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Madrid PAU English - Additional Foreign Language study materials
Madrid PAU English - Additional Foreign Language study resources

Madrid PAU English - Additional Foreign Language practice questions

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Question 1Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A Madrid PAU reading passage opens: 'For decades, city planners treated the river as a drain to be hidden.' What is the main purpose of this opening sentence?

  1. To introduce the passage's central contrast between past and present attitudes Correct answer.
  2. To summarise the entire passage's conclusion about urban water
  3. To list the specific engineering failures of Madrid's drainage system
  4. To persuade the reader that rivers should never be covered

Explanation

The phrase 'for decades' signals a time frame that the passage will contrast with current practice, so the sentence sets up an opposition between old and new approaches. It does not enumerate technical failures, argue a position, or state the conclusion; it frames the topic.

Question 2Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this extract: 'The new metro line was meant to ease congestion. Instead, within a year, passenger numbers on the old buses had fallen so sharply that several routes were cancelled.' What is the extract mainly about?

  1. A comparison of two Spanish cities
  2. The reasons passengers dislike buses
  3. The construction costs of a metro line
  4. An unintended consequence of a transport project Correct answer.

Explanation

The word 'Instead' marks a contrast between the intended outcome (easing congestion) and the actual result (bus routes cancelled). The extract therefore focuses on an unexpected side effect rather than on costs, preferences, or geography.

Question 3Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage states: 'Tourism now accounts for nearly a fifth of the region's income, yet seasonal work leaves many families without wages for half the year.' Which sentence best captures the writer's overall point?

  1. Tourism should be abolished because it exploits workers
  2. The region's income depends entirely on agriculture
  3. Tourism brings income but its seasonal nature creates hardship Correct answer.
  4. Seasonal workers earn higher wages than permanent staff

Explanation

The structure 'X, yet Y' balances a benefit against a drawback, so the writer's point combines both halves: economic gain and seasonal insecurity. Any answer that keeps only one half, or invents a proposal, misreads the balanced structure.

Question 4Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Which opening sentence would most clearly announce a passage whose main idea is that a city's green spaces improve residents' mental health?

  1. The history of urban gardening stretches back several centuries.
  2. Parks are pleasant places to walk on a sunny afternoon.
  3. Many cities spend large sums maintaining their public gardens.
  4. A growing body of research links urban parks to lower stress levels among residents. Correct answer.

Explanation

A main-idea sentence should name the topic (urban parks) and the specific claim (lower stress levels), which the second option does directly. The others introduce the topic without asserting the health link, so they would not announce this particular thesis.

Question 5Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'Some critics argue that online learning lacks the discipline of a classroom. Others reply that flexibility allows students who work to study at all. The evidence so far is mixed.' What is the function of the final sentence?

  1. It repeats the first critic's position
  2. It signals that the passage will not endorse either side Correct answer.
  3. It introduces a new argument in favour of online learning
  4. It proves that online learning is superior

Explanation

After presenting two opposing views, the writer says the evidence is 'mixed', a phrase that withholds a verdict and keeps the passage balanced. It does not add a fresh argument, prove superiority, or simply restate the critics.

Question 6Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A text about volunteering ends: 'Perhaps the real reward is not the certificate at the end, but the Tuesday evenings spent teaching someone to read.' What does the closing sentence suggest about the writer's view?

  1. Volunteers should be paid
  2. Teaching reading is easy
  3. Personal experience matters more than formal recognition Correct answer.
  4. Certificates should be abolished

Explanation

The 'not X but Y' construction contrasts a formal token (the certificate) with lived experience (the evenings), privileging the latter. The writer values personal engagement over official recognition without making policy demands.

Question 7Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Which of these best states the global meaning of a passage that describes how a small town revived its economy by restoring an old railway for tourists?

  1. Railways are always more profitable than factories
  2. Tourists prefer small towns to large cities
  3. A town used its industrial heritage to attract visitors and create jobs Correct answer.
  4. Restoring old buildings is too expensive to be worthwhile

Explanation

A global statement must cover the whole passage: the town, the restored railway as heritage, and the economic revival. The first option captures all three elements, while the others generalise beyond the text or contradict it.

