EOI B2 inglés, expresión oral y mediación oral: test 1

I'm going to talk about tourism in my city, which has changed a lot in the last ten years.

When I was a child, very few tourists came here, but since the new airport routes opened and the city started appearing in travel magazines, the number of visitors has grown enormously. Now you hear different languages everywhere in the old town, and not only in summer: there are tourists all year round, especially at weekends. Even the shops have changed. Some traditional shops that I remember from my childhood have closed, and in their place there are souvenir shops and cafés with menus in five languages.

Of course, this has clear advantages. Tourism has created jobs, especially for young people in hotels, restaurants and shops, and many old buildings have been restored. The city also has a much more international atmosphere than before, with more concerts, exhibitions and festivals, which local people can enjoy too. And I think many of us feel quite proud when visitors tell us how beautiful our city is.

However, there are problems too. The biggest one, in my opinion, is housing. Many flats in the centre are now rented to tourists, so prices have gone up and some local families have had to move out. Some streets are also so crowded in summer that it's difficult to walk. Another problem is that many tourists only come for a day, so they don't spend much money but they still use the streets and public services. And of course, more planes and cruise ships mean more pollution.

So what could be done? I think the council should limit the number of tourist flats in each neighbourhood, and encourage visitors to discover other areas, not just the old town. A small tourist tax could also pay for cleaning and public services, as it already does in many European cities. It would also be a good idea to promote tourism in autumn and winter, so that visitors are spread more evenly throughout the year.

To conclude, I believe tourism is good for my city, but it needs to be managed so that it benefits the people who live here, not only the visitors.

A: Well, I think both photos show the two sides of working life today. In the first one, working from home looks convenient, but also a bit stressful, doesn't it?

B: Yes, I agree. She's trying to concentrate with her kids around her. That must be really hard. Personally, I'd rather go to an office. What about you?

A: I'm not so sure. I think I'd prefer a mix. Working from home saves a lot of time, because you don't have to travel, but I'd miss my colleagues.

B: That's a good point. And what do you think will happen to city centres if more people work from home?

A: I suppose some offices will become empty, so maybe they could be turned into flats…

OK, so the poster was about how much water a typical family uses at home and how we could save some of it. The main point was that the biggest part of the water we use goes on showers and baths – about a third of the total. The toilet comes next, and then the washing machine and the kitchen, which use roughly the same amount. So, if you think about it, most of the water is used in the bathroom, which surprised me a bit, because I thought cooking and washing dishes would use more.

Then there were some practical tips. The first one was to have shorter showers – around five minutes should be enough. It also said we should repair taps that drip, because they waste a lot of water over time, and that we should wait until the washing machine is full before we put it on. And finally, a really simple one: don't leave the tap running while you clean your teeth. For example, in my house we always leave the tap on, so I'm going to try that one myself.

So basically, the message was that small changes in our daily habits, especially in the bathroom, can make a big difference.