Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Lingua Inglesa Cespe
Lingua Inglesa Cespe
LÍNGUA INGLESA
COMPREENSÃO DE
TEXTOS, ITENS
GRAMATICAIS
E VOCABULARES
QUESTÕES COMENTADAS
Professor Lucas Henrique
TEXTO 01
(CESPE/CEBRASPE/MPPI/APLICAÇÃO/2018)
When reflecting on the Fourth Industrial Revolution I cannot help but think
I’m in one of Isaac Asimov’s novels. In his Foundation series he starts off with a
mathematician who develops a branch of mathematics that can predict the future,
but only on a large scale. He foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which
will result in untold suffering and human misery, which could be averted.
robotics, the internet of things. It is the symbiotic relationship between man and
machine.
technologies then it is left behind. Smartphones, smart freezers, smart cars and so
much more.
Then there are the labour implications of the revolution. It’s all too easy to say
we must prepare for the eventuality of job losses and retrain ourselves to be employable
in the digital age. But this is easier said than done. A closer examination of the issue
suggests that the only real jobs protected from complete overhaul by machines are
creative ones — not only the arts, but also high-level jobs such as CEOs and managers
in the financial and corporate worlds. Meaning, to state the obvious, the current elite
will have job security while blue-collar workers will be threatened by huge job losses
due to machines.
Critical questions that must be answered are that one undisputed need for this
communication to keep smart devices working, fibre connectivity and so on. Many
1. The author of the text is compelled to relate the Fourth Industrial Revolution to
2. Asimov’s mathematician predicts unavoidable misery for the human race, following
3. The technology which concerns the new Industrial Revolution revolves around the
4. Modernity nowadays is related, at least in part, to the use of smart objects in general.
5. If a country fulfills the requirements for electricity, it will not be left out of the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.
6. Regular wage-earning workers will soon compete with machines for jobs.
Judge the following items, concerning the vocabulary used in the text.
9. The phrase “unprecedented suffering” conveys the same idea as “untold suffering”
(l.6).
10. The word “undisputed” (l.30) may be replaced by “unquestioned”, without altering
TEXTO 2
(CESPE/STJ/2018)
‘Basic human rights’ is a term which refers to those human rights that are
generally considered most necessary or essential to the wellbeing and dignity of the
human person. In concept, when basic human rights are guaranteed, they help to
assure the primary material and nonmaterial needs of human beings, so that they can
lead a dignified life. Because of this, these rights are given absolute precedence in
both national and international law and policy.
11. The reason why the list of basic human rights may vary from country to country
is the fact that no international organization has established a list yet.
12. In the excerpts “they help to assure” (l. 4 and 5) and “so that they can lead a
dignified life” (l.6), the pronoun “they” refers to “basic human rights” (l.4).
13. The expressions “In concept” (R.4) and “in theory” (R.16) have similar meanings
in the text, as they both refer to notions or characteristics which are in the abstract
level.
14. In the sentence introduced by the word “Nevertheless” (R.16) the author denies
that all human rights are equal.
TEXTO 03
(CESPE/CEBRASPE/ABIN/2018)
Western intelligence agencies used to inhabit a parallel world where spy battled
spy. Their trade was stealing or guarding secrets. Their masters were the men and
women in government. Today the intelligence services are part of everyone’s world.
Their main task has been to protect society from terrorists and criminals. They are
increasingly held to account in the press, parliaments and courts.
do that.” The organization used computers to break codes rather than to surf the web
as everyone else did. The NSA’s new facility in Utah, the first of several, now stores
exabytes of data drawn from everyday communications. At Britain’s GCHQ, most
code-breaking was done on paper until well into the 1980s.
The revolution has brought spying closer to ordinary people. After the attacks
on America on September 11th 2001, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency
became the focus for the American intelligence agencies. Almost two-thirds of today’s
intelligence personnel have been hired since 9/11. As the world has moved online,
so the spooks have become involved in monitoring organized crime and paedophiles
as well as terrorists.
In a not very remote past, spies sent coded messages using short- wave radios
and dead letter boxes. Now the communications of the spooks’ new targets are mixed
in with everyone else’s, shuttling between computers and smartphones that are
identical to those on your desk and in your pocket. Counter-terrorism, in particular, is
pre-emptive. Hence the security services have had to act as hunters of conspiracies
rather than gatherers of evidence.
Western intelligence — Shaken and stirred. In: The Economist,
12/11/2016 (adapted)
15. The author defends the idea that the fight against organized and sexual crimes
has diverted invaluable but scarce resources from what should be America’s secret
services’ main goal: the combat against terrorism.
16. The idea expressed in “Counter-terrorism (...) is pre-emptive” can also be found
in the following proverb: It is better to prevent than to cure.
17. The sentence “Michael Hayden asked to send an e-mail to all staff” (l. 10 and 11)
can be correctly paraphrased in the following terms: Michael Hayden enquired all his
employees if he could send an electronic message.
18. GCHQ experts decided to stop producing academic papers about code-breaking
20. In the fragment “on becoming director of the American National Security Agency”
(R. 9 and 10), the preposition “on” refers to a period when the action is taking place.
21. (INÉDITA) (*) In the sentence “the security services have had to act as hunters of
conspiracies rather than gatherers of evidence”, the underlined word may be correctly
replaced by “collectors”.
TEXTO 04
(CESPE/ABIN/2018)
agencies. They were inconspicuous, cheap to establish and highly effective. Set up
near an international summit buzzing with targets, or close to a place where drug-
dealers peddle their wares, these facilities allowed their masters to monitor browsing
habits, obtain targets’ logins and passwords, and plant spyware for future use. This
was legal: consent was buried in the terms and conditions which users clicked on
without reading. And in a neat twist, security-conscious people trying to avoid using
their own computers favoured such places. Some would hop between cafés, unaware
Not any more. Edward Snowden, a former contractor for America’s National
Security Agency (NSA) now living in Moscow, revealed the use of cyber-cafés to spy
on the G20 summit in London in 2009. Now people are wary. In many countries the
cyber-cafés have been closed. The staff who ran them have had to be moved (and in
some cases given costly new identities).
The episode highlights one of the most important trends in modern intelligence
work. Collecting electronic information is generally getting easier. It is hard to lead
a completely non-digital life, and any activity using computers and networks creates
openings for the watchers. An e-mail is as easy to read as a postcard for anyone with
modest technical skills. With a few tweaks, mobile phones become tracking beacons
and bugging devices. Most people readily trade private information for convenience.
And hacking into computers can yield vast amounts of intelligence.
A lot of spying, however, has become trickier. It is much more difficult for
intelligence officers to maintain secrecy and create fake identities. And high expectations
of privacy, especially in the digital realm, mean that in many countries the work of
intelligence and security agencies arouses outrage, not gratitude.
22. The expression “neat twist” (l.9) refers to the irony of cyber-café patrons becoming
23. The author of the text suggests that the old-fashioned way of sending messages
on postcards can be as dangerous as sending them through cyber-café computers.
24. The author is critical of people who should be, but are not, thankful for the work
25. The words “unaware” (R.12) and “wary” (R.16) are related in terms of meaning,
being both connected to the notion of caution and attention.
TEXTO 05
(CESPE/ABIN/2018)
The increase in scrutiny and reduction in powers for security agencies has to a
considerable extent been triggered by the revelations of the former National Security
agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden. These disclosures, along with other leaks
from organizations such as WikiLeaks, have shed light on a series of illegal practices
adopted by intelligence agencies in many countries, in particular the USA, Germany
and the UK.
However, despite claims that the agencies are working in the interest of national
security, critics counter that overbearing surveillance practices erode and restrict many
civil liberties. In spite of the introduction of restrictions in the USA and Germany, Great
Britain appears to be heading in the opposite direction when it comes to surveillance
policy, with the UK’s Conservative government putting forward plans to grant spy
agencies yet more powers to deal with threats to national security.
The British government has outlined its highly controversial plan to introduce
the Investigatory Powers Bill, which would grant agencies not only more power but
also allow them to force Internet companies to log and track users’ web history for
up to a year to allow for the police and security services access. It is thought the plan
would also compel companies to collect and hold data on mobile phone applications
like WhatsApp and Snapchat.
Snowden: the legacy of the Leaks. Internet: <www.mintpressnews>
(adapted).
26. It can be inferred from the text that a bill, as in “Investigatory Powers Bill” (l.24),
is a new law that was presented to Parliament for discussion, passed and is ready to
be enacted.
27. According to the text, the events that followed the September 11th attacks, as
well as the systematic leaking of government classified material, have helped shape
the way some intelligence agencies have.been operating.
28. The author of the text implies that the fight against terrorism is no longer a major
priority for Anglo-American intelligence services.
29. In the text, “along with” (l.5) can be correctly replaced with the synonymous
expression “after a long time”.
TEXTO 06
(CESPE/CBM-AL/2017)
As anyone who has begun an exercise program knows, the relationships between
exercise, appetite, weight control and hunger are complex and often counterintuitive.
exercising lose fewer pounds than would be expected. The problem with exercise as a
weight-loss strategy seems to be in large part that it can make you hungry, and many
of us wind up consuming more calories after a workout than we torched during it.
In any case, doctors point out that we should exercise, whether or not the
activity makes us thin. There are many other reasons, irrespective of the effects on
appetite, why exercise benefits health.
31. It can be concluded from the text that if one wants to be thin, one should not
exercise too much.
32. It can be concluded from the second paragraph that people who exercise should
not eat light meals.
33. In the context, the word “Yet” (l.5) conveys the same idea as the expression “up
until now”.
34. The text suggests that, frequently, working out is not enough to lose weight.
35. The pronoun “You” (l.4) refers specifically to the individuals who are reading the
text.
TEXTO 06
(CESPE/SEDUC-AL/2018)
In recent years, there has been a dramatic change in the reach of English
language teaching all over the world and an increasing demand for competent English
language teachers, as well as for language programs that can offer the English
language skills and competencies needed by today’s global citizens. The teaching of
countries, and English is not necessarily a neutral product offering equal opportunities
for all. English teachers, therefore, need to appreciate the special status English has in
modern life, what its costs and benefits are to those who try to learn it, the different
motivations learners may have for learning English and the different circumstances
The English language has a complex status in today’s world. For some people,
it is acquired as a first language. For some, it may be learned at school, and may be
essential for academic and professional success. For others, it may represent a subject
that they are required to study in school, but for which they have no immediate need.
And English means different things to people in different parts of the world. For some,
it may arouse positive feelings as the language of pop culture, the media and social
networking. For others, it may have associations with colonialism, exploitation, elitism
English today has a unique status, as a consequence of the role it plays around
the world and its function as an international or world language. It has been described
as the world’s lingua franca. Although some 380 million people speak it as a first
language in countries like Australia, Canada, the United States and Great Britain, a
further 600 million people use it, alongside other languages, as a second language in
countries like Nigeria, India and the Philippines. And another one billion people are
studying it, at any one time, as a foreign language, in countries like China, South
Based on the ideas and linguistic aspects of the text above, judge the items below.
