Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

Exercise Nº Professor´s Name Mark

1. Reading Comp. ………………… .…/20

Part I
2. Paraphrasing ………………… .…/30
Total Part I (Min. 26) .…/50

3. Essay ………………… .…/50

…………………… .…/50

Part II
Re-correction
Essay Final Mark …………………… …./50
(do NOT fill in) Total Part II (Min.26) ...../50

CARRERA DE TRADUCTOR PÚBLICO - ENTRANCE EXAMINATION - MAYO 2018

NOMBRE y APELLIDO: ……………………………………………………

Nº de ORDEN: (NO es el DNI)…………………………………………….. PAPER 1

(The paragraphs are numbered to facilitate correction)

For Trump and Putin, Syria Is a Battle of Competing Realities
By Masha Gessen
1-Donald Trump has assumed a concentrated and, for him, almost measured
posture after the chemical attack that killed dozens of people in Syria over the
weekend. On Twitter, he called out Vladimir Putin as an enabler of “Animal
Assad” and promised to exact a “big price” for the attack. Speaking at the White
House, Trump pledged to respond to the attack without disclosing what form the
response might take. He cancelled a trip to South America in order to
concentrate on Syria. And, of course, he placed the blame for the current
situation in Syria on Barack Obama, tweeting, “If President Obama had crossed
his stated Red Line in The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long
ago! Animal Assad would have been history!”
2-Trump is right to trace the roots of the current predicament to the summer of
2013, when Obama failed to get congressional approval for military intervention
in Syria and Putin swooped in to save the day, promising to take charge of
eliminating Bashar al-Assad’s chemical arsenal. On September 11, 2013, of all
days, the Times published an Op-Ed by Putin, in which he accused the Syrian
opposition of using poison gas in order to set up the government and provoke
an intervention, cautioned against rendering the United Nations irrelevant by
acting without its sanction, and called out Obama for his rhetoric of American
exceptionalism. Coming a few years before Americans became intimately
familiar with the use of words to mean their opposite, the Op-Ed probably
appeared to most readers as an ordinary piece of Russian whataboutism—
hypocritical and irritating, perhaps, but basically harmless.
3-For Putin, however, the publication of that Op-Ed was a highlight of his
Presidency. It signified his acceptance as America’s equal partner on the
international stage. And, in addressing Americans directly through the nation’s
largest newspaper, he was able to frame the conflict in Syria. In his telling, the
conflict there was not between a brutal dictator and his opposition (“Syria is not
witnessing a battle for democracy,” he wrote) but a struggle among many

1
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

equally unsympathetic factions, in a messy place that Russia and America

could agree to clean up together. This was before Russia invaded Ukraine,
before sanctions, before Russian election meddling, before Obama snubbed
Putin by sending a pointedly low-level delegation to the Sochi Olympics, and
long before Russia was stripped of the medals that it won in those Games. In
retrospect, September, 2013, was close to the last moment Putin was perceived
by most of the world as a legitimate leader.
4-In September, 2015, Putin tried to recapture that sense of legitimacy when he
addressed the U.N. General Assembly with a speech that was essentially an
expanded version of that Times Op-Ed. This time, it was designed to convince
Obama to create a joint anti-Isis coalition. Obama ignored the offer. In
response, Putin reframed the conflict in Syria as a war between Russia and the
United States, and Russia began its bombing raids in Syria.
5-For the last two and a half years, Russian media have reported on Syria as if
it were a war against the United States. So it seems important that the latest
chemical attack there took place immediately after the United States imposed
the toughest sanctions yet against Russia, which sent the Russian markets and
the ruble itself tumbling on Monday. The attack also occurred days after a
Russian missile test in the Baltic Sea, timed to coincide with the visit of the
Baltic states’ leaders to Washington. And, of course, the chemical attack
occurred during a high-level changeover in Trump’s foreign-policy team,
between the departure of the national-security adviser, H. R. McMaster, and the
Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson—each of whom talked his own tough line on
Russia—and the arrival of their replacements, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo.
6-As soon as the chemical attack happened, Russia deployed words against
facts. The Foreign Ministry issued a press statement in which it denied that the
chemical attack happened, blamed it on the opposition, and accused the
humanitarian organization White Helmets of being a terrorist group—all at the
same time. This was not dissimilar to the Russian spin on that other recent act
of chemical warfare, the apparent poisoning of the former Russian spy Sergei
Skripal, in Britain, which Russia has also simultaneously denied took place
altogether and blamed on the British.
7-In his own press conference on Monday, with Bolton sitting just behind him,
Trump briefly pulled back from his own rage over the F.B.I. raid of his lawyer’s
office to frame Syria as a policing problem. He promised to investigate, identify
the guilty, and take measures. Going further, Trump took ownership not only of
the Syria problem but of the global order: “In our world, we can’t let that happen.
Especially when we’re able to, because of the power of the United States,
because of the power of our country, we’re able to stop it.” The relationship
between those words and the facts on the ground is tenuous. But, in the Trump-
Putin universe, the war in Syria is a battle of fictional realities. Both men are
asserting their right to do what they want when they want to—to deploy
chemical weapons, or to punish the guilty, in a world where each is the king of
reality and the sovereign of spin. (970 w)

2
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

PART I (Minimum Passing Mark: 26 points)

PAPER 1

1. READING COMPREHENSION
All the correct answers are awarded 2 points each. Except for the last 2
which are awarded 1 point each.

1- According to Masha Gessen, the writer of this article, it is typical of

Donald Trump to retain a professional poise when facing a critical affair.
a- True
b- False
c- This is not stated in the text.

2- Trump reckons that the president of Syria is an acolyte of Putin.

a- True
b- False
c- This is not stated in the text.

3- According to Donald Trump, former president Barack Obama had

skillfully solved a similar plight during his mandate.
a- True
b- False
c- This is not stated in the text.

4- Whataboutism in the 2nd paragraph can be best defined as:

a- The practice of using the term “what about” when it is not necessary.
b- The practice of lying openly when addressing the general public.
c- the practice of answering a criticism or difficult question by attacking
someone with a similar criticism or question directed at them.
d- The practice of bullying people about when this seems to be the only
available option.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

5- For Putin, the publication of that Op-Ed was a highlight of his Presidency,
for it meant that:
a- He was able to address and gain the Americans’ support for a joint
venture in Syria.

3
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

b- He was able to circumscribe the problem to different political

opposing movements that Russia and America could deal with
effectively.
c- He made it clear that the democracy in Syria was not at stake.
d- None of the aforementioned options.

6- Putin´s speech at the UN:

a- Was an open declaration of war.
b- Followed the lines of his former editorial.
c- Empowered Putin to forcefully assert his legitimacy as a world leader.
d- Entitled Russia to begin its bombing raids in Syria.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

7- According to the article, the Russian government found sound evidence

to support their blameless in cases of chemical attacks.
a- True.
b- False.
c-This is not stated in the text.

8- Russian´s currency:
a- Is stronger than ever.
b- Has seen better days.
c- Deflated after the American boycott.
d- Is impervious to crises.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

9- The word “tenuous” on the last paragraph means:

a- Wrong.
b- Right.
c- Feeble.
d- Obvious.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

10- The word “spin” at the end of the article can be best paraphrased as:
a- Deception.
b- Tale.
c- Sincerity.
d- Trust.
e- Order.

11- Once the article is read:

a- It offers a clear outline as regards the political position of the Syrian
government in the crisis.
b- The synopsis fails to provide us with a comprehensive view as
regards the three main actors in the conflict.

4
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

c- The political position of the Syrian government is not outlined in full.

d- The political position of the Syrian government is not considered.

