Instituto Cervantes 02

Question 1

1. pero NOS CONVIENE + hacer un repaso (convenirle a = advisable, in your interest) (repasar)
2. currar
3. la jornada laboral
4. absentismo laboral
5. él autónomo

Answer 1

1. But WE SHOULD do a review (vb - to be advisable) (vb - to review)
2. to work (ie if paid + alt to trabajar)
3. the working day
4. work absenteeism
5. self-employed/freelance

Question 2

1. empollar (tech = to incubate or brood eg chicks)
2. hincar los codos (hincar = to thrust)
3. ALABAR exageradamente a X (to PRAISE)
   4a. ser un pelota
   4b. hacer la pelota a

Answer 2

1. To swot ie study hard (x 2)
2. to suck up (dictionary def)
3. to suck up (what people say x 2)

Question 3

1. quedarse en blanco
2. tener un chuleta
3. saltarse la clase
4. hacer pellas

Answer 3

1. to go blank (eg in an exam)
2. to cheat in an exam (eg sneaking in notes)
3. to skip off class (formal)
4. to skip off class (what people say) ie play hookey/skive off

Question 4

1. funcionario + funcionariado + las opposiciones
2. cobrar + sueldo
3. perder el empleo
4. la precariedad laboral
5. la seguridad social

Answer 4

1. civil servant + civil service + exams to enter
2. to earn/get paid + salary
3. to lose one’s job
4. job insecurity
5. social security

Question 5

1. pruebas de selección
2. entrevista de trabajo
3. LOS PLAZOS DE ENTREGA son muy estrictos
4. LOS HORARIOS hay que cumplirlos A RAJATABLA
5. ¿brutos o netos?

Answer 5

1. recruitment tests
2. job interview
3. THE DELIVERY DEADLINES are very strict
4. one must comply to THE SCHEDULE + TO THE LETTER/THE TEE
5. Gross or net? (a salary)

Question 6

1. si hay un bien CLIMA LABORAL
2. DESCONTANDO LOS IMPUESTOS + SALEN 24.000 mil euros netos
3. ¿Cuándo tendría que incorporarme?
4. La incorporación sería inmediata
5. No, me he quedado todo claro (quedar claro)

Answer 6

1. if there is a a good WORK ENVIRONMENT
2. AFTER TAXES + IT COMES OUT AT 24,000 euros net
3. When would I have TO START? (or enlist if army)
4. THE START-DATE/ADMISSION will be immediate/straight away
5. No, everythings clear (to be clear)

Question 7

1. trabajar como un burro
2. trabajar de sol a sol
3. no pegar ni palo
4. hacer chapuzas + es un chapucero
5. haraganear = holgazanear = hacer el vago

Answer 7

1. To slave away + to work like a Trojan (common sayings)
2. To work night and day
3. To do nothing
4. To do a botched job + what call a person who does botched jobs
5. to laze around + 2 alt vbs (HHH)

Question 8

1. cobrar EN NEGRO + EN B
2. (no) llegar al fin de mes
3. no está(r) para fiestas
4. tiene que estar terminado SIN FALTA para el 15 de julio
5. sueldos DESORBITADOS (from desorbitar, to exaggerate -> desorbitarse, to get out of control/hand (thing), to lose one’s sense of perspective (person)

Answer 8

1. to earn UNDER THE TABLE (2x)
2. to (not) make ends meet
3. Está de mal humor (common sayings)
4. has to be finished WITHOUT FAIL by 15 July
5. EXHORBITANT-EXTORTIONATE salaries (explain origin)

Question 9

1. La conferencia ha sido un rollo (ser un rollo)
2. Cuéntame CON PELOS Y SEÑALES cómo ha ido la entrevista
3. Creo que he METIDO LA PAT + EN la entrevista de trabajo un par de veces
4. la conciliación laboral
5. la brecha salarial

Answer 9

1. The conference WAS A BORE (expression)
2. Tell me CHAPTER & VERSE how the interview went
3. I think I MADE A MESS OF IT a couple of times in the interview
4. work-life balance
5. the pay-gap

Question 10

1. a group, where the specific subject within the group or category doesn’t matter
2. As a pronoun (ie instead of a noun) + as an adjective (after a noun)
3. before noun + is invariable ie doesn’t matter if noun feminine or masculine

Answer 10

1. what situation does CUALQUIER or CUALQUIERA describe?
2. What 2 uses of cualquiera?
3. When use cualquier?

