We can thank the human brain for keeping our race alive all these years - PAU inglés Andalucía 2012

>Exámenes selectividad inglés resueltos Andalucía

Humans are pretty amazing animals. Not only have we managed to survive in various forms for millions of years, but we have grown into a population of nearly 7 billion, distributed virtually all over the planet. And we've done it despite the fact that, compared with much of the rest of the animal kingdom, we are fairly fragile creatures. We are not particularly strong; we do not do very well without a regular supply of food and water; and we are vulnerable to a lot of infectious diseases.

We have been able to succeed, for the most part, perhaps because of our highly developed brain and its ability to develop ingenious solutions to life-threatening challenges. Modern humans have come to depend on a multitude of inventions in order to survive and one of the most important is antibiotics, a discovery of the twentieth century which has changed our lives. 

For most of human history, almost everyone on the planet ran the risk of dying in epidemics of bacterial diseases. One such disease, the "Black Death," killed an estimated 200 million people in the 14th century alone. However, in the late 1920s, a London physician named Dr. Alexander Fleming noticed that mould (a greenish microorganism that grows with humidity and heat) which had contaminated a Petri dish prevented the growth of a pathogen he was studying. One of his students, Dr. Cecil Paine, eventually became the first clinician to demonstrate the effectiveness of penicillin, a drug derived from mould, against bacterial disease in human patients. Since then, the use of penicillin and other antibiotics has dramatically reduced the number of deaths from certain once-common diseases.

RESPUESTAS

I. READING COMPREHENSION 

ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-3 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS.

1. Why are human beings more special than the rest of animals?

• Humans are pretty amazing animals. Not only have we managed to survive in various forms for millions of years, but we have grown into a population of nearly 7 billion, distributed virtually all over the planet. And we've done it despite the fact that, compared with much of the rest of the animal kingdom, we are fairly fragile creatures. We are not particularly strong; we do not do very well without a regular supply of food and water; and we are vulnerable to a lot of infectious diseases. (PAR.1)

2. What advantage of the brain is mentioned in the text?

• ...our highly developed brain and its ability to develop ingenious solutions to life-threatening challenges.  (PAR.2)

3. How has the use of antibiotics affected human history?

• ... the use of penicillin and other antibiotics has dramatically reduced the number of deaths from certain once-common diseases. (PAR.3)

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE PRECISE WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT, OR USE YOUR OWN WORDS.

4. Over 200 million people died in the 14th century because of bacterial diseases.

• TRUE: One such disease, the "Black Death", killed an estimated 200 million people in the 14th century alone. (line 11)

5. Fleming discovered that penicillin could be used to fight bacterial diseases in humans.

• FALSE: One of his students, Dr. Cecil Paine, eventually became the first clinician to demonstrate the effectiveness of penicillin, a drug derived from mould, against bacterial disease in human patients. (lines 14-15)

II. USE OF ENGLISH 

6. FIND IN THE TEXT A SYNONYM FOR “danger” (noun).

• risk (line 10)

7. GIVE A NOUN WITH THE SAME ROOT AS “develop” (verb).

•  development

8. WHICH WORD DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME MEANING?

• Unwell / ill / sick / weak

9. FIND IN THE TEXT ONE WORD WHICH HAS THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION: “someone skilled in medicine.”

• physician (line 12)

10. REWRITE THE SENTENCE WITHOUT CHANGING ITS MEANING. BEGIN AS INDICATED: It is possible that your little brother hid your phone.

• Your little brother may have hidden your phone.

11. JOIN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING A RELATIVE. MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY: Fleming was a physician. He discovered that mould prevented the growth of bacteria.

• Fleming was a physician who discovered that mould prevented the growth of bacteria. 
• Fleming, who discovered that mould prevented the growth of bacteria, was a physician.

12. FILL IN THE GAP WITH A CORRECT FORM OF THE VERB IN BRACKETS.

• My friends suggested going (go) to the cinema.

13. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE VOICE: 

We believe that antibiotics were discovered by Fleming at the beginning of the 20th century.

• It is believed that antibiotics were discovered by Fleming at the beginning of the 20th century.
• Fleming is believed to have discovered antibiotics at the beginning of the 20th century. 
• (Ver más opciones en comentarios) 

+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS