OPTION A — MONEY

Nowadays it is difficult to imagine our lives without money, but for thousands of years people did business without it. Before money was invented, people used a system called 'bartering', which simply consists of trading one thing for another. Imagine that you have milk, for example, and you want eggs. You just find someone who has eggs and wants milk, and you have a deal.

However, this system is not perfect. You may not want what the other person has and it may take a long time to find somebody to barter with. Besides, you have to come to an agreement with that person on the 'value' of the items. For example, how many fish are worth one loaf of bread?

To overcome these problems a number of societies, such as Ancient Romans, started using small pieces of precious metal stamped with a symbol. Many of these early coins were made in the temple of the goddess Juno Moneta, who was the wife of Jupiter. It is from 'Moneta' that we get the word 'money'.

It was only around 400 years ago that paper money came into general use in most countries. In Europe, the first official banknotes were distributed in 1.661. Banknotes were originally hand-written and cashiers had to sign each note and make them payable to someone. It was not until the second half of the 19th century that notes were fully printed.

Both paper money and coins are what we call cash. Nowadays, apart from cash, we also have other ways to pay for things, such as credit cards and digital wallets. Their use is increasing because they are much easier to carry than cash and they are more secure, too. If you lose cash, it's gone, but credit cards can be cancelled and replaced.

While money in its different forms is the most common way to buy and sell things, there are some interesting alternatives such as Time Banks. In these banks, people give one hour of service and receive one time credit. It doesn't matter what the work is, all work is considered to be of equal value. You can spend your credits on a service you need or give them to somebody else. Time Banks are free to join and they build community spirit.

I.- Answer 4 out of the following 6 questions according to the information given in the text. WRITE COMPLETE SENTENCES USING YOUR OWN WORDS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. DO NOT COPY FROM THE TEXT. (Choose 4 out of the 6 questions) (4 marks)

1. How did people do business before money was invented?
2. What are the problems with bartering?
3. Why did people start to use coins?
4. What were the first banknotes like?
5. Why are credit cards more secure than cash?
6. What can you do with the time credits you get in a Time Bank?

II.- Are these statements True or False? Justify your answers based on information from the text, rewriting the original sentences in your own words or quoting properly. (Choose 2 out of the 3 statements) (2 marks).

1. In bartering, the value of things is agreed by the people doing the deal.
2. The word 'money' comes from 'Juno Moneta', the goddess in whose temple coins were made in Ancient Rome.
3. Not all types of work are worth the same in Time Banks.

III.- Find the words or expressions in the text that mean: (Choose 4 out of the 6 questions) (1 mark)

1. without fault, complete and correct in every way
2. very valuable and rare
3. a building where people in some religions go to pray
4. completely, entirely, totally
5. getting bigger, rising
6. not costing anything

IV.- Write a composition of about 130 words on one of these topics. Specify your option. (3 marks)

1. "Money is not the key to happiness, but it makes life easier." Write an opinion essay on this topic.
2. What do you think of the idea of Time Banks? Would you be willing to join one? Explain the reasons that would motivate your choice.

OPTION B — BREAKDANCING BECOMES AN OLYMPIC SPORT

In December 2.020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that breakdancing will be included at the 2.024 Summer Games in Paris. This is part of the Olympics' long-term strategy to get more young people interested in the Games. The plan also includes adding skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing. In addition, there will be mixed-gender teams in some events, which means that we will see men and women competing together in several sports such as swimming, judo, table tennis and triathlon.

The IOC president, Thomas Bach, explained that their priority has been to introduce sports that are particularly popular among the younger generation and celebrated the addition of the new sports and the mixed-gender events that will make the Summer Games "more gender balanced, more youthful and more urban."

Professional breakdancer B-boy Victor argued that although 'breaking' --which is the preferred term among its followers, rather than 'breakdancing'-- is a style of dance, it will work very well as a sport. "It is essentially competitive," he explained, "and many of its acrobatic movements are very energetic and show clear connections to gymnastics, martial arts and other Olympic disciplines."

The breakdancing we know today started in New York City in the 1970s as a way for rival street bands of kids from different neighbourhoods to solve disputes through dancing 'battles'. Dancers from each band would show off their moves, and the one with the most innovative and complex movements was the winner.

Nowadays, breakdancing competitions typically consist of one-on-one 'battles', with three rounds each, in which one competitor 'breaks' for about 30 to 45 seconds, and the other responds. Some combinations of movements can be practised, but a lot of them are improvised. A group of judges then picks a winner to advance to the next round.

While many people are happy about its inclusion at the Olympics, some have expressed concerns that the authenticity of breakdancing will be lost. There is a fear that Olympic judges might value technical difficulty over other qualities that make breakdancing unique, such as passion, creativity and quick reactions.

Though it will be new to the Olympics, breakdancing has been at the centre of international events for more than a decade. One of the most important competitions is the World Breaking Battle.

I.- Answer 4 out of the following 6 questions according to the information given in the text. WRITE COMPLETE SENTENCES USING YOUR OWN WORDS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. DO NOT COPY FROM THE TEXT. (Choose 4 out of the 6 questions) (4 marks)

1. Why will breakdancing be included in the 2.024 Paris Olympic Games?
2. In what way will the Paris Olympic Games be more gender balanced?
3. Why could breakdancing work well as an Olympic sport?
4. What are the origins of breakdancing?
5. What do dancers do in a typical breakdancing competition?
6. Why are some people worried about breakdancing becoming an Olympic sport?

II.- Are these statements True or False? Justify your answers based on information from the text, rewriting the original sentences in your own words or quoting properly. (Choose 2 out of the 3 statements) (2 marks).

1. People who follow this style of dance prefer to call it 'breakdancing' instead of 'breaking'.
2. In a breakdancing round, all movements are prepared in advance.
3. There have been international breakdancing competitions for more than ten years.

III.- Find the words or expressions in the text that mean: (Choose 4 out of the 6 questions) (1 mark)

1. some, a number of, various
2. something that is very important and must be dealt with first
3. fashionable, liked by many people
4. containing similar amounts of different things, proportioned
5. usually, commonly, generally
6. people who decide impartially who wins a competition

IV.- Write a composition of about 130 words on one of these topics. Specify your option. (3 marks)

1. Do you think the Olympic Games are important? Write an opinion essay on this topic.
2. Imagine that your city is competing with others to host the Olympics. Write a brief description of your city with the reasons why it should be chosen.