2. USE OF ENGLISH: PARAPHRASING (30 points)

All the correct answers are awarded 3 points each.
Use the given beginnings.
DO NOT change the meaning.

1- If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line in The Sand, the
Syrian disaster would have ended long ago.

Had………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………..

2- People believe that Trump pledged to respond to the attack without

disclosing what form the response might take.

Trump is …………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………

3- People do not seem to understand that Putin accused the Syrian

opposition of using poison gas in order to set up the government and
provoke an intervention.

Little…………………………………………………………………. that Putin

accused the Syrian opposition of using poison gas in order to set up the
government and provoke an intervention.

4- Obama failed to get congressional approval for military intervention in

Syria, therefore, military action was not carried out.

But for…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

5
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

5- In retrospect, it is seen as a mistake that Obama snubbed Putin by

sending a pointedly low-level delegation to the Sochi Olympics.

If only…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………..

6- In his own press conference on Monday, Trump decided to frame Syria

as a policing problem, which proved to be a political mistake, for the
conflict deserves a more comprehensive approach.

It is high time…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………

7- I wish Americans hadn`t become intimately familiar with the use of words
to mean their opposite.

I regret …………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………

8- There is no precedent for such thoughtless action.

Such………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

9- Everyone agrees that the president is urged to arrange a summit with

Putin to avert the escalation of the crisis.

It is essential …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

10- If I were the president, I would promise to investigate, identify the guilty,
and take measures.

I´d rather the president…………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………..

6
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

PART II (Minimum Passing Mark 26)

3. ESSAY WRITING: OPINION ESSAY (320-350 words)

Write an opinion essay on one of the following rubrics:

1- Discuss this quote: There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of
killing innocent people. Howard Zinn.

2- Discuss this quote: Dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Howard Zinn.

3- Treating people fairly and with civility is not a bad thing... It would be good
for our country if political leaders actually took that to heart. Jeb Bush

ESSAY

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

7
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

ESSAY(cont´d)

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

8
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

ESSAY(cont´d)

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

9
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

ESSAY(cont´d)

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

WRITE TOTAL WORD COUNT HERE! …………

TOTAL SCORE.….... /50

Poor/Inaccurate use of structures Spelling mistakes

requested
Poor use of language/grammar Punctuation mistakes
Lack of Cohesion / Coherence Poor contents/ poor ideas

10
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

DRAFT
_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

11
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

Exercise Nº Professor´s Name Mark

3. Reading Comp. ………………… .…/20
4. Paraphrasing ………………… .…/30
Total Part I (Min. 26) .…/50

4. Essay ………………… .…/50

Re-correction …………………… .…/50
Essay Final Mark …………………… …./50
(do NOT fill in) Total Part II (Min.26) ...../50

CARRERA DE TRADUCTOR PÚBLICO - ENTRANCE EXAMINATION - MAYO 2018

NOMBRE y APELLIDO: ……………………………………………………

Nº de ORDEN: (NO es el DNI)…………………………………………….. PAPER 2

(The paragraphs are numbered to facilitate correction)

For Trump and Putin, Syria Is a Battle of Competing Realities
By Masha Gessen
1-Donald Trump has assumed a concentrated and, for him, almost measured
posture after the chemical attack that killed dozens of people in Syria over the
weekend. On Twitter, he called out Vladimir Putin as an enabler of “Animal
Assad” and promised to exact a “big price” for the attack. Speaking at the White
House, Trump pledged to respond to the attack without disclosing what form the
response might take. He cancelled a trip to South America in order to
concentrate on Syria. And, of course, he placed the blame for the current
situation in Syria on Barack Obama, tweeting, “If President Obama had crossed
his stated Red Line in The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long
ago! Animal Assad would have been history!”
2-Trump is right to trace the roots of the current predicament to the summer of
2013, when Obama failed to get congressional approval for military intervention
in Syria and Putin swooped in to save the day, promising to take charge of
eliminating Bashar al-Assad’s chemical arsenal. On September 11, 2013, of all
days, the Times published an Op-Ed by Putin, in which he accused the Syrian
opposition of using poison gas in order to set up the government and provoke
an intervention, cautioned against rendering the United Nations irrelevant by
acting without its sanction, and called out Obama for his rhetoric of American
exceptionalism. Coming a few years before Americans became intimately
familiar with the use of words to mean their opposite, the Op-Ed probably
appeared to most readers as an ordinary piece of Russian whataboutism—
hypocritical and irritating, perhaps, but basically harmless.
3-For Putin, however, the publication of that Op-Ed was a highlight of his
Presidency. It signified his acceptance as America’s equal partner on the
international stage. And, in addressing Americans directly through the nation’s
largest newspaper, he was able to frame the conflict in Syria. In his telling, the
conflict there was not between a brutal dictator and his opposition (“Syria is not

