Professional Documents
Culture Documents
200 Questões #2 - Inglês - Técnico Bancário - Caixa
200 Questões #2 - Inglês - Técnico Bancário - Caixa
200 Questões #2 - Inglês - Técnico Bancário - Caixa
Inglês
Técnico Bancário Novo
Tec Concursos
Caixa 2024
23/03/2024, 16:35 Tec Concursos - Questões para concursos, provas, editais, simulados.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2294407
By Neena Rai
June 29, 2011, 9:20 AM GMT
There is a famous Chinese proverb that warns “not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also.”
And with global water shortages on the horizon, climate change supporters say an extreme response will be needed from international governments to stem the potential
for conflict it will create around the world.
Professor Patricia Wouters at the IHP-HELP Centre for water law, policy and science at University of Dundee, said the world could face a future of “water wars” as
deterioration in climatic patterns and global population growth leave people struggling to stake their claim to the natural resource.
The World Bank in a report said that 1.4 million people could be facing water scarcity by 2025. But the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
forecast is even more gloomy. It estimates that 47% of the world’s population could face water stress in the same period – equivalent to more than three billion people.
The issue isn’t restricted to countries that typically see temperatures soar, such as Cyprus, which in 2009 was forced to import water in tankers and ration its use. Northern
hemisphere nations like the U.K. are also finding themselves in the midst of a drought in some regions, forcing governments to start to take action. The U.K. government,
for instance, plans to issue a Water White Paper this December that will focus on the future challenges facing the water industry and measures to increase protection of
river flows during summer months.
Parts of the U.K. are currently marked as having drought status and other areas of the country are deemed to be at risk of drought. The U.K.’s Department for Environment
Food and Rural Affairs held a second drought summit Monday, at which Secretary of State Caroline Spelman warned the prospect of a dry summer and dry winter could
have a serious impact on the country’s water reserves.
“We’re going to keep working with farmers, water companies and environmental groups to minimize the impacts of drought, because this year is sign of things to come,”
she said. “The climate is changing and these extreme weather events will become more common. How we deal with that problem will be one of the key parts of our Water
White Paper, which will be published later this year.”
This may be a far cry from a declaration of war on other more water-abundant nations, but reaching this stage in some countries isn’t beyond the realms of imagination.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been battling the issue for the share of the Nile’s water reserves, and Israel – already fighting Palestine for territory that includes precious water
reserves – has started to charge the agricultural sector high rates for using the resource.
Even in the U.K., the armed forces are being prepared for potential conflicts over water.
Professor Wouters said that military plans are being prepared on a 30-year horizon, but that the water security topic had somewhat fallen off the table since the financial
crisis. Portugal and Spain are facing serious water scarcity issues but the agricultural sector there is having to shout loudly for its voice to be heard above the noise of the
countries’ current financial woes.
Maybe Israel’s entrepreneurial approach to the issue is the way forward. Nevertheless, the fact remains that water scarcity is now firmly on the agenda of the world’s
governments, and isn’t going to vanish overnight.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2294410
By Neena Rai
June 29, 2011, 9:20 AM GMT
There is a famous Chinese proverb that warns “not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also.”
Professor Patricia Wouters at the IHP-HELP Centre for water law, policy and science at University of Dundee, said the world could face a future of “water wars” as
deterioration in climatic patterns and global population growth leave people struggling to stake their claim to the natural resource.
The World Bank in a report said that 1.4 million [A] people could be facing water scarcity by 2025. But the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) forecast is even more gloomy. It estimates that 47% [B] of the world’s population could face water stress in the same period – equivalent to more than three billion
people [C].
The issue isn’t restricted to countries that typically see temperatures soar, such as Cyprus, which in 2009 [D] was forced to import water in tankers and ration its use.
Northern hemisphere nations like the U.K. are also finding themselves in the midst of a drought in some regions, forcing governments to start to take action. The U.K.
government, for instance, plans to issue a Water White Paper this December that will focus on the future challenges facing the water industry and measures to increase
protection of river flows during summer months.
Parts of the U.K. are currently marked as having drought status and other areas of the country are deemed to be at risk of drought. The U.K.’s Department for Environment
Food and Rural Affairs held a second drought summit Monday, at which Secretary of State Caroline Spelman warned the prospect of a dry summer and dry winter could
have a serious impact on the country’s water reserves.
“We’re going to keep working with farmers, water companies and environmental groups to minimize the impacts of drought, because this year is sign of things to come,”
she said. “The climate is changing and these extreme weather events will become more common. How we deal with that problem will be one of the key parts of our Water
White Paper, which will be published later this year.”
This may be a far cry from a declaration of war on other more water-abundant nations, but reaching this stage in some countries isn’t beyond the realms of imagination.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been battling the issue for the share of the Nile’s water reserves, and Israel – already fighting Palestine for territory that includes precious water
reserves – has started to charge the agricultural sector high rates for using the resource.
Even in the U.K., the armed forces are being prepared for potential conflicts over water.
Professor Wouters said that military plans are being prepared on a 30-year horizon [E], but that the water security topic had somewhat fallen off the table since the
financial crisis. Portugal and Spain are facing serious water scarcity issues but the agricultural sector there is having to shout loudly for its voice to be heard above the
noise of the countries’ current financial woes.
Maybe Israel’s entrepreneurial approach to the issue is the way forward. Nevertheless, the fact remains that water scarcity is now firmly on the agenda of the world’s
governments, and isn’t going to vanish overnight.
a) 1.4 million refers to the number of people who have been involved in conflicts over water.
b) 47% refers to the percentage of countries in the world already facing water scarcity.
c) more than three billion people refers to the number of people who might suffer from water shortage by 2025.
d) 2009 refers to the only year when Cyprus faced an unparalleled rise in temperature.
e) 30-year horizon refers to the period of time the financial crisis in Europe will last.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2294411
By Neena Rai
June 29, 2011, 9:20 AM GMT
There is a famous Chinese proverb that warns “not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also.”
And with global water shortages on the horizon, climate change supporters say an extreme response will be needed from international governments to stem the potential
for conflict it will create around the world.
Professor Patricia Wouters at the IHP-HELP Centre for water law, policy and science at University of Dundee, said the world could face a future of “water wars” as
deterioration in climatic patterns and global population growth leave people struggling to stake their claim to the natural resource.
The World Bank in a report said that 1.4 million people could be facing water scarcity by 2025. But the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
forecast is even more gloomy. It estimates that 47% of the world’s population could face water stress in the same period – equivalent to more than three billion people.
The issue isn’t restricted to countries that typically see temperatures soar, such as Cyprus, which in 2009 was forced to import water in tankers and ration its use. Northern
hemisphere nations like the U.K. are also finding themselves in the midst of a drought in some regions, forcing governments to start to take action. The U.K. government,
for instance, plans to issue a Water White Paper this December that will focus on the future challenges facing the water industry and measures to increase protection of
river flows during summer months.
Parts of the U.K. are currently marked as having drought status and other areas of the country are deemed to be at risk of drought. The U.K.’s Department for Environment
Food and Rural Affairs held a second drought summit Monday, at which Secretary of State Caroline Spelman warned the prospect of a dry summer and dry winter could
have a serious impact on the country’s water reserves.
“We’re going to keep working with farmers, water companies and environmental groups to minimize the impacts of drought, because this year is sign of things to come,”
she said. “The climate is changing and these extreme weather events will become more common. How we deal with that problem will be one of the key parts of our Water
White Paper, which will be published later this year.”
This may be a far cry from a declaration of war on other more water-abundant nations, but reaching this stage in some countries isn’t beyond the realms of imagination.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been battling the issue for the share of the Nile’s water reserves, and Israel – already fighting Palestine for territory that includes precious water
reserves – has started to charge the agricultural sector high rates for using the resource.
Even in the U.K., the armed forces are being prepared for potential conflicts over water.
Professor Wouters said that military plans are being prepared on a 30-year horizon, but that the water security topic had somewhat fallen off the table since the financial
crisis. Portugal and Spain are facing serious water scarcity issues but the agricultural sector there is having to shout loudly for its voice to be heard above the noise of the
countries’ current financial woes.
Maybe Israel’s entrepreneurial approach to the issue is the way forward. Nevertheless, the fact remains that water scarcity is now firmly on the agenda of the world’s
governments, and isn’t going to vanish overnight.
a) Portugal and Spain are more worried about water shortage than about political and financial problems.
b) security issues regarding water problems have been somewhat put aside because of the economic crisis.
c) the agricultural sector is not really worried about the problems that may come up if the water resources dry up.
d) in the UK, the army is fully prepared to fight the countries interested in the British hydroenergy sources.
e) the military forces intend to overlook the serious challenges to control the oceans and rivers in the next decade.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2308413
Labour
www.labour.gc.ca
We all spend a considerable portion of our day in the workplace. Ensuring that workplaces are safe is important to the well-being of everyone and to the performance of
the country’s economy.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Labour Program is committed to workplace safety in the federal public service and in the private sector under federal
jurisdiction. […]
Canadians have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. The Government of Canada protects this right through legislation, programs and services designed to
prevent accidents and injuries on the job. The Labour Program works proactively with employers to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses in federally regulated
workplaces by providing information on improving health and safety in their organizations, such as:
the role of policy, workplace health and safety committees and health and safety representatives;
workplace inspections and safety audits;
the right to refuse dangerous work;
worker complaints procedures; and
accident investigations procedures.
A Few Highlights
In recent years, the Labour Program has focused on a number of special activities. An example is new regulatory requirements for employers to develop and implement a
hazard prevention program in consultation with their policy and workplace committee or health and safety representative, including the identification and assessment of
ergonomics-related hazards.
Workplace Violence
Discrimination, harassment or physical violence: workplace violence in its many forms affects the lives of many Canadians. Curbing violence in the workplace is everyone’s
responsibility – employers, unions and government. In 2008, the Government of Canada introduced new regulations under the Canada Labour Code to prevent violence in
the workplace. The Violence Prevention in the Workplace Regulations define workplace violence and require the development of a policy to prevent it.
The Labour Program is committed to eliminating sexual harassment from our workplaces. The Canada Labour Code confirms a worker’s right to a workplace free of sexual
harassment and requires that employers make every reasonable effort to ensure that no worker is subjected to sexual harassment. […]
Why is the Canadian Government so concerned with occupational health and safety?
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2308415
Labour
https://w w w .tecconcursos.com.br/caderno/Q3QQDf/imprimir 3/136
23/03/2024, 16:35 Tec Concursos - Questões para concursos, provas, editais, simulados.
www.labour.gc.ca
We all spend a considerable portion of our day in the workplace. Ensuring that workplaces are safe is important to the well-being of everyone and to the performance of
the country’s economy.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Labour Program is committed to workplace safety in the federal public service and in the private sector under federal
jurisdiction. […]
Canadians have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. The Government of Canada protects this right through legislation, programs and services designed to
prevent accidents and injuries on the job. The Labour Program works proactively with employers to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses in federally regulated
workplaces by providing information on improving health and safety in their organizations, such as:
the role of policy, workplace health and safety committees and health and safety representatives;
workplace inspections and safety audits;
the right to refuse dangerous work;
worker complaints procedures; and
accident investigations procedures.
A Few Highlights
In recent years, the Labour Program has focused on a number of special activities. An example is new regulatory requirements for employers to develop and implement a
hazard prevention program in consultation with their policy and workplace committee or health and safety representative, including the identification and assessment of
ergonomics-related hazards.
Workplace Violence
Discrimination, harassment or physical violence: workplace violence in its many forms affects the lives of many Canadians. Curbing violence in the workplace is everyone’s
responsibility – employers, unions and government. In 2008, the Government of Canada introduced new regulations under the Canada Labour Code to prevent violence in
the workplace. The Violence Prevention in the Workplace Regulations define workplace violence and require the development of a policy to prevent it.
The Labour Program is committed to eliminating sexual harassment from our workplaces. The Canada Labour Code confirms a worker’s right to a workplace free of sexual
harassment and requires that employers make every reasonable effort to ensure that no worker is subjected to sexual harassment. […]
a) defines the concept of workplace safety and apply it to businesses in the country.
b) suggests practices and means of minimising the growing trend of labour accidents.
c) identifies workplace dangers in organizations and study procedures to prevent them.
d) describes the principles adopted by companies as far as safety control is concerned.
e) provides information on occupational safety and health to help businesses to improve them.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2308418
Labour
www.labour.gc.ca
We all spend a considerable portion of our day in the workplace. Ensuring that workplaces are safe is important to the well-being of everyone and to the performance of
the country’s economy.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Labour Program is committed to workplace safety in the federal public service and in the private sector under federal
jurisdiction. […]
Canadians have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. The Government of Canada protects this right through legislation, programs and services designed to
prevent accidents and injuries on the job. The Labour Program works proactively with employers to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses in federally regulated
workplaces by providing information on improving health and safety in their organizations, such as:
the role of policy, workplace health and safety committees and health and safety representatives;
workplace inspections and safety audits;
the right to refuse dangerous work;
worker complaints procedures; and
accident investigations procedures.
A Few Highlights
In recent years, the Labour Program has focused on a number of special activities. An example is new regulatory requirements for employers to develop and implement a
hazard prevention program in consultation with their policy and workplace committee or health and safety representative, including the identification and assessment of
ergonomics-related hazards.
Workplace Violence
Discrimination, harassment or physical violence: workplace violence in its many forms affects the lives of many Canadians. Curbing violence in the workplace is everyone’s
responsibility – employers, unions and government. In 2008, the Government of Canada introduced new regulations under the Canada Labour Code to prevent violence in
the workplace. The Violence Prevention in the Workplace Regulations define workplace violence and require the development of a policy to prevent it.
The Labour Program is committed to eliminating sexual harassment from our workplaces. The Canada Labour Code confirms a worker’s right to a workplace free of sexual
harassment and requires that employers make every reasonable effort to ensure that no worker is subjected to sexual harassment. […]
The Labour Program has recently developed new requirements which, among other things, aim at
a) implementing hazard assessment programs all over Canada.
b) identifying and minimising ergonomics-related problems.
c) giving employers the power to establish their own businesses’ policies.
d) punishing companies which do not follow the Program’s orientations.
e) establishing workplace committees to monitor prevention programs.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2308422
Labour
www.labour.gc.ca
We all spend a considerable portion of our day in the workplace. Ensuring that workplaces are safe is important to the well-being of everyone and to the performance of
the country’s economy.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Labour Program is committed to workplace safety in the federal public service and in the private sector under federal
jurisdiction. […]
Canadians have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. The Government of Canada protects this right through legislation, programs and services designed to
prevent accidents and injuries on the job. The Labour Program works proactively with employers to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses in federally regulated
workplaces by providing information on improving health and safety in their organizations, such as:
the role of policy, workplace health and safety committees and health and safety representatives;
workplace inspections and safety audits;
the right to refuse dangerous work;
worker complaints procedures; and
accident investigations procedures.
A Few Highlights
In recent years, the Labour Program has focused on a number of special activities. An example is new regulatory requirements for employers to develop and implement a
hazard prevention program in consultation with their policy and workplace committee or health and safety representative, including the identification and assessment of
ergonomics-related hazards.
Workplace Violence
Discrimination, harassment or physical violence: workplace violence in its many forms affects the lives of many Canadians. Curbing violence in the workplace is everyone’s
responsibility – employers, unions and government. In 2008, the Government of Canada introduced new regulations under the Canada Labour Code to prevent violence in
the workplace. The Violence Prevention in the Workplace Regulations define workplace violence and require the development of a policy to prevent it.
The Labour Program is committed to eliminating sexual harassment from our workplaces. The Canada Labour Code confirms a worker’s right to a workplace free of sexual
harassment and requires that employers make every reasonable effort to ensure that no worker is subjected to sexual harassment. […]
The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s unique manufacturer of dollars (bills and coins), so that the country can conduct its trade and
commerce. In addition to producing currency, the United States Mint also produces uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and
platinum coins.
Today the United States Mint announced the new designs that will appear on the Presidential $1 Coins in 2012. Each coin has two sides: the heads and the tails. The
obverse (heads sides) of the coins will bear portraits of former Presidents Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland (first term), Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland (second
term).
Inscriptions on the obverse of each coin include the President’s name, the years of his term in office, a number indicating the order in which he served, and the inscription
IN GOD WE TRUST. The portraits of Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland were designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart. The portrait
of Benjamin Harrison was designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor- Engraver Phebe Hemphill.
All coins in the Presidential $1 Coin Program bear a common reverse (tails side) featuring the iconic Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by Everhart. Inscriptions on
the reverse are $1 and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The year of minting, or issuance, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint mark are incused on the edge of the coins.
The Presidential $1 Coin Program is authorized by Public Law 109-145. Although production of circulating Presidential $1 Coins will soon be suspended, collectible versions
of the coin will continue to be available in select United States Mint offerings. For information on the availability and pricing of products featuring Presidential $1 Coins, visit
http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or call 1-800-USAMINT (872-6468).
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2336402
The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s unique manufacturer of dollars (bills and coins), so that the country can conduct its trade and
commerce. In addition to producing currency, the United States Mint also produces uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and
platinum coins.
Today the United States Mint announced the new designs that will appear on the Presidential $1 Coins in 2012. Each coin has two sides: the heads and the tails. The
obverse (heads sides) of the coins will bear portraits of former Presidents Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland (first term), Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland (second
term).
Inscriptions on the obverse of each coin include the President’s name, the years of his term in office, a number indicating the order in which he served, and the inscription
IN GOD WE TRUST. The portraits of Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland were designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart. The portrait
of Benjamin Harrison was designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor- Engraver Phebe Hemphill.
All coins in the Presidential $1 Coin Program bear a common reverse (tails side) featuring the iconic Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by Everhart. Inscriptions on
the reverse are $1 and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The year of minting, or issuance, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint mark are incused on the edge of the coins.
The Presidential $1 Coin Program is authorized by Public Law 109-145. Although production of circulating Presidential $1 Coins will soon be suspended, collectible versions
of the coin will continue to be available in select United States Mint offerings. For information on the availability and pricing of products featuring Presidential $1 Coins, visit
http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or call 1-800-USAMINT (872-6468).
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2336403
The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s unique manufacturer of dollars (bills and coins), so that the country can conduct its trade and
commerce. In addition to producing currency, the United States Mint also produces uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and
platinum coins.
Today the United States Mint announced the new designs that will appear on the Presidential $1 Coins in 2012. Each coin has two sides: the heads and the tails. The
obverse (heads sides) of the coins will bear portraits of former Presidents Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland (first term), Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland (second
term).
Inscriptions on the obverse of each coin include the President’s name, the years of his term in office, a number indicating the order in which he served, and the inscription
IN GOD WE TRUST. The portraits of Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland were designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart. The portrait
of Benjamin Harrison was designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor- Engraver Phebe Hemphill.
All coins in the Presidential $1 Coin Program bear a common reverse (tails side) featuring the iconic Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by Everhart. Inscriptions on
the reverse are $1 and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The year of minting, or issuance, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint mark are incused on the edge of the coins.
The Presidential $1 Coin Program is authorized by Public Law 109-145. Although production of circulating Presidential $1 Coins will soon be suspended, collectible versions
of the coin will continue to be available in select United States Mint offerings. For information on the availability and pricing of products featuring Presidential $1 Coins, visit
http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or call 1-800-USAMINT (872-6468).
According to the text, the obverse of each coin includes all the following pieces of information, EXCEPT
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2340131
Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come – and in the United Kingdom’s capital, huge efforts are
being made to ensure this vision. One of them was the creation of the London Development Agency (LDA), set up by the Mayor of London.
Despite the fact that London bears the UK’s highest productivity rate, and that its global transport links are second to none, LDA has to face many challenges in the capital:
population expansion, high crime rate, rising costs, housing shortages and the highest child poverty rate in the UK.
In order to do this, LDA implements an economic development strategy that is based on basic interconnected themes. They are:
(i) Investment in specific projects to put forth more effective infrastructure in order to bring about healthy, sustainable, high-quality life standards to the communities. For
instance, the initiatives put together for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games were turned into efforts to regenerate the Lower Lea Valley and the wider Thames
Gateway. Such punctual actions brought an about-face to an ampler scope area.
(ii) Investment in people to tackle the employment barrier that still affects too many Londoners, putting forth campaigns to tackle discrimination in all its forms - against
disabled people, older people, women, and people from lower economic strata.
(iii) “Investments in marketing should promote new businesses to start-up, grow and compete in the market. To help the economic scenario, the LDA must maintain
London as a key business and trading location. With LDA’s help London may secure its position as a top international destination and the principal UK gateway for tourism
and business investments in general. London might also profit from new synergies LDA can help develop with emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia and China.
(iv) Investments to maintain London Remade, an innovative recycling programme aimed at increasing markets for recycled products and driving the development of an
entrepreneurial recycling supply chain. This programme uses recycling as a vehicle to drive economic and social regeneration and it is principally funded by the LDA to
deliver green procurement and ecology-turned business consulting.
By making London Remade enforce recycling as a rule, LDA reaches the crucial aim of making each company – whenever possible – buy recycled products from other
companies that have taken in its waste materials. Ultimately, LDA’s efforts are turned to ensure that London becomes a sustainable world city with strong, long-term
economic growth, with social inclusion and with active and lasting environmental improvements.
Available at: <http://www.21stcentury.co.uk/environment/ capital-future.asp>. Retrieved on: Jan. 10, 2012. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2340134
Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come – and in the United Kingdom’s capital, huge efforts are
being made to ensure this vision. One of them was the creation of the London Development Agency (LDA), set up by the Mayor of London.
Despite the fact that London bears the UK’s highest productivity rate, and that its global transport links are second to none, LDA has to face many challenges in the capital:
population expansion, high crime rate, rising costs, housing shortages and the highest child poverty rate in the UK.
In order to do this, LDA implements an economic development strategy that is based on basic interconnected themes. They are:
(i) Investment in specific projects to put forth more effective infrastructure in order to bring about healthy, sustainable, high-quality life standards to the communities. For
instance, the initiatives put together for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games were turned into efforts to regenerate the Lower Lea Valley and the wider Thames
Gateway. Such punctual actions brought an about-face to an ampler scope area.
(ii) Investment in people to tackle the employment barrier that still affects too many Londoners, putting forth campaigns to tackle discrimination in all its forms - against
disabled people, older people, women, and people from lower economic strata.
(iii) “Investments in marketing should promote new businesses to start-up, grow and compete in the market. To help the economic scenario, the LDA must maintain
London as a key business and trading location. With LDA’s help London may secure its position as a top international destination and the principal UK gateway for tourism
and business investments in general. London might also profit from new synergies LDA can help develop with emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia and China.
(iv) Investments to maintain London Remade, an innovative recycling programme aimed at increasing markets for recycled products and driving the development of an
entrepreneurial recycling supply chain. This programme uses recycling as a vehicle to drive economic and social regeneration and it is principally funded by the LDA to
deliver green procurement and ecology-turned business consulting.
By making London Remade enforce recycling as a rule, LDA reaches the crucial aim of making each company – whenever possible – buy recycled products from other
companies that have taken in its waste materials. Ultimately, LDA’s efforts are turned to ensure that London becomes a sustainable world city with strong, long-term
economic growth, with social inclusion and with active and lasting environmental improvements.
Available at: <http://www.21stcentury.co.uk/environment/ capital-future.asp>. Retrieved on: Jan. 10, 2012. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2340151
Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come – and in the United Kingdom’s capital, huge efforts are
being made to ensure this vision. One of them was the creation of the London Development Agency (LDA), set up by the Mayor of London.
Despite the fact that London bears the UK’s highest productivity rate, and that its global transport links are second to none, LDA has to face many challenges in the capital:
population expansion, high crime rate, rising costs, housing shortages and the highest child poverty rate in the UK.
In order to do this, LDA implements an economic development strategy that is based on basic interconnected themes. They are:
(i) Investment in specific projects to put forth more effective infrastructure in order to bring about healthy, sustainable, high-quality life standards to the communities. For
instance, the initiatives put together for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games were turned into efforts to regenerate the Lower Lea Valley and the wider Thames
Gateway. Such punctual actions brought an about-face to an ampler scope area.
(ii) Investment in people to tackle the employment barrier that still affects too many Londoners, putting forth campaigns to tackle discrimination in all its forms - against
disabled people, older people, women, and people from lower economic strata.
(iii) “Investments in marketing should promote new businesses to start-up, grow and compete in the market. To help the economic scenario, the LDA must maintain
London as a key business and trading location. With LDA’s help London may secure its position as a top international destination and the principal UK gateway for tourism
and business investments in general. London might also profit from new synergies LDA can help develop with emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia and China.
(iv) Investments to maintain London Remade, an innovative recycling programme aimed at increasing markets for recycled products and driving the development of an
entrepreneurial recycling supply chain. This programme uses recycling as a vehicle to drive economic and social regeneration and it is principally funded by the LDA to
deliver green procurement and ecology-turned business consulting.
