Children’s popularity directly linked to their size, study finds - PAU inglés Andalucía 2011 resuelto

>Exámenes selectividad inglés resueltos Andalucía

Children’s popularity at school is directly proportional to their size, with overweight children as young as shunned and vilified by their peers, a study has found. The study was conducted in a group of more than 400 primary school children aged between 5 and 10. Almost 24 per cent were overweight for their age and 12 per cent were obese.
All of the children were asked to nominate three of their classmates to come to their party and identify three whom they would least like to come.
The results found that popularity was directly proportional to body mass index, with the vast majority of invitations going to underweight or average weight children. Those rejected by their classmates were predominantly overweight or obese. This trend was particularly strong among the boys. Researchers were also surprised to find that obese and overweight children behaved in the same way as their thinner classmates, rejecting other overweight children.
Ekaterina Kornilaki, a senior lecturer in developmental psychology at the University of Crete said that the findings cast light on the rise of eating disorders among young children. “This study shows that children clearly regard gaining weight as a disastrous outcome and something to be avoided at all costs.”
The research was carried out in Greece, which has childhood obesity rates similar to Britain. However, it is culturally more tolerant of overweight children, leading Dr Kornilaki to believe that overweight children in Britain may be even more “rejected and neglected” by their peers. “Chubby children used to be portrayed as friendly and happy. This is no longer the case,” she concluded.

RESPUESTAS

I. READING COMPREHENSION 

ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-3 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS.
1. Why are average weight children more popular than overweight ones?

• Because their popularity level depends on their body max index. That’s why overweight children are ignored and detested by their peers. 

2. Do young children consider being overweight a problem?

• Exactly. This study shows that children really fear it because they are frightened of being socially excluded.

3. Why do overweight British children feel more rejected than children from countries like Greece?

• Because Greek people don’t look down on fat children that much.

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE PRECISE WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT, OR USE YOUR OWN WORDS.
4. “Girls are more tolerant than boys with their overweight classmates

• True: “This trend is particularly stronger among the boys” (line 8).

5. “Overweight children are happier and friendlier than their peers.

• False: “This is no longer the case” (lines 15-16).

II. USE OF ENGLISH

6. FIND IN THE TEXT ONE SYNONYM FOR “FAT”

• OVERWEIGHT

7. FIND IN THE TEXT ONE WORD MEANING “FASHIONABLE WAY OF BEHAVIOR AND DRESS”

• TREND

8 . WHICH WORD IS NOT AN ADJECTIVE?

• Less/least/more/loss

9. GIVE ONE OPPOSITE FOR “OVERWEIGHT”

• SLIM/THIN/SKINNY

10. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO REPORTED SPEECH:
“She asked: why are chubby children portrayed as friendly and happy?”

• She asked why chubby children are portrayed as friendly and happy?

11. JOIN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING AN APPROPRIATE LINKER (DO NOT USE AND, BUT, OR BECAUSE). MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY:
“I was a little boy. My classmates laughed at me all the time”.

• When I was a little boy, my schoolmates laughed at me.

12. USE THE WORDS IN THE BOXES TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL SENTENCE. USE ALL AND ONLY THE WORDS IN THE BOXES WITHOUT CHANGING THEIR FORM.:
          School     used    in      be     fat     to      I     called      days     my

• In my school days I used to be called fat.

13. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO THE ACTIVE VOICE: “I have always been considered as a beautiful person by my classmates”.

• My classmates have always considered me as a beautiful person.

+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS