10 afirmaciones para relacionar con varios textos cortos o secciones.
Claves
Las afirmaciones parafrasean el texto: busca el significado, no la palabra.
Varios textos mencionan temas parecidos: solo uno dice exactamente lo que pide la pregunta.
Estrategia paso a paso
Lee primero las 10 afirmaciones y subraya la idea clave.
Lee cada texto una vez y anota qué preguntas responde.
Trampas habituales
Elegir un texto porque repite una palabra de la pregunta.
Olvidar detalles como 'al principio', 'otros notaron', 'lamenta'.
Ejemplo resuelto
«Which person misses the way their views were valued?» → «I miss the feeling that my opinions were taken seriously».
Preguntas de ejemplo
Intenta responder antes de abrir la solución. Las preguntas están en el idioma del examen.
Pregunta 1
Dificultad fácil≈ 2 min
My first marathon
A Kofi
I'd never run further than five kilometres when a colleague bet me that I couldn't finish a marathon. I signed up the same afternoon, which in hindsight was a little hasty. I trained on my own, following a plan on a phone app, and things were going well until six weeks before the race, when I hurt my knee and my physiotherapist told me not to run at all for a fortnight. I spent those two weeks convinced the whole thing was off. In the end I ran much more slowly than I'd planned, but the crowds lining the streets carried me round – people I'd never met shouting my name from my T-shirt. Crossing the line, I burst into tears, which took me completely by surprise; I'm not usually like that. I won the bet, but I can tell you now that I won't be doing it again. Once was quite enough.
B Megan
I ran to raise money for the animal shelter where I volunteer at weekends, and knowing that people had sponsored me made it impossible to give up. I joined a running club in January, and honestly, I don't think I'd have kept going through the winter without them – there's nothing like knowing six people are waiting for you in the park at seven in the morning. On the day itself, I made the classic mistake of starting far too fast because I felt so good. By thirty kilometres I had nothing left and had to walk for a while. When I saw my finishing time I was really disappointed, because it was nowhere near my target. But looking back, I've realised that finishing at all after hitting the wall like that was an achievement, and now I'm proud of it. I've already entered next year's race.
C Daniel
At school I was a sprinter, and a fairly successful one, so I assumed a marathon would just be a matter of running for longer. I couldn't have been more wrong. I bought a book by a well-known coach and followed its sixteen-week plan to the letter, and those months were by far the toughest part of the whole experience: long runs on dark, freezing mornings before work, and evenings when all I wanted was to sleep. The race, by comparison, felt almost easy – the training had done its job. Everyone had told me I'd be in tears at the finish, but I didn't feel emotional at all; I was mainly thinking about food. Will I run another? Perhaps one day, if I can find the time to train properly again.
D Sofia
My mum has run twelve marathons, and watching her finish one in Berlin a few years ago is what made me want to try. She lives in another city, so I trained alone, but we spoke every Sunday and she gave me lots of advice. Unfortunately, I ignored the most important piece. At a stand near the start, someone was handing out free energy gels of a brand I'd never tried, and I took a couple during the race. Within an hour my stomach was in a terrible state, and the second half was pretty miserable. So my advice to anyone is simple: never try anything new on race day. Apart from that, I loved it – the route went along the river and past some beautiful old buildings. I'm already looking for my next one.
You are going to read an article in which four people describe running their first marathon. For each question, choose from the people (A–D). Which person had to stop training for a while?
AA. Kofi
BB. Megan
CC. Daniel
DD. Sofia
Ver respuesta y explicación
Respuesta correcta: A. Kofi
Explicación
Kofi (A): after hurting his knee, his physiotherapist told him 'not to run at all for a fortnight'. Megan walked during the race, which is not the same as stopping training.
Pregunta 2
Dificultad media≈ 2 min
Learning an instrument as an adult
A Priya
I'd always regretted giving up the piano when I was eleven, so when my daughter started lessons, I decided to join her. For the first few months I found it genuinely embarrassing that she was making faster progress than I was. Children don't worry about making mistakes in the way that adults do; they just keep playing. Once I stopped comparing myself with her, though, I started enjoying it much more. What I hadn't anticipated was how much it would improve my concentration at work. Half an hour of scales in the evening seems to clear my head completely. Our piano is an old one that belonged to my grandmother, and it's slightly out of tune, but neither of us minds. We now play duets together at weekends, which has become one of my favourite parts of the week. My husband claims he can't tell the difference between our playing, which I choose to take as a compliment.
B Daniel
My neighbours were the main obstacle when I took up the drums. I'd bought a second-hand kit online without really thinking it through, and within a week there was a polite but firm note under my door. In the end I replaced it with an electronic kit that I can play through headphones, which solved the problem, although it doesn't feel quite the same. I practise for about forty minutes most evenings, usually straight after dinner, and I keep a notebook of what I've worked on. I have lessons with a teacher who is younger than my son and who is refreshingly honest about my weaknesses – I much prefer that to empty praise. My timing is still far from perfect, but I've joined a band made up of other beginners my age, and we played our first gig at a local café last month. Only about fifteen people came, but it felt like a stadium. My wife was doubtful about the whole thing at first, but she's now our most loyal fan.