By making London Remade enforce recycling as a rule, LDA reaches the crucial aim of making each company – whenever possible – buy recycled products from other
companies that have taken in its waste materials. Ultimately, LDA’s efforts are turned to ensure that London becomes a sustainable world city with strong, long-term
economic growth, with social inclusion and with active and lasting environmental improvements.
Available at: <http://www.21stcentury.co.uk/environment/ capital-future.asp>. Retrieved on: Jan. 10, 2012. Adapted.
By Paul Frankland
International Fire Protection Magazine
Having the right equipment in place to detect and suppress a petrochemical fire is essential, but so is having well thought out emergency preparedness plans, being in a
position to ensure fast response, and having effective incident control.
The response in the first few minutes to a petrochemical fire is critical to the final outcome, as anyone who has ever found themselves in that unenviable position will tell
you. The fact of the matter is that irrespective of how sophisticated the detection and fire suppression installations, nothing will make up for a lack of emergency
preparedness, inadequate training or poorly implemented incident management. The golden rule when preparing for such an emergency is: assume nothing and test
everything.
Risk assessments for petrochemical plants, indeed for any high-hazard site, should not be limited to what might be described as “internal” fire safety threats and
challenges. If evidence is needed of this, it is necessary only to look at what happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan where the disaster was triggered by
an offshore earthquake and tsunami. In the current uncertain international climate, the risk assessor also has to consider the very real prospect of acts of terrorism aimed
at headlinegrabbing mass destruction of property and lives.
None of this, of course, lessens the need to provide the most effective detection, alarm and suppression equipment. This will probably take the form of fixed equipment
providing primary aroundthe- clock protection for such structures as cone roof tanks; open-top floating roof tanks; covered floating roof tanks; horizontal tanks; bunds, and
spill grounds. However, it cannot be overstressed that, potentially, all of this equipment is itself at risk in the event of an explosion.
While petrochemical fires are, thankfully, not everyday occurrences, when they do occur the consequences can be economically and environmentally devastating, as well as
being seriously life-threatening on a significant scale. So it is essential for petrochemical workers to keep a higher attention level so that they do not risk being faced with
the prospect. More time and energy needs to be devoted to implementing sustainable measures that will reduce or eliminate the risk of fire. Certainly, this means workers
must do their job according to stricter rules at all times: performing both passive and active fire protection measures daily, devising and implementing fully integrated
emergency and disaster management plans, and most importantly, seeing fire engineering as a dynamic and indispensable business continuity process.
In Text I, it becomes clear that in order to detect and suppress a petrochemical fire, it
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670739
Having the right equipment in place to detect and suppress a petrochemical fire is essential, but so is having well thought out emergency preparedness plans, being in a
position to ensure fast response, and having effective incident control.
The response in the first few minutes to a petrochemical fire is critical to the final outcome, as anyone who has ever found themselves in that unenviable position will tell
you. The fact of the matter is that irrespective of how sophisticated the detection and fire suppression installations, nothing will make up for a lack of emergency
preparedness, inadequate training or poorly implemented incident management. The golden rule when preparing for such an emergency is: assume nothing and test
everything.
Risk assessments for petrochemical plants, indeed for any high-hazard site, should not be limited to what might be described as “internal” fire safety threats and
challenges. If evidence is needed of this, it is necessary only to look at what happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan where the disaster was triggered by
an offshore earthquake and tsunami. In the current uncertain international climate, the risk assessor also has to consider the very real prospect of acts of terrorism aimed
at headlinegrabbing mass destruction of property and lives.
None of this, of course, lessens the need to provide the most effective detection, alarm and suppression equipment. This will probably take the form of fixed equipment
providing primary aroundthe- clock protection for such structures as cone roof tanks; open-top floating roof tanks; covered floating roof tanks; horizontal tanks; bunds, and
spill grounds. However, it cannot be overstressed that, potentially, all of this equipment is itself at risk in the event of an explosion.
While petrochemical fires are, thankfully, not everyday occurrences, when they do occur the consequences can be economically and environmentally devastating, as well as
being seriously life-threatening on a significant scale. So it is essential for petrochemical workers to keep a higher attention level so that they do not risk being faced with
the prospect. More time and energy needs to be devoted to implementing sustainable measures that will reduce or eliminate the risk of fire. Certainly, this means workers
must do their job according to stricter rules at all times: performing both passive and active fire protection measures daily, devising and implementing fully integrated
emergency and disaster management plans, and most importantly, seeing fire engineering as a dynamic and indispensable business continuity process.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670749
The world’s leading commercial diver and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) training facility, based in the Scottish Highlands and Australia, has secured its biggest ever
contract – worth US$ 1.3 million – to train Russian saturation divers. The award cements its reputation as a major service provider for the growing worldwide oil and gas
industry.
The men, already experienced air divers, were trained on saturation procedures and techniques and will receive the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) and the
Closed Bell certification. More advanced than the ADAS, the Closed Bell is the certification appropriate to deep water dives of 60 meters / 200 feet, using a trimix tank with
16 percent oxygen (O2).
During the training, divers lived in a chamber for up to 28 days, which was pressurized to the same pressure of the sea, exactly at the depth that they will be working at.
Living and working at pressure mean that they can be transported quickly and efficiently to the work site under the water without decompression stops, allowing divers to
work in much greater depths and for much longer periods of time.
MRTS Managing Director Alexander Kolikov said: “Oil and gas firms in Russia are currently facing a skills shortage due to the rapidly increasing amount of exploration work
underway at the moment. By investing in the training of our divers in saturation diving, we are addressing this need for experts in maintenance and repair activities vital to
maintaining Russia’s subsea infrastructure.”
Steve Ham, General Manager at the Fort William Centre said: “We were delighted when MRTS chose The Underwater Centre to train its divers in saturation diving, and I
think this is testament to the hard work we have been putting in to ensure our reputation as a world-class training facility.
In Text II, when the author states that the divers completed an air course prior to the saturation diver training, he means that
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670754
The world’s leading commercial diver and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) training facility, based in the Scottish Highlands and Australia, has secured its biggest ever
contract – worth US$ 1.3 million – to train Russian saturation divers. The award cements its reputation as a major service provider for the growing worldwide oil and gas
industry.
The men, already experienced air divers, were trained on saturation procedures and techniques and will receive the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) and the
Closed Bell certification. More advanced than the ADAS, the Closed Bell is the certification appropriate to deep water dives of 60 meters / 200 feet, using a trimix tank with
16 percent oxygen (O2).
During the training, divers lived in a chamber for up to 28 days, which was pressurized to the same pressure of the sea, exactly at the depth that they will be working at.
Living and working at pressure mean that they can be transported quickly and efficiently to the work site under the water without decompression stops, allowing divers to
work in much greater depths and for much longer periods of time.
MRTS Managing Director Alexander Kolikov said: “Oil and gas firms in Russia are currently facing a skills shortage due to the rapidly increasing amount of exploration work
underway at the moment. By investing in the training of our divers in saturation diving, we are addressing this need for experts in maintenance and repair activities vital to
maintaining Russia’s subsea infrastructure.”
Steve Ham, General Manager at the Fort William Centre said: “We were delighted when MRTS chose The Underwater Centre to train its divers in saturation diving, and I
think this is testament to the hard work we have been putting in to ensure our reputation as a world-class training facility.
The world’s leading commercial diver and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) training facility, based in the Scottish Highlands and Australia, has secured its biggest ever
contract – worth US$ 1.3 million – to train Russian saturation divers. The award cements its reputation as a major service provider for the growing worldwide oil and gas
industry.
The men, already experienced air divers, were trained on saturation procedures and techniques and will receive the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) and the
Closed Bell certification. More advanced than the ADAS, the Closed Bell is the certification appropriate to deep water dives of 60 meters / 200 feet, using a trimix tank with
16 percent oxygen (O2).
During the training, divers lived in a chamber for up to 28 days, which was pressurized to the same pressure of the sea, exactly at the depth that they will be working at.
Living and working at pressure mean that they can be transported quickly and efficiently to the work site under the water without decompression stops, allowing divers to
work in much greater depths and for much longer periods of time.
MRTS Managing Director Alexander Kolikov said: “Oil and gas firms in Russia are currently facing a skills shortage due to the rapidly increasing amount of exploration work
underway at the moment. By investing in the training of our divers in saturation diving, we are addressing this need for experts in maintenance and repair activities vital to
maintaining Russia’s subsea infrastructure.”
Steve Ham, General Manager at the Fort William Centre said: “We were delighted when MRTS chose The Underwater Centre to train its divers in saturation diving, and I
think this is testament to the hard work we have been putting in to ensure our reputation as a world-class training facility.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670757
The world’s leading commercial diver and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) training facility, based in the Scottish Highlands and Australia, has secured its biggest ever
contract – worth US$ 1.3 million – to train Russian saturation divers. The award cements its reputation as a major service provider for the growing worldwide oil and gas
industry.
The men, already experienced air divers, were trained on saturation procedures and techniques and will receive the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) and the
Closed Bell certification. More advanced than the ADAS, the Closed Bell is the certification appropriate to deep water dives of 60 meters / 200 feet, using a trimix tank with
16 percent oxygen (O2).
During the training, divers lived in a chamber for up to 28 days, which was pressurized to the same pressure of the sea, exactly at the depth that they will be working at.
Living and working at pressure mean that they can be transported quickly and efficiently to the work site under the water without decompression stops, allowing divers to
work in much greater depths and for much longer periods of time.
MRTS Managing Director Alexander Kolikov said: “Oil and gas firms in Russia are currently facing a skills shortage due to the rapidly increasing amount of exploration work
underway at the moment. By investing in the training of our divers in saturation diving, we are addressing this need for experts in maintenance and repair activities vital to
maintaining Russia’s subsea infrastructure.”
Steve Ham, General Manager at the Fort William Centre said: “We were delighted when MRTS chose The Underwater Centre to train its divers in saturation diving, and I
think this is testament to the hard work we have been putting in to ensure our reputation as a world-class training facility.
In Text II, Steve Ham, General Manager at the Fort William Centre, is
a) uptight, because he believed the MRTS should have chosen the Fort William Centre to offer the training.
b) worried about the responsibility the MRTS assigned to the Fort William Centre.
c) amused, because the MRTS is inclined to choose the Underwater Centre to train its divers in saturation diving.
d) elated, because the MRTS recognized the good work the Underwater Centre had been performing as technical skills educators and assigned the saturation diving
training to the Fort William Centre.
e) disappointed, because the MRTS did not choose the air divers to be the official training facility for the Fort William Centre.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2672911
The laser-cooled quantum gas opens exciting new realms of unconventional superconductivity.
By Max McClure
Stanford University News
Within the exotic world of macroscopic quantum effects, where fluids flow uphill, wires conduct without electrical resistance and magnets levitate, there is an even
stranger family of “unconventional” phenomena: strongly interacting fermions, a class of particles that are often very difficult to understand on the quantum level. These
materials often defy explanation by current theoretical physics, but hold enormous promise for the development of futuristic technologies as room-temperature
superconductors, ultrasensitive microscopes and quantum computation.
Last week the scientific world was appalled when a Stanford team made the announcement in Physical Review Letters that they had created the world’s first dipolar
quantum fermionic gas– “an entirely new form of quantum matter,” as Stanford applied physics Professor and lead author Benjamin Lev puts it. Lev affirmed that this
development represents a major step toward understanding the behavior of these systems of particles. Until now, research efforts had focused on cooling bosons –
fundamentally different from fermions, and much easier to work with. But now the Stanford team extended these techniques to gases made of the most magnetic atom: a
fermionic isotope of dysprosium with magnetic energies 440 times larger than previously cooled gases.
He explained that when the thermal energy of some substances drops below a certain critical point, it used to be impossible to consider its component particles separately
since the material becomes strongly correlated and its quantum effects become difficult to understand and study. Nevertheless, making the material out of a gas of atoms
allows it to become visible. These quantum gases, the coldest objects known to man, are where researchers can observe zero-viscosity fluids – superfluids – that are
mathematical cousins of superconductors.
Thus far, the result of the Lev lab’s high-tech efforts is a tiny ball of ultracold quantum dipolar fluid. But the researchers have reason to believe that the humble substance
will exhibit the seemingly contradictory characteristics of both crystals and superfluids. This combination could lead to quantum liquid crystals. Or it could yield a supersolid
– a hypothetical state of matter that would, in theory at least, be a solid with superfluid characteristics.
The researchers have already begun developing a microscope to make use of the dipolar quantum fluid’s unique characteristics. It is the “cryogenic atom chip microscope”,
a magnetic probe that should measure magnetic fields with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. “This kind of probe may even allow for a more stable form of
quantum computation that uses exotic quantum matter to process information, known as a topologically protected quantum computer”, said Lev. “So this new approach is
really incredibly exciting.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2672913
The laser-cooled quantum gas opens exciting new realms of unconventional superconductivity.
By Max McClure
Stanford University News
Within the exotic world of macroscopic quantum effects, where fluids flow uphill, wires conduct without electrical resistance and magnets levitate, there is an even
stranger family of “unconventional” phenomena: strongly interacting fermions, a class of particles that are often very difficult to understand on the quantum level. These
materials often defy explanation by current theoretical physics, but hold enormous promise for the development of futuristic technologies as room-temperature
superconductors, ultrasensitive microscopes and quantum computation.
Last week the scientific world was appalled when a Stanford team made the announcement in Physical Review Letters that they had created the world’s first dipolar
quantum fermionic gas– “an entirely new form of quantum matter,” as Stanford applied physics Professor and lead author Benjamin Lev puts it. Lev affirmed that this
development represents a major step toward understanding the behavior of these systems of particles. Until now, research efforts had focused on cooling bosons –
fundamentally different from fermions, and much easier to work with. But now the Stanford team extended these techniques to gases made of the most magnetic atom: a
fermionic isotope of dysprosium with magnetic energies 440 times larger than previously cooled gases.
He explained that when the thermal energy of some substances drops below a certain critical point, it used to be impossible to consider its component particles separately
since the material becomes strongly correlated and its quantum effects become difficult to understand and study. Nevertheless, making the material out of a gas of atoms
allows it to become visible. These quantum gases, the coldest objects known to man, are where researchers can observe zero-viscosity fluids – superfluids – that are
mathematical cousins of superconductors.
Thus far, the result of the Lev lab’s high-tech efforts is a tiny ball of ultracold quantum dipolar fluid. But the researchers have reason to believe that the humble substance
will exhibit the seemingly contradictory characteristics of both crystals and superfluids. This combination could lead to quantum liquid crystals. Or it could yield a supersolid
– a hypothetical state of matter that would, in theory at least, be a solid with superfluid characteristics.
The researchers have already begun developing a microscope to make use of the dipolar quantum fluid’s unique characteristics. It is the “cryogenic atom chip microscope”,
a magnetic probe that should measure magnetic fields with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. “This kind of probe may even allow for a more stable form of
quantum computation that uses exotic quantum matter to process information, known as a topologically protected quantum computer”, said Lev. “So this new approach is
really incredibly exciting.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2672930
The laser-cooled quantum gas opens exciting new realms of unconventional superconductivity.
By Max McClure
Stanford University News
Within the exotic world of macroscopic quantum effects, where fluids flow uphill, wires conduct without electrical resistance and magnets levitate, there is an even
stranger family of “unconventional” phenomena: strongly interacting fermions, a class of particles that are often very difficult to understand on the quantum level. These
materials often defy explanation by current theoretical physics, but hold enormous promise for the development of futuristic technologies as room-temperature
superconductors, ultrasensitive microscopes and quantum computation.
Last week the scientific world was appalled when a Stanford team made the announcement in Physical Review Letters that they had created the world’s first dipolar
quantum fermionic gas– “an entirely new form of quantum matter,” as Stanford applied physics Professor and lead author Benjamin Lev puts it. Lev affirmed that this
development represents a major step toward understanding the behavior of these systems of particles. Until now, research efforts had focused on cooling bosons –
fundamentally different from fermions, and much easier to work with. But now the Stanford team extended these techniques to gases made of the most magnetic atom: a
fermionic isotope of dysprosium with magnetic energies 440 times larger than previously cooled gases.
He explained that when the thermal energy of some substances drops below a certain critical point, it used to be impossible to consider its component particles separately
since the material becomes strongly correlated and its quantum effects become difficult to understand and study. Nevertheless, making the material out of a gas of atoms
allows it to become visible. These quantum gases, the coldest objects known to man, are where researchers can observe zero-viscosity fluids – superfluids – that are
mathematical cousins of superconductors.
Thus far, the result of the Lev lab’s high-tech efforts is a tiny ball of ultracold quantum dipolar fluid. But the researchers have reason to believe that the humble substance
will exhibit the seemingly contradictory characteristics of both crystals and superfluids. This combination could lead to quantum liquid crystals. Or it could yield a supersolid
– a hypothetical state of matter that would, in theory at least, be a solid with superfluid characteristics.
The researchers have already begun developing a microscope to make use of the dipolar quantum fluid’s unique characteristics. It is the “cryogenic atom chip microscope”,
a magnetic probe that should measure magnetic fields with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. “This kind of probe may even allow for a more stable form of
quantum computation that uses exotic quantum matter to process information, known as a topologically protected quantum computer”, said Lev. “So this new approach is
really incredibly exciting.”
According to the text, this new material has the opposing qualities of being
a) hot and cold
b) liquid and fluid
c) solid and fluid
d) solid and light
e) hypothetical and real
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2672932
The laser-cooled quantum gas opens exciting new realms of unconventional superconductivity.
By Max McClure
Stanford University News
Within the exotic world of macroscopic quantum effects, where fluids flow uphill, wires conduct without electrical resistance and magnets levitate, there is an even
stranger family of “unconventional” phenomena: strongly interacting fermions, a class of particles that are often very difficult to understand on the quantum level. These
materials often defy explanation by current theoretical physics, but hold enormous promise for the development of futuristic technologies as room-temperature
superconductors, ultrasensitive microscopes and quantum computation.
Last week the scientific world was appalled when a Stanford team made the announcement in Physical Review Letters that they had created the world’s first dipolar
quantum fermionic gas– “an entirely new form of quantum matter,” as Stanford applied physics Professor and lead author Benjamin Lev puts it. Lev affirmed that this
development represents a major step toward understanding the behavior of these systems of particles. Until now, research efforts had focused on cooling bosons –
fundamentally different from fermions, and much easier to work with. But now the Stanford team extended these techniques to gases made of the most magnetic atom: a
fermionic isotope of dysprosium with magnetic energies 440 times larger than previously cooled gases.
He explained that when the thermal energy of some substances drops below a certain critical point, it used to be impossible to consider its component particles separately
since the material becomes strongly correlated and its quantum effects become difficult to understand and study. Nevertheless, making the material out of a gas of atoms
allows it to become visible. These quantum gases, the coldest objects known to man, are where researchers can observe zero-viscosity fluids – superfluids – that are
mathematical cousins of superconductors.
Thus far, the result of the Lev lab’s high-tech efforts is a tiny ball of ultracold quantum dipolar fluid. But the researchers have reason to believe that the humble substance
will exhibit the seemingly contradictory characteristics of both crystals and superfluids. This combination could lead to quantum liquid crystals. Or it could yield a supersolid
– a hypothetical state of matter that would, in theory at least, be a solid with superfluid characteristics.
The researchers have already begun developing a microscope to make use of the dipolar quantum fluid’s unique characteristics. It is the “cryogenic atom chip microscope”,
a magnetic probe that should measure magnetic fields with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. “This kind of probe may even allow for a more stable form of
quantum computation that uses exotic quantum matter to process information, known as a topologically protected quantum computer”, said Lev. “So this new approach is
really incredibly exciting.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2674869
GTCIT Magazine
The Monitoring Committee of the Electric Sector (CMSE) decided on Monday (May 30, 2012), to diminish the thermoelectric power generation in Brazil as of next week.
According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Márcio Zimmermann, the thermoelectric generation, which currently averages 4.000 megawatts (MW), should now be
reduced to 2.500 MW.
These plants are used in Brazil mainly to prevent a power outage in the country in times of drought, when the reservoirs of the dams are low. But the ministry assured that
the reservoir of the hydroelectric plants are satisfactory, and that there will be no need to resort to the thermoelectric resources.
According to the Minister Zimmermann, the Southeast has an average of 90% of its reservoirs full, which is an excellent level for this time of year. Even the Northeast,
whose reservoir levels are a little lower, do not compromise system security.
“The system is operating perfectly within the current conditions, which safely allows us to reduce the generation of thermoelectric energy. This will give us an economic
surplus that can be used towards system maintenance and in the implementation of new quality programs for the energy sector”, he said.
He also explained that: “of course, this does not mean that the committee will not be flexible as to this decision in case the current conditions take an unexpected turn.”
They will be following the reduction of the projection for the coming months and, if necessary, the plans will be changed according to the demands vis-a-vis the resources.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2674883
GTCIT Magazine
The Monitoring Committee of the Electric Sector (CMSE) decided on Monday (May 30, 2012), to diminish the thermoelectric power generation in Brazil as of next week.
According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Márcio Zimmermann, the thermoelectric generation, which currently averages 4.000 megawatts (MW), should now be
reduced to 2.500 MW.
These plants are used in Brazil mainly to prevent a power outage in the country in times of drought, when the reservoirs of the dams are low. But the ministry assured that
the reservoir of the hydroelectric plants are satisfactory, and that there will be no need to resort to the thermoelectric resources.
According to the Minister Zimmermann, the Southeast has an average of 90% of its reservoirs full, which is an excellent level for this time of year. Even the Northeast,
whose reservoir levels are a little lower, do not compromise system security.
“The system is operating perfectly within the current conditions, which safely allows us to reduce the generation of thermoelectric energy. This will give us an economic
surplus that can be used towards system maintenance and in the implementation of new quality programs for the energy sector”, he said.
He also explained that: “of course, this does not mean that the committee will not be flexible as to this decision in case the current conditions take an unexpected turn.”
They will be following the reduction of the projection for the coming months and, if necessary, the plans will be changed according to the demands vis-a-vis the resources.
According to the text, the reduction of the thermoelectric power generation is justified because
a) Minister Zimmermann believes that the system security is a little fragile.
https://w w w .tecconcursos.com.br/caderno/Q3QQDf/imprimir 14/136
23/03/2024, 16:35 Tec Concursos - Questões para concursos, provas, editais, simulados.
b) Minister Zimmermann is more worried about financial difficulties than about the power distribution.
c) the draught in the Northeast is worrying authorities.
d) the power system is operating with total security, granted the high levels of the reservoirs.
e) nearly 90% of the total financial resources have already been used.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2674888
GTCIT Magazine
The Monitoring Committee of the Electric Sector (CMSE) decided on Monday (May 30, 2012), to diminish the thermoelectric power generation in Brazil as of next week.
According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Márcio Zimmermann, the thermoelectric generation, which currently averages 4.000 megawatts (MW), should now be
reduced to 2.500 MW.
These plants are used in Brazil mainly to prevent a power outage in the country in times of drought, when the reservoirs of the dams are low. But the ministry assured that
the reservoir of the hydroelectric plants are satisfactory, and that there will be no need to resort to the thermoelectric resources.
According to the Minister Zimmermann, the Southeast has an average of 90% of its reservoirs full, which is an excellent level for this time of year. Even the Northeast,
whose reservoir levels are a little lower, do not compromise system security.
“The system is operating perfectly within the current conditions, which safely allows us to reduce the generation of thermoelectric energy. This will give us an economic
surplus that can be used towards system maintenance and in the implementation of new quality programs for the energy sector”, he said.
He also explained that: “of course, this does not mean that the committee will not be flexible as to this decision in case the current conditions take an unexpected turn.”
They will be following the reduction of the projection for the coming months and, if necessary, the plans will be changed according to the demands vis-a-vis the resources.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2683223
Textile industry is among the most essential consumer goods industry. We all need garments and other textile products such as footwear and bags etc.
However, textile industry is also accused of being one of the most polluting industries. Not only production but also consumption of textiles produce waste.
To counter the problem, textile industry has taken many measures for reducing its negative contribution towards environment. One of such measures is textile recycling –
the reuse as well as the reproduction of fibers from textile waste.
The majority of textile waste comes from household sources. Average lifetime of any clothing is deemed to be for about 3 years, after which they are thrown away as old
clothes. Sometimes even ‘not so worn garments’ are also discarded as they become unfashionable or undesirable. These are post-consumer waste that goes to jumble
sales and charitable organizations. Most recovered household textiles coming to these organizations are sold or donated. The remaining ones go to either a textile
recovery facility or the landfill.
