English with archaic vocabulary and inverted syntax
  3. Informal conversational English with contractions and slang throughout
  4. Formal written English with varied sentence structure and some specialised lexis Correct answer.

Explanation

Newspaper articles in the PAU are generally formal but accessible, mixing complex sentences with topic-specific vocabulary. They are not conversational, nor restricted to a single technical field, nor deliberately archaic. Recognising this register helps candidates predict the kind of vocabulary and structure they will meet.

Question 9Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The company's profits rose sharply in 2019; however, the following year they collapsed.' What does 'they' refer to, and what does 'collapsed' mean here?

  1. 'They' refers to the company's employees; 'collapsed' means fainted
  2. 'They' refers to the year 2019; 'collapsed' means ended
  3. 'They' refers to the shareholders; 'collapsed' means resigned
  4. 'They' refers to profits; 'collapsed' means fell dramatically Correct answer.

Explanation

The pronoun 'they' picks up the plural noun 'profits', and in a financial context 'collapsed' means a steep fall. The sentence contrasts a rise with a later sharp decline. Other readings of 'they' lack a plural antecedent in the sentence, and 'collapsed' in business reporting denotes a crash, not fainting.

Question 10Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Far from being a passive record of events, the diary actively shaped how its author remembered them.' What is the writer's main point?

  1. The diary influenced the author's memory rather than merely reflecting it Correct answer.
  2. The author kept a diary only to record public events
  3. Diaries are unreliable because authors forget events
  4. Memory is always more accurate than written records

Explanation

The construction 'far from being X, Y' rejects the passive-recording idea and asserts an active role: the diary shaped memory. The emphasis is on influence, not on unreliability or on the diary's public scope. Option 3 reverses the text's claim about memory.

Question 11Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Only when the last guest had left did she realise how exhausted she was.' Which statement is true about the sentence structure?

  1. The sentence uses a cleft construction with 'it was ... that'
  2. The sentence is a conditional with an implied 'if'
  3. The sentence begins with a negative adverbial, which triggers subject-auxiliary inversion Correct answer.
  4. The sentence is ungrammatical because 'only when' cannot start a sentence

Explanation

Fronted 'only when' is a negative or restrictive adverbial; in formal English it forces inversion of auxiliary and subject ('did she realise'). The construction is grammatical and emphatic. It is not a conditional, and a cleft would use 'It was only when ... that she realised'.

Question 12Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The scheme was welcomed by residents, who had long complained about the lack of green space.' What does the relative clause tell us?

  1. It restricts the group to some residents only
  2. It contradicts the main clause about welcoming
  3. It identifies which green space is meant
  4. It explains why residents welcomed the scheme Correct answer.

Explanation

The comma before 'who' makes the clause non-restrictive, adding explanatory information about all the residents mentioned. That information explains their reaction. A restrictive clause without a comma would narrow the group, but that is not the case here.

Question 13Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Not surprisingly, the proposal met with fierce opposition from local businesses.' Which paraphrase best preserves the meaning?

  1. The proposal was rejected because businesses were not informed
  2. Local businesses surprisingly supported the proposal with enthusiasm
  3. Local businesses opposed the proposal only mildly
  4. It was predictable that local businesses would oppose the proposal strongly Correct answer.

Explanation

The adverbial 'not surprisingly' signals predictability, 'fierce opposition' means strong resistance, and the source of that opposition is local businesses. A correct paraphrase keeps all three elements. Options that reverse the attitude or weaken the intensity distort the original.

Question 14Reading comprehension of a written text in English

In a PAU reading task, a candidate is asked: 'What does the author suggest about remote work in the final paragraph?' Which strategy is most effective?

  1. Search the whole passage for the phrase 'remote work' and quote the first occurrence
  2. Rely on general knowledge about remote work to answer
  3. Answer from the title of the passage alone
  4. Locate the final paragraph, identify the evaluative language, and infer the stance it conveys Correct answer.