36. The expression “all over the world” (l.2) is synonymous with worldwide.
37. In the fragment “English teachers, therefore, need to appreciate the special status
38. In the fragment “a unique status” (l.25), the use of the article “a” can be explained
39. The sentence: “For some people, it is acquired as a first language” (l.15) can be
40. It can be inferred from the text that there should be three distinct approaches to
the teaching of English, depending on how and why students acquire this language.
affixation, as a prefix and a suffix have been added to the root of the word nation.
43. It can be inferred from the text that some students of English resent it because of
44. In the fragment “in countries like Australia, Canada, the United States and Great
Britain” (l. 29 and 30) “like” can be correctly replaced with “such”.
45. In “Although some 380 million people speak it as a first language” (l. 28 and 29),
TEXTO 07
(CESPE/SEDUC-AL/2018)
based on a simple premise: immerse yourself in the forest, absorb its sights, sounds,
and smells, and you will reap numerous psychological and physiological benefits. The
Forest Agency of Japan launched a campaign to introduce the activity in 1982, and,
since then, its popularization there has been matched by a stream of supporting
research concerning the role that nature can play in human health. Studies have shown
that regular exposure to forest environments can lower blood pressure and anxiety,
reduce anger, and strengthen the immune system. The forest-bathing spirit has gained
followers in the United States, too: you can now sign up to join the national Forest
Bathing Club (whose registration form includes a field for “spirit animal”), or apply to
Concerning the ideas and linguistic aspects of the previous text, judge the following
items.
46. This is an informative text whose main objective is to present the Japanese practice
of shinrin-yoku.
47. It can be said that practitioners of shinrin-yoku go to the forest to take baths in
48. According to the text, shinrin-yoku is one of the oldest Japanese traditional rituals.
49. The verb phrase “has been matched” (l.7) is an example of a passive voice construction.
50. It can be concluded from the text that the Forest Agency of Japan decided to launch
the campaign to popularize shinrin-yoku because research has shown the benefits of
51. According to the text, there are several benefits for people who frequently spend
52. In the sentence “Studies have shown that regular (...) and strengthen the immune
system” (l. 9 to 11), the verb “have” could be omitted and the sentence would still
be grammatically acceptable.
53. If the word “followers” (l.12) was replaced by adepts, there would be a significant
54. It can be inferred that the mentioning of ‘spirit animal’ (l. 14 and 15) in the
registration forms for the American Forest Bathing Club means that members of this
Club are allowed to take their pets to the forest with them.
TEXTO 08
(CESPE/SEDUC-AL/2018)
Based on the cartoon and the vocabulary and language used in it, judge the items
below.
55. The sentence on the first balloon is an example of informal spoken language.
57. The three verbs in the second square – “watch”, “put” and “push” – are in the
imperative form.
58. The boy does not understand that a toast is a slice of bread that is exposed to
heat from a grill or fire.
TEXTO 09
(IADES/PM-DF/COMBATENTE/2018)
John liked chocolates very much, but his mother never gave him any, because
she thought they were bad for his teeth. But John had a very nice grandfather. The
old man loved his grandson very much, and sometimes he brought John chocolates
when he came to visit him. Then his mother let him eat them, because she wanted
One evening, a few days before John’s seventh birthday, he was saying his
prayers in his bedroom before he went to bed. “Please, God” he shouted, “make them
give me a big box of chocolates for my birthday on Saturday”. His mother was in the
kitchen and she heard the small boy shouting and went into his bedroom. “Why are
you shouting, John?” she asked her son, “God can hear you when you talk quietly”. “I
know,” answer the clever boy with a smile, “but Grandfather’s in the next room, and
he can’t”.
61. According to the text, why did John’s mother not let him eat chocolates?
62. In the text, the expression “The old man” (line 3) refers to
a) John.
b) John’s mother.
c) John’s grandfather.
d) John’s father.
e) John’s brother.
63. (INÉDITA) (*) In the text, the underlined apostrophe in “but Grandfather’s in the
next room” stands for
a) is.
b) has.
c) was.
d) a possessive case.
e) a relative pronoun.
TEXTO 10
(IADES/PM-DF/COMBATENTE/2018)
64. In the second panel of the comic, the word “stressing” is a(n)
a) conditional.
b) verb.
c) adjective.
d) noun.
e) possessive.
65. The term “it”, in the second panel of the comic, substitutes
a) “I”.
b) “you”.
d) “stressing about”.
e) “write jokes”.
66. (INÉDITA) (*) In the third panel, the man’s attitude demonstrates that he is
with the woman’s answer.
a) happy.
b) surprised.
c) excited.
d) disappointed.
e) laughing.
TEXTO 11
(FCC/METRÔ-SP/COMBATENTE/2019)
Updated 07/10/19
The Washington Metro, the District’s regional subway system, provides a clean,
safe, and reliable way to get around almost all of the major attractions in Washington,
D.C. The Metro does extend to the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. (I) the
Metrorail trains can be crowded with commuters during rush hour and when there
is a big event going on downtown, taking the Washington Metro is usually cheaper
and easier than finding a place to park in the city. Several Metro stations are helpful
sightseeing stops.
Since opening in 1976, the Metrorail network has grown to include six lines,
91 stations, and 117 miles of track. It is the thirdbusiest rapid transit system in the
United States in the number of passenger trips after New York City and Chicago.
Hours
8 a.m. on Sundays. Service ends at 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday, and 11 p.m. on Sundays, although the last trains leave their
Trains run frequently averaging four to 10 minutes between trains with frequency
increasing during rush hour times. Night and weekend service varies between eight
Metro Farecards
proximity card is encoded with any amount up to $300. If you register your card, and
you lose it, or it is stolen, you do not lose the value of the card.
Fares range from $2 (II) $6 depending on your destination and the time of
day. Fares are cheaper after 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m. until close. An
all-day Metro pass is available for $14.75. Metro charges reduced fares on all federal
holidays.
a) Despite
b) Because
c) Therefore
d) Although
e) But
d) metrô de Washington, D.C. é uma das maiores atrações da cidade por permitir
e) a tarifa do metrô varia apenas nos horários de pico, quando os trens são mais
frequentes.
a) from
b) on
c) to
d) at
e) for
TEXTO 12
(FCC/METRÔ-SP/COMBATENTE/2019)
The Underground has its origins in the Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first
underground passenger railway. Opened in January 1863, it is now part of the Circle,
Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines; the first line to operate underground
electric traction trains, the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the
Northern line. The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2017/18 carried 1.357
billion passengers, making it the world’s 11th busiest metro system. The 11 lines
collectively handle up to 5 million passengers a day.
Despite its name, only 45% of the system is underground in tunnels, with much
of the network in the outer environs of London being on the surface.
Early years
The idea of an underground railway linking the City of London with the urban
centre was proposed in the 1830s, and the Metropolitan Railway was granted permission
to build such a line in 1854. To prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built
in 1855 in Kibblesworth, a small town with geological properties similar to London.
This test tunnel was used for two years in the development of the first underground
train, and was later, in 1861, filled up. The world’s first underground railway opened
in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon using gas- lit wooden carriages
hauled by steam locomotives.
While steam locomotives were in use on the Underground there were (I)
health reports. There were many instances of passengers collapsing whilst travelling,
due to heat and pollution, leading for calls to clean the air through the installation of
garden plants. The Metropolitan even encouraged beards for staff to act as an air
filter. There were other reports claiming beneficial outcomes of using the Underground,
...] asthma and bronchial complaints”, tonsillitis could be cured with acid gas and the
During the war, many tube stations were used as air-raid shelters. On 3 March
1943, a test of the air-raid warning sirens, together with the firing of a new type of
Green Underground station. A total of 173 people, including 62 children, died, making
this both the worst civilian disaster of World War II, and the largest loss of life in a
on the Northern City Line failed to stop at its Moorgate terminus and crashed into the
wall at the end of the tunnel, in the Moorgate tube crash. There were 43 deaths and
74 injuries, the greatest loss of life during peacetime on the London Underground.
King’s Cross St. Pancras tube station. The resulting fire cost the lives of 31 people and
injured a further 100. London Underground were strongly criticised in the aftermath
for their attitude to fires underground, and publication of the report into the fire led
Regional Transport. To comply with new safety regulations issued as a result of the fire,
and to combat graffiti, a train refurbishment project was launched in July 1991.
c) deu origem à Metropolitan Railway, que hoje integra duas de suas linhas.
e) tem seu custo operacional financiado pelas passagens de seus usuários desde
2015.
a) contrasting
b) alarming
c) similar
d) glowing
e) smoothing
b) um ataque aéreo durante a Segunda Guerra matou 173 pessoas que se refugiaram
numa estação de metrô.
d) o acidente com o trem que bateu no muro do terminal de Moorgate foi o pior em
toda a história do metrô londrino.
e) o incêndio de um dos elevadores da estação King’s Cross St. Pancras que matou
31 pessoas e feriu outras 100, levou a novas regras de segurança.
a) later
b) earlier
c) afterwards
d) after this
e) subsequently
TEXTO 13
(IADES/CEITEC S.A/2016)
[...] Black Friday, which has traditionally been the moment to flock to stores
for steep discounts, and which has evolved to also include major online sales events
for retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, is not all that it is billed to be. We
asked J. D. Levite, the deals editor of the product recommendations website The
Wirecutter, for some data on just how beneficial the deals are on Black Friday – and
the answer was not encouraging.
Year round, Mr. Levite and his team track product prices across the web to
unearth discounts on goods of all types, from gadgets to kitchenware. They also look
at whether the product is high quality and durable based on their own testing and
other reviews, and whether the seller or brand has a reasonable return or warranty
policy. By those measures, Mr. Levite said, only about 0.6 percent, or 200 out of the
approximately 34,000 deals online, which typically carry the same price tags inside
“There are just more deals on that day than any other day of the year,” he
said. “But for the most part, the deals aren’t anything better than what you’d see
74. According to the sentence “Mr. Levite and his team track product prices across
the web to unearth discounts on goods of all types, from gadgets to kitchenware”
(lines 9 to 11),
b) “unearth discounts” means that discounts are not from planet Earth.
c) “from gadgets to kitchenware” is a sentence that corroborates the idea that they
75. According to the text, choose the title that best summarizes the whole idea.
76. According to the sentence “Mr. Levite said, only about 0.6 percent, or 200 out
of the approximately 34,000 deals online, which typically carry the same price tags
inside retailers’ physical stores, will be good ones on Black Friday” (lines 15 to 18),
c) 34,000 should be written as “34.000” because comma is not used when writing
numbers.
e) “price” in the text above has the same syntactic function as in the sentence “The
prices are too high”.
77. According to the sentence “They also look at whether the product is high quality
and durable based on their own testing and other reviews, and whether the seller or
brand has a reasonable return or warranty policy” (lines 11 to 14), choose the right
alternative.
b) “Whether” was used to introduce a single alternative, the other being implied.
TEXTO 14
(IADES/CEITEC S.A./2016)
“If you are walking down the right path and you are willing to keep walking, eventually
you will make progress”. Barack Obama
a) quote.
b) note.
c) proverb.
d) poem.
e) letter.
79. Regarding the meaning of the text, choose the right alternative.
80. (INÉDITA) (*) The word “willing” does not convey the same meaning as
a) wanting.
b) going to.
c) eager.
d) enthusiastic.
e) disposed.
TEXTO 15
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Based on the cartoon above and your own knowledge, judge the following items.
82. The tiger didn’t actually help him with answering the questions.
83. In the sentence “That’s a true answer”, the article may be replaced by “an”.
84. In “I can write that for all of these”, both underlined words are in plural form.
85. Calvin’s mom will probably be surprised and upset with her son.
TEXTO 16
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
88. It is possible to infer that the other character agrees with Calvin’s opinion.
89. The words “worse” and “better” are, as the cartoon suggests, opposite adjectives.
90. The expression “more likely” is a comparative of superiority, but its context is
TEXTO 17
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Slow Food UK
the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the
main areas:
through assisting small-scale producers and building short- supply chains. We do this
through local group activities, such as the Ark of Taste and Slow Food on Campus.
important connection between health, local food culture and agriculture. We do this
through local group activities such as producer profiles and workshops, The Taste
information websites or producer visits, our national events and awards, and the
<slowfooduk.com> (adapted)
Read the text above and judge the items according to it.
91. The main objective of the movement is to provide us with a few superficial changes
92. The Ark of Taste and Slow Food on Campus are group activities aimed at preserving
93. It is possible to affirm that developing local group activities is a practice that is
94. The word “agriculture” may be correctly replaced by the expression.“local food
95. The word “threatened” is formed by two suffixes added to the word “threat”.
TEXTO 18
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Skeptic or Gullible?
The Barnum Effect is the tendency for some people to accept very general or
vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate. The Barnum
statements, which are normally planned to be considered true for every kind of person,
fit the biggest variety of personalities. However, the society is divided into skeptic
and gullible individuals. The skeptics are the ones who doubt the truth or value of an
idea or belief, while the gullible people are the ones who are too willing to believe
Therefore, it’s completely comprehensible the fact that horoscopes and palm
reading have become so popular nowadays. In spite of that, a study published this year
has called into question the principles of Astrology. Astronomers claim that Astrology
is unfounded, because there is no scientific proof, and this current study is just one of
the several reasons to believe it. On the other hand, Astrologers defend themselves,
affirming that the scientist who supports this study is misusing an old story in order
Taking this into consideration, it’s easy to see an abyss between the ones
who believe in Astrology and its Barnum statements, and the ones who believe in
Astronomy’s scientific explanations. However, it is important to understand that people
have different points of view concerning different aspects of each topic of discussion.
And that’s a good thing! It is impossible to imagine a society in which there were only
skeptics or believers, because a skeptic only exists because there is a believer and a
Read the text above and judge the items that follow.
96. According to the text, the Barnum Effect affects, in a certain way, all of us.
97. Horoscopes and palm reading are examples of activities that go against the
Barnum Effect.
98. In the sentence “The Barnum statements, which are normally planned to be
considered true”, the underlined word replaces an entire situation, not a previously
mentioned term.
99. It is possible to infer that Astronomers and Astrologers agree to each other in
100. The word “However” conveys the same idea as “Nevertheless” and could be
GABARITO
1. C 21. C 41. C
2. E 22. C 42. E
3. C 23. E 43. C
4. C 24. E 44. E
5. E 25. C 45. E
6. C 26. E 46. C
7. E 27. C 47. E
8. C 28. E 48. E
9. E 29. E 49. C
61. a 81. E
62. c 82. C
63. a 83. E
64. b 84. E
65. e 85. C
66. d 86. E
67. d 87. C
68. a 88. E
69. c 89. C
70. d 90. C
71. a 91. E
72. c 92. C
73. b 93. C
74. c 94. E
76. a 96. E
77. b 97. E
78. a 98. E
79. d 99. E
80. b 100. C
QUESTÕES COMENTADAS
TEXTO 01
(CESPE/CEBRASPE/MPPI/APLICAÇÃO/2018)
When reflecting on the Fourth Industrial Revolution I cannot help but think
I’m in one of Isaac Asimov’s novels. In his Foundation series he starts off with a
mathematician who develops a branch of mathematics that can predict the future,
but only on a large scale. He foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which
will result in untold suffering and human misery, which could be averted.
robotics, the internet of things. It is the symbiotic relationship between man and
machine.
technologies then it is left behind. Smartphones, smart freezers, smart cars and so
much more.
Then there are the labour implications of the revolution. It’s all too easy to say
we must prepare for the eventuality of job losses and retrain ourselves to be employable
in the digital age. But this is easier said than done. A closer examination of the issue
suggests that the only real jobs protected from complete overhaul by machines are
creative ones — not only the arts, but also high-level jobs such as CEOs and managers
in the financial and corporate worlds. Meaning, to state the obvious, the current elite
will have job security while blue-collar workers will be threatened by huge job losses
due to machines.
Critical questions that must be answered are that one undisputed need for this
communication to keep smart devices working, fibre connectivity and so on. Many
1. The author of the text is compelled to relate the Fourth Industrial Revolution to
Gabarito: certo.
O trecho em destaque diz respeito à informação dada pelo item,que afirma ser evidente
a relação estabelecida pelo autor entre o universo fictício de Isaac Asimov e a quarta
Revolução Industrial.
É possível observar nos elementos sublinhados a fala do autor que nos permite julgar
o item como correto, ao afirmar que “ao refletir sobre a quarta Revolução Industrial,
eu não posso deixar de achar que estou em um dos romances de Isaac Asimov”
ATENÇÃO
help but...” que não é cognata com o português, ou seja, não significa nada parecido
Além disso, a palavra “novel” é um falso cognato. Apesar de parecer, não se trata do
vocábulo “novela”, que poderia ser corretamente expresso em inglês como “soap
capítulos diários.
“Novel” diz respeito a um livro que conta histórias que não são reais, isto é, um
“romance”.
NOVEL
A book that tells a story about people and things that are not real romance.
Observemos que o verbo utilizado é “read” (ler) e não “see” ou “watch” (ver ou
2. Asimov’s mathematician predicts unavoidable misery for the human race, following
Gabarito: errado.
A presente questão parece ser correta em grande parte das informações mencionadas.
“unavoidable”?
Como toda palavra grande em inglês, a palavra “unavoidable” é formada por prefixos
“to avoid” (evitar). O sufixo – ABLE foi adicionado para transformar o verbo em um
“He foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which will result
in untold suffering and human misery, which could be averted.”
Pode-se observar que o fato de que Asimov conseguiu prever (“foresee”, no texto;
“predicts”, no item) sofrimento e tristeza para a raça humana é factual, mas o item
afirma que isso era inevitável (“unavoidable”), enquanto o texto deixa claro que
3. The technology which concerns the new Industrial Revolution revolves around the
Gabarito: certo.
O item está correto por se tratar de uma paráfrase apropriada de uma informação
parágrafo:
4. Modernity nowadays is related, at least in part, to the use of smart objects in general.
Gabarito: certo.
5. If a country fulfills the requirements for electricity, it will not be left out of the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Gabarito: errado.
Na realidade, o que se afirma é que, sem a eletricidade, o país estaria de fora, o que
nos leva a entender que possuir matrizes de energia elétrica seja uma condição de
base, sine qua non, para que um país seja parte da referida revolução. Vejamos:
Essa afirmativa não pode ser ampliada, contudo, para a afirmação de que apenas o
cumprimento desse requisito seja suficiente.
6. Regular wage-earning workers will soon compete with machines for jobs.
Gabarito: certo.
De fato. O texto afirma que há uma perda de empregos, vistos como “regulares” e
mais “tradicionais”, sendo vislumbrada. E esse fenômeno se dará, naturalmente, pelo
uso de máquinas e seu constante aprimoramento.
“We must prepare for the eventuality of job losses and retrain
ourselves to be employable in the digital age”.
Gabarito: errado.
Vemos, na referida questão, uma inferência incorreta. Ainda que as inferências sejam
possíveis e válidas na maior parte das provas de língua estrangeira da banca (CESPE/
Cebraspe), é preciso estar atento(a) ao texto.
Quaisquer inferências em item que não estejam ao menos embasadas por informações
do texto são nada mais que “invenções”. Vejamos o que é dito no insumo textual e
“A closer examination of the issue suggests that the only real jobs
protected from complete overhaul by machines are creative ones.”
O texto afirma apenas que os trabalhos que envolvem criatividade são aqueles que
não estão completamente ameaçados pela revolução das máquinas. Isso não é capaz
de nos levar a crer que apenas a instrução/adaptação técnica à era digital será capaz
Temos, aqui, um exemplo de item generalista uma vez mais, em que uma informação
Gabarito: certo.
Essa informação é dita diretamente pelo autor do texto no último parágrafo do insumo,
por satélite.
Judge the following items, concerning the vocabulary used in the text.
9. The phrase “unprecedented suffering” conveys the same idea as “untold suffering”
(l.6).
Gabarito: errado.
Como todo item de paráfrase e/ou substituição vocabular, é preciso estar atento(a)
“untold”. Para que este item esteja correto, a relação de sinonímia precisa ser
verdadeira. Entretanto, isso não se aplica, uma vez que são vocábulos de significados
distintos.
10. The word “undisputed” (l.30) may be replaced by “unquestioned”, without altering
Gabarito: certo.
Diferentemente do item anterior, este item é correto pelo fato de que a substituição
alterados.
Ainda que não tenham a mesma tradução, os vocábulos utilizados são próximos em
UNDISPUTED
An undisputed fact
UNQUESTIONED
He’s the unquestioned leader in his field (= no one would say that he is not the
leader).
Sendo assim, ambos os vocábulos dizem respeito a algo evidente, ou seja, sobre o
como equivalente.
TEXTO 2
(CESPE/STJ/2018)
‘Basic human rights’ is a term which refers to those human rights that are
generally considered most necessary or essential to the wellbeing and dignity of the
human person. In concept, when basic human rights are guaranteed, they help to
assure the primary material and nonmaterial needs of human beings, so that they can
lead a dignified life. Because of this, these rights are given absolute precedence in
both national and international law and policy.
11. The reason why the list of basic human rights may vary from country to country
is the fact that no international organization has established a list yet.
Gabarito: errado.
A razão dada pelo item sobre a inexistência de uma lista fixa de direitos humanos
básicos não é a correta.
Essa lista não é plausível, de acordo com o texto, pelo fato de que não é possível
estabelecer direitos humanos de maneira universal, uma vez que eles podem sofrer
variação de acordo com diferentes contextos culturais, conforme aponta o seguinte
trecho retirado do segundo parágrafo do texto:
12. In the excerpts “they help to assure” (l. 4 and 5) and “so that they can lead a
dignified life” (l.6), the pronoun “they” refers to “basic human rights” (l.4).
Gabarito: errado.
“In concept, when basic human rights are guaranteed, they help to
assure the primary material and nonmaterial needs of human beings,
so that they can lead a dignified life.”
Observamos, aqui, que o primeiro pronome “they” se refere, de fato, a “basic human
rights”. No entanto, o segundo uso de “they” não o faz, referindo-se, por sua vez,
O item está incorreto por afirmar que, em ambas as ocorrências, o pronome se refere
ao mesmo termo, o que não se observa quando voltamos nossa análise para o texto.
13. The expressions “In concept” (R.4) and “in theory” (R.16) have similar meanings
in the text, as they both refer to notions or characteristics which are in the abstract
level.
Gabarito: certo.
ATENÇÃO
14. In the sentence introduced by the word “Nevertheless” (R.16) the author denies
that all human rights are equal.
Gabarito: certo.
Uma vez sendo adversativo, há expressa oposição de ideias entre o que foi apresentado
anteriormente (“that all human rights are equal”) com o que será apresentado
posteriormente. Afinal, é essa a função primordial de uma conjunção adversativa:
expressar oposição de ideias entre o que foi dito antes e apresentar/introduzir
argumentos contrários.
ATENÇÃO
“However” é visivelmente menos utilizado que “but” (pelo fato de que esta última é
a conjunção adversativa mais simples da língua, equivalente ao “mas” do português).
No entanto, o mesmo “however” é infinitamente mais recorrente em textos escritos
e na própria oralidade que as palavras “nonetheless” e “nevertheless”.
• HOWEVER está para entretanto (um pouco mais formal, indica oposição entre
conceitos mais complexos ou entre sentenças completas, não entre orações);
TEXTO 03
(CESPE/CEBRASPE/ABIN/2018)
Western intelligence agencies used to inhabit a parallel world where spy battled
spy. Their trade was stealing or guarding secrets. Their masters were the men and
women in government. Today the intelligence services are part of everyone’s world.
Their main task has been to protect society from terrorists and criminals. They are
increasingly held to account in the press, parliaments and courts.
The revolution has brought spying closer to ordinary people. After the attacks
on America on September 11th 2001, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency
became the focus for the American intelligence agencies. Almost two-thirds of today’s
intelligence personnel have been hired since 9/11. As the world has moved online,
so the spooks have become involved in monitoring organized crime and paedophiles
as well as terrorists.
In a not very remote past, spies sent coded messages using short- wave radios
and dead letter boxes. Now the communications of the spooks’ new targets are mixed
in with everyone else’s, shuttling between computers and smartphones that are
identical to those on your desk and in your pocket. Counter-terrorism, in particular, is
pre-emptive. Hence the security services have had to act as hunters of conspiracies
rather than gatherers of evidence.
15. The author defends the idea that the fight against organized and sexual crimes
has diverted invaluable but scarce resources from what should be America’s secret
Gabarito: errado.
O item afirma que o combate ao crime organizado e aos crimes sexuais acabou
“distraindo” o serviço secreto americano de seu objetivo principal, que seria a luta
contra o terrorismo.
No entanto, o seguinte trecho do texto nos indica que não foi isso que aconteceu, de
“As the world has moved online, so the spooks have become involved
in monitoring organized crime and paedophiles as well as terrorists.”
A expressão em destaque “as well as” significa “bem como” ou “tanto quanto”. Ou seja,
fez com que o combate ao terrorismo fosse descontinuado, pois ambas as práticas
16. The idea expressed in “Counter-terrorism (...) is pre-emptive” can also be found
Gabarito: certo.
PRE-EMPTIVE
Preventivo(a).
The Treasury has decided to raise interest rates as a pre-emptive measure against
inflation.
The prime minister authorized a pre-emptive air strike against the rebels.
Ora, se o termo pode ser corretamente traduzido como “preventivo”, há uma relação
clara com a ideia do ditado popular mencionado pelo item, de que é melhor prevenir
17. The sentence “Michael Hayden asked to send an e-mail to all staff” (l. 10 and 11)
can be correctly paraphrased in the following terms: Michael Hayden enquired all his
Gabarito: errado.
Há, neste caso, uma troca inadequada de vocábulos, o que prejudica e altera o sentido
original da frase dita pelo autor do texto, invalidando a paráfrase e tornando o item
errado.
Trata-se da troca de “asked” por “enquired”. O primeiro, neste sentido, não significa
“pedir permissão”, mas sim “pedir” em sentido eufêmico (uma suavização do verbo
“mandar”, “ordenar”).
Além disso, há uma inversão de complementos. No primeiro caso (do texto), Michael
Hayden mandou que fosse enviado um e-mail para todos os funcionários. No segundo
caso, o que se diz é que o mesmo Michael Hayden perguntou/pediu aos empregados/
funcionários se ele poderia enviar o e-mail, o que não faria sentido (sendo ele o que
18. GCHQ experts decided to stop producing academic papers about code-breaking
Gabarito: errado.
O item é bastante confuso para o candidato, que olharia novamente para a data
exposta no texto e encontraria 1980 (faltando, portanto, duas décadas para o fim do
século passado).
“At Britain’s GCHQ, most code-breaking was done on paper until well
into the 1980s.”
O ano de 1980 está seguido de um “S”, o que indica, em inglês, “os anos 80” ou “a
década de 80”. Além disso, a expressão intensificadora “well into” indica que essa
passado.
ATENÇÃO
séculos e décadas, em especial pelo fato de que o “S” ao final dos anos não é prática
É fundamental estar atento(a) e voltar ao texto quando esses itens de análise temporal
forem solicitados. Muitas vezes, não se trata de uma análise linguística aprofundada,
mas de uma questão majoritariamente composta por raciocínio lógico e localização
temporal/espacial.
Gabarito: certo.
O vocábulo “hence”, apesar de não ser mais considerado comum na língua inglesa
corrente/informal, é ainda utilizado em textos escritos formais com a finalidade de
introduzir conclusão lógica, exatamente como afirma o item.
Ainda que não se soubesse o significado da expressão, seria possível avaliar o que
HENCE
Ainda que não se soubesse o significado da expressão, seria possível avaliar o que
ATENÇÃO
“portanto”, “logo”, “sendo assim” e uma série de outras expressões idiomáticas que
20. In the fragment “on becoming director of the American National Security Agency”
(R. 9 and 10), the preposition “on” refers to a period when the action is taking place.
Gabarito: certo.
O item busca confundir o candidato quanto ao uso de uma preposição bastante comum
em inglês: ON.
Enquanto isso, a maioria dos falantes não nativos de inglês está acostumado com o
ocorre, por exemplo, na famosa frase clichê da língua inglesa: “the book is ON the
table”.
21. (INÉDITA) (*) In the sentence “the security services have had to act as hunters of
conspiracies rather than gatherers of evidence”, the underlined word may be correctly
replaced by “collectors”.
Gabarito: certo.
“organizar em conjunto”.
Inclusive, daí vem a expressão “together” que, apesar de ter sofrido modificações na
escrita ao longo do tempo devido ao uso natural da língua por seus falantes nativos,
advém do verbo “to gather” (sendo palavras homófonas, isto é, que possuem mesma
GATHER
She gathered up the newspapers that were scattered around the floor.
TEXTO 04
(CESPE/ABIN/2018)
Not any more. Edward Snowden, a former contractor for America’s National
Security Agency (NSA) now living in Moscow, revealed the use of cyber-cafés to spy
on the G20 summit in London in 2009. Now people are wary. In many countries the
cyber-cafés have been closed. The staff who ran them have had to be moved (and in
some cases given costly new identities).
The episode highlights one of the most important trends in modern intelligence
work. Collecting electronic information is generally getting easier. It is hard to lead
a completely non-digital life, and any activity using computers and networks creates
openings for the watchers. An e-mail is as easy to read as a postcard for anyone with
modest technical skills. With a few tweaks, mobile phones become tracking beacons
and bugging devices. Most people readily trade private information for convenience.
And hacking into computers can yield vast amounts of intelligence.
A lot of spying, however, has become trickier. It is much more difficult for
intelligence officers to maintain secrecy and create fake identities. And high expectations
of privacy, especially in the digital realm, mean that in many countries the work of
intelligence and security agencies arouses outrage, not gratitude.
22. The expression “neat twist” (l.9) refers to the irony of cyber-café patrons becoming
Gabarito: certo.
A ironia está presente exatamente no fato de que a segurança promovida pelos donos
desse tipo de estabelecimento foi o que levou seus negócios a serem procurados por
pessoas com intenções negativas, o que os tornou “vítimas de sua própria consciência/
Vejamos o trecho do texto em que esse “neat twist” fica evidenciado como o exposto
no item:
“This was legal: consent was buried in the terms and conditions
which users clicked on without reading. And in a neat twist, security-
conscious people trying to avoid using their own computers
favoured such places.”
Isso implica dizer que: não apenas os donos dos estabelecimentos tinham consciência
da proteção de seus dados, mas outros indivíduos com esse nível de conscientização
também utilizaram esses locais a fim de evitar o uso de seus próprios computadores
pessoais.
23. The author of the text suggests that the old-fashioned way of sending messages
Gabarito: errado.
O item aparenta ser correto, mas há, no texto, um termo bastante diferente sendo
Ora, ser “tão facil quanto” não é equivalente semântico a ser “tão perigoso quanto”,
o que invalida a paráfrase e promove alteração significativa de sentido.
Além disso, o autor é categórico ao afirmar que apenas aqueles que possuem alguma
habilidade técnica, ainda que modesta, seriam capazes de interceptar o e-mail com
24. The author is critical of people who should be, but are not, thankful for the work
Gabarito: errado.
O autor não critica as pessoas que não são agradecidas ao serviço de inteligência.
A principal razão, de acordo com o autor, para a desconfiança das pessoas em relação
25. The words “unaware” (R.12) and “wary” (R.16) are related in terms of meaning,
Gabarito: certo.
Muitos candidatos julgariam o item como errado pelo fato de que um conceito é
oposto ao outro, mas o item não entra nesse mérito. Apenas se afirma que são
TEXTO 05
(CESPE/ABIN/2018)
The increase in scrutiny and reduction in powers for security agencies has to a
considerable extent been triggered by the revelations of the former National Security
agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden. These disclosures, along with other leaks
from organizations such as WikiLeaks, have shed light on a series of illegal practices
powers for the first time in the post-9/11 era, defined by the West’s commitment to
However, despite claims that the agencies are working in the interest of national
security, critics counter that overbearing surveillance practices erode and restrict many
civil liberties. In spite of the introduction of restrictions in the USA and Germany, Great
policy, with the UK’s Conservative government putting forward plans to grant spy
The British government has outlined its highly controversial plan to introduce
the Investigatory Powers Bill, which would grant agencies not only more power but
also allow them to force Internet companies to log and track users’ web history for
up to a year to allow for the police and security services access. It is thought the plan
would also compel companies to collect and hold data on mobile phone applications
26. It can be inferred from the text that a bill, as in “Investigatory Powers Bill” (l.24),
is a new law that was presented to Parliament for discussion, passed and is ready to
be enacted.