Textile waste also arises during yarns and fabric manufacturing, apparel-making processes and from the retail industry. They are the post-industrial waste.
[…]
Textile recycling is for both environmental and economic benefits. It avoids many polluting and energy intensive processes that are used to make textiles from fresh
materials.
∙ The requirement of landfill space is reduced. Textiles lead to many problems in landfill. Synthetic fibers don’t decompose. Woolen garments do decompose but
produce methane, which contributes to global warming.
∙ As fibers get locally available, they don’t have to be transported from abroad thus reducing pollution and saving energy.
∙ Lesser energy is consumed while processing, as items don’t need to be re-dyed or scoured.
∙ Waste water reduces as it does not have to be thoroughly washed with large volumes of water as it is done for, say, raw wool.
∙ Demand is reduced for textile chemicals like dyes and fixing agents.
Textile recovery facilities sort out the overly worn or stained clothing into various categories. Some textiles become wiping cloths and polishing cloths. Cotton can be used
for making rags or form a component for new high-quality paper. Knitted or woven woolens etc. are “pulled” into the state of fiber for reuse by the textile industry in low-
grade applications, such as for car insulation or seat stuffing. Other kinds of fabric are reprocessed into fibers for upholstery, insulation, and even building materials.
Buttons and zippers are taken off for reuse. The remaining natural materials, like various types of cotton, can be composted. If all available means of reuse and recycling
are properly utilized, only about 5% of the remaining solid waste needs to be disposed of.
As far as post industrial waste is concerned, all collected textiles are sorted and graded by highly skilled and experienced workers, who are able to recognize the large
variety of fiber as against the shorter types resulting from the introduction of synthetics and blended fabrics. This post industrial waste is generally reprocessed inhouse.
Clippings from apparel manufacture are also used by fiber reclaimers to make into garments, felt and blankets.
Some recovered items are even reused by fashion designers for making garments and bags. However, this is on a very small scale.
[…]
The first paragraph of the text points out that the textile industry is
a) dangerous but environmentally beneficial
b) indispensable but environmentally unfriendly
c) both very destructive and very ambitious
d) both harmful and economically useless
e) polluting and economically impracticable
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2683240
Textile industry is among the most essential consumer goods industry. We all need garments and other textile products such as footwear and bags etc.
However, textile industry is also accused of being one of the most polluting industries. Not only production but also consumption of textiles produce waste.
To counter the problem, textile industry has taken many measures for reducing its negative contribution towards environment. One of such measures is textile recycling –
the reuse as well as the reproduction of fibers from textile waste.
The majority of textile waste comes from household sources. Average lifetime of any clothing is deemed to be for about 3 years, after which they are thrown away as old
clothes. Sometimes even ‘not so worn garments’ are also discarded as they become unfashionable or undesirable. These are post-consumer waste that goes to jumble
sales and charitable organizations. Most recovered household textiles coming to these organizations are sold or donated. The remaining ones go to either a textile
recovery facility or the landfill.
Textile waste also arises during yarns and fabric manufacturing, apparel-making processes and from the retail industry. They are the post-industrial waste.
[…]
Textile recycling is for both environmental and economic benefits. It avoids many polluting and energy intensive processes that are used to make textiles from fresh
materials.
∙ The requirement of landfill space is reduced. Textiles lead to many problems in landfill. Synthetic fibers don’t decompose. Woolen garments do decompose but
produce methane, which contributes to global warming.
∙ As fibers get locally available, they don’t have to be transported from abroad thus reducing pollution and saving energy.
∙ Lesser energy is consumed while processing, as items don’t need to be re-dyed or scoured.
∙ Waste water reduces as it does not have to be thoroughly washed with large volumes of water as it is done for, say, raw wool.
∙ Demand is reduced for textile chemicals like dyes and fixing agents.
[…]
Textile recovery facilities sort out the overly worn or stained clothing into various categories. Some textiles become wiping cloths and polishing cloths. Cotton can be used
for making rags or form a component for new high-quality paper. Knitted or woven woolens etc. are “pulled” into the state of fiber for reuse by the textile industry in low-
grade applications, such as for car insulation or seat stuffing. Other kinds of fabric are reprocessed into fibers for upholstery, insulation, and even building materials.
Buttons and zippers are taken off for reuse. The remaining natural materials, like various types of cotton, can be composted. If all available means of reuse and recycling
are properly utilized, only about 5% of the remaining solid waste needs to be disposed of.
As far as post industrial waste is concerned, all collected textiles are sorted and graded by highly skilled and experienced workers, who are able to recognize the large
variety of fiber as against the shorter types resulting from the introduction of synthetics and blended fabrics. This post industrial waste is generally reprocessed inhouse.
Clippings from apparel manufacture are also used by fiber reclaimers to make into garments, felt and blankets.
Some recovered items are even reused by fashion designers for making garments and bags. However, this is on a very small scale.
[…]
As a way to respond to the accusations it is charged with, the textile industry has been investing in
a) recycling its products and by-products.
b) creating more modern production techniques.
c) building water-efficient textile facilities.
d) utilizing better methods of waste disposal.
e) implementing measures which minimize production.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2683273
Textile industry is among the most essential consumer goods industry. We all need garments and other textile products such as footwear and bags etc.
However, textile industry is also accused of being one of the most polluting industries. Not only production but also consumption of textiles produce waste.
To counter the problem, textile industry has taken many measures for reducing its negative contribution towards environment. One of such measures is textile recycling –
the reuse as well as the reproduction of fibers from textile waste.
Textile waste also arises during yarns and fabric manufacturing, apparel-making processes and from the retail industry. They are the post-industrial waste.
[…]
∙ The requirement of landfill space is reduced. Textiles lead to many problems in landfill. Synthetic fibers don’t decompose. Woolen garments do decompose but
produce methane, which contributes to global warming.
∙ As fibers get locally available, they don’t have to be transported from abroad thus reducing pollution and saving energy.
∙ Lesser energy is consumed while processing, as items don’t need to be re-dyed or scoured.
∙ Waste water reduces as it does not have to be thoroughly washed with large volumes of water as it is done for, say, raw wool.
∙ Demand is reduced for textile chemicals like dyes and fixing agents.
[…]
As far as post industrial waste is concerned, all collected textiles are sorted and graded by highly skilled and experienced workers, who are able to recognize the large
variety of fiber as against the shorter types resulting from the introduction of synthetics and blended fabrics. This post industrial waste is generally reprocessed inhouse.
Clippings from apparel manufacture are also used by fiber reclaimers to make into garments, felt and blankets.
Some recovered items are even reused by fashion designers for making garments and bags. However, this is on a very small scale.
[…]
They are
a) household textiles and fabric manufacturing
b) industrial and municipal waste
c) textile recovery facilities and landfills
d) post-consumer and post-industrial waste
e) industrial waste and household sales
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
230)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/80947
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
231)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
In the first paragraph, Peter Bregman mentions people who are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive because he
a) wishes he could be like them.
b) would like to be as busy as they are.
c) does not understand why they like rituals.
d) never feels pleasure in accomplishing his tasks.
e) considers himself happier and more dynamic than these people.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/80949
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
232)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
The sentence "It almost never worked." refers to the fact that the author
a) tried to control his impulse of doing irrelevant errands before facing his commitments.
b) had to change his goals to concentrate only on the details of his daily tasks.
c) could never see the relevance of doing important work very early in the morning on weekdays.
d) believes that failure is critical to learning, so it is not essential to control oneself to do the right things.
e) thinks that the world conspires to make people deny their responsibilities and spend their time on leisure activities.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/80951
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
233)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
In "Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals.", the author implies that a change of identity
a) will certainly lead to behavioral misconduct and inconvenient daily habits.
b) will force you to be productive and remain so forever, never needing your rituals anymore.
c) will reveal that habits are not part of your identity as an under-achiever in the work environment.
d) can eliminate rituals because they are usually ineffective strategies to achieve successful results.
e) is essential to force yourself to become and remain productive along the days by establishing effective rituals.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/80953
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
234)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
"I'm prone to be so busy […] that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done." illustrates that the author
a) is constantly distracted from his most relevant goals for the day.
b) leads a very busy professional life with no time for his family and friends.
c) can only fulfill his professional tasks by making use of phone calls and emails.
d) plans to do things that make him feel better before he attempts his daily assignments.
e) has so many household tasks to accomplish that he constantly fails in most of his plans.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/80954
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
235)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81200
Everyone makes mistakes — but some of those mistakes are more avoidable than others. When it comes to your job, even just one mistake could result in major
consequences for your career.
It's inevitable that, at some point, your supervisor or co-workers will approach you and ask for your help on an outside project or assignment. Although it might be
tempting to ignore those emails or say no to additional work, don't. You might think that no one will notice if you don’t help with extra work, but they will. And, although it's
not technically in your job description, more companies today must do more with less — meaning each employee needs to be flexible and multi-skilled. Make yourself
indispensible by pitching in on other assignments when possible. (Of course, don't overextend yourself to the point where you can’t get your normal work done.)
Some of the best job advice I've heard is to always dress at least one step above your current position. It helps others picture you working above your current position and
makes you look extremely professional. You're not just an intern/entry-level professional, you have the potential to be so much more — so act like it.
No one is perfect. And while doing projects to the best of your ability is something you should strive to do, it doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake or do something
incorrectly. If you make a mistake, own up to it and correct it. Remember to not lose sight of the overall goal by focusing too much on the little details. You could potentially
miss deadlines and quality of your work — not to mention drive your co-workers (and boss) crazy.
Many workplaces still don't give employees feedback more than a few times per year. If you wait around for feedback for several months, you're doing yourself (and your
organization) a disservice. Instead of waiting for your supervisor to come to you, ask to set up a quick meeting to discuss your progress thus far and any improvements
you could make. Bring up specific projects you’ve completed and ask for feedback on things you were unsure about. This way, you know where you stand in your position
and at the company — before a formal performance review comes across your desk.
Even if you're doing spectacular work, you could be overlooked if you sit at your desk each day and avoid interactions with co-workers and upper management. When you
need a break, head over to the break room or cafeteria and interact with other workers in your office. Not only will this help reduce stress on the job, but you’ll have the
potential to make some great professional relationships, too.
Some people think asking questions is a sign of weakness. Yet, when you’re unsure how to complete a task, it can be hard to do it the right way the first time without
clarification. When assigned a new project, ask any questions that might come up right then and there. Furthermore, you might also want to inquire about how your
success will be measured and how often you should update your boss on the progress. Your supervisor would much rather that you ask questions now in order to avoid
potential problems later.
When you first start on a new job, it’s important to take note of cultural differences from previous workplaces. What does everyone wear on a daily basis? How much
socialization goes on during the workday? Do employees tend to come in early or stay late? What is the typical mode of communication for the office? Assimilating to the
culture is a great way to fit in quickly at the organization and get along with other employees.
Available in: <http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices- careers/2011/06/17/how-to-avoid-7-common-on-thejob- mistakes>. Retrieved on: Sept. 17, 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81201
Everyone makes mistakes — but some of those mistakes are more avoidable than others. When it comes to your job, even just one mistake could result in major
consequences for your career.
It's inevitable that, at some point, your supervisor or co-workers will approach you and ask for your help on an outside project or assignment. Although it might be
tempting to ignore those emails or say no to additional work, don't. You might think that no one will notice if you don’t help with extra work, but they will. And, although it's
not technically in your job description, more companies today must do more with less — meaning each employee needs to be flexible and multi-skilled. Make yourself
indispensible by pitching in on other assignments when possible. (Of course, don't overextend yourself to the point where you can’t get your normal work done.)
Some of the best job advice I've heard is to always dress at least one step above your current position. It helps others picture you working above your current position and
makes you look extremely professional. You're not just an intern/entry-level professional, you have the potential to be so much more — so act like it.
No one is perfect. And while doing projects to the best of your ability is something you should strive to do, it doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake or do something
incorrectly. If you make a mistake, own up to it and correct it. Remember to not lose sight of the overall goal by focusing too much on the little details. You could potentially
miss deadlines and quality of your work — not to mention drive your co-workers (and boss) crazy.
Many workplaces still don't give employees feedback more than a few times per year. If you wait around for feedback for several months, you're doing yourself (and your
organization) a disservice. Instead of waiting for your supervisor to come to you, ask to set up a quick meeting to discuss your progress thus far and any improvements
you could make. Bring up specific projects you’ve completed and ask for feedback on things you were unsure about. This way, you know where you stand in your position
and at the company — before a formal performance review comes across your desk.
Even if you're doing spectacular work, you could be overlooked if you sit at your desk each day and avoid interactions with co-workers and upper management. When you
need a break, head over to the break room or cafeteria and interact with other workers in your office. Not only will this help reduce stress on the job, but you’ll have the
potential to make some great professional relationships, too.
Some people think asking questions is a sign of weakness. Yet, when you’re unsure how to complete a task, it can be hard to do it the right way the first time without
clarification. When assigned a new project, ask any questions that might come up right then and there. Furthermore, you might also want to inquire about how your
success will be measured and how often you should update your boss on the progress. Your supervisor would much rather that you ask questions now in order to avoid
potential problems later.
When you first start on a new job, it’s important to take note of cultural differences from previous workplaces. What does everyone wear on a daily basis? How much
socialization goes on during the workday? Do employees tend to come in early or stay late? What is the typical mode of communication for the office? Assimilating to the
culture is a great way to fit in quickly at the organization and get along with other employees.
Available in: <http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices- careers/2011/06/17/how-to-avoid-7-common-on-thejob- mistakes>. Retrieved on: Sept. 17, 2011. Adapted.
According to the author's comments about mistakes #1, #2 and #3, it can be inferred that
a) it is essential to wear new and expensive clothes at work to seem well off.
b) co-workers are always asking for help in assignments they are not skilled to do.
c) it is wrong to confess mistakes made even when you correct and make up for them.
d) employees should be willing to engage in additional work to reveal their full potential.
e) employers should pay attention to every detail in their jobs to guarantee the quality of their work regardless of deadlines.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81202
Everyone makes mistakes — but some of those mistakes are more avoidable than others. When it comes to your job, even just one mistake could result in major
consequences for your career.
It's inevitable that, at some point, your supervisor or co-workers will approach you and ask for your help on an outside project or assignment. Although it might be
tempting to ignore those emails or say no to additional work, don't. You might think that no one will notice if you don’t help with extra work, but they will. And, although it's
not technically in your job description, more companies today must do more with less — meaning each employee needs to be flexible and multi-skilled. Make yourself
indispensible by pitching in on other assignments when possible. (Of course, don't overextend yourself to the point where you can’t get your normal work done.)
No one is perfect. And while doing projects to the best of your ability is something you should strive to do, it doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake or do something
incorrectly. If you make a mistake, own up to it and correct it. Remember to not lose sight of the overall goal by focusing too much on the little details. You could potentially
miss deadlines and quality of your work — not to mention drive your co-workers (and boss) crazy.
Many workplaces still don't give employees feedback more than a few times per year. If you wait around for feedback for several months, you're doing yourself (and your
organization) a disservice. Instead of waiting for your supervisor to come to you, ask to set up a quick meeting to discuss your progress thus far and any improvements
you could make. Bring up specific projects you’ve completed and ask for feedback on things you were unsure about. This way, you know where you stand in your position
and at the company — before a formal performance review comes across your desk.
Even if you're doing spectacular work, you could be overlooked if you sit at your desk each day and avoid interactions with co-workers and upper management. When you
need a break, head over to the break room or cafeteria and interact with other workers in your office. Not only will this help reduce stress on the job, but you’ll have the
potential to make some great professional relationships, too.
Some people think asking questions is a sign of weakness. Yet, when you’re unsure how to complete a task, it can be hard to do it the right way the first time without
clarification. When assigned a new project, ask any questions that might come up right then and there. Furthermore, you might also want to inquire about how your
success will be measured and how often you should update your boss on the progress. Your supervisor would much rather that you ask questions now in order to avoid
potential problems later.
When you first start on a new job, it’s important to take note of cultural differences from previous workplaces. What does everyone wear on a daily basis? How much
socialization goes on during the workday? Do employees tend to come in early or stay late? What is the typical mode of communication for the office? Assimilating to the
culture is a great way to fit in quickly at the organization and get along with other employees.
Available in: <http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices- careers/2011/06/17/how-to-avoid-7-common-on-thejob- mistakes>. Retrieved on: Sept. 17, 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81203
Everyone makes mistakes — but some of those mistakes are more avoidable than others. When it comes to your job, even just one mistake could result in major
consequences for your career.
It's inevitable that, at some point, your supervisor or co-workers will approach you and ask for your help on an outside project or assignment. Although it might be
tempting to ignore those emails or say no to additional work, don't. You might think that no one will notice if you don’t help with extra work, but they will. And, although it's
not technically in your job description, more companies today must do more with less — meaning each employee needs to be flexible and multi-skilled. Make yourself
indispensible by pitching in on other assignments when possible. (Of course, don't overextend yourself to the point where you can’t get your normal work done.)
Some of the best job advice I've heard is to always dress at least one step above your current position. It helps others picture you working above your current position and
makes you look extremely professional. You're not just an intern/entry-level professional, you have the potential to be so much more — so act like it.
No one is perfect. And while doing projects to the best of your ability is something you should strive to do, it doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake or do something
incorrectly. If you make a mistake, own up to it and correct it. Remember to not lose sight of the overall goal by focusing too much on the little details. You could potentially
miss deadlines and quality of your work — not to mention drive your co-workers (and boss) crazy.
Many workplaces still don't give employees feedback more than a few times per year. If you wait around for feedback for several months, you're doing yourself (and your
organization) a disservice. Instead of waiting for your supervisor to come to you, ask to set up a quick meeting to discuss your progress thus far and any improvements
you could make. Bring up specific projects you’ve completed and ask for feedback on things you were unsure about. This way, you know where you stand in your position
and at the company — before a formal performance review comes across your desk.
Even if you're doing spectacular work, you could be overlooked if you sit at your desk each day and avoid interactions with co-workers and upper management. When you
need a break, head over to the break room or cafeteria and interact with other workers in your office. Not only will this help reduce stress on the job, but you’ll have the
Some people think asking questions is a sign of weakness. Yet, when you’re unsure how to complete a task, it can be hard to do it the right way the first time without
clarification. When assigned a new project, ask any questions that might come up right then and there. Furthermore, you might also want to inquire about how your
success will be measured and how often you should update your boss on the progress. Your supervisor would much rather that you ask questions now in order to avoid
potential problems later.
When you first start on a new job, it’s important to take note of cultural differences from previous workplaces. What does everyone wear on a daily basis? How much
socialization goes on during the workday? Do employees tend to come in early or stay late? What is the typical mode of communication for the office? Assimilating to the
culture is a great way to fit in quickly at the organization and get along with other employees.
Available in: <http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices- careers/2011/06/17/how-to-avoid-7-common-on-thejob- mistakes>. Retrieved on: Sept. 17, 2011. Adapted.
Appropriate alternative titles for mistakes #3 and #5 are, respectively,
a) Trying to complete every task to perfection / Hiding out at your desk
b) Avoiding mistakes by all means / Refusing interactions with co-workers
c) Seeking perfection / Eliminating breaks during working hours
d) Focusing only on your goals / Making professional contacts with upper management
e) Meeting deadlines no matter what / Reducing stress in the cafeteria
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81633
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Engenharia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
240) Why Companies Need Less Innovation
By Pat Lencioni
Perhaps the most popular—and misunderstood—term of the first decade of the new millennium is "innovation." A new stack of books and articles is produced every year
asserting the critical importance of innovation for organizations that want to survive, especially during these challenging times. And to a large extent, I agree with that
assertion. Unfortunately, most organizations in search of innovation seem to be generating as much cynicism as they are new thinking.
The problem isn't so much that we’re overstating the importance of innovation; it's more about what so many leaders are doing with it. Too many of them are exhorting all
of their employees to be more innovative, providing classes and workshops designed to teach everyone how to think outside the box. They're also doing their best to
include innovation on a list of core values, emblazoning the word on annual reports and hallway posters, hoping that this will inspire people to come up with new ideas that
will revolutionize the long-term strategic and financial prospects of the company.
For all the talk about innovation, most executives don't really like the prospect of their people generating new ways to do things, hoping instead that they'll simply do what
they’re being asked to do in the most enthusiastic, professional way possible. So it is no surprise when leaders get pounded for preaching innovation without really valuing
it.
What should leaders do? Be more open to new ideas from employees? Probably not. Better yet, they should stop overhyping innovation to the masses and come to the
realization that only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.
As heretical as that may seem to those who want to believe that "innovation is everyone's business," consider that even the most innovative and creative organizations
need far more people to be dutiful, enthusiastic, and consistent in their work than innovative or creative.
Think about a movie set. For every writer or director or actor on the payroll, there are hordes of people who have to be technically proficient, consistent, patient, and
disciplined in their responsibilities. If they innovate, the project turns to chaos.
And the most creative restaurant requires the work of a single chef to design a fabulous menu, and dozens of cooks and waitresses and waiters and dishwashers who will
do their jobs with commitment, consistency, and dutifulness. If the cooks innovate, consistency is gone and customers can't rely on what they're going to get. Even a high-
tech company doesn't want or need its finance department or sales staff to be truly innovative.
What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation? How about a combination of interpersonal creativity and autonomy? "Creatonomy." I realize that sounds like
a protein drink for bodybuilders; however, what it means is that we need our employees to take complete responsibility to do their jobs and satisfy customers in the most
effective and charismatic way possible, but within the bounds of sound business principles. For those who say "Well, that's what we mean when we use the word
‘innovation'," one needs to realize that it's not what employees are hearing.
The Creatonomy Factor
Creatonomy is something that thrives in great companies. The world's best airlines, quick-service restaurant companies, department stores, and entrepreneurial
businesses excel in it. Their employees are passionate and committed and take complete responsibility for their work, consistently turning customers into loyal fans. Sure,
they're encouraged to share their ideas about new ways to work, but most of what they are known for is being great at what has already been defined as the product or
service that their company offers. And most leaders I know would take that any day, even before innovation.
There is one group of people in an organization that has to exercise the capacity for innovation, regardless of their functional area. That group is the leadership team.
Those who are chartered with overseeing a company's various departments from the top are the keepers of innovation. They are ultimately responsible for determining
the boundaries of change that are acceptable and, perhaps most important of all, identifying the handful of others within their departments who have the invitation and
freedom to innovate.
Therefore, if you're a leader, the next time you think about giving a speech or sending out an e-mail calling for your people to innovate, consider being more specific about
what you really want from them. And if you really believe that your organization isn't innovative enough, focus your efforts first on the people at the top.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81634
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Engenharia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
241) Why Companies Need Less Innovation
By Pat Lencioni
Perhaps the most popular—and misunderstood—term of the first decade of the new millennium is "innovation." A new stack of books and articles is produced every year
asserting the critical importance of innovation for organizations that want to survive, especially during these challenging times. And to a large extent, I agree with that
assertion. Unfortunately, most organizations in search of innovation seem to be generating as much cynicism as they are new thinking.
The problem isn't so much that we’re overstating the importance of innovation; it's more about what so many leaders are doing with it. Too many of them are exhorting all
of their employees to be more innovative, providing classes and workshops designed to teach everyone how to think outside the box. They're also doing their best to
include innovation on a list of core values, emblazoning the word on annual reports and hallway posters, hoping that this will inspire people to come up with new ideas that
will revolutionize the long-term strategic and financial prospects of the company.
For all the talk about innovation, most executives don't really like the prospect of their people generating new ways to do things, hoping instead that they'll simply do what
they’re being asked to do in the most enthusiastic, professional way possible. So it is no surprise when leaders get pounded for preaching innovation without really valuing
it.
What should leaders do? Be more open to new ideas from employees? Probably not. Better yet, they should stop overhyping innovation to the masses and come to the
realization that only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.
As heretical as that may seem to those who want to believe that "innovation is everyone's business," consider that even the most innovative and creative organizations
need far more people to be dutiful, enthusiastic, and consistent in their work than innovative or creative.
Think about a movie set. For every writer or director or actor on the payroll, there are hordes of people who have to be technically proficient, consistent, patient, and
disciplined in their responsibilities. If they innovate, the project turns to chaos.
And the most creative restaurant requires the work of a single chef to design a fabulous menu, and dozens of cooks and waitresses and waiters and dishwashers who will
do their jobs with commitment, consistency, and dutifulness. If the cooks innovate, consistency is gone and customers can't rely on what they're going to get. Even a high-
tech company doesn't want or need its finance department or sales staff to be truly innovative.
What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation? How about a combination of interpersonal creativity and autonomy? "Creatonomy." I realize that sounds like
a protein drink for bodybuilders; however, what it means is that we need our employees to take complete responsibility to do their jobs and satisfy customers in the most
effective and charismatic way possible, but within the bounds of sound business principles. For those who say "Well, that's what we mean when we use the word
‘innovation'," one needs to realize that it's not what employees are hearing.
