Grandma's last flight PAU Galicia 2007

>Exámenes selectividad inglés Galicia resueltos

On Sunday, Tom’s grandmother died. On Monday, at school, he told them he had been to the circus. “Yesterday, Dad took us to the circus. It was great, because my grandmother has been ill, but yesterday she was much better. He didn’t tell us where we were going, so I was excited. We drove for a long time.

“The circus tent was massive. I think it was white once, but it had turned dirty grey. And there were so many people. Dad kept me on one side and my grandmother on the other. You could smell the people and the animals.

“There were tigers,” said Tom. “Right in front of us. There were clowns. But the best thing was the trapeze. High up in the roof. So high it made your neck hurt to look up. And four acrobats in pink and gold clothes.

Then somebody said something to the audience: “Would anyone like to try the trapeze? Nobody did, because it was too scary. Then my grandmother got up and said she would. The acrobats took my grandmother, and she climbed up the ladder to the top. Dad said she should come down, but I told him, “No, it’s OK”. And they took my grandmother and she flew through the air. The other man caught her easily. She’s only small.” “Thank you, Tom,” said Miss Atkins. “Who’s next?”

Afterwards, Billy Brown and Sarah said he was a liar because no-one’s grandmother could get to the top of a circus ladder. At home, Tom’s house seemed strange without his grandmother in it. The only thing left of his grandmother was her book on the table, open at the page where she had been reading it.

RESPUESTAS

READING COMPREHENSION

1. Write a summary of the text in English, including the most important points, using your own words whenever possible (maximum 40 words).

Tom told his class he had been to a circus at the weekend with his dad and grandmother. There was a trapeze. His grandmother climbed up and went on it. Tom wasn’t telling the truth. His grandmother was dead.

2. Explain in English the meaning of the following expressions as used in the text.

a)  it had turned dirty grey: It had changed colour from white to grey so it looked dirty.

b) it made your neck hurt to look up: When you looked up your neck began to hurt / People’s necks hurt because they looked up.

3. Complete the second sentence of each pair so that it has the same meaning as the first one:

a) He didn’t tell us where we were going, so I was excited.

• I was excited because I didn’t know where we were / I was going.

b) The house seemed strange without his grandmother in it.

• If his grandmother had been in the house, it wouldn’t have seemed strange.

4. Answer the following questions in your own words. The information must be taken from the text.

a) Why did Tom tell this story at school? Tom invented this story about the circus and told it to the teacher at school because he didn’t want to believe that his grandmother was dead and that he would never see her again.

b) What kind of family does Tom have? Tom’s family is small. We only know he has a grandmother and a father. He is probably a good father because he took them to the circus at the weekend. He had a grandmother who liked reading books, but now she is dead, because she isn’t in her room.

WRITING

5. Write about the last time you had a surprise, or gave someone a surprise. 

 (Approximately 80 words)

The last time I gave someone a great surprise was last year, when I invited all my sister’s friend to a birthday party, which I organised in a cafeteria. One of her friends plays the guitar in a group, who gave us a fantastic concert, and we all danced to the music. We covered her eyes and then took her into the room. Finally, we all shouted “Happy Birthday” and the band began to play. She didn’t know anything about it and she screamed, of course!

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