The article discusses how carrying a bulky wallet can cause back pain, a condition known as "fat wallet syndrome". Sitting on a large wallet throws the back out of alignment over time. The article recommends removing bulk from wallets to alleviate back pain. It also provides other driving tips like getting out of the car every 1.5 hours to walk and stretch, sitting close to the steering wheel, and using a lumbar support cushion.

1. Inglés /BXM 1
Ministerio de Educación Pública
División de Control de Calidad y
Macroevaluación del Sistema Educativo
Departamento de Pruebas Nacionales
Convenio MEP-ICER
Programa de Bachillerato por Madurez Suficiente
Prueba de Inglés Unificado
Convocatoria 02-2004
Total de puntos: 70
SELECTION 70
ÍTEMS
Read the information.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the previous
reading.
1) What is the arch? It _______________________.
A) is a social woman’s posture
B) is related to the backward foot
C) refers to the charm of your body
D) requires an enthusiastic and interested figure
2) What does a woman do when she meets someone? To _______________________.
A) practice her posture in front of a mirror
B) change the weight to the forward foot
C) assume the other person is attractive
D) improve her interest
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For a woman
The arch is the social posture that your feet assume when you meet
someone. It is gracious that your weight is forward and you look
interested and enthusiastic. You should transfer your weight to the
forward foot whenever you meet a new person.
You can add to your charm by practicing your greeting in front of a full-
length mirror.
Adapted from Charm and Poise

2. Inglés /BXM 2
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete each sentence, according to the
reading.
3) One man is really good looking; well he is certainly the ___________________.
A) ugliest
B) weakest
C) most beautiful
D) most handsome
4) Lucy’s father is ___________________.
A) boring
B) honest
C) wealthy
D) good looking
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“Good Friends”
In San Francisco there are three youngsters that are very good friends.
Most of the time they are together. One of them not only is the best
looking but also wealthy, his name is Albert. The other one is Tom and
he is an intelligent boy. People refer to him as a very clever person.
The last one is Lucy. She has a nice family, her father is a good and
interesting person; many people consider Lucy’s family as a marvelous
family.

3. Inglés /BXM 3
Read the ad.
IN LEATHER, GLASS, METAL, WOOD AND IN THE MOST MODERN COLORS!
Adapted from Tico Times
Select the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from the previous ad.
5) Verona Furniture _________________________.
A) imports Italian designs
B) is made of just fine woods
C) offers 100% glass items only
D) has the most fashionable colors
6) According to the ad, _________________________.
A) Verona Furniture sells Italian beds
B) the colors used in the furniture are exclusive
C) the customers can have accessible payments
D) chairs and tables are made of just leather and wood
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 100% Italian Leather
 Exclusive Designs
 Guaranteed Colors
 Comfortable Beds
 Financing Available
 For Offices – Gardens – Living rooms
Verona Furniture Fair
Tel: 288-2878 or 288-2882
San Rafael de Escazú, at the
intersection across from Scotiabank.

4. Inglés /BXM 4
Read the text.
Select the appropriate alternative to complete each sentence, from the previous
reading.
7) Frank wore ______________________ last Saturday.
A) very formal clothes
B) slacks and a sport shirt
C) jeans and a green T-shirt
D) a gray shirt and white pants
8) The blond girl was wearing ______________________ last Sunday.
A) a yellow cap
B) a brown skirt
C) black sandals
D) a green T-shirt
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I’m Frank Novak. Last Saturday I went to the new disco. I was wearing my
new suit. It was dark gray and my shirt was white. But all the other
people were wearing slacks or jeans and sports shirts. I felt very silly.
Everyone was dancing and having a good time. I invited a pretty blond
girl with brown eyes to dance. She was wearing jeans and a green T-shirt.
Her hair was short. She just looked at me and walked away. I walked
around for a while and listened to the music.
Last Sunday, I went to the disco again. I wore a yellow cap, brown jeans,
an orange T-shirt, a blue sweater and my purple boots. The blond girl was
there. She was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt, a red short skirt and
black sandals. I danced with her many hours!
Adapted from New Horizons in English

5. Inglés /BXM 5
Look at the map, and read the situation.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer each question, from the croquis.
9) Where is the Post Office? It’s on _______________________________.
A) Fourth Street
B) Central Avenue
C) Central Street and 1st
Avenue
D) Third Avenue and Second Street
10) Where is the Central Park?
A) In front of Costa Rica Hotel.
B) Two blocks south from the bakery.
C) One block south from Hotel Plaza.
D) One block west from the Popular Bank.
11) Where is the National Bank? It’s _______________________________.
A) next Tienda La Gloria
B) three blocks west from “Club Unión”
C) one and a half block west from El Carmen Church
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Situation: A young girl from London is visiting San José.
She needs to know where some buildings are.
EastWest
South
North
3
rd
Avenue
Central Avenue
4th
Avenue
2
nd
Avenue
1St
Avenue
2nd
Street
1st
Street
4th
Street
6th
Street
8th
Street
CentralStreet

6. Inglés /BXM 6
D) three blocks west and two blocks north from Central Market
Read the article.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the previous text.
12) What are the Naranjito women doing? They are ____________________________.
A) meeting to make dinner
B) planning to move from there
C) building a bamboo room to sell food
D) contacting Mary Reiber to attract tourists
13) Who is Mary Reiber?
A) The president of the United Women Willing to Succeed.
B) A woman with her own microenterprise.
C) A foreigner who lives in the area.
D) A tourist who inspired the men.
14) What does Mrs. Reiber want? To ____________________________.
A) help the town people to improve their economic situation
B) build a touristic area to observe the town
C) have her grandma cooking for the tourists
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Dinner and Dancing in Naranjito
By Guadalupe Montalvo
Tico Times Staff
TWENTY women in the town of Naranjito are working every afternoon to build
the bamboo wall where their first dinner room will be hosted.
Six months ago, these women decided to organize and start their own
microenterprise to attract tourists from Manuel Antonio and Quepos, on the Central
Pacific.
Neighbor Mary Reiber gave them the inspiration that they needed to get the
project moving, says the president of United Women Willing to Succeed.
NARANJITO is a small town of about
500 families, and Mary believed that the
people could benefit from tourists to improve
their economic situation. She and her
husband, from Canada have made their
home in the area, and she wanted to help the
community that had welcomed them.
The idea of the dinner show gives the
tourists an opportunity to observe the culture
and taste real Tico food, the food that
grandma cooks.
Adapted from Tico Times
Dinner and Dancing in Naranjito
By Guadalupe Montalvo
Tico Times Staff
TWENTY women in the town of Naranjito are working every afternoon to build
the bamboo wall where their first dinner room will be hosted.
Six months ago, these women decided to organize and start their own
microenterprise to attract tourists from Manuel Antonio and Quepos, on the Central
Pacific.
Neighbor Mary Reiber gave them the inspiration that they needed to get the
project moving, says the president of United Women Willing to Succeed.
NARANJITO is a small town of about
500 families, and Mary believed that the
people could benefit from tourists to improve
their economic situation. She and her
husband, from Canada have made their
home in the area, and she wanted to help the
community that had welcomed them.
The idea of the dinner show gives the
tourists an opportunity to observe the culture
and taste real Tico food, the food that
grandma cooks.
Adapted from Tico Times

7. Inglés /BXM 7
D) make her home in the town
Read the report.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the weather
report.
15) Which was the rainiest area?
A) San José.
B) Alajuela.
C) Liberia.
D) Limón.
16) How was San José in relation to the other places? It __________________________.
A) was as rainy as Limón
B) had the lowest temperature
C) had the highest temperature
D) received more millimeters of water
17) What happened on October 29 and 30? The __________________________.
A) tradewinds increased
B) rain began to decrease
C) decrease of rainfall was noticeable
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Weather for Oct. 24–30, 2002
San José: High 26,4ºC, Low 16,9ºC, rainfall 39.5 mm.
Alajuela: High 27,9ºC, Low 17,8ºC, rainfall 50.4 mm.
Puntarenas: High 29,2ºC, Low 24,1ºC, rainfall 26.3 mm.
Limón: High 30,2ºC, Low 24,3ºC, rainfall 52.5 mm.
Liberia: High 31,7ºC, Low 21,5ºC, rainfall 76.2 mm.
Typical rainy season conditions continued in the Pacific Coast and the Central Valley,
with electrical storms and heavy downpours in some areas, on Oct. 29 and 30.
Rosario Alfaro
National Meteorological Institute
Adapted from Tico Times

8. Inglés /BXM 8
D) heavy rain with electrical storm was in some areas
Read the text.
Select the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, according to the
previous text.
18) During the period of daylight saving time ___________________________.
A) the Greenwich Meridian is moving
B) the standard time is changed in some areas
C) all the clocks are moved from their usual place
D) the Southern hemisphere gets near the equator
19) Daylight saving time is applied ___________________________.
A) only in March in the U.S.A.
B) in the countries close to the equator
C) in many countries around the world
D) in the same period of time everywhere
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Adjusting the clock time to be able to use the added daylight in summer
evenings is common all over the world. It is called Daylight Saving Time, time
that usually consists on moving one hour ahead from standard time.
Standard time is calculated from the Greenwich Meridian.
Daylight saving time goes from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in
September, in Western Europe and Russia. However, in the United Kingdom,
it continues until the last Sunday in October. In the United States, it begins on
the first Sunday in April and continues until the last Sunday in October. In
the Southern hemisphere, daylight saving time starts in October and ends in
March in some countries in that area. However, countries near the equator do
not use it.
Adapted from The World Almanac and Book of Facts

9. Inglés /BXM 9
Read the text and choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences.
20) The Conti family _________________________________.
A) visited their summer house after some years
B) left their children in their old house
C) had to repair their summer house
D) lived in an old house
21) Bruce _________________________________.
A) took out the rug and placed it on the fence
B) took branches and leaves from the roof
C) made a hole on the roof
D) found the roof wet
22) According to the reading, _________________________________.
A) there were some broken glasses in the cabinet
B) something smelled bad in all the kitchen
C) there was no water in the house
D) the water had a terrible taste
23) Two of the things that needed to be fixed in the house were the
_________________________________.
A) roof and the stove
B) fence and the kitchen
C) cabinet and the living room
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In July, Marge Conti and her children went to their summer house. They like
their old house, they go there on vacation every year, but there was a terrible
storm last winter.
The front yard of the old house looked terrible. The grass was very tall, and
there were a lot of dried leaves and branches on the ground.
They went into the house. The living room rug was wet, so Bruce hung it on
the fence. He looked at the roof and saw some big holes.
Mrs. Conti wanted to drink water, so she went to the kitchen. There were two
broken windows. She took a glass from the cabinet and turned on the water
faucet. It looked OK, but water smelled and tasted bad. She was very
unhappy.
She turned on the stove, but it didn’t work. She said, “What are we going to
do? Everybody’s hungry. We have to prepare dinner soon.” Bruce said, “We
can make a fire and cook our dinner in the yard. We have steak and potatoes.”
Adapted from English for a Changing World

10. Inglés /BXM 10
D) kitchen faucet and the cabinet door
Read the following information.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the previous
reading
24) Where does Susan live? She lives __________________________.
A) very far away
B) close to her workplace
C) far from her hometown
D) close to her husband’s office
25) What does Susan like to do when she is not working? To _____________________.
A) stay at home
B) visit a hospital
C) take care of the children
D) attend to recitals and films
26) How does Susan look like? She is __________________________.
A) small and lucky
B) blond, tall and thin
C) serious and solitary
D) cold and bad tempered
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A Sense of Style
My friend, Susan, is a nurse. She’s twenty-five years old and she lives with
her husband, Michael, in a small house, near the hospital where she works.
She hasn’t gotten any children. When she’s not working, she loves going to
the cinema and to concerts. Susan is tall and slim with long blond hair and
blue eyes. She has to wear uniform at work, of course, but when she’s not
working she wears comfortable, casual clothes like jeans and T. shirts.
She is a very kind and generous person, and also very friendly. Her patients
think she is wonderful. She also has a great sense of humor. I think I am
very lucky to know someone like her.
Adapted from Solutions, 1998

