MAGISTER OPOSICIONES AL PROFESORADO Inglés Secundaria

PRACTICE EXERCISES (PART A – LINGUISTICS)

NOVEMBER 2015
1. TRANSLATIONS.
A. Translate the following text into English.

―Cosas de revoluciones, supongo…―Se repantingó en el sillón, cruzó las piernas sobre

la mesa y encendió un cigarrillo del que inspiró una profunda calada―. Cuando los
bolcheviques derrocaron a los zares, crearon diferentes organizaciones para garantizarse
tanto el control interno como el internacional. Por lo visto hubo potencias extranjeras que
trataron de detenerlos mediante conspiraciones de todo tipo, incluso apoyando a los
grupos contrarrevolucionarios rusos para que socavaran el avance de la Revolución desde
la clandestinidad. La Checa aglutinó a elementos del Ejército Rojo y a dirigentes del
partido en una especie de organización policial y militar para dirigir la inteligencia del
país y eliminar a los opositores. ―Bajó los pies de la mesa y se incorporó, haciendo
además de acercar su cabeza hasta la oreja de Jack y contarle una confidencia―. ¡Para
liquidar a quienes los contradijeran, vamos!
―Eso suena peligroso…
―Depende…-Volvió a reclinarse―. Yo no he tenido problemas con ellos, aunque
supongo que se debe a que me ando con cuidado. No te preocupes por Serguéi. A él, lo
único que le preocupa es dotar a la factoría de una pátina de normalidad, y para ello
necesita terminar con los saboteadores. Ya sabes: muerto el perro, se acabó la rabia. En
fin, vayamos a lo que nos concierne, que es este dinosaurio de factoría.―Abrió un cajón
y sacó una carpeta marrón que depositó sobre la mesa―. Aquí tengo la información que
no pude entregarte en Moscú: planos, relación de maquinaria, empresas subsidiarias que
trabajan para nosotros, y un dossier con el listado de incidentes y los empleados
implicados. Como te comenté en su momento, la mayoría de los problemas se han
concentrado en las plantas de estampación y de montaje. Lamentablemente, no dispongo
del censo completo de operarios.
― ¿Y podrá conseguirlo?
―La verdad, lo veo complicado. En el Autozavod trabajan más de treinta mil empleados
distribuidos en tres turnos y debemos ser discretos. Si solicitara un listado tan exhaustivo
despertaría las sospechas de cualquiera relacionado con los sabotajes.
―Bueno. En realidad, sólo necesito el censo de las plantas en las que se han producido
los incidentes…
―Veré lo que puedo hacer, pero por ahora tendrás que apañarte con esto. –Le acercó la
carpeta con todos los documentos y se levantó para dar por concluido el encuentro.
―¿Cuándo empezaré?― Jack también se levantó todo lo rápido que pudo.
―Mañana a las ocho se inicia el primer turno. A las siete pasarán a recogerte a ti y a tus
compañeros. Por cierto, he de reconocer que tu idea de colocar a tus amigos en los
distintos lugares donde ocurrieron los incidentes es la excusa perfecta para recabar
información sin despertar recelos.

De “El último paraíso” de Antonio Garrido

Premio Fernando Lara de Novela 2015
Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

B. Translate the following fragment into Spanish.

Upon arriving from his travels abroad, he entered his stone-built farmhouse on a
summer’s afternoon, leaving the luggage by the front for his housekeeper to manage. He
then retreated into the library, where he sat quietly, glad to be surrounded by his books
and the familiarity of home. For almost two months, he had been away, traveling by
military train across India, by Royal Navy ship to Australian and then finally setting foot
on the occupied shores of post-war Japan. Going and returning, the same interminable
routes had been taken- usually in the company of rowdy enlisted men, few of whom
acknowledged the elderly gentleman dining or sitting beside them (that slow-walking
geriatric, searching his pockets for a match he’d never find, chewing relentlessly on an
unlit Jamaican cigar). Only on the rare occasions when an informed officer might
announce his identity would the ruddy faces gaze with amazement, assessing him in that
moment: For while he used two canes, his body remained unbowed, and the passing of
years hadn’t dimmed his keen grey eyes; his snow-white hair, thick and long, like his
beard, was combed straight back in the English fashion.
“Is that true? Are you really him?”
“I am afraid I still hold that distinction.”
“You are Sherlock Holmes? No, I don’t believe it.”
“That is quite all right. I scarcely believe it myself.”
But at last the journey was completed, though he found it difficult to summon the
specifics of his days abroad. Instead, the whole vacation-while filling him like a
satisfying meal. Felt unfathomable in hindsight, punctuated here and there by brief
remembrances that soon became vague impressions and were invariably forgotten away.
Even so, he had the immutable rooms of his farmhouse, the rituals of his orderly country
life, the reliability of his apiary- these things required no vast, let alone meagre, amount
of recall; they had simply become ingrained during his decades of isolation. Then there
were the bees he tended: The world continued to change, as did he, but hey persisted
nonetheless. And after his eyes closed and his breaths resonated, it would be a bee that
welcomed him home- a worker manifesting in his thoughts, finding him elsewhere,
settling on his throat and stinging him.
Of course, when stung by a bee on the throat, he knew it was best top drink slat and
water to prevent serious consequences. Naturally the stinger should be pulled from the
skin, beforehand, preferably seconds after the poison’s instantaneous release.
(/…) Yet now-while sitting inside the library and napping in his armchair beside the
empty fireplace- he was panicked within his dreaming, unable to recall what needed to be
done for this sudden sting upon his Adam’s apple. He witnessed himself there, in his
dream, standing upright among a stretching field of marigolds and clasping his neck with
slender, arthritic fingers.