12
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

witnessing a battle for democracy,” he wrote) but a struggle among many

equally unsympathetic factions, in a messy place that Russia and America
could agree to clean up together. This was before Russia invaded Ukraine,
before sanctions, before Russian election meddling, before Obama snubbed
Putin by sending a pointedly low-level delegation to the Sochi Olympics, and
long before Russia was stripped of the medals that it won in those Games. In
retrospect, September, 2013, was close to the last moment Putin was perceived
by most of the world as a legitimate leader.
4-In September, 2015, Putin tried to recapture that sense of legitimacy when he
addressed the U.N. General Assembly with a speech that was essentially an
expanded version of that Times Op-Ed. This time, it was designed to convince
Obama to create a joint anti-isis coalition. Obama ignored the offer. In
response, Putin reframed the conflict in Syria as a war between Russia and the
United States, and Russia began its bombing raids in Syria.
5-For the last two and a half years, Russian media have reported on Syria as if
it were a war against the United States. So it seems important that the latest
chemical attack there took place immediately after the United States imposed
the toughest sanctions yet against Russia, which sent the Russian markets and
the ruble itself tumbling on Monday. The attack also occurred days after a
Russian missile test in the Baltic Sea, timed to coincide with the visit of the
Baltic states’ leaders to Washington. And, of course, the chemical attack
occurred during a high-level changeover in Trump’s foreign-policy team,
between the departure of the national-security adviser, H. R. McMaster, and the
Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson—each of whom talked his own tough line on
Russia—and the arrival of their replacements, John Bolton and Mike Pompeo.
As soon as the chemical attack happened, Russia deployed words against
facts. The Foreign Ministry issued a press statement in which it denied that the
chemical attack happened, blamed it on the opposition, and accused the
humanitarian organization White Helmets of being a terrorist group—all at the
same time. This was not dissimilar to the Russian spin on that other recent act
of chemical warfare, the apparent poisoning of the former Russian spy Sergei
Skripal, in Britain, which Russia has also simultaneously denied took place
altogether and blamed on the British.
In his own press conference on Monday, with Bolton sitting just behind him,
Trump briefly pulled back from his own rage over the F.B.I. raid of his lawyer’s
office to frame Syria as a policing problem. He promised to investigate, identify
the guilty, and take measures. Going further, Trump took ownership not only of
the Syria problem but of the global order: “In our world, we can’t let that happen.
Especially when we’re able to, because of the power of the United States,
because of the power of our country, we’re able to stop it.” The relationship
between those words and the facts on the ground is tenuous. But, in the Trump-
Putin universe, the war in Syria is a battle of fictional realities. Both men are
asserting their right to do what they want when they want to—to deploy
chemical weapons, or to punish the guilty, in a world where each is the king of
reality and the sovereign of spin. (970 w)

13
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

PART I (Minimum Passing Mark: 26 points)

PAPER 1

2. READING COMPREHENSION

All the correct answers are awarded 2 points each. Except for the last 2
which are awarded 1 point each.