11. Inglés /BXM 11
Read the information.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, using the
information above.
27) The back pocket __________________________.
A) may be used after long drives
B) can affect people’s health
C) is always light for men
D) is the man’s complain
28) A person with a wallet full of things and back pain is __________________________.
A) related to the “fat wallet syndrome”
B) always treated by an orthopedist
C) sitting on his alignment
D) affecting the head
29) An advice when driving is to __________________________.
A) put your hands above your head and stretch
B) get out of the car and walk every so often
C) remove all the receipts from the cushion
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Oh, My Aching Back
Does the man complain that his back hurts after a long drive? Maybe he
should check his back pocket. The bulging wad of money, change, credit
cards, and receipts that many men carry in their wallets can cause “fat wallet”
syndrome. Sitting on a big wallet throws the back out of alignment, eventually
causing back pain, says Daniel Hansen, a chiropractic orthopedist and
assistant medical director at the Back Institute in Plano, Texas. What is the
easy way to fix the problem? Remove the wallet. Here are other driving tips
that your back will appreciate, according to Hansen.
− Get out of the car at least every hour and a half.
− Walk around for a few minutes and stretch. Try leaning against the car to
reach your arms high above your head.
− When you are driving, sit close enough to the steering wheel to press the
pedals easily.
− Buy a lumbar support cushion for the car seat. Your lower back will thank
you for the $20 investment.
bulging wad: a quantity of documents folded or rolled together.
Adapted from Better Homes 1999, pág. 146

12. Inglés /BXM 12
D) wear pants without back pockets
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from the reading
above.
30) Women will cut the fabrics and sew the squares ___________________________.
A) by ironing them first
B) before getting together
C) after changing the design
D) at the beginning of the class
31) The women will ___________________________ between 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
A) iron the squares
B) work at their own homes
C) continue sewing the squares
D) sit complaining of the amount of squares they have to sew
32) After one o'clock, everybody will take leave and will ___________________________.
A) go back home
B) show the comforter to be sold
C) begin another project with the similar routine
D) return home to continue the same routine there
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QUILTING IS A CULTURAL PHENOMENON
Nowadays, a lot of women like to join with others to
practice the quilting technique. It consists of
putting together little fabric squares and sewing
them by hand.
This week, women are going to be together five
days to quilt. Each day they will have the same
routine. They will arrive at the teacher’s house at
8:30 a.m. They will begin the project by cutting out
the fabrics. At 9:00 they will sew the little squares
according to the designs. At 10:00 a.m. they will
take their coffee break. At 10:30 a.m. the lady in
charge, will iron the squares, while the other
women will continue sewing. At 1:00 p.m.
everybody will say good bye and will return home.
At the end of the week they will have at hand a
“comforter”. It is warmer than a blanket, and as
warm as an electrical blanket.

13. Inglés /BXM 13
Read the information and choose the appropriate alternative to complete the
sentences.
33) A babysitter is a person who _____________________________.
A) works for herself
B) takes care of children
C) makes the housework
D) does the job in several houses
34) Kathy prefers her Friday’s job because _____________________________.
A) the Wilsons’ children are in very good mood
B) she spends that day with a lot of kids
C) she is in charge of only two children
D) the Helmans’ kids sleep a lot
35) Last Friday, _____________________________.
A) Rose and Teddy woke up late
B) Kathy and Rose drank lemonade
C) the Taylors’ children were missing their mother
D) Rose and Teddy went shopping with their mother
36) Finally, _____________________________.
A) Kathy listened to Rose’s story in the yard
B) Kathy found the way to entertain the kids
C) the children prepared some sandwiches
D) the kids slept on the couch
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Kathy is a babysitter. On Mondays and Wednesdays, she works for the
Wilsons. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she works for the Helmans. The
Wilsons and the Helmans have a lot of children. Friday is Kathy’s favorite
day, because she works for the Taylors. Mrs. Taylor has only two children.
Teddy, the baby, sleeps a lot, and Rose the little girl, is very good most of the
time.
But last Friday wasn’t a very good day. Teddy was asleep when Kathy arrived,
but Rose was crying because she wanted to be with her mother.
Kathy gave Rose a glass of lemonade, but she didn’t want it. She gave her an
orange, but Rose threw it on the floor. Then Teddy woke up. He was
frightened because his mother wasn’t there, so he cried, too.
Kathy sat on the couch with them. First, she sang a song to them. Then she
read them a story. Rose listened to the story and Teddy looked at the pictures
in the book. They were very calm and quiet.
At twelve o’clock, Kathy made some soup and sandwiches for them. After
lunch, she took them into the yard. She showed them the flowers and they
watched the birds. Then, they played with a ball.
English for a Changing World

