Part 1: Listening comprehension — MICHAEL SMITH: A MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF FROM THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

In this radio programme you are going to hear some new words. Read and listen to them. Make sure you know what they mean.

• accolades: reconeixements / reconocimientos
• larder: rebost / despensa
• to go for a wander: passejar / pasear

Choose the best answer according to the recording. Only ONE answer is correct. [3 points: 0.375 points for each correct answer. Wrong answers will be penalized by deducting 0.125 points. There is no penalty for unanswered questions.]

1. In which of the following restaurants has Michael Smith NOT worked?

• The Three Chimneys.
• The Three Witches.
• Loch Bay.
• Blue Print Café.

2. Where did Michael Smith work in a kitchen for the first time?

• In the capital of Scotland.
• On the west coast of Scotland.
• In a village close to the Scottish Highlands.
• In his hometown.

3. Did Michael Smith work in any restaurant kitchens outside Scotland?

• No, although he considered moving to London.
• No, he always worked in the Highlands and in Glasgow.
• Yes, he spent four years in London.
• Yes, he spent a few years at a café in France.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

• Shirley Spear offered Smith the opportunity to work at The Three Chimneys.
• Smith did not want to work on Skye, because he felt it was very remote.
• Smith was looking for opportunities to work on Skye and contacted Shirley Spear to get advice.
• Smith's wife went to check Skye out, because she was unsure about the new lifestyle for her family.

5. How long did it take Smith to open his own restaurant after his arrival at Skye?

• Thirteen years.
• Fifteen years.
• Eleven years.
• Sixteen years.

6. Did he open his new restaurant on Skye?

• Yes, because he was happy with his life on the isle.
• Yes, but only because his kids asked him to do so.
• No, because his wife and children wanted to discover new places.
• Yes, because it had always been his dream to open a restaurant on Skye.

7. What does Dolores think about Smith's restaurant?

• She thinks it is a pity that they serve simple food, such as chips.
• She would prefer it to combine local products with international food.
• She thinks the presentation of dishes could be improved.
• She thinks it is appreciated by local people.

8. Which of the following best summarises Smith's view of his job?

• He prefers to get help in the kitchen to be able to enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant.
• He likes to do the cooking and sees a Michelin star as the result of combining good products and a lively atmosphere.
• Sometimes he gets annoyed by the other people working and eating at the restaurant.
• He says being a chef is a rewarding profession since the job can be recognised with prizes such as a Michelin star.

Part 2: Reading comprehension — STONE AGE BABIES HAD BETTER PARENTING THAN TODAY! (text adapted from William Hunter, The Daily Mail, November 13, 2.023).

Choose the best answer according to the text. Only ONE answer is correct. [3 points: 0.375 points for each correct answer. Wrong answers will be penalized by deducting 0.125 points. There is no penalty for unanswered questions.]

1. According to a recently published article in the journal Developmental Psychology, the Mbendjele BaYaka's parenting habits

• are against children's evolutionary needs.
• involve helping mothers with childcare.
• do not allow mothers much time to rest.
• put children's evolutionary needs to test.

2. The behavior of modern hunter-gatherer societies such as the Mbendjele BaYaka

• can be used to understand better how our ancestors lived in the Stone Age.
• is not representative of how humans lived during prehistory.
• is the only possible way in which we can understand how humans lived in the Stone Age.
• cannot help us understand how humans have lived during 95 % of human prehistory.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

• All Mbendjele communities live isolated from the rest of civilization.
• No Mbendjele families live with other families.
• Some Mbendjele communities have stopped being nomadic.
• All Mbendjele families continue to be nomadic.

4. Evolutionary anthropologists that stayed with the Mbendjele BaYaka found that

• only mothers would take care of babies when they cried.
• it would take caregivers a long time to react to baby's crying episodes.
• no one would respond to baby's crying episodes.
• several caregivers would quickly take care of babies when they cried.

5. In comparison to the Mbendjele BaYaka childcare practices, parenting in Western countries

• does not involve spending a lot of time with babies.
• always involves older infants and adolescents in caregiving.
• increases older infants and adolescents' anxiety around childcare.
• is based on employing more than ten caregivers for every child.

6. In Western societies, childcare

• is exclusively used to ensure that parents have free time.
• is often used to ensure that parents can work.
• is never used to ensure that mothers can go back to work.
• is always used to ensure that mothers have time to rest.

7. Providing mothers with support

• improves maternal care but has no effect on children.
• has very little effect on the mother's wellbeing.
• has positive effects both on mothers and children.
• is beneficial for children but does not improve maternal care.

8. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

• In the present day, parents have more childcare pressure and less support than ever.
• Parents have never been less supported and felt more childcare pressure than in modern times.
• As regards childcare, there is more pressure and less support in modern times than in any other historical period.
• Parents have had more support and less pressure for childcare in modern times than in any other historical period.

Part 3: Writing — Choose ONE topic. Your answer should be 125-150 words in length. There is no specific penalty for exceeding 150 words. [4 points: Grammar + Vocabulary + Text + Maturity.]

1. With fast fashion, consumers are offered constantly changing collections at low prices, and encouraged to frequently buy and discard clothes. Do you follow fast fashion, or do you prefer more durable clothes? Write a for-and-against essay in which you explain the pros and cons of fast fashion.

2. You have bought several products online from a well-known website but some of them have not arrived while the ones which have are not in good condition. Write a formal email to customer service complaining about the service and requesting some compensation.

3. Write a description of a place you have been to or would like to visit. Explain where the place is, why it is special and what things you can see or do there. Do not forget to give your opinion or a recommendation.