I85PREP
⌘ K
Galician PAU Language and Literature II: foundations study materials
Galician PAU Language and Literature II: foundations study resources

Galician PAU Language and Literature II: foundations practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Galician PAU Language and Literature II: foundations understanding.

First 50 of 190 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 1Literature and social context

Which landmark 1863 poetry collection by Rosalía de Castro is considered the foundational work of the 19th-century Galician Rexurdimento?

  1. Cantares gallegos Correct answer.
  2. Follas novas
  3. En las orillas del Sar
  4. A gaita galega

Explanation

Rosalía de Castro published Cantares gallegos on May 17, 1863, a date now celebrated as Día das Letras Galegas. It marked the rebirth of Galician literature (Rexurdimento) after centuries of literary silence known as the Séculos Escuros.

Question 2Literature and social context

How does Rosalía de Castro's 1880 poetry collection 'Follas novas' differ in tone and thematic focus from her earlier 'Cantares gallegos' (1863)?

  1. It shifts from communal folk celebration and social vindication to profound existential grief, personal pain, and metaphysical solitude Correct answer.
  2. It abandons the Galician language in favor of strict neoclassic Castilian Spanish couplets
  3. It adopts a celebratory epic tone focused on ancient Celtic mythology and martial legends
  4. It consists exclusively of humorous satirical fables attacking rural superstitions

Explanation

While Cantares gallegos expressed folk identity and collective social grievances of Galician peasants, Follas novas delves into deep personal suffering, existential despair (saudade, mágoa), and metaphysical solitude alongside social denunciations of emigration.

Question 3Literature and social context

What central mythic and ideological concept permeates Eduardo Pondal's poetry collection 'Queixumes dos pinos'?

  1. Celtic bards (celtismo) and the myth of Breogán to forge an epic Galician national identity Correct answer.
  2. Provençal courtly love dynamics between feudal knights and aristocratic ladies
  3. Industrial progress and urban modernist technology
  4. Religious mysticism and monastic asceticism

Explanation

Eduardo Pondal formulated a Celtic mythic framework in Queixumes dos pinos, portraying Galicia as the land of Breogán inhabited by noble bards (Pines) called to awaken a heroic national spirit.

Question 4Literature and social context

What major 1853 work by Xoán Manuel Pintos combined prose, verse, Galician, and Castilian to defend the dignity of the Galician language?

  1. A gaita galega Correct answer.
  2. Proezas de Galicia
  3. A gaita galiciana
  4. Os calcorros

Explanation

A gaita galega (1853) by Xoán Manuel Pintos is the most representative pre-Rexurdimento work, using a dialogue between a Galician piper and a Castilian lawyer to vindicate the Galician language.

Question 5Literature and social context

Which theme is prominent in Rosalía de Castro's poem 'Castellanos de Castilla' from 'Cantares gallegos'?

  1. Denunciation of the mistreatment and exploitation suffered by Galician migrant laborers working the Castilian wheat fields Correct answer.
  2. Praise for the harsh climate and feudal aristocracy of central Spain
  3. A romanticized portrayal of Castilian knightly tournaments
  4. An endorsement of mass peasant emigration to South America

Explanation

In 'Castellanos de Castilla', Rosalía passionately condemns the contempt, humiliation, and grueling labor conditions endured by Galician harvesters in Castile.

Question 6Literature and social context

In Eduardo Pondal's poetic imagery, how are the Galician people frequently depicted?

  1. As 'o pobo de Breogán' (the people of Breogán), slumbering heroes who must reclaim their Celtic freedom and dignity Correct answer.
  2. As Roman legionaries building urban fortresses along the Atlantic
  3. As passive Mediterranean merchants trading along silk routes
  4. As humble Moorish artisans carving intricate palace arches

Explanation

Pondal used Celtic revivalism to frame Galicians as descendants of the Celtic chieftain Breogán ('o pobo de Breogán'), calling upon them to break their dormancy.

Question 7Literature and social context

In 'Follas novas', what does the poem 'Negra sombra' symbolize?

  1. An inescapable, haunting existential anguish and sorrow that accompanies the speaker everywhere Correct answer.
  2. The physical shadow cast by a dense oak forest during sunset
  3. A literal enemy army invading Galician coastal ports
  4. A humorous ghost figure from rural folklore intended to scare children

Explanation

'Negra sombra' ('Cando penso que te fuches, / os meus mesmos ollos saas...') symbolizes a permanent, omnipresent sorrow and existential dread that follows Rosalía incessantly.

Question 8Literature and social context

Rosalía de Castro's famous prologue to 'Cantares gallegos' (1863) serves primarily as:

  1. A passionate manifesto defending the beauty, richness, and dignity of the Galician language against centuries of prejudice Correct answer.
  2. A technical manual on Latin metric feet and poetic scansion
  3. A formal petition to the Spanish Crown requesting tax exemptions for writers
  4. A detailed travel diary of her journey across central Europe

Explanation

In her 1863 prologue, Rosalía eloquently vindicates Galician as a soft, harmonious, and expressive language capable of high art, countering Castilian prejudices that degraded it to a uncultured dialect.

Question 9Literature and social context

What natural element in Pondal's poetry serves as the voice of Galician history and nature speaking to the bards?

  1. Os pinos (the pine trees of the Bergantiños coast) Correct answer.
  2. The volcanic geysers of the interior mountains
  3. The tropical palm trees of South America
  4. The wheat fields of the Castilian plain

Explanation

In Pondal's poetry (e.g., 'Queixumes dos pinos'), the murmuring pine trees ('rumorosos pinos') embody the ancestral voice of the land calling Galicians to wakefulness.

Question 10Literature and social context

Who are collectively celebrated as the 'Gran Triada' (Great Triad) of the 19th-century Galician Rexurdimento?

  1. Rosalía de Castro, Eduardo Pondal, and Manuel Curros Enríquez Correct answer.
  2. Castelao, Vicente Risco, and Otero Pedrayo
  3. Álvaro Cunqueiro, Celso Emilio Ferreiro, and Blanco Amor
  4. Martin Codax, Airas Nunes, and Xohán de Cangas

Explanation

Rosalía de Castro, Eduardo Pondal, and Manuel Curros Enríquez constitute the 'Gran Triada da Literatura do Rexurdimento', representing lyric intimacy, epic revivalism, and social realism respectively.

Question 11Literature and social context

Founded in A Coruña in 1916 by Antón and Ramón Vilar Ponte, what was the primary objective of 'As Irmandades da Fala'?

  1. To defend, modernize, and extend the usage of the Galician language across all social, administrative, and cultural domains Correct answer.
  2. To replace Galician with Esperanto as the universal language of Atlantic commerce
  3. To promote exclusive translation of classic Latin religious texts into Castilian
  4. To dismantle rural schools and abolish bilingual literacy programs

Explanation

As Irmandades da Fala (1916) marked the transition from 19th-century regionalism to modern Galician nationalism, advocating full linguistic normalization, education, and cultural modernization.

Question 12Literature and social context

Which multi-faceted author, artist, and political leader wrote 'Sempre en Galiza' (1944), considered the fundamental essay of modern Galician nationalism?

  1. Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao Correct answer.
  2. Vicente Risco
  3. Ramón Otero Pedrayo
  4. Florentino López Cuevillas

Explanation

Castelao wrote Sempre en Galiza while in exile in Buenos Aires. Published in 1944, it compiles his political, historical, and cultural doctrines regarding Galicia's national rights.

Question 13Literature and social context

What narrative innovation characterizes Castelao's short prose collection 'Cousas' (1926/1929)?

  1. Brief, poignant stories paired with his own expressive line illustrations, capturing Galician rural life and social hardship Correct answer.
  2. 800-page dense historical chronicles written in medieval prose
  3. Surrealist stream-of-consciousness monologues devoid of punctuation or drawings
  4. Science-fiction adventures set in outer space

Explanation

Cousas created a unique genre blending a concise, highly refined narrative text with a complementary illustration by Castelao, blending humor, sadness, and social realism.

Question 14Literature and social context

Vicente Risco's satirical novel 'O porco de pé' (1928) uses grotesque irony to criticize:

  1. The vulgarity, greed, and moral corruption of the newly rich bourgeois shopkeeper class (embodied by Don Celidonio) Correct answer.
  2. The noble ideals of heroic Celtic bards
  3. The traditional hard work of Galician sailors
  4. The avant-garde poetry of Manuel Antonio

Explanation

In O porco de pé, Risco satirizes the uncultured, materialistic nouveau-riche bourgeois Don Celidonio, who figuratively and literally transforms into a pig standing on two feet.