14. Inglés /BXM 14
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from the previous
reading.
37) In Costa Rica, we have a variety of __________________________.
A) ginger
B) palm heart
C) typical food
D) mango dishes
38) In Guanacaste people like to prepare a typical __________________________.
A) ginger
B) papaya juice
C) Churchill juice
D) sweet fermented beverage of corn
39) The text says that __________________________.
A) Churchill is a type of seafood
B) each place has its particular dishes
C) in Central Valley people eat more meat
D) Gallos are consumed just in the Central Valley
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In Costa Rica we have very differentiated food regions. For example, in
Guanacaste people eat “garrobos”, iguanas, ceviche made of green
mangoes, onions, and sweet peppers marinated in lemon juice and herbs.
They also prepare picadillo de papaya and chicha (a sweet fermented
drink made from corn, ginger and tapa de dulce).
Limón: they have a wide diversity of dishes, because of the foreign
residents like Chinese, Germans and Jamaicans. The name of the dishes
are tie–aleane, naki, bami, calalos, and rice and beans.
Puntarenas: most of the dishes comes from the sea like clam stew,
cambute, shrimps, lobster, squid and seafood soup. They drink natural
fruit juices, and “Churchill” as a dessert.
Central Valley: people prefer lomo, marinated filet migñon, rolled around
palm heart, agua dulce, as well as coffee. Many people eat as snack
“Gallos” (a tortilla with something on it folds it in half).
Costa Ricans also eat picadillos of potatoes or chayote.

15. Inglés /BXM 15
Read the information.
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Making calls
1. Extend antenna.
2. Press TALK.
3. Dial.
4. When you are finished, press
OFF.
Receiving calls
1. Extend antenna.
2. Press TALK or any key except
OFF, MUTE or the volume
button.
3. When you have finished talking,
press OFF.
Storing Numbers
1. Enter the phone number.
2. Press PGM.
3. Press number location (01 to 20).
Taken from Instructions for
Cordless Phone, Sony Co.
Choose the appropriate alternative to
complete the sentences, according to the
previous information.
40) To make a call in the cordless phone, it’s
necessary to
_____________________________.
A) push the On and Talk keys at the same
time
B) push the Talk key before dialing
C) press the antenna button
D) press any key first to talk
41) In a Sony cordless phone the
____________________________ first to
begin talking on.
A) dialed number has to appear
B) antenna has to be extended
C) Mute key has to be pushed
D) off key has to be down
42) When you store a number, the third step is
_______________.
A) pushing the assigning number location
B) entering the phone number
C) pressing speed dialing
D) pressing PGM

16. Inglés /BXM 16
Read the text.
Select the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, based on the previous
reading.
43) The main idea of this reading is _____________________________.
A) the internet and its benefits
B) the advantages of the computer
C) uses of the computer games at home
D) a sickness that can be developed from high tech
44) The term “strangers”, in the second paragraph of the reading, refers to
_____________________________.
A) someone you don’t know and have never met
B) close personal relationship with others
C) inability to control certain behavior
D) the hours spent on the computer
45) Bill’s inability to stop using the computer so much is because he _________________.
A) has developed certain compulsiveness
B) can communicate over the world
C) gets bored doing other activities
D) can meet people on the internet
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What you don’t know about the Internet
Bill, a student at the University of Maryland, says, “I have been using
the Internet for about a year. Now I spend most of the day on-line. I am
trying to cut my hours, but I simply don´t have the strength to". Now a new
high-tech addiction called Internet addiction is rapidly becoming the latest
problem of the computer age.
College and university students, business people, and homemakers
are just some of the people who are spending hours and hours in front of
their computer screens. They are sending e-.mail, playing computer games,
or entering chat rooms where they can communicate with strangers, people
they have never seen, all over the world on their computers.
At first, these individuals went on-line for work, study, or pleasure for
one or two hours a day on their computers. However, the hours gradually
increased for longer and longer period of time.
Bill's compulsiveness, his inability to stop thinking about his on-line
activity, turned into a serious psychological problem. He abandoned his
friends, stopped playing basketball, and abandoned his schoolwork.
Adapted from NorthStar