1- Trump reckons that the president of Syria is an acolyte of Putin.

a- True
b- False
c- This is not stated in the text.

2- According to Masha Gessen, the writer of this article, it is typical of

Donald Trump to retain a professional poise when facing a critical affair.
a- True
b- False
c- This is not stated in the text.

3- Whataboutism in the 2nd paragraph can be best defined as:

a- The practice of using the term “what about” when it is not necessary.
b- The practice of lying openly when addressing the general public.
c- the practice of answering a criticism or difficult question by attacking
someone with a similar criticism or question directed at them.
d- The practice of bullying people about when this seems to be the only
available option..
e- None of the aforementioned options.

4- According to Donald Trump, former president Barack Obama had

skillfully solved a similar plight during his mandate.
a- True
b- False
c- This is not stated in the text.

5- Putin´s speech at the UN:

a- Was an open declaration of war.
b- Followed the lines of his former editorial.
c- Empowered Putin to forcefully assert his legitimacy as a world leader.
d- Entitled Russia to begin its bombing raids in Syria.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

14
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

6- For Putin, the publication of that Op-Ed was a highlight of his Presidency,
for it meant that:
a- He was able to address and gain the Americans´ support for a joint
venture in Syria.
b- He was able to circumscribe the problem to different political
opposing movements that Russia and America could deal with
effectively.
c- He made it clear that the democracy in Syria was not at stake.
d- None of the aforementioned options.

7- According to the article, the Russian government found sound evidence

to support their blameless in cases of chemical attacks.
a- True.
b- False.
c-This is not stated in the text.

8- The word “tenuous” on the last paragraph means:

a- Wrong.
b- Right.
c- Feeble.
d- Obvious.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

9- Russian´s currency:
a- Is stronger than ever.
b- Has seen better days.
c- Deflated after the American boycott.
d- Is impervious to crises.
e- None of the aforementioned options.

10- Once the article is read:

a- It offers a clear outline as regards the political position of the Syrian
government in the crisis.
b- The synopsis fails to provide us with a comprehensive view as
regards the three main actors in the conflict.
c- The political position of the Syrian government is not outlined in full.
d- The political position of the Syrian government is not considered.

11- The word “spin” at the end of the article can be best paraphrased as:
a- Deception.

15
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

b- Tale.
c- Sincerity.
d- Trust.
e- Order.

2. USE OF ENGLISH: PARAPHRASING (30 points)

All the correct answers are awarded 3 points each.
Use the given beginnings.
DO NOT change the meaning.

1- In his own press conference on Monday, Trump decided to frame Syria

as a policing problem, which proved to be a political mistake, for the
conflict deserves a more comprehensive approach.

It is high time…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………

2- I wish Americans hadn`t become intimately familiar with the use of words
to mean their opposite.

I regret …………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………

3- There is no precedent for such thoughtless action.

Such………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

4- Everyone agrees that the president is urged to arrange a summit with

Putin to avert the escalation of the crisis.

It is essential …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………….

16
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

5- If I were the president, I would promise to investigate, identify the guilty,

and take measures.

I´d rather the president…………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………..

6- If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line in The Sand, the
Syrian disaster would have ended long ago.

Had………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………..

7- People believe that Trump pledged to respond to the attack without

disclosing what form the response might take.

Trump is …………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………

8- People do not seem to understand that Putin accused the Syrian

opposition of using poison gas in order to set up the government and
provoke an intervention.

Little………………………………………………………………… that Putin

accused the Syrian opposition of using poison gas in order to set up the
government and provoke an intervention.

9- Obama failed to get congressional approval for military intervention in

Syria, therefore, military action was not carried out.

But for…………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………

10- In retrospect, it is seen as a mistake that Obama snubbed Putin by

sending a pointedly low-level delegation to the Sochi Olympics.

If only…………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………..