Question 15Literature and social context

Which monumental novel by Ramón Otero Pedrayo chronicles the historical decline of the Galician rural gentry (pazos) across the 19th century?

  1. Os camiños da vida Correct answer.
  2. Arredor de sí
  3. De catro a catro
  4. A esmorga

Explanation

Os camiños da vida (1931), a trilogy by Otero Pedrayo, masterfully portrays the social transformation, decadence of the hidalgo class, and rise of the bourgeoisie in 19th-century Galicia.

Question 16Literature and social context

Which literary current, initiated by Fermín Bouza-Brey and Álvaro Cunqueiro in the 1930s, modernized medieval Galician lyric forms?

  1. Neotrovadorismo Correct answer.
  2. Hilozoísmo
  3. Surrealismo abstracto
  4. Socialrealismo

Explanation

Neotrovadorismo synthesized medieval Galician-Portuguese trovadoresque aesthetics (cantigas de amigo/amor motifs, sea symbolism) with modern avant-garde metaphors and refined metrics.

Question 17Literature and social context

What was the significance of the magazine 'Nós' (published between 1920 and 1936)?

  1. It served as the intellectual organ of Xeración Nós, connecting Galician culture with contemporary European avant-garde trends and scientific rigor Correct answer.
  2. It was a commercial advertising catalog for agricultural machinery in Vigo
  3. It was a Castilian sports bulletin published in Madrid
  4. It was an exclusive religious bulletin for cathedral canons

Explanation

Revista Nós (1920–1936), directed by Vicente Risco, Castelao, and Otero Pedrayo, elevated Galician culture to international European standards across art, literature, ethnography, and philosophy.

Question 18Literature and social context

In Otero Pedrayo's novel 'Arredor de sí' (1930), what experience leads the protagonist Adrián Solovio to find his true purpose?

  1. Travelling across European capitals only to realize that universal culture must be rooted in his native Galician land and heritage Correct answer.
  2. Enlisting as a mercenary officer in the Prussian imperial army
  3. Winning a fortune in a Parisian casino and abandoning intellectual life
  4. Becoming a hermit in an isolated Egyptian desert monastery

Explanation

Arredor de sí reflects the spiritual evolution of the Generation Nós intellectuals: Adrián Solovio wanders through Madrid, Paris, and Germany, eventually realizing that genuine universality stems from identity rooted in Galicia.

Question 19Literature and social context

What is the central narrative of Castelao's novel 'Os dous de sempre' (1934)?

  1. The contrasting life trajectories of two childhood friends, Rañolas (ambitious, handicapped) and Pedro (passive, conformist) Correct answer.
  2. A detective investigation into a missing medieval chalice in Santiago Cathedral
  3. A romantic triangle between two Galician poets and a Portuguese noblewoman
  4. A fictionalized biography of King Alfonso X o Sabio

Explanation

Os dous de sempre follows Rañolas, who overcomes physical disability through willpower and ambition, contrasted with Pedro, who lacks drive and passively accepts his simple village fate.

Question 20Literature and social context

Founded in 1923 by university students and professors in Santiago de Compostela, what was the 'Seminario de Estudos Galegos'?

  1. A multidisciplinary research institution dedicated to studying Galician history, geography, language, archaeology, and economy using scientific methodology Correct answer.
  2. A private religious seminary for training rural parish priests
  3. A political party contesting municipal elections in Madrid
  4. A sports federation promoting traditional Galician rowing competitions

Explanation

The Seminario de Estudos Galegos (1923–1936), linked to Xeración Nós, performed pioneering scientific research across all academic disciplines to build a rigorous knowledge base for Galicia.

Question 21Literature and social context

What social commentary is conveyed through Castelao's graphic albums such as 'Nós' (1931) and 'Galicia mártir' (1937)?

  1. A biting, tragic condemnation of peasant poverty, caciquismo, agrarian exploitation, and Civil War repression Correct answer.
  2. An endorsement of urban industrial capitalism and stock market speculation
  3. A lighthearted celebration of aristocratic ballroom dances
  4. A neutral technical study of architectural drawing techniques

Explanation

Castelao's albums of drawings (Nós, Galicia mártir, Atila en Galicia) combine stark artistic beauty with intense socio-political critique against rural oppression, political bosses (caciques), and fascist violence.

Question 22Literature and social context

What core thesis did Vicente Risco articulate in 'Teoría do nacionalismo galego' (1920)?

