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Section 5: Sample Interpretive Reading and Cultural Knowledge Questions
Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Spanish (613)

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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.

For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.

Directions for the Interpretive Reading and Cultural Knowledge Questions

This section is designed to measure how well you understand written Spanish and the cultures of Spanish-speaking cultures.

As part of this section of the exam, you will read several selections in the target language. You may need to scroll to view each selection in its entirety. Each selection is accompanied by a number of questions presented in the target language. For each question, choose the response that is best, relative to the selection. The last two questions may test your knowledge of culture and linguistics.

Some selections include numbered words. Refer to the footnotes at the end of the selection for a definition or explanation of these words.

You will have 50 minutes to answer all of the questions in this section. The timer in the upper right corner of the screen will indicate how much time is remaining.

Reading Comprehension Passage

Un mural mexicano para una universidad estadounidense

La pintura fue presentada al público con motivo de las celebraciones del cinco de mayo en Estados Unidos.

La obra representa el progreso del ser humano por medio de imágenes de la historia de México y EE. UU. y cubre una superficie de 37 metros cuadrados en el campus Wolfson de la universidad, en el centro de Miami.

El artista, de 84 años, dedicó los últimos siete meses a finalizar la obra con la ayuda de su nieto de 25 años. Rosales fue alumno y colaborador cercano del máximo representante del muralismo mexicano, Diego Rivera.

"Es un honor para esta universidad tener para la posteridad una representación del arte mexicano", declaró en la presentación la presidenta del campus Wolfson, Mercedes Quiroga.

La fecha elegida para el acto se ha convertido en la más señalada del calendario para los mexicanos en Estados Unidos.

Símbolos históricos

El mural, denominado A la tierra prometida. Hombre universal representa varios símbolos de la historia precolombina de México como al rey Moctezuma, o al águila devorando a la serpiente, el mito fundacional del país.

Rosales le explicó a BBC Mundo que en su mural incluyó una referencia a la profecía de la Atlántida porque se cree que la isla se hundió en aguas de Florida. "Platón escribió que la Atlántida estaba en las Antillas y lo único que queda hoy de esa tierra son los cayos".

Separadas de las imágenes mexicanas por un calendario azteca, Rosales pintó varias escenas de la historia de EE. UU. como el despegue del Apolo XI, el primer cohete que transportó hombres a la luna, o la batalla de Iwo Jima de la Segunda Guerra Mundial entre EE. UU. y Japón.

El pintor le dijo a BBC Mundo que no tuvo problemas para pintar una obra tan grande a pesar de su edad. "Se me olvida mi edad cuando trabajo".

Rosales colaboró en algunos de los murales más conocidos de Diego Rivera. Su obra más conocida es La conquista y el tormento a Cuauhtemoc, pintada en 1960 en la antigua residencia de Hernán Cortés en Coyoacán, que hoy es el edificio del Registro Civil.

BBC © 2010

Competency 007—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of authentic materials written in the target language.

1. ¿Cuál es el tema principal del artículo?

  1. El relato de la vida de un pintor
  2. La amistad de Rosales con Diego Rivera
  3. El futuro del arte mexicano
  4. La donación de un artista a una institución
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because the artist's donation of a work of art to a university is the main topic of the article. This can be inferred from the title of the article as well as the content of the article from beginning to end. Option A is incorrect because, even though several aspects of the painter's life are mentioned throughout the article, that is not the main topic. Option B is incorrect because the friendship between Diego Rosales and Diego Rivera is mentioned in the  article only as a detail in Rosales' background, not as the main topic. Option C is incorrect because the future of Mexican art is not discussed in the article. Therefore, it cannot be the main topic of the article.

2. ¿Por qué es importante tener un mural de Diego Rosales en el campus?

  1. Porque es considerado experto en historia precolombina
  2. Porque es considerado colaborador de arte de la institución
  3. Porque es el máximo representante del muralismo mexicano
  4. Porque es un artista mexicano de prestigio internacional
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option D is correct because in the article Diego Rosales is portrayed as an  artist who is very well known in the United States as well as in Mexico. Therefore, it can be stated that he is an internationally renowned Mexican artist. Option A is incorrect because the article does not state that Diego Rosales in an expert in pre-Columbian history, even though some symbols of pre-Columbian history are portrayed in the mural. Option B is incorrect because the article does not state that Diego Rosales is an art contributor at the university. Option C is incorrect because the article states that Diego Rosales was a student and collaborator of Diego Rivera, who is the most outstanding representative of Mexican muralism.

3. ¿Qué tipo de temas relacionados con los EE. UU. aparecen en este mural?

  1. Asuntos migratorios
  2. Eventos históricos
  3. Celebraciones culturales
  4. Desastres naturales
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because it is stated in the article that the mural contains several scenes about the history of the United States. Option A is incorrect because the article does not mention any immigration issues being included in the mural. Option C is incorrect because the article does not mention any cultural celebration being included in the mural. Option D is incorrect because the article does not mention any natural disasters being included in the mural.

Competency 008—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to infer, interpret and evaluate meaning from a variety of authentic materials written in the target language.

4. ¿Qué se infiere de Diego Rosales a partir de sus afirmaciones en el texto?

  1. No quiso pedir ayuda a su nieto.
  2. No pudo hacer un mural muy grande.
  3. Le dio mucho placer realizar el trabajo.
  4. El mural lo realizó en menos de tres meses.
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option C is correct because Diego Rosales told the BBC that he forgets his age when he is working. From that statement, it can be inferred that completing the mural was a very pleasant activity for him. Option A is incorrect because the article states that Diego Rosales' grandson helped him complete the mural. Option B is incorrect because the article states the mural covers an area of 121 square feet, which is a very large scale mural. Option D is incorrect because the article states that Diego Rosales worked on the mural for the last seven months.

Competency 004—The LOTE teacher understands the connections between language and culture, including the interactions among cultural products, practices and perspectives within the target language cultures.

5. Según sus conocimientos culturales, ¿a qué se refiere la "historia precolombina de México"?

  1. A la historia de las civilizaciones indígenas antes de la llegada de Cristóbal Colón
  2. A la historia de los europeos que llegaron al Nuevo Mundo en el siglo XV
  3. A la historia de los españoles que antecedieron a Cristóbal Colón
  4. A la historia de la fundación de las civilizaciones europeas en el Nuevo Mundo
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option A is correct because the pre-Columbian history of Mexico refers to the history of indigenous civilizations before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Option B is incorrect because the pre-Columbian history of Mexico refers to Mexican history before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. The history of European settlers in the New World started after 1492. Option C is incorrect because the pre-Columbian history of Mexico does not include Spaniards. Moreover, there are no Mexican historical records about Spaniards before Columbus. Option D is incorrect because the pre-Columbian history of Mexico does not refer to the history of the foundation of European civilizations in the New World.

Competency 007—The LOTE teacher demonstrates the ability to understand the literal content of authentic materials written in the target language.

6. ¿A qué se refiere el pronombre "le" en la frase "Rosales le explicó a BBC Mundo que en su mural incluyó una referencia a la profecía de la Atlántida"?

  1. A Rosales
  2. A BBC Mundo
  3. A su mural
  4. A la Atlántida
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the indirect object pronoun "le" in that sentence refers to BBC Mundo. Option A is incorrect because the indirect object pronoun "le" in that sentence does not refer to Rosales. Rosales is the person giving the information to BBC Mundo. Option C is incorrect because the indirect object pronoun "le" in that sentence does not refer to the mural. The mural is what Rosales is discussing in that sentence. Option D is incorrect because the indirect object pronoun "le" in that sentence does not refer to the Atlantis. A reference to the Atlantis is included in the mural Rosales is discussing.

Competency 004—The LOTE teacher understands the connections between language and culture, including the interactions among cultural products, practices and perspectives within the target language cultures.

La siguiente pregunta está basada en esta foto.

photo of 4 people

In the foreground of the scene there are two women standing on opposite sides of a man while another man stands behind them. All four individuals are staring intently in the same direction at someone or something out of frame.

7. Según sus conocimientos culturales, los programas de emisión diaria en la televisión hispana que incluyen situaciones dramáticas e historias de amor son popularmente conocidos como

  1. comedias
  2. telenovelas
  3. informativos
  4. caricaturas
Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Option B is correct because the daily shows that include love stories as well as dramatic situations in Hispanic television are called telenovelas. Option A is incorrect because comedias are television shows that include funny situations. Option C is incorrect because informativos are television shows with news reports. Option D is incorrect because caricaturas are funny drawings usually in paper. They are not television shows.