17
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

PART II (Minimum Passing Mark 26)

4. ESSAY WRITING: OPINION ESSAY (320-350 words)

Write an opinion essay on one of the following rubrics:

f- Discuss this quote: There is no flag large enough to cover the shame
of killing innocent people. Howard Zinn.

g- Discuss this quote: Dissent is the highest form of patriotism. Howard

Zinn.

h- Treating people fairly and with civility is not a bad thing... It would be
good for our country if political leaders actually took that to heart. Jeb
Bush

ESSAY

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

18
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

ESSAY(cont´d)

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

19
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

ESSAY(cont´d)

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

20
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

ESSAY(cont´d)

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

WRITE TOTAL WORD COUNT HERE! …………

TOTAL SCORE.….... /50

Poor/Inaccurate use of structures Spelling mistakes

requested
Poor use of language/grammar Punctuation mistakes
Lack of Cohesion / Coherence Poor contents/ poor ideas

21
Bond 007 Student’s Name……………………………. Nº de Orden: ………….

DRAFT
_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

22
 Exercise Nº Professor´s Name Mark
1. Reading Comp. ………………… .…/20

Part I
2. Paraphrasing ………………… .…/30
Total Part I (Min. 26) .…/50

3. Essay ………………… .…/50

…………………… .…/50

Part II
Re correction
Essay Final Mark …………………… …./50
(do NOT fill in) Total Part II (Min.26) …/50

CARRERA DE TRADUCTOR PÚBLICO - ENTRANCE EXAMINATION - NOVIEMBRE 2018

NOMBRE y APELLIDO: ……………………………………………………………………………

Nº de ORDEN: (NO es el DNI) …………………………………………………………………….. PAPER 2

Privatization in Greece

Sonja Sidoroff

(Paragraphs are numbered to facilitate correction)

1-The latest study from the Transnational Institute (TNI) on the effects of the ‘privatizing
industry’ in Europe concludes that ‘there is no evidence that the privatized companies are
more efficient’. Instead, privatization has undermined wage structures, made working
conditions worse and increased income inequality.

2-Greece is a textbook case. During the debt crisis the country’s creditors forced it to sell or
lease as many public and semi-public companies as possible, with the sole aim of paying off
the government debt. This selling off of public assets is the most absurd part of the ‘rescue
programme’ imposed by the troika that has kept the Greek economy in recession for seven
years. Forcing a bankrupt state to privatize public companies in the midst of a crisis always
means selling them at discount prices, say the authors of the TNI study. Even the ‘family silver’
can’t be sold off at a fair price during a deep recession; selling it is an act of embezzlement.

3- That is true regardless of the social pros and cons of having a public sector. Some state
enterprises that provide essential services such as power or transport links have a secondary
raison d’être: to provide well-paid, secure and often easy jobs for the supporters of the
government of the day, at the expense of the customer and the taxpayer.

4- This explains why the sale of public service providers was not at all unpopular with many
Greeks. A large majority of them were in favor of the earlier part-privatization of the telephone
company OTE (now Cosmote) and flag carrier Olympic Airlines, and believe they now function
better and are more customer-friendly. As late as April 2011 more than 70% of Greeks thought
privatization was ‘generally necessary’.

5- When evaluating a privatization plan there are three key questions to address. Are the
proceeds from the sale or lease of a company proportionate to the income that will no longer
go to the public purse? Does the privatization place an obligation on the purchaser to make
new investments? What influence will the state retain over decisions of strategic national
importance? These questions are particularly important for the two biggest privatization
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projects in Greece: the sale of 67% of the shares in the Piraeus port authority, OLP, to the
Chinese state-run Chinese Ocean Shipping Company (Cosco), and the lease of the operating
rights to 14 airports to a consortium led by the German company Fraport.

6- A salient feature of Cosco’s purchase of a majority holding in OLP can be seen in almost all
of Greece’s privatization tenders: in the end, Cosco was the only bidder and could therefore
dictate not only the price but a range of other conditions. Cosco paid €368.5m for its shares in
OLP, but how this price was established is still completely unclear.