C Helen
Everyone warned me that the violin was the hardest instrument to start as an adult, and for a long time I thought they were right. For nearly a year, everything I played sounded awful, and there were weeks when I didn't even open the case. What kept me going was an online group of adult learners. We post short videos of ourselves playing and give each other advice, and it's reassuring to know other people are struggling with the same things. I bought my violin second-hand from a small shop in town, and the owner showed me how to look after it properly. I've never had face-to-face lessons, which I sometimes think was a mistake, as I've picked up a few bad habits that are hard to get rid of. But I can now play simple folk tunes, and that's all I ever really wanted.
D Tom
I chose the ukulele simply because it was cheap and small enough to take anywhere. I'd assumed it would be a bit of a joke instrument, but I was wrong: there's a surprising amount you can do with just four strings. I've learnt about thirty songs so far, mostly old pop songs that everybody knows the words to. I taught myself at first, mainly by watching videos, but I soon realised I needed more structure, so I signed up for a weekly evening class. The best thing about it has been the social side – I've made more new friends in that class than in three years at my job. I'm not especially talented, and I'm fine with that. I play for fun, not to impress anyone, and I think that's why I've never felt like giving up.
You are going to read an article in which four adults talk about learning a musical instrument. For each question, choose from the people (A–D). Which person almost lost motivation at one stage?
AA. Priya
BB. Daniel
CC. Helen
DD. Tom
Ver respuesta y explicación
Respuesta correcta: C. Helen
Explicación
Helen (C): 'there were weeks when I didn't even open the case' until the online group 'kept me going'. Tom says he has 'never felt like giving up', and Priya's early embarrassment does not stop her playing.
Pregunta 3
Dificultad difícil≈ 2 min
Studying abroad
A Lucia
Before I arrived in Edinburgh, I'd been worried mainly about the language, but it turned out that the real challenge was the teaching style. At home, lectures are the centre of everything, and you prepare for one big exam at the end of the year. Here, I was expected to contribute to discussions in small groups and hand in essays every few weeks. It took me a whole term to feel comfortable speaking up. The weather, which everyone had joked about, didn't bother me at all. I also joined the university choir, which was a lovely way to spend Wednesday evenings, and I sang in a concert at the end of the year. What I miss now that I'm back home is the feeling that my opinions were taken seriously, even though I was only a first-year student.
B Kenji
I chose to study in Vancouver largely because a cousin of mine was already living there, and I thought it would make the move easier. In practice, I hardly saw him, because we were both so busy. Vancouver is a beautiful city, though, and I spent most weekends cycling along the seafront or walking in the forests just outside the centre. The biggest adjustment for me was cooking. I'd never had to feed myself before, and for the first month I lived on toast and instant noodles. A flatmate from Mexico eventually took pity on me and taught me some basic recipes, and we're still in touch. I'd advise anyone living away from home for the first time to learn a few simple meals – it saves money, and it's a great way to make friends.
C Amira
I studied engineering in Munich, and although almost all of my course was taught in English, I decided to take German classes in the evenings. It was exhausting at times, but it made an enormous difference. The engineering department itself was excellent, and I especially enjoyed the practical projects, where we worked on real problems for local companies. People's attitude towards me changed completely once I could manage even a basic conversation in their language. Finding somewhere to live was a nightmare, though; I spent my first six weeks in a youth hostel. Looking back, I wish I'd started looking for accommodation months before I arrived instead of assuming it would be easy.
D Owen
I only spent one semester in Valencia on an exchange programme, so I was never going to become fluent in Spanish. Even so, I think those five months changed me more than the rest of my degree put together. I'd always been quite shy, and being somewhere where nobody knew me forced me to be more outgoing. I joined a hiking club, went to every social event I was invited to and said yes to almost everything. My parents say I came back a different person. I also discovered a love of Spanish food, although I still can't cook a decent paella. Academically, it was a mixed experience – some of my courses were excellent, others rather disappointing – but that wasn't really why I went.
E Sofia
I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to study in Melbourne, but I don't think I fully appreciated how far from home I'd be. The time difference made it hard to talk to my family regularly, and I was very homesick for the first few months. Things improved when I got a part-time job in a café, which gave me a routine and a group of colleagues who became close friends. I also found that I studied better when I had less free time, which surprised me. I was studying marine biology, so being close to the coast was a real advantage, and I went diving whenever I could afford it. My advice would be not to spend all your time with people from your own country, however tempting that is.
You are going to read an article in which five students talk about studying abroad. For each question, choose from the people (A–E). Which person was not especially concerned about the academic side of their stay?
AA. Lucia
BB. Kenji
CC. Amira
DD. Owen
EE. Sofia
Ver respuesta y explicación
Respuesta correcta: D. Owen
Explicación
Owen (D) says his courses were mixed, 'but that wasn't really why I went'. Everyone else talks about their studies as important (Lucia's teaching style, Amira's engineering course, Sofia studying better).