TEXT (GRUPO A): How online gaming has become a social lifesaver
Gamers have known for a long time something that everyone else is starting to figure out: there's community connection on the other side of a screen.
When the lockdown started, for lifelong video game enthusiasts, the prospect of sitting on a sofa in front of a TV for an interminable period of time was a piece of cake. After all, gamers do already spend plenty of time in front of their screens all on their own.
But even sitting alone for hours, gamers are not necessarily isolated. With the rise of social media, gamers were not forced to half of holding communities in and around video games. Games were able to put people with strangers on the internet, but make genuine, enduring friendships.
The explosive growth of gaming during the pandemic has shown that many have found a new prospect for much-needed connection in isolation. Gaming has increased dramatically during the pandemic, engaging people who had played every now and then, or even those who had previously ignored it entirely. And at a time in which many industries are in a desperate situation, sales in gaming are booming.
Although the concept of socialisation in a game is new to many, video game enthusiasts have been using the technology to build friendships online and stay connected for years.
Mark Griffiths, a professor at Nottingham Trent who has been studying socialization in video games for decades, has now written about gaming friendships in the pandemic. In 2.003, he published a study that showed a quarter of 11,000 players of the online role-playing game Everquest said their favourite part of the game was connecting with other players. He says the study was a direct and early contradiction of the perception that gamers are isolating, and gamers are antisocial.
Amazon-owned Twitch, where people watch other people play games in live webcasts, has also become very popular. It has expanded its platform beyond gamers, especially during social-distancing restrictions in 2.020. Book authors are hosting book launches, musicians are holding concerts, among others. And Lego is allowing the gamer-streamer model.
As the pandemic rolls on and millions around the world face months of social isolation, gaming continues to be a surprising lifeline. Those new players may keep on gaming even after they get a chance to socialize in person, too.
"Now a lot more people have realised what it can do – gaming bringing communities together has always been there," says Daniel Luu, active gamer, "It has been there for years."
Fragment adapted from BBC, December 2.020
1. Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. COPY the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)
a) Gaming, just like other business activities, has been suffering the economic effects of the pandemic.
b) Today, Twitch is a platform exclusively used by gamers and their audiences.
c) New gamers are unlikely to continue playing when social distancing ends.

2. ANSWER the questions below. COPY no more than 10 words and/or a number from the text to answer each question. (1.5 points)
a) Why do gamers see lockdown as a manageable situation?
b) Besides occasional gamers, who turned to gaming during the pandemic?
c) According to Prof. Griffiths' study, what did gamers enjoy the most?

3. WRITE a synonym (=), an opposite (≠), a definition or a sentence for each of the following words to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words. (1 point)
a) rise (line 8)
b) enduring (line 9)
c) live (line 22)
d) face (line 24)

4. READ this conversation and COMPLETE your part. Write the numbers (1-6) and complete each sentence on your exam paper. (1.5 points)
You and your friend are planning a barbecue party
Your friend: Hi, What's up? Ready to organize our great barbecue party?
You: Hi! Yes, let's get on with it. (1) ____________________?
Your friend: About 15, not too many. So, let's start with the place… What about my home?
You: Are you sure? (2) ____________________
Your friend: As long as you help me do the clean-up after the party, it's OK.
You: Great! (3) ____________________
Your friend: Yeah. Let's make a shopping list. We don't have to worry about drinks, my parents are supplying them. For food, I thought about having sausages, chicken brochettes, beef burgers with fries and some snacks.
You: Terrific! But, isn't Elena coming? (4) ____________________
Your friend: True! I'd forgotten. What can we get for her?
You: (5) ____________________
Your friend: Any would do? Anything else we need?
You: Of course, what about the music? (6) ____________________
Your friend: That's a good idea! You think of everything.

5. Read the following situations and WRITE what you would say in each one to show that you understand the context of the situation. Write between 10 and 25 words. (1.5 points)
a) Your grandmother has just given you some money for your birthday. Express your satisfaction.
b) Your friend has been texting you on the phone all the time you have been in a restaurant. Complain to her.
c) "School should be four days a week", your classmate comments. Give your opinion.

