TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE

OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.

ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

1. En una tormenta, se producen continuas corrientes ascendentes en la nube, durante:

A) La caída de la precipitación.
B) En la fase de desarrollo.
C) En la fase de madurez.
D) En la fase de disipación.

2. Un objeto cae, partiendo del reposo, desde una altura h = 125 m. ¿Qué distancia recorre durante el
último segundo de caída? (Por simplicidad, tómese g = 10 m/s2 )
A) 25 m
B) 35 m
C) 45 m
D) 55 m

3. Las Administraciones Públicas, con sometimiento pleno a la Constitución, a la Ley y al Derecho, sirven
con objetividad los intereses generales y actúan de acuerdo con los principios de:
A) Eficacia, jerarquía, descentralización, desconcentración y coordinación.
B) Eficacia, jerarquía, descentralización y coordinación.
C) Eficacia, descentralización, desconcentración y coordinación.
D) Eficacia, jerarquía, coordinación y buenas prácticas administrativas.

4. ¿Cuándo entra en vigor la Ley 39/2015, del Procedimiento Administrativo Común de las Administra-
ciones Públicas?
A) Al día siguiente de su publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado.
B) A los seis meses de su publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado.
C) Al año de su publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado.
D) El día 1 de octubre de 2016.

5. ¿Dónde es más probable que se origine un centro de alta presión durante el invierno?
A) En masas de aire frío sobre el océano.
B) En masas de aire frío sobre un continente.
C) En masas de aire cálido sobre un continente.
D) En una masa de aire cálido sobre el océano.

6. El lugar geométrico de los puntos del plano cuya diferencia de distancias a dos puntos fijos es una
constante positiva se conoce como
A) parábola.
B) hipérbola.
C) elipse.
D) braquistocrona.

7. ¿Cuál es la presión de vapor de un determinado volumen de aire que tiene una humedad absoluta de
30 g/m3 , está a 1000 hPa de presión y a la temperatura de 27 ◦C? Dato: Rv = 462 J/(kg K).
A) 41,5 hPa
B) 14,5 hPa
C) 4,15 hPa
D) 1,45 hPa

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

8. En una arquitectura de red, un firewall o cortafuegos es

A) un elemento de seguridad perimetral.
B) un dispositivo físico de seguridad que previene tanto de los ataques externos como de las amenazas
internas.
C) un mecanismo de seguridad software basado en los estándares ACL (Access Control List) destinado
a canalizar el tráfico entrante en una red.
D) un dispositivo de seguridad centrado en el nivel 4 del modelo OSI (filtrado de paquetes IP).

9. Frente a toda resolución expresa o presunta en materia de acceso podrá interponerse una reclamación
ante el Consejo de Transparencia y Buen Gobierno, con carácter potestativo y previo a su impugnación
en vía contencioso-administrativa:
A) En el plazo de dos meses a contar desde el día siguiente al de la notificación del acto impugnado.
B) En el plazo de un mes a contar desde el día siguiente al de la notificación del acto impugnado o
desde el día siguiente a aquel en que se produzcan los efectos del silencio administrativo.
C) En el plazo de tres meses a contar desde el día siguiente al de la notificación del acto impugnado.
D) En el plazo de tres meses a contar desde el día siguiente a aquel en que se produzcan los efectos
del silencio administrativo.

10. ¿Cuál de las siguientes afirmaciones es correcta?

A) La zona de convergencia intertropical suele ocupar una extensa zona donde divergen los alisios de
los dos hemisferios.
B) En la zona de convergencia intertropical las nubes no se desarrollan o se desarrollan poco y hace
buen tiempo.
C) En la zona de convergencia intertropical, los alisios de uno de los hemisferios invade la zona del
otro hemisferio, produciéndose desarrollos nubosos y mal tiempo.
D) La zona de convergencia intertropical es la zona donde los alisios de los dos hemisferios concurren
en una zona estrecha.

11. Señale cuáles son los principales sumideros de CO2 :

A) Industria y grandes poblaciones.
B) Bosques y océanos.
C) Zonas desérticas y de alta montaña.
D) Zonas permanentemente heladas.

12. Según el artículo 29 de la Ley 19/2013, de 9 de diciembre, de transparencia, acceso a la información

pública y buen gobierno, es una infracción disciplinaria grave:
A) La incorrección con los superiores, compañeros o subordinados.
B) El acoso laboral.
C) La obstaculización al ejercicio de las libertades públicas y derechos sindicales.
D) El abuso de autoridad en el ejercicio del cargo.

13. Sea un campo magnético uniforme en la dirección z con valor B = −10−20 T. Si una partícula con
carga 10−19 C y masa 10−30 kg se encuentra en dicho campo con velocidad ~v = (1, 1, 1) m/s, ¿qué
trayectoria describe su movimiento tras 10 segundos?
A) circular con sentido horario en el plano xy.
B) circular con sentido antihorario en el plano xy.
C) helicoidal con componente z de la velocidad positiva.
D) helicoidal con componente z de la velocidad negativa.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

14. De conformidad con el artículo 41 de la Ley orgánica 3/2007 de 22 de marzo para la igualdad efectiva
de hombres y mujeres, la publicidad que comporte una conducta discriminatoria se considera:
A) Nula de pleno derecho.
B) No directamente aplicable.
C) Anulable.
D) Ilícita.

15. Sean dos vectores ~a = (1, 1, 0) y ~b = (2, 3, 2). El módulo del producto vectorial ~a × ~b es
A) -3
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

16. ¿Cuál de estas afirmaciones es correcta? La formación de gotas en una nube hace que
A) aumente la densidad del aire.
B) baje la temperatura de la nube.
C) se evapore más agua.
D) el aire ascienda.

17. La probabilidad condicionada cumple

A) P (B|A)P (B) = P (A|B)P (A)
B) P (A ∩ B) = P (B|A)P (A)
C) P (A ∪ B) = P (B|A) + P (A|B)
D) P (A|B)P (B|A) = P (A ∩ B)

18. La evaporación y evapotranspiración no se pueden medir con

A) tanques de evaporación.
B) atmómetros.
C) lisímetros.
D) limnímetros.

19. ¿Qué es una MAC?

A) Una computadora fabricada por Apple.
B) Un identificador que corresponde de forma única a un dispositivo ethernet.
C) Una controladora de direcciones múltiples (Multi Address Controller).
D) Un dispositivo hardware para interconectar ordenadores.

20. ¿Qué correcciones hay que introducir en la lectura de la presión de un barómetro de mercurio para
calcular la presión en condiciones normales?
A) Instrumental, temperatura y gravedad.
B) Instrumental y de radiación.
C) Instrumental, temperatura y latitud.
D) Instrumental, temperatura y humedad.

21. ¿Qué representa una vista en una base de datos relacional?

A) una consulta presentada como una tabla.
B) una relación uno a muchos.
C) un registro en una tabla.
D) una clave primaria en una tabla.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

22. Señale la opción correcta

A) En ningún caso la derivada del producto de dos funciones es igual a la suma de sus derivadas.
B) La derivada de una función se identifica con el área bajo la curva de la misma.
C) La derivada de la función tan(x) es 1 − tan2 (x).
D) La continuidad de una función en un punto no garantiza que esta sea derivable en el mismo.

23. En la zona de convergencia intertropical en superficie hay ................... y es zona de ...................

A) calmas, descendencia.
B) calmas, ascendencia.
C) vientos variables, ascendencia.
D) vientos fuertes y tormentas.

24. Uno de los siguientes Parques Naturales protegidos está gestionado por tres Comunidades Autónomas
A) Ordesa y Monte Perdido
B) Cabañeros
C) Picos de Europa
D) Garajonay

25. Una pelota de 60 g se lanza horizontalmente contra la pared de un frontón a 10 m/s y rebota con una
velocidad de 8 m/s. Si el contacto dura 0,003 s ¿cuál es la fuerza media ejercida por la pared sobre la
pelota durante el choque?
A) -1840 N
B) -360 N
C) -0,36 N
D) -1,84 N

26. ¿Cuál de las siguientes afirmaciones es correcta?

A) La concentración de O3 en la atmósfera es máxima en el ecuador y mínima en los polos
B) La mayor parte del vapor de agua atmosférico se encuentra en las capas situadas por encima de
los 6 km de altura.
C) Al nivel del mar la composición del aire atmosférico puro y seco es 60 % de N2 , 39 % de O2 y 1 %
de CO2 , O3 , NH3 y trazas de otros gases.
D) Prácticamente el 90 % de la masa atmosférica se encuentra por debajo de los 16 km.

27. Además de una ascensión, ¿cuáles son otras condiciones necesarias para la formación de una tormenta?
A) Condiciones estables y presión atmosférica baja.
B) Condiciones inestables y presión atmosférica alta.
C) Condiciones inestables y alta humedad.
D) Condiciones estables y alta humedad.

28. ¿Cuál de los grandes ríos de la Península Ibérica forma una depresión externa triangular abierta?
A) Tajo.
B) Duero.
C) Ebro.
D) Guadalquivir.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

29. De las siguientes fundaciones, ¿cuál es la que está participada por el Ministerio de Agricultura, Ali-
mentación y Medio Ambiente o por sus organismos autónomos?
A) Fundación Cokotua-La Casa de Coko.
B) Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo (ECODES).
C) Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre.
D) Fundación Biodiversidad.
√
30. ¿Qué valor debe tener k para que la función f (x) = (2x + k)/ x − 1 tenga un extremo relativo en
x = 5/2?
A) 1
B) -1
C) 3/2
D) -3/2

31. ¿En qué condiciones es mayor la variación de la presión con la altura? En aire
A) cálido y seco.
B) cálido y húmedo.
C) frío y seco.
D) frío y húmedo.

32. Imaginemos que en un terreno una parte está húmeda y la otra parte seca. Si medimos simultáneamente
la temperatura ambiente sobre ambas partes, esperamos que la temperatura sea
A) igual sobre ambas zonas.
B) menor sobre la zona seca.
C) menor sobre la zona húmeda.
D) depende del terreno.

33. Según el artículo 17 de la Constitución Española, la detención preventiva no podrá durar más del
tiempo estrictamente necesario para la realización de las averiguaciones tendentes al esclarecimiento
de los hechos, y en todo caso, el plazo máximo en el que el detenido deberá ser puesto en libertad o a
disposición de la autoridad judicial, será de:
A) Cuarenta y ocho horas.
B) Veinticuatro horas.
C) Setenta y dos horas.
D) Treinta y seis horas.

34. ¿Qué tipo de memoria solo permite lectura?

A) flash.
B) RAM.
C) ROM.
D) EPROM.

35. El área bajo la curva de la función f (x) = sen(x) cos(x) entre 0 y π/2 es
A) 0
B) π/2
C) 1/2
D) 1

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

36. ¿Cuáles son, de manera general, las condiciones necesarias para la formación de una niebla de radiación?
A) Punto de rocío bajo, enfriamiento suficiente durante la noche y ligera turbulencia.
B) Punto de rocío elevado, enfriamiento suficiente durante la noche y turbulencia moderada.
C) Punto de rocío elevado, enfriamiento suficiente durante la noche y ligera turbulencia.
D) Punto de rocío bajo, enfriamiento suficiente durante el día y ligera turbulencia.

37. Según la escala Beaufort para la medición del viento, un temporal muy violento de grado 11 tiene una
velocidad media del mismo,
A) 44 nudos.
B) 52 nudos.
C) 60 nudos.
D) 68 nudos.

38. ¿Cuál de estos compuestos químicos es un contaminante atmosférico primario?

A) Dióxido de azufre
B) Ácido sulfúrico
C) Dióxido de nitrógeno
D) Ozono

39. ¿En cuál de los siguientes meteoros eólicos interviene un Cumulonimbus arcus?
A) Turbonada.
B) Tromba marina.
C) Tornado.
D) Lluvias de barro.

40. ¿Qué nubosidad es característica de un frente frío?

A) Cumuliforme (Cb,Cu,Sc).
B) Estratos bajos (nieblas).
C) Estratiforme (St,As,Ac).
D) Solo nubosidad de tipo alto.

41. ¿ Cuál de los siguientes enunciados en relación a la matriz de covariancia es falso?

A) Los elementos de la diagonal se corresponden con varianzas.
B) Se trata siempre de una matriz simétrica.
C) Si es diagonal entonces se trata de variables aleatorias independientes.
D) Los elementos fuera de la diagonal toman valores entre -1 y 1
2
42. Sean las funciones g(x) = 2x − 6 y f (x), tal que f 0 (x) = ex . La tangente a la curva y = (f og)(x) en
el punto de abscisa 3 verifica que:
A) es horizontal.
B) tiene pendiente negativa.
C) su pendiente es mayor que f 0 (1).
D) es paralela a la gráfica y = g(x).

43. ¿Cuál de estos instrumentos no se utiliza para medir la humedad del aire?
A) Psicrógrafo tipo Assman.
B) Higrómetro eléctrico.
C) Aspiropsicrómetro.
D) Higrómetro de infrarrojos.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

44. En una barra conductora de longitud l que se desplaza con velocidad v en un campo magnético B se
genera una fuerza electromotriz ε. Si el campo magnético se reduce a la mitad, ¿en cuál de los siguientes
casos la fuerza electromotriz sigue siendo ε?
A) 2l, 2v.
B) 2l, v.
C) l/2, 2v.
D) 2l, v/2.

45. Si no existiera el efecto invernadero, la temperatura media de la superficie terrestre sería

A) superior a 20 ◦C.
B) aproximadamente de −3 ◦C.
C) alrededor de 15 ◦C.
D) por debajo de −15 ◦C.

46. De los siguientes Parques Nacionales, ¿cuál no es Patrimonio Natural de la Humanidad?

A) Doñana.
B) Teide.
C) Garajonay.
D) Picos de Europa.

47. El enfriamiento por expansión adiabática se produce en:

A) Los movimientos ascendentes del aire.
B) Los movimientos laterales del aire.
C) Los movimientos descendentes del aire.
D) No se produce enfriamiento en la expansión adiabática.

48. Dos patinadores, A y B, se encuentran en reposo sobre una pista de hielo sin rozamiento a una distancia
de 60 m uno de otro. La masa del primero es mA = 60 kg y la del segundo es mB = 90 kg. Ambos
patinadores están unidos por una cuerda. En un momento determinado los patinadores empiezan a tirar
de la cuerda para aproximarse uno al otro. Cuando lleguen a juntarse, ¿qué distancia habrá recorrido
cada uno?
A) xA = 36 m, xB = 24 m
B) xA = 24 m, xB = 36 m
C) xA = 30 m, xB = 30 m
D) xA = 40 m, xB = 20 m

49. ¿Dónde se localizan los Doldrums?

A) En el cinturón de bajas presiones ecuatoriales.
B) En la zona de altas presiones subtropicales.
C) En la zona de bajas presiones subpolares.
D) En la zona de altas presiones polares.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

50. ¿Cuál de las siguientes afirmaciones es falsa?

A) El módulo de la fuerza magnética depende del ángulo que formen el conductor y el campo mag-
nético.
B) Si las intensidades que circulan por dos conductores paralelos tienen sentido contrario, la fuerza
entre los conductores es atractiva.
C) La fuerza ejercida por dos conductores paralelos por los que circula idéntica intensidad sirve para
establecer la definición de Amperio.
D) Dos corrientes paralelas del mismo sentido se atraen con una fuerza directamente proporcional a
las intensidades que circulan por los conductores e inversamente proporcional a la distancia que
los separa.

51. El órgano sensible de los termómetros de líquido en envoltura metálica es

A) un termopar.
B) un manómetro calibrado para medir temperaturas.
C) dos láminas metálicas enrolladas en espiral.
D) un termistor.

52. Si un gas se comprime adiabática y reversiblemente

A) la presión aumenta y la energía interna disminuye.
B) se realiza trabajo sobre el gas y la temperatura aumenta.
C) la presión aumenta y el gas realiza trabajo.
D) la temperatura aumenta y la energía interna disminuye.

53. Señálese la afirmación verdadera:

A) La dirección del viento se expresa con referencia a los rumbos clásicos de la rosa náutica.
B) La dirección del viento no se expresa con referencia a los rumbos clásicos de la rosa náutica sino
por el azimut del punto del horizonte de donde procede.
C) La velocidad del viento se expresa por el azimut del punto del horizonte de donde procede.
D) La dirección del viento se expresa por el azimut del punto del horizonte de donde procede y se
mide exclusivamente en nudos enteros.

54. Durante el invierno los vientos del monzón soplan

A) de tierra hacia el océano
B) del océano hacia tierra
C) paralelos a la costa
D) no hay viento, soplan en verano.

55. El modo de envío de información half-duplex entre receptor y emisor es

A) unidireccional.
B) unidireccional y simultáneo.
C) bidireccional pero no simultáneo.
D) bidireccional y simultáneo.

56. En un movimiento circular uniformemente acelerado,

A) el vector aceleración lineal es constante.
B) el vector aceleración angular es nulo.
C) el vector aceleración normal tiene un módulo constante.
D) el vector aceleración tangencial tiene módulo constante.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

57. Señale qué indicador no se utiliza para determinar la contaminación orgánica del agua:
A) La cantidad de oxígeno disuelto (OD).
B) La demanda química de oxígeno (DQO).
C) El carbono orgánico total (COT).
D) El Ph.

58. Dada la función f (x) = xe−x , ¿qué expresión es incorrecta?

A) Tiene un máximo relativo en x = 1.
B) Es discontinua en x = 0.
C) Tiene una asíntota horizontal a la derecha de y = 0.
D) Es cóncava hacia abajo en todo su dominio.

59. El calor específico de un gas a presión constante es

A) directamente proporcional a la presión.
B) independiente del tipo de gas.
C) siempre mayor que el calor específico a volumen constante.
D) siempre menor que el calor específico a volumen constante.

60. Una partícula se mueve con aceleración constante desde una velocidad de 30 cm/s a 40 cm/s en 5 s y a
continuación con velocidad constante otros 3 s. La velocidad media en todo el trayecto es
A) 33,5 cm/s
B) 34,0 cm/s
C) 36,9 cm/s
D) 38,2 cm/s

61. En el interior de una niebla compare la temperatura del aire y la temperatura de rocío.
A) No son comparables porque la temperatura de rocío mide la humedad.
B) La temperatura del aire es mayor que la temperatura de rocío
C) La temperatura del rocío es mayor que la temperatura del aire
D) Son iguales.

62. De acuerdo con el artículo 9 del Real Decreto 186/2008, de 8 de febrero, por el que se aprueba el
Estatuto de la Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, los órganos de gobierno de la Agencia son:
A) El Presidente y el Consejo General.
B) El Presidente y el Director General.
C) El Presidente y el Consejo Rector.
D) El Director General y el Consejo Rector.

63. Señálese a continuación el sistema de clasificación climática que está basado en el “balance de energía”:
A) Sistema de clasificación de Thorntwaite.
B) Sistema de clasificación de Budyco.
C) Sistema de clasificación de Köpen.
D) Sistema de clasificación de Pryca.

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 TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO.
ORDEN AAA/760/2016. BOE núm 121 de 19 de mayo de 2016
TURNO LIBRE

64. Un objeto de 2 kg de masa gira alrededor de un punto sujeto al mismo por una cuerda de 1 m con velo-
cidad angular constante, en un determinado momento el objeto se desprende alcanzando una velocidad
de 50 m/s, calcule la velocidad angular con la que se encontraba girando
A) 50 rad/s
B) 25 rad/s
C) 25 o /s
D) 50 o /s
65. Una de las siguientes definiciones corresponde a la densidad de vapor o humedad absoluta:
A) Es la cantidad de vapor contenida en 1 m3 de aire.
B) Es la cantidad de vapor contenida en 1 kg de aire húmedo.
C) Es la cantidad de vapor en gramos que acompaña al aire seco
D) Es la temperatura del aire seco que, a la misma presión, tiene la misma densidad que el aire
húmedo.
66. ¿Cuál es la densidad del aire sabiendo que la separación entre las superficies isobáricas de 1000 y
500 hPa es de 5150 m?
A) 0,99 kg/m3
B) 9,99 kg/m3
C) 1,99 kg/m3
D) 10,99 kg/m3
67. El peso de un astronauta a una distancia de la superficie de la Tierra igual a dos veces el radio terrestre
disminuye en un factor
A) 1/2
B) 1/4
C) 1/7
D) 1/9
68. Señálese a continuación cuál de estas definiciones es la de viento Foehn:
A) En el transcurso de las noches despejadas el aire se mueve a lo largo de las pendientes de las
colinas o montañas y desciende hasta los llanos.
B) Es un viento frío y racheado que fluye a sotavento de las montañas.
C) Es un viento seco, cálido y racheado que fluye a sotavento de las montañas.
D) Es un viento frío y racheado que fluye a barlovento de las montañas.
69. Los funcionarios en prácticas que sean nombrados funcionarios de carrera al haber superado el período
de prácticas o el curso selectivo:
A) No reciben retribución durante el plazo posesorio.
B) Continuarán percibiendo en el plazo posesorio las mismas retribuciones que les hayan sido acre-
ditadas durante el tiempo de realización de las prácticas o del curso selectivo.
C) Percibirán durante el plazo posesorio las mismas retribuciones que les vayan a corresponder en el
puesto en el que han obtenido destino como funcionarios de carrera.
D) Percibirán durante el plazo posesorio las retribuciones básicas correspondientes al grupo al que
pertenezca el Cuerpo o Escala en el que van a ingresar.
70. ¿Cuál de las siguientes expresiones es falsa?
A) − sen(−α) = sen α
B) cos(π − α) = − cos α
C) sen(π − α) = − sen α
D) cos(π/2 − α) = sen α

10
 MINISTERIO DE TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO SELECTIVO
AGRICULTURA, PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE OBSERVADORES
ALIMENTACIÓN Y DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL ESTADO
MEDIO AMBIENTE ORDEN AAA/760/2016, BOE núm. 121 de19 de
mayo de 2016

Tercer ejercicio: prueba voluntaria y no eliminatoria de inglés

Esta prueba consta de 40 preguntas con respuestas alternativas, siendo sólo una de ellas
correcta. Cada respuesta correcta puntúa 0.5. Las contestaciones erróneas serán valoradas
negativamente con un cuarto del valor de una respuesta acertada (-0,125).

Esta prueba se calificará con una única puntuación y un máximo de 20 puntos, siendo
necesario obtener un mínimo de 10 para que puntúe. Los puntos por encima de 10 de la
calificación que obtuviera el opositor, será la calificación obtenida en este ejercicio.

Tiempo máximo para la realización de este ejercicio: 2 horas.

I. GRAMMAR. Complete each sentence with the correct form:

1. He blamed me for his mistakes, …….. was very unfair.

a) what b) whom c) that d) which

2. ….. life in ….. modern world is easier in some ways than ….. life our parents lived.
a) The/the/the b) Ø/ Ø/the c) Ø/the/the d) The/Ø/the

3. Never ……… spoken to me like this.

a) has no one b) has anyone c) no one has d) anyone has

4. ……… to be the best lawyer in town.

a) She is said b) She has said c) She will say d) She says

5. Take the umbrella in case …..

a) it might rain b) it rained c) it may rain d) it rains

6. They might …….. the phone.

a) did not hear b) do not hear c) not have heard d) not had heard

7. I’ve never met …. rude person.

a) so b) such c) such a d) as a
8. “I visited my friends yesterday”-he said.
a) He said that he has visited his friends the day before.
b) He said that he visited his friends the day before.
c) He said that he had visited his friends the day before.
d) He said that he would visit his friends the day before.

9. I wish they ………. the party so early. It was really boring afterwards.
a) didn’t leave b) weren’t leaving c) wouldn’t leave d) hadn’t left

10. It looks …. it’s going to rain.

a) as if b) that c) though d) whether

II. VOCABULARY. Complete each sentence with the correct form:

11. I agree with you to a certain …….

a) circumstances b) extent c) idea d) spot

12. As a result of global warming, many animals and plants today are ………
a) endangered b) risky c) under danger d) in risk

13. A species becomes …... when more animals go on dying than are born.
a) extinct b) devastated c) disappeared d) extincted

14. A …... of birds caused a British Airways plane to make an emergency landing.
a) herd b) pack c) flock d) crowd

15. We were really disappointed in his speech, which did not come ……. our
expectations.
a) in for b) over c) out to d) up to

16. I won’t take ……… any more of your time.

a) over b) down c) out d) up

17. Can you … me a favour and … an appointment at the dentist’s for me?
a) make/make b) make/do c) do/do d) do/make

18. Detectives are …. the neighbourhood for keys.

a) searching b) seeking c) inquiring d) looking

19. He takes it for ……… that he will get the job.

a) certain b) assured c) granted d) sure

20. We tend to rely on governments and relief organizations to take on the ……. for
providing development aid.

a) response b) responsibility c) responsiveness d) respondence

III. USE OF ENGLISH. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word/s.

Lost Whaling Ships Discovered in Arctic Thanks to Global Warming

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160108-whaling-shipwrecks-alaska-1871-global-warming/

When archaeologists searched the remote northwestern coast of Alaska this fall, they
didn't think they'd find much of interest, or anything intact, (21)….. the area's extreme
weather and destructive cycles of freezing and thawing. (22)…. they were surprised to
come across large sections of wooden hulls from two nineteenth century whaling
ships, (23) …. artifacts like anchors, chains, struts, and pots for whale oil.

"One would expect anything sitting on the seabed for that long to have been ground to
sawdust by the ice," says Brad Barr, an archaeologist with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the project co-director.

The ships were first discovered by the archaeologists in September, after completing
an analysis of the findings. The cold water helped preserve the material, (24).…. the
artifacts are still heavily encrusted with marine organisms.

The discovery may not have been possible (25) ..… it had not been for global warming,
Barr notes. The warmer weather and reduced sea ice made it possible for the team to
work longer into the fall. The archaeologists had wanted to survey the area (26) ..…
historical accounts of the loss of 50 to 60 whaling ships there in the second half of the
nineteenth century.

The team used the latest sonar and magnetic imaging technology to scan about 17
square miles (44 square kilometers) along the coast of the Chukchi Sea, near
Wainwright, Alaska, based on reports that local Inupiat people had found bits of debris
there. The hulls of the ships were found roughly 100 yards from shore, pressed against
a submerged sandbar.

Barr says the team "has no way of knowing exactly which two ships have been found".
(27) ..…, he adds the odds suggest they may be some of the 33 whaling vessels that
were dramatically abandoned in the area in 1871, after they got trapped in the ice.
More than 1,200 whalers were rescued by nearby boats, with all surviving.

Losses from the incident were around $33 million in today's dollars, and it was a major
blow to the American whaling industry, Barr says, which was already reeling from the
increasing use of petroleum oil in place of whale oil. "It was a contributory factor to
the end of Yankee whaling in the U.S.," says Barr, who notes that the ships had been
based out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, a major whaling center.

Barr says he would love to take a team of divers to explore the shipwrecks up close,
(28) ….. he doesn't currently have the funding for an expedition. (29) …., he says the
state of Alaska—which controls the area—may want to consider protecting the site
from any future oil or other development. It's also possible that more shipwrecks are
(30) ….. to be discovered in the region.
21. a) because b) due to c) since d) for
22. a) If b) Although c) But then d) In spite of
23. a) moreover b) despite c) as well as d) also
24. a) though b) whether c) unlike d) thus
25. a) if b) still c) because d) whether
26. a) as b) according to c) as long as d) because of
27. a) However b) Despite c) Even though d) Since
28. a) furthermore b) besides c) afterwards d) although
29. a) By cause of b) In addition c) As a result of d) After
30. a) additionally b) furthermore c) yet d) however

IV. READING COMPREHENSION

Part 1. Read the following newspaper headlines and indicate their meaning.

La Niña likely to exacerbate southern drought

31. La Niña
a) will improve the climate conditions across the southern U.S.
b) is likely to reduce the drought-stricken southern portions of the country.
c) is expected to provoke drier conditions across the southern U.S.
d) will have no effects on developing drought across the southern U.S.

Dead whale found tangled in defunct fish farm

32. a) A whale has died when stuck in a fishery.

b) A whale got entangled in equipment and caused the death of other fish.
c) A dead whale has been released after being stuck in an inoperative fish farm.
d) A dead whale has been discovered stuck in equipment at an empty fish farm.
 Playground named after Adam Yauch vandalized

33. a) A playground has been destroyed in the name of Adam Yauch.

b) A playground named in memory of the vandal Adam Yauch has been built.
c) A playground named for the late star Adam Yauch has been damaged.
d) A statue of Adam Yauch has been erected in a playground.

Kids who drink whole-fat milk leaner

34. Kids who consume whole-fat milk

a. are thinner than those who drink skim milk.
b. are fatter than those who drink skim milk.
c. are healthier than those who drink skim milk.
d. are stronger than those who drink skim milk.

Prince William urges Vietnam to fight wildlife trade

35. Prince William

a. asks Vietnam to urgently stop fighting with animals.
b. claims that Vietnam strongly fights wildlife trafficking.
c. asks Vietnam which steps have taken against animal trade.
d. demands Vietnam to take steps to battle wildlife trafficking.

Part 2. Read the following text and answer the questions.

Climate Change Is Making Calendars Run Amok

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/06/towns-changing-clocks-time-climate-change-
pamir-science/ (extract)

In the Pamir Mountains of Central Asia, time has stopped working. Communities
in the region traditionally kept time by pegging it to environmental markers, such
as melting snow or the first appearance of a migratory bird. But these “ecological
calendars” have ceased to function properly due to the effects of climate change.

An array of environmental shifts in the region, such as unusual weather events,

untimely glacial melts, lake bursts, and changes in animal and bird migration
patterns, have thrown the calendars so far off kilter that most villagers no longer
use them, and they struggle to reliably predict cues for planning agricultural and
cultural activities.

Karim-Aly S. Kassam of Cornell University says that this creates instability at

many levels, insecurity within local contexts, uncertainty with respect to
anticipatory capacity, and risk with respect to hazards that are turning into
disasters. This year, Kassam and an international team of researchers and local
residents are starting work on a massive, multipart project to recalibrate time in
the region. If successful, the Ecological Calendars and Climate Adaptation in the
Pamirs (ECCAP) project will allow villagers to better plan their food production
and adapt to future changes.

The Pamir region primarily lies in Tajikistan but also straddles Afghanistan, China,
and Kyrgyzstan. Kassam was there in 2006 working with local communities to
understand how they had been affected by global traumatic events, such as war,
food shortages, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

Villagers described to Kassam how their daily survival was deeply connected to
their agricultural habitats, and he discovered that they were distressed not only
by world events but also by ongoing environmental upheaval. To Kassam, it was
clear that the villagers were recounting the impacts of climate change.

The region has been seeing increasingly rapid snow and glacial melt, as well as
rising river levels. In addition, the character and intensity of precipitation has
been changing. What once fell as snow now falls as rain, and rather than being
spread out over 30 days, the rain may arrive all at once. Major landslides and lake
bursts have happened at high elevations. Lower down, agricultural land is being
flooded, and changing temperatures are affecting the fruit harvests.
Listening to people in the Pamirs talk about these changes is what first led
Kassam to notice their ties to ecological calendars. Along with colleagues Umed
Bulbulshoev and Morgan Ruelle, he went on to identify 17 calendars once widely
used in the Pamir region.

Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which uses celestial events to count days in a
fixed manner, the Pamir calendars tracked time through environmental cues that
were then pegged to the human body. Traditionally, a hisobdon, one who
calculates time, kept track of the cues, and farmers used them to initiate
activities such as sowing seeds, plowing, harvesting, and cultural events.

In most systems, counting begins in early spring. It starts at the sole or the
toenail and moves upward. Many calendars use the ankle, shin, knee, thigh, and
penis to mark milestones, and time’s arrival at the heart often coincides with the
vernal equinox.

Counting then passes through the chest and throat to the head. Here it stops for
a chilla, a period of time marked by less agricultural activity. When seasonal cues
are once more observed, counting resumes in reverse, moving back down
through the body.

This system of timekeeping is deeply connected to the way these communities

experience and describe the world. The sun is in the intestines, so when villagers
see avalanches or changes in precipitation patterns, they say it is “like the
churning in the stomach.” When the sun is in the “smiling mouth,” apricot trees
are supposed to blossom.

With the calendars in turmoil, people in the Pamir Mountains are experimenting
with ways to cope. Plowing and sowing now begins 15 to 30 days earlier than it
did two decades ago, and it has become possible to grow wheat further up in the
mountains without the risk of frost damage.

However, this adaption has restrictions. Arable land is limited at higher altitudes,
so the villagers will ultimately need a combination of approaches to ensure that
their communities can predict the best times for vital events.
To address the problem, Kassam partnered with the American Geophysical
Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange and MIT's Climate CoLab. They worked together
to develop the ECCAP project, identify scientists with experience and respect for
local knowledge, and crowdsource ideas. The resulting multidisciplinary team
brings together researchers from the U.S., Italy, Germany, and China. One team
will update the calendars with current ecological data and recalibrate them so
that people can once again make seasonal predictions. Another team will link
climate science to the calendars to prepare for changes related to water and
drought, and the third will carry out a detailed study of biodiversity, drawing on
the calendars as well as contemporary and historical knowledge.

Earlier this year, ECCAP was awarded 1.2 million euros from the Belmont Forum,
and the teams have already began work in their respective institutions. In July,
they will meet in China's Kongur Shan to establish local community partnerships.

Raj Pandya, program director at Thriving Earth Exchange, says that the project
pioneers an approach to preparing for climate change that combines traditional
practices, local knowledge, and cutting-edge science. “It will help villagers
improve their lives and livelihoods, even in the face of climate change,” he says.
“Using science, they’ll be able to match their traditional practices in agriculture
and grazing to a rapidly changing climate and thrive in the places that they have
lived for generations.”

36. The traditional way of time-keeping in some communities of Central Asia was
based on

a. calendars
b. the effects of climate change
c. environmental cues
d. the villagers’ opinions

37. One of the main effects of climate change is that villagers in the Pamir region
a. have thrown their calendars
b. cannot plan their food production and cultural events properly
c. have a better capacity to anticipate catastrophic events
d. have a greater respect to natural disasters
38. When Kassam first arrived at the Pamir region in 2006, his aim was to
examine
a. the effects of environmental catastrophes
b. the impacts of climate change
c. the effects of world events
d. the villagers’ agricultural habits

39. The system of time tracking in the Pamir calendars

a. involves an association of environmental markers to parts of the human
body
b. uses celestial events to count days as in the Gregorian calendar
c. is calculated by means of an instrument called the hisobdon that controls
environmental cues
d. is regulated by periods of less agricultural activity

40. Projects such as ECCAP

a. will combat the effects of climate change
b. will substitute the calendars by other scientific methods
c. will move villagers to new places
d. will help communities to adapt to climate change
 MINISTERIO DE TRIBUNAL CALIFICADOR DEL PROCESO
AGRICULTURA, SELECTIVO PARA INGRESO EN EL CUERPO DE
ALIMENTACIÓN Y OBSERVADORES DE METEOROLOGÍA DEL
MEDIO AMBIENTE ESTADO
ORDEN AAA/760/2016, BOE núm. 121 de19 de
mayo de 2016

Tercer ejercicio: prueba voluntaria y no eliminatoria de inglés

Esta prueba consta de 40 preguntas con respuestas alternativas, siendo sólo una de ellas
correcta. Las contestaciones erróneas serán valoradas negativamente con un cuarto del valor
de una respuesta acertada (-0,25).

Esta prueba se calificará con una única puntuación y un máximo de 20 puntos, siendo necesario
obtener un mínimo de 10 para que puntúe. Los puntos por encima de 10 de la calificación que
obtuviera el opositor, será la calificación obtenida en este ejercicio.

Tiempo máximo para la realización de este ejercicio: 2 horas.

I. GRAMMAR. Complete each sentence with the correct form:

1. He didn’t stop shouting until 3 in the morning, ……... was very annoying.
a) where b) when c) which d) whom

2. She adores ….… flowers but she didn’t like …..… flowers I bought for her birthday.
a) the/the b) Ø/the c) Ø/ Ø d) the/Ø

3. I’m afraid the books …..... yet.

a) hadn’t arrived b) haven’t arrived c) didn’t arrive d) won’t arrive

4. …..…. he is an engineer, he has a great deal of experience with machines.

a) Since b) Because of c) Due to d) If

5. …..…. you I’m not very interested in making money.

a) Despite b) Even c) Besides d) Unlike

6. The concert was not as good as …..….

a) last years’s b) last years c) last year’s d) last year

7. I’ve never met …….…. interesting person.

a) so b) so an c) such d) such an
8. “Can you imagine how long it took us to get here last night?” He asked her if ……..…
a) she could imagine how long it took us to get here last night.
b) she could imagine how long it took them to get here the previous night.
c) she could imagine how long it had taken them to get there the previous night.
d) she could imagine how long it had taken them to get there last night.

9. I …..……. go by car than walk this afternoon.

a) ‘d rather b) prefer c) intend d) ‘d like

10. I look forward to ………….. from you soon.

a) hear b) hearing c) heard d) have heard

II. VOCABULARY. Complete each sentence with the correct form:

11. He’s very …………. of apples.

a) keen b) fond c) devoted d) addicted

12. The ………... cost of making a movie has risen 20%.

a) average b) medium c) half d) mid

13. The play was so funny that the audience ………… with laughter.
a) giggled b) cackled c) chuckled d) roared

14. She was ……….... on her back.

a) laying b) lying c) lied d) laid

15. The …….… of the bike race passed through the town.
a) avenue b) street c) track d) road

16. I hardly …………… watch that programme.

a) never b) seldom c) always d) ever

17. I’m not …….. excuses for them, but you can’t expect them to …….. us such a favour.
a) making/make b) making/do c) doing/do d) doing/make

18. The police pulled out the ………. on the murderer to learn more details about him.
a) file b) diary c) register d) book

19. The government will have to ……..…. taxes or reduce spending.

a) raise b) boost c) extend d) rise

20. Newton’s work forms the …………. of much of modern physics.

a) motive b) grounds c) basis d) arguments
III. USE OF ENGLISH. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word/s.

Melting Greenland glacier threatens to raise sea levels 'for decades'

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/melting-greenland-glacier-threatens-to-raise-sea-levels-
for-decades-a6732331.html

A giant glacier in Greenland has started “calving” into the Atlantic, threatening to raise
sea levels, scientists have warned. Warming air and sea temperatures associated with
climate change mean that the Zachariae Isstrom glacier is now melting at an accelerated
rate of five billion tons of ice a year.

Up to 95 per cent of the floating, sea-based part of the glacier has been lost (21) ……….
2002 and the ice is now retreating steadily inland, said the study by the University of
California, Irvine. The glacier is now melting (22) ……..…. fast that it could recede 20 to
30km further inland over the next 20 to 30 years, warns Dr Jeremie Mouginot, lead
author of the report.

“We know glaciers are melting (23) …………. what is surprising and worrying is that this
glacier is breaking down in the coldest part of Greenland,” Dr Mouginot said.

(24)…….…., the northern part of Greenland was not thought to be losing ice in significant
quantities but this latest research finds that large-scale melting has now spread to all
parts of the country, he added.

“The shape and dynamics of Zachariae Isstrom have changed dramatically over the last
few years. The glacier is now breaking up and calving high volumes of icebergs into the
ocean, (25) …….…. will result in rising sea levels for decades to come,” said Dr Mouginot.

Using data from aerial surveys and satellite observations the researchers were able to
monitor and record changes in the shape, size and position of glacial ice over 40 years.
They found that the bottom of the Zachariae glacier is being rapidly eroded by warming
sea water mixed with growing amounts of relatively warmer meltwater from the ice
sheet surface. The research (26) ……..…. found that a similarly huge neighbouring glacier
in north-east Greenland, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, is also melting but at a slower rate
because the glacier is protected by an inland hill.

The two glaciers make up 12 per cent of the Greenland ice sheet and would boost the
world’s sea level by 1m (27) ………….. they both fully collapsed.
Glaciers play a particularly key role in the battle against climate change. (28) …….…. their
decline is relatively easy to see and to measure, they act as an important barometer.
(29) ……….., melting ice accelerates climate change because the darker surfaces that
replaces it absorb far more of the sun’s heat and reflect much less of it back into the
atmosphere.

(30) ……….. a University of Washington researcher calls on world leaders to pay more
attention to how climate change will affect coastal societies around the world. Professor
Edward Allison said: “When people see headlines on science findings, they feel a sense
of helplessness in the face of inexorable change.”

21. a) from b) since c) between d) on

22. a) very b) extremely c) so d) as
23. a) moreover b) despite c) even d) but
24. a) Until now b) Afterwards c) As a result of d) Although
25. a) thus b) which c) whom d) whether
26. a) as well b) besides c) also d) too
27. a) whether b) how c) as d) if
28. a) Because b) Besides c) Due to d) Thus
29. a) By cause of b) At the same time c) As a result of d) After
30. a) Even though b) Since c) Meanwhile d) However

IV. READING COMPREHENSION

Part 1. Read the following newspaper headlines and indicate their meaning.

Hazardous 9/11 Dust Made Newborn Babies Smaller

31. a) The smoke in New York City on September 11, 2001 had adverse health effects on
newborns.
b) Between 9 and 11 newborns are smaller due to air pollution.
c) Air pollution has ill-effects on children aged 9-11.
d) Dangerous dust clouds contribute to reduce the number of newborns.

Experts highlight media role in promoting action against

climate change
32. Experts claim that
a) climate change can be promoted through mass communication and
advertising.
b) mass communication and advertising should fight to protect the environment.
c) climate change can be avoided with the help of the media.
d) mass communication and advertising can be crucial to raise awareness for the
protection of the environment.

Temporary bridge option nixed

33. a) The possibility of building an interim bridge has been rejected.
b) The option of demolishing an interim bridge has been offered.
c) It will take some time to build a new bridge.
d) The possibility of building a bridge is being considered.

Parking bans lifted Thursday

34. On Thursday
a) car parks have been closed with bands.
b) the prohibition to park has been removed.
c) the parking conditions have changed.
d) lifts have been built in car parks.

Cops seized explosives

35. The police

a) burnt some explosives.
b) deactivated some explosives
c) found some explosives.
d) bought some explosives.
Part 2. Read the following text and answer the questions.

Was that climate change? Scientists are getting faster at linking extreme
weather to warming
Graham Readfearn, theguardian.com

Attribution studies are letting researchers respond quickly to questions about human
influence – before the news cycle turns elsewhere. Is it still true to say you can’t point
to any single extreme weather event and claim you can’t link it to human-caused climate
change? Plenty of people seem to think this is still the case. But a rapidly evolving field
of climate science suggests that it’s not. Take Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm
Turnbull, for example, who was touring Tasmania after the devastating flooding there in
June. Turnbull pointed out that “larger and more frequent storms” were predicted by
climate scientists, but then followed up with that stock standard caveat:

But you cannot attribute any particular storm to global warming, so let’s be quite clear
about that. The same scientists would agree with that point.

But in fact, climate scientists are finding ways to examine the influence of increasing
levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere on extreme events. This is a field of
science called attribution research. Dr Andrew King, at the University of Melbourne, has
been involved with several attribution studies. So is it time to throw out that old stock
response that you can’t blame climate change for any single event? He says:

I would reframe the question – has climate change altered the likelihood of an event
happening, like a flood in Louisiana or a heatwave in Melbourne? We can usually say
with those types of events that climate change has increased the likelihood of an event
happening.

When extreme weather events do strike, questions about human influences are coming
up more and more. Some scientists want to be able to respond quickly with more
relevant answers, before the news cycle turns elsewhere.

For example, King joined colleagues to look at the record warm sea temperatures that
caused the mass bleaching of corals on the Great Barrier Reef last summer. The results
were out in April while the reef’s plight was still making headlines.

“We found that the warm sea temperatures were made at least 175 times more likely
because of climate change,” King says.

To carry out the research, King looked at two sets of climate models. One was set up to
reproduce the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that we have now and the
other had those human influences removed.

In short, the models showed the kind of conditions that eventually killed about a quarter
of the corals on the reef are now expected to come around once every four years. But
in a world without the extra greenhouse gases, you might expect to see those ocean
temperatures once every 1,000 years, if at all.

The reef research is about to be submitted to a journal and so the results could change.
But King says the methods being used had been peer-reviewed.

King also looked at the heatwave that had world leaders sweating during the November
2014 G20 summit in Brisbane. Getting a 38C day in November was “at least 44% more
likely” thanks to climate change, his study found.

From torrential downpours to record ocean temperatures, heatwaves and the

monotonous breaking of monthly and yearly global temperature records, more and
more studies are finding a distinct human fingerprint on events.

There have been a bunch of attribution studies looking at heat records in Australia. A
study of its consecutive run of record warm springs in 2013 and 2014 found it would
have been almost impossible without all that extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Another study found that without the added greenhouse gases, Australia’s record hot
2013 would only have come along once every 12,000 years. But now, thanks chiefly to
the burning of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution, we might expect a record
breaker every six years.

Dr Sophie Lewis, at Australian National University, was involved in both those studies.
She says climate attribution is a “fast-evolving field” thanks to quicker computers, better
collaborations and established methods.

But like King she’s not a fan of simply asking if climate change “caused” something, or
was “to blame” for particular events. She says:

A better question is to ask if climate change has influenced a particular event. That’s an
important distinction.

An example she gave is 2015 – the planet’s warmest year on record that coincided with
an El Niño climate system.

El Niños are natural events that tend to deliver hotter temperatures, but they are
happening over the top of human-induced warming that pushes temperatures to
record-breaking levels. Lewis says:
We know that both natural and human-caused climate change have impacts on events
and we don’t want to lose that complexity. People do understand that the environment
and the climate system are complicated.

Speed counts. Getting results out faster gives the media, the public and policymakers
more informed answers soon after events hit.

In early August, for example, Louisiana was struck by torrential rains that caused severe
flooding – killing 13 people and damaging about 60,000 homes. Less than a month later,
a team of scientists concluded that human-caused climate change had probably doubled
the chances of Louisiana being hit by downpours like that.

The lead author of that study, Dr Karin van der Wiel, of Princeton University and the US
government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told me:

Extreme events have always happened and this could have happened a hundred years
ago. But it would have been much more rare.

Van der Wiel says researchers managed to carry out the analysis quickly because the
data from the climate models was readily available and they had good rainfall data for
the area.

The Louisiana study has been submitted to a journal where the peer-review process
happens out in the open so, again, the conclusions could change.

Now, some scientists are uneasy about research being publicised before it has been
through peer review, for obvious reasons. What if, for example, there’s a mistake in the
analysis that completely changes the conclusions?

Both Van Der Wiel and King say they can have a degree of confidence in their results
because the methods have already been tested. I’ll leave you with King’s thoughts on
this.

As far as I see it, one purpose of event attribution is to communicate to the public and
policy makers that climate change is altering how extreme events are occurring – both
their frequency and how bad they are.

That’s why we’re moving towards doing this work more quickly. If we can better inform
the debate, then that provides some useful information that’s grounded in science, when
often there has been just speculation.
36. Attribution research
a. accuses human beings for extreme weather events.
b. attributes any extreme weather event to the increasing levels of
greenhouse gases.
c. examines the effect of the levels of greenhouse gases on extreme weather
events.
d. finds quick answers to extreme weather events.

37. The research led by Dr. Andrew King on the bleaching of corals on the Great
Barrier Reef suggested that the conditions that killed the corals
a. depended on two sets of climate models.
b. are likely to occur more regularly.
c. will come around once every 1,000 years.
d. show the levels of greenhouse gases.

38. According to Dr. King, the methods used to examine the bleaching of corals
a. have been submitted to a journal.
b. will change the results of the study.
c. have been tested by a group of experts.
d. will be published in a journal.

39. According to the text, some scientists

a. are reluctant to publicize their work without a peer-review process.
b. change the conclusions of their work once it has been submitted to a
journal.
c. make mistakes in the analysis of the data so as to change the conclusions.
d. are confident in their results because they will go through a peer-review
process.

40. Scientists agree that climate change affects

a. the availability of the data related to climate models.
b. the reactions of the public and policy makers on extreme weather events.
c. the conclusions of the research on extreme weather events.
d. the frequency and the magnitude of extreme weather events.