Explanation

The question restricts attention to the final paragraph and asks for a suggestion, which requires interpreting evaluative or hedging language rather than finding a keyword. Quoting the first occurrence ignores the specified location. General knowledge and the title cannot substitute for textual evidence.

Question 15Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Critics argue that the tax will deter investment. Supporters counter that it will raise revenue for public services.' What is the relationship between the two sentences?

  1. The second provides evidence supporting the first
  2. The second presents an opposing argument to the first Correct answer.
  3. The second restates the first in different words
  4. The second gives an example of the first

Explanation

'Counter' explicitly marks a rebuttal, so the second sentence offers the opposing side's argument. The two sentences present rival positions on the same policy. Restatement, exemplification and evidential support would be signalled by other markers such as 'in other words', 'for instance' or 'this is confirmed by'.

Question 16Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Had the funding been approved, the research would have continued for another three years.' What does the sentence imply?

  1. The research continued despite the lack of funding
  2. The funding may still be approved in the future
  3. The funding was approved and the research continued
  4. The funding was not approved, so the research stopped Correct answer.

Explanation

This is a third conditional with inversion ('Had the funding been approved' = 'If the funding had been approved'). It describes an unreal past condition, implying the opposite: funding was not approved and the research did not continue. Future possibility is excluded because the time frame is past.

Question 17Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The report paints a bleak picture of coastal erosion, but it stops short of recommending concrete measures.' What is the writer's assessment of the report?

  1. It describes the problem vividly but offers no specific solutions Correct answer.
  2. It focuses on solutions rather than on describing the problem
  3. It recommends several concrete measures to stop erosion
  4. It denies that coastal erosion is a serious problem

Explanation

'Paints a bleak picture' means it presents the problem starkly, while 'stops short of recommending concrete measures' means it goes no further than description. The contrast is between vivid diagnosis and absent prescription. The other options invert one or both halves of that contrast.

Question 18Reading comprehension of a written text in English

In a PAU passage, the phrase 'the tip of the iceberg' is used to describe a scandal. What does the phrase mean in this context?

  1. A danger that affects only a small group
  2. The visible part of a much larger hidden problem Correct answer.
  3. A minor issue that has been exaggerated
  4. A problem that has now been fully resolved

Explanation

The idiom refers to the small visible portion of something much larger concealed beneath the surface. Applied to a scandal, it suggests more revelations are likely. It does not mean exaggeration, resolution, or a problem confined to a minority.

Question 19Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Researchers have found that teenagers who read for pleasure are, on average, more likely to perform well in school. The study, however, cannot establish that reading causes better performance.' Why does the writer add the second sentence?

  1. To explain the methodology of the study in detail
  2. To contradict the findings of the first sentence
  3. To recommend that teenagers stop reading for pleasure
  4. To warn that the correlation found does not prove causation Correct answer.

Explanation

The second sentence introduces a limitation: an association between reading and performance does not establish a causal link. This is a standard hedging move in reporting research. It does not deny the finding, recommend against reading, or describe methodology.

Question 20Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The museum, which attracts thousands of visitors each year, has announced that it will close for refurbishment.' Which element is essential to the main clause's meaning?

  1. The announcement of closure for refurbishment Correct answer.
  2. The adjective 'each' before 'year'
  3. The name of the museum director
  4. The detail about thousands of visitors

Explanation

The main clause is 'The museum ... has announced that it will close for refurbishment'; the relative clause between commas is extra, non-essential information. Removing it leaves a complete and coherent sentence. The other elements are either non-essential details or absent from the text.

Question 21Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Seldom have so many people depended on so few for so much.' What is the rhetorical effect of the fronted 'Seldom'?

  1. It makes the sentence a question about frequency
  2. It introduces a comparison between two groups of equal size
  3. It softens the claim by expressing uncertainty
  4. It foregrounds the rarity of the situation through emphatic inversion Correct answer.