6. WRITE a composition of about 120-150 words on the following topic (3 points):
Socialising by gaming can never replace face-to-face relationships. Give your opinion.

TEXT (GRUPO B): Why living with and caring for plants is good for you
'In Cacti We Trust' is the motto of one of the many passionate plant lovers to be found on social media. According to a survey, the cactus is the most Instagrammable houseplant by far, with an extraordinary 23 million posts dedicated to the spiny plant. Following in second place is the photogenic Hoya, and then the Monstera, also known as the Swiss Cheese plant.
This overwhelmingly Millennial and Generation Z obsession has exploded in recent years. But why do these particular generations love looking after plants so much? It's a question explored in British author Alice Vincent's recent book Rootbound: Rewilding a Life. The author says she has a "strong emotional connection" with plants. "There's a real joy to be found in new growth after a long, dark winter. I find that the seasonal change of plants and the natural world around them is something that helps to guide me in my everyday life."
Both Millennials and Gen Z grew up in a landscape that was increasingly obsessed with technological advance and living online. Everything was expected to be quicker and easier than its predecessor. And what is the antidote to that fast and furious digital life? Tending houseplants and gardening, according to Vincent.
"With gardening, nothing is instant. Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing can be tapped on a phone. It is a slow, physical and patience-testing activity – all of which is hugely relaxing when the rest of life is so rapidly paced.
Paradoxically, although tending plants acts as an antidote to digital life, it is the online world that has helped the plant-tending Millennials and Gen Zers to find each other, and to form their own global community. There is a whole world of so-called 'plantfluencers'; notable among them is Baltimore-based Hilton Carter. "In a sense, having plants is like having pets – they bring you joy, but they also need love and attention. Plants need light and food. You have to be ready to commit to something that's living. They're an animal shelter, you don't bring home every puppy or kitten, you bring one dog not 10 dogs. If you get a ton of plants not knowing how to care for them, you end up very sad, and wasting a lot of money," Carter points out. "Plants make gestures to you, if they have zero light for instance." And if he had to give just one bit of advice for tending plants? "Follow the light, and it'll be easier to become a plant parent."
Fragment adapted from BBC Culture, October 2.020
1. Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. COPY the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)
a) Swiss Cheese plant is another name for the Hoya plant.
b) Millennials and Generation Z are used to spending a lot of time online.
c) Buying too many plants without knowing what conditions they need is not a good idea.

2. ANSWER the questions below. COPY no more than 10 words and/or a number from the text to answer each question. (1.5 points)
a) When did the passion for plants begin to boom?
b) Ironically, what has helped young people who are interested in plants to make contact?
c) What is Hilton Carter's single most important piece of advice about caring for plants?

3. WRITE a synonym (=), an opposite (≠), a definition or a sentence for each of the following words to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words. (1 point)
a) to explore (line 6)
b) deeply (line 8)
c) antidote (line 14)
d) shelter (line 24)

4. READ this conversation and COMPLETE your part. Write the numbers (1-6) and complete each sentence on your exam paper. (1.5 points)
Your friend says she doesn't want to be vaccinated against Covid-19
Your friend: There's no way I'm letting anyone put a needle in my arm!
You: Don't be silly. (1) ____________________
Your friend: Injections always hurt! And anyway, it isn't safe.
You: (2) ____________________?
Your friend: It's everywhere on the internet.
You: But (3) ____________________
Your friend: My cousin says the vaccine might have side-effects nobody knows about yet, so he's telling our grandmother not to have it.
You: (4) ____________________
Your friend: So, do you think I should talk to my grandparents?
You: Well, OK, then. I'll tell them that…
Your friend: And how about you? (6) ____________________?

5. Read the following situations and WRITE what you would say in each one to show that you understand the context of the situation. Write between 10 and 25 words. (1.5 points)
a) You had some friends round while your parents were out and someone spilled an orange drink on the new sofa. Apologise to your mum.
b) Your friend has been texting on her phone all the time you have been telling her about a problem you have. Explain why you find this annoying.
c) Your friend is worried about going away to university. Give him some advice.

6. WRITE a composition of about 120-150 words on the following topic (3 points):
Plants or pets – which do you prefer?