Question 8Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage begins: 'It is tempting to blame social media for the decline in reading. The reality, as usual, is more complicated.' What does the second sentence signal about the rest of the passage?

  1. The passage will end immediately after this point
  2. The passage will focus only on reading in schools
  3. The passage will examine several causes rather than one simple explanation Correct answer.
  4. The passage will defend social media completely

Explanation

Calling the reality 'more complicated' than a single scapegoat tells the reader that multiple factors will be considered. It promises nuance, not a full defence of social media, an abrupt ending, or a narrow focus on schools.

Question 9Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

In a Madrid PAU passage, the writer describes a museum as 'a building that seems to breathe'. What is the effect of this description in the context of the whole text?

  1. It criticises the museum's ventilation system
  2. It introduces a scientific explanation of airflow
  3. It conveys the writer's admiration for the architecture Correct answer.
  4. It provides factual data about the museum's size

Explanation

The metaphor of breathing personifies the building, which in a descriptive passage conveys the writer's positive response to its design. Metaphors of this kind create impression rather than supply measurements, criticism, or science.

Question 10Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A text says: 'The volunteers cleaned the beach every Sunday for three years. Nobody asked them to. Nobody paid them.' What is the writer mainly emphasising?

  1. The high cost of cleaning equipment
  2. The need for stricter laws on litter
  3. The poor quality of local beaches
  4. The volunteers' unselfish commitment Correct answer.

Explanation

The short parallel sentences stress that the work was neither requested nor rewarded, which highlights voluntary dedication. The passage does not discuss beach quality, legislation, or equipment costs.

Question 11Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The council promised more trees. It planted two hundred saplings. Six months later, most had died.' What does the passage as a whole suggest?

  1. The residents opposed the planting
  2. The council planted too many trees
  3. The promise was fulfilled in form but not in substance Correct answer.
  4. Saplings always survive in cities

Explanation

The sequence sets a promise against a disappointing outcome, implying that the numerical target was met while the real goal failed. The passage does not argue that planting was excessive, that failure is inevitable, or that residents objected.

Question 12Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Which sentence would best serve as the topic sentence of a paragraph arguing that learning a second language improves memory?

  1. Many students study languages abroad each year.
  2. Some languages are harder to learn than others.
  3. Languages are taught in most secondary schools.
  4. Bilingual speakers often outperform monolinguals on memory tasks. Correct answer.

Explanation

A topic sentence for an argument must state the claim the paragraph will support, namely the link between bilingualism and memory. The other options mention language learning but make no claim about memory, so they cannot head this argument.

Question 13Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage describes a village festival and concludes: 'For the young people who return each August, the festival is less a celebration than a promise that the village still exists.' What is the main idea of this conclusion?

  1. The festival preserves a sense of belonging for people who have left Correct answer.
  2. The village has grown rapidly in recent years
  3. The festival is too expensive for the village
  4. Young people dislike traditional celebrations

Explanation

The 'less X than Y' structure redefines the festival as an assurance of continuity, which matters to those who have moved away. The idea is emotional attachment, not cost, dislike, or demographic growth.

Question 14Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this opening: 'Every summer, thousands of tourists photograph the same three streets of the old town. Few walk ten minutes further.' What is the writer setting up in this opening?

  1. A celebration of the town's tourist success
  2. A complaint about the price of cameras
  3. A contrast between the crowded centre and the neglected outskirts Correct answer.
  4. A detailed history of the old town's architecture

Explanation

The pairing of 'thousands' with 'few' creates a contrast between a congested centre and an overlooked area, which the passage will develop. The sentence offers no history, no prices, and no praise of tourism.

Question 15Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A text states: 'Solar panels now cover the roof of every school in the district. The electricity they produce is sold back to the grid, and the money pays for books.' Which summary best captures the passage?

  1. Schools have turned their roofs into a source of funding for materials Correct answer.
  2. Electricity prices in the district have risen sharply
  3. Books are now more expensive than electricity
  4. Schools have replaced their libraries with solar panels

Explanation

The two sentences together describe a cause-and-effect chain: panels generate electricity, sales generate money, money buys books. The first option restates that chain, whereas the others misread or invent details.