Explanation

Negative adverbs like 'seldom' at the start of a clause trigger inversion and add emphasis, drawing attention to how unusual the situation is. The sentence remains a statement, the claim is not hedged, and the comparison is between many and few, not equal groups.

Question 22Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'While some economists predict a rapid recovery, others warn of a prolonged slump.' Which paraphrase is most accurate?

  1. Economic forecasts are divided between optimism and pessimism Correct answer.
  2. Only one economist has made a prediction
  3. All economists agree that recovery will be slow
  4. Economists agree that a slump is impossible

Explanation

'While' contrasts two groups, and 'some ... others' signals disagreement: one side expects fast recovery, the other a long slump. A faithful paraphrase must capture that division. Options claiming consensus or a single voice misrepresent the structure of the sentence.

Question 23Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU reading item asks: 'According to the text, which of the following is true about the new transport policy?' The four options paraphrase different parts of the passage, and only one matches the text exactly. Which approach is most reliable?

  1. Choose the option that sounds most plausible given general knowledge
  2. Choose the option that is longest and most detailed
  3. Check each option against the specific lines in the passage and eliminate those that add, omit or distort information Correct answer.
  4. Choose the option that repeats words from the passage most often

Explanation

Detailed comprehension items test close reading: the correct option restates the text without adding or removing information, while distractors typically introduce subtle changes. Word repetition, length and plausibility are unreliable heuristics because distractors are designed to exploit them.

Question 24Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'It is not that the policy is unpopular; it is that people doubt it can be implemented.' Which statement best captures the writer's meaning?

  1. People support the policy because they doubt its implementation
  2. The policy is unpopular and therefore cannot be implemented
  3. The policy's problem is feasibility rather than public support Correct answer.
  4. The policy is popular and already being implemented

Explanation

The 'not that ... it is that' construction explicitly rejects the first explanation (unpopularity) in favour of the second (doubts about implementation). The writer therefore locates the problem in feasibility, not in public opinion. The other options either merge the two explanations or invert the logic.

Question 25Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The novelist's later work, for all its technical brilliance, lacks the emotional directness of her early novels.' What does 'for all its technical brilliance' imply?

  1. The early novels were technically superior to the later ones
  2. Despite considerable technical skill, the later work falls short in another respect Correct answer.
  3. The later work has little technical merit but strong emotion
  4. Because of its technical skill, the later work is emotionally powerful

Explanation

'For all X' is a concessive phrase meaning 'despite X'. The sentence concedes technical brilliance only to contrast it with a deficiency in emotional directness. It does not claim that the later work is emotionally powerful, nor does it compare technical skill across the novels.

Question 26Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU reading passage opens: 'Few inventions have reshaped daily life as quietly as the humble shipping container.' What is the main function of this opening sentence in the passage?

  1. It announces that the passage will compare several rival inventions.
  2. It provides a statistical summary of the passage's main argument.
  3. It introduces the passage's central subject while signalling that its importance is easily overlooked. Correct answer.
  4. It states the author's personal opinion about modern architecture.

Explanation

An opening sentence in a PAU passage usually introduces the topic and sets an angle the reader should follow. Here 'humble' and 'quietly' signal that the subject is important yet underrated, which frames the rest of the text.

Question 27Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The council approved the plan, albeit reluctantly.' Which statement best captures the council's attitude?

  1. It supported the plan enthusiastically from the start.
  2. It postponed any decision on the plan.
  3. It accepted the plan but without enthusiasm. Correct answer.
  4. It rejected the plan after long debate.

Explanation

'Albeit reluctantly' is a concessive phrase meaning 'although unwillingly'. The main clause confirms approval, while the concessive tag adds that the approval was given without enthusiasm.

Question 28Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU passage contains: 'The new library is intended to serve the whole community, not merely students and staff.' What does the sentence imply about the library's purpose?

  1. It is designed to reach beyond the university population. Correct answer.
  2. It has been criticised for excluding local residents.
  3. It will be reserved exclusively for university members.
  4. It will replace existing public services in the area.