  1. Galicia possesses a distinct national identity rooted in its Atlantic Celtic heritage, history, language, and collective soul (Geist) Correct answer.
  2. Galicia should abandon its language and adopt French as the sole medium of governance
  3. Nationhood can only exist for landlocked empires with heavy industrial output
  4. Galician culture is an artificial creation invented by 19th-century poets

Explanation

In Teoría do nacionalismo galego (1920), Risco synthesized romantic philosophy, spiritualism, and Celticism to argue that Galicia constitutes an undeniable historical nation.

Question 23Literature and social context

What tragic event in 1936 abruptly halted the flourishing publication of Xeración Nós and the avant-gardes in Galicia?

  1. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent Francoist military repression, exile, and execution of Galician intellectuals Correct answer.
  2. A catastrophic earthquake that destroyed all printing presses in Santiago de Compostela
  3. A voluntary agreement by all authors to cease writing in Galician forever
  4. The immediate annexation of Galicia by Portugal

Explanation

The July 1936 military coup and Civil War unleashed severe repression in Galicia (executions of Alexandre Bóveda, Johán Carballeira; exile of Castelao, Blanco Amor, Dieste), devastating Galician cultural institutions.

Question 24Literature and social context

Celso Emilio Ferreiro's 1962 collection 'Longa noite de pedra' is a landmark of postwar Galician poetry primarily because of its:

  1. Socially committed, anti-dictatorial verse denouncing political oppression, social inequality, and censorship Correct answer.
  2. Whimsical fairy tales about magical woodland gnomes
  3. Strict translation of ancient Greek comedy into Galician dialect
  4. Eulogies praising the Francoist regime's economic policies

Explanation

Longa noite de pedra (1962) became the emblem of Galician social poetry ('socialrealismo'). The 'long night of stone' symbolizes the dark era of dictatorship, exile, and political silence.

Question 25Literature and social context

Which narrative style defines Álvaro Cunqueiro's post-war novels such as 'Merlín e familia' (1955) and 'As crónicas do Sochantre' (1956)?

  1. Magical realism synthesizing Galician myths, Arthurian legends, fantasy, gastronomy, and subtle erudite humor Correct answer.
  2. Gritty documentarian journalism recording urban crime statistics in Vigo
  3. Minimalist hard-boiled detective fiction set in 1950s New York
  4. Strict socialist realism detailing tractor maintenance on collective farms

Explanation

Álvaro Cunqueiro created a unique universe of magical realism and fabulation, blending Galician folklore, European Arthurian myths, imaginative storytelling, and epicurean humor.

Question 26Literature and social context

Eduardo Blanco Amor's 1959 masterpiece 'A esmorga' is considered a turning point in modern Galician narrative due to its:

  1. Innovative objective monologue structure detailing the 24-hour tragic downfall of three marginal characters (Cibrán, o Bocas, o Milhomes) in Auria (Ourense) Correct answer.
  2. Optimistic portrayal of aristocratic romance in 19th-century Madrid
  3. Science-fiction narrative set aboard a starship
  4. Children's fable featuring talking forest animals

Explanation

A esmorga (published in Buenos Aires in 1959 due to Francoist censorship) revolutionized Galician prose with its tight 24-hour narrative, psychological realism, and tragic downfall of Cibrán, o Bocas, and o Milhomes.

Question 27Literature and social context

What is the premise of Xosé Neira Vilas' famous 1961 novel 'Memorias dun neno labrego'?

  1. The poignant first-person diary of Balbino, a poor rural boy exposing the social injustice, class oppression, and hardship of Galician countryside life Correct answer.
  2. The memories of a wealthy industrialist living in a beachfront palace in A Coruña
  3. A humorous chronicle of a Spanish bullfighter touring South America
  4. A textbook explaining soil fertilization techniques for potato farming

Explanation

Memorias dun neno labrego (1961, published in Argentina) begins with the iconic phrase 'Eu son Balbino. Un neno de aldea...'. It remains one of the most widely read books in Galician literature, portraying rural inequality through a child's eyes.

Question 28Literature and social context

What defined the 'Nova Narrativa Galega' movement of the late 1950s and 1960s (authors like Gonzalo Rodríguez Mourullo, Xosé Luís Franco Grande, Méndez Ferrín)?