Question 16Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage about a novelist says: 'Her early books sold poorly. She kept writing. Her fourth novel won a national prize.' What does the passage mainly illustrate?

  1. Novelists should avoid writing about prizes
  2. Prizes are the only measure of good writing
  3. Early books are usually the best
  4. Persistence can be rewarded after early setbacks Correct answer.

Explanation

The three short sentences trace a movement from failure through perseverance to success, so the passage illustrates persistence rewarded. It does not claim that prizes are the sole measure, that early work is best, or that writers should avoid prizes.

Question 17Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

In a passage about food waste, the writer notes that supermarkets reject 'ugly' vegetables while millions go hungry. Which statement best expresses the passage's overall argument?

  1. Cosmetic standards in retail create avoidable waste and hunger Correct answer.
  2. Farmers should grow only perfectly shaped vegetables
  3. Hunger is caused solely by poor harvests
  4. Supermarkets should stop selling vegetables

Explanation

The contrast between rejected vegetables and hunger points to appearance standards as the cause of a problem with two consequences: waste and unmet need. The first option names that cause and both effects without exaggerating.

Question 18Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The library extended its opening hours. Borrowing rose by a third. The council, citing costs, then cut the hours again.' What is the passage mainly about?

  1. A rise in the price of books
  2. The council's plan to build a new library
  3. A successful policy reversed for financial reasons Correct answer.
  4. The declining popularity of libraries

Explanation

The sequence shows a measure that worked, followed by its reversal because of cost, which is the passage's central narrative. It is not about falling demand, book prices, or new buildings.

Question 19Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A text begins with a question: 'What do we lose when a language disappears?' What is the main function of this opening in the passage?

  1. It frames the passage around cultural loss Correct answer.
  2. It answers a factual question about linguistics
  3. It criticises the reader for not learning languages
  4. It summarises statistics on language extinction

Explanation

A rhetorical question at the start sets the theme the passage will explore, here the cultural cost of language loss. It does not supply an answer, attack the reader, or present data.

Question 20Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage notes: 'The bridge was designed to last a century. It was repaired twice in its first decade.' What does the contrast imply about the bridge?

  1. It was designed to last only ten years
  2. Its construction did not match the ambition of its design Correct answer.
  3. Repairs made it stronger than planned
  4. It was never actually built

Explanation

The gap between the intended lifespan and the frequent repairs implies a shortfall between design and reality. The passage does not say the design aimed at ten years, that the bridge was unbuilt, or that repairs improved it beyond plan.

Question 21Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Which sentence best summarises a passage arguing that school start times should be later for teenagers?

  1. Sleep is important for people of all ages
  2. Some schools begin at eight in the morning
  3. Research on adolescent sleep supports delaying the school day Correct answer.
  4. Teenagers generally dislike getting up early

Explanation

A summary of an argument must include the recommendation and its basis, which the first option does by linking sleep research to a later start. The others state background facts or generalities without the argument.

Question 22Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage ends: 'The robot did not replace the workers. It changed what they did.' What does this conclusion suggest about automation in the passage?

  1. Automation transformed tasks rather than eliminating jobs Correct answer.
  2. Automation always destroys employment
  3. Robots are cheaper than human workers
  4. Workers refused to use the new robots

Explanation

The two-part conclusion corrects the assumption of replacement and substitutes transformation of tasks, which is the writer's point. It does not claim universal job destruction, compare costs, or mention resistance.

Question 23Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The festival was cancelled in 2020. In 2021 it returned, smaller but sold out. In 2022 it doubled in size.' What is the passage mainly tracing?

  1. The recovery of an event after a disruption Correct answer.
  2. The rivalry between two festivals
  3. The reasons a festival was cancelled
  4. The financial losses of a festival

Explanation

The three sentences form a chronological line from cancellation to growth, so the passage traces recovery after disruption. Losses, causes of cancellation, and rivalry are not discussed.

Question 24Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A writer says of a new housing policy: 'It is hard to see how building on green land protects the countryside it claims to love.' What is the writer's attitude towards the policy?

  1. Enthusiastically supportive
  2. Sceptical of its stated aims Correct answer.
  3. Confused about the policy's existence
  4. Neutral and purely descriptive

Explanation

The ironic phrase 'claims to love' plus the pointed question signals doubt about the policy's stated purpose, which is scepticism. The writer is neither supportive, neutral, nor unsure that the policy exists.

