PAU Practice Examination (Castilla y León)

LIKE ON MARS

Would you agree to be locked into a small, confined space for 520 days, with
virtually no access to the outside world? Most people would consider this to be a punishment,
but at least 70 people have volunteered to undergo this experience.
As part of the preparations for a manned space flight to Mars, Russian scientists
have outfitted a special “spaceship” in Moscow. They want to study how human beings will
react physically and psychologically when living in conditions that mimic those of a mission
to Mars.
During the experiment, volunteers will live in the same gruelling conditions as
astronauts. Air will be recycled, food will be rationed, and no tobacco or alcohol will be
available. Contact with the outside world will also be limited by the scientists; although the
“astronauts” will have radios and e-mail, communication will be artificially routed to simulate
the delay expected with a real Mars mission.
The Mars-500 project will have a multi-national crew of six. Volunteers must be
between 25 and 50, speak English and Russian, and have a university degree. They must also
be in good physical and mental health, and be able to get along well with other people.
The experiment should be completed by the end of the decade, and a real manned
mission to Mars could, scientists believe, take place within the next 20 years.

1. Answer the following questions according to the instructions. (3 points as a whole)

a. Answer the following question using your own words. (10-20 words) (1 point)
a.1. According to the text, what is the purpose of the Mars-500 project?
b. Are the following statements true or false? Indicate the line(s) in the text
supporting your choice. (2 points as a whole: 0.5 point each)
b.1. The experiment will be conducted by Russian scientists in Moscow.
b.2. Participants will be unable to receive e-mails while in the “spaceship”.
b.3. Scientists have not set an age limit for project volunteers.
b.4. The crew must include volunteers from England and Russia.
2. Complete the following tasks according to the instructions. (2 points as a whole:
0.5 point each)
a) Transform into reported speech: “Volunteers must have a university degree,”
announced the project director. Begin with: He announced …
b) Write a question to which the underlined words are the answer: The “astronauts” will
do physical exercises every day.
c) Combine into one sentence containing a relative clause: The scientists will communicate
with the volunteers. The volunteers will be locked inside the “spaceship”.
d) Put into the passive: Scientists will carry out more detailed projects in the future.

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3. Find words in the text with the following meaning (a and b) and synonyms for each of
the words below (c, d and e). (1 point as a whole: 0.2 each answer)
a) to be imprisoned
b) a period of time in which something is late or postponed
c) imitate
d) very difficult
e) happen
4. Write about the following topic using 90-120 words. (0-4 points)
Reasons for and against space exploration.

PAU Castilla y León – Like on Mars 2/2

 PAU Practice Examination (Castilla y León) – Answers

LIKE ON MARS

1. a. a.1. To study how human beings will cope with living in conditions that are similar to a
mission to Mars.
b. b.1. True (lines 4-5: “Russian scientists have outfitted a special ‘spaceship’ in
Moscow”)
b.2. False (lines 10-11: “the ‘astronauts’ will have radios and e-mail”)
b.3. False (lines 13-14: “Volunteers must be between 25 and 50”)
b.4. False (lines 13-14: “must … speak English and Russian”)
2. a) He announced that volunteers must / had to have a university degree.
b) When / How often will the “astronauts” do physical exercises?
c) The scientists will communicate with the volunteers, who will be locked inside the
“spaceship”.
d) More detailed projects will be carried out by scientists in the future.
3. a) locked
b) delay
c) mimic
d) gruelling
e) take place
4. Answers will vary.