Gabarito: errado.
discussão acerca de um tema específico a fim de que se elabora uma lei sobre.
BILL
Sendo assim, o que torna o item errado é a parte final, em que se afirma que o
projeto já passou e está pronto para ser colocado em prática, o que não condiz com
a veracidade das informações dadas pelo texto, nem sequer com o significado do temo
27. According to the text, the events that followed the September 11th attacks, as
well as the systematic leaking of government classified material, have helped shape
Gabarito: certo.
28. The author of the text implies that the fight against terrorism is no longer a major
Gabarito: errado.
uma relação que não foi mencionada no texto e tampouco é passível de inferência.
de outras questões, com a distinção entre inferência e invenção. Não se pode inferir
Algo do texto deve ser utilizado como fundamentação para uma possível inferência.
o item aponta):
29. In the text, “along with” (l.5) can be correctly replaced with the synonymous
Gabarito: errado.
A expressão “go along with something or someone” não tem natureza temporal. O
sentido de “long time” como elemento formador do vocábulo “along”, mas isso não
faz do texto.
ALONG WITH
The G7 will decide the matter, and the IMF is expected to go along with the decision.
Vemos, portanto, que “along with” pode ser livremente traduzido como “em consonância
com”, no sentido de expressar acordo com aquilo que foi anteriormente dito, sem que
se estabeleça, portanto, a relação temporal proposta pelo item.
Gabarito: certo.
Esse conteúdo (genitive case ou apostrophe ‘S) é bastante sensível para nós,
falantes de português, pois indica coisas diferentes do que aquelas que temos em
nossa língua materna.
The user’s idea was to publish a picture with no filters being used.
TEXTO 06
(CESPE/CBM-AL/2017)
As anyone who has begun an exercise program knows, the relationships between
exercise, appetite, weight control and hunger are complex and often counterintuitive.
scientific studies and the world inhabited by the rest of us, most people who start
exercising lose fewer pounds than would be expected. The problem with exercise as a
weight-loss strategy seems to be in large part that it can make you hungry, and many
of us wind up consuming more calories after a workout than we torched during it.
In any case, doctors point out that we should exercise, whether or not the activity
makes us thin. There are many other reasons, irrespective of the effects on appetite,
31. It can be concluded from the text that if one wants to be thin, one should not
Gabarito: errado.
O autor do texto não faz essa afirmação categórica, que nada mais é do que uma
Vejamos esse trecho retirado do último parágrafo do texto, em que o autor deixa clara
“In any case, doctors point out that we should exercise, whether
or not the activity makes us thin.”
Logo, o que é ponderado pelo autor do texto em momentos diferentes de sua argumentação
é que APENAS a prática de exercícios físicos regulares pode não ser suficiente para
32. It can be concluded from the second paragraph that people who exercise should
not eat light meals.
Gabarito: errado.
Assim como o item anterior, observado e comentado na questão n. 31, trata-se mais
uma vez de uma generalização inadequada a partir de uma informação particular dada
pelo autor do texto.
O autor afirma no trecho acima que o problema consiste no fato de que muitos de
nós acabam consumindo mais calorias depois de um treino do que queimaram durante
a prática do exercício. Em outras palavras, ficamos com mais fome e comemos mais
33. In the context, the word “Yet” (l.5) conveys the same idea as the expression “up
until now”.
Gabarito: errado.
Item bastante recorrente em provas da banca CESPE/Cebraspe pelo fato de que “yet”
é um vocábulo polissêmico, podendo ser utilizado em dois contextos bastante distintos.
O primeiro, e mais comum, é o uso de “yet” como sinônimo, de fato, de “up until
now”, como afirma o item. Nesse sentido, de natureza temporal, a tradução mais
apropriada de “yet” seria “ainda”, que pode ser corretamente substituído por “até
“You burn calories during exercise and, over time, should drop kilos.
Yet the reality is more annoying.” (= but, however)
34. The text suggests that, frequently, working out is not enough to lose weight.
Gabarito: certo.
construída.
Há mais de uma passagem que poderíamos destacar para justificar e/ou para chegar
“most people who start exercising lose fewer pounds than would
be expected”.
prática de exercícios, se isolada, pode não ser suficiente para atingir o objetivo de
emagrecimento.
35. The pronoun “You” (l.4) refers specifically to the individuals who are reading the
text.
Gabarito: errado.
“You burn calories during exercise and, over time, should drop kilos.”
TEXTO 06
(CESPE/SEDUC-AL/2018)
In recent years, there has been a dramatic change in the reach of English
language teaching all over the world and an increasing demand for competent English
language teachers, as well as for language programs that can offer the English
language skills and competencies needed by today’s global citizens. The teaching of
English consumes a considerable portion of available educational resources in many
countries, and English is not necessarily a neutral product offering equal opportunities
for all. English teachers, therefore, need to appreciate the special status English has in
modern life, what its costs and benefits are to those who try to learn it, the different
motivations learners may have for learning English and the different circumstances
in which they learn it.
The English language has a complex status in today’s world. For some people,
it is acquired as a first language. For some, it may be learned at school, and may be
essential for academic and professional success. For others, it may represent a subject
that they are required to study in school, but for which they have no immediate need.
And English means different things to people in different parts of the world. For some,
it may arouse positive feelings as the language of pop culture, the media and social
networking. For others, it may have associations with colonialism, exploitation, elitism
or social and economic inequality.
English today has a unique status, as a consequence of the role it plays around
the world and its function as an international or world language. It has been described
as the world’s lingua franca. Although some 380 million people speak it as a first
language in countries like Australia, Canada, the United States and Great Britain, a
further 600 million people use it, alongside other languages, as a second language in
countries like Nigeria, India and the Philippines. And another one billion people are
studying it, at any one time, as a foreign language, in countries like China, South
Korea, France, Germany, Russia and Brazil.
Jack C. Richards. Key issues in language learning. CUP, 2015
(adapted).
Based on the ideas and linguistic aspects of the text above, judge the items below.
36. The expression “all over the world” (l.2) is synonymous with worldwide.
Gabarito: certo.
A expressão “all over the world” possui uma série de sinônimos na língua inglesa,
sendo um deles o termo destacado pelo item: “worldwide”.
ATENÇÃO
37. In the fragment “English teachers, therefore, need to appreciate the special status
Gabarito: errado.
Algo que contribui para o julgamento do item como errado é o uso da expressão
APPRECIATE
LIKE / ENJOY
38. In the fragment “a unique status” (l.25), the use of the article “a” can be explained
Gabarito: certo.
Item difícil e sobre uma temática pouco recorrente nos exames da banca CESPE/
Cebraspe: fonética e fonologia.
A letra “u” possui dois sons característicos em inglês, sendo um considerado vocálico
e outro, semivocálico.
Antes do SOM de vogal, se utiliza o artigo indefinido “AN” a fim de evitar cacofonia,
como ocorre em:
• an umbrela,
• an underestimated woman,
• an unpleasant situation.
Contudo, antes do SOM de semi-vocal, como nas palavras seguintes, deve-se utilizar
o artigo indefinido “A”:
• a university;
• a unique status.
Como pode-se observar, a palavra “unique” possui som inicial idêntico ao da palavra
“university” e, portanto, leva o mesmo artigo indefinido “a” antes, como afirma o item.
39. The sentence: “For some people, it is acquired as a first language” (l.15) can be
correctly rewritten as “For some people, it has acquired as a first language.”
Gabarito: errado.
ATENÇÃO
Além da mudança de sentido, há uma alteração de tempo verbal. Enquanto “is acquired”
é uma construção de Simple Present (in the passive voice), “has acquired” é uma
Isso reforça ainda mais o fato de que a mudança proposta pelo item causa alterações
40. It can be inferred from the text that there should be three distinct approaches to
the teaching of English, depending on how and why students acquire this language.
Gabarito: certo.
Excelente item no que diz respeito à testagem da compreensão de texto dos candidatos.
A informação proposta pode ser inferida a partir do seguinte trecho do insumo textual,
O item é, portanto, uma conclusão explicativa do trecho acima, que trata das diferentes
Gabarito: certo.
Mais um caso de Word Formation, tema muito recorrente nas provas da banca
CESPE/Cebraspe, além de ser uma técnica de ampliação e refinamento vocabular.
É este fenômeno que ocorre com a palavra “international”, como é possível observar
abaixo:
Suffix -AL, que altera a classe da palavra (the noun becomes an adjective);
Prefix INTER-, que altera o sentido da palavra (de nacional para internacional).
Gabarito: errado.
Essa é a razão pela qual muitos candidatos marcariam este item como correto. No
entanto, há uma diferença de uso entre “economic” e “economical”, que é a posição
ocupada pelos adjetivos.
“The government’s economic policies have led us into the worst recession in years.”
(= precedes “policies” and is related to it).
“I don’t think we should expand our business in the current economic climate.” (=
precedes “climate” and is related to it).
Já o segundo deve ser usado no sentido de “not using a lot of fuel, money etc.” e
pode aparecer separado do substantivo que qualifica.
“There’s increasing demand for cars that are more economical on fuel.” (= related
to “cars”, but not “attached” to it).
“She’s very economical with the wrapping paper, isn’t she? She cut it without an inch
to spare.” (= related to “she”, but also “not attached” to it).
43. It can be inferred from the text that some students of English resent it because of
the negative feelings that colonialism inspires.
Gabarito: certo.
ATENÇÃO
O verbo “to resent” significa “não ter um olhar positivo para algo, geralmente em
RESENT
To feel angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something that
44. In the fragment “in countries like Australia, Canada, the United States and Great
Britain” (l. 29 and 30) “like” can be correctly replaced with “such”.
Gabarito: errado.
A expressão “like”, neste contexto, está sendo utilizada para introduzir exemplos em
lista e é sinônima de “such as” (“tais como”, em livre tradução para o português).
45. In “Although some 380 million people speak it as a first language” (l. 28 and 29),
the word “some” means more than.
Gabarito: errado.
TEXTO 07
(CESPE/SEDUC-AL/2018)
based on a simple premise: immerse yourself in the forest, absorb its sights, sounds,
and smells, and you will reap numerous psychological and physiological benefits. The
Forest Agency of Japan launched a campaign to introduce the activity in 1982, and,
since then, its popularization there has been matched by a stream of supporting
research concerning the role that nature can play in human health. Studies have shown
that regular exposure to forest environments can lower blood pressure and anxiety,
reduce anger, and strengthen the immune system. The forest-bathing spirit has gained
followers in the United States, too: you can now sign up to join the national Forest
Bathing Club (whose registration form includes a field for “spirit animal”), or apply to
Concerning the ideas and linguistic aspects of the previous text, judge the following
items.
46. This is an informative text whose main objective is to present the Japanese practice
of shinrin-yoku.
Gabarito: certo.
Neste caso, após leitura do insumo, é possível verificar que, ainda que haja elementos
descritivos e exemplos que parecem eventos narrativos, o objetivo principal do texto
é informar o leitor sobre a prática japonesa denominada “shinrin-yoku”, exatamente
como afirma o item.