  1. Break with traditional rural costumbrismo, introduction of interior monologue, existential angst, urban settings, and fragmented chronology influenced by the European Nouveau Roman Correct answer.
  2. A return to 19th-century folkloric poetry and countryside festivals
  3. Exclusive publication of children's comic strips about sea creatures
  4. Direct imitation of Golden Age Spanish comedy verse

Explanation

Nova Narrativa Galega modernized Galician fiction by replacing traditional linear folk tales with existential alienation, urban environments, interior monologue, and complex narrative structures.

Question 29Literature and social context

Founded in Vigo in 1950 by Ramón Otero Pedrayo, Francisco Fernández del Riego, and Xaime Isla Couto, what critical role did 'Editorial Galaxia' play?

  1. It rescued and sustained Galician publishing within Galicia during the Francoist dictatorship, providing a platform for postwar authors Correct answer.
  2. It served as a foreign military intelligence office during the Cold War
  3. It focused exclusively on printing religious catechisms in Latin
  4. It was a commercial cinema company producing Hollywood dubs

Explanation

Editorial Galaxia (1950) was pivotal for cultural resistance under Francoism, enabling the publication of modern Galician narrative, poetry, essay, and translations.

Question 30Literature and social context

What is the setting of Eduardo Blanco Amor's short story collection 'Os biosbardos' (1962)?

  1. Childhood memories and coming-of-age episodes set in the fictional city of Auria (Ourense) Correct answer.
  2. A fantasy island inhabited by dragons and wizards
  3. The court of King Louis XIV in Versailles
  4. A futuristic space station orbiting Saturn

Explanation

Os biosbardos (Subtitled 'Sementente') gathers seven first-person stories depicting childhood rites of passage, discovery, and disillusionment in Auria (Blanco Amor's transfigured Ourense).

Question 31Literature and social context

What is the defining thematic and structural characteristic of medieval Galician-Portuguese 'Cantigas de amigo'?

  1. A young woman (femia) expresses her longing and emotional angst for her absent lover (amigo) to her mother, friends, or natural elements (sea, pine trees) Correct answer.
  2. A male knight swears feudal loyalty to his king before going to crusade
  3. A courtly poet praises an unreachable noble lady using artificial Provençal jargon
  4. A satirical assault mocking the moral defects of rival court jesters

Explanation

Cantigas de amigo are autochthonous Galician-Portuguese lyric poems with a female voice (voiced by male trovadores) confiding her love longings for her 'amigo' to nature or her mother.

Question 32Literature and social context

What formal stylistic mechanism is characteristic of medieval Galician-Portuguese cantigas, featuring paired stanzas where the second line of the first pair becomes the first line of the second pair?

  1. Leixa-pren (parallelism) Correct answer.
  2. Chiasmus
  3. Oxymoron
  4. Enjambment

Explanation

Leixa-pren ('leave and take') is a distinctive parallel metric device in cantigas de amigo, where distichs repeat verses with minor rhyming variation to create a hypnotic musical effect.

Question 33Literature and social context

Which are the three primary medieval songbooks (cancioneiros) that preserved Galician-Portuguese secular poetry?

  1. Cancioneiro da Ajuda, Cancioneiro da Vaticana, and Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional (Colocci-Brancuti) Correct answer.
  2. Cancionero de Baena, Cancionero de Stúñiga, and Cancionero General
  3. Cantares gallegos, Follas novas, and Aires da miña terra
  4. Codex Calixtinus, Cantigas de Santa María, and Libro de Buen Amor

Explanation

The secular Galician-Portuguese lyric corpus survived primarily in three great codices: Cancioneiro da Ajuda (13th c.), and the 16th-century Italian humanistic copies Cancioneiro da Vaticana and Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional.

Question 34Literature and social context

How do 'Cantigas de escarnio' differ structurally and pragmatically from 'Cantigas de maldicir'?

  1. Cantigas de escarnio use indirect satire with hidden double meanings (palabras encubertas), while cantigas de maldicir insult targets openly and directly Correct answer.
  2. Escarnio cantigas are religious hymns, whereas maldicir cantigas are sea shanties
  3. Escarnio cantigas were written in Latin, while maldicir cantigas were written in French
  4. There is no difference; both terms are modern 20th-century inventions

Explanation

As defined in the medieval poetics treatise 'Arte de Trobar', cantigas de escarnio feature subtle, ambiguous satire ('palabras encubertas'), whereas cantigas de maldicir mock victims explicitly by name.

