Reading comprehension: Text 1 - Is watching TV bad for you?
Nowadays, many of us spend countless hours a day sitting in front of screens, either watching TV, films or streaming services, or playing videogames. Unfortunately, most experts think that this can have rather negative consequences for your brain and body.
In children, for example, simply spending extended hours in front of a screen can have developmental effects. A condition called Myopia, where the eyes cannot focus properly, is frequently found by doctors in children who watch much TV. The reason for this is that their eyes are constantly forced to focus on nearby objects as opposed to far-off landscapes and distances.
While TV might feel like a nice way to relax your body and brain, that may not always be a good thing. Not only is a sedentary lifestyle a major contributor to obesity, but studies have shown that people who watch less TV tend to burn more calories, even if they aren't doing more physical activity. Simply doing more mentally rigorous tasks like reading, playing a board game or simple household activities requires more energy and burns more calories than sitting in front of a screen.
Yet, perhaps the most significant findings relate directly to how long people live. Not only is there a documented correlation between TV viewing time and risk for diabetes and heart disease but, as shocking as it might be, multiple studies have found a correlation between TV viewing time and all causes of death. One study concluded that every hour spent in front of the TV may cut as much as twenty-two minutes of your life!
Of course, correlation is not the same as causation and you can have a healthy relationship with TV if consumed in moderation like anything else. At the root of many of these claims is the physical inactivity associated with prolonged TV watching. Ultimately, the more you move, the longer you live.
(Adapted from http://ed.ted.com)
EXERCISE 1. Answer 3 of the following 4 questions, providing evidence from the text (maximum 1 point each, total 3 points):
a. According to the text, is there any connection between watching TV a lot and not being able to see well?
b. Does the author say that being fat and watching too much TV are related in any way?
c. Does the text say that you can live longer if you watch TV a lot?
d. According to the text, is it absolutely necessary for your health not to watch TV at all?
EXERCISE 2. Find in the text words that fit in 4 of the following 5 gaps. Use just one word in each gap (maximum 0,5 points per word, total 2 points):
a. ......................... is an antonym of incorrectly, inadequately
b. ......................... is a synonym of frequently, repetitively
c. ......................... is a synonym of activities, jobs
d. Discoveries made by scientists can also be called .........................
e. ......................... is an antonym of excess, overabundance

Reading comprehension: Text 2 - Homeopathic medicine
Homeopathy is a medical system, common in some European countries and very popular in the United States, based on the principle that the body can cure itself. Those who practice it use combinations of natural substances, like plants and minerals. They do this because they believe that those substances stimulate the curing process.
A basic belief behind homeopathy is "like cures like." In other words, something that brings on symptoms in a healthy person can, in a suitable dose, treat an illness with similar symptoms by activating the body's natural defenses. For example, red onion makes your eyes water; that's why it's used in homeopathic remedies for allergies.
Homeopathic doctors, who also are called "homeopaths," combine these ingredients with water and alcohol. Then they shake the mixture as part of a process called "potentization." They believe this step transfers the curing power. Homeopaths also believe that the lower the dose, the more powerful the medicine. In fact, many of these remedies no longer contain any molecules of the original substance. They come in a variety of forms, like liquid drops, creams, gels and tablets.
Homeopathic remedies are used for a wide variety of health issues, including some chronic illnesses such as allergies, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome or premenstrual syndrome. Moreover, they can also be used for minor issues like toothaches, headaches, nausea and colds.
There exists a great deal of controversy about the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine. Many scientific studies have been carried out, but the results are mixed. Some studies show that homeopathic remedies are helpful, while others say they aren't. Critics attribute the benefits to the placebo effect: that's when symptoms improve because you believe the treatment is working, not because it really is.
Many doctors are skeptical about homeopathy because most of its theories are not consistent with the accepted principles of chemistry and physics. Scientists argue that a medicine with no active ingredient shouldn't have an effect on the body.
(Adapted from https://www.webmd.com/)
EXERCISE 1. Answer 3 of the following 4 questions, providing evidence from the text (maximum 1 point each):
a. Does the text say that homeopathy strongly depends on the use of artificial products?
b. According to the text, do homeopathic products stimulate our immune system to cure ourselves?
c. According to the text, do homeopathic doctors use their medicines in large quantities?
d. Does the author say that all scientific research about homeopathy agrees about its positive effects?
EXERCISE 2. Find in the text words that fit in 4 of the following 5 gaps. Use just one word in each gap (maximum 0,5 points per word, total 2 points):
a. A ..................... is the same as a general truth or a fundamental rule
b. A synonym of strong, effective
c. A disease that lasts or persists for a long time is a ..................... disease
d. A ...................... is a prolonged public disagreement or dispute
e. An antonym of convinced, sure

SEGUNDO BLOQUE: REDACCION. Tres opciones, elegir una. Minimo 100 palabras. 3 puntos.
a. Write a story beginning with this sentence: "My friend Angela used to spend many hours a day watching TV series". Remember that the 13 words in this sentence cannot be counted in the 100 words you must write.
b. Do you think that young people in Spain spend too long in front of screens nowadays? Why or why not?
c. Write a formal essay in which you explain your personal reasons for or against using homeopathic medicine.

TERCER BLOQUE: TRANSFORMACION GRAMATICAL. Seis ejercicios; el alumno escoge y contesta exclusivamente cuatro. 0.5 pts cada uno.
a. Rewrite the following sentence in the interrogative form of the future perfect tense: Many of us spend countless hours sitting in front of screens.
b. Rewrite the following sentence in the active voice: Myopia is frequently found by doctors in children who watch much TV.
c. Rewrite in indirect style (reported speech), beginning with the words Our teacher said: Most experts think that this can have rather negative consequences.
d. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one. You must not change the initial three words: Homeopaths combine these ingredients with water and alcohol. -> Water and alcohol...
e. Rewrite the following sentence as a third-type (impossible) conditional sentence: If red onion makes your eyes water, it will be used in homeopathic remedies for allergies.
f. Rewrite the following sentence in the interrogative form of the present perfect tense: Homeopathic remedies are used for a wide variety of health issues.