From “Mr Holmes by Mitch Cullin

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Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

2. TEXT ANALYSIS.

Read the following text and answer the questions below:

He pushed off from the truck and walked the few feet over to the edge of the field.
Things were different now, that’s all there was to it. He was thirty-two, and Benny and
Jack were growing up. And there was the baby. Waite shook his head. He closed his hand
around one of the tall stalks of milkweed. He snapped its neck and looked up when he
heard the soft chuckling of ducks overhead. He wiped his hand on his pants and followed
them for a moment, watched them set their wings at the same instant and circle once over
the creek. Then they flared. He saw three ducks fall before he heard the shots. He turned
abruptly and started back for the truck.
He took out his gun, careful not to slam the door. He moved into the trees. It was
almost dark. He coughed once and then stood with his lips pressed together.
They came trashing through the brush, two of them. Then, jiggling and squeaking the
fence, they climbed over into the field and crunched through the snow. There were
breathing hard by the time they got up close to the car.
“My God, there’s a truck there!” one of them said and dropped the ducks he was
carrying.
It was a boy’s voice. He had on a heavy hunting coat, and in the game pockets
Waite could dimly make out the enormous padding of ducks.
“Take it easy, will you!” The other boy stood craning his head around, trying to
see. “Hurry up!” There’s nobody inside. Get the hell in the car!”
Not moving, trying to keep his voice steady, Waite said, “Stand there. Put your
guns right there on the ground.” He edged out of the trees and faced them, raised and
lowered his gun barrels. “Take off them coats now and empty them out.”
“Oh God! God almighty!” one of them said.
The other did not say anything but took off his coat and began pulling out the
ducks, still looking around.
Waite opened the doors of their car, fumbled an arm around inside until he found
the headlights. The boys put a hand up to shield their eyes, then turned their backs to the
light.
“Whose land do think this is?” Waite said. “What do you mean, shooting ducks on
my land!”

From “Sixty Acres”

Included in “Will You Please be Quiet, Please?” by Raymond Carver

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Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

a) Identify the style and textual types in the extract. Explain your answer.
b) Describe the communicative functions used on the text.
c) Locate cohesive devices and other rhetorical resources, illustrated by examples.
d) Define or provide a synonym for the following words from the text:
1. milkweed
2. chuckling
3. creek
4. jiggling
5. crunched
6. dimly
7. barrels
8. fumbled
e) Contextualize the author and his works and time.
f) Transcribe phonologically the following lines from the text.

Waite opened the doors of their car, fumbled an arm around inside until he found
the headlights. The boys put a hand up to shield their eyes, then turned their backs
to the light.

g) Analyse syntactically the following extract from the text.

They came trashing through the brush, two of them. Then, jiggling and squeaking
the fence, they climbed over into the field and crunched through the snow. There
were breathing hard by the time they got up close to the car.

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Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

3. LISTENING

Listen to William Bond about his work as a freelance musician.

1. Answer the following questions.

a. What kind of private tuition he offers?

b. What is the most lucrative work he has done?

c. What are the requirements for becoming a real star of recitals.

d. What is a “repetiteur”?

e. Did any other artist collaborated with the homeless opera project?

f. Why does he say it all was an “eye-opener” thing for him?

2. Complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

William had some highly lucrative work at a local school, advising them about the (1)
________________ of students’ playing or singing.

William likens the personal concerts he’s given to the (2) ______________________ that
business people do.

William’s most recent involvement with an opera production was as the (3)
______________ of the music.

