Peace and Silence - PAU Andalucía

>Exámenes selectividad inglés resueltos Andalucía

Visitors who leave behind the city centre of Charleston, South Carolina, and drive only 30 miles south, may come upon the monastery of Our Lady of Mepkin. Twenty-eight monks live at Mepkin Abbey, following the same routine established in France 900 years ago: praying, reading the Bible, and working.

Monasteries and spiritual centres throughout the United States find that demand for temporary accommodation is increasing. More and more visitors come to this peaceful abbey every day, men and women who are tired of the fast pace of life and work in 21st century America. These people usually stay in the abbey between one and six days. “Most come for the silence,” explains one of the monks. They pray with the monks (attending the first service of the day, at 3.20 in the morning, if they wish), observe the same silence as the monks, eat the same vegetarian food. The abbey’s guest rooms, most with private baths, are full much of the time, and rooms for the weekend are booked for the next six months. The monks hope that their visitors will “find peace, joy and perspective on life.”

SOLUCIONES

I. READING COMPREHENSION

ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-2 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS.                           
1)    Why have monasteries and spiritual centres become popular in the USA?

• Because the American way of life, which is quite competitive and stressing, make people need some relaxing breaks.

2) What is it that visitors find most appealing in monasteries?

• Their peaceful and silent atmosphere.

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT.                       
3) Mepkin Abbey was founded in France 900 years ago.   

• FALSE: "Twenty-eight monks live at Mepkin Abbey,  following the same routine established in France 900 years ago" (lines 2-3)

4) Visitors have to wake up at 3.20 in the morning.

• FALSE: "They pray with the monks (attending the first service of the day, at 3.20 in the morning, if they wish)" (line 8)

5) All guests have to do some work in the Abbey to pay for their accommodation.

• FALSE: "They pray with the monks (...), observe the same silence as the monks, eat the same vegetarian food".  (lines 7-11)

6) It is easy to get a room at Mepkin Abbey.

• FALSE: The abbey’s guest rooms (...) are full much of the time, and rooms for the weekend are booked for the next six months. (line 11)

II. USE OF ENGLISH

7) Find in the text the word which has the following definition:       
     “sequence of actions regularly followed” (noun)             

• routine (line 3)

8) Give one synonym for “PEACEFUL” (line 5).             

• quiet, calm

9) Turn the following sentence into the passive voice.     

     Visitors find peace, joy and perspective on life at the monastery.

• Peace, joy and perspective on life are found at he monastery.

10) Join the following sentences using an appropriate linker (do not use AND or BUT). Make changes if necessary.                              
       Lindsay is the eldest child. She has to look after the other children.

• Lindsay, who is the eldest child, has to look after the other children. 
• Since Lindsay is the eldest child, she has to look after the other children. 
• Lindsay is the eldest child, so she has to look after the other children. 
• Lindsay has to look after the other children because she is the eldest child. 

11) Fill in  the gap with a correct preposition.               

• My friend insisted on paying the bill.

12) Give a question for the underlined words.               
       This dictionary cost fifty dollars ten years ago.

• How much did this dictionary cost ten years ago?

13) Complete the following sentence:    

• If the visitors wish to pray with the monks, they have to get up really early.

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