Question 11

1. A esa oferta de trabajo puede PRESENTARSE + CUALQUIERA (pronoun)
2. Estoy pensando en presentarme a un concurso CUALQUIERA para ganar dinero (adj)
3. La CONVOCATORIA va dirigida a CUALQUIER trabajador mayor de 18 años (invariable adj + always b4 noun)
4. CALL or ANNOUNCEMENT, but also SUMMONS (legal)

Answer 11

1. ANYONE can apply for this job? (What grammatical structure?)
2. I’m thinking of TRYING OUT for ANY OLD game show to win money (what grammatical structure?)
3. The CALL-OUT is directed to ANY worker older than 18. (what grammatical structure?)
4. What else can “call out” word mean?

Question 12

1. the last 2 in more formal situations eg academic texts = which + who + those that
2. La CONVOCATORIA va dirigida a AQUELLOS PERSONAS nacidas entre 1980 y 1985.
3. QUIENES no tengan experiencia recibirán FORMACIÓN + A CARGO de la empresa
4. TODOS AQUELLOS QUE pasen las tres primeras frases de la selección …

Answer 12

1. When use 3 different types of relative pronouns eg los que + quien(es) + aquell(os) que?
2. The CALL-OUT is directed at THOSE PERSONS born between 1980 and 1985.
3. THOSE without EXPERIENCE will receive TRAINING at the company´s EXPENSE
4. ALL THOSE that pass the three first phases of the selection …

Question 13

1. Sacar (una) buena nota (en el examen)
2. Hacer prácticas
3. Cursos de formación
4. Personal docente

Answer 13

1. to get a good mark
2. to do one´s training
3. training courses
4. teaching staff + personnel

Question 14

1. Estar matriculado
2. una nota media
3. Mis hijos, A LOS QUE veo muy poco, me escriben A MENUDO
4. esta COLONIA aún SE VE moderna

Answer 14

1. to be registered + enrolled
2. an average grade/mark
3. My children, WHICH I see very little, write to me OFTEN
4. this SUBURB (Mex) still SEEMS modern

Question 15

1. El diseño de sus calles, A CARGO DEl arquitecto X
2. el tradicional sistema RETICULAR
3. para la creación de nuevos FRACCIONAMIENTOS
4. SOBRE esta vía se diseñaron tres glorietas

Answer 15

1. The design of its streets, ENTRUSTED TO architect X
2. the traditional GRID system
3. for the creation of new HOUSING ESTATES (Mex)
4. ON this road they planned 3 roundabouts

Question 16

1. en su CAMELLÓN + ARBOLADO hay varias bancas (arbolar) (mediana)
2. REVESTIDAS CON + AZULEJOS (revestir con)
3. INAUGURADO el 6 de diciembre DE 1927
4. actores DE LA TALLA DE …

Answer 16

1. on its TREE-LINED + MEDIAN STRIP/TRAFFIC ISLAND are various benches (what non-Mexican N for median strip?)
2. COVERED IN + TILES (to cover in + with)
3. OPENED the 6 of Dec 1927
4. Actors OF THE LIKES + OF THE STATURE OF Sir Laurence Olivier

Question 17

1. En el COSTADO + PONIENTE de Av. México (oriental, sureño, norteño)
2. una casa típica DE FINES DE los años veinte
3. la época DE AUGE de esta área
4. la POSEEDORA de REBAÑOS y SEMBRADÍOS de maíz y magueyes

Answer 17

1. On the WESTERN + SIDE of Mexico Avenue (eastern, southern, northern arks)
2. a house typical OF THE LATE 20’s
3. the BOOM period of this area
4. the OWNER of FLOCKS OF SHEEP and CROPS of corn and magueyes (type of cactus=

Question 18

1. quien la ACRECENTÓ + A MEDIADOS DEl + siglo XVIII (acrecentar = aumentar)
2. una zona residencial DOTADA DE grandes avenidas arboladas
3. los FESTEJOS para conmemorar
4. la colonia SUFRIÓ un cambio muy NOTORIO (has no negative connotation)

Answer 18

1. which she INCREASED + IN THE MIDDLE OF the 18th Century (to increase, augment+ alt vb)
2. a residential zone WELL-ENDOWED WITH large tree-lined avenues
3. the FESTIVITIES to commemorate
4. the suburb UNDERWENT a WELL-KNOWN change

Question 19

1. Esto DIO LUGAR A grandes discusiones (dar lugar a)
2. muy SOLICITADOS durante la tarde y noche
3. Entre LOS COMERCIOS tradicionales de la Condesa FIGURAN el X (figurar)

Answer 19

1. That GAVE RISE TO + PROVOKED big arguments (compound vb)
2. very SOUGHT AFTER + POPULAR during the evening and night
3. Among the traditional SHOPS of la Condesa IS/APPEARS X (to be + appear, when on a list)