An opera project for homeless people that William got involved in was paid for by (4)
_________________.

The homeless people themselves indicated what they called the (5) ‘________________’
that William should try to capture in the music.

William says the work was hard for him, and likens the plot he had to work with to a (6)
________________.

William says the opera featured many different types of music and made him see (7)
_______________ music in a new light.

When talking about the opera’s themes, William says one of the contributors sings about
imagining himself in a (8) _____________________.

The background compilation accompanying some water songs featured a (9)

___________________which was praised by the audience.

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Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

3. Summarize the content.

4. USE OF ENGLISH

1. Read the text below and think of the word, which best fits each gap. Use only one
word in each gap.
By the (0)___time____ we landed in Oslo, it was already pitch dark. Rather than the
wintry wonderland I had hoped (1) _________, rain was lashing down under the orange
airport lights. It was bitterly cold. The airport bus deposited me, tired, hungry and
disorientated, in the city centre. After several wrong turns, and (2) ___________nearly
dislocated my shoulders with the weight of my backpack. I finally stumbled into the
reception of my chosen, but unbooked, hotel. (3) ______________ my horror, I
discovered that every hotel in the centre was fully booked (4) __________ to a pop
concert. The receptionist redirected me to the tramline and some possible bed and
breakfast, places way (5) ___________ in the suburbs. Two hours (6) ______________ I
stood in the rain, peering around in vain, cursing the pop singer to the Oslo night sky.
Eventually, I hauled my weary limbs along the dark and muddy path, at the end of (7)
___________ I found the shining lights of a small hotel ‘Vacancies’ (8) _____________a
sign on the door.

2. Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
There is an example at the beginning (0).
TIGERS AS PETS
They may be (0) a extinction in India, China or Siberia, but in the US tigers have found a
new lease of life –after a fashion. More than 12,000 are kept as pets –double the number
thought to exist in the wild. The craze persists (1) _________ concern among politicians
and animal welfare groups. Various reputable organisations promote ownership of
endangered species. Prices are not particularly (2) ____________: $1,000 for a generic
cub, $3,500 for a pair of Bengal tigers.
The private trade originated in zoos. Tiger cubs (3) _______ so popular with the public
that zoos started breeding more than they needed and sold the (4) ___________ to private
breeders.
The US Endangered Species Act of 1973 outlaws the taking of endangered animals from
the wild, but does not (5) _____________ what happens to the offspring of animals
captured before the law was (6) _____________.
Many owners believe they are saving an endangered species. But their cubs have no (7)
____________ among the wild tigers. They are a mixture of, (8) ______________,
Sumatran, Siberian and Bengal tigers, which would not survive in the wild.

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Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

0 A facing B reaching C getting D meeting

1 A in contrast to B nevertheless C in spite of D whereas
2 A forbidding B prohibitive C impossible D restraining
3 A occurred B demonstrated C established D proved
4 A surplus B balance C residue D leftovers
5 A rule B conduct C systematise D regulate
6 A sentenced B issued C passed D stated
7 A equivalent B similarity C substitute D correspondent
8 A imagine B say C suppose D take

3. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between
three and eight words, including the word given.

1. Having bad manners in the most annoying thing!

Nothing
There’s ______________________________________ with bad table manners.

2. The Portuguese probably introduced chilli peppers to Asia.

Thought
Chilli peppers ______________________________________to Asia by the Portuguese.

3. People think he succeeded through hard work and determination.

Put
People _____________________________________ hard work and determination.

4. Finnish people consume more coffee than any other Europeans.

Consumption
Finland __________________________________________________ country in
Europe.

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Inglés Secundaria ©MELC,S.A.(MAGISTER) Práctico Parte A (Lingüística) NOVIEMBRE 2015

5. The chef even revealed the secret ingredients in his winning recipe.
Far
The chef went _______________________________________ the secret ingredient in
his winning recipe.

6. The organisers went out of their way to help.

Not
The organisers could _____________________________________ helpful.

4. Complete the sentences with the adequate preposition.

1. You can’t possibly duck out ___________ going to the wedding. He’s your brother,
after all.
2. I’ll be away when it’s Jackie’s party, so I’m going to miss out _________it.
3. He offered me a free theatre ticket, but I decided to pass it _______.
4. Can you think of a good excuse to get out _____ going to the meeting?
5. I know she’s bossy, but don’t shy away __________ telling her your views.
6. You promised you’d buy her a car. You can’t go back _________what you said.
7. I know you don’t like him very much, but don’t stand him ______ again.
8. You’ll have to do something, Paul. You can’t just walk away ________ the problem.