The Creatonomy Factor
Creatonomy is something that thrives in great companies. The world's best airlines, quick-service restaurant companies, department stores, and entrepreneurial
businesses excel in it. Their employees are passionate and committed and take complete responsibility for their work, consistently turning customers into loyal fans. Sure,
they're encouraged to share their ideas about new ways to work, but most of what they are known for is being great at what has already been defined as the product or
service that their company offers. And most leaders I know would take that any day, even before innovation.
There is one group of people in an organization that has to exercise the capacity for innovation, regardless of their functional area. That group is the leadership team.
Those who are chartered with overseeing a company's various departments from the top are the keepers of innovation. They are ultimately responsible for determining
the boundaries of change that are acceptable and, perhaps most important of all, identifying the handful of others within their departments who have the invitation and
freedom to innovate.
Therefore, if you're a leader, the next time you think about giving a speech or sending out an e-mail calling for your people to innovate, consider being more specific about
what you really want from them. And if you really believe that your organization isn't innovative enough, focus your efforts first on the people at the top.
The fragment "…to teach everyone how to think outside the box." suggests that company leaders are
a) stimulating employees to adopt classic ways of thinking and behaving.
b) defending that all workers must learn to organize their materials in classified boxes.
c) showing their employees how to look further and see things from unconventional perspectives.
d) finding ways to criticize the business executives' lateral thought processes which contradict standard ideas.
e) planning new courses and training sessions that will teach workers to follow all of the norms for out-of-company procedures.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81635
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Engenharia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
242) Why Companies Need Less Innovation
By Pat Lencioni
Perhaps the most popular—and misunderstood—term of the first decade of the new millennium is "innovation." A new stack of books and articles is produced every year
asserting the critical importance of innovation for organizations that want to survive, especially during these challenging times. And to a large extent, I agree with that
assertion. Unfortunately, most organizations in search of innovation seem to be generating as much cynicism as they are new thinking.
The problem isn't so much that we’re overstating the importance of innovation; it's more about what so many leaders are doing with it. Too many of them are exhorting all
of their employees to be more innovative, providing classes and workshops designed to teach everyone how to think outside the box. They're also doing their best to
include innovation on a list of core values, emblazoning the word on annual reports and hallway posters, hoping that this will inspire people to come up with new ideas that
will revolutionize the long-term strategic and financial prospects of the company.
What should leaders do? Be more open to new ideas from employees? Probably not. Better yet, they should stop overhyping innovation to the masses and come to the
realization that only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.
As heretical as that may seem to those who want to believe that "innovation is everyone's business," consider that even the most innovative and creative organizations
need far more people to be dutiful, enthusiastic, and consistent in their work than innovative or creative.
Think about a movie set. For every writer or director or actor on the payroll, there are hordes of people who have to be technically proficient, consistent, patient, and
disciplined in their responsibilities. If they innovate, the project turns to chaos.
And the most creative restaurant requires the work of a single chef to design a fabulous menu, and dozens of cooks and waitresses and waiters and dishwashers who will
do their jobs with commitment, consistency, and dutifulness. If the cooks innovate, consistency is gone and customers can't rely on what they're going to get. Even a high-
tech company doesn't want or need its finance department or sales staff to be truly innovative.
What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation? How about a combination of interpersonal creativity and autonomy? "Creatonomy." I realize that sounds like
a protein drink for bodybuilders; however, what it means is that we need our employees to take complete responsibility to do their jobs and satisfy customers in the most
effective and charismatic way possible, but within the bounds of sound business principles. For those who say "Well, that's what we mean when we use the word
‘innovation'," one needs to realize that it's not what employees are hearing.
The Creatonomy Factor
Creatonomy is something that thrives in great companies. The world's best airlines, quick-service restaurant companies, department stores, and entrepreneurial
businesses excel in it. Their employees are passionate and committed and take complete responsibility for their work, consistently turning customers into loyal fans. Sure,
they're encouraged to share their ideas about new ways to work, but most of what they are known for is being great at what has already been defined as the product or
service that their company offers. And most leaders I know would take that any day, even before innovation.
There is one group of people in an organization that has to exercise the capacity for innovation, regardless of their functional area. That group is the leadership team.
Those who are chartered with overseeing a company's various departments from the top are the keepers of innovation. They are ultimately responsible for determining
the boundaries of change that are acceptable and, perhaps most important of all, identifying the handful of others within their departments who have the invitation and
freedom to innovate.
Therefore, if you're a leader, the next time you think about giving a speech or sending out an e-mail calling for your people to innovate, consider being more specific about
what you really want from them. And if you really believe that your organization isn't innovative enough, focus your efforts first on the people at the top.
In "…only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.", the fragment "really needs to be" transmits the idea of
a) minor ability
b) strong necessity
c) weak possibility
d) severe regulation
e) inevitable advice
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81637
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Engenharia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
243) Why Companies Need Less Innovation
By Pat Lencioni
Perhaps the most popular—and misunderstood—term of the first decade of the new millennium is "innovation." A new stack of books and articles is produced every year
asserting the critical importance of innovation for organizations that want to survive, especially during these challenging times. And to a large extent, I agree with that
assertion. Unfortunately, most organizations in search of innovation seem to be generating as much cynicism as they are new thinking.
The problem isn't so much that we’re overstating the importance of innovation; it's more about what so many leaders are doing with it. Too many of them are exhorting all
of their employees to be more innovative, providing classes and workshops designed to teach everyone how to think outside the box. They're also doing their best to
include innovation on a list of core values, emblazoning the word on annual reports and hallway posters, hoping that this will inspire people to come up with new ideas that
will revolutionize the long-term strategic and financial prospects of the company.
For all the talk about innovation, most executives don't really like the prospect of their people generating new ways to do things, hoping instead that they'll simply do what
they’re being asked to do in the most enthusiastic, professional way possible. So it is no surprise when leaders get pounded for preaching innovation without really valuing
it.
What should leaders do? Be more open to new ideas from employees? Probably not. Better yet, they should stop overhyping innovation to the masses and come to the
realization that only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.
As heretical as that may seem to those who want to believe that "innovation is everyone's business," consider that even the most innovative and creative organizations
need far more people to be dutiful, enthusiastic, and consistent in their work than innovative or creative.
Think about a movie set. For every writer or director or actor on the payroll, there are hordes of people who have to be technically proficient, consistent, patient, and
disciplined in their responsibilities. If they innovate, the project turns to chaos.
And the most creative restaurant requires the work of a single chef to design a fabulous menu, and dozens of cooks and waitresses and waiters and dishwashers who will
do their jobs with commitment, consistency, and dutifulness. If the cooks innovate, consistency is gone and customers can't rely on what they're going to get. Even a high-
tech company doesn't want or need its finance department or sales staff to be truly innovative.
What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation? How about a combination of interpersonal creativity and autonomy? "Creatonomy." I realize that sounds like
a protein drink for bodybuilders; however, what it means is that we need our employees to take complete responsibility to do their jobs and satisfy customers in the most
Creatonomy is something that thrives in great companies. The world's best airlines, quick-service restaurant companies, department stores, and entrepreneurial
businesses excel in it. Their employees are passionate and committed and take complete responsibility for their work, consistently turning customers into loyal fans. Sure,
they're encouraged to share their ideas about new ways to work, but most of what they are known for is being great at what has already been defined as the product or
service that their company offers. And most leaders I know would take that any day, even before innovation.
There is one group of people in an organization that has to exercise the capacity for innovation, regardless of their functional area. That group is the leadership team.
Those who are chartered with overseeing a company's various departments from the top are the keepers of innovation. They are ultimately responsible for determining
the boundaries of change that are acceptable and, perhaps most important of all, identifying the handful of others within their departments who have the invitation and
freedom to innovate.
Therefore, if you're a leader, the next time you think about giving a speech or sending out an e-mail calling for your people to innovate, consider being more specific about
what you really want from them. And if you really believe that your organization isn't innovative enough, focus your efforts first on the people at the top.
In paragraphs 6 and 7, the contexts of a movie set and a creative restaurant are mentioned to illustrate the fact that
a) those are the only areas in which innovation is, definitely, not welcome.
b) only actors and cooks are allowed to take innovative actions in their jobs.
c) chefs and movie directors must excel in innovation just as every business employee.
d) all employees in the entertainment industry are taught to be innovative and creative all the time.
e) in all business contexts, innovation and creativity are essential aptitudes for only a part of the professionals.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81639
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Engenharia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
244) Why Companies Need Less Innovation
By Pat Lencioni
Perhaps the most popular—and misunderstood—term of the first decade of the new millennium is "innovation." A new stack of books and articles is produced every year
asserting the critical importance of innovation for organizations that want to survive, especially during these challenging times. And to a large extent, I agree with that
assertion. Unfortunately, most organizations in search of innovation seem to be generating as much cynicism as they are new thinking.
The problem isn't so much that we’re overstating the importance of innovation; it's more about what so many leaders are doing with it. Too many of them are exhorting all
of their employees to be more innovative, providing classes and workshops designed to teach everyone how to think outside the box. They're also doing their best to
include innovation on a list of core values, emblazoning the word on annual reports and hallway posters, hoping that this will inspire people to come up with new ideas that
will revolutionize the long-term strategic and financial prospects of the company.
For all the talk about innovation, most executives don't really like the prospect of their people generating new ways to do things, hoping instead that they'll simply do what
they’re being asked to do in the most enthusiastic, professional way possible. So it is no surprise when leaders get pounded for preaching innovation without really valuing
it.
What should leaders do? Be more open to new ideas from employees? Probably not. Better yet, they should stop overhyping innovation to the masses and come to the
realization that only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.
As heretical as that may seem to those who want to believe that "innovation is everyone's business," consider that even the most innovative and creative organizations
need far more people to be dutiful, enthusiastic, and consistent in their work than innovative or creative.
Think about a movie set. For every writer or director or actor on the payroll, there are hordes of people who have to be technically proficient, consistent, patient, and
disciplined in their responsibilities. If they innovate, the project turns to chaos.
And the most creative restaurant requires the work of a single chef to design a fabulous menu, and dozens of cooks and waitresses and waiters and dishwashers who will
do their jobs with commitment, consistency, and dutifulness. If the cooks innovate, consistency is gone and customers can't rely on what they're going to get. Even a high-
tech company doesn't want or need its finance department or sales staff to be truly innovative.
What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation? How about a combination of interpersonal creativity and autonomy? "Creatonomy." I realize that sounds like
a protein drink for bodybuilders; however, what it means is that we need our employees to take complete responsibility to do their jobs and satisfy customers in the most
effective and charismatic way possible, but within the bounds of sound business principles. For those who say "Well, that's what we mean when we use the word
‘innovation'," one needs to realize that it's not what employees are hearing.
The Creatonomy Factor
Creatonomy is something that thrives in great companies. The world's best airlines, quick-service restaurant companies, department stores, and entrepreneurial
businesses excel in it. Their employees are passionate and committed and take complete responsibility for their work, consistently turning customers into loyal fans. Sure,
they're encouraged to share their ideas about new ways to work, but most of what they are known for is being great at what has already been defined as the product or
service that their company offers. And most leaders I know would take that any day, even before innovation.
There is one group of people in an organization that has to exercise the capacity for innovation, regardless of their functional area. That group is the leadership team.
Those who are chartered with overseeing a company's various departments from the top are the keepers of innovation. They are ultimately responsible for determining
the boundaries of change that are acceptable and, perhaps most important of all, identifying the handful of others within their departments who have the invitation and
freedom to innovate.
Therefore, if you're a leader, the next time you think about giving a speech or sending out an e-mail calling for your people to innovate, consider being more specific about
what you really want from them. And if you really believe that your organization isn't innovative enough, focus your efforts first on the people at the top.
The question "What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation?" implies that
a) people feel that innovation only matters for demanding business leaders.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81642
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Engenharia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Interpretação de Textos (Understanding)
245) Why Companies Need Less Innovation
By Pat Lencioni
Perhaps the most popular—and misunderstood—term of the first decade of the new millennium is "innovation." A new stack of books and articles is produced every year
asserting the critical importance of innovation for organizations that want to survive, especially during these challenging times. And to a large extent, I agree with that
assertion. Unfortunately, most organizations in search of innovation seem to be generating as much cynicism as they are new thinking.
The problem isn't so much that we’re overstating the importance of innovation; it's more about what so many leaders are doing with it. Too many of them are exhorting all
of their employees to be more innovative, providing classes and workshops designed to teach everyone how to think outside the box. They're also doing their best to
include innovation on a list of core values, emblazoning the word on annual reports and hallway posters, hoping that this will inspire people to come up with new ideas that
will revolutionize the long-term strategic and financial prospects of the company.
For all the talk about innovation, most executives don't really like the prospect of their people generating new ways to do things, hoping instead that they'll simply do what
they’re being asked to do in the most enthusiastic, professional way possible. So it is no surprise when leaders get pounded for preaching innovation without really valuing
it.
What should leaders do? Be more open to new ideas from employees? Probably not. Better yet, they should stop overhyping innovation to the masses and come to the
realization that only a limited number of people in any company really needs to be innovative.
As heretical as that may seem to those who want to believe that "innovation is everyone's business," consider that even the most innovative and creative organizations
need far more people to be dutiful, enthusiastic, and consistent in their work than innovative or creative.
Think about a movie set. For every writer or director or actor on the payroll, there are hordes of people who have to be technically proficient, consistent, patient, and
disciplined in their responsibilities. If they innovate, the project turns to chaos.
And the most creative restaurant requires the work of a single chef to design a fabulous menu, and dozens of cooks and waitresses and waiters and dishwashers who will
do their jobs with commitment, consistency, and dutifulness. If the cooks innovate, consistency is gone and customers can't rely on what they're going to get. Even a high-
tech company doesn't want or need its finance department or sales staff to be truly innovative.
What should leaders demand of their people, if not innovation? How about a combination of interpersonal creativity and autonomy? "Creatonomy." I realize that sounds like
a protein drink for bodybuilders; however, what it means is that we need our employees to take complete responsibility to do their jobs and satisfy customers in the most
effective and charismatic way possible, but within the bounds of sound business principles. For those who say "Well, that's what we mean when we use the word
‘innovation'," one needs to realize that it's not what employees are hearing.
The Creatonomy Factor
Creatonomy is something that thrives in great companies. The world's best airlines, quick-service restaurant companies, department stores, and entrepreneurial
businesses excel in it. Their employees are passionate and committed and take complete responsibility for their work, consistently turning customers into loyal fans. Sure,
they're encouraged to share their ideas about new ways to work, but most of what they are known for is being great at what has already been defined as the product or
service that their company offers. And most leaders I know would take that any day, even before innovation.
There is one group of people in an organization that has to exercise the capacity for innovation, regardless of their functional area. That group is the leadership team.
Those who are chartered with overseeing a company's various departments from the top are the keepers of innovation. They are ultimately responsible for determining
the boundaries of change that are acceptable and, perhaps most important of all, identifying the handful of others within their departments who have the invitation and
freedom to innovate.
Therefore, if you're a leader, the next time you think about giving a speech or sending out an e-mail calling for your people to innovate, consider being more specific about
what you really want from them. And if you really believe that your organization isn't innovative enough, focus your efforts first on the people at the top.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/199344
Remember the lunch hour? In a more relaxed, less plugged-in era, office workers would rise up midday to eat food at tables, gossip with co-workers, enjoy a book on a
park bench or take a walk in the sun. Can it still be done, without invoking the scorn of desk-bound colleagues or enduring constant electronic interruptions? It can and
should. Here are five ways to break free:
As the hair-color ads say, “You’re worth it.” Taking a break in the workday is more than an indulgence, though: It’s a way of taking care of your body and mind, says Laura
Stack, a time-management expert and author who blogs at theproductivitypro.com. “You have to eliminate the guilt and remind yourself that the more you take care of
yourself, the better you are able to take care of others,” she says. “We have to recharge our batteries. We have to refresh. It’s OK.”
2. Get a posse.
“Indeed, many people are wishing they could just peel themselves away, but they don’t have the discipline,” Stack says. Thus, invite a co-worker to take daily walks with
you or a group to gather for Friday lunches. Pretty soon, you’ll be working in a happier place (and feeling less like a shirker and more like a leader).
3. Schedule it.
Put it on your calendar and on any electronic schedule visible to co-workers. “Code yourself as ‘unavailable.’ Nobody has to know why,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. And, if a daily hour of “me time” seems impossible right now, then commit to just one or two big breaks a week. Or
schedule several 15-minute leg-stretching, mind-freeing breaks each day. Keep those appointments, and spend them in “a cone of silence,” without electronic devices,
Vanderkam says.
The promise of a lunch break could make for a more productive morning: “Treat it as a deadline or a game,” Stack says. Pick a meaty task or two that must be finished
before lunch and dive in. Plan what you’ll finish in the afternoon, too. That will free your mind to enjoy the break, Vanderkam says.
<http://yourlife.usatoday.com/your-look/5-ways/story/2011/04/
Don-t-spend-all-your-time-at-the-offi ce-Take-a-break/45857540/1>. Access on April 7th, 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/199347
Remember the lunch hour? In a more relaxed, less plugged-in era, office workers would rise up midday to eat food at tables, gossip with co-workers, enjoy a book on a
park bench or take a walk in the sun. Can it still be done, without invoking the scorn of desk-bound colleagues or enduring constant electronic interruptions? It can and
should. Here are five ways to break free:
As the hair-color ads say, “You’re worth it.” Taking a break in the workday is more than an indulgence, though: It’s a way of taking care of your body and mind, says Laura
Stack, a time-management expert and author who blogs at theproductivitypro.com. “You have to eliminate the guilt and remind yourself that the more you take care of
yourself, the better you are able to take care of others,” she says. “We have to recharge our batteries. We have to refresh. It’s OK.”
2. Get a posse.
“Indeed, many people are wishing they could just peel themselves away, but they don’t have the discipline,” Stack says. Thus, invite a co-worker to take daily walks with
you or a group to gather for Friday lunches. Pretty soon, you’ll be working in a happier place (and feeling less like a shirker and more like a leader).
3. Schedule it.
Put it on your calendar and on any electronic schedule visible to co-workers. “Code yourself as ‘unavailable.’ Nobody has to know why,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. And, if a daily hour of “me time” seems impossible right now, then commit to just one or two big breaks a week. Or
schedule several 15-minute leg-stretching, mind-freeing breaks each day. Keep those appointments, and spend them in “a cone of silence,” without electronic devices,
Vanderkam says.
The promise of a lunch break could make for a more productive morning: “Treat it as a deadline or a game,” Stack says. Pick a meaty task or two that must be finished
before lunch and dive in. Plan what you’ll finish in the afternoon, too. That will free your mind to enjoy the break, Vanderkam says.
<http://yourlife.usatoday.com/your-look/5-ways/story/2011/04/
Don-t-spend-all-your-time-at-the-offi ce-Take-a-break/45857540/1>. Access on April 7th, 2011. Adapted.
In the fragments, “office workers would rise up midday…” (line 1) and “‘You have to eliminate the guilt…’” (line 5), the verb forms in bold express the ideas, respectively,
of
a) necessity – suggestion
b) habit in the past – obligation
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/199348
Remember the lunch hour? In a more relaxed, less plugged-in era, office workers would rise up midday to eat food at tables, gossip with co-workers, enjoy a book on a
park bench or take a walk in the sun. Can it still be done, without invoking the scorn of desk-bound colleagues or enduring constant electronic interruptions? It can and
should. Here are five ways to break free:
As the hair-color ads say, “You’re worth it.” Taking a break in the workday is more than an indulgence, though: It’s a way of taking care of your body and mind, says Laura
Stack, a time-management expert and author who blogs at theproductivitypro.com. “You have to eliminate the guilt and remind yourself that the more you take care of
yourself, the better you are able to take care of others,” she says. “We have to recharge our batteries. We have to refresh. It’s OK.”
2. Get a posse.
“Indeed, many people are wishing they could just peel themselves away, but they don’t have the discipline,” Stack says. Thus, invite a co-worker to take daily walks with
you or a group to gather for Friday lunches. Pretty soon, you’ll be working in a happier place (and feeling less like a shirker and more like a leader).
3. Schedule it.
Put it on your calendar and on any electronic schedule visible to co-workers. “Code yourself as ‘unavailable.’ Nobody has to know why,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. And, if a daily hour of “me time” seems impossible right now, then commit to just one or two big breaks a week. Or
schedule several 15-minute leg-stretching, mind-freeing breaks each day. Keep those appointments, and spend them in “a cone of silence,” without electronic devices,
Vanderkam says.
The promise of a lunch break could make for a more productive morning: “Treat it as a deadline or a game,” Stack says. Pick a meaty task or two that must be finished
before lunch and dive in. Plan what you’ll finish in the afternoon, too. That will free your mind to enjoy the break, Vanderkam says.
<http://yourlife.usatoday.com/your-look/5-ways/story/2011/04/
Don-t-spend-all-your-time-at-the-offi ce-Take-a-break/45857540/1>. Access on April 7th, 2011. Adapted.
The author uses the fragment “Code yourself as ‘unavailable.’ ” (line 11) to mean that
a) work mates must learn that you are not to be disturbed at any time.
b) nobody needs to ask you why you are not at your desk at a certain hour.
c) workers should predict when their manager’s electronic schedules will not be available.
d) all electronic schedules and agendas must be seen by the team members who share your office.
e) professionals should assign periods in which they will be unreachable by their colleagues at work.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/356157
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for
you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are
clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have
experienced natural disasters or help prepare for efficient distribution of vaccines when the flu hits.
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid
flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest
path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product
and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer
model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses
The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining
the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/356158
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for
you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are
clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have
experienced natural disasters or help prepare for efficient distribution of vaccines when the flu hits.
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid
flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest
path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product
and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer
model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses
similar computational tools to study collective animal behavior. ‘This is particularly important where response must be rapid and effective, such as during disaster scenarios
… or during epidemics or breaches of national security.’
The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining
the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines.
According to Anna Nagurney, in paragraph 3, an efficient logistics system must consider the
a) shortest route that links two fragile end points.
b) only means to take perishable goods by land.
c) most profitable network, in terms of cheap transport.
d) lowest cost to place goods safely and in adequate conditions.
e) use of standard transportation means normally used for medical products
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/356159
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for
you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are
clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have
experienced natural disasters or help prepare for efficient distribution of vaccines when the flu hits.
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid
flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest
path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product
and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer
model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses
similar computational tools to study collective animal behavior. ‘This is particularly important where response must be rapid and effective, such as during disaster scenarios
… or during epidemics or breaches of national security.’
The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining
the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines.
Nagurney’s comment “ ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’” refers to the fact that
a) in regular deliveries, many problems are caused by the same factors.
b) the transportation of unperishable goods is the single issue to be considered.
c) finding efficacious transportation solutions depends exclusively on political decisions.
d) inefficient management has been multiplying the problems caused by distribution channels.
e) delivering products in emergency situations requires analyzing many factors besides cost and time.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/356160
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for
you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are
clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have
experienced natural disasters or help prepare for efficient distribution of vaccines when the flu hits.
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid
flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest
path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product
and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer
model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses
similar computational tools to study collective animal behavior. ‘This is particularly important where response must be rapid and effective, such as during disaster scenarios
… or during epidemics or breaches of national security.’
The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining
the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines.
a) believes that computational tools are very useful in predicting and reacting to misfortunate incidents.
b) provides the only efficient alternative to the computer model presented by Anna Nagurney.
c) claims that the use of computational tools in dealing with disaster scenarios has been ineffective.
d) found a faster and more reliable means of preventing epidemics and breaches of security.
e) developed mathematical tools to justify individual animal routines.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/356161
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for
you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are
clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid
flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest
path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product
and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer
model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses
similar computational tools to study collective animal behavior. ‘This is particularly important where response must be rapid and effective, such as during disaster scenarios
… or during epidemics or breaches of national security.’
The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining
the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/356166
By Rachel Ehrenberg
Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for
you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are
clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have
experienced natural disasters or help prepare for efficient distribution of vaccines when the flu hits.
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid
flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest
path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product
and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer
model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses
similar computational tools to study collective animal behavior. ‘This is particularly important where response must be rapid and effective, such as during disaster scenarios
… or during epidemics or breaches of national security.’
The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining
the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines.
The computer model discussed in the text “…copes with chaos to deliver relief” (title) and analyzes different factors.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1361735
On the Cidade de Angra dos Reis oil platform, surrounded by the deep blue South Atlantic, a Petrobras engineer turns on a tap and watches black liquid flow into a beaker.