Explanation

The construction 'not merely X' signals that X is included but is not the limit. The intended audience therefore extends past students and staff to the wider community.

Question 29Reading comprehension of a written text in English

In a PAU reading task, students must identify the tone of a passage that describes a failed expedition with phrases such as 'a catalogue of misjudgements' and 'predictably, the weather won'. What tone does the author adopt?

  1. Ironically critical Correct answer.
  2. Nostalgic and affectionate
  3. Admiring of the explorers
  4. Neutral and purely factual

Explanation

Word choices like 'catalogue of misjudgements' and the sardonic 'predictably, the weather won' show the author judging the expedition with dry irony. The tone is critical rather than neutral or admiring.

Question 30Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The volunteers, many of whom had travelled for hours, were turned away at the gate.' What does the relative clause 'many of whom had travelled for hours' add to the sentence?

  1. It identifies which gate was used by the volunteers.
  2. It explains why the volunteers were turned away.
  3. It stresses the effort the volunteers made before being refused. Correct answer.
  4. It states that all the volunteers came from abroad.

Explanation

The non-defining relative clause gives extra information about the volunteers, highlighting the long journey they undertook. This makes their rejection at the gate more striking.

Question 31Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU item asks candidates to locate the part of the passage that supports the statement 'the scheme had unexpected benefits'. Which reading strategy is most appropriate?

  1. Scanning for evaluative vocabulary and contrast markers linked to outcomes. Correct answer.
  2. Translating the whole passage word by word into Spanish.
  3. Memorising the first sentence of every paragraph.
  4. Counting how many times the word 'scheme' appears.

Explanation

To find supporting evidence, a reader looks for the wording that expresses the idea, often signalled by evaluative adjectives and contrast or result connectors such as 'unexpectedly' or 'however'. This narrows the search to the relevant lines.

Question 32Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The study followed 2,000 participants over ten years, but its authors admit that self-reported data may be unreliable.' What limitation do the authors acknowledge?

  1. The participants were all from one age group.
  2. The period of study was too short.
  3. The data depended on participants' own accounts. Correct answer.
  4. The sample was too small to draw conclusions.

Explanation

'Self-reported data' means information supplied by the participants themselves, which the authors flag as potentially unreliable. The limitation is therefore the source of the data, not its size or duration.

Question 33Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU passage on food waste states: 'Supermarkets reject perfectly edible fruit simply because it does not meet cosmetic standards.' Which word in this sentence carries the strongest critical weight?

  1. simply Correct answer.
  2. standards
  3. reject
  4. edible

Explanation

'Simply' is an intensifier implying that the reason given is trivial or unjustified, so it carries the sharpest criticism. The other words are descriptive, whereas 'simply' judges the practice.

Question 34Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The documentary, far from settling the debate, has reignited it.' Which paraphrase keeps the original meaning?

  1. The documentary ignored the debate and focused on other issues.
  2. The documentary settled the debate only after considerable delay.
  3. The documentary has restarted the debate instead of resolving it. Correct answer.
  4. The documentary ended the debate and prevented further discussion.

Explanation

'Far from X-ing' means 'instead of X-ing', so the sentence says the film did the opposite of settling the debate: it revived it. 'Reignited' corresponds to restarting the argument.

Question 35Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The minister's statement was long on rhetoric and short on detail.' What does the author think of the statement?

  1. It was detailed but poorly delivered.
  2. It was impressive in style but lacking in substance. Correct answer.
  3. It was both accurate and well researched.
  4. It was brief but persuasive.

Explanation

The pattern 'long on X and short on Y' balances two qualities, praising the first and criticising the second. Here the statement has plenty of rhetorical flourish but little factual content.

Question 36Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU passage says: 'Whether remote work will permanently alter city centres remains to be seen.' What is the author's position?

  1. City centres will never be affected by remote work.
  2. The long-term effect on city centres is still uncertain. Correct answer.
  3. Remote work has already transformed city centres permanently.
  4. The author has evidence that remote work is declining.