Question 35Galician language

Which element acts as a syntactic trigger causing the unstressed pronoun to move BEFORE the verb (proclisis) in standard Galician?

  1. Negative adverbs ('non'), subordinating conjunctions ('que'), and relative pronouns ('que', 'quen') Correct answer.
  2. Affirmative imperative verbs in command form
  3. The preposition 'para' followed by an un-conjugated infinitive at the start of a main clause
  4. Coordinating disjunctive conjunctions ('ou')

Explanation

In standard Galician syntax, negative particles ('Non o fagas'), relative pronouns ('O home que me chamou'), and subordinating conjunctions ('Dixo que lle gustaba') mandate proclisis (pronoun before verb).

Question 36Galician language

What phonetic characteristic distinguishes 'seseo' in Galician dialectology?

  1. The absence of the interdental fricative /θ/ ('z', 'ce/ci'), replacing it with the alveolar sibilant /s/ (e.g., 'praza' pronounced [ˈprasa]) Correct answer.
  2. Pronouncing all 's' sounds as 'sh' /ʃ/
  3. Dropping all syllable-final 'r' sounds
  4. Doubling all intervocalic consonants in spoken discourse

Explanation

Seseo is a phonetic phenomenon present in western coastal areas (Rías Baixas, Costa da Morte) where /θ/ is merged into /s/. Standard written Galician maintains 'z' and 'c'.

Question 37Galician language

The 'infinitivo conxugado' (conjugated infinitive) is a distinctive feature of Galician grammar. Which sentence correctly exemplifies its usage?

  1. É necesario chegarmos a tempo á xuntanza Correct answer.
  2. É necesario que nos chegamos a tempo á xuntanza
  3. É necesario haber chegado a tempo á xuntanza
  4. É necesario chegamos a tempo á xuntanza

Explanation

The conjugated infinitive adds personal endings (-es, -mos, -des, -en) to the infinitive stem when the infinitive has a clear distinct subject ('chegarmos' = 'nós').

Question 38Galician language

Unlike Castilian Spanish, standard Galician lacks compound tenses formed with the auxiliary verb 'haber' + past participle. How does Galician express the Pluperfect indicative?

  1. Using a simple synthetic verb form ending in '-ara' / '-era' / '-ira' (e.g., 'cantara', 'comera', 'partira') Correct answer.
  2. Using 'ter' + gerund exclusively
  3. Using 'ir' + infinitive in all contexts
  4. Adding the suffix '-ssimo' to the present tense stem

Explanation

Standard Galician does not use compound forms like 'había cantado'; instead, it preserves the Latin simple pluperfect indicative ('cantara' = 'tiña cantado' / 'había cantado').

Question 39Galician language

According to standard RAG rules, what is the correct plural of nouns ending in '-ón' such as 'camión' and 'razón'?

  1. camións / razóns Correct answer.
  2. camiones / razones
  3. camiós / razós
  4. camionases / razonases

Explanation

In standard Galician (RAG 2003), nouns and adjectives ending in '-ón' form their plural regularly by adding '-s' ('camión' -> 'camións', 'razón' -> 'razóns').

Question 40Galician language

According to current RAG normative orthography, how is the sound /ʃ/ (voiceless postalveolar fricative, as in 'xornal' or 'caixa') written in Galician?

  1. With the letter 'x' Correct answer.
  2. With the digraph 'ch'
  3. With the letter 'j'
  4. With the letter 'g' before 'a' and 'o'

Explanation

In standard Galician orthography, the letter 'x' represents the phoneme /ʃ/ ('xente', 'xantar', 'lixo'). The letter 'j' does not exist in standard Galician alphabet.

Question 41Galician language

Words like 'morriña', 'saudade', 'fociño', and 'feira' showcase Galician lexical authenticity. What does 'morriña' specifically designate?

  1. A nostalgic, melancholic sadness felt when away from one's homeland or native soil Correct answer.
  2. A sudden thunderstorm occurring over Atlantic sea ports
  3. A traditional seafood dish made with octopus and paprika
  4. A mathematical calculation of farm yield

Explanation

Morriña is a classic Galician word designating the deep homesickness and nostalgic longing experienced by emigrants or travelers separated from Galicia.

Question 42Galician language

In sociolinguistics, how is 'diglossia' defined within the context of Galicia's historic linguistic situation?