7- The same scheme was followed for other privatizations that have already taken place. The
German company Fraport, and Greek oligarch Dimitris Copelouzos, have acquired a licence to
operate and expand 14 Greek airports for 40 years (with an option to extend to 50 years). The
consortium made a one-off payment of €1.23bn, and the annual lease fee and tax revenues
could bring the Greek state a scant €8bn over 40 years.

8- How the deal was made is a story in itself. There were originally three bidders for the airport
operating licences, which was exceptional for Greek privatization procedures. Greece’s 37
airports would be split into two groups, each containing profitable and loss-making airports, to
prevent cherry-picking and force buyers to use some of the profits they made on flights to
fashionable destinations to subsidize airports on remote islands. This plan was rejected by the
troika, which insisted that the ‘package’ to be privatized should contain only highly profitable
airports.

9- The majority of shares in Fraport are held by the federal state of Hesse and the city of
Frankfurt (a total of 51.35%). This means a large proportion of the revenue from the most
profitable Greek airports will go to the budgets of local authorities in Germany, a creditor
country of Greece. Whether this is blatant pillage or not, the result is the same: Greece has lost
a long-term source of income, which would have been far more useful for stabilizing
government finances than a one-off (and cut-price) privatization payment immediately used
up in servicing its debt.

10- Fraport is not only exempt from property and local tax, but also has the right to terminate
the contracts and leases of all existing suppliers, shops and restaurants at its airports, and
issue new licences to partners of its own choice, without having to compensate those it throws
out. The Greek government must pay any contractual penalties.

11- That’s not all. The Greeks must also pay off any employees dismissed by Fraport;
compensate victims of workplace accidents, even when the fault clearly lies with the
enterprise; and finance the environmental assessments required when expanding an airport.
They even have to pay if extension works are delayed by archaeological discoveries.

12- This transfer of costs to the bankrupt Greek state is not only incredibly cynical, but also
makes a mockery of the principles set out by the European Commission itself. The lessee of the
fourteen airports can claim wide-ranging subsidies, transfer costs and guarantees from the
Greek state. Yet the Greeks have no say on critical decisions affecting one of the country’s key
economic sectors, such as landing fees, which can be decisive for developing tourism on an
island.

13- Supporters of the Fraport deal assert that the refurbishment of dilapidated, unappealing
airports such as Corfu and Santorini cannot be financed without foreign investment. This begs
the question of why it wouldn’t have been possible to modernize their infrastructure with

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loans from the European Investment Bank. (Incidentally, this would also have guaranteed
neutral technical supervision of planning and cost-efficiency.) Productive investments like this
would create guaranteed and growing income for the Greek state. Those who really want to
help Greece should facilitate the creation of efficient, provident service providers, who would
finally honor their claim to serve the public interest.

PART I (Minimum Passing Mark: 26 points) PAPER 2

1. READING COMPREHENSION
All the correct answers are awarded 2 points each.

a- Choose the best option.

According to the article, in times of recession:

1- It is sensible to dispose of your assets.
2- It is wise to pay off the government debt.
3- Ill-gotten gains can be acquired by selling public assets.
4- None of the aforementioned options

b- According to the article, Private companies:

1- Promote more structured wages.
2- Foster a steady increment of wages.
3- Depress the value of salaries.
4- None of the aforementioned options.

c- According to the article, for a privatization plan to be successful:

1- The state should have a saying concerning matters of national interest.

2- Once a privatization plan is over, the purchaser of the company should be able to
take any measure they may consider appropriate.
3- The purchaser should be given subsidies to make investments.
4- None of the aforementioned options

d- According to the article, the thought that privatization is generally necessary.

1- Proved to be right in Greece.