47. It can be said that practitioners of shinrin-yoku go to the forest to take baths in
lakes and rivers.
Gabarito: errado.
48. According to the text, shinrin-yoku is one of the oldest Japanese traditional rituals.
Gabarito: errado.
É de conhecimento geral que a sociedade japonesa possui cultura milenar e uma série
de rituais tradições que nos remetem aos tempos de império.
o que indica que a atividade é relativamente recente (se comparada, como dito
anteriormente, com outros rituais de natureza secular/milenar e que até hoje coexistem
no Japão da pós-modernidade.
Sendo assim, uma prática como essa, reconhecida apenas nas últimas décadas do
no trecho acima, não pode ser considerada como um dos rituais mais tradicionais e
49. The verb phrase “has been matched” (l.7) is an example of a passive voice construction.
Gabarito: certo.
Para reconhecer uma voz passiva em inglês, é preciso verificar a existência de, pelo
1. um verbo “to be” auxiliar (utilizado no mesmo tempo verbal em que a voz
ativa apareceria);
pelo item:
50. It can be concluded from the text that the Forest Agency of Japan decided to launch
the campaign to popularize shinrin-yoku because research has shown the benefits of
Gabarito: errado.
Apesar de parecer correto pelo fato de que ambas as informações são mencionadas
Caso 1, do item:
No item, a campanha de popularização da prática foi feita POR CAUSA das pesquisas
Caso 2, do texto:
atividade e, POR CAUSA DISSO (since then = desde então), a popularidade tem ido
51. According to the text, there are several benefits for people who frequently spend
Gabarito: certo.
Item correto cujos exemplos de benefícios podem ser extraídos diretamente do insumo
ATENÇÃO
Aqui, vale a pena ressaltar o uso da palavra “several”, que é um falso cognato. Apesar
de parecer, não se trata do vocábulo “severo”, que poderia ser corretamente expresso
SEVERAL
An amount that is not exact but more than two and fewer than many.
52. In the sentence “Studies have shown that regular (...) and strengthen the immune
system” (l. 9 to 11), the verb “have” could be omitted and the sentence would still
be grammatically acceptable.
Gabarito: errado.
A voz verbal “have shown” está em um tempo verbal denominado Present Perfect.
AUXILIARY VERB (HAVE or HAS) + MAIN VERB (in the past participle)
O que causa estranheza ao falante de português quando se depara com essa voz
verbal é o fato de que os auxiliares “to have” não necessariamente tem uma tradução
Sendo assim, “have shown” poderia ser, a depender do contexto tradutório, “tem
pelo fato de que a omissão do auxiliar “have” provocaria alteração tanto semântica
incorreta do ponto de vista da gramática normativa, uma vez que o particípio é uma
das formas impessoais do verbo e apenas o auxiliar (que seria omitido) designa a
existência de um sujeito.
53. If the word “followers” (l.12) was replaced by adepts, there would be a significant
Gabarito: certo.
O item afirma que haveria uma mudança significativa de sentido na frase e, de fato,
isso aconteceria. A razão pela qual a mudança se concretizaria diz respeito ao fato de
que os vocábulos propostos na substituição não são equivalentes semânticos.
A palavra “followers” advém do verbo “to follow” e significa seguidores, isto é, aqueles
que seguem, acompanham, acreditam e realizam os preceitos da prática em questão.
Já a palavra “adepts”, em inglês, diz respeito a alguém que possui uma habilidade
natural para realizar determinada ação ou atividade que, normalmente, requer uma
habilidade.
• FOLLOWER
A follower of Jesus.
• ADEPT
54. It can be inferred that the mentioning of ‘spirit animal’ (l. 14 and 15) in the
registration forms for the American Forest Bathing Club means that members of this
Club are allowed to take their pets to the forest with them.
Gabarito: errado.
o candidato quanto ao uso das palavras “animal” (mencionada no texto como parte
equivalente à animal).
Além disso, vejamos o contexto em que a palavra “animal” está sendo utilizada no
texto:
“You can now sign up to join the national Forest Bathing Club (whose
registration form includes a field for “spirit animal”), or apply to
Observamos no trecho acima que “animal” está sendo utilizado em sentido conotativo,
figurado e não literal (aparece, inclusive, entre aspas ou “quotation marks”), o que
TEXTO 08
(CESPE/SEDUC-AL/2018)
Based on the cartoon and the vocabulary and language used in it, judge the items
below.
55. The sentence on the first balloon is an example of informal spoken language.
Gabarito: certo.
Há alguns indícios de linguagem verbal e não verbal no primeiro quadrinho que levam
“want” + preposição “to”. Além disso, para que uma pergunta seja feita de maneira
um verbo auxiliar. Sendo assim, se fosse uma pergunta em situação formal de uso
Sobre a linguagem não verbal, é perceptível que o diálogo ocorre entre uma criança e
A fala entre amigos já tende a ser mais informalizada, mas entre duas “crianças”, isso
Gabarito: certo.
ATENÇÃO
É importante ressaltar sempre que a relação de sinonímia entre vocábulos não implica
dizer que as palavras significam exatamente a mesma coisa, mas que elas estabelecem
bastante similares.
57. The three verbs in the second square – “watch”, “put” and “push” – are in the
imperative form.
Gabarito: errado.
É difícil reconhecer quando um verbo em inglês está no imperativo, uma vez que não
há modificação na conjugação verbal, isto é, não é possível verificar pela formatação
visual da palavra.
Diante disso, é preciso fazer essa análise contextualmente. O modo “imperativo” indica
ordens, proibições. Sendo assim, é possível ver no segundo quadrinho que apenas o
primeiro verbo (“watch”) desempenha essa função.
Os demais verbos mencionados pela questão (“put” and “push”) são utilizados para
dar instrução de como realizar o procedimento. Logo, não há ordem sendo dada.
58. The boy does not understand that a toast is a slice of bread that is exposed to
heat from a grill or fire.
Gabarito: certo.
De fato, ele parece não compreender o funcionamento do dispositivo. Ele afirma que é
“weird”, explica como se algo mágico ocorresse ao fazer com que o pão saia “voando”,
dentre outros indícios.
Isso implica afirmar que ele trata algo de utilidade doméstica simples como algo fora
da realidade, do ordinário, do comum. Se ele entendesse efetivamente o processo, a
“estranheza” apontada não se sustentaria, pois não haveria nada de diferente a ser
mostrado.
Gabarito: certo.
Gabarito: errado.
• PUSH
To move someone or something by pressing them with your hands or body.
Empurrar.
He pushed me out of the door. Someone pushed him into the river.
TEXTO 09
(IADES/PM-DF/COMBATENTE/2018)
John liked chocolates very much, but his mother never gave him any, because
she thought they were bad for his teeth. But John had a very nice grandfather. The
old man loved his grandson very much, and sometimes he brought John chocolates
when he came to visit him. Then his mother let him eat them, because she wanted
One evening, a few days before John’s seventh birthday, he was saying his
prayers in his bedroom before he went to bed. “Please, God” he shouted, “make them
give me a big box of chocolates for my birthday on Saturday”. His mother was in the
kitchen and she heard the small boy shouting and went into his bedroom. “Why are
you shouting, John?” she asked her son, “God can hear you when you talk quietly”. “I
know,” answer the clever boy with a smile, “but Grandfather’s in the next room, and
he can’t”.
61. According to the text, why did John’s mother not let him eat chocolates?
Gabarito: letra a.
“John liked chocolates very much, but his mother never gave him any,
because she thought they were bad for his teeth.”
Observando a parte destacada, vemos que a razão pela qual a mãe de John nunca
deu chocolates a ele é introduzida por “because” (conjunção explicativa que significa
“por causa de”, “porque”) e é equivalente à informação dada pelo distrator “A”.
62. In the text, the expression “The old man” (line 3) refers to
a) John.
b) John’s mother.
c) John’s grandfather.
d) John’s father.
e) John’s brother.
Gabarito: letra c.
“Grandfather” em inglês significa “avô em português. Logo, faz sentido que “the
Mas apenas o sentido e a lógica não podem ser elementos únicos para julgamento
de itens como esse (referenciais). É preciso voltar sempre na linha mencionada pelo
“But John had a very nice grandfather. The old man loved his
grandson very much.”
63. (INÉDITA) (*) In the text, the underlined apostrophe in “but Grandfather’s in the
a) is.
b) has.
c) was.
d) a possessive case.
e) a relative pronoun.
Gabarito: letra a.
Esse conteúdo (genitive case ou apostrophe ‘S) é bastante sensível para nós,
falantes de português, pois indica coisas diferentes do que aquelas que temos em
nossa língua materna.
TEXTO 10
(IADES/PM-DF/COMBATENTE/2018)
64. In the second panel of the comic, the word “stressing” is a(n)
a) conditional.
b) verb.
c) adjective.
d) noun.
e) possessive.
Gabarito: letra b.
que ela está querendo saber é a razão pela qual ele realiza a ação do verbo “to stress”.
65. The term “it”, in the second panel of the comic, substitutes
a) “I”.
b) “you”.
d) “stressing about”.
e) “write jokes”.
Gabarito: letra e.
O pronome pessoal “it” é muito usado em língua inglesa para se referir a coisas
nos distratores A e B.
• “IT’s easy”.
Devemos nos perguntar, então, o seguinte: WHAT IS EASY? A resposta seria “WRITE
66. (INÉDITA) (*) In the third panel, the man’s attitude demonstrates that he is
a) happy.
b) surprised.
c) excited.
d) disappointed.
e) laughing.
Gabarito: letra d.
O homem está desapontado com a resposta dada pela interlocutora, uma vez que,
ao afirmar que não está conseguindo escrever piadas hoje (“I can’t write jokes
today”), ele não quer dizer isso de maneira literal, denotativa, como se ele tivesse
esquecido a ortografia da palavra. Sua intenção é dizer que nenhuma piada lhe vem
à mente naquele momento, indicando que ele não está conseguindo produzir nenhum
TEXTO 11
(FCC/METRÔ-SP/COMBATENTE/2019)
Updated 07/10/19
The Washington Metro, the District’s regional subway system, provides a clean,
safe, and reliable way to get around almost all of the major attractions in Washington,
D.C. The Metro does extend to the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. (I) the
Metrorail trains can be crowded with commuters during rush hour and when there
is a big event going on downtown, taking the Washington Metro is usually cheaper
and easier than finding a place to park in the city. Several Metro stations are helpful
sightseeing stops.
Since opening in 1976, the Metrorail network has grown to include six lines,
91 stations, and 117 miles of track. It is the thirdbusiest rapid transit system in the
United States in the number of passenger trips after New York City and Chicago.
Hours
8 a.m. on Sundays. Service ends at 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday, and 11 p.m. on Sundays, although the last trains leave their
Trains run frequently averaging four to 10 minutes between trains with frequency
increasing during rush hour times. Night and weekend service varies between eight
Metro Farecards
Fares range from $2 (II) $6 depending on your destination and the time of
day. Fares are cheaper after 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m. until close. An
all-day Metro pass is available for $14.75. Metro charges reduced fares on all federal
holidays.
a) Despite
b) Because
c) Therefore
d) Although
e) But
Gabarito: letra d.