Question 25Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage describes a scientist who failed repeatedly before a breakthrough and concludes: 'Failure, she insists, was the method.' What does the conclusion mean in the context of the whole passage?

  1. She believed failure should be avoided at all costs
  2. Her mistakes were a productive part of her research process Correct answer.
  3. Her breakthrough came without any effort
  4. She refused to acknowledge her errors

Explanation

Calling failure 'the method' revalues errors as a deliberate and useful part of research, which fits the narrative of repeated attempts before success. It does not recommend avoiding failure, deny effort, or describe denial.

Question 26Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A PAU passage opens: 'Few people in the town of Albarracín remember the last time the river ran dry. This summer, they will not forget it.' Which statement best captures the overall purpose of this opening?

  1. It provides a detailed statistical account of rainfall in the region over several decades.
  2. It offers a neutral definition of what a river is before the argument begins.
  3. It presents a contrast between past stability and a present crisis to introduce the passage's central concern. Correct answer.
  4. It summarises the passage's conclusion so readers know the ending in advance.

Explanation

The two sentences set up a before-and-after contrast: earlier generations took the river for granted, while the current summer marks a break with that experience. This contrast signals that the passage will deal with drought and change, not with definitions or statistics. A conclusion placed at the start would normally be followed by justification, which the sentences do not provide.

Question 27Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this passage: 'The city installed 400 bicycle racks last year. Cyclists praised the move. Delivery drivers, however, lost loading bays and now circle the block for fifteen minutes.' What is the global message of the passage?

  1. A policy that benefits one group can create practical problems for another. Correct answer.
  2. Bicycle racks are poorly designed and should be removed from city centres.
  3. Cyclists and delivery drivers agree on most transport questions.
  4. Delivery drivers are the main cause of traffic congestion in cities.

Explanation

The passage balances a praised measure against a concrete cost suffered by a different group. The overall point is that urban decisions distribute benefits and burdens unevenly. It does not condemn the racks outright or blame drivers, and it shows the two groups in conflict rather than agreement.

Question 28Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage about remote work ends: 'The office did not disappear. It became a place people visit for reasons other than obligation.' Which statement best states the passage's overall position?

  1. Remote work has transformed the office into an optional destination rather than a daily requirement. Correct answer.
  2. Employers should force staff back into offices to preserve company culture.
  3. Offices have closed permanently because employees now work entirely from home.
  4. Remote work has made no noticeable difference to how offices are used.

Explanation

The closing lines explicitly deny that the office vanished and instead redefine it as somewhere people go by choice. The passage's position is therefore one of transformation, not abolition or rejection. Any option claiming offices closed, that staff must be compelled, or that nothing changed contradicts the stated conclusion.

Question 29Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The orchestra's new director cut the season from twenty concerts to twelve. Ticket sales doubled. The board renewed her contract without discussion.' What does the passage as a whole suggest?

  1. The orchestra lost most of its audience after the changes.
  2. Ticket sales fell because fewer concerts were available.
  3. The board renewed the contract only after a long and bitter debate.
  4. The reduction in concerts was linked to stronger demand and satisfied the board. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents three linked facts: fewer concerts, doubled sales, and an uncontested renewal. Read together, they imply that the strategy worked and met with the board's approval. The details about doubled sales and an undiscussed renewal exclude decline, conflict and falling demand.

Question 30Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage begins: 'Every September, the same scene repeats in the university library: hundreds of students arrive at nine, hunt for a free desk, and leave by ten.' What is the main function of this opening in the passage?

  1. It proves statistically that the library is too small for the student population.
  2. It announces the solution to the shortage of study space.
  3. It paints a familiar scene to introduce a problem the passage will go on to examine. Correct answer.
  4. It gives the writer's personal opinion about the value of studying in libraries.

Explanation

The opening offers a recurring, recognisable picture rather than an argument or a figure. Such scenes are typically used to draw readers into a problem that the rest of the text will analyse. No statistics, personal judgement or remedy appears in the sentence itself.

