PAU Practice Examination (Catalunya)
The Ghost Orchid
The Ghost Orchid is one of Britain’s rarest wild flowers and also one of the loveliest.
The plant’s name refers to its pallid features, mysterious beauty and intermittent appearances.
With no leaves and no green chlorophyll, the Ghost Orchid rarely appears above ground and is
very well camouflaged in the woods and forests where it grows. Traditionally, the best time to
see a ghost is at night, and in fact botanists sometimes look for the Ghost Orchid when it is
dark; they use a powerful torch, shining the light parallel to the ground to help them to see the
flower. The flowers are said to smell somewhat like bananas, but one author suggests that “it is
more like the smell of new gym shoes”, while another mentions “the odour of fermenting
pineapples”.
The Ghost Orchid was one of the last of Britain’s indigenous plants to be discovered.
It was first seen in Britain in 1854 by Mary Anderton Smith. Mary was the daughter of Vice-
Admiral Sir Thomas Boulden Thompson, a famous British naval hero. Botany was considered
a very suitable pastime for young ladies at the time, and in 19th-century Britain women like
Mary Anderton Smith often made important botanical discoveries. Although a lot of people
have looked for the Ghost Orchid since Mary first found it, this plant has only occasionally
been seen in Britain again.
One notable sighting came in 1953, when botanist Rex Graham, who had been
searching for years in the hope of finding the plant, decided to take a moment’s rest from his
quest. He sat down on a tree stump and while lighting his pipe, saw the orchid in front of him.
History does not relate whether he ever actually smoked his pipe!
Another find came in September 1982 when Valerie Coombs, taking a Sunday walk in
the woods, her head down due to driving rain, noticed a small plant growing among leaves at
the edge of an old cart track as an experienced botanist, she recognised it immediately.
More years went by with no confirmed sightings, and in 2001 the Ghost Orchid was
officially declared extinct in the British Isles. The last British specimen, we were told, had
died. Nevertheless, botanists continued to look for it. One of them, Mark Jannink, carefully
researched the orchid’s preferred habitats and records of where and when it had been found.
After much study, Jannink came to the conclusion that many of the sightings came after a cold
winter. The winter of 2008-2009 was cold. Jannink identified ten possible sites and visited
each one of them every fortnight throughout the summer of 2009. Finally, on 20 September
2009, he was rewarded by the discovery of a single small plant with one flower in a wood in
Herefordshire, just a few kilometres from where Mary Anderton Smith had first found it all
those years ago.
The Ghost Orchid’s name reminds us of its pallid features, mysterious beauty and
intermittent appearances, and now, of its ability to return from the dead!
sighting: observació / observación
rest: descans / descanso
quest: cerca / búsqueda
cart track: camí carreter / camino carretero
fortnight: quinze dies / quince días
PAU Catalan – The Ghost Orchid 1/3
IH-014-102
PART 1: Reading comprehension
Choose the best answer according to the text. Only ONE answer is correct.
[3 points: 0.375 points for each correct answer. Wrong answers will be penalized by deducting
0.125 points. There is no penalty for unanswered questions.]
1. Which of the alternatives is definitely true according to the passage?
The Ghost Orchid
a) only appears above ground at night.
b) has no distinctive odour.
c) is especially difficult to find at night.
d) grows amongst trees.
2. The Ghost Orchid
a) was not found in Britain until 1854.
b) was first found by Sir Thomas Boulden Thompson.
c) was shown to Mary Anderton Smith by her father.
d) was seen on several occasions by young ladies in the 19th century.
3. According to the text, it was … that Mary Anderton Smith made a botanical discovery.
a) Surprising
b) Unsuitable
c) Heroic
d) Natural
4. Rex Graham
a) found the Ghost Orchid over a hundred years after it was first discovered.
b) was preparing to smoke his pipe when he saw the Ghost Orchid.
c) had only recently begun to look for the Ghost Orchid.
d) did not want anything to interrupt his search for the Ghost Orchid.
5. Valerie Coombs
a) was driving through the rain when she saw the Ghost Orchid.
b) had only recently become interested in flowers.
c) knew what she had found as soon as she saw it.
d) saw the leaves of the Ghost Orchid by an old cart track.
6. In 2001,
a) the Ghost Orchid received a new status.
b) botanists stopped looking for the Ghost Orchard.
c) there was a confirmed sighting in the British Isles.
d) the last British specimen was discovered.
7. Mark Jannink found the Ghost Orchid
a) purely by good luck.
b) in the same place that Mary Anderton Smith first found it.
c) during the cold winter of 2008-2009.
d) after careful research.
8. The ending of the text expresses
a) happiness.
b) humour.
c) sadness.
d) anger.
PAU Catalan – The Ghost Orchid 2/3
PART 2: Writing
Choose ONE topic. Write about number 1 or 2. Minimum length: 100 words. [4 points]
1. Write an opinion essay on whether you prefer spending time in the countryside or in
the city. Explain the reasons for your choice.
2. Write an essay about a flower, plant or tree from your area. Describe where it grows and
what it looks like. How can plants and trees be protected from becoming endangered?
PAU Catalan – The Ghost Orchid 3/3
THE GHOST ORCHID
Answers
1. d
2. a
3. d
4. b
5. c
6. a
7. d
8. b
PAU Catalan – The Ghost Orchid
Answers
