Text A - The First Men on Venus. If the population of the Earth goes on increasing at its present rate, there will eventually not be enough resources left to sustain life on the planet. By the middle of the 21st century, if present trends continue, we will have used up all the oil that drives our cars, for example. Even if scientists develop new ways of feeding the human race, the crowded conditions on Earth will make it necessary for us to look for open space somewhere else. But none of the other planets in our solar system are capable of supporting life at present. One possible solution to the problem, however, was suggested by American scientist, Professor Carl Sagan in the year 1.975. Let us read how a newspaper summarized Professor Sagan's proposal: 'Sagan believes that before the Earth's resources are completely exhausted it will be possible to change the atmosphere of Venus and so create a new world almost as large as Earth itself. The difficulty is that Venus is much hotter than the Earth and there is only a tiny amount of water there. Sagan proposes that algae, organisms that can live in extremely hot or cold atmospheres and at the same time produce oxygen, should be bred in conditions similar to those on Venus. As soon as this has been done, the algae will be placed in small rockets. Spaceship will then fly to Venus and fire the rockets into the atmosphere. In a fairly short time, the algae will break down the carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon. When the algae have done their work, the atmosphere will become cooler, but before man can set foot on Venus, it will be necessary for the oxygen to produce rain. The surface of the planet will still be too hot for man to land on it, but the rain will eventually fall and in a few years something like Earth will be reproduced on Venus. If the experiments are successful, life will become possible there, but it will not be pleasant at first. When they go to Venus, the first colonists will have to take plenty of water with them and get used to days and nights lasting 60 Earth-days. But there will also be some advantages. The colonists will live longer because their hearts will suffer less strain than on Earth. Apart from that, they will be exploring a new world with enormous free extensions available, while those still on Earth are living in closed, uncomfortable conditions. Perhaps it will be the only way to ensure the survival of the human race'. With these words, the article concludes. Obviously, Sagan's projects have not been put into practice yet. In this sense, almost fifty years after the publication of the article we have quoted, plans seem to be completely different and now most projects have a different objective, namely, Mars. Adapted from a text by W. S. Fowler. Choose the correct answer a, b or c (3 points, 0.5 each): 1. It will eventually become necessary for us to try to colonize another planet because... A. the Earth will not provide us with enough resources in the future. B. scientists won't be able to develop new ways of feeding. C. at present, there are not enough resources to sustain life on Earth. 2. Carl Sagan believes that Venus might be colonized from Earth because... A. it might be possible to change its atmosphere. B. its atmosphere is the same as the Earth's. C. there is a good supply of water on Venus. 3. It is not possible for us to colonize Venus immediately because... A. there are dangerous viruses on it. B. it is too far away for us to go there. C. it is too hot to support human life. 4. Algae are important for the colonization of Venus because... A. they are a very good food. B. they can easily be carried in spaceships. C. they produce oxygen. 5. The first colonists on Venus will find life difficult there because... A. they will suffer from heart strain. B. the days and nights are very long. C. algae taste bad. 6. One of the main advantages for the colonists will be that... A. they will be the only survivors of the human race. B. they will have comfortable houses. C. they will have much more space than before.

2A. Answer these questions in no more than 5 words. (1 point, 0.25 each). a. Apart from Earth, what other planets in the Solar System can support human life at present? b. When did Sagan publish his ideas about Venus? c. What will colonists have to take with them? d. Which planet is now the main objective of space exploration?

3A. Find a word in the text for each of these definitions. (1 point, 0.25 each). a. Experts in science. b. The layer of gases that surrounds a planet. c. People who establish a settlement or a colony. d. The act or fact of surviving.

Text B - Women's Rights. Women won their present status through struggle and sacrifices rather than through men's kindness. Women and their supporters have fought, and in some places continue to fight for the same rights as men. Laws were made to replace local customs which denigrated and suppressed women's rights. Women have gained higher positions in the world at all levels: political, economic and social. Historically, whether in Hindu, Greek or Roman civilizations women were always minors and subject to men. It was only during the Islamic civilization, between 610 and 661, that the early reforms were undertaken. During the middle ages women were enslaved and were denied all rights in Europe. In the late 18th century, however, women's status became a subject of political debate. In the 19th century women started their fight for equal rights. In the late 19th century they won the right to vote (suffrage) in various countries in the world. More gigantic steps were taken during the following years. Women gained more economic, social and political status in various degrees and in different countries. In spite of all the successes women still suffer from discrimination at various levels. For example, women work more and earn less than men. In addition to that, the majority of the world's poor and illiterate are women. The road to real equality is still long. Initiatives like the IWD could contribute to it. Let us see what it is. International Women's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. Countries around the world celebrate IWD to give credit to the economic, political and social achievements of women and to show respect to their contributions in the development of their countries. The IWD was first celebrated on 19 March 1.911 in Germany, after a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. It's only in the beginning of the 20th century that the day was officially and internationally acknowledged due to the rapid industrialization and the social protest that it accompanied. On this day women are usually given flowers and small gifts. It is also celebrated as an equivalent of Mother's Day in some countries. Children also give small gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. In countries like Portugal, it is customary, at the night of 8 March, for groups of women to celebrate the holiday with women-only dinners and parties. In 1.975, the United Nations gave official sanction to and started financing International Women's Day. Although, women are becoming more powerful in business, entertainment, politics and many more areas, there are still a lot of inequalities around the world which call for the mobilization of everybody to grant women the proper status they merit. Adapted from https://www.myenglishpages.com/site/reading_women.php and https://www.myenglishpages.com/english/reading-international-women-day.php. Choose the correct answer a, b or c (3 points, 0.5 each): 1. Women's present situation is the result of... A. changing men's attitude toward women. B. important sacrifices and fights. C. renewing old traditions. 2. Political debate over women's status began... A. in the middle ages. B. in the 19th century. C. only after 1.800. 3. Nowadays, the social, economic and political situation women have gained... A. is basically the same all around the world. B. differs depending on the country. C. hasn't varied in the 20th century. 4. Illiteracy affects... A. equally men and women. B. more men than women. C. more women than men. 5. The IWD... A. became an international event at the end of the 19th century. B. grew because of, among other factors, historical facts such as industrialization. C. stopped being celebrated in 1.975. 6. The United Nations... A. do not support the IWD. B. see the IWD as a small and irrelevant celebration. C. finance the IWD.

2B. Answer these questions in no more than 5 words. (1 point, 0.25 each). a. What was women's status in ancient Rome? b. In general terms, what can be said about the salaries women receive? c. What does 'IWD' stand for? d. In what country was the IWD celebrated for the first time?

3B. Find a word in the text for each of these definitions. (1 point, 0.25 each). a. Habitual practices of a society which precede the setting of formal laws. b. A discussion involving opposing viewpoints. c. A number, part, or amount forming more than half of the whole or total. d. Things given to another person freely.

PART 2 - USE OF ENGLISH (2 POINTS). 4. CHOOSE FOUR OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AND REPHRASE THEM SO THAT THEIR MEANING IS AS SIMILAR TO THE ORIGINAL AS POSSIBLE (0.5 EACH). a. It's reported that the meeting ended at 12:00 AM. The meeting... b. If it doesn't rain, we'll go to the beach. Unless... c. They are building a new park in the neighbourhood. A new... d. My brother is taller than the other boys. The other boys are not... e. He looks so pale that I'm sure he has seen a ghost. He must... f. It's absolutely necessary that we finish the article today. We... g. Despite having a terrible headache, he went to the office. Although... h. Paul said: 'I am sorry to disturb you'. Paul apologized...

PART 3 - WRITING (2 POINTS). 5. CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS AND WRITE A 150 WORD LONG TEXT. A) (FOR AND AGAINST ESSAY) What are the main advantages and disadvantages of space exploration? Should we spend our money on it? What can we get? And what are the risks? B) (DESCRIPTIVE ARTICLE) What is the present status of women compared to men? Mention what inequalities still exist and describe the situation in your country.