17. Inglés /BXM 17
Read the following text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from the above text.
46) The probable origin of the game of jacks was the ________________________.
A) rubber balls
B) lack of toys
C) big homes
D) amount of children in the house
47) The game is played with ________________________ now.
A) a metal ball
B) ten metal jacks
C) only two children
D) stones and bones
48) People start the game by ________________________.
A) bouncing the ball
B) scattering the jacks
C) taking and throwing the jacks
D) picking up the jacks one by one
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Playing Jacks
The game of Jacks (Jackstones) was probably originated hundreds of years
ago when many children did not have toys. Jacks were probably first
played with bones or stones that were tossed* up and grasped. The game
is now played with a rubber ball and ten metal “jacks”. One, two, three or
more children can play.
Once the playing order has been determined, the first step is to grasp* and
throw the jacks softly while turning the hand over, then try to grasp them
again. Then to scatter* the jacks on a surface. If the player doesn’t like the
pattern, he or she can call “overs” and scatter them again. If another player
calls “no overs” first, the jacks must be left as they are. Each player will
use one hand to bounce the ball, pick up one jack, and catch the ball before
it bounces again. After each player has had a turn, the game is repeated
and the number of jacks to be picked up is increased by one.
*to toss: to throw something lightly
*to scatter: to throw something in different directions
*to bounce: to move a ball quickly up after hitting it
*to grasp: the action of taking
Adapted from Indoor Games

18. Inglés /BXM 18
Read the article.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, according to the
previous article.
49) Both lacrosse and field hockey are ____________________________.
A) old games
B) American games
C) completely different
D) Greek and Roman games
50) In both games ____________________________.
A) a team must win
B) there are twelve players
C) the sticks used are similar
D) the players hit a ball into a net
51) ____________________________ game (s) can end in a tie.
A) Field hockey and lacrosse
B) All the sports
C) Field hockey
D) Lacrosse
52) In both games, the sticks used ____________________________.
A) end in heads
B) end in a different way
C) are exactly the same
D) have nets on the ends
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The games of lacrosse and field hockey are alike in
many ways. Lacrosse comes from a game that
native Americans have played for centuries. Field
hockey is also an old game. It can be traced back to
the ancient Greeks and Romans. In both games,
players hit a ball into a net with sticks. Also, both
games are usually played outdoors.
However, the sticks used are different. A lacrosse
stick has a net on one end. In contrast, a field
hockey stick ends in a head. A field hockey team
has 11 players, but a lacrosse team has 10 or 12
players. A field hockey game may end in a tie.
Unlike field hockey, lacrosse is played until one team
or the other wins.
Taken from Comprehension Plus
The games of lacrosse and field hockey are alike in
many ways. Lacrosse comes from a game that
native Americans have played for centuries. Field
hockey is also an old game. It can be traced back to
the ancient Greeks and Romans. In both games,
players hit a ball into a net with sticks. Also, both
games are usually played outdoors.
However, the sticks used are different. A lacrosse
stick has a net on one end. In contrast, a field
hockey stick ends in a head. A field hockey team
has 11 players, but a lacrosse team has 10 or 12
players. A field hockey game may end in a tie.
Unlike field hockey, lacrosse is played until one team
or the other wins.
Taken from Comprehension Plus

