Cultural Diplomacy

Respuesta correcta: B) exacerbate

• A) alleviateIncorrect. 'Alleviate' means to make something less severe, which is the opposite of what's needed.
• B) exacerbateCorrect. 'Exacerbate' means to make a problem or bad situation worse, which fits perfectly here.
• C) mitigateIncorrect. 'Mitigate' means to make something less severe, which doesn't fit the negative consequence implied.
• D) facilitateIncorrect. 'Facilitate' means to make an action or process easy or easier, which is not appropriate for a social divide.

Respuesta correcta: D) undermines

• A) strengthens'Strengthen' is the opposite of what the sentence describes, since a curated guest list narrows rather than widens participation. Nothing in the clause suggests the exchange became more robust.
• B) portrays'Portray' means to represent or depict, and the clause describes a consequence for participation rather than an image being created. The festival's actual guest list is at issue, not its marketing.
• C) surrenders'Surrender' means to give up possession or control, and no one is ceding anything here. The sentence describes an imbalance in who was invited, which is a weakening rather than a relinquishment.
• D) undermines'Undermine' means to weaken something gradually from below, and a one-sided invitation list erodes the principle of exchange the funding was meant to build. The contrast with 'it was funded to promote' names what the imbalance undoes.

Respuesta correcta: A) showcase

• A) showcase'To showcase a tradition is to display it so that others can see and appreciate it. The ministry is putting the traditions on show while leaving the communities as the ones who explain them, which is what 'showcase' means.
• B) suppress'To suppress' is to hold something down and keep it from being known. The sentence describes presenting traditions publicly, the exact opposite of silencing them.
• C) appropriate'To appropriate' is to take something belonging to another culture for one's own use. The sentence says the communities themselves speak for their traditions, so nothing is being taken over.
• D) outsource'To outsource' is to pay an outside party to do a job. No contract or external provider is mentioned; the communities involved are the original owners of what is being shown, not hired contractors.

Respuesta correcta: B) frustrates

• A) encourages'Encourage' means to make something more likely, and the sentence describes a barrier rather than a stimulus. A restriction on who can travel cannot be described as promoting the activity.
• B) frustrates'Frustrate' means to prevent someone from achieving something they were in a position to achieve, and the one-sided funding blocks the local half of a two-way exchange. The clause 'the very exchange its name implies' names the possibility being blocked.
• C) conceals'Conceal' means to hide something, and the funding rules are not presented as secret. The problem described is an imbalance in who may travel, which is visible in the budget itself.
• D) respects'Respect' means to admire or to have regard for, and the sentence describes a limit on participation rather than an attitude towards it. Nothing in the clause indicates admiration for anyone's work.

Respuesta correcta: D) International recognition of vallenato and efforts to protect its traditional form.

• A) Why commercial vallenato is more popular than traditional vallenato.The popularity of commercial vallenato is mentioned only as the reason for UNESCO's warning; the text does not explain why it is popular.
• B) How to play the accordion, caja and guacharaca.The instruments are named, but the text gives no instructions on how to play them.
• C) The history of the city of Valledupar.Valledupar is mentioned only as the place where the music schools are located.
• D) International recognition of vallenato and efforts to protect its traditional form.The text explains UNESCO's decision and then describes the music schools that teach the traditional style to children.

Respuesta correcta: A) It presents the measure as a goal being proposed, not as something already in force.

• A) It presents the measure as a goal being proposed, not as something already in force.The subjunctive 'be taught' is triggered by the modal of proposal 'we are asking', so it frames the measure as intended. The contrast with 'has already guaranteed' confirms that the sentence deliberately avoids claiming the policy exists today.
• B) It insists that the measure is a fact that schools have already adopted.That is the opposite of what the subjunctive does. If the minister wanted to assert the policy as existing, the indicative 'is taught' would be used, and the clause 'not because the government has already guaranteed it' rules that reading out.
• C) It shows that the minister doubts whether regional languages deserve protection.The subjunctive marks a proposal, not a doubt. The verb 'insist' and the phrase 'treat it as a right' show a firm position in favour, and nothing in the sentence expresses hesitation.
• D) It means the minister is reporting what schools have already done on their own.The measure is something the government is asking for. A report of an existing action would use the indicative and the past tense, which is precisely what the subjunctive here avoids.

Respuesta correcta: B) Cultural experiences can create lasting interest in a country.

• A) Trade missions are more effective than cultural festivals.The diplomat suggests the opposite: the festival is cheaper and leaves a longer memory than speeches.
• B) Cultural experiences can create lasting interest in a country.'People remember a flavour longer than a speech' implies that tasting Colombian food creates a stronger connection than formal events, as the café chain's decision shows.
• C) Korean visitors did not enjoy the arepas.Visitors waited in long lines to try them, which shows strong interest.
• D) The festival is too expensive to continue.The diplomat says the festival costs less than a trade mission, so cost is presented as an advantage.