Explanation

'Remains to be seen' is a standard formula meaning the outcome is not yet known. The author therefore presents the long-term impact as an open question rather than a settled fact.

Question 37Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Not until the final chapter does the author reveal the identity of the narrator.' Which statement is true about this sentence?

  1. The sentence uses a passive construction throughout.
  2. The sentence is a conditional with 'if' omitted.
  3. The sentence contains a defining relative clause.
  4. The sentence uses inversion after a negative adverbial. Correct answer.

Explanation

When a negative adverbial such as 'not until...' is placed at the start for emphasis, the subject and auxiliary invert: 'does the author reveal'. This is a recognised emphatic structure in English.

Question 38Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The critics were hardly impressed by the sequel, which one described as "a pale imitation of the original".' What does the quotation suggest about the sequel?

  1. It improves on the original film.
  2. It is entirely unrelated to the original.
  3. It is inferior to the work it copies. Correct answer.
  4. It is a faithful adaptation of a novel.

Explanation

'A pale imitation' is an idiom for a copy that lacks the vitality or quality of the original. Combined with 'hardly impressed', it clearly expresses a negative judgement of the sequel.

Question 39Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU passage describes a policy as follows: 'Supporters hail it as a lifeline for rural families; opponents dismiss it as a costly gesture.' What does the passage present?

  1. A factual account with no evaluative language.
  2. Two opposed evaluations of the same policy. Correct answer.
  3. The author's personal support for the policy.
  4. A single, agreed interpretation of the policy.

Explanation

The sentence sets 'supporters hail it' against 'opponents dismiss it', offering two contrasting evaluations of one measure. Verbs like 'hail' and 'dismiss' mark the evaluative stance of each side.

Question 40Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Had the vaccine been distributed earlier, thousands of hospital admissions might have been avoided.' What does the sentence suggest?

  1. Hospital admissions fell because of the vaccine.
  2. The vaccine was distributed earlier than planned.
  3. Distribution of the vaccine was impossible.
  4. Earlier distribution could have prevented many admissions. Correct answer.

Explanation

This is a third conditional with inversion ('Had the vaccine been distributed'), describing an unreal past situation and its hypothetical result. It implies the distribution did not happen early enough, and earlier action would have reduced admissions.

Question 41Reading comprehension of a written text in English

In a PAU passage, the writer says: 'Cities, like living organisms, must adapt or decline.' What is the effect of this comparison?

  1. It proves statistically that cities are declining.
  2. It presents urban change as a natural, inevitable process. Correct answer.
  3. It argues that cities should be preserved unchanged.
  4. It suggests that cities are less complex than organisms.

Explanation

The simile 'like living organisms' maps biological ideas of adaptation and survival onto cities, making urban change sound natural and unavoidable. It is a rhetorical framing rather than an evidential claim.

Question 42Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A question asks: 'According to the passage, which of the following is true about the new recycling scheme?' The passage says the scheme 'has reduced landfill waste by a third but has proved unpopular with households'. Which answer is correct?

  1. It has cut landfill waste significantly while attracting little public enthusiasm. Correct answer.
  2. It has been popular with households but had no measurable effect.
  3. It has reduced waste and become the most popular local service.
  4. It has increased landfill waste and delighted local households.

Explanation

The correct answer must combine both stated facts: a one-third reduction in landfill waste and unpopularity with households. Distractors typically reverse one half of the pair or invent a claim the passage never makes.

Question 43Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The novelist's prose is deceptively simple: beneath the plain sentences lies a carefully engineered structure.' What does 'deceptively simple' mean here?

  1. The prose is too simple to be considered literature.
  2. The prose is complicated in a way that misleads readers.
  3. The prose appears simple but is in fact intricate. Correct answer.
  4. The prose is simple because the author was careless.

Explanation

'Deceptively' plus an adjective means the quality is misleading: it looks one way but is another. The colon explains that the plain surface hides an engineered structure, so apparent simplicity conceals complexity.