19. Inglés /BXM 19
Read the letter.
Select the appropriate alternative to answer the question, according to the letter
above.
53) Why didn’t the school orchestra accept an invitation? Because they did not
__________________________.
A) find any transportation
B) have many instruments
C) get permission from parents
D) have money to pay the bus
54) How does Sara try to solve the problem? By __________________________.
A) playing in distant towns
B) collecting funds to pay a bus
C) transporting the entire orchestra separately
D) creating an Orchestra Parents Association
55) How will the group of parents get money to help the students? By _________________.
A) holding different kinds of sales and raffles
B) selling different instruments in school
C) playing at events all around the state
D) accepting expensive transportation
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We need an Orchestra Parents Association!
Dear Editor,
Our middle school orchestra is asked to play at events all
around the state. Last week, however, we had to turn down
an invitation to play because of a lack of funds for a bus. It is
expensive to transport an entire orchestra, plus instruments,
to a distant town. Everyone felt bad about this decision. I
have a solution: we need an Orchestra Parents Association
(OPA). My friend in another town belongs to his school
orchestra, and they have an OPA. This group of parents
raises funds for the orchestra. They sell snacks at concerts
and hold garage sales and raffles to raise money. We have
many caring orchestra parents here in the middle school.
Let’s start our own Orchestra Parents Association!
Sincerely,
Sara
Taken from Comprehension Plus
We need an Orchestra Parents Association!
Dear Editor,
Our middle school orchestra is asked to play at events all
around the state. Last week, however, we had to turn down
an invitation to play because of a lack of funds for a bus. It is
expensive to transport an entire orchestra, plus instruments,
to a distant town. Everyone felt bad about this decision. I
have a solution: we need an Orchestra Parents Association
(OPA). My friend in another town belongs to his school
orchestra, and they have an OPA. This group of parents
raises funds for the orchestra. They sell snacks at concerts
and hold garage sales and raffles to raise money. We have
many caring orchestra parents here in the middle school.
Let’s start our own Orchestra Parents Association!
Sincerely,
Sara
Taken from Comprehension Plus

20. Inglés /BXM 20
Read the selection.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the reading.
56) Why does Al Young need transportation? Because he ________________________.
A) finds out the bus is the fastest
B) thinks schedules are wrong
C) wants to get to work early
D) wants to be late for work
57) Which aspect is the most important to Al?
A) His work schedule.
B) The bus frequency.
C) The subway duration.
D) The means of transportation he takes.
58) Why does Al decide to take the subway? Because ________________________.
A) it is faster
B) he will be late
C) he saves time traveling
D) it runs more frequently
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Al Young is looking for transportation to get to work. Time is very
important to Al because he doesn’t want to be late for
work. The train is the slowest means of transportation.
From transportation schedules Al finds out that the bus is
the fastest. It takes fifteen minutes for Al to get to work
by bus. But the bus doesn’t run very frequently. It only
runs once every hour. If Al can’t get the 7:00 bus, he has
to wait until 8:00 and he will be late. Al will go to work by
subway. It takes thirty minutes by subway, but the
subway runs every fifteen minutes.

21. Inglés /BXM 21
Read the text.
Choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences, according to the text
above.
59) Costa Rica ___________________________.
A) is a poor place to develop ecotourism
B) includes programs to grow more vegetation
C) has particular areas to keep flora and fauna
D) has all its territory protected for the development of ecotourism
60) Protected places ___________________________.
A) show typical dishes for visitors
B) mean learning about the local culture
C) have many people doing volunteer work
D) preserve nature with the help of some organizations
61) Ecotourism contributes to ___________________________.
A) feed wild animals in parks
B) throw trash in parks and reserves
C) preserve nature as much as possible
D) collect sample plants in reserved areas
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Ecotourism is relatively new. When someone visits a country, he/she can
learn about the flora and fauna of that particular area. Costa Rica is an ideal
destination for those interested in ecotourism. Our country has many
biological reserves and national parks. Our governments have protected
nature in those areas. There are hundreds of birds species, mammals and
reptiles. In addition, visitors can observe beautiful vegetation.
Ecotourism also means learning about the local culture and its customs.
For example, tourists can eat typical dishes at a local restaurant and try
desserts such as “cajetas” or “melcochas”. Ecotourism also means
contributing to preserving nature by neither throwing trash in parks, nor
feeding wild animals, nor collecting sample plants or rocks. Finally, people
can also contribute by doing volunteer work or donating money to
organizations such as Neotropica or Apreflofas.
Adapted from The Tico Times

22. Inglés /BXM 22
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the text.
62) Why do people prefer to live in the city? Because of the ______________________.
A) clean air
B) traffic noise
C) air and river pollution
D) opportunities in job and education
63) How do people pollute the city? By ______________________.
A) throwing garbage into the rivers
B) constructing new restaurants
C) drinking safe water
D) getting a new job
64) Why is life in the city more exciting than in the country? Because _________________.
A) there are few facilities
B) young people can work hard
C) there are a lot of noise and dirt
D) there are many entertainment activities
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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in a City
Some people really have no choice about where they live, but others are able
to decide between living in the city or living in the country.
Probably, the main advantage of living in a city is that the educational
opportunities are better and it is easier to find a job. In addition, there are
good entertainment and leisure facilities, such as theaters, restaurants and
sports centers, as well as enormous range of shopping centers. Finally, public
transportation is usually good, so it is easy to travel in the city to different
places.
However, there are also disadvantages. Cities are crowded, noisy and dirty.
Factories and car smoke pollute the air. People litter the rivers and they
cannot drink clean water.
Although there are many problems in the city, life in the city is more exciting
for young people. Families can enjoy the peace and tranquility of the country
on weekends.
to litter: to throw junk
Adapted from Solutions, 1998

23. Inglés /BXM 23
Read the article.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from the article.
65) George Washington was called the “Father of His Country” because he
________________________.
A) was born in Virginia, U.S.A
B) died when he was very young
C) contributed greatly to the United States history
D) was the president of the United States from 1787 to 1799
66) The Revolutionary War helped the British colonies to ________________________.
A) elect Washington as the commander in chief
B) get their independence from Great Britain
C) choose Washington as their president
D) write their own constitution
67) George Washington died ________________________ of the United States.
A) when he was president
B) in his second term as president
C) after he refused a third term as president
D) when he was a president of the Constitutional Convention
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GEORGE WASHINGTON
George Washington, known as the “Father of His Country” was born on
February 22nd
, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
Washington helped shape the beginning of the United States in three
important ways. First, he was the commander in chief of the Continental
Army that won Independence for 13 British colonies from Great Britain in the
Revolutionary War.
Secondly, in 1787, Washington served as president of the Constitutional
Convention that wrote the United States Constitution. Lastly, George
Washington was the first elected president in the United States. He served a
second term and refused a third time. He died on December 14th
, 1799, at the
age of 67.
Adapted from American Holidays

24. Inglés /BXM 24
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions, from the previous text.
68) What does Costa Rica pretend implanting fine chemicals industry?
To _____________________________.
A) take advantage of its biological richness
B) decrease the use of chemical products
C) cultivate new plants for medicines
D) develop high technology
69) What would be the result of the scientific investigations?
To _____________________________.
A) increase the country’s rainforest
B) attract new investment for several decades
C) make up new medical and chemical products
D) include education and health on the high technology
70) Which elements help Costa Rica moving quickly toward high technology?
A) Exploitation of the fine chemical industry.
B) Natural outcome of scientific research.
C) Democracy, education and health.
D) Biological wealth of rainforest.
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Costa Rica is targeting the fine chemical industry, hoping to exploit the
vast, biological wealth of its rainforests to create new kinds of medicines
and chemical products.
Such an industry would be a natural outcome of the intensive scientific
investigations that have been conducted in the country’s rainforests
during the last several decades.
With a stable democracy that long ago abolished its army and which has
long emphasized education and health, Costa Rica is moving quickly
toward on the high technology front.
Naturally Costa Rica p.112

25. Inglés /BXM 25
SOLUCIONARIO
Programa: Bachillerato por Madurez Suficiente Convocatoria: 02-2004
Asignatura: Inglés Total de ítemes: 70
ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA
1 A 21 A 41 B 61 C
2 B 22 D 42 A 62 D
3 D 23 A 43 D 63 A
4 B 24 B 44 A 64 D
5 D 25 D 45 A 65 C
6 C 26 B 46 B 66 B
7 A 27 B 47 B 67 C
8 C 28 A 48 C 68 A
9 D 29 B 49 A 69 C
10 D 30 D 50 D 70 C
11 C 31 C 51 C 71
12 C 32 A 52 B 72
13 C 33 B 53 D 73
14 A 34 C 54 D 74
15 C 35 C 55 A 75
16 B 36 B 56 C 76
17 D 37 C 57 A 77
18 B 38 D 58 D 78
19 C 39 B 59 C 79
20 C 40 B 60 D 80
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