CONSEJERA DE EDUCACIN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES

PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIN LINGSTICA

JUNIO 2013

READING COMPREHENSION (Marks /18)

This paper is in two parts. There is one mark for each correct answer. No marks
are deducted for wrong answers. You need 50% of the total to pass.
PART 1. Look at the sentences below about a historic building. Then read the text to decide if
each sentence is True (T) or False (F). Cross (x) the correct answer.

Newstead Abbey House

Newstead Abbey House is open for tours on Sunday afternoons all year round to visitors wishing
to experience the romance and mystery of Lord Byron's ancestral home. Explore this historic
house and learn about its past through tours on Sunday afternoons.
Medieval Newstead
The Abbey was founded as a religious house in the 12th century, and to this day the house
maintains much of its medieval character. The most famous vestige is the iconic West Front of the
church that dates from the 13th century and is now an ancient monument. Inside the house the
medieval Chapter House (now the Chapel) and a collection of medieval stone carvings and
manuscripts enable visitors to discover the Abbey's early history.
The Poet Byron
Declared by many as the greatest romantic poet of his time, Lord Byron lived at Newstead Abbey at
various times from the autumn of 1808 to the autumn of 1814. Today visitors may visit the Abbey
to discover the Byron collection which includes:
objects and furniture which belonged to the poet
letters written by Byron
manuscripts and portraits of Byron, his family and friends
the poet's magnificent bed, which Byron brought with him from his student rooms in
Cambridge when he moved into Newstead Abbey
Byron's own pistol and the desk at which he wrote much of his poetry
Visitors are also invited into the 'Dressing Up Room' to try on replicas of period dress or Lord
Byron's favourite clothes and be transformed into a romantic hero!
Victorian Newstead
Lord Byron sold the Abbey in 1818 to Thomas Wildman, who had inherited a fortune from
plantations owned by his family in Jamaica. It remained in his family until 1861 when it was
purchased by William Frederick Webb, an African explorer. The Abbey contains many items that
belonged to the families who lived in the house. View the splendid Victorian room settings and see
the furniture, paintings, letters and diaries of those who once lived there. Of particular interest are
the Victorian photo albums showing the Abbey, its interiors and its gardens, as they were more
than a century ago.

CONSEJERA DE EDUCACIN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES

PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIN LINGSTICA

JUNIO 2013

Newstead through the ages

The house also features a collection of items that go over the centuries, from when Newstead
Abbey first became a private house, to the present day. It includes paintings, objects, letters, maps
and photographs associated with the estate, including a collection of the eighteenth century views
of Newstead Abbey by artist Pieter Tillemans. Visitors can take their time over displays and reading
material in the Gothic Revival Library, or marvel at the expansive panelling in the Great Hall, all
reputed to have come from a single oak tree.
Further collections appreciated
Newstead Abbey's Curator is always looking for more information about the site. If you know of any
objects associated with the Abbey or any maps, plans, descriptions, photographs, correspondence
or other records relating to its history and the people associated with it, please get in touch.

1. There are organized visits on Sundays during the whole year.

T
F
2. The manuscripts that can be seen in the chapel were written by Lord Byron.
T
F
3. You can find out about the history of the Abbey through the carvings and manuscripts in the
chapel.
T
F
4. The Byron collection includes some of his well-known romantic poems.
T
F
5. Byron took his bed from his bedroom in Cambridge to install it in Newstead Abbey.
T
F
6. Thomas Wildman inherited Newstead Abbey from Lord Byron.
T
F
7. Belongings from the Wildmans, the Webbs and the Byrons can be seen in this particular Abbey.
T
F
8. Visitors are asked to contribute to the heritage of the Abbey.
T

COMPRENSIN LECTORA INTERMEDIO INGLS

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CONSEJERA DE EDUCACIN, CULTURA Y DEPORTES

PRUEBAS DE CERTIFICACIN LINGSTICA

JUNIO 2013

PART 2. Read the text below and choose the correct word(s) for each space. For each question,
mark the letter (A, B, C or D) next to the correct word with a cross (x).

Are you a shopaholic?

In recent years, television programs and womens magazines have examined the phenomenon of
compulsive shoppers, or shopaholics. Although the media sometimes 1 the term loosely,
a true compulsive shopper suffers from a very real, and sometimes very 2.., lack of selfcontrol.
Without a doubt, we live in a very spend-happy society and 3.... people see shopping as a
hobby. They take weekend-long shopping excursions, spend money they do not have, and often
regret their purchases the next day. 4 that they have a problem? Not necessarily. A true
shopaholic buys things compulsively. They will make purchases even if they are 5. their
heads in debt. They do not shop because they just enjoy it, or because they are buying things that
they have a need for. They buy things because they feel they 6. A shopaholic is out of
control.
If your shopping behavior is interfering 7. your life, consider counseling. A counselor will
8.. to help you understand why your spending habits are so out of control. Compulsive
shoppers sometimes suffer from depression, 9. can be diagnosed and treated with the aid
of a psychologist or psychiatrist. With patience, persistence, and sometimes professional help,
compulsive shoppers can get their lives 10... in control.

1. A is using
2. A scared
3. A a lot
4. A This mean
5. A over
6. A obligated
7. A for
8. A can
9. A which
10. A away

B used to
B frightening
B lots
B It means
B till
B needed
B with
B could
B what
B out

C uses
C frightened
C many
C Mean this
C under
C have to
C by
C be able
C who
C back

COMPRENSIN LECTORA INTERMEDIO INGLS

D to use
D scaring
D much
D Does this mean
D for
D want
D on
D may
D whose
D to

Pgina 2