ASOCIACIÓN EX ALUMNOS DEL PROFESORADO EN LENGUAS VIVAS

“JUAN RAMÓN FERNÁNDEZ”

5TH YEAR YOUNGSTERS
Mid-year Exam

Name:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
July 2012

A) Read the passage and answer the questions (25)

Mexico’s Crystal Caves

The Mexican geologist, Juan Manuel Garcia-Ruiz, is a very lucky man. He and his team of
researchers visit some of the most beautiful areas on Earth. They are specialists in exploring caves
such as Mexico’s Cave of Crystals. Part of their job is to understand and explain how these crystals
became so large. Buried 300 metres below the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert, the cave was
discovered by two miners who were digging a new tunnel in 2000.
The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found. They are made of gypsum,
which is a soft mineral, and some of them measure up to 11 metres in length and weigh up to 55
tons. ‘They are a natural marvel,’ said Garcia-Ruiz.
The area around the crystal cave contains some of the largest deposits of silver, zinc and lead
found anywhere in the world. In 1910, miners discovered another spectacular cave in the area. Its
walls were covered in crystals that look like swords. Therefore, it was called The Cave of Swords.
This cave is closer to the surface, at a depth of about 120 metres. While there are more crystals in
the Cave of the Swords, they are quite small. On average they are about a metre long.
The Cave of Crystals has a horseshoe-shape. It is about 10 metres wide and 30 metres long,
which is about the size of a basketball court. Its floor and walls are covered in the most beautiful
crystals. ‘There is no other place on the planet where the mineral world reveals itself in such beauty,’
Garcia-Ruiz said.
‘There is no limit to the size a crystal can reach,’ Garcia-Ruiz said. But, he said, for the cave of
Crystals to have grown such large crystals, it must have been kept just below 58°C for many
hundreds of thousands of years. In the Cave of the Swords, by contrast, this temperature may have
fallen much more rapidly, resulting in the formation of smaller crystals.
Today scientists and the mine’s owners are facing a very important issue. If future generations
are to enjoy the crystals, the mining company has to continue to pump water out of the caves. If they
don’t, the crystals will again be underwater and will continue to grow.

1. What does Mr. Garcia-Ruiz do?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. In what circumstances was the Cave of Crystals discovered?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What makes the area unique?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. How is the Cave of Crystals different from the Cave of Swords?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 ASOCIACIÓN EX ALUMNOS DEL PROFESORADO EN LENGUAS VIVAS
“JUAN RAMÓN FERNÁNDEZ”
5TH YEAR YOUNGSTERS
Mid-year Exam
5. What will happen if the mining company stops pumping water out of the caves?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

B. Match the underlined words/phrases from the text with their meanings on the right: (5)

1. dig a. have to deal with

2. ton b. a unit of weight
3. reveal c. show
4. face d. make a hole in the ground
5. issue e. discover
f. a serious problem
g. a question that is difficult to answer

C) Complete each of these sentences so that it means the same as the sentence written
before it. (10)
1. Have you met that man? His daughter won the first prize!!

Have you met the man .....................................……………................................................................ ?

2. I took up tennis two years ago.

………………………………………………………………………………………..………….. for two years.

3. Now that I go to school in the morning I must get up early. It is very difficult for me.

I………………………………………..…………………….………………. getting up early in the morning.

4. My grandparents would play tennis with me when I was four!!

My grandparents used ……………………………..…………………………………………………………..

5. Dinner will be ready at 9 pm

We…………………………………………………………………………………….………dinner at 9 pm.

D) Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use modals if
necessary. (15)
My Grandma
Although I was born in a big city, I was brought up in my grandma’s house in the country. I loved the
peace and quiet there and so (1) (do) _____________ my brothers and sisters. My grandmother
loved us a lot and we always turned to her for advice. One really good thing about her was that she
knew how (2) (keep) _____________ a secret. She never told our parents anything we talked
about. When I was twelve, I even (3) (feel) _____________ comfortable telling her that I (4) (fall)
_____________ in love with David.
However now, as Grandma is getting older, things (5) (change) _____________ . We don’t always
see eye to eye in everything. In many ways she (6) (be able) _____________ keep up with the times,
but there (7) (be) _____________ some things she just can’t get used to. For example, I love loud
music, but she can’t stand it. She says it (8) (hurt) _____________ her ears. We also have different
opinions on things like the environment. When we disagree, I sometimes feel like I (9) (let)

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 ASOCIACIÓN EX ALUMNOS DEL PROFESORADO EN LENGUAS VIVAS
“JUAN RAMÓN FERNÁNDEZ”
5TH YEAR YOUNGSTERS
Mid-year Exam
_____________ her down. Yesterday I was about to start an argument, but I decided to keep my
mouth closed. In the end, we agree to disagree about some things. One nice thing though, I can
almost always succeed in (10) (make) _____________ her laugh.

E) Complete the following dialogue with a suitable word or phrase (15)

Ann: Hello, Kirk!! …………………………………..………………………………………………………(1)

Kirk: That’s true! we haven’t met since Derek’s party!

Ann: Wow, yeah! What an unforgettable party that was!!.......………..………………....................! (2)

We are moving house next week!! Our new house is a beautiful country cottage in the Lake

District!! Any idea …………………………………………………………………..………………..

people my age in the area?(3)

Kirk: Well, why……………………………………………………………………………………Susan? (4)

But wait a sec!!I can’t believe it! That is exactly where Susan is moving too!!

Ann: Susan?? You mean the girl …………………………………………………………..……….. (5)?

Kirk: That ´s right!!!

F) Composition.

Choose ONE of the following topics and write about 120 words on it: (30)

a) You are organizing a special family get-together. Write an email to an English speaking
relative who is spending his holidays in Buenos Aires, inviting him to the party.

b) Write a story which begins with the sentence:

‘He couldn’t believe his dream had finally come true.’

c) Write a short story which begins with the sentence: As William entered the room, he knew
something was wrong………….”

d) Write an informal letter to your Canadian penfriend inviting him/her to your parents’ 25th
wedding anniversary.