Question 31Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The village school had twelve pupils in 2010 and forty in 2023. Two new teachers were hired. A third classroom is being built.' What is the best overall summary of the passage?

  1. The school is losing pupils and may have to close.
  2. The school building is being demolished to make room for housing.
  3. The school has grown steadily and is expanding its staff and facilities. Correct answer.
  4. The school has too many teachers for the number of children.

Explanation

The figures rise from twelve to forty, and the response is more teachers and a new classroom. Together these details describe growth and expansion. The passage contains no sign of decline, surplus staff or demolition.

Question 32Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage states: 'The museum's audio guide is now available in eight languages. Visitor numbers have not changed. Surveys show, however, that visitors now stay an hour longer.' What does the passage suggest overall?

  1. The museum should withdraw the guides because they had no effect.
  2. Visitors disliked the guides and left the museum earlier.
  3. The guides did not attract more visitors but deepened the experience of those who came. Correct answer.
  4. The guides attracted many new visitors from abroad.

Explanation

The passage separates quantity from quality: numbers stayed the same while visits became longer. The implication is that the guides enriched the visit without changing attendance. Claims of new visitors, shorter stays or zero effect all conflict with one of the stated facts.

Question 33Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this ending: 'The old factory is silent now. But on Saturdays the smell of bread drifts through its windows.' What is the overall impression the passage creates?

  1. A place linked to its industrial past has found a new and unexpected use. Correct answer.
  2. The factory has resumed its original manufacturing activity.
  3. The neighbourhood has lost all connection with its history.
  4. The building has been abandoned and is falling into ruin.

Explanation

Silence marks the end of industrial activity, while the smell of bread on Saturdays signals a new use for the building. The contrast produces an impression of reinvention rather than ruin. The passage neither describes renewed manufacturing nor a complete break with the past.

Question 34Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A PAU passage reports: 'The council banned cars from the main square on Sundays. Shopkeepers feared losing customers. Three months later, takings were up by a fifth.' Which statement best expresses the passage's overall point?

  1. An initial fear about a policy proved unfounded when the results were measured. Correct answer.
  2. The ban failed because customers stayed away from the square.
  3. The council reversed the ban after complaints from traders.
  4. Shopkeepers were right to oppose the ban on cars.

Explanation

The structure moves from apprehension to evidence: the feared loss did not occur, and takings rose. The overall point is that the prediction was contradicted by the outcome. Options claiming the ban failed, that traders were vindicated, or that it was reversed contradict the final clause.

Question 35Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The novelist writes in Galician, a language with fewer than three million speakers. Her books are translated into twenty languages. Critics abroad praise the translations; at home, some readers say the originals are richer.' What does the passage mainly illustrate?

  1. Translations always improve on the original text.
  2. A writer working in a minority language can reach a wide international audience while remaining valued differently at home. Correct answer.
  3. Galician is spoken by more people than any other European language.
  4. The novelist's work is unknown outside her own region.

Explanation

The passage sets the small number of speakers against translation into twenty languages, and contrasts foreign praise with domestic preference for the originals. The central idea is international reach combined with a distinct local reception. The other options distort the figures or invent absolute claims about translations.

Question 36Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A text about urban trees says: 'A mature plane tree cools as much as five air-conditioning units. Planting one costs less than a single unit. Yet cities keep cutting them down to widen roads.' What is the writer's overall argument?

  1. Plane trees are unsuitable for urban streets because of their size.
  2. Cities are making an economically and environmentally poor choice by removing trees. Correct answer.
  3. Air-conditioning units are cheaper to run than trees over their lifetime.
  4. Road widening has no effect on summer temperatures in cities.

Explanation

The writer compares the cooling power and cost of a tree with air-conditioning, then contrasts this with the practice of felling trees for roads. The implied argument is that the practice is both wasteful and harmful. The other options reverse the cost comparison or ignore the environmental point.

Question 37Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this passage: 'The app promised to help users save money. It tracked their spending, sent weekly warnings and suggested cheaper alternatives. After six months, the average user had saved nothing but had deleted the app.' What is the best statement of the passage's overall meaning?

  1. The app helped most users save a significant amount of money.
  2. The app's advice failed to change behaviour despite its features. Correct answer.
  3. Users deleted the app because it sent no information at all.
  4. The app was too expensive for the average user to afford.

