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1. Inglés / Edad
Ministerio de Educación Pública
División de Control de Calidad y
Macroevaluación del Sistema Educativo
Departamento de Pruebas Nacionales
Convenio MEP – ICER
Programa de Educación Diversificada a Distancia
Prueba Inglés 2
Total de puntos: 60
Convocatoria: 02-2004
SELECTION 60 ITEMS
Read the recipe. Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences,
from it.
1) One of the ingredients which is not solid in
this recipe is ________________.
A) flour
B) sugar
C) vanilla
D) cocoa powder
2) The first step to prepare brownies is to
_____________________.
A) put together the dry ingredients
B) separate the eggs and butter
C) have two cups of sugar
D) buy some cups of flour
3) When you prepare brownies you need
_____________________.
A) a dozen eggs
B) three cups of flour
C) two cups of chopped nuts
D) one small spoon of vanilla
4) Salt is used _____________________ in
brownies recipe.
A) in big quantities
B) in very little quantity
C) as the main ingredient
D) before you combine the dry ingredients
5) Cocoa powder and flour are ___________
ingredients.
A) dry
B) liquid
C) optional
D) greased
División Control de Calidad
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Brownies
Ingredients:
1/2cupflour
1cupsugar
2tablespoonscocoapowder.
Apinchofsalt
1/2cupmeltedbutterormargarine
2eggs
1teaspoonvanilla
1/2cupchoppednuts(optional)
Howtoprepare
Combinethedryingredients.Mixwell.
Combinebutter,eggs,andvanilla,andaddthatmixturetodryingredients.Mixwell.
(Addthechoppednuts).Pourintogreasedsquarepanandbakeat350ºfor30minutes.Cool

2. Inglés / Edad
Read the dialogue.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, according to the
dialogue above.
6) Tom and Ana are ______________.
A) having a light meal
B) eating dinner at home
C) talking about food customs
D) discussing about their countries
7) Costa Ricans’ breakfast is ________________________.
A) the same as a “casado”
B) usually cereal or pancakes
C) usually heavier than the U.S’s
D) as light as the one in Tom’s country
8) Tom enjoys to eat ______________________ the most.
A) casados
B) picadillos
C) gallo pinto
D) homemade tortillas
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Situation: Tom is from the United States. He is talking to Ana, her Costa Rican friend.
Tom: What do you usually have for breakfast?
Ana: Sometimes, I eat “gallo pinto” with eggs. Sometimes, I have tortillas with
sour cream, or I eat bread and butter with cheese. I seldom eat cereal. I
always drink coffee, too. What about you?
Tom: Well, here in Costa Rica, I eat “gallo pinto”, eggs, and tortillas. I drink coffee,
too. But at home, I usually have cereal, pancakes or fried bacon with eggs. I
drink orange juice or milk.
Ana: Really? Is it true that people in your country don’t eat much for lunch?
Tom: Yes. We usually eat a sandwich, a hamburger, a piece of pizza or a salad.
Lunch is a light meal for us almost every day. But here, I love “casados” with
meat and “picadillo”.
Ana: Great! I’m glad you like our food.

3. Inglés / Edad
9) U.S. people ________________________.
A) eat a light lunch
B) have a heavy breakfast
C) prefer a sandwich in the morning
D) eat tortillas with sour cream for dinner
10) In the dialogue, Tom says he ________________________ for breakfast.
A) rarely eats eggs
B) never drinks coffee here
C) drinks a different thing at home
D) always prefers to eat pancakes
11) The word “casados” refers to a ________________________.
A) type of breakfast
B) light meal for dinner
C) heavy dish including picadillo
D) dish of “gallo pinto” with eggs
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4. Inglés / Edad
Read the article.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, using the previous
reading.
12) Electronic signatures are used to _______________________________.
A) send letters
B) send e–mails
C) make hundreds of thousands of numbers
D) authenticate legal documents and money transfers
13) This technology will bring particular advantages to the _________________________.
A) Judicial system of Costa Rica
B) public and private entities abroad
C) Technology Minister of Costa Rica
D) fifteen government institutions of the country
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““Electronic Signature”Electronic Signature”
Program Unveiled
Science and Technology Minister showed the final version of the government’s
“Electronic Signature” program last week, which will eventually allow users to
authenticate legal documents and commercial transactions with “computerized
signatures.”
Electronic signatures are unique computerized codes made up of hundreds of
thousands of numbers used, instead of printed signatures, to validate legal
documents, money transfers and purchases.
Last year, a special commission was appointed to study the system about
“Electronic Signature” and draft a bill for Congress. The bill is now under study and
awaiting vote.
The system would be especially beneficial to the Judicial System because rural
lawyers will be able to present signed documents without having to travel to San
José.
Fifteen government institutions are already backing the proposal, the minister
said.
“Electronic signatures are an extremely safe way to validate documents. The
signature codes are practically impossible to forge”, he explained.
To forge: to make an imitation
Tico Times – Fabián Borges

5. Inglés / Edad
14) This Electronic Signature is ___________________________.
A) very hard to forge
B) absolutely insecure
C) completely commercial
D) impossible to authenticate
15) The “Electronic Signature” ___________________________.
A) allows anyone to access the information
B) permits the money transference manually
C) is a new program proposed by the government
D) codifies all the legal information related to government
16) The bill about “Electronic Signature” is ___________________________.
A) a law right now
B) waiting to be approved
C) being used by rural lawyers
D) being drafted by the Minister of Science and technology
17) The lawyers in the countryside benefit from this bill because they ________________.
A) don't sign any documents more
B) don't need to validate legal documents
C) won't have to come to the capital to sign
D) won't use computerized codes any more
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6. Inglés / Edad
Read the dialogue. Choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions,
according to the dialogue.
18) What are John and Kathy talking about?
A) Types of keyboards.
B) The news of the future.
C) The computer of the future.
D) The new uses of keyboards.
19) Which is one characteristic of the new
computer? It includes ______________.
A) a special keyboard
B) voice recognition command
C) a keyboard that fits on the palm of the
hand
D) a small instrument that compresses the
information
20) How big will the future computers be?
A) Bigger than the keyboard.
B) Smaller than a baby’s hand.
C) As big as the today’s computer.
D) As small as the palm of one’s hand.
21) How might people be informed in twenty
years?
A) By man’s hands.
B) By delivery people.
C) Through computers.
D) Through the newspapers.
22) What does John think about the computer control of human lives? It is ___________.
A) awful
B) terrible
C) dreadful
D) fantastic
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Situation: John and
Kathy are schoolmates.
They are talking.
Kathy:Have you heard about the new
computer it is coming out? It will be
able to recognize any voice
command, so you won’t ever need to
use the keyboard.
John:Yeah, and soon everyone will
use computers that fit into the palm
of one’s hand.
Kathy:Within 20 years, all our news
and information will be coming
through computers.
John:By then, magazines and
newspapers have disappeared and
the delivery person too.
Kathy:Wow! Computers are going to
take over our lives one of these days.
John:Yeah! Isn’t it great!
Adapted from New Interchange

7. Inglés / Edad
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to
answer the questions, from the previous
text.
23) Why are the campesinos happy with the
Boyeros Day? Because it
__________________.
A) brings them many changes
B) is just a Costa Rican holiday
C) helps them to forget their past
D) is a recall of the campesino’s way of life
24) What does the celebration mean for the
campesinos? It’s ___________________.
A) a family festival
B) the campesino’s parades
C) Costa Rican parades of oxcarts
D) a way to keep the country's traditions
25) When does the event take place?
_______________________.
A) One Saturday each month
B) On Friday
C) In March
D) In May
26) Which activities do people carry on during
the celebration?
A) Opening band festivals.
B) Parades of rich families.
C) A show of colorful oxcarts full of free
food for everybody.
D) Parades of colorful painted oxcarts
representing the cultural roots.
27) What is a title for the text?
A) Culture and Value.
B) National Boyeros Day.
C) San Antonio de Escazú.
D) Commemoration of all cultural roots.
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National Boyeros Day is more than a
celebration of campesinos’ traditions
around the country; it is a
recognition of their living way.
“Living the traditions is how we
maintain them. For 20 years we
have had this national day to
emphasize our values and our
culture, and to be sure the country
does not forget its past.”
The two day festival, opening on
Saturday, March 9, means parades
of brightly colored oxcarts, fireworks,
dancing and good food to the 20 000
tourists, who come to San Antonio
de Escazú every year. It’s a
commemoration of cultural roots,
early economic development and
rich family traditions.
Adapted from Tico Times
National Boyeros Day is more than a
celebration of campesinos’ traditions
around the country; it is a
recognition of their living way.
“Living the traditions is how we
maintain them. For 20 years we
have had this national day to
emphasize our values and our
culture, and to be sure the country
does not forget its past.”
The two day festival, opening on
Saturday, March 9, means parades
of brightly colored oxcarts, fireworks,
dancing and good food to the 20 000
tourists, who come to San Antonio
de Escazú every year. It’s a
commemoration of cultural roots,
early economic development and
rich family traditions.
Adapted from Tico Times