Respuesta correcta: D) display and present proudly

• A) hideTo hide something is to keep it from being seen, but a large pavilion visited by many people is built to be seen.
• B) sell cheaplyThe text does not talk about prices; the pavilion presents culture, not discounts.
• C) translateTranslation agreements are mentioned later, but the pavilion itself presents writers, music and food, it does not translate them.
• D) display and present proudlyA showcase is a place where valuable things are shown; the guest country uses the pavilion to present its writers, music and food to visitors.

Respuesta correcta: A) They taught free workshops at their schools.

• A) They taught free workshops at their schools.The last sentence says 'When they returned, they gave free workshops in their schools to share what they had learned.'
• B) They moved to Dakar to study music.The students spent three weeks in Senegal and then returned; they did not move there.
• C) They recorded a champeta album in Senegal.Champeta is mentioned as a comparison with the sabar rhythms; no recording is described.
• D) They invited Senegalese students to Cartagena.The text does not mention any visit by Senegalese students.

Respuesta correcta: A) It presents the object as the result of a living practice rather than a finished artefact.

• A) It presents the object as the result of a living practice rather than a finished artefact.Verbs in the passive describe an action someone performs: something is taught, carved or inherited. Using them instead of names turns the label into a record of a process that continues, which is what the article means by a living tradition.
• B) It shows that the museum could not find the name of the person who made the object.The article says the labels carry the name of the community, not a personal name, and the choice of verbs is deliberate. Missing information would not be fixed by adding a verb in front of it.
• C) It proves that the objects in the museum were made by machines.'Was taught', 'was carved' and 'was inherited' all describe human skill passed from one generation to another. Nothing in the sentence suggests industrial production, and a passive alone says nothing about who or what acted.
• D) It makes the labels shorter so that they fit on the display cases.The article gives no reason about label length or display space. The verbs are explained by their content, not by their convenience: they turn a static object into an ongoing practice.

Respuesta correcta: A) host

• A) host'Recommended that' introduces a proposal rather than a report of what happened, so the clause takes the subjunctive form, which for most verbs means the bare infinitive. 'Host' is that form and fits an artist in residence at a school.
• B) hosted'Hosted' is past indicative and would present the arrangement as something already done. The ministry is putting something forward, and the subjunctive marks it as proposed rather than established.
• C) hosting'Hosting' is a participle and cannot act as the verb of a that-clause. The clause needs a finite verb in either the subjunctive or the indicative form.
• D) hosts'Hosts' is present indicative and states a standing arrangement as fact. A recommendation about what schools ought to do is not the same as reporting what they already do, which is what the present simple would assert.

Respuesta correcta: C) be cleared

• A) cleared'Cleared' without an auxiliary is a bare form that would need one, such as 'had been cleared', to form a past passive. The sentence requires either a subjunctive bare infinitive or a full indicative tense, and this option is neither.
• B) were cleared'Were cleared' is past indicative passive and would report that the photographs were in fact cleared before exhibition. The sentence states a condition the delegation agreed on, not a completed sequence.
• C) be cleared'Agreed that' introduces an arrangement the parties commit to rather than a fact, so the clause takes the subjunctive, which for most verbs is the bare infinitive. 'Be cleared' is that form and fits a requirement attached to photographs.
• D) are cleared'Are cleared' is present passive and asserts that permission was obtained. An agreement about what must happen before a future exhibition describes a requirement, not a state already in force.

Respuesta correcta: D) should leave

• A) will leave'Will leave' is a prediction about the future, and the sentence is stating a restriction rather than forecasting anything. A warning about what must not happen does not commit itself to predicting that it will.
• B) leaves'Leaves' is present simple and asserts that the collection does travel abroad, which is the opposite of what the clause is guarding against. The restriction here is stated as an obligation on the people responsible.
• C) left'Left' is past simple and would report a completed departure of the collection. The sentence is about a condition that has to be met before any journey happens, so no past event is involved.
• D) should leaveA modal in the that-clause of 'warned that' is a standard alternative to the subjunctive, and 'should leave' presents the prohibition as a requirement. The phrase 'no part of the collection' and the absence of an agreement both point to a rule, not a report of what happened.