  1. An asymmetric social situation where two languages co-exist, but one (Castilian) holds high prestige (H) in official/formal domains while the other (Galician) is restricted to low prestige (L) informal/rural uses Correct answer.
  2. A harmonious state where 100% of citizens speak three international languages fluently
  3. A medical condition affecting vocal cord vibration
  4. The total extinction of all written alphabets in a region

Explanation

Diglossia describes a social imbalance where Castilian historically functioned as the High (H) language of power, administration, and schooling, while Galician was relegated to Low (L) colloquial usage.

Question 43Writing and discourse

What is a 'preconceito lingüístico' (linguistic prejudice) commonly targeted by sociolinguistic awareness campaigns in Galicia?

  1. The false, unscientific belief that Galician is an unpolished 'rural dialect' unsuitable for science, technology, or high culture Correct answer.
  2. The assertion that all Romance languages derive from vulgar Latin
  3. The rule that sentences require a verb and a subject
  4. The preference for reading printed books over digital e-readers

Explanation

Linguistic prejudices are social stigmas claiming that minority or regional languages lack intellectual capacity. Modern linguistics proves all natural languages are fully capable of high technical and cultural expression.

Question 44Writing and discourse

In textual analysis, what cohesive device is used when a pronoun or word refers BACK to an entity previously mentioned in the text?

  1. Anaphora (anaphora textual) Correct answer.
  2. Cataphora
  3. Ellipsis
  4. Hyperbole

Explanation

Anaphora as a cohesive device links a pronoun or noun phrase to a antecedent previously introduced in the text (e.g., 'Rosalía escribiu Follas novas. Ela expresou...').

Question 45Writing and discourse

What cohesive mechanism occurs when a sentence element is omitted because it is easily recoverable from context (e.g., 'Os mozos foron ao cinema; os vellos, [foron] ao parque')?

  1. Ellipsis (elipse) Correct answer.
  2. Cataphora
  3. Metonymy
  4. Polysyndeton

Explanation

Ellipsis avoids unnecessary repetition by dropping recoverable words or phrases while preserving complete syntactic and semantic understanding.

Question 46Writing and discourse

Which discourse connector in Galician expresses opposition or concession ('contraste / concesión') between two clauses?

  1. Porén / Con todo / Malia que Correct answer.
  2. Ademais / Outrossim
  3. Por iso / En consecuencia
  4. En primeiro lugar / Para comezar

Explanation

'Porén', 'con todo', and 'malia que' are classic Galician counter-argumentative and concessive connectors used to introduce opposing points.

Question 47Writing and discourse

What is the primary objective and structure of an 'argumentative text' (texto argumentativo) in PAU examinations?

  1. To defend a thesis or viewpoint using logical arguments, evidence, and counter-argumentation to persuade the reader Correct answer.
  2. To list chronologically the exact steps of a cooking recipe without opinion
  3. To provide a neutral dictionary definition of technical terms
  4. To describe the physical colors of a painting without analyzing its meaning

Explanation

An argumentative text presents a clear thesis supported by structured premises, examples, and refutations to convince the target audience.

Question 48Writing and discourse

In literary rhetoric, what figure of speech is exemplified by Rosalía de Castro's phrase 'Cando penso que te fuches, / negra sombra que me asombras'?

  1. Metaphor and personification (transforming grief into an active, stalking shadow) Correct answer.
  2. Litotes
  3. Irony
  4. Onomatopoeia

Explanation

Rosalía uses extended metaphor and personification to conceptualize her internal existential anguish as a dark shadow that follows her everywhere.

Question 49Writing and discourse

What rhetorical trope is used in the expression 'Ler a Castelao' (reading Castelao)?

  1. Metonymy (using the author's name to stand for his literary works) Correct answer.
  2. Synecdoche of part for whole
  3. Paradox
  4. Alliteration

Explanation

'Ler a Castelao' is a classic metonymy where the creator (Castelao) represents the created object (his books and essays).

Question 50Writing and discourse

Identify the rhetorical figure in these lines: 'Adeus ríos, adeus fontes, / adeus regatos pequenos, / adeus vista dos meus ollos...'

  1. Anaphora (repetition of 'adeus' at the beginning of successive verses) Correct answer.
  2. Hyperbaton
  3. Asyndeton
  4. Antithesis

Explanation

Anaphora is the deliberate repetition of a word ('adeus') at the start of consecutive lines to build emotional rhythm and intensity.