8. Inglés / Edad
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative that completes each statement, according to the
reading above.
28) Edson ______________________________.
A) founded the Santos Club in Brazil
B) was well-trained since his childhood
C) played with the Cosmos team since 1958
D) was a distinguished athlete in the last century
29) Edson Arantes __________________________.
A) was Pelé’s best friend
B) participated in three World Cup matches
C) was the trainer of the Brazilian national team
D) scored one thousand two hundred goals in ten years
30) Pelé ___________________________.
A) played professional soccer in his country during nineteen years
B) didn’t continue in the soccer world after nineteen seventy-four
C) didn’t score any goal after nineteen sixty-three
D) won all the World Cup matches with his team
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Edson Arantes, known as Pelé, was born in 1940 in Brazil. He was an outstanding
soccer player, but as a boy he didn’t have formal training in this sport. He learned to
play soccer with his friends on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. His first match for the
Brazilian national soccer team was in 1955, and by 1958 he was a world–famous
soccer player. From 1958 to 1968, he scored 1200 goals for the Santos Club in Brazil
and the Brazilian national team. He played for Brazil in four World Cup competitions,
and Brazil won three of these.
Everybody loved to watch Pelé. He was an excellent athlete, a wonderful team
member and a funny person too. He retired from Brazilian soccer in 1974, and the next
year he went to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos. He helped to
make the Cosmos team a very good one. He retired as a soccer player in 1977. He
now lives in Brazil where he works as soccer coach.
(From Tico Times)

9. Inglés / Edad
31) After Pelé’s retirement as a soccer player from Brazil, he ______________________.
A) decided to stay in the United States
B) became a soccer coach in New York
C) helped the Cosmos to be a good team
D) played soccer with his friends on the beaches
32) Pelé retired as a soccer player when he was ___________________ years old.
A) forty
B) forty-one
C) thirty-four
D) thirty-seven
33) Edson Arantes had the first match for the Brazilian national soccer team when he was
around _________________.
A) seventeen
B) eighteen
C) twenty
D) fifteen
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10. Inglés / Edad
Read the text.
Based on the reading, choose the appropriate alternative to answer the questions.
34) What do these three musicians have in common? They _____________________.
A) all sing only rock music.
B) combine rhythms such as jazz, rap and country.
C) blend popular rhythms with their country’s music.
D) all sing to express the way they feel about youngsters.
35) Why is Bonnie Raitt’s voice good for country and blues music? Because
______________.
A) she’s a very sad songwriter.
B) she has a strong and rough voice.
C) her voice reflects feelings and strong emotions.
D) those rhythms are part of the folcklore of America.
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The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music
Do you like popular music from latin America, The United States, or Asia?
Many musicians from around the world mix their country’s music with popular
sounds.
Caetano Veloso after thirty years, is still one of Brazil’s most important
musicians. He mixes rock with the music of the Bahia region. Bahia is a state of
Brazil that is strongly influenced by African culture. Caetano Veloso is an excellent
songwriter and poet. He says of this music, “I make my songs like a painter paints
his canvas.”
Bonnie Raitt is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Her music blends
rock with country and the blues. The blues is a kind of folk music that is often sad.
It is usually about love and the problems of life. Bonnie Raitt’s strong, rough voice
is perfect for singing country and the blues.
Cui Jian (pronounced “tsay jyan”) is a very important musician and singer in the
growth of rock music in China. Western styles, like jazz and rap, clearly influence
his music. However, his music is very Chinese in its instruments and sounds. Cui
Jian says his music expresses the feelings of Chinese young people.
Blend = mix together
canvas= the material that artist uses to paint pictures
rough= not smooth, gentle or delicate