2- Proved to be wrong in Greece.
3- Did not prove to have any effect in Greece.
4- This is not stated in the article.

e- The three original bidders for the airport operating licences:

1- Came to terms with the idea that some of the routes should be unprofitable.
2- Accepted the terms dictated by the Greek government.
3- Introduced modifications to the original scheme that may benefit remote islands.
4- None of the aforementioned options.

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f- According to the article, the annual lease fee and tax revenues of €8bn over 40 years
offered by Fraport:

1- Is a fair one.
2- Is not a fair one.
3- This is not stated in the article.

g- According to the article, should you be the owner of a store at one of the airports
acquired by Fraport:

1- The whole issue of the acquisition of the airports by this company will probably
not affect you.
2- It may be sensible to be seriously concerned about your future.
3- You will certainly be positively affected in your business.
4- You are supposed to receive a reimbursement in case Fraport decides to terminate
the contract.

h- According to the article, The Greek government had no alternative but use the
privatization payment to service its debt.

1- True.
2- False.
3- This is not stated in the article.

i- The leasing of the fourteen airports may prove to be decisive for developing tourism
on the Greek islands.

1- True.
2- False.
3- This is not stated in the article.

j- Were artifacts to be unearthed when extending an airport, thus deferring the setting
in motion of sites under construction, the population of Greece:

1- Could benefit from the findings.

2- Would not be affected by such discovery.
3- Should be compelled to take charge of the expenses for possible delays.
4- Would have to pay to keep these findings.

2. USE OF ENGLISH: PARAPHRASING (30 points)

All the correct answers are awarded 3 points each.

Use the given beginnings.

DO NOT change the meaning.

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1- It would have been possible for Greece to modernize their infrastructure with loans
from the European Investment Bank if their government had not given in to coercions
from the IMF.
But for the Greeks’ __________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2- Now everyone agrees that the people in charge of the deal have misjudged the
situation.
It is _________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

3- This transfer of costs to the bankrupt Greek state is not only incredibly cynical, but also
makes a mockery of the principles set out by the European Commission itself.
Not only____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4- But for the shortsightedness of their government, Greece would not have lost a long-
term source of income with the sole aim of paying interest for their debt.
If ________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

5- Despite the concealment of the media, futile investments like this would create
guaranteed and growing deprivation for the Greek state.
Even though___________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

6- As late as April 2011 more than 70% of Greeks thought privatization was ‘generally
necessary’.
As late as April 2011 privatization_______________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

7- People generally reckon that some state enterprises that provide essential services
such as power or transport links have a secondary raison d’être.
Some state__________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

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8- The government did not seem to acknowledge that when evaluating a privatization
plan there are three key questions to address.
If only______________________________________________________________

9- The purchaser should never be given subsidies to make investments.

On no__________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

10- Greece has lost a long-term source of income, which would have been far more useful
for stabilizing government finances than a one-off privatization payment. (Relative
clause)
A one-off privatization payment __________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

PART II (Minimum Passing Mark 26)

3. ESSAY WRITING: OPINION ESSAY (320-350 words)

Write an opinion essay on one of the following rubrics:

A- “Globalization affects the power of decision taking in governments.”
Globalization, both as an ideology and process, has become the dominant political,
economic and cultural force in the 21st century (Steger, 2002, 6). Increasingly there is a
trend of policy areas that were once reserved for the state, shifting towards either being
made or greatly influenced by international factors. Discuss.

B- Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.
Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the
future. John F. Kennedy. Discuss.

C- “The Role of the Media in Influencing Political Attitudes in a Democracy.”

The public gets political information on their preferred candidates or parties from
different people and through the media. In today’s world, social media has also been
one of main platforms that shape the public opinion. Discuss.

ESSAY

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WRITE TOTAL WORD COUNT HERE! …………

TOTAL SCORE.….... /50

Poor/Inaccurate use of structures Spelling mistakes

requested

Poor use of language/grammar Punctuation mistakes

Lack of Cohesion / Coherence Poor contents/ poor ideas

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DRAFT
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