Respuesta correcta: B) be

• A) is'Is' is the present indicative and turns the statement into an assertion about current practice. 'Stressed that' marks the content as something the speakers wished to emphasise, which is not the same as reporting it as established fact.
• B) beWhen 'stressed that' introduces something presented as the point of principle rather than as an event, English uses the subjunctive, and for 'be' that form is 'be'. The clause states what holds true of the process, not a report of a particular outcome.
• C) was'Was' would place the choice at a single past moment, which is not what the clause describes. The phrase 'with no public vote' refers to the rules of the process rather than to one completed decision.
• D) had been'Had been' is the past perfect and would place the selection even earlier than a past moment. The sentence makes no reference to a time before another past event, so that form has no anchor.

Respuesta correcta: A) involve

• A) involve'Requires that' states a condition to be met, so the clause is subjunctive and takes the bare infinitive. 'Involve' is that form and names the collaboration the round conditions funding on.
• B) involves'Involves' is the present indicative and would assert that every group does involve a local ensemble. A requirement sets out what must happen before funding, which is not the same as reporting what already happens.
• C) involved'Involved' is the past simple and would locate the collaboration at an earlier point. The clause 'before it applies for support' describes a condition attached to a future application, not a past event.
• D) will involve'Will involve' is a prediction about what will happen, and a requirement is not the same thing as a forecast. Nothing in the sentence suggests the funding rules anticipate rather than mandate the collaboration.

Respuesta correcta: B) consults

• A) is consultingA progressive would suggest an action already under way, and the subjunctive form cannot be built on 'is'. The pattern 'it is essential that' takes the bare infinitive, so the verb must appear as 'consults'.
• B) consultsAfter expressions of necessity such as 'it is essential that', English uses the subjunctive, so the bare form 'consults' appears. The modal 'it is essential' sets the requirement, and the subjunctive marks the action as obligatory.
• C) will consultThe future auxiliary does not belong in a that-clause governed by 'it is essential'. Modal necessity plus the subjunctive already carries the obligation, and adding 'will' would give the sentence two competing verbs.
• D) had consultedThe past perfect places the consultation before an unspecified past point, which the sentence does not do. The ministry has to do this before it decides, so the action belongs to the same present moment of planning.

Respuesta correcta: C) The current strategy is directed towards the wrong objective.

• A) They are literally looking for something in the trees of Cartagena.Incorrect. This is a literal and incorrect interpretation of the idiom.
• B) The approach is too noisy and aggressive.Incorrect. The idiom relates to direction/objective, not volume or attitude.
• C) The current strategy is directed towards the wrong objective.Correct. This idiom means to follow a wrong line of thought or course of action.
• D) A new environmental project involving trees should be started.Incorrect. This misinterprets the figurative meaning of the phrase.

Respuesta correcta: C) To make the guests feel relaxed and start a friendly conversation.

• A) To criticise Japanese table manners.The story is about the host's own difficulty with chopsticks, so it is a friendly joke about himself, not a criticism of the guests.
• B) To end the dinner early.The host has just welcomed the guests; breaking the ice is a way to begin a conversation, not to finish it.
• C) To make the guests feel relaxed and start a friendly conversation.'Break the ice' means to reduce tension at the start of a meeting; a funny personal story is a typical way to do this.
• D) To complain about the cold weather in Bogotá.This takes 'ice' literally. The idiom refers to social tension, not to temperature.

Respuesta correcta: B) The ministers disagree about the budget but agree on the programme.

• A) The ministers refused to look at each other.This is a literal interpretation of 'eye to eye'. The expression is about opinions, not about looking.
• B) The ministers disagree about the budget but agree on the programme.'Not see eye to eye' means to disagree; 'but both support the programme' shows that the disagreement is only about money.
• C) The ministers agree completely on every point.The negative 'don't see eye to eye' shows there is at least one disagreement, about the budget.
• D) The ministers will cancel the programme.Both ministers support the programme, so there is no reason to think it will be cancelled.

Respuesta correcta: B) She is reporting strong attendance while implicitly countering an earlier claim that the material attracts only a narrow audience.

• A) She is admitting the audiences were small.Four sold-out venues argue the opposite, and the phrase she refuses to use is 'niche', which is the label for a narrow audience. Nothing in the sentence concedes low attendance.
• B) She is reporting strong attendance while implicitly countering an earlier claim that the material attracts only a narrow audience.'I would not describe the audience as niche' rejects a description rather than asserting its opposite directly, and the attendance figures are given as the evidence for that rejection. The hedging frame is what signals she is responding to someone else's wording.
• C) She is announcing that the programme has been cancelled.There is no reference to any cancellation, and the past tense describes tours that took place. The sentence reports an outcome rather than proposing an end to anything.
• D) She is recommending that the material be replaced.No alternative material is proposed and no dissatisfaction with what was toured appears. Her criticism is directed at a description of the audience, not at the programme itself.