Explanation

The passage lists three helpful-sounding features and then reports a null result: no savings and mass deletion. The overall meaning is a gap between promised support and actual behavioural change. It does not claim success, absence of information, or a pricing problem.

Question 38Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage about a coastal town notes: 'The fishing fleet has halved since 1990. Hotels now line the harbour. In July, the population triples.' What overall change does the passage describe?

  1. A population that has fallen sharply in summer.
  2. A fishing industry that has expanded since 1990.
  3. An economy shifting from fishing towards tourism. Correct answer.
  4. A town that has abandoned its harbour entirely.

Explanation

The decline of the fleet is set against growing hotels and a summer population surge, which together describe a shift in the town's economic base. The harbour remains in use and the fleet shrank rather than grew. The summer figure rises, not falls.

Question 39Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The professor gave the same lecture for thirty years. Students copied it word for word. When she finally changed the examples, exam results improved.' What is the passage's central point?

  1. Updating teaching material had a measurable effect on student performance. Correct answer.
  2. Students preferred the original lecture to the revised one.
  3. Exam results fell after the examples were changed.
  4. The professor refused to alter her lecture at any point.

Explanation

The passage contrasts three decades of unchanged material with a single revision and the improvement that followed. The central point is the link between renewed content and better results. The remaining options contradict the direction of the change.

Question 40Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A text states: 'The new library has no books on its ground floor. Instead there are recording studios, a kitchen and meeting rooms. The shelves are upstairs, and they are full.' What overall picture does the passage give?

  1. A library that has closed its upper floors to the public.
  2. A library that has abandoned reading in favour of cooking.
  3. A library that has replaced its books with digital resources.
  4. A library redefining itself as a broader community space while keeping its books. Correct answer.

Explanation

The ground floor offers studios and meeting rooms, but the books remain and are described as full upstairs. The passage therefore presents expansion of function rather than replacement. Digital substitution, closure and abandonment of reading all go beyond what is stated.

Question 41Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this passage: 'The company offered unlimited holiday. At first, staff took more days off. Within a year, they were taking fewer than before, afraid that absence would be noticed.' What does the passage suggest overall?

  1. Staff took fewer holidays because they disliked their jobs.
  2. Unlimited holiday led staff to take far more days off than before.
  3. The company abolished holidays after a year.
  4. A policy intended to increase freedom produced a quieter form of pressure. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage traces a shift from apparent freedom to self-imposed restraint driven by fear of being noticed. The overall suggestion is that informal pressure replaced formal limits. It does not describe an enduring increase in leave, abolition of holidays, or dislike of work.

Question 42Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage about a mountain village says: 'The road arrived in 1985. The young left for the cities. The old stayed. Now the grandchildren come back at weekends, in cars, to reopen the bars.' What overall movement does the passage describe?

  1. Departure followed by a partial return, made possible by the same road. Correct answer.
  2. A community that never experienced emigration.
  3. A road that was built to stop young people leaving.
  4. A village that grew steadily from 1985 onwards.

Explanation

The road enables both the original departure and the later weekend returns by car. The passage describes a cycle of loss and partial recovery rather than steady growth or untouched continuity. The road's arrival precedes the emigration rather than preventing it.

Question 43Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The council painted the crossing white, then yellow, then white again. Drivers slowed for none of them. What finally worked was a row of trees that made the street feel narrower.' What is the passage's overall point?

  1. Drivers ignore trees but respect road markings.
  2. Changing the feel of a street can influence driver behaviour more than markings do. Correct answer.
  3. Painting crossings is the most effective way to slow traffic.
  4. Trees should be removed from streets to improve visibility.

Explanation

The repeated repainting produces no effect, while the trees succeed by altering how wide the street feels. The passage's point is about perception shaping behaviour. The other options reverse the outcome or misstate the role of markings.

Question 44Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage ends: 'The theatre seats two hundred. On opening night, three hundred people stood in the square outside and watched on a screen.' What does the ending suggest about the theatre's place in the town?

  1. Demand for its performances extends well beyond its physical capacity. Correct answer.
  2. The screen was provided because the performance was cancelled.
  3. The town has little interest in the theatre's productions.
  4. The theatre is too large for the audience it attracts.

Explanation

An audience half as large again as the seating watched from outside, which shows demand exceeding capacity. The passage therefore points to the theatre's importance in the town. Claims of an oversized venue, a cancelled show or public indifference all conflict with the scene described.

Question 45Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this passage: 'The recipe has not changed in a hundred years: flour, water, salt, yeast. The bakery has changed a great deal: three shops, a website and a waiting list.' What is the passage's overall effect?

  1. It argues that the recipe should be modernised to attract customers.
  2. It shows that the bakery has shrunk since it was founded.
  3. It claims that the ingredients are now different from a century ago.
  4. It contrasts a fixed product with a business that has expanded around it. Correct answer.

Explanation

The two sentences are deliberately balanced: one element stays identical while the other grows. This produces a contrast between constancy of product and expansion of business. The passage neither recommends change nor reports decline or altered ingredients.

Question 46Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A PAU passage states: 'Wind farms produce no emissions while running. Their blades, however, cannot be recycled and are buried in landfill.' Which statement best captures the passage's overall stance?

  1. It presents wind farms as having no environmental drawbacks at all.
  2. It argues that wind farms should be abandoned because they pollute the air.
  3. It claims that turbine blades are fully recyclable.
  4. It acknowledges a clear environmental benefit while drawing attention to an unresolved waste problem. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage balances a genuine advantage against a specific disposal problem, using 'however' to mark the shift. The stance is therefore qualified rather than one-sided. The other options deny either the benefit or the drawback that the text explicitly states.

Question 47Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read: 'The scheme gave every citizen a monthly payment, no questions asked. Critics predicted idleness. Employment rose slightly, and hospital admissions fell.' What is the passage's overall argumentative effect?

  1. It shows that hospital admissions rose after the payments began.
  2. It confirms that unconditional payments discourage people from working.
  3. It tests a prediction against evidence and finds the prediction unsupported. Correct answer.
  4. It reports that the scheme was never actually implemented.

Explanation

The passage sets up a prediction by critics and then reports outcomes that contradict it on both employment and health. The effect is to undermine the prediction with evidence. Each wrong option reverses one of the reported findings or denies implementation.

Question 48Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage describes a translator who renders poetry into a second language: 'She calls her versions not copies but conversations, in which the original speaks and she answers.' What does this image suggest about her view of translation?

  1. Poetry cannot be translated into a second language at all.
  2. A translation should reproduce the original exactly, word for word.
  3. The original poem is silent and has nothing to say to the translator.
  4. Translation is a creative exchange with the source text rather than a mechanical reproduction. Correct answer.

Explanation

The metaphor of conversation implies two active participants and an exchange, which rules out mechanical copying. Her view is that the translator responds creatively to a text that still 'speaks'. Exact reproduction, a silent original and impossibility all contradict the image.

Question 49Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

Read this ending: 'The dam was built to control the river. Today the river controls the dam: engineers open the gates each spring to let the sediment through.' What does the ending suggest overall?

  1. The dam has been permanently abandoned by its engineers.
  2. The dam was built without any purpose in mind.
  3. The river no longer carries any sediment.
  4. Human control over nature is provisional and requires constant adjustment. Correct answer.

Explanation

The reversal of subject and object in the two clauses dramatises a shift in power: engineers must respond to the river's processes. The suggestion is that control is negotiated rather than absolute. The engineers are actively managing the dam, sediment is present, and a purpose was stated.

Question 50Reading comprehension - global understanding of a written text

A passage says of a famous photograph: 'It shows a street that no longer exists, taken by a man who died before the street was demolished. Viewers today mourn a place they never saw.' What is the passage mainly exploring?

  1. The reasons why the street was demolished.
  2. How a photograph can generate nostalgia for a place outside a viewer's own experience. Correct answer.
  3. The legal dispute over who owned the photograph.
  4. The technical history of early photographic equipment.

Explanation

The passage stresses the gap between the image, the photographer's death and the viewers' lack of direct experience, then names their response as mourning. It is therefore about mediated nostalgia. Equipment, ownership and demolition causes are not discussed.