Already estimated to contain 50bn barrels, and with much of the area still to be fully explored, the fields contain the world’s largest known offshore oil deposits. In one
step, Brazil could jump up the world rankings of national oil reserves and production, from 15th to fifth. So great are the discoveries, and the investment required to exploit
them, that they have the potential to transform the country – for good or for ill.
Having seen out booms and busts before, Brazilians are hoping that this time “the country of the future” will at last realise its full economic
potential. The hope is that the discoveries will provide a nation already rich in renewable energy with an embarrassment of resources with which to pursue the goal of
becoming a US of the south.
The danger for Brazil, if it fails to manage this windfall wisely, is of falling victim to “Dutch disease”. The economic malaise is named after the Netherlands in the 1970s,
where the manufacturing sector withered after its currency strengthened on the back of a large gas field discovery combined with rising energy prices.
Even worse, Brazil could suffer a more severe form of the disease, the “oil curse”, whereby nations rich in natural resources – Nigeria and Venezuela, for example – grow
addicted to the money that flows from them.
Petrobras chief executive says neither the company nor the country’s oil industry has so far been big enough to become a government cash cow. But with the new
discoveries, which stretch across an 800km belt off the coast of south-eastern Brazil, this is going to change. The oil industry could grow from about 10 per cent of GDP to
up to 25 per cent in the coming decades, analysts say. To curb any negative effects, Brazil is trying to support domestic manufacturing by increasing “local content”
requirements in the oil industry.
Without a “firm local content policy”, says Petrobras CEO, Dutch disease and the oil curse will take hold. However, “if we have a firm and successful local content policy, no
– because other sectors in the economy are going to grow as fast as Petrobras”.
The other long-term dividend Brazil is seeking from the discoveries is in research and development (R&D. Extracting oil from beneath a layer of salt at great depth,
hundreds of kilometres from the coast, is so challenging that Brazilian engineers see it as a new frontier. If they can perfect this, they can lead the way in other markets
with similar geology, such as Africa.
For its part, Petrobras is spending $800m-$900m a year over the next five years on R&D, and has invested $700m in the expansion of its research centre.
Ultimately, Brazil’s ability to avoid Dutch disease will depend not just on how the money from the oil is spent. The country is the world’s second biggest exporter of iron ore.
It is the largest exporter of beef. It is also the biggest producer of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and the second-largest producer of soya beans.
Exports of these commodities are already driving up the exchange rate before the new oil fields have fully come on stream, making it harder for Brazilian exporters of
manufactured goods. Industrial production has faltered in recent months, with manufacturers blaming the trend on a flood of cheap Chinese-made imports.
“Brazil has everything that China doesn’t and it’s natural that, as China continues to grow, it’s just going to be starved for those resources,” says Harvard’s Prof Rogoff. “At
some level Brazil doesn’t just want to be exporting natural resources – it wants a more diversified economy. There are going to be some rising tensions over that.”
Adapted from Financial Times - March 15 2011 22:54. Available in: <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa11320c-4f48-11e0-9038-00144feab49a,_i_email=y.html> Retrieved on: June 17, 2011.
b) suggest that Brazil could soon be ranked as one of the four main oil producers in the whole world.
c) argue that Brazil should try to avoid potential dangers associated to its recent deepwater oil discoveries.
d) report on the rising tensions between China and Brazil over the manufacturing sector of the world economy.
e) announce the expected growth of the oil industry in Brazil, Nigeria and Venezuela in the coming decades.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1361740
By Joe Leahy
On the Cidade de Angra dos Reis oil platform, surrounded by the deep blue South Atlantic, a Petrobras engineer turns on a tap and watches black liquid flow into a beaker.
It looks and smells like ordinary crude oil. Nevertheless, for Brazil, this represents something much more spectacular. Pumped by the national oil company from “pre-salt”
deposits – so-called because they lie beneath 2,000m of salt – 300km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, it is some of the first commercial oil to flow from the country’s giant
new deepwater discoveries.
Already estimated to contain 50bn barrels, and with much of the area still to be fully explored, the fields contain the world’s largest known offshore oil deposits. In one
step, Brazil could jump up the world rankings of national oil reserves and production, from 15th to fifth. So great are the discoveries, and the investment required to exploit
them, that they have the potential to transform the country – for good or for ill.
Having seen out booms and busts before, Brazilians are hoping that this time “the country of the future” will at last realise its full economic
potential. The hope is that the discoveries will provide a nation already rich in renewable energy with an embarrassment of resources with which to pursue the goal of
becoming a US of the south.
The danger for Brazil, if it fails to manage this windfall wisely, is of falling victim to “Dutch disease”. The economic malaise is named after the Netherlands in the 1970s,
where the manufacturing sector withered after its currency strengthened on the back of a large gas field discovery combined with rising energy prices.
Even worse, Brazil could suffer a more severe form of the disease, the “oil curse”, whereby nations rich in natural resources – Nigeria and Venezuela, for example – grow
addicted to the money that flows from them.
Petrobras chief executive says neither the company nor the country’s oil industry has so far been big enough to become a government cash cow. But with the new
discoveries, which stretch across an 800km belt off the coast of south-eastern Brazil, this is going to change. The oil industry could grow from about 10 per cent of GDP to
Without a “firm local content policy”, says Petrobras CEO, Dutch disease and the oil curse will take hold. However, “if we have a firm and successful local content policy, no
– because other sectors in the economy are going to grow as fast as Petrobras”.
The other long-term dividend Brazil is seeking from the discoveries is in research and development (R&D). Extracting oil from beneath a layer of salt at great depth,
hundreds of kilometres from the coast, is so challenging that Brazilian engineers see it as a new frontier. If they can perfect this, they can lead the way in other markets
with similar geology, such as Africa.
For its part, Petrobras is spending $800m-$900m a year over the next five years on R&D, and has invested $700m in the expansion of its research centre.
Ultimately, Brazil’s ability to avoid Dutch disease will depend not just on how the money from the oil is spent. The country is the world’s second biggest exporter of iron ore.
It is the largest exporter of beef. It is also the biggest producer of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and the second-largest producer of soya beans.
Exports of these commodities are already driving up the exchange rate before the new oil fields have fully come on stream, making it harder for Brazilian exporters of
manufactured goods. Industrial production has faltered in recent months, with manufacturers blaming the trend on a flood of cheap Chinese-made imports.
“Brazil has everything that China doesn’t and it’s natural that, as China continues to grow, it’s just going to be starved for those resources,” says Harvard’s Prof Rogoff. “At
some level Brazil doesn’t just want to be exporting natural resources – it wants a more diversified economy. There are going to be some rising tensions over that.”
Adapted from Financial Times - March 15 2011 22:54. Available in: <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa11320c-4f48-11e0-9038-00144feab49a,_i_email=y.html> Retrieved on: June 17, 2011.
a) concept that explains the relationship between a stronger currency, due to the discovery of vast gas deposits, and the decline in the manufacturing sector.
b) theory that can justify the increase in energy prices and the strengthening of the manufacturing sector.
c) dangerous form of economic malaise that can only victimize already affluent nations.
d) severe economic disease that is affecting the economy of countries like the Netherlands.
e) a type of problem known as the “oil curse” that affects the booming sector of oil extraction.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1361744
By Joe Leahy
On the Cidade de Angra dos Reis oil platform, surrounded by the deep blue South Atlantic, a Petrobras engineer turns on a tap and watches black liquid flow into a beaker.
It looks and smells like ordinary crude oil. Nevertheless, for Brazil, this represents something much more spectacular. Pumped by the national oil company from “pre-salt”
deposits – so-called because they lie beneath 2,000m of salt – 300km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, it is some of the first commercial oil to flow from the country’s giant
new deepwater discoveries.
Already estimated to contain 50bn barrels, and with much of the area still to be fully explored, the fields contain the world’s largest known offshore oil deposits. In one
step, Brazil could jump up the world rankings of national oil reserves and production, from 15th to fifth. So great are the discoveries, and the investment required to exploit
them, that they have the potential to transform the country – for good or for ill.
Having seen out booms and busts before, Brazilians are hoping that this time “the country of the future” will at last realise its full economic
potential. The hope is that the discoveries will provide a nation already rich in renewable energy with an embarrassment of resources with which to pursue the goal of
becoming a US of the south.
The danger for Brazil, if it fails to manage this windfall wisely, is of falling victim to “Dutch disease”. The economic malaise is named after the Netherlands in the 1970s,
where the manufacturing sector withered after its currency strengthened on the back of a large gas field discovery combined with rising energy prices.
Even worse, Brazil could suffer a more severe form of the disease, the “oil curse”, whereby nations rich in natural resources – Nigeria and Venezuela, for example – grow
addicted to the money that flows from them.
Petrobras chief executive says neither the company nor the country’s oil industry has so far been big enough to become a government cash cow. But with the new
discoveries, which stretch across an 800km belt off the coast of south-eastern Brazil, this is going to change. The oil industry could grow from about 10 per cent of GDP to
up to 25 per cent in the coming decades, analysts say. To curb any negative effects, Brazil is trying to support domestic manufacturing by increasing “local content”
requirements in the oil industry.
Without a “firm local content policy”, says Petrobras CEO, Dutch disease and the oil curse will take hold. However, “if we have a firm and successful local content policy, no
– because other sectors in the economy are going to grow as fast as Petrobras”.
The other long-term dividend Brazil is seeking from the discoveries is in research and development (R&D). Extracting oil from beneath a layer of salt at great depth,
hundreds of kilometres from the coast, is so challenging that Brazilian engineers see it as a new frontier. If they can perfect this, they can lead the way in other markets
with similar geology, such as Africa.
For its part, Petrobras is spending $800m-$900m a year over the next five years on R&D, and has invested $700m in the expansion of its research centre.
Ultimately, Brazil’s ability to avoid Dutch disease will depend not just on how the money from the oil is spent. The country is the world’s second biggest exporter of iron ore.
It is the largest exporter of beef. It is also the biggest producer of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and the second-largest producer of soya beans.
Exports of these commodities are already driving up the exchange rate before the new oil fields have fully come on stream, making it harder for Brazilian exporters of
manufactured goods. Industrial production has faltered in recent months, with manufacturers blaming the trend on a flood of cheap Chinese-made imports.
Adapted from Financial Times - March 15 2011 22:54. Available in: <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa11320c-4f48-11e0-9038-00144feab49a,_i_email=y.html> Retrieved on: June 17, 2011.
b) may justify Petrobras’ plans to reduce the development of its research center.
c) is surely leading Brazilian engineers to work for African countries rich in natural resources.
d) will pay immediate dividends in the challenging sector of geology and oil exploitation.
e) can explain why Petrobras is spending $800m - $900m to extract oil at great depth.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1361771
By Joe Leahy
On the Cidade de Angra dos Reis oil platform, surrounded by the deep blue South Atlantic, a Petrobras engineer turns on a tap and watches black liquid flow into a beaker.
It looks and smells like ordinary crude oil. Nevertheless, for Brazil, this represents something much more spectacular. Pumped by the national oil company from “pre-salt”
deposits – so-called because they lie beneath 2,000m of salt – 300km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, it is some of the first commercial oil to flow from the country’s giant
new deepwater discoveries.
Already estimated to contain 50bn barrels, and with much of the area still to be fully explored, the fields contain the world’s largest known offshore oil deposits. In one
step, Brazil could jump up the world rankings of national oil reserves and production, from 15th to fifth. So great are the discoveries, and the investment required to exploit
them, that they have the potential to transform the country – for good or for ill.
Having seen out booms and busts before, Brazilians are hoping that this time “the country of the future” will at last realise its full economic
potential. The hope is that the discoveries will provide a nation already rich in renewable energy with an embarrassment of resources with which to pursue the goal of
becoming a US of the south.
The danger for Brazil, if it fails to manage this windfall wisely, is of falling victim to “Dutch disease”. The economic malaise is named after the Netherlands in the 1970s,
where the manufacturing sector withered after its currency strengthened on the back of a large gas field discovery combined with rising energy prices.
Even worse, Brazil could suffer a more severe form of the disease, the “oil curse”, whereby nations rich in natural resources – Nigeria and Venezuela, for example – grow
addicted to the money that flows from them.
Petrobras chief executive says neither the company nor the country’s oil industry has so far been big enough to become a government cash cow. But with the new
discoveries, which stretch across an 800km belt off the coast of south-eastern Brazil, this is going to change. The oil industry could grow from about 10 per cent of GDP to
up to 25 per cent in the coming decades, analysts say. To curb any negative effects, Brazil is trying to support domestic manufacturing by increasing “local content”
requirements in the oil industry.
Without a “firm local content policy”, says Petrobras CEO, Dutch disease and the oil curse will take hold. However, “if we have a firm and successful local content policy, no
– because other sectors in the economy are going to grow as fast as Petrobras”.
The other long-term dividend Brazil is seeking from the discoveries is in research and development (R&D). Extracting oil from beneath a layer of salt at great depth,
hundreds of kilometres from the coast, is so challenging that Brazilian engineers see it as a new frontier. If they can perfect this, they can lead the way in other markets
with similar geology, such as Africa.
For its part, Petrobras is spending $800m-$900m a year over the next five years on R&D, and has invested $700m in the expansion of its research centre.
Ultimately, Brazil’s ability to avoid Dutch disease will depend not just on how the money from the oil is spent. The country is the world’s second biggest exporter of iron ore.
It is the largest exporter of beef. It is also the biggest producer of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and the second-largest producer of soya beans.
Exports of these commodities are already driving up the exchange rate before the new oil fields have fully come on stream, making it harder for Brazilian exporters of
manufactured goods. Industrial production has faltered in recent months, with manufacturers blaming the trend on a flood of cheap Chinese-made imports.
“Brazil has everything that China doesn’t and it’s natural that, as China continues to grow, it’s just going to be starved for those resources,” says Harvard’s Prof Rogoff. “At
some level Brazil doesn’t just want to be exporting natural resources – it wants a more diversified economy. There are going to be some rising tensions over that.”
Adapted from Financial Times - March 15 2011 22:54. Available in: <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa11320c-4f48-11e0-9038-00144feab49a,_i_email=y.html> Retrieved on: June 17, 2011.
In “Without a ‘firm local content policy’, says Petrobras CEO, Dutch disease and the oil curse will take hold.”, “take hold” means to
a) become more easily controlled.
By Joe Leahy
On the Cidade de Angra dos Reis oil platform, surrounded by the deep blue South Atlantic, a Petrobras engineer turns on a tap and watches black liquid flow into a beaker.
It looks and smells like ordinary crude oil. Nevertheless, for Brazil, this represents something much more spectacular. Pumped by the national oil company from “pre-salt”
deposits – so-called because they lie beneath 2,000m of salt – 300km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, it is some of the first commercial oil to flow from the country’s giant
new deepwater discoveries.
Already estimated to contain 50bn barrels, and with much of the area still to be fully explored, the fields contain the world’s largest known offshore oil deposits. In one
step, Brazil could jump up the world rankings of national oil reserves and production, from 15th to fifth. So great are the discoveries, and the investment required to exploit
them, that they have the potential to transform the country – for good or for ill.
Having seen out booms and busts before, Brazilians are hoping that this time “the country of the future” will at last realise its full economic
potential. The hope is that the discoveries will provide a nation already rich in renewable energy with an embarrassment of resources with which to pursue the goal of
becoming a US of the south.
The danger for Brazil, if it fails to manage this windfall wisely, is of falling victim to “Dutch disease”. The economic malaise is named after the Netherlands in the 1970s,
where the manufacturing sector withered after its currency strengthened on the back of a large gas field discovery combined with rising energy prices.
Even worse, Brazil could suffer a more severe form of the disease, the “oil curse”, whereby nations rich in natural resources – Nigeria and Venezuela, for example – grow
addicted to the money that flows from them.
Petrobras chief executive says neither the company nor the country’s oil industry has so far been big enough to become a government cash cow. But with the new
discoveries, which stretch across an 800km belt off the coast of south-eastern Brazil, this is going to change. The oil industry could grow from about 10 per cent of GDP to
up to 25 per cent in the coming decades, analysts say. To curb any negative effects, Brazil is trying to support domestic manufacturing by increasing “local content”
requirements in the oil industry.
Without a “firm local content policy”, says Petrobras CEO, Dutch disease and the oil curse will take hold. However, “if we have a firm and successful local content policy, no
– because other sectors in the economy are going to grow as fast as Petrobras”.
The other long-term dividend Brazil is seeking from the discoveries is in research and development (R&D). Extracting oil from beneath a layer of salt at great depth,
hundreds of kilometres from the coast, is so challenging that Brazilian engineers see it as a new frontier. If they can perfect this, they can lead the way in other markets
with similar geology, such as Africa.
For its part, Petrobras is spending $800m-$900m a year over the next five years on R&D, and has invested $700m in the expansion of its research centre.
Ultimately, Brazil’s ability to avoid Dutch disease will depend not just on how the money from the oil is spent. The country is the world’s second biggest exporter of iron ore.
It is the largest exporter of beef. It is also the biggest producer of sugar, coffee and orange juice, and the second-largest producer of soya beans.
Exports of these commodities are already driving up the exchange rate before the new oil fields have fully come on stream, making it harder for Brazilian exporters of
manufactured goods. Industrial production has faltered in recent months, with manufacturers blaming the trend on a flood of cheap Chinese-made imports.
“Brazil has everything that China doesn’t and it’s natural that, as China continues to grow, it’s just going to be starved for those resources,” says Harvard’s Prof Rogoff. “At
some level Brazil doesn’t just want to be exporting natural resources – it wants a more diversified economy. There are going to be some rising tensions over that.”
Adapted from Financial Times - March 15 2011 22:54. Available in: <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa11320c-4f48-11e0-9038-00144feab49a,_i_email=y.html> Retrieved on: June 17, 2011.
Text II
Gerald Herbert
With crude still hemorrhaging into the Gulf of Mexico, deep-water drilling might seem taboo just now. In fact, extreme oil will likely be the new normal. Despite the gulf
tragedy, the quest for oil and gas in the most difficult places on the planet is just getting underway. Prospecting proceeds apace in the ultradeepwater reserves off the
coasts of Ghana and Nigeria, the sulfur-laden depths of the Black Sea, and the tar sands of Venezuela’s Orinoco Basin. Brazil’s Petrobras, which already controls a quarter
of global deepwater operations, is just starting to plumb its 9 to 15 billion barrels of proven reserves buried some four miles below the Atlantic.
The reason is simple: after a century and a half of breakneck oil prospecting, the easy stuff is history. Blistering growth in emerging nations has turned the power grid
upside down. India and China will consume 28 percent of global energy by 2030, triple the juice they required in 1990. China is set to overtake the U.S. in energy
consumption by 2014. And now that the Great Recession is easing, the earth’s hoard of conventional oil is waning even faster. The International Energy Agency reckons the
world will need to find 65 million additional barrels a day by 2030. If the U.S. offshore-drilling moratorium drags on, look for idled rigs heading to other shores.
b) only Text II reports on China’s intensive economic growth and absolute need of commodities.
c) neither Text I nor Text II express concern for the implications of the explorations of offshore oil deposits to local economies.
d) both Text I and Text II present Brazil’s potential of holding an outstanding position concerning worldwide deepwater reserves and exploration.
e) Text I mentions Brazil, Nigeria and Venezuela to criticize their addiction to oil revenues, while Text II mentions these countries to illustrate successful examples of
conventional oil prospection.
Gerald Herbert
With crude still hemorrhaging into the Gulf of Mexico, deep-water drilling might seem taboo just now. In fact, extreme oil will likely be the new normal. Despite the gulf
tragedy, the quest for oil and gas in the most difficult places on the planet is just getting underway. Prospecting proceeds apace in the ultradeepwater reserves off the
coasts of Ghana and Nigeria, the sulfur-laden depths of the Black Sea, and the tar sands of Venezuela’s Orinoco Basin. Brazil’s Petrobras, which already controls a quarter
of global deepwater operations, is just starting to plumb its 9 to 15 billion barrels of proven reserves buried some four miles below the Atlantic.
The reason is simple: after a century and a half of breakneck oil prospecting, the easy stuff is history. Blistering growth in emerging nations has turned the power grid
upside down. India and China will consume 28 percent of global energy by 2030, triple the juice they required in 1990. China is set to overtake the U.S. in energy
consumption by 2014. And now that the Great Recession is easing, the earth’s hoard of conventional oil is waning even faster. The International Energy Agency reckons the
world will need to find 65 million additional barrels a day by 2030. If the U.S. offshore-drilling moratorium drags on, look for idled rigs heading to other shores.
According to Text II, in spite of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico,
a) the US will soon surpass China in energy consumption.
c) in twenty years, the whole world will need 65 million barrels a day.
d) energy consumption of India and China will double in ten years’ time.
e) deepwater oil and gas prospecting has not been halted in other regions of the globe.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1361783
Gerald Herbert
With crude still hemorrhaging into the Gulf of Mexico, deep-water drilling might seem taboo just now. In fact, extreme oil will likely be the new normal. Despite the gulf
tragedy, the quest for oil and gas in the most difficult places on the planet is just getting underway. Prospecting proceeds apace in the ultradeepwater reserves off the
coasts of Ghana and Nigeria, the sulfur-laden depths of the Black Sea, and the tar sands of Venezuela’s Orinoco Basin. Brazil’s Petrobras, which already controls a quarter
of global deepwater operations, is just starting to plumb its 9 to 15 billion barrels of proven reserves buried some four miles below the Atlantic.
The reason is simple: after a century and a half of breakneck oil prospecting, the easy stuff is history. Blistering growth in emerging nations has turned the power grid
upside down. India and China will consume 28 percent of global energy by 2030, triple the juice they required in 1990. China is set to overtake the U.S. in energy
consumption by 2014. And now that the Great Recession is easing, the earth’s hoard of conventional oil is waning even faster. The International Energy Agency reckons the
world will need to find 65 million additional barrels a day by 2030. If the U.S. offshore-drilling moratorium drags on, look for idled rigs heading to other shores.
In Text II, Herbert illustrates the possibility of “...idled rigs heading to other shores.” EXCEPT when he mentions
a) prospection in ultra-deepwater reserves off the coasts of Ghana and Nigeria.
c) the quest for oil in the tar sands of Venezuela’s Orinoco Basin.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409321
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
Many of the ailments, including nausea, headache and dizziness, are already evident, especially in clean-up workers, some of whom have had to be hospitalized.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
b) report on the damage to the fauna caused by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
c) inform about a conference to evaluate the dangers of oil spills to the health of the population of surrounding areas.
d) inform that the meeting held in New Orleans to discuss effects of the oil spill was unsuccessful.
e) complain about the lack of research in university labs on effects of oil spills in the environment.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409323
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
New Orleans. “We’re going to discuss what the opportunities are for exposure and what the potential short- and long-term health effects are. That’s the essence of the
workshop, to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” Lichtveld explained.
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
Many of the ailments, including nausea, headache and dizziness, are already evident, especially in clean-up workers, some of whom have had to be hospitalized.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
According to the text, all the examples below are illnesses directly associated with the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, EXCEPT
a) heart stroke.
b) lung diseases.
c) food poisoning.
e) vertiginous sensations.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409325
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
New Orleans. “We’re going to discuss what the opportunities are for exposure and what the potential short- and long-term health effects are. That’s the essence of the
workshop, to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” Lichtveld explained.
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
Many of the ailments, including nausea, headache and dizziness, are already evident, especially in clean-up workers, some of whom have had to be hospitalized.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
b) are subject to several risks in trying to aid in the recovery of the areas affected.
c) could not be affected by chemical poisoning since this is a risk that only strikes oil workers.
d) can cooperate in cleaning the area only after they undergo extensive professional training.
e) should not be part of the rescue force because they can be better employed as lawyers or accountants.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409336
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
New Orleans. “We’re going to discuss what the opportunities are for exposure and what the potential short- and long-term health effects are. That’s the essence of the
workshop, to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” Lichtveld explained.
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
Many of the ailments, including nausea, headache and dizziness, are already evident, especially in clean-up workers, some of whom have had to be hospitalized.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
In paragraph 9, Dr. Jeff Kalina affirms that “Petroleum has inherent hazards...” because he feels that
a) it is neurologically harmful for the family of workers in oil rigs.
b) the health risks associated with oil prospection are completely unpredictable.
c) the damages it causes on the environment are intrinsic to the way oil is being explored.
d) direct exposure to the chemicals it contains can cause different kinds of health disorders.
e) all of the risks associated with the oil production are known but are not made public.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409346
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
New Orleans. “We’re going to discuss what the opportunities are for exposure and what the potential short- and long-term health effects are. That’s the essence of the
workshop, to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” Lichtveld explained.
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
b) Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar considers that the civilians in the neighboring cities do not need to worry about seafood being contaminated.
c) Dr. Jeff Kalina believes that production workers involved in the field where the oil spill occurred run the risk of suffering from respiratory problems.
d) Dr. Robert Emery speculates whether the workers in the field of the disaster might need other devices to prevent further health problems.
e) Dr. Paul Lioy remarks that not all volunteers cleaning up the damage to the environment have received proper training on how to deal with such situations.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2056993
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
According to Catherine Walter how has the English language teaching (ETL) changed, since she started as a teacher?
a) Both in terms of teachers’ time to get prepared for the profession and in terms of their independence from the English schools.
b) Both in terms of textbooks that have become thicker and more inventive and in terms of materials designed for independent study.
c) The most striking difference is in terms of the time needed to prepare materials: a teacher in the past did not have to waste time preparing for classes, while the
new methods nowadays require more extensive preparation.
d) The most striking difference is in terms of the good materials that used to be put together in the past.
e) It changed mostly in terms of teacher’s time, because in the past, teachers did not find fulltime jobs, while nowadays with the increase in ETL market, teachers
have more work than they can cope with.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057043
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
According to the General Guidelines to the teaching of foreign languages in Brazil, it is essential to emphasize the development of capacities that facilitate a successful
learning of formal contents.
In this respect, the only aspect that Swan does NOT list as a progress in today’s English teaching approaches is the
a) decline in unattractive textbooks.
b) appearance of professional associations.
c) existence of effective professional training.
d) blossoming of the field of Applied Linguistics.
e) neglect in the teaching of language-specific aspects, such as grammar and pronunciation.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057046
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057057
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
What does Michael Swan mean by “students need to be fluent in reasonably good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage.”?
a) If students don’t practice enough with native speakers they will never speak interlanguage.
b) If students are not fluent, then they might be speaking a kind of interlanguage.
c) If students are not taught the grammar rules, they may attain fluency in a language that is not really English.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057060
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
What does Michael Swan say that can help in the development of procedural knowledge?
a) It is not very clear what can help.
b) Oral exercises can do the trick.
c) The knowledge of deviant interlanguage is the solution.
d) Activity-based fluency practice may help.
e) Conscious knowledge of grammar rules can help.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057063
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057064
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057066
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
The two occurrences of the word one in the excerpt “One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another:” respectively mean
a) the first and people
b) an instance of satisfaction; a part of a reciprocal
c) someone and something
d) a context and the number 1
e) a person and the determiner an
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057084
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057093
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
How can the three greatest professional satisfactions pointed by Michael Swan be summarized?
a) The advantage of working exclusively with humans; the engagement with different people; the possibility to defy others.
b) Working for exclusive people; teaching a difficult activity; learning from people’s diversity.
c) Engaging in thinking and being different; working with something complex; defying companies.
d) The big possibility of constructing connections among students from different origins, the privilege of working with a fascinating language; the search of
successful communication in one’s language.
e) The advantage of working with an exclusive human trait; the proximity with human diversity; the pleasure of helping people to attain something difficult.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057097
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
To catch the bird in action, Tobalske and his team employed an unusual visualization technique involving a clear plastic box, high-speed military cameras originally designed
to document ballistics, a laser, and a few spritzes of olive oil.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
A hummingbird is
a) a hovercraft
b) a buzz
c) a nectar bearing flower
d) a small bird
e) an insect
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057111
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
To catch the bird in action, Tobalske and his team employed an unusual visualization technique involving a clear plastic box, high-speed military cameras originally designed
to document ballistics, a laser, and a few spritzes of olive oil.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057113
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
To catch the bird in action, Tobalske and his team employed an unusual visualization technique involving a clear plastic box, high-speed military cameras originally designed
to document ballistics, a laser, and a few spritzes of olive oil.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057115
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
To catch the bird in action, Tobalske and his team employed an unusual visualization technique involving a clear plastic box, high-speed military cameras originally designed
to document ballistics, a laser, and a few spritzes of olive oil.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
a) the tiny particles of olive oil in the air make the lab smell this way.
b) the hummingbirds feed on pizza.
c) of the lack of seriousness of the experiment.
d) of the tiny particles of sugar water in the air.
e) they often work overtime and when they are hungry they have to order pizza.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057117
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
To catch the bird in action, Tobalske and his team employed an unusual visualization technique involving a clear plastic box, high-speed military cameras originally designed
to document ballistics, a laser, and a few spritzes of olive oil.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
Concerning the study of the bird’s flight, what are the scientists’ objectives with the computer analysis?
a) They want to uncover the force that the bird`s wings apply in their flight.
b) They want to discover how the pectoral muscles work.
c) They aim at revealing the brilliant oil droplets.
d) Their objective is to understand how the birds save energy.
e) The final objective is to implant miniature sensors.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057119
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2671791
Cleaning up a spill
Written by Laura Hill
Water and oil don’t mix. We see this every day; just try washing olive oil off your hands without soap or washing your face in the morning with only water. It just doesn’t
work!
When an oil spill occurs in the ocean, like the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, what do scientists do to clean up the toxic mess? There are a number of options for an oil
spill cleanup and most efforts use a combination of many techniques. The fact that oil and water don’t mix is a blessing and a curse. If oil mixed with water, it would be
difficult to divide the two.
Crude oil is less dense than water; it spreads out to make a very thin layer (about one millimetre thick) that floats on top of the water. This is good because we can tell
what is water and what is oil. It is also bad, because it means the oil can spread really quickly and cover a very large area, which becomes difficult to manage. Combined
with wind, ocean currents and waves, oil spill cleanup starts to get really tricky.
Chemical dispersants can be used to break up big oil slicks into small oil droplets. They work like soaps by emulsifying the hydrophobic (water-repelling) oil in the water.
These small droplets can degrade in the ecosystem quicker than the big oil slick. But unfortunately, this means that marine life of all sizes ingest these toxic, broken-down
particles and chemicals.
If the oil is thick enough, it could be set fire, a process called “in situ burning”. Because the oil is highly flammable and floats on top of the water, it is very easy to set it
alight. It’s not environmentally-friendly though; the combustion of oil releases thick smoke that contains greenhouse gases and other dangerous air pollutants.
Some techniques can contain and recapture spilled oil without changing its chemical composition. Booms float on top of the water and act as barriers to the movement of
oil. Once the oil is controlled, it can be gathered using sorbents. “Sorbent” is a fancy word for sponge. These sponges absorb the oil and allow it to be collected by
siphoning it off the water.
However, weather and sea conditions can prevent and obstruct the use of booms, sorbents and in situ burning. Imagine trying to perform these operations on the open sea
with wind, waves and water currents moving the oil (and your boat!) around on the water.
What about the plants and animals? It’s easy to forget about the organisms in the sea that are under water. Out of sight, out of mind! There is not much we can do to help
them. But when oil reaches the shore it impacts sensitive coastal environments including the many fish, bird, amphibian, reptilian, and crustacean species that live there.
We have easy access to these areas and there are some things we can do to clean up. For the plants, it is often a matter of setting them on fire, or leaving them to
degrade the oil naturally. Sometimes, we can spray the oil with nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) that can encourage the growth of specialized microorganisms. For
species that can tolerate our soaps, manpower is needed to wash every affected animal. Yet, if the animal has tried to lick itself clean, it can die from ingesting the toxic
oil.
Unfortunately, there can be many negative economic and social impacts, in addition to the environmental impacts of oil spills and, as you’ve just read, the clean up
techniques are far from perfect. Prevention is the very best cleanup technique we have.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2671795
Cleaning up a spill
Written by Laura Hill
Water and oil don’t mix. We see this every day; just try washing olive oil off your hands without soap or washing your face in the morning with only water. It just doesn’t
work!
When an oil spill occurs in the ocean, like the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, what do scientists do to clean up the toxic mess? There are a number of options for an oil
spill cleanup and most efforts use a combination of many techniques. The fact that oil and water don’t mix is a blessing and a curse. If oil mixed with water, it would be
difficult to divide the two.
Crude oil is less dense than water; it spreads out to make a very thin layer (about one millimetre thick) that floats on top of the water. This is good because we can tell
what is water and what is oil. It is also bad, because it means the oil can spread really quickly and cover a very large area, which becomes difficult to manage. Combined
with wind, ocean currents and waves, oil spill cleanup starts to get really tricky.
Chemical dispersants can be used to break up big oil slicks into small oil droplets. They work like soaps by emulsifying the hydrophobic (water-repelling) oil in the water.
These small droplets can degrade in the ecosystem quicker than the big oil slick. But unfortunately, this means that marine life of all sizes ingest these toxic, broken-down
particles and chemicals.
If the oil is thick enough, it could be set fire, a process called “in situ burning”. Because the oil is highly flammable and floats on top of the water, it is very easy to set it
alight. It’s not environmentally-friendly though; the combustion of oil releases thick smoke that contains greenhouse gases and other dangerous air pollutants.
Some techniques can contain and recapture spilled oil without changing its chemical composition. Booms float on top of the water and act as barriers to the movement of
oil. Once the oil is controlled, it can be gathered using sorbents. “Sorbent” is a fancy word for sponge. These sponges absorb the oil and allow it to be collected by
siphoning it off the water.
However, weather and sea conditions can prevent and obstruct the use of booms, sorbents and in situ burning. Imagine trying to perform these operations on the open sea
with wind, waves and water currents moving the oil (and your boat!) around on the water.
What about the plants and animals? It’s easy to forget about the organisms in the sea that are under water. Out of sight, out of mind! There is not much we can do to help
them. But when oil reaches the shore it impacts sensitive coastal environments including the many fish, bird, amphibian, reptilian, and crustacean species that live there.
We have easy access to these areas and there are some things we can do to clean up. For the plants, it is often a matter of setting them on fire, or leaving them to
degrade the oil naturally. Sometimes, we can spray the oil with nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) that can encourage the growth of specialized microorganisms. For
species that can tolerate our soaps, manpower is needed to wash every affected animal. Yet, if the animal has tried to lick itself clean, it can die from ingesting the toxic
oil.
Unfortunately, there can be many negative economic and social impacts, in addition to the environmental impacts of oil spills and, as you’ve just read, the clean up
techniques are far from perfect. Prevention is the very best cleanup technique we have.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690650
Knowledge workers fuel innovation and growth, yet the nature of knowledge work remains poorly understood—as do the ways to improve its effectiveness. The heart of
what knowledge workers do on the job is collaborate, which in the broadest terms means they interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and
nurture new ideas. Technology and workflow processes support knowledge worker success and are increasingly sources of comparative differentiation. Those able to use
new technologies to reshape how they work are finding significant productivity gains. This article shares our research on how technology can improve the quality and
output of knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers are growing in numbers. In some sectors of the economy, such as healthcare providers and education, they account for 75 percent of the workforce; in
the United States, their wages total 18 percent of GDP. The nature of collaborative work ranges from high levels of abstract thinking on the part of scientists to building and
maintaining professional contacts and information networks to more ground-level problem solving. Think of a buyer for a retail chain whose distributed web of contacts
span resourceful professionals as fashion designers in Tokyo to experts on manufacturing in Brazil.
For companies, knowledge workers are expensive assets — earning a wage premium that ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent over the pay of workers who perform
more basic production and transaction tasks. Yet there are wide variations in the performance of knowledge workers, as well as in their access to technologies that could
improve it. Our research shows that the performance gap between top and bottom companies in collaboration-intense sectors is nine times that of production- or
transaction-intense sectors. And that underscores what remains a significant challenge for corporations and national economics alike: how to improve the productivity of
this prized and growing corps of workers.
Unfortunately, the productivity measures for collaboration workers are fuzzy at best. For production workers, productivity is readily measured in terms of units of output;
for transaction workers, in operations per hour. But for knowledge workers, what might be thought of as collaboration productivity depends on the quality and quantity of
interactions occurring. And it’s from these lessthan- perfectly-understood interactions that companies and national economies derive important benefits. Consider the
collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens. Or, in a similar vein, the interplay between
a company and its customers or partners that results in an innovative product.
Raising the quality of these interactions is largely uncharted territory. Taking a systematic view, however, helps bring some of the key issues into focus. Our research
suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that
interactive work is done. Just as important is deciding how to support interactions with technology — in particular, Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, wikis, and video.
There is potential for sizeable gains from even modest improvements. Our survey research shows that at least 20 percent and as much as 50 percent of collaborative
activity results in wasted effort. And the sources of this waste—including poorly planned meetings, unproductive travel time, and the rising tide of redundant e-mail
communications, just to name a few—are many and growing in knowledge-intense industries.
But most companies are only beginning to take these paths. That’s because, in many respects, raising the collaboration game differs from traditional ways of boosting
productivity. In production and transaction work, technology use is often part of a broader campaign to reduce head counts and costs—steps that are familiar to most
managers. In the collaboration setting, technology is used differently. It multiplies interactions and extends the reach of knowledge workers. That allows for the speedier
product development found at Proctor & Gamble and improved partner and customer intimacy at Cisco. In general, this is new terrain for most managers.
Adapted from the article written by James Manyika, Kara Sprague and Lareina Yee, published in McKinsey Quarterly, 27 October 2009. http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-
toimprove- workforce-collaboration
As far as policy changes are concerned, the multinational company introduced in paragraph 6 (lines 73-91)
a) decided to enhance communicative effectiveness of part of its workforce and external clients using some Web 2.0 tools.
b) invested over $100 million in flight tickets and hotel stays so as to discuss the use of collaboration tools with its business partners.
c) managed to save on overall company expenditure over a period of eighteen months as it eliminated negotiations with far-away nations.
d) increased customer satisfaction as a result of its implementation of a renewable energy project that was part of a greener company governance program.
e) cut down on carbon emissions merely by implementing virtual collaborative tools since the workers now had the chance to skip work and enjoy a better lifestyle.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690651
Knowledge workers fuel innovation and growth, yet the nature of knowledge work remains poorly understood—as do the ways to improve its effectiveness. The heart of
what knowledge workers do on the job is collaborate, which in the broadest terms means they interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and
nurture new ideas. Technology and workflow processes support knowledge worker success and are increasingly sources of comparative differentiation. Those able to use
new technologies to reshape how they work are finding significant productivity gains. This article shares our research on how technology can improve the quality and
output of knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers are growing in numbers. In some sectors of the economy, such as healthcare providers and education, they account for 75 percent of the workforce; in
the United States, their wages total 18 percent of GDP. The nature of collaborative work ranges from high levels of abstract thinking on the part of scientists to building and
maintaining professional contacts and information networks to more ground-level problem solving. Think of a buyer for a retail chain whose distributed web of contacts
span resourceful professionals as fashion designers in Tokyo to experts on manufacturing in Brazil.
For companies, knowledge workers are expensive assets — earning a wage premium that ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent over the pay of workers who perform
more basic production and transaction tasks. Yet there are wide variations in the performance of knowledge workers, as well as in their access to technologies that could
improve it. Our research shows that the performance gap between top and bottom companies in collaboration-intense sectors is nine times that of production- or
transaction-intense sectors. And that underscores what remains a significant challenge for corporations and national economics alike: how to improve the productivity of
this prized and growing corps of workers.
Unfortunately, the productivity measures for collaboration workers are fuzzy at best. For production workers, productivity is readily measured in terms of units of output;
for transaction workers, in operations per hour. But for knowledge workers, what might be thought of as collaboration productivity depends on the quality and quantity of
interactions occurring. And it’s from these lessthan- perfectly-understood interactions that companies and national economies derive important benefits. Consider the
collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens. Or, in a similar vein, the interplay between
a company and its customers or partners that results in an innovative product.
Raising the quality of these interactions is largely uncharted territory. Taking a systematic view, however, helps bring some of the key issues into focus. Our research
suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that
interactive work is done. Just as important is deciding how to support interactions with technology — in particular, Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, wikis, and video.
There is potential for sizeable gains from even modest improvements. Our survey research shows that at least 20 percent and as much as 50 percent of collaborative
activity results in wasted effort. And the sources of this waste—including poorly planned meetings, unproductive travel time, and the rising tide of redundant e-mail
communications, just to name a few—are many and growing in knowledge-intense industries.
There are some companies that already are tackling aspects of this collaboration–technology nexus. A wellknown multinational company selling networking and
communications technology, for example, was eager to improve interactions between its technology specialist sales teams and enterprise customers. Frequent travel and
stepped-up job requirements had resulted in overstretched teams whose effectiveness had become diminished. The company tackled the problem by mandating the use of
its own video technologies, as well as other collaboration tools to reach more customers and business partners by shifting a large portion of inperson meetings to virtual
interactions. Policy and governance changes ensured that technology use became part of daily workflows and not an added task. Internal surveys showed that 78 percent
of the targeted employees reported increased productivity and improved lifestyles without diminishing customer or partner satisfaction.
But most companies are only beginning to take these paths. That’s because, in many respects, raising the collaboration game differs from traditional ways of boosting
productivity. In production and transaction work, technology use is often part of a broader campaign to reduce head counts and costs—steps that are familiar to most
managers. In the collaboration setting, technology is used differently. It multiplies interactions and extends the reach of knowledge workers. That allows for the speedier
product development found at Proctor & Gamble and improved partner and customer intimacy at Cisco. In general, this is new terrain for most managers.
Adapted from the article written by James Manyika, Kara Sprague and Lareina Yee, published in McKinsey Quarterly, 27 October 2009. http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-
toimprove- workforce-collaboration
Considering the sentence “Frequent travel and stepped-up job requirements had resulted in overstretched teams whose effectiveness had become diminished.”, all of the
following statements are true, EXCEPT
a) a specific set of employees had escalating demands at work.
b) the performance of the stressed teams of employees had decreased.
c) workers with intense workloads were getting stressed and letting down in efficiency.
d) some workers in the company were constantly away from their offices on business trips.
e) teams that were working on the same project were stretched out in different parts of the world.
Knowledge workers fuel innovation and growth, yet the nature of knowledge work remains poorly understood—as do the ways to improve its effectiveness. The heart of
what knowledge workers do on the job is collaborate, which in the broadest terms means they interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and
nurture new ideas. Technology and workflow processes support knowledge worker success and are increasingly sources of comparative differentiation. Those able to use
new technologies to reshape how they work are finding significant productivity gains. This article shares our research on how technology can improve the quality and
output of knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers are growing in numbers. In some sectors of the economy, such as healthcare providers and education, they account for 75 percent of the workforce; in
the United States, their wages total 18 percent of GDP. The nature of collaborative work ranges from high levels of abstract thinking on the part of scientists to building and
maintaining professional contacts and information networks to more ground-level problem solving. Think of a buyer for a retail chain whose distributed web of contacts
span resourceful professionals as fashion designers in Tokyo to experts on manufacturing in Brazil.
For companies, knowledge workers are expensive assets — earning a wage premium that ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent over the pay of workers who perform
more basic production and transaction tasks. Yet there are wide variations in the performance of knowledge workers, as well as in their access to technologies that could
improve it. Our research shows that the performance gap between top and bottom companies in collaboration-intense sectors is nine times that of production- or
transaction-intense sectors. And that underscores what remains a significant challenge for corporations and national economics alike: how to improve the productivity of
this prized and growing corps of workers.
Unfortunately, the productivity measures for collaboration workers are fuzzy at best. For production workers, productivity is readily measured in terms of units of output;
for transaction workers, in operations per hour. But for knowledge workers, what might be thought of as collaboration productivity depends on the quality and quantity of
interactions occurring. And it’s from these lessthan- perfectly-understood interactions that companies and national economies derive important benefits. Consider the
collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens. Or, in a similar vein, the interplay between
a company and its customers or partners that results in an innovative product.
Raising the quality of these interactions is largely uncharted territory. Taking a systematic view, however, helps bring some of the key issues into focus. Our research
suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that
interactive work is done. Just as important is deciding how to support interactions with technology — in particular, Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, wikis, and video.
There is potential for sizeable gains from even modest improvements. Our survey research shows that at least 20 percent and as much as 50 percent of collaborative
activity results in wasted effort. And the sources of this waste—including poorly planned meetings, unproductive travel time, and the rising tide of redundant e-mail
communications, just to name a few—are many and growing in knowledge-intense industries.
There are some companies that already are tackling aspects of this collaboration–technology nexus. A wellknown multinational company selling networking and
communications technology, for example, was eager to improve interactions between its technology specialist sales teams and enterprise customers. Frequent travel and
stepped-up job requirements had resulted in overstretched teams whose effectiveness had become diminished. The company tackled the problem by mandating the use of
its own video technologies, as well as other collaboration tools to reach more customers and business partners by shifting a large portion of inperson meetings to virtual
interactions. Policy and governance changes ensured that technology use became part of daily workflows and not an added task. Internal surveys showed that 78 percent
of the targeted employees reported increased productivity and improved lifestyles without diminishing customer or partner satisfaction.
But most companies are only beginning to take these paths. That’s because, in many respects, raising the collaboration game differs from traditional ways of boosting
productivity. In production and transaction work, technology use is often part of a broader campaign to reduce head counts and costs—steps that are familiar to most
managers. In the collaboration setting, technology is used differently. It multiplies interactions and extends the reach of knowledge workers. That allows for the speedier
product development found at Proctor & Gamble and improved partner and customer intimacy at Cisco. In general, this is new terrain for most managers.
Adapted from the article written by James Manyika, Kara Sprague and Lareina Yee, published in McKinsey Quarterly, 27 October 2009. http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-
toimprove- workforce-collaboration
“The agency model presumes the employer is able to accurately measure employee performance. Yet measuring performance is always difficult, and in knowledge work it
is especially difficult. If you have no real chance of observing, understanding, or attributing the results of employee work, you become much more dependent on
employees’ willingness to openly communicate the meaning of their work.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690653
Knowledge workers fuel innovation and growth, yet the nature of knowledge work remains poorly understood—as do the ways to improve its effectiveness. The heart of
what knowledge workers do on the job is collaborate, which in the broadest terms means they interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and
nurture new ideas. Technology and workflow processes support knowledge worker success and are increasingly sources of comparative differentiation. Those able to use
new technologies to reshape how they work are finding significant productivity gains. This article shares our research on how technology can improve the quality and
output of knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers are growing in numbers. In some sectors of the economy, such as healthcare providers and education, they account for 75 percent of the workforce; in
the United States, their wages total 18 percent of GDP. The nature of collaborative work ranges from high levels of abstract thinking on the part of scientists to building and
maintaining professional contacts and information networks to more ground-level problem solving. Think of a buyer for a retail chain whose distributed web of contacts
span resourceful professionals as fashion designers in Tokyo to experts on manufacturing in Brazil.
For companies, knowledge workers are expensive assets — earning a wage premium that ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent over the pay of workers who perform
more basic production and transaction tasks. Yet there are wide variations in the performance of knowledge workers, as well as in their access to technologies that could
improve it. Our research shows that the performance gap between top and bottom companies in collaboration-intense sectors is nine times that of production- or
Unfortunately, the productivity measures for collaboration workers are fuzzy at best. For production workers, productivity is readily measured in terms of units of output;
for transaction workers, in operations per hour. But for knowledge workers, what might be thought of as collaboration productivity depends on the quality and quantity of
interactions occurring. And it’s from these lessthan- perfectly-understood interactions that companies and national economies derive important benefits. Consider the
collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens. Or, in a similar vein, the interplay between
a company and its customers or partners that results in an innovative product.
Raising the quality of these interactions is largely uncharted territory. Taking a systematic view, however, helps bring some of the key issues into focus. Our research
suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that
interactive work is done. Just as important is deciding how to support interactions with technology — in particular, Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, wikis, and video.
There is potential for sizeable gains from even modest improvements. Our survey research shows that at least 20 percent and as much as 50 percent of collaborative
activity results in wasted effort. And the sources of this waste—including poorly planned meetings, unproductive travel time, and the rising tide of redundant e-mail
communications, just to name a few—are many and growing in knowledge-intense industries.
There are some companies that already are tackling aspects of this collaboration–technology nexus. A wellknown multinational company selling networking and
communications technology, for example, was eager to improve interactions between its technology specialist sales teams and enterprise customers. Frequent travel and
stepped-up job requirements had resulted in overstretched teams whose effectiveness had become diminished. The company tackled the problem by mandating the use of
its own video technologies, as well as other collaboration tools to reach more customers and business partners by shifting a large portion of inperson meetings to virtual
interactions. Policy and governance changes ensured that technology use became part of daily workflows and not an added task. Internal surveys showed that 78 percent
of the targeted employees reported increased productivity and improved lifestyles without diminishing customer or partner satisfaction.
But most companies are only beginning to take these paths. That’s because, in many respects, raising the collaboration game differs from traditional ways of boosting
productivity. In production and transaction work, technology use is often part of a broader campaign to reduce head counts and costs—steps that are familiar to most
managers. In the collaboration setting, technology is used differently. It multiplies interactions and extends the reach of knowledge workers. That allows for the speedier
product development found at Proctor & Gamble and improved partner and customer intimacy at Cisco. In general, this is new terrain for most managers.
Adapted from the article written by James Manyika, Kara Sprague and Lareina Yee, published in McKinsey Quarterly, 27 October 2009. http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-
toimprove- workforce-collaboration
The authors use exemplification in many parts of the text in order to clarify their ideas. Mark the option that indicates the correct relationship between the examples and
the issue being illustrated.
a) “...interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and nurture new ideas.” are examples of tasks performed by knowledge workers.
b) “...healthcare providers and education,” are examples of sectors of the economy with few knowledge workers.
c) “in operations per hour.” is an example of how collaboration workers are measured.
d) “...the collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens.” are examples of tasks
performed by production workers.
e) “...poorly planned meetings, unproductive travel time, and the rising tide of redundant e-mail communications,” examples of effective collaboration within
companies.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690676
In 2008, for the first time, half the world’s population is living in towns and cities. By 2030, the urban population will reach 5 billion — 60 per cent of the world’s population.
Nearly all population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, whose population will double to roughly 4 billion by 2030 — about the size of the developing
world’s total population in 1990.
World Urbanization Prospects: the 2005 Revision, prepared by the United Nations Population Division, presents estimates and projections of the number of people living in
urban and rural areas for the period 1950- 2030. Some of its key findings are as follows:
→ Most of the population increase expected during 2005-2030 will be absorbed by the urban areas of the less developed regions whose population will likely rise from
1.9 billion in 2000 to nearly 4 billion in 2030. The urban population of the more developed regions is expected to increase very slowly, passing from 0.9 billion in 2005 to 1
billion in 2030.
→ During 2005-2030, the world’s urban population will grow at an average annual rate of 1.8 per cent, nearly double the rate expected for the total population of the
world (1 per cent per year). At that rate of growth, the world’s urban population will double in 38 years.
→ Growth will be particularly rapid in the urban areas of less developed regions, averaging 2.2 per cent per year during 2005-2030, consistent with a doubling time of 30
years. In contrast, the rural population of the less developed regions is expected to grow very slowly, at just 0.1 per cent per year during 2000-2030.
→ The rapid increase of the world’s urban population coupled with the slowing growth of the rural population has led to a major redistribution of the population. Thus,
whereas in 1950, 30 per cent of the world population lived in urban areas, by 2000 the proportion of urban dwellers had risen to 47 per cent and is expected to reach 60
per cent by 2030. The number of urban dwellers will for the first time have overtaken the number of rural dwellers in the world in 2008.
→ There are marked differences in the level and pace of urbanization among less developed regions. Latin America and the Caribbean is highly urbanized, with 77 per
cent of its population living in cities in 2000. Asia and Africa are considerably less urbanized, both with around 39 per cent of their populations living in urban areas. Being
less urbanized, Africa and Asia are liable to experience rapid rates of urbanization during 2000- 2030. Consequently, by 2030, 54 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, of
their inhabitants will live in urban areas. At that time, 85 per cent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean will be urban.
Fonte: http://www.peopleandplanet.net
In 2008, for the first time, half the world’s population is living in towns and cities. By 2030, the urban population will reach 5 billion — 60 per cent of the world’s population.
Nearly all population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, whose population will double to roughly 4 billion by 2030 — about the size of the developing
world’s total population in 1990.
World Urbanization Prospects: the 2005 Revision, prepared by the United Nations Population Division, presents estimates and projections of the number of people living in
urban and rural areas for the period 1950- 2030. Some of its key findings are as follows:
→ Most of the population increase expected during 2005-2030 will be absorbed by the urban areas of the less developed regions whose population will likely rise from
1.9 billion in 2000 to nearly 4 billion in 2030. The urban population of the more developed regions is expected to increase very slowly, passing from 0.9 billion in 2005 to 1
billion in 2030.
→ During 2005-2030, the world’s urban population will grow at an average annual rate of 1.8 per cent, nearly double the rate expected for the total population of the
world (1 per cent per year). At that rate of growth, the world’s urban population will double in 38 years.
→ Growth will be particularly rapid in the urban areas of less developed regions, averaging 2.2 per cent per year during 2005-2030, consistent with a doubling time of 30
years. In contrast, the rural population of the less developed regions is expected to grow very slowly, at just 0.1 per cent per year during 2000-2030.
→ The rapid increase of the world’s urban population coupled with the slowing growth of the rural population has led to a major redistribution of the population. Thus,
whereas in 1950, 30 per cent of the world population lived in urban areas, by 2000 the proportion of urban dwellers had risen to 47 per cent and is expected to reach 60
per cent by 2030. The number of urban dwellers will for the first time have overtaken the number of rural dwellers in the world in 2008.
→ There are marked differences in the level and pace of urbanization among less developed regions. Latin America and the Caribbean is highly urbanized, with 77 per
cent of its population living in cities in 2000. Asia and Africa are considerably less urbanized, both with around 39 per cent of their populations living in urban areas. Being
less urbanized, Africa and Asia are liable to experience rapid rates of urbanization during 2000- 2030. Consequently, by 2030, 54 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, of
their inhabitants will live in urban areas. At that time, 85 per cent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean will be urban.
Fonte: http://www.peopleandplanet.net
The only correct conclusion we may derive from Text III is that, by 2030,
a) the world’s rural population in developing countries is unlikely to have grown at all.
b) Africa and Asia will probably face a very slow increase in the total number of their city dwellers.
c) Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to face a very dramatic rise in their urban population rates.
d) less developed regions of the globe will have around twice as many urban inhabitants than thirty years before.
e) the world’s urban population in more developed nations will certainly stagnate, remaining in the same levels as in 1990.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690686
In 2008, for the first time, half the world’s population is living in towns and cities. By 2030, the urban population will reach 5 billion — 60 per cent of the world’s population.
Nearly all population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, whose population will double to roughly 4 billion by 2030 — about the size of the developing
world’s total population in 1990.
World Urbanization Prospects: the 2005 Revision, prepared by the United Nations Population Division, presents estimates and projections of the number of people living in
urban and rural areas for the period 1950- 2030. Some of its key findings are as follows:
→ Most of the population increase expected during 2005-2030 will be absorbed by the urban areas of the less developed regions whose population will likely rise from
1.9 billion in 2000 to nearly 4 billion in 2030. The urban population of the more developed regions is expected to increase very slowly, passing from 0.9 billion in 2005 to 1
billion in 2030.
→ During 2005-2030, the world’s urban population will grow at an average annual rate of 1.8 per cent, nearly double the rate expected for the total population of the
world (1 per cent per year). At that rate of growth, the world’s urban population will double in 38 years.
→ Growth will be particularly rapid in the urban areas of less developed regions, averaging 2.2 per cent per year during 2005-2030, consistent with a doubling time of 30
years. In contrast, the rural population of the less developed regions is expected to grow very slowly, at just 0.1 per cent per year during 2000-2030.
→ The rapid increase of the world’s urban population coupled with the slowing growth of the rural population has led to a major redistribution of the population. Thus,
whereas in 1950, 30 per cent of the world population lived in urban areas, by 2000 the proportion of urban dwellers had risen to 47 per cent and is expected to reach 60
per cent by 2030. The number of urban dwellers will for the first time have overtaken the number of rural dwellers in the world in 2008.
→ There are marked differences in the level and pace of urbanization among less developed regions. Latin America and the Caribbean is highly urbanized, with 77 per
cent of its population living in cities in 2000. Asia and Africa are considerably less urbanized, both with around 39 per cent of their populations living in urban areas. Being
less urbanized, Africa and Asia are liable to experience rapid rates of urbanization during 2000- 2030. Consequently, by 2030, 54 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, of
their inhabitants will live in urban areas. At that time, 85 per cent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean will be urban.
Fonte: http://www.peopleandplanet.net
“Although predicting the future is always risky, we can be fairly certain of the general trends now expected in global population in the next few decades. The world will add
billions to its population, through additions made almost exclusively in the world’s poorer nations. This can only be expected, since developing countries already represent
most of the world’s population. These anticipated changes, that now seem almost inevitable, loom large as the backdrop against which today’s policy choices are to be
made, both in and out of government.”
Global and U.S. National Population Trends - by Carl Haub Consequences. Vol. 1, No. 2, Summer 1995.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690688
In 2008, for the first time, half the world’s population is living in towns and cities. By 2030, the urban population will reach 5 billion — 60 per cent of the world’s population.
Nearly all population growth will be in the cities of developing countries, whose population will double to roughly 4 billion by 2030 — about the size of the developing
world’s total population in 1990.
World Urbanization Prospects: the 2005 Revision, prepared by the United Nations Population Division, presents estimates and projections of the number of people living in
urban and rural areas for the period 1950- 2030. Some of its key findings are as follows:
→ Most of the population increase expected during 2005-2030 will be absorbed by the urban areas of the less developed regions whose population will likely rise from
1.9 billion in 2000 to nearly 4 billion in 2030. The urban population of the more developed regions is expected to increase very slowly, passing from 0.9 billion in 2005 to 1
billion in 2030.
→ During 2005-2030, the world’s urban population will grow at an average annual rate of 1.8 per cent, nearly double the rate expected for the total population of the
world (1 per cent per year). At that rate of growth, the world’s urban population will double in 38 years.
→ Growth will be particularly rapid in the urban areas of less developed regions, averaging 2.2 per cent per year during 2005-2030, consistent with a doubling time of 30
years. In contrast, the rural population of the less developed regions is expected to grow very slowly, at just 0.1 per cent per year during 2000-2030.
→ The rapid increase of the world’s urban population coupled with the slowing growth of the rural population has led to a major redistribution of the population. Thus,
whereas in 1950, 30 per cent of the world population lived in urban areas, by 2000 the proportion of urban dwellers had risen to 47 per cent and is expected to reach 60
per cent by 2030. The number of urban dwellers will for the first time have overtaken the number of rural dwellers in the world in 2008.
→ There are marked differences in the level and pace of urbanization among less developed regions. Latin America and the Caribbean is highly urbanized, with 77 per
cent of its population living in cities in 2000. Asia and Africa are considerably less urbanized, both with around 39 per cent of their populations living in urban areas. Being
less urbanized, Africa and Asia are liable to experience rapid rates of urbanization during 2000- 2030. Consequently, by 2030, 54 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, of
their inhabitants will live in urban areas. At that time, 85 per cent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean will be urban.
Fonte: http://www.peopleandplanet.net
The rhetorical structure of the sentence “The rapid increase of the world’s urban population coupled with the slowing growth of the rural population has led to a major
redistribution of the population.” can be correctly described as one of
a) listing and classification.
b) comparison and contrast.
c) problem and solution.
d) cause and effect.
e) time sequence.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694324
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
the argument that students' "appalling" English skills rather than our poor accommodation skills are to blame and ignore the fact that most of us do not speak an English
that is internationally understood.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694337
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US, whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has not. The
possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
Jennifer Jenkins’ main target public for this article seems to be the
a) average British citizens who are not interested in learning foreign languages.
b) airline pilots who cannot understand the British English used in flight simulators.
c) linguistics experts who determine the international forms of English which should be used.
d) non-native speakers of English who can communicate effectively with native speakers of the language.
e) English language teaching professionals intrigued about communication problems between native and non-native speakers of English.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694339
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US, whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has not. The
possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
the argument that students' "appalling" English skills rather than our poor accommodation skills are to blame and ignore the fact that most of us do not speak an English
that is internationally understood.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
Jennifer Jenkins menciona Roy Harris e Manfred Görlach nos parágrafos 3 e 4 de modo a
a) reclamar dos gramáticos que estudam os erros cometidos pelos falantes de língua materna.
b) defender os autores que consideram erro qualquer variante do inglês que destoe do que é considerado padrão para o inglês como língua materna.
c) criticar os linguistas que condenam os erros cometidos pelos falantes não-nativos de inglês.
d) provar que todos os linguistas estão corretos ao considerar que o inglês de falantes não-nativos é totalmente condenável.
e) apoiar os especialistas que descrevem detalhes da aquisição incompleta da gramática da língua inglesa pelos falantes não-nativos da língua.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694341
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US, whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has not. The
possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
the argument that students' "appalling" English skills rather than our poor accommodation skills are to blame and ignore the fact that most of us do not speak an English
that is internationally understood.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694342
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US, whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has not. The
possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
the argument that students' "appalling" English skills rather than our poor accommodation skills are to blame and ignore the fact that most of us do not speak an English
that is internationally understood.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694343
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US, whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has not. The
possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
the argument that students' "appalling" English skills rather than our poor accommodation skills are to blame and ignore the fact that most of us do not speak an English
that is internationally understood.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
O fato de Jennifer Jenkins mostrar uma preocupação com a identidade do inglês como língua franca, sendo falante nativa de inglês e professora universitária, reforça a
perspectiva que ela adota de que
a) somente especialistas falantes de inglês como língua materna se preocupam com as formas quebradas e deficientes do inglês como língua franca.
b) as diferentes variedades do inglês falado no mundo são relevantes e devem ser consideradas e discutidas no espaço acadêmico.
c) este assunto deve ser pesquisado em contextos acadêmicos para maximizar a divulgação de perspectivas etnocêntricas.
d) professores universitários que não tenham inglês como língua materna não devem ser contratados por instituições do Reino Unido para que os alunos britânicos
não desaprendam sua própria língua.
e) o domínio perfeito da variedade padrão de inglês usada por falantes nativos desta língua deve ser a meta de todos os alunos de inglês como língua estrangeira,
única forma de se comunicar com falantes de inglês como língua materna.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694344
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be true.
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US, whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has not. The
possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen as the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a native
language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
Uma das implicações do artigo escrito por Jennifer Jenkins para o ensino de inglês no Brasil é que é essencial
a) intensificar as aulas de pronúncia para reduzir o sotaque dos alunos, de modo que soem como falantes nativos.
b) convencer alunos brasileiros a adotarem o inglês falado por falantes nativos como o único modelo aceitável.
c) dominar todas as expressões idiomáticas do inglês para assegurar a capacidade de comunicação de alunos brasileiros com outros falantes não-nativos da língua.
d) expor os alunos brasileiros a diferentes variedades de inglês com as quais possam se deparar durante a sua vida profissional futura.
e) dar ênfase ao ensino de formas linguísticas usadas por falantes não-nativos, já que são mais fáceis para estudantes brasileiros do que a variante de língua
materna padrão.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2695158
Certain genre of books about English extols the language’s supposed difficulty and idiosyncrasy. “Crazy English”, by an American folk-linguist, Richard Lederer, asks “how is
it that your nose can run and your feet can smell?”. Bill Bryson’s “Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way” says that “English is full of booby traps for the unwary
foreigner…Imagine being a foreigner and having to learn that in English one tells a lie but the truth.”
Such books are usually harmless, if slightly factchallenged. You tell “a” lie but “the” truth in many languages, partly because many lies exist but truth is rather more
definite. It may be natural to think that your own tongue is complex and mysterious. But English is pretty simple: verbs hardly conjugate; nouns pluralise easily (just add
“s”, mostly) and there are no genders to remember.
English spelling may be the most idiosyncratic -- “Ghoti,” as wordsmiths have noted, could be pronounced “fish”: gh as in “cough”, o as in “women” and ti as in “motion”.
But spelling is ancillary to a language’s real complexity; English is a relatively simple language, absurdly spelled.
Perhaps the “hardest” language studied by many Anglophones is Latin. In it, all nouns are marked for case, an ending that tells what function the word has in a sentence
(subject, direct object, possessive and so on). There are six cases, and five different patterns for declining verbs into them. But it also gives Latin a flexibility of word order.
If the subject is marked as a subject with an ending, it need not come at the beginning of a sentence. This ability made many scholars of bygone days admire Latin’s
majesty—and admire themselves for mastering it. Knowing Latin (and Greek, which presents similar problems) was long the sign of an educated person.
Yet are Latin and Greek truly hard? These two genetic cousins of English, in the Indo-European language family, are child’s play compared with some. Languages tend to
get “harder” the farther one moves from English and its relatives.
Even before learning a word, the foreigner is struck by how differently languages can sound. Vowels, for example, go far beyond a, e, i, o and u, and sometimes y. Those
represent more than five or six sounds in English (consider the a’s in father, fate and fat.) And vowels of European languages vary more widely; think of the nasal ones of
French, Portuguese and Polish. Consonants are more complex, though. Some (p, t, k, m and n) appear in most languages, but consonants can come in a blizzard of
varieties And languages with hard-to-pronounce consonants cluster in families.
Beyond sound comes the problem of grammar. On this score, some European languages are far harder than are, say, Latin or Greek. Latin’s six cases cower in comparison
with Estonian’s 14[…] and the system is riddled with irregularities and exceptions. Slavic languages force speakers, when talking about the past, to say whether an action
was completed or not. Linguists call this “aspect”, and English has it too, for example in the distinction between “I go” and “I am going.” And to say “go” requires different
Slavic verbs for going by foot, car, plane, boat or other conveyance.
Dec 17th 2009 | NEW YORK From The Economist print edition (slightly adapted) http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story _id=15108609
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1756047
If you think a robot will steal your job, you are not alone. Soccer players should be worried too. The next Messi probably won’t be of flesh and blood but plastic and metal.
The concept emerged during the conference “Workshop on grand challenges in artificial intelligence,” held in Tokyo in 1992, and independently, in 1993, when Professor
Alan Mackworth from the University of Bristol in Canada described an experiment with small soccer players in a scientific article.
Over 40 teams already participated in the first RoboCup tournament in 1997, and the competition is held every year. The RoboCup Federation wants to play and win a
game against a real-world cup humans’ team by 2050.
The idea behind artificially intelligent players is to investigate how robots perceive motion and communicate with each other. Physical abilities like walking, running, and
kicking the ball while maintaining balance are crucial to improving robots for other tasks like rescue, home, industry, and education.
RoboCup Soccer Federation, the “FIFA” of robots, which supports five leagues, imposes restrictions on players’ design and rules of the game. Each has its own robot
design and game rules to give room for different scientific goals. The number of players, their size, the ball type, and the field dimensions are different for each league.
In the humanoid league the players are humanlike robots with human-like senses. However, they are rather slow. Many of the skills needed to fully recreate actual soccer
player movements are still in the early stages of research.
The game becomes exciting for middle and small size leagues. The models are much simpler; they are just boxes with a cyclopean eye. Their design focuses on team
behavior: recognizing an opponent, cooperating with team members, receiving and giving a standard FIFA size ball.
Today, soccer robots are entirely autonomous. They wireless “talk” to each other, make decisions regarding strategy in real-time, replace an “injured” player, and shoot
goals. The only person in a RoboCup game is the referee. The team coaches are engineers in charge of training the RoboCups’ artificial intelligence for fair play: the
robots don’t smash against each other or pull their shirts.
The next RoboCup competition will soon be played, virtually, with rules that will allow teams to participate without establishing physical contact.
Available at:<https://www.ua-magazine.com/2021/05/12/robots-the-
-next-generation-of-soccer-players>. Retrieved on: July 4th, 2021.
Adapted.
In paragraph 7, the word However in the fragment “In the humanoid league, the players are human-like robots with human-like senses. However, they are rather slow”
can be replaced, without change in meaning, by
a) unless
b) indeed
c) furthermore
d) nevertheless
e) consequently
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1757160
Like all businesses, banks have had to act fast to respond to the unprecedented human and economic impact of Covid-19.
First, they needed to keep the lights on and ensure business continuity. Second, they had to meet the changing ways customers wanted to engage. Finally, they sought to
balance their business priorities with a responsibility to support society. Previous crises cast the banks as part of the problem — this time they are part of the solution.
Banks who have embraced modern banking technology have fared better in meeting these challenges. They’ve moved seamlessly to remote working, kept up service for
their customers, coped with huge increases in demand and quickly adapted their products. In contrast, banks using legacy ‘spaghetti’ software have struggled.
Covid-19 has accelerated the need for modern banking technology, but it didn’t create it. Before coronavirus, the 2020s were already being framed as the decade for digital
in the banking industry. Banks’ return on equity were too low and their cost-income ratios were too high. Meanwhile, regulation like open banking was disrupting the
industry and increasing competition from new entrants like the GAAFAs (Google, Amazon, Alibaba, Facebook, Apple).
Providing seamless digital customer experiences was therefore already a ‘must’. Every year, Temenos partners with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for a global study
on the future of banking. More than 300 banking leaders are interviewed from retail, commercial and private banks. Over half of these are at C-suite level.
In 2020, the study took place amid the Covid-19 crisis. The results give a fascinating insight into banking leaders’ approach during these unprecedented times. But they
also show how they see their industry in the years to come.
And the findings suggest three trends which will shape the future of banking:
1. New technologies will be the key driver of banking transformation over the next 5 years. 77% of respondents strongly believed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will
be the most game-changing of these technologies. They see a diverse range of uses for AI — from personalised customer experience to fraud detection.
2. Banks will overhaul their business models to create digital ecosystems. 80% of respondents believe that banking will become part of a platform of services. 45%
are committed to transforming their business models into digital ecosystems.
3. The sun will set on branch banking. World Bank data shows that visits to branches have been steadily declining globally over the last decade. As a result of
coronavirus, customers are now more concerned about visiting their branch, and so even more people are willing to try digital applications. This combination of
pandemic and increasingly transformative advanced technology has led a majority of respondents (59%) to our survey with the EIU to state that traditional branch-
based banking model will be dead in just five years. That’s a 34% increase from last year.
The current environment is undoubtedly challenging for banks. But they have the capital, customer relationships and customer data. They are regulated. And most
importantly: they still enjoy their customers’ trust.
In short, banks are best-placed to succeed if they commit to end-to-end digital transformation. That means a fully digital front office which creates hyper-personalized
experiences and ecosystems. And a back office driving efficient operations and rapid innovation. By embracing modern banking technology, banks can support their
customers today, create new value for the future and drive new levels of future growth.
In the sentence of the last paragraph “In short, banks are best-placed to succeed if they commit to end-to-end digital transformation”, the phrase In short conveys an idea
of
a) cause
b) addition
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1757452
WASHINGTON — American intelligence officials have found no evidence that aerial phenomena observed by Navy pilots in recent years are alien spacecraft, but they still
cannot explain the unusual movements that have mystified scientists and the military.
The report determines that a vast majority of more than 120 incidents over the past two decades did not originate from any American military or other advanced US
government technology, the officials said. That determination would appear to eliminate the possibility that Navy pilots who reported seeing unexplained aircraft might have
encountered programs the government meant to keep secret.
But that is about the only conclusive finding in the classified intelligence report, the officials said. And while a forthcoming unclassified version, expected to be released to
Congress by June 25, will present few other firm conclusions, senior officials briefed on the intelligence conceded that the very ambiguity of the findings meant the
government could not definitively rule out theories that the phenomena observed by military pilots might be alien spacecraft.
Americans’ long-running fascination with UFOs has intensified in recent weeks in anticipation of the release of the government report. Former President Barack Obama
encouraged the interest when he gave an interview last month about the incidents on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on CBS.
“What is true, and I’m really being serious here,” Mr. Obama said, “is that there is film and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are.’’
The report concedes that much about the observed phenomena remains difficult to explain, including their acceleration, as well as ability to change direction and
submerge. One possible explanation — that the phenomena could be weather balloons or other research balloons — does not hold up in all cases, the officials said,
because of changes in wind speed at the times of some of the interactions.
Many of the more than 120 incidents examined in the report are from Navy personnel, officials said. The report also examined incidents involving foreign militaries over the
last two decades. Intelligence officials believe that at least some of the aerial phenomena could have been experimental technology from a rival power, most likely Russia
or China.
One senior official said without hesitation that U.S. officials knew it was not American technology. He said there was worry among intelligence and military officials that
China or Russia could be experimenting with hypersonic technology.
He and other officials spoke about the classified findings in the report on the condition of anonymity.
In the 6th paragraph of the text, the highlighted expression as well as, in the fragment “as well as ability to change direction and submerge” is associated with the idea
of
a) time
b) addition
c) purpose
d) condition
e) consequence
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1757697
As we practice social distancing and businesses struggle to adapt, it’s no secret the unique challenges of Covid-19 are profoundly shaping our economic climate. U.S. Bank
financial industry and regulatory affairs expert Robert Schell explains what you need to know in this uncertain time.
Keep your financial habits as normal as possible during this time. Make online purchases, order takeout, pay bills and buy groceries. These everyday purchases put money
back into the economy and prevent it from dipping further into a recession.
In the 3rd paragraph, in the fragment “These everyday purchases put money back into the economy and prevent it from dipping further into a recession”, the pronoun it
refers to
a) money
b) purchases
c) recession
d) economy
e) back
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/694030
Governments need to give technical experts more autonomy and hold their nerve to provide more long-term stability when investing in clean energy, argue researchers in
climate change and innovation policy in a new paper published today.
Writing in the journal Nature, the authors from UK and US institutions have set out guidelines for investment based on an analysis of the last twenty years of “what works”
in clean energy research and innovation programs.
Their six simple “guiding principles” also include the need to channel innovation into the private sector through formal tech transfer programs, and to think in terms of
lasting knowledge creation rather than ‘quick win’ potential when funding new projects.
The authors offer a stark warning to governments and policymakers: learn from and build on experience before time runs out, rather than constantly reinventing aims and
processes for the sake of political vanity.
“As the window of opportunity to avert dangerous climate change narrows, we urgently need to take stock of policy initiatives around the world that aim to accelerate new
energy technologies and stem greenhouse gas emissions,” said Laura Diaz Anadon, Professor of Climate Change Policy at the University of Cambridge.
“If we don’t build on the lessons from previous policy successes and failures to understand what works and why, we risk wasting time and money in a way that we simply
can’t afford,” said Anadon, who authored the new paper with colleagues from the Harvard Kennedy School as well as the University of Minnesota’s Prof Gabriel Chan.
Public investments in energy research have risen since the lows of the mid-1990s and early 2000s. OECD members spent US$16.6 billion on new energy research and
development (R&D) in 2016 compared to $10b in 2010. The EU and other nations pledged to double clean energy investment as part of 2015’s Paris Climate Change
Agreement.
Recently, the UK government set out its own Clean Growth Strategy, committing £2.5 billion between 2015 and 2021, with hundreds of million to be invested in new
generations of small nuclear power stations and offshore wind turbines.
However, Anadon and colleagues point out that government funding for energy innovation has, in many cases, been highly volatile in the recent past: with political shifts
resulting in huge budget fluctuations and process reinventions in the UK and US.
For example, the research team found that every single year between 1990 and 2017, one in five technology areas funded by the US Department of Energy (DoE) saw a
budget shift of more than 30% up or down. The Trump administration’s current plan is to slash 2018’s energy R&D budget by 35% across the board.
“Experimentation has benefits, but also costs,” said Anadon. “Researchers are having to relearn new processes, people and programmes with every political transition --
wasting time and effort for scientists, companies and policymakers.”
“Rather than repeated overhauls, existing programs should be continuously evaluated and updated. New programs should only be set up if they fill needs not currently
met.”
More autonomy for project selection should be passed to active scientists, who are “best placed to spot bold but risky opportunities that managers miss,” say the authors of
the new paper.
They point to projects instigated by the US National Labs producing more commercially-viable technologies than those dictated by DoE headquarters — despite the Labs
holding a mere 4% of the DoE’s overall budget.
The six evidence-based guiding principles for clean energy investment are:
Give researchers and technical experts more autonomy and influence over funding decisions.
Build technology transfer into research organisations.
Focus demonstration projects on learning.
Incentivise international collaboration.
Adopt an adaptive learning strategy.
Keep funding stable and predictable.
From US researchers using the pace of Chinese construction markets to test energy reduction technologies, to the UK government harnessing behavioural psychology to
promote energy efficiency, the authors highlight examples of government investment that helped create or improve clean energy initiatives across the world.
“Let’s learn from experience on how to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, safer and more affordable energy system,” they write.
Available at: <http://www.sciencedaily. com releases/2017/12/171206132223.htm>. Retrieved on: 28 Dec 2017. Adapted.
In the fragment of Text “Rather than repeated overhauls, existing programs should be continuously evaluated and updated”, should be expresses a(n)
a) strong ability
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/565190
Oil
Overview
The oil industry has a less-than-stellar environmental record in general, but it becomes even worse in tropical rainforest regions, which often contain rich deposits of
petroleum. The most notorious examples of rainforest havoc caused by oil firms are Shell Oil in Nigeria and Texaco in Ecuador. The operations run by both companies
degraded the environment and affected local and indigenous people by their activities. The Texaco operation in Ecuador was responsible for spilling some 17 million gallons
of oil into the biologically rich tributaries of the upper Amazon, while in the 1980s and 1990s Shell Oil cooperated with the oppressive military dictatorship in Nigeria in the
suppression and harassment of local people.
Action
The simplest and most reliable way to mitigate damage from oil operations would be to prohibit oil extraction in the tropical rainforest. But that is unlikely given the
number of tropical countries that produce oil and the wealth of oil deposits located in forest areas. Thus the focus is on reducing pollution and avoiding spills through better
pipeline management, reinjection techniques, and halting methane flaring. Limiting road development and restricting access can help avoid deforestation associated with
settlement.
Biofuels
The energy and technology sectors are investing heavily in alternatives to conventional fossil fuels, but early efforts to use crop-based biofuels have had serious
environmental consequences.
While some believed biofuels—fuels that are derived from biomass, including recently living organisms like plants or their metabolic byproducts like cow manure— would
offer environmental benefits over conventional fossils fuels, the production and use of biofuels derived from palm oil, soy, corn, rapeseed, and sugar cane have in recent
years driven up food prices, promoted large-scale deforestation, depleted water supplies, worsened soil erosion, and lead to increased air and water pollution. Still, there
is hope that the next generation of biofuels, derived from farm waste, algae, and native grasses and weeds, could eliminate many of the worse effects seen during the
current rush into biofuels.
Efficiency
Good old-fashioned oil conservation is effective in reducing demand for oil products. After the first OPEC embargo in 1973, the United States realized the importance of oil
efficiency and initiated policies to do away with wasteful practices. By 1985, the U.S. was 25 percent more energy efficient and 32 percent more oil efficient than in 1973.
Of course the U.S. was upstaged by the Japanese who in the same period improved their energy efficiency by 31 percent and their oil efficiency by 51 percent. Today the
importance of oil to the economy is still diminishing. Despite the 51 percent growth in the American economy between 1990 and 2004, carbon emissions only increased
19% suggesting that those who insist that economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions move in tandem are wrong.
The developed world can seek alternative methods to oil exploration, by developing new technologies that rely less on processes that are ecologically damaging. For
example, compressed natural gas is a cleaner-burning fuel than gasoline, is already used in some cars, and is available in vast quantities. Electric cars are potentially even
more environmentally sound.
To encourage investment in research and development of “greener” technologies, governments can help by eliminating subsidies for the oil and gas industry and imposing
higher taxes on heavy polluters. While governments will play a role in cleaner-energy development, it is likely that the private sector will provide most of the funding and
innovation for new energy projects. Venture capital firms and corporations have put billions into new technologies since the mid-2000s, while corporations are getting on
board as well.
As experiences with biofuels have shown, there are often downsides to alternative energy sources. For example, hydroelectric projects have destroyed river systems and
flooded vast areas of forests. Thus when undertaking any large-scale energy project — whether it’s wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, or something else — it is important to
conduct a proper assessment of its impact.
Conclusion
Admittedly, there are many challenges facing sustainable use of tropical rainforests. In arriving at a solution many issues must be addressed, including the resolution of
conflicting claims to land considered to be in the public domain; barriers to markets; the assurance of sustainable development without overexploitation in the face of
growing demand for forest products; determination of the best way to use forests; and the consideration of many other factors.
Almost none of these economic possibilities can become realities if the rainforests are completely stripped. Useful products cannot be harvested from species that no
longer exist, just as eco-tourists will not visit the vast stretches of wasteland that were once lush forest. Thus some of the primary rainforests must be salvaged for
sustainable development to be at all successful.
In the sentence of Text “Today the importance of oil to the economy is still diminishing”, the verb form is diminishing indicates
a) a habitual present action
b) a concluded past action
c) a prediction for the future
d) an action in progress
e) an action in progress in the past
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/386549
The world is obviously not a place where features such as resources, people and economic activities are randomly distributed; there is a logic, or an order, to spatial
distribution. Geography seeks to understand the spatial order of things as well as their interactions, particularly when the spatial order is less evident. Transportation is one
element of this spatial order as it is at the same time influenced by geography as well as having an influence on it. For instance, the path followed by a road is influenced
by regional economic and physical attributes, but once constructed the same road will shape future regional developments.
Transportation is of relevance to geography for two main reasons. First, transport infrastructures, terminals, modes and networks occupy an important place in space and
constitute the basis of a complex spatial system. Second, since geography seeks to explain spatial relationships, transport networks are of specific interest because they
are the main physical support of these interactions.
Transport geography, as a discipline, emerged as a branch of economic geography in the second half of the twentieth century. In earlier considerations, particularly in
commercial geography (late 19th and early 20th century), transportation was an important factor behind the economic representations of the geographic space, namely in
terms of the location of economic activities and the monetary costs of distance. These cost considerations became the foundation of several geographical theories such as
central places and location analysis. The growing mobility of passengers and freight justified the emergence of transport geography as a specialized field of investigation.
In the 1960s, transport had to be formalized as key factors in location theories and transport geography began to rely increasingly on quantitative methods, particularly
over network and spatial interactions analysis. However, from the 1970s, technical, political and economic changes challenged the centrality of transportation in many
geographical and regional development investigations. The strong spatial anchoring effect of high transportation costs receded and decentralization was a dominant
paradigm that was observed within cities (suburbanization), but also within regions. The spatial theory foundations of transport geography, particularly the friction of
distance, became less relevant, or less evident, in explaining socioeconomic processes. As a result, transportation became underrepresented in economic geography in the
1970s and 1980s, even if the mobility of people and freight and low transport costswere considered as important factors behind the globalization of trade and production.
Since the 1990s, transport geography has received renewed attention with new realms of investigation. The issues of mobility, production and distribution became
interrelated in a complex geographical setting where the local, regional and global became increasingly blurred through the development of new passengers and freight
transport systems (Hoyle and Knowles, 1998). For instance, suburbanization resulted in an array of challenges related to congestion and automobile dependency. Rapid
urbanization in developing economies underlined the challenges of transport infrastructure investment for private as well as collective uses. Globalization supported the
development of complex air and maritime transportation networks, many of which supporting global supply chains and trade relations across long distances. The role of
information and communication technologies was also being felt, often as a support or as an alternative to mobility. All of the above were linked with new and expanded
mobilities of passengers, freight and information.
In the fragment “In the 1960s, transport had to be formalized as key factors in location theories”, the modal verb had to implies an idea of
a) advice
b) possibility
c) probability
d) prediction
e) necessity
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/465856
More so than many other fields of business, the maritime industry is focused on cost, which in turn gives the appearance of being conservative towards technology.
Certainly, we have technical ships magnificently operating with equipment that wouldn’t look out of place in a NASA lab, but generally, it can take decades for a technology
to become mainstream. Unless it becomes mandated by the IMO (International Maritime Organization). Vessel tracking is a partial exception to the rule though, with many
fleet owners realizing its potential for more cost-effective operation and personnel security.
Knowing the exact position of all vessels in a fleet, in a software solution designed to fit with your own logistical processes, can significantly improve efficiency. If a ship
arrives early or late, more often than not there will be an associated cost. If this can be identified during transit then the early or late arrival can be negated or at least
planned for. Likewise, if by knowing the positions of your fleet of workboats means that you can route the closest vessel to the next job, then significant fuel cost savings
can be made. With modern tracking systems, the way data is used is just as important as knowing where a vessel is at all times. But there are countless ways to apply the
data to the benefit of efficiency for a single ship or fleet. So providing easy and reliable access to position reports is essential.
RockFLEET is an advanced new tracking unit for the professional maritime environment. During its design phase, the team decided that in order for the position data it
provides to be of the most use, as well as being available via Rock Seven’s own fleet viewer ‘The Core,’ it must also be available in any software system the user chooses.
Using a standards-based API (Application Programming Interface.), the customer can integrate tracking data from RockFLEET into their own applications. Typically this
means that RockFLEET tracked assets can be added to existing fleet management software, which invariably is designed around an owner or operators own logistics.
With precise vessel location data available, the opportunities are unlimited and only down to the creativity of the user. For instance, a current Rock Seven customer uses
location data to manage payroll of personnel. Essentially, personnel get paid different amounts depending on whether the ship is at sea, in international waters, in port or
transiting regions with high piracy incidents.
The above user is a private security company involved in anti-piracy operations. It actually gets location data using RockSTAR, the handheld version of RockFLEET, which is
a new fixed unit that can be fitted anywhere on board. Completely waterproof and with no moving parts, it is a robust, ultra-compact (13cm diameter/4cm high) device
with multiple mounting options. The physical design of RockFLEET was in part driven by the security challenges faced by vessels facing the issues of modern piracy.
The unit itself is designed to look anonymous; as standard there’s no name on the outside. It works from ship’s power, but it uniquely has a backup battery inside. Which is
important should a vessel be hijacked and the main power cut.
Knowing the location of all friendly vessels in a region is vital to organisations with a stake in ensuring safe passage through known piracy hotspots. With an operational
vessel/fleet tracking system, ship owners and fleet managers will know where their ships are at all times. This information can be fed to authorities, private anti-piracy
companies and the naval forces patrolling piracy hotspots to build a clear, near real-time picture for domain awareness. The value of this information should a vessel be
hijacked is obvious: knowing the last whereabouts of a vessel provides responders with a starting point should a hijacked vessel’s tracking system be disabled by pirates.
With facility to mount covertly, this makes it especially suitable for vessels traversing piracy hotspots.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/601491
Paul Stenquist
Cars and trucks powered by natural gas make up a significant portion of the vehicle fleet in many parts of the world. Iran has more than two million natural gas vehicles on
the road. As of 2009, Argentina had more than 1.8 million in operation and almost 2,000 natural gas filling stations. Brazil was not far behind. Italy and Germany have
substantial natural gas vehicle fleets. Is America next?
With natural gas in plentiful supply at bargain prices in the United States, issues that have limited its use in cars are being rethought, and its market share could increase,
perhaps substantially.
According to Energy Department Price Information from July, natural gas offers economic advantages over gasoline and diesel fuels. If a gasoline-engine vehicle can take
you 40 miles on one gallon, the same vehicle running on compressed natural gas can do it for about $1.50 less at today’s prices. To that savings add lower maintenance
costs. A study of New York City cabs running on natural gas found that oil changes need not be as frequent because of the clean burn of the fuel, and exhaustsystem parts
last longer because natural gas is less corrosive than other fuels.
Today, those economic benefits are nullified by the initial cost of a natural gas vehicle — 20 to 30 percent more than a comparable gasoline-engine vehicle. But were
production to increase significantly, economies of scale would bring prices down. In an interview by phone, Jon Coleman, fleet sustainability manager at the Ford Motor
Company, said that given sufficient volume, the selling price of natural gas vehicles could be comparable to that of conventional vehicles.
It may be years before the economic benefits of natural gas vehicles can be realized, but the environmental benefits appear to be immediate. According to the Energy
Department’s website, natural gas vehicles have smaller carbon footprints than gasoline or diesel automobiles, even when taking into account the natural gas production
process, which releases carbon-rich methane into the atmosphere.
The United States government appears to favor natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel. To promote the production of vehicles with fewer carbon emissions, it has allowed
automakers to count certain vehicle types more than once when calculating their Corporate Average Fuel Economy, under regulations mandating a fleet average of 54.5
miles per gallon by 2025. Plug-in hybrids and natural gas vehicles can be counted 1.6 times under the CAFE standards, and electric vehicles can be counted twice.
Adapting natural gas as a vehicle fuel introduces engineering challenges. While the fuel burns clean, it is less energy dense than gasoline, so if it is burned in an engine
designed to run on conventional fuel, performance and efficiency are degraded.
But since natural gas has an octane rating of 130, compared with 93 for the best gasoline, an engine designed for it can run with very high cylinder pressure, which would
cause a regular gasoline engine to knock from premature ignition. More cylinder pressure yields more power, and thus the energy-density advantage of gasoline can be
nullified.[...]
Until the pressurized fuel tanks of natural gas vehicles can be easily and quickly refueled, the fleet cannot grow substantially. The number of commercial refueling stations
for compressed natural gas has been increasing at a rate of 16 percent yearly, the Energy Department says. And, while the total is still small, advances in refueling
equipment should increase the rate of expansion. Much of the infrastructure is already in place: America has millions of miles of natural gas pipeline. Connecting that
network to refueling equipment is not difficult.
Although commercial refueling stations will be necessary to support a substantial fleet of natural gas vehicles, home refueling may be the magic bullet that makes the
vehicles practical. Electric vehicles depend largely on home charging and most have less than half the range of a fully fueled natural gas vehicle. Somecompressed natural
gas home refueling products are available, but they can cost as much as $5,000.
Seeking to change that, the Energy Department has awarded grants to a number of companies in an effort to develop affordable home-refueling equipment.
[...]
In the statement “As of 2009, Argentina had more than 1.8 million in operation and almost 2,000 natural gas filling stations”, the expression as of means:
a) In 2009
b) Since 2009
c) Around 2009
d) Before 2009
e) Comparing to 2009
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/601495
Paul Stenquist
Cars and trucks powered by natural gas make up a significant portion of the vehicle fleet in many parts of the world. Iran has more than two million natural gas vehicles on
the road. As of 2009, Argentina had more than 1.8 million in operation and almost 2,000 natural gas filling stations. Brazil was not far behind. Italy and Germany have
substantial natural gas vehicle fleets. Is America next?
With natural gas in plentiful supply at bargain prices in the United States, issues that have limited its use in cars are being rethought, and its market share could increase,
perhaps substantially.
According to Energy Department Price Information from July, natural gas offers economic advantages over gasoline and diesel fuels. If a gasoline-engine vehicle can take
you 40 miles on one gallon, the same vehicle running on compressed natural gas can do it for about $1.50 less at today’s prices. To that savings add lower maintenance
costs. A study of New York City cabs running on natural gas found that oil changes need not be as frequent because of the clean burn of the fuel, and exhaustsystem parts
last longer because natural gas is less corrosive than other fuels.
Today, those economic benefits are nullified by the initial cost of a natural gas vehicle — 20 to 30 percent more than a comparable gasoline-engine vehicle. But were
production to increase significantly, economies of scale would bring prices down. In an interview by phone, Jon Coleman, fleet sustainability manager at the Ford Motor
Company, said that given sufficient volume, the selling price of natural gas vehicles could be comparable to that of conventional vehicles.
It may be years before the economic benefits of natural gas vehicles can be realized, but the environmental benefits appear to be immediate. According to the Energy
Department’s website, natural gas vehicles have smaller carbon footprints than gasoline or diesel automobiles, even when taking into account the natural gas production
process, which releases carbon-rich methane into the atmosphere.
The United States government appears to favor natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel. To promote the production of vehicles with fewer carbon emissions, it has allowed
automakers to count certain vehicle types more than once when calculating their Corporate Average Fuel Economy, under regulations mandating a fleet average of 54.5
miles per gallon by 2025. Plug-in hybrids and natural gas vehicles can be counted 1.6 times under the CAFE standards, and electric vehicles can be counted twice.
Adapting natural gas as a vehicle fuel introduces engineering challenges. While the fuel burns clean, it is less energy dense than gasoline, so if it is burned in an engine
designed to run on conventional fuel, performance and efficiency are degraded.
But since natural gas has an octane rating of 130, compared with 93 for the best gasoline, an engine designed for it can run with very high cylinder pressure, which would
cause a regular gasoline engine to knock from premature ignition. More cylinder pressure yields more power, and thus the energy-density advantage of gasoline can be
nullified.[...]
Until the pressurized fuel tanks of natural gas vehicles can be easily and quickly refueled, the fleet cannot grow substantially. The number of commercial refueling stations
for compressed natural gas has been increasing at a rate of 16 percent yearly, the Energy Department says. And, while the total is still small, advances in refueling
equipment should increase the rate of expansion. Much of the infrastructure is already in place: America has millions of miles of natural gas pipeline. Connecting that
network to refueling equipment is not difficult.
Although commercial refueling stations will be necessary to support a substantial fleet of natural gas vehicles, home refueling may be the magic bullet that makes the
vehicles practical. Electric vehicles depend largely on home charging and most have less than half the range of a fully fueled natural gas vehicle. Somecompressed natural
gas home refueling products are available, but they can cost as much as $5,000.
Seeking to change that, the Energy Department has awarded grants to a number of companies in an effort to develop affordable home-refueling equipment.
[...]
The modal verb may in the fragment of the text “It may be years before the economic benefits of natural gas vehicles can be realized” is associated with the idea of
a) permission
b) obligation
c) certainty
d) inference
e) probability
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/601499
Paul Stenquist
Cars and trucks powered by natural gas make up a significant portion of the vehicle fleet in many parts of the world. Iran has more than two million natural gas vehicles on
the road. As of 2009, Argentina had more than 1.8 million in operation and almost 2,000 natural gas filling stations. Brazil was not far behind. Italy and Germany have
substantial natural gas vehicle fleets. Is America next?
With natural gas in plentiful supply at bargain prices in the United States, issues that have limited its use in cars are being rethought, and its market share could increase,
perhaps substantially.
According to Energy Department Price Information from July, natural gas offers economic advantages over gasoline and diesel fuels. If a gasoline-engine vehicle can take
you 40 miles on one gallon, the same vehicle running on compressed natural gas can do it for about $1.50 less at today’s prices. To that savings add lower maintenance
costs. A study of New York City cabs running on natural gas found that oil changes need not be as frequent because of the clean burn of the fuel, and exhaustsystem parts
last longer because natural gas is less corrosive than other fuels.
Today, those economic benefits are nullified by the initial cost of a natural gas vehicle — 20 to 30 percent more than a comparable gasoline-engine vehicle. But were
production to increase significantly, economies of scale would bring prices down. In an interview by phone, Jon Coleman, fleet sustainability manager at the Ford Motor
Company, said that given sufficient volume, the selling price of natural gas vehicles could be comparable to that of conventional vehicles.
It may be years before the economic benefits of natural gas vehicles can be realized, but the environmental benefits appear to be immediate. According to the Energy
The United States government appears to favor natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel. To promote the production of vehicles with fewer carbon emissions, it has allowed
automakers to count certain vehicle types more than once when calculating their Corporate Average Fuel Economy, under regulations mandating a fleet average of 54.5
miles per gallon by 2025. Plug-in hybrids and natural gas vehicles can be counted 1.6 times under the CAFE standards, and electric vehicles can be counted twice.
Adapting natural gas as a vehicle fuel introduces engineering challenges. While the fuel burns clean, it is less energy dense than gasoline, so if it is burned in an engine
designed to run on conventional fuel, performance and efficiency are degraded.
But since natural gas has an octane rating of 130, compared with 93 for the best gasoline, an engine designed for it can run with very high cylinder pressure, which would
cause a regular gasoline engine to knock from premature ignition. More cylinder pressure yields more power, and thus the energy-density advantage of gasoline can be
nullified.[...]
Until the pressurized fuel tanks of natural gas vehicles can be easily and quickly refueled, the fleet cannot grow substantially. The number of commercial refueling stations
for compressed natural gas has been increasing at a rate of 16 percent yearly, the Energy Department says. And, while the total is still small, advances in refueling
equipment should increase the rate of expansion. Much of the infrastructure is already in place: America has millions of miles of natural gas pipeline. Connecting that
network to refueling equipment is not difficult.
Although commercial refueling stations will be necessary to support a substantial fleet of natural gas vehicles, home refueling may be the magic bullet that makes the
vehicles practical. Electric vehicles depend largely on home charging and most have less than half the range of a fully fueled natural gas vehicle. Somecompressed natural
gas home refueling products are available, but they can cost as much as $5,000.
Seeking to change that, the Energy Department has awarded grants to a number of companies in an effort to develop affordable home-refueling equipment.
[...]
In the sentence of the text “Although commercial refueling stations will be necessary to support a substantial fleet of natural gas vehicles, home refueling may be the
magic bullet that makes the vehicles practical”, the word although implies facts that are
a) simultaneous
b) sequential
c) alternate
d) opposing
e) proportional
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/213712
So you’re thinking about a field job in the oil industry. If you haven’t been involved in the oil patch before, you probably have no idea how vast it is, or where to start your
job search. Many sites will try to convince you that you can get a job on an offshore rig making $10,000 a month without any experience or training at all, and while this is
possible, it’s not at all likely. Actually, it can be tough to find a job in any field of the oil industry without some experience or training.
First, you should realize that the oil industry isn’t just drilling rigs, pumpjacks, and gas stations. The oil industry is a lot like the military in that it employs people in nearly
every profession. There are positions such as roughneck or airgun operator, that are very specific to the oil industry; but there are also welders, medics, chemists,
biologists, environmentalists, cooks, computer programmers, engineers, and a thousand more positions that are absolutely essential to the industry. You don’t have to have