Temos aqui uma questão de tema muito recorrente nos exames de larga escala no
de ideias, o que inviabiliza que as letras “b” e “c” estejam corretas (“because” e
Dentre as conjunções adversativas que nos restam, “but” não caberia no contexto por
Olhemos para o verbo “can”: qual é o sujeito do verbo? Ele aparece na frase ou foi
omitido?
entre a conjunção indireta e o verbo causador da oposição. Logo, a frase correta seria:
“ALTHOUGH the Metrorail trains can be crowded with commuters during rush hour”.
ATENÇÃO
intermediário:
d) o metrô de Washington, D.C. é uma das maiores atrações da cidade por permitir
e) a tarifa do metrô varia apenas nos horários de pico, quando os trens são mais
frequentes.
Gabarito: letra a.
A resposta correta é a letra “a” e o que nos dá a certeza disso é o seguinte trecho
retirado do texto:
A frase afirma que o cartão recarregável pode ser preenchido com qualquer valor/
a) from
b) on
c) to
d) at
e) for
Gabarito: letra c.
Uma vez que já temos o primeiro procedimento inicial com a preposição “from”, a
única possibilidade para indicar procedimento final é combiná-la com a preposição
“to”. A frase completa ficaria, então, da seguinte maneira:
TEXTO 12
(FCC/METRÔ-SP/COMBATENTE/2019)
nickname the Tube) is a public rapid transit system serving London, England and
The Underground has its origins in the Metropolitan Railway, the world’s first
underground passenger railway. Opened in January 1863, it is now part of the Circle,
Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines; the first line to operate underground
electric traction trains, the City & South London Railway in 1890, is now part of the
Northern line. The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2017/18 carried 1.357
billion passengers, making it the world’s 11th busiest metro system. The 11 lines
Despite its name, only 45% of the system is underground in tunnels, with much
Early years
The idea of an underground railway linking the City of London with the urban
centre was proposed in the 1830s, and the Metropolitan Railway was granted permission
to build such a line in 1854. To prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built
This test tunnel was used for two years in the development of the first underground
train, and was later, in 1861, filled up. The world’s first underground railway opened
in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon using gas- lit wooden carriages
While steam locomotives were in use on the Underground there were (I)
health reports. There were many instances of passengers collapsing whilst travelling,
due to heat and pollution, leading for calls to clean the air through the installation of
garden plants. The Metropolitan even encouraged beards for staff to act as an air
filter. There were other reports claiming beneficial outcomes of using the Underground,
...] asthma and bronchial complaints”, tonsillitis could be cured with acid gas and the
During the war, many tube stations were used as air-raid shelters. On 3 March
1943, a test of the air-raid warning sirens, together with the firing of a new type of
Green Underground station. A total of 173 people, including 62 children, died, making
this both the worst civilian disaster of World War II, and the largest loss of life in a
on the Northern City Line failed to stop at its Moorgate terminus and crashed into the
wall at the end of the tunnel, in the Moorgate tube crash. There were 43 deaths and
74 injuries, the greatest loss of life during peacetime on the London Underground.
injured a further 100. London Underground were strongly criticised in the aftermath
for their attitude to fires underground, and publication of the report into the fire led
Regional Transport. To comply with new safety regulations issued as a result of the fire,
and to combat graffiti, a train refurbishment project was launched in July 1991.
c) deu origem à Metropolitan Railway, que hoje integra duas de suas linhas.
e) tem seu custo operacional financiado pelas passagens de seus usuários desde
2015.
Gabarito: letra d.
A resposta correta é a letra “d” e o que nos dá a certeza disso é o seguinte trecho
retirado do texto:
Observa-se, a partir dos vocábulos destacados, que a questão apenas traduziu (quase
literalmente) a informação apresentadadiretamente pelo texto no trecho reproduzido.
a) contrasting
b) alarming
c) similar
d) glowing
e) smoothing
Gabarito: letra a.
Aqui, temos uma questão vocabular, mas puramente semântica. Para saber qual dos
vocábulos é o mais adequado, seria necessário voltar ao texto e ler todo o parágrafo
em que a lacuna se encontra.
CONTRASTING
Very diferente.
Contrastante.
Contrasting colours/flavours.
The contrasting attitudes of different age-groups.
b) um ataque aéreo durante a Segunda Guerra matou 173 pessoas que se refugiaram
numa estação de metrô.
d) o acidente com o trem que bateu no muro do terminal de Moorgate foi o pior em
toda a história do metrô londrino.
e) o incêndio de um dos elevadores da estação King’s Cross St. Pancras que matou
31 pessoas e feriu outras 100, levou a novas regras de segurança.
Gabarito: letra c.
A resposta correta é a letra “C” e o que nos dá a certeza disso é o seguinte trecho
retirado do texto:
“making this both the worst civilian disaster of World War II.”
Observa-se, a partir dos vocábulos destacados, que a questão apenas traduziu (quase
literalmente) a informação apresentadadiretamente pelo texto no trecho reproduzido.
a) later
b) earlier
c) afterwards
d) after this
e) subsequently
Gabarito: letra b.
Há de se verificar com atenção que o enunciado da questão pede apenas uma palavra
A alternativa correta é a “b” por se tratar do único vocábulo que não indica algo que
Enquanto “earlier” indica o oposto de todas essas expressões, uma vez que significa
TEXTO 13
(IADES/CEITEC S.A/2016)
[...] Black Friday, which has traditionally been the moment to flock to stores
for steep discounts, and which has evolved to also include major online sales events
for retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, is not all that it is billed to be. We
asked J. D. Levite, the deals editor of the product recommendations website The
Wirecutter, for some data on just how beneficial the deals are on Black Friday – and
Year round, Mr. Levite and his team track product prices across the web to
unearth discounts on goods of all types, from gadgets to kitchenware. They also look
at whether the product is high quality and durable based on their own testing and
other reviews, and whether the seller or brand has a reasonable return or warranty
policy. By those measures, Mr. Levite said, only about 0.6 percent, or 200 out of the
approximately 34,000 deals online, which typically carry the same price tags inside
“There are just more deals on that day than any other day of the year,” he
said. “But for the most part, the deals aren’t anything better than what you’d see
74. According to the sentence “Mr. Levite and his team track product prices across
the web to unearth discounts on goods of all types, from gadgets to kitchenware”
(lines 9 to 11),
b) “unearth discounts” means that discounts are not from planet Earth.
c) “from gadgets to kitchenware” is a sentence that corroborates the idea that they
Gabarito: letra c.
A resposta correta é a letra “c” e o que corrobora a ideia de que se trata de muitos e
• GADGET
A small piece of equipment that does a particular job.
Engenhoca, dispositivo.
A phone gadget.
• KITCHENWARE
Plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons, etc. used in the kitchen.
Utensílios de cozinha.
As definições acima nos levam a entender que se tratam de produtos bastante variados
75. According to the text, choose the title that best summarizes the whole idea.
Gabarito: anulada.
A questão foi anulada após interposição de recurso pelo fato de que havia mais de uma
insumo textual.
que comumente cabe recurso, pois o candidato pode utilizar diferentes informações
Isso não implica dizer que todas as questões dessa natureza sejam ou devam ser
anuladas. Há uma quantidade significativa delas que é bastante delimitada e que,
de fato, apenas um título é o apropriado, uma vez que o título deve, naturalmente,
insumo textual.
76. According to the sentence “Mr. Levite said, only about 0.6 percent, or 200 out
of the approximately 34,000 deals online, which typically carry the same price tags
inside retailers’ physical stores, will be good ones on Black Friday” (lines 15 to 18),
c) 34,000 should be written as “34.000” because comma is not used when writing
numbers.
e) “price” in the text above has the same syntactic function as in the sentence “The
Gabarito: letra a.
A palavra “ones” está sendo utilizada com finalidade pronominal, isto é, para substituir
“WHAT will be good ONES on Black Friday?” A resposta a essa pergunta seria “delas”.
O argumento do trecho em destaque é que apenas uma pequena parcela dos “negócios”
em português que acabo de dar), o autor resolveu utilizar o termo “ones”, que é
uma boa alternativa em inglês para substituir algo já mencionado e que esteja,
evidentemente, no plural.
77. According to the sentence “They also look at whether the product is high quality
and durable based on their own testing and other reviews, and whether the seller or
brand has a reasonable return or warranty policy” (lines 11 to 14), choose the right
alternative.
b) “Whether” was used to introduce a single alternative, the other being implied.
Gabarito: letra b.
país pelo fato de que não se tem uma tradução direta de WHETHER para o português
do Brasil.
O que se pode dizer é que WHETHER introduz uma alternativa e, nesse sentido, é
similar a “IF”, mas há uma diferença gramatical específica: “whether” implica uma
alternativa seguida de OR NOT (que pode estar escrito ou implícito, como afirma a
alternativa correta, letra “b”). Vejamos, no trecho destacado, em que local é possível
“They also look at whether the product is high quality and durable OR
NOT based on their own testing and other reviews, and whether the
seller or brand has a reasonable return or warranty policy OR NOT.”
ATENÇÃO
uso de WHETHER está adequado. Caso não haja essa possibilidade, o termo deveria
TEXTO 14
(IADES/CEITEC S.A./2016)
“If you are walking down the right path and you are willing to keep walking, eventually
a) quote.
b) note.
c) proverb.
d) poem.
e) letter.
Gabarito: letra a.
da oralidade e inserido entre aspas por um terceiro elemento, a fim de indicar que a
No caso acima, temos um típico “quote”, uma vez que: a) a fala é atribuída ao ex-
insumo está inserido “between quotation marks”; e c) foi publicado por um terceiro
79. Regarding the meaning of the text, choose the right alternative.
Gabarito: letra d.
Ao falar sobre seguir o seu devido caminho (walk down the right path), ter o
posteriormente, progredir (make progress), Barack Obama tem como objetivo central
espera.
ATENÇÃO
Aqui, vale a pena ressaltar o uso da palavra “eventually”, que é um falso cognato.
de uma série.
EVENTUALLY
80. (INÉDITA) (*) The word “willing” does not convey the same meaning as
a) wanting.
b) going to.
c) eager.
d) enthusiastic.
e) disposed.
Gabarito: letra b.
Sobre a letra “d”, “enthusiastic” não se trata de um sinônimo direto, mas não é
necessário que assim seja, pois a questão fala apenas de “transmitir o mesmo sentido”.
Estar entusiasmado com algo está no mesmo campo semântico de ter disposição ou
vontade de fazer algo. Logo, não se deve marcar esta alternativa.