Question 44Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU passage states: 'It is not that the policy is unpopular; it is that people doubt it can be implemented.' Which statement best captures the author's point?

  1. People support the policy because it has already been implemented.
  2. Public opposition to the policy is the main obstacle.
  3. The real problem is scepticism about delivery, not lack of support. Correct answer.
  4. The policy is popular but impossible to explain.

Explanation

The 'not that... it is that...' construction corrects a mistaken explanation and supplies the real one. The author denies that unpopularity is the issue and identifies doubts about implementation as the true problem.

Question 45Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The report's recommendations are modest, and deliberately so: the authors argue that sweeping reforms would be rejected outright.' Why are the recommendations modest?

  1. Because the government demanded a shorter document.
  2. Because the report was written in a hurry.
  3. Because ambitious reforms would stand no chance of being accepted. Correct answer.
  4. Because the authors lacked the evidence to propose more.

Explanation

The colon introduces the authors' justification: sweeping reforms 'would be rejected outright'. The modesty is therefore a strategic choice to keep the proposals viable, not a sign of weak evidence.

Question 46Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'Rarely has a scientific claim been so widely repeated and so little understood.' What is the rhetorical effect of the fronted 'Rarely'?

  1. It signals that the claim is scientifically well established.
  2. It softens the criticism by making it sound tentative.
  3. It introduces a condition that must be met for the claim to hold.
  4. It emphasises the unusual gap between repetition and understanding. Correct answer.

Explanation

Fronting a negative adverb such as 'Rarely' triggers inversion and lends emphatic force. The effect is to stress how exceptional, and how troubling, the mismatch between wide repetition and poor understanding is.

Question 47Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A passage reads: 'While the technology promises efficiency gains, its environmental costs have yet to be fully calculated.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The overall balance of benefits and costs is still unknown. Correct answer.
  2. The technology has been shown to be environmentally harmless.
  3. The efficiency gains have been disproved by researchers.
  4. Environmental costs have been calculated and found excessive.

Explanation

'Have yet to be fully calculated' means the calculation has not been completed, so the net balance cannot be judged. The passage acknowledges possible benefits while leaving the full costs undetermined.

Question 48Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'The museum's decision to return the artefacts was, the director insisted, entirely voluntary; the leaked emails suggested otherwise.' What does the second clause imply?

  1. The leaked emails confirmed the director's account.
  2. The leaked emails were written by the museum's lawyers.
  3. The leaked emails indicated that the return was not truly voluntary. Correct answer.
  4. The leaked emails had no bearing on the decision.

Explanation

'Suggested otherwise' means the emails pointed to a different version of events from the one the director gave. The implication is that pressure, not free choice, lay behind the return.

Question 49Reading comprehension of a written text in English

A PAU passage contains: 'The assumption that longer working hours automatically raise productivity is one that the evidence has repeatedly failed to support.' Which statement best expresses the author's view?

  1. Longer hours reliably increase output in most sectors.
  2. Productivity depends entirely on the number of hours worked.
  3. The link between longer hours and higher output is not supported by evidence. Correct answer.
  4. The evidence on working hours is too limited to discuss.

Explanation

The author isolates a common assumption and reports that evidence has 'repeatedly failed to support' it. The claim is therefore that the assumed link lacks empirical backing, not that the opposite has been proven.

Question 50Reading comprehension of a written text in English

Read: 'So gradual was the decline that few residents noticed it until the street had lost almost all its shops.' Which feature of the sentence helps convey the slowness of the change?

  1. The fronted 'So gradual' with inversion, delaying the consequence. Correct answer.
  2. The use of the past perfect in the final clause.
  3. The passive voice in the main clause.
  4. The absence of any subordinate clause.

Explanation

Fronting 'So gradual' with inversion ('was the decline') places the slowness first and holds back the result until the end of the sentence, mirroring how the change escaped notice. The structure enacts the gradualness it describes.