Read Text I and answer the fourteen questions that follow it

 Text I The “literacy turn” in education: reexamining 

what it means to be literate

In response to the phenomena of mass migration and the emergence of digital communications media that defined the last decade of the 20th century, the New London Group (NLG) called for a broader view of literacy and literacy teaching in its 1996 manifesto, A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures. The group argued that literacy pedagogy in education must (1) reflect the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of the contemporary globalized world, and (2) account for the new kinds of texts and textual engagement that have emerged in the wake of new information and multimedia technologies. In order to better capture the plurality of discourses, languages, and media, they proposed the term ‘multiliteracies’.

Within the NLG’s pedagogy of multiliteracies, language and other modes of communication are viewed as dynamic resources for meaning making that undergo constant changes in the dynamics of language use as learners attempt to achieve their own purposes. Within this broader view of literacy and literacy teaching, learners are no longer “users as decoders of language” but rather “designers of meaning.” Meaning is not viewed as something that resides in texts; rather, deriving meaning is considered an active and dynamic process in which learners combine and creatively apply both linguistic and other semiotic resources (e.g., visual, gesture, sound, etc.) with an awareness of “the sets of conventions connected with semiotic activity [...] in a given social space” (NLG, 1996, p. 74).

Grounded within the view that learning develops in social, cultural, and material contexts as a result of collaborative interactions, NLG argued that instantiating literacy-based teaching in classrooms calls on the complex integration and interaction of four pedagogical components that are neither hierarchical nor linear and can at times overlap: situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing, and transformed practice. […]

Although the NLG’s pedagogy of multiliteracies was conceived as a “statement of general principle” (1996, p. 89) for schools, the group’s call for educators to recognize the diversity and social situatedness of literacy has had a lasting impact on foreign language (FL) teaching and learning. The reception of the group’s work along with that of other scholars from critical pedagogy appeared at a time when the field was becoming less solidly anchored in theories of L2 acquisition and more interested in the social practice of FL education itself. In the section that follows, we describe the current state of FL literacy studies as it has developed in recent years, before finally turning to some very recent emerging trends that we are likely to see develop going forward.

(Adapted from: https://www.colorado.edu/center/altec/sites/default/files/ attachedfiles/moving_toward_multiliteracies_in_foreign_language_teaching.pdf)

Planes top 800 mph as near-record winds sweep high over Mid-Atlantic

(Available at: www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/02/18/record-jet-stream-winds-dc-flights/ – text specially adapted for this test)

Text 18A3-I 

    The roar of a waterfall suggests the power of water. Rampaging floodwaters can uproot strong trees and twist railroad tracks. When the power of water is harnessed, however, it can do useful work for humans. 

    Since ancient times, people have put the energy in the flow of water to work. They first made water work for them with the waterwheel, a wheel with paddles around its rim. Flowing water rotated the waterwheel, which in turn ran machinery that was linked to it. Today, new kinds of waterwheels — turbines — spin generators that produce electricity. Electricity from water-turned generators is known as hydroelectricity. 

    By building a dam across a river, the natural upstream water level is elevated and a difference in head is created that can be used to drive turbines and generate electricity. A large upstream reservoir may balance seasonal water flow; rain or melted snow can be stored in the reservoir during the wet season to provide electricity during dry seasons. 

    Waterpower is distributed unevenly among the continents and nations of the world. Europe and North America have developed much of their waterpower. Asia, South America, and Africa have abundant waterpower potential, but while countries such as China and Brazil have become leading hydroelectric producers, much of the waterpower resource on those continents remains undeveloped. 

Elizabeth Lachner. Hydroelectricity. Rosen Publishing Group, 2018 (adapted). 

Text 19A4-II 

        Photo exhibitions are great opportunities for excited and ambitious photographers to showcase their work beyond just the safety of their friends and family. They’re also a stellar opportunity to develop a thicker skin, as your work will be subject to critique, but that’s all part of the territory that comes with getting more exposure as a photographer, which is what all artists should strive for. Beyond that, they’re a great way to advertise yourself as a photographer, both your talents and your availability. Think of it almost as the artist’s equivalent to having a booth at a trade show when you’re selling a product. 

        First-timers to an exhibition will likely find themselves a bit unsure of what to do and somewhat nervous. Here’s a series of surefire tips to make any exhibition a success. Before you do anything else, it’s imperative that you make up your mind about what you’ll be showcasing at your exhibition. You only have two choices, when you think about it: brand-new work that you’ll shoot especially for the exhibition or archival stuff that you’ll just pull out for the exhibition. Also, being creative when finding the exhibition location is as important as the showcase itself. 

Internet: <https://contrastly.com> (adapted). 

Text 19A4-I 

        It is a universal fact that cinema is a visual medium. Films have the power to overwhelm our senses as well as our minds, subjecting us to a variety of experiences that can range from the sublime to the devastating. Colours play a crucial role in this interesting phenomenon, forming an integral part of the composition of each frame and dictating how the viewer perceives the spectacle on the screen. Apart from the cinematic medium, colours have always been a part of our experience and how we make sense of the vastly nuanced world around us. Although science has definitively explained what colours are in terms of light, they have always mystified artists and philosophers like Arthur Schopenhauer and Ludwig Wittgenstein, who tried to understand their importance in anthropological frameworks. 

        More notably, the famous German poet and artist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published a seminal exploration of colours in his 1810 work Theory of Colours. In it, he examined how each colour corresponds to various psychological states in the minds of human beings. He wrote, “Light and darkness, brightness and obscurity, or if a more general expression is preferred, light and its absence, are necessary to the production of colour… Colour itself is a degree of darkness.” Goethe’s theories might seem baselessly romantic in the 21st century but the underlying ideas have been implemented by filmmakers and cinematographers to curate the voyeuristic experiences of their audiences. Famed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro has based his artistic vision on Goethe’s work, insisting that colours do have a direct connection to the mind of the viewer. 

Internet: <https://faroutmagazine.co.uk> (adapted).

Advantages of wireless technology

Wireless communications offer several cost and connectivity benefits for organizations. The rapid rise of remote work – fuelled in part by the pandemic that began in 2020 – has created an environment where employees demand high-performance access to network resources regardless of where they might be.

Wireless networks can be less expensive to build and maintain since they require fewer switches and other components required by wired infrastructures. New wireless standards – especially among them multiuser, multiple input and multiple output – enable physical Access Points (APs) to serve a greater number of users, further reducing costs.

Wireless technologies also support novel services, among them location tracking, Internet of Things (IoT) deployments and remote diagnostics. Finally, advances in wireless performance enable organizations to stress mobility as a primary benefit, thus helping them redefine how they design their offices and workgroups.

(www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/wireless. Adaptado)

Dutch government bans phones in schools The Dutch government has announced a ban ______01 mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches in classrooms starting ______02 January 1, 2024.

The aim is to reduce distractions ______03 lessons and promote better concentration and studying opportunities for students. ______04, devices

_______________05 if they are specifically required for digital skills lessons, for medical reasons, or students with disabilities.

Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf ______06 that ______07 mobile phones are a significant part of ______08 lives, they are not suitable for the classroom, and scientific research ______09 this view.

The ban is the result of an agreement between the ministry, schools, and related organizations. Schools have the flexibility to implement the ban in their way, but if the desired outcomes ______10 achieved by the summer of 2024, legal rules ______11 enforced.

Source: https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/dutch government-bans-phones-in-schools-level-3/.