No caso da letra “b” (alternativa correta), a banca teria o objetivo de fazer com que
o candidato confundisse a expressão “willing” com a desinência verbal de futuro
simples, “will” e, portanto, entendesse como próximo em significado ao termo “going
to”, também utilizado como marcador de futuro. Mesmo indicando futuro, os termos
não seriam equivalentes, uma vez que “will” indica um futuro de previsão (predictive
future) e “going to” um futuro planejado (planned future). Como a questão exige a
palavra ou expressão que NÃO transmite o mesmo sentido de “willing”, temos aqui
a alternativa apropriada.
TEXTO 15
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Based on the cartoon above and your own knowledge, judge the following items.
Gabarito: errado.
Ao afirmar que o garoto não pode sair enquanto não terminar a tarefa de casa (“I can’t
go outside until I finish my homework”), a mãe de Calvin esperava, por dedução
lógica, que o garoto se esforçasse, pensasse, pesquisasse e respondesse às questões
de maneira séria e adequada, a fim de aprender.
82. The tiger didn’t actually help him with answering the questions.
Gabarito: certo.
O tigre, ao dizer que não sabe (“I don’t know”) e incentivar o garoto a escrever
essa resposta, pois era essa a situação mais sincera, acabou não ajudando Calvin
verdadeiramente com o dever de casa. Apenas fornece ao garoto uma escapatória
literal da situação “desagradável” de ter que finalizar a tarefa antes de sair para brincar.
ATENÇÃO
A palavra “actually” é um falso cognato muito cobrado nos exames de larga escala
do país. Apesar de parecer a junção de ACTUAL + o sufixo formador de advérbios
(LY), não se trata do vocábulo “atualmente”, que poderia ser corretamente expresso
em inglês como “currently”, “nowadays”, “these days”.
Já “actually” é um sinônimo de “indeed”, ”in fact”, “in reality” e indica, portanto, uma
Na realidade, na verdade.
83. In the sentence “That’s a true answer”, the article may be replaced by “an”.
Gabarito: errado.
de generalizar o sentido do termo posterior (indicar que se trata de um, dentre vários;
seguinte:
Na prática, o artigo indefinido utilizado na maior parte dos casos é “A”. No entanto,
desnecessária de dois sons iguais ou similares ao mesmo tempo), se utiliza “AN” antes
BUT...
pronunciado. Observa-se os próximos sons, que são sons iniciais VOCÁLICOS. Logo,
se utiliza “AN”).
No caso em questão, “A” deve ser o artigo utilizado, uma vez que a palavra seguinte
(“TRUE”) começa com som de “T”, que é consonantal. Logo, não há cacofonia a ser
evitada.
84. In “I can write that for all of these”, both underlined words are in plural form.
Gabarito: errado.
OU
ATENÇÃO
A banca tem, neste caso, o objetivo de confundir ainda mais o candidato ou deixar
transparecer que “these” e “that” poderiam estabelecer algum tipo de relação, o que
tampouco é verdadeiro.
OU
Sendo assim, o plural do demonstrativo THIS é THESE e aqui, apenas nessa circunstância
85. Calvin’s mom will probably be surprised and upset with her son.
Gabarito: certo.
A mesma razão que levaria o candidato a marcar a questão número 81 desta apostila
como errada deve ser utilizada como justificativa para marcar a presente questão
fazer primeiro suas obrigações e, apenas após finalizá- las, sair para brincar, é bastante
provável – e o item aqui foi bem cauteloso ao utilizar o advérbio “probably” para
nos permitir inferir e fazer “assumptions about the future” – que a mãe de Calvin, ao
se dar conta do que foi feito (ou não) pelo filho, ficará surpresa e chateada/nervosa
TEXTO 16
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Gabarito: errado.
isto é, ele reclama – usando-se de fala exagerada, hiperbólica – que o pedaço de torta
• AWFULLY
Very, extremely.
Terrivelmente, muito.
• DARN
Gabarito: certo.
segundo quadrinho, em que Calvin diz de maneira explícita que “life could be a lot
BETTER, too”.
Além disso, ele utiliza o contrário de “better”, “WORSE”, no terceiro quadrinho, para
se referir ao fato de que, provavelmente, a situação ficou ainda pior do que estava
88. It is possible to infer that the other character agrees with Calvin’s opinion.
Gabarito: errado.
“fenômeno”.
os personagens agem de modo diferente (um está contido e calmo, enquanto outro
Além disso, a análise linguística propriamente dita dos termos também nos leva à
mesma conclusão. Ao retrucar a fala de que a vida poderia ser bem pior, Calvin utiliza
a conjunção adversativa “BUT” para introduzir o que vem a ser uma argumentação,
pela lógica, contrária àquela que acabou de ouvir.
89. The words “worse” and “better” are, as the cartoon suggests, opposite adjectives.
Gabarito: certo.
Essa conclusão poderia ser compreendida também – caso o candidato não tivesse
esse conhecimento prévio das estruturas de comparação – pelo contexto em que se
desenrola a história/situação narrada (de oposição de ideias entre os personagens
que utilizam cada uma das expressões, especialmente no segundo quadrinho).
90. The expression “more likely” is a comparative of superiority, but its context is
negative in the comic strip.
Gabarito: certo.
No caso da questão anterior (número 89), adicionou-se o sufixo –ER para formar o
adjetivo equivalente a “melhor” (BETTER), por se tratar de um vocábulo pequeno.
ATENÇÃO
A palavra “likely” é um falso cognato muito cobrado nos exames de larga escala do
país. Apesar de parecer a junção de LIKE + o sufixo formador de advérbios (LY), não
se trata do vocábulo” “gostosamente” ou “gostadoramente – inexistentes tanto em
português, quanto em inglês.
Sendo assim, “likely” é um sinônimo de “probable” e indica, portanto, uma situação
presente ou futura em que se há provas factuais que delimitam uma real possibilidade
de que aquilo aconteça.
TEXTO 17
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Slow Food UK
the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the
main areas:
through assisting small-scale producers and building short- supply chains. We do this
through local group activities, such as the Ark of Taste and Slow Food on Campus.
important connection between health, local food culture and agriculture. We do this
through local group activities such as producer profiles and workshops, The Taste
information websites or producer visits, our national events and awards, and the
<slowfooduk.com> (adapted)
Read the text above and judge the items according to it.
91. The main objective of the movement is to provide us with a few superficial changes
Gabarito: errado.
no texto (“biodiversity, taste education and food communities”), o que torna o item
Ora, as mudanças citadas pelo texto não são, de acordo com o autor, superficiais
item errado.
92. The Ark of Taste and Slow Food on Campus are group activities aimed at preserving
Gabarito: certo.
risco/ameaçados.
vez que alimentos que estejam sob ameaça ou sofrendo algum tipo de risco e que
precisam, por essa razão, de preservação, só podem estar “about to disappear”. Item
correto.
ATENÇÃO
O vocábulo “aimed at” é muitíssimo explorado pelas bancas por ser um sinônimo
93. It is possible to affirm that developing local group activities is a practice that is
Gabarito: certo.
Uma vez julgado de maneira apropriada o item anterior (apresentado na apostila como
uma vez que no texto é dito “We do this through local group activities”.
Esse período nos leva a entender que a criação de grupos locais para desempenhar,
por meio deles, atividades voltadas à biodiversidade, é uma prática encorajada pelo
movimento.
94. The word “agriculture” may be correctly replaced by the expression.“local food
Gabarito: errado.
Há uma tentativa de tentar fazer com que o candidato pense no vocábulo agriculture
como uma palavra composta de agri + culture e que remeteria, nessa linha de
economia bastante significativo para uma série de países (o Brasil incluído) e que sua
O item afirma que não haveria alteração de significado, mas não se pode afirmar isso
95. The word “threatened” is formed by two suffixes added to the word “threat”.
Gabarito: certo.
É este fenômeno que ocorre com a palavra “threatened”, como é possível observar
abaixo:
threatenED – verb in the past participle (verbo no passado particípio) – pode significar,
TEXTO 18
(QUESTÕES INÉDITAS/2020)
Skeptic or Gullible?
The Barnum Effect is the tendency for some people to accept very general or
vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate. The Barnum
statements, which are normally planned to be considered true for every kind of person,
fit the biggest variety of personalities. However, the society is divided into skeptic
and gullible individuals. The skeptics are the ones who doubt the truth or value of an
idea or belief, while the gullible people are the ones who are too willing to believe
Therefore, it’s completely comprehensible the fact that horoscopes and palm
reading have become so popular nowadays. In spite of that, a study published this year
has called into question the principles of Astrology. Astronomers claim that Astrology
is unfounded, because there is no scientific proof, and this current study is just one of
the several reasons to believe it. On the other hand, Astrologers defend themselves,
affirming that the scientist who supports this study is misusing an old story in order
Taking this into consideration, it’s easy to see an abyss between the ones
who believe in Astrology and its Barnum statements, and the ones who believe in
have different points of view concerning different aspects of each topic of discussion.
And that’s a good thing! It is impossible to imagine a society in which there were only
skeptics or believers, because a skeptic only exists because there is a believer and a
Read the text above and judge the items that follow.
96. According to the text, the Barnum Effect affects, in a certain way, all of us.
Gabarito: errado.
do autor no ato de relativizar a informação, que o Barnum Effect é uma tendência que
The Barnum Effect is the tendency for some people to accept very
general or vague characterizations of themselves.
Há, no item, uma generalização com o uso de “all of us”, o que não é, em absoluto,
97. Horoscopes and palm reading are examples of activities that go against the
Barnum Effect.
Gabarito: errado.
o texto indica exatamente que o Barnum Effect é a explicação plausível para o fato
de que essas práticas tenham se tornado tão populares nos dias de hoje. Vejamos:
Sendo assim, ao afirmar que essas práticas vão na direção contrária ao exposto pelo
Barnum Effect (“activities that go against the Barnum Effect”), o item afirma o
98. In the sentence “The Barnum statements, which are normally planned to be
considered true”, the underlined word replaces an entire situation, not a previously
mentioned term.
Gabarito: errado.
WHICH, que é utilizado para substituir “things, objects or animals”, pode ser corretamente
WHAT, que não é originalmente um pronome relativo (e sim, interrogativo), pode ser
usado como tal, mas para se referir a toda uma situação anteriormente mencionada,
Qual é o referente lógico sendo substituído pelo pronome WHICH nessa frase? The
Barnum statements.
Item errado.
99. It is possible to infer that Astronomers and Astrologers agree to each other in
Gabarito: errado.
O item, uma vez mais, apela para a desinformação e a uma possível associação entre
que utilizam os astros apenas como base para estudos de naturezas e finalidades
profissional. Veja:
It’s easy to see an abyss between the ones who believe in Astrology
and its Barnum statements, and the ones who believe in Astronomy’s
scientific explanations.
100. The word “However” conveys the same idea as “Nevertheless” and could be
Gabarito: certo.
texto.
“However” é uma das palavras favoritas dos exames de larga escala e provas de seleção
e “nevertheless” podendo, por essa razão, ser corretamente substituída por ambas
estrutural/gramatical.
ATENÇÃO
salientar.
“However” é visivelmente menos utilizado que “but” (pelo fato de que esta última é
tradução que:
• HOWEVER está para entretanto (um pouco mais formal, indica oposição entre