Theme 2.2: Poverty, Homelessness and Charity Work
Reading comprehension for Theme 2.2 covers texts about poverty, homelessness and inequality, and about charity or volunteering work that responds to them: donating, volunteering, fundraising and running food banks or soup kitchens. The examiner is testing whether a student can identify precise statistics, follow cause-and-effect connectives (por lo tanto, ya que, debido a, como consecuencia) that link a social problem to its cause, and register contrast connectives (sin embargo, aunque, a pesar de) that introduce a counter-argument or an unexpected fact within a serious, higher-tier topic. Texts may be informative articles with statistics or first-person accounts from volunteers, and questions frequently reward the ability to distinguish a stated fact from a call to action.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Establish first whether the text is informative, giving facts and statistics about a social problem, or persuasive, such as a charity appeal asking for donations or volunteers, since this affects the type of detail the questions target.
- Underline cause-and-effect connectives (por lo tanto, ya que, debido a, como consecuencia) linking a social problem to its stated cause or result - higher-tier questions often ask specifically for the cause given in the text.
- Watch contrast connectives (sin embargo, aunque, a pesar de, no obstante), which frequently introduce a counter-argument or an unexpected fact partway through a sentence about a difficult topic.
- Note statistics and figures precisely (uno de cada cinco niños, el treinta por ciento), including whether the number refers to people, money or a percentage.
- Recognise obligation and necessity structures (es necesario, hay que actuar, deberiamos ayudar) as a call to action rather than a statement of current fact.
- Learn vocabulary that distinguishes types of help: donar (to donate), ofrecerse de voluntario (to volunteer), recaudar fondos (to raise funds), repartir comida (to hand out food), since questions may ask exactly which action a person or organisation takes.
- For negatives about what is missing (no tienen acceso a, carecen de, sin hogar), make sure the answer you give is the lack itself, not just the thing that is lacking.
Worked example
Read this extract and decide whether the statement that follows is true, false or not mentioned. Texto: Según un informe reciente, uno de cada cinco niños en el país vive por debajo del umbral de la pobreza. Muchas familias no tienen acceso regular a alimentos frescos, sin embargo, gracias a organizaciones benéficas como esta, miles de familias reciben ayuda cada semana. Afirmación: Según el texto, ninguna organización ofrece ayuda a las familias pobres.
- Identify the statistic: uno de cada cinco niños (one in five children) lives below the poverty line.
- Notice the connective sin embargo, which signals a contrasting, more hopeful point is about to follow.
- Read the contrasting point: thanks to charitable organisations, thousands of families receive help every week.
- Since the text explicitly states that an organisation does provide help, the statement claiming no organisation helps is false.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1What does 'uno de cada cinco niños' mean in English?Show answer
Answer: One in five children.
Q2Translate into English: 'Muchas familias carecen de acceso a una vivienda digna.'Show answer
Answer: Many families lack access to decent/adequate housing.
Q3What is the difference between 'donar dinero' and 'ofrecerse de voluntario'?Show answer
Answer: 'Donar dinero' means to donate money; 'ofrecerse de voluntario' means to volunteer/offer to work as a volunteer, giving time rather than money.
Q4True or false: 'es necesario actuar ya' describes something that has already been done.Show answer
Answer: False - it is a call to action (it is necessary to act now), not a statement of something already completed.
Q5Give the English meaning of 'recaudar fondos para una causa benéfica'.Show answer
Answer: To raise funds for a charitable cause.
Q6A text says 'Debido a la crisis económica, el número de personas sin hogar ha aumentado.' What is given as the cause of the rise in homelessness?Show answer
Answer: The economic crisis.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Spanish exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Lee el texto y contesta a las preguntas en inglés. Hace dos años empecé a ofrecerme de voluntaria en un comedor social de mi ciudad, y esa experiencia ha cambiado por completo mi forma de ver las cosas. Cada sábado ayudamos a preparar y repartir comida a personas sin hogar y a familias que no llegan a fin de mes. Al principio me sorprendió la cantidad de gente que necesitaba ayuda: solo en nuestro barrio, más de doscientas personas dependen del comedor cada semana. Muchos de los voluntarios son estudiantes como yo, aunque también hay jubilados que dedican varios días a la semana. A pesar de las dificultades económicas que vive el país, siempre me impresiona la generosidad de la gente que dona dinero, ropa o comida. Creo que todos deberiamos hacer algo, por pequeño que sea, para ayudar a quienes más lo necesitan. (a) When did the writer start volunteering, and where? (b) What do the volunteers do every Saturday? (c) How many people depend on the food bank/soup kitchen each week in the writer's neighbourhood? (d) Who are most of the volunteers, according to the text? (e) What impresses the writer, despite the country's economic difficulties? (f) What does the writer believe everyone should do?
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Lee el texto y contesta a las preguntas. Un estudio reciente sobre la pobreza infantil en Latinoamérica revela datos preocupantes. Según el informe, el treinta por ciento de los niños de la región vive en condiciones de pobreza, y muchos de ellos no tienen acceso regular a agua potable ni a una educación de calidad. Sin embargo, varias organizaciones internacionales han puesto en marcha programas de ayuda que han logrado reducir estas cifras en algunos países. A pesar de estos avances, los expertos advierten que todavía queda mucho trabajo por hacer, ya que la desigualdad sigue siendo uno de los mayores problemas de la región. ¿Verdadero, falso o no se menciona? (a) Según el informe, el treinta por ciento de los niños vive en condiciones de pobreza. (b) Todos los niños de la región tienen acceso a agua potable. (c) Ninguna organización ha intentado ayudar con este problema. (d) Los programas de ayuda han reducido las cifras en algunos países. (e) Los expertos creen que el problema está completamente resuelto. Elige la opción correcta para (f): Según los expertos, la desigualdad en la región (i) ha desaparecido, (ii) sigue siendo un gran problema, (iii) nunca ha existido.
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Free printable worksheet
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