11. Inglés / Edad
36) What does Cui Jian want to express through his music? The
A) representation of Chinese youth feelings.
B) development of rock music in China.
C) Chinese instruments and sounds.
D) influence of Western styles.
37) What is the word “blues” related to, in the text? A ______________________.
A) type of paint
B) variety of folk music
C) country rhythm for a strong voice
D) mixture of rock and African rhythm
38) What is the similarity among the three musicians?
A) All of them sing love songs.
B) Their songs are country music.
C) The three use Chinese instruments.
D) Their music mixes different rhythms.
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12. Inglés / Edad
Read the information.
Based on the information above, choose the appropriate alternative to complete the
sentences.
39) The main idea of the reading is to let people know about _______________________.
A) places they can visit when traveling
B) ways to get cheaper tickets
C) the high price of tickets
D) how to travel to Tokyo
40) A way of getting plane tickets at a lower cost is by ___________________________.
A) paying $1,800 to the airline
B) buying the ticket at the last minute
C) traveling from Los Angeles to Tokyo
D) buying a ticket you can not return, some months before
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Do you know how to get inexpensive airline and train tickets?
On a recent flight, Laura was talking happily with the woman in the next seat –until
the conversation turned to fares. The woman, who bought her ticket two months in
advance, paid $109. Laura paid the full fare of $457. She decided that next time
she would find out how to travel for less.
Here are some ways to travel for less:
Cheap airline tickets. To fly for less money, you can buy non-refundable plane
tickets two or three months before your trip. The cheapest way to fly is as a courier.
In return for delivering a package for a courier company, you get a plane ticket that
costs as little as one-quarter of the regular fare – or even less if the company needs
someone at the last minute. Recently, a courier flew round trip from Los Angeles to
Tokyo for $100; a regular ticket costs around $1,800.
Train passes. If you’re going to do a lot of traveling by train, a train pass will save
you money. Buying a single pass gives you unlimited travel for a period of time.
Train passes can be especially useful in India, which has the world’s largest rail
system; in Japan where trains are fast and convenient; and in Europe where trains go
to over 30,000 cities.
Adapted from New Interchange 2

13. Inglés / Edad
41) When traveling by train, you can save money _________________________.
A) buying a train pass
B) going to many different cities
C) visiting different places in India
D) traveling on the largest rail system
42) Laura learned she can _________________________.
A) fly everywhere buying the tickets in the courier company
B) buy some plane tickets for a cheaper price
C) pay more money to travel in a better seat
D) find out about full fare tickets next time
43) The least expensive flight tickets are _________________________.
A) those used in round trips
B) those used in regular flights
C) the ones bought in Los Angeles and Tokyo
D) the ones acquired by couriers at the last moment
44) The text says that ______________________________.
A) a single train pass can be used many times within a fixed period.
B) in India, the rail system is not well-developed.
C) traveling by train is a new system in Europe.
D) the less develop rail system is in Japan.
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14. Inglés / Edad
Read the text. Select the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from
the text.
45) Sea turtles are/is ______________________.
A) 150 million years old
B) a group of endangered species
C) new species of animals in the world
D) species which has eight protective shells
46) Sea turtles lay their eggs ___________.
A) without their protective shell
B) after spring season at any beach
C) at their home beach once in a year
D) in a very small nest with some birds around
47) Most of the turtle’s eggs are ______________.
A) difficult to find inside the turtle’s nest
B) eaten by predator birds and men
C) protected by poachers
D) never eaten by men
48) To lay eggs, sea turtles _________________.
A) make a hole in the sand
B) should wait for more than a month
C) look for a special place near crabs and
insects
D) do it in any of the many nests which
appear in the ocean
49) The number of eggs sea turtles release at a time is ___________________________.
A) a maximum of one hundred fifty
B) always less than a dozen
C) almost three millions
D) just five
50) The sea turtle is ______________________.
A) one thousand meters long
B) a magical giant from the beaches
C) an animal that hatches just two eggs each year
D) one of the most ancient species man should protect
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Sea turtles are ancient animals
that have a protective shell
and live in the ocean. Sea
turtles have existed for 125
million years, but now they
are listed as threatened or
endangered.
Each spring, thousands of these
creatures leave the ocean
to lay their eggs. Year
after year, they
instinctively return to the
beach where they
themselves were
*hatched. They dig a hole
in the sand and *release
up to 150 eggs at a time.
Most of the eggs will
never hatch, because
they will be eaten by
predator birds, crabs, or
insects. Nowadays the
turtle’s worst enemy is
man. *Poachers take
their eggs, and kill the
adults for their shells.
*to release: to liberate.
*to hatch: to come out of an
egg.
*poachers: a person who
catches birds, animals, etc, on

15. Inglés / Edad
Read the text. Choose the appropriate alternative to complete the sentences, from
the text below.
51) After World War II, there was a (n)
______________________.
A) aparent period of calm
B) proposal to create a peaceful institution
C) promise of complete equality forever
among people
D) decision to guarantee the union of the
world countries
52) Tension between the United States and the
Union Soviet was named the _____________.
A) Cold War
B) arms race
C) peaceful dispute
D) superpower engagement
53) The United States and the Soviet Union
______________________.
A) founded the United Nations
B) supported two superpowers
C) split their territories in two sides
D) spent a large amount of money in weapons
54) The Cold War finished _______________.
A) in the Western Europe in 1989
B) with the fall of communist governments
C) with the appearance of the communist
ideas
D) when the world froze in a hostility perpetual
state
55) After the Cold War, the globe _____________.
A) collapsed under destruction
B) faced a terrible political climate
C) prepared more destructive weapons
D) opened new ways of communication
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The years following World
War ll seemed to promise
peace and more equality
among people. For example,
the United Nations was
founded in 1945 to help
countries resolve disputes
peacefully. This promise was
soon broken, by the Cold
War, tension between the
United States and the Soviet
Union. These two
superpowers engaged in an
arms race spending huge
sums of money on weapons.
The other nations of the
world were divided into two
“sides”, and the world was
frozen in a perpetual state of
hostility.
When the communist
governments collapsed in the
Soviet Union and Eastern
Europe, between 1989 and
1991, the Cold War ended
and the political climate
changed.
The end of Cold War tension
opened new channels of
communication between
nations.
Adapted from Channel

16. Inglés / Edad
Read the text.
Choose the appropriate alternative to complete
the sentences, according to the previous text.
56) Before the 18th
century, _________________.
A) many of the roads were paved
B) man built the railway to help himself
C) the means of transportation were very slow
D) there were many ports near the
communities
57) After the development of railways,
_________________________.
A) boats traveled faster to the ports
B) the use of oxcarts was increased
C) man could export banana and coffee easily
D) men took two weeks to travel to the Central
Plateau
58) The transportation system in Costa Rica
____________________.
A) has only paved road now
B) gets to most of the communities
C) is as uncomfortable and slow as before
D) are formed by walking, horse, boat and
ship, nowadays
59) The text says that ____________________.
A) Costa Rica has a well-developed
transportation system
B) there is no way for people to travel to the
nearest town
C) international airlines are not for foreigners
D) Tico airlines reach every community
60) One negative consequence of modern
transportation is the ____________________.
A) easy and fast transportation everywhere
B) traffic jam in the main roads
C) decrease of road accidents
D) availability of more roads
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Traditionally in Costa Rica, the
most popular means of
transportation were walking,
horse, boat, and oxcart. Then in
the late 19th
century railways
were built to facilitate the export
of the main agricultural crops,
coffee and bananas. Before the
development of railways,
transportation was very slow; it
could take weeks for oxcarts to
travel from the Central Plateau to
the ports. Also since there were
no paved roads, it was very
uncomfortable.
Now transportation in modern
Costa Rica is easier, faster and
more comfortable. A network of
expressways paved and unpaved
roads means that buses, cars
and trucks reach almost every
community in the country.
People can travel to the towns
and cities to work, study and buy
things not available in their local
easily. International airlines take
Ticos abroad and bring many
tourists, particularly destinations
within Costa Rica.
However, modern transportation
has its disadvantages. The
sharp increase in road traffic
means that roads, particularly in
and around San Jose are often
blocked by traffic jams; pollution
is reaching dangerous, and many
people are injured or die in road
accidents.
Traditionally in Costa Rica, the
most popular means of
transportation were walking,
horse, boat, and oxcart. Then in
the late 19th
century railways
were built to facilitate the export
of the main agricultural crops,
coffee and bananas. Before the
development of railways,
transportation was very slow; it
could take weeks for oxcarts to
travel from the Central Plateau to
the ports. Also since there were
no paved roads, it was very
uncomfortable.
Now transportation in modern
Costa Rica is easier, faster and
more comfortable. A network of
expressways paved and unpaved
roads means that buses, cars
and trucks reach almost every
community in the country.
People can travel to the towns
and cities to work, study and buy
things not available in their local
easily. International airlines take
Ticos abroad and bring many
tourists, particularly destinations
within Costa Rica.
However, modern transportation
has its disadvantages. The
sharp increase in road traffic
means that roads, particularly in
and around San Jose are often
blocked by traffic jams; pollution
is reaching dangerous, and many
people are injured or die in road
accidents.

17. Inglés / Edad
SOLUCIONARIO
Programa: EDAD 2 Convocatoria: 02 – 2004
Asignatura: Inglés Total de ítemes: 60
ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA ÍTEM RESPUESTA
1. C 21. C 41. A
2. A 22. D 42. B
3. D 23. D 43. D
4. B 24. D 44. A
5. A 25. C 45. B
6. C 26. D 46. C
7. C 27. B 47. B
8. A 28. D 48. A
9. A 29. D 49. A
10. C 30. A 50. D
11. C 31. C 51. A
12. D 32. D 52. A
13. A 33. D 53. D
14. A 34. C 54. B
15. C 35. B 55. D
16. B 36. A 56. C
17. C 37. B 57. C
18. C 38. D 58. B
19. B 39. B 59. A
20. D 40. D 60. B
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