# Pruebas de acceso a facultades, escuelas técnicas superiores y colegios universitarios

Comunidad: | Comunidad Valenciana
Convocatoria: | Junio de 1995
Modalidad: | LOGSE - Todas
Ejercicio: | 1er Ejercicio B
Asignatura: | Inglés
Obligatoriedad: | Obligatoria
Duración: | 60 minutos
Baremo: | Reading comprehension: 2 points (1 point each); True/ False: 1 point (0.5 each); Find synonym: 1 point (0.5 each); Multiple choice: 2 points (0.5 each); Composition: 4 points.

## Part A. Reading comprehension

Read the following text:

The fish war

The British press has put a lot of enthusiasm with the 'great fish war', the vast majority still siding with the Canadians against the Spanish. Leading the fight among the tabloids1 is the Daily Mail, which has turned a conflict about fish nobody in Europe eats into a re-enactment of the Armada and the 'heroics' of Francis Drake:

"Canadians are our cousins: we have blood ties as well as those of history, language, and race. Our traditions, legal system, weights and measures, national characteristics, and religion are almost identical. The constitution of Canada is based on the British North American Act of 1867. (...) The Queen of Canada lives here in London, at Buckingham Palace. Canada's sovereign is Queen Elizabeth II. And in case you had forgotten, she is our Queen too- and your boss."

So much for "our mates" the Canadians. As for the Spanish, the Mail adds:

"We have nothing in common with the Spanish: no blood ties, no shared history, language or race. Spaniards are descensed from Iberians, who came from North Africa...", that is, the Spanish are just a bunch of Arabs (spot the racism).

The Mail is full of historical errors; according to the Daily, the Spanish Constitution was drawn up by Franco and not by Parliament three years after Franco died. And it fails to point out that the Iberians colonized Cornwall, whose fishermen are now the very people the paper is defending.

Someone at the Mail should open their history books before publishing such rubbish.

'Spain in the UK Press'. Weekly Post. Sunday 9th April 1995.

1 tabloid = a small-sized paper with short articles and a liking for sensationalim.

I. Answer these questions using your own words:

1. What was the reaction of the British press to the fish war?
2. In what ways does the Daily Mail fail to adopt a neutral position?

II. Are the following statements True (T) or False (F)?

1. Generally speaking, fish is not very popular in Europe.
2. The author sympathizes with the British tabloids.

III. Find a word or phrase in the passage which, in context, is similar in meaning to:

1. opinions or ideas which are foolish or wrong.
2. relationship.

IV. Choose a, b, c, or d in each question below. Only one choice is correct.

1. The Mail suggests that the Spanish Constitutions was _____ by Franco.
   1. abolished.
   2. written.
   3. anticipated.
   4. forbidden.
2. The attack from the British press seems to be based on...
   1. historical and political reasons.
   2. family ties mainly.
   3. wrong facts.
   4. fishing rights.
3. The fish war reminds the Mail of...
   1. the Franco regime.
   2. the colonization of Cornwall by the Iberians.
   3. The war between England and Spain at the time of the Armada.
   4. the ambitions of the Spanish fishermen.
4. This article in the Weekly Post puts forward the view that...
   1. impassioned attitudes can't be objective.
   2. the fish war originated due to a lack of linguistic or religious ties between Canada and Spain.
   3. the British and the Canadians are in no way connected to each other.
   4. it is all a joke by the British press.

## B. Composition (100-150 words approximately - 10/12 lines)

Choose one of the following two topics:

1. Write a letter to the editor of the Daily Mail and express your opinion on how the fish war has been treated by the Spanish press.
2. You are a travel journalist writing a regular newspaper column for tourists and travellers. This week you want to deal with differences encountered by travellers abroad in food and dress, weather, local customs, etc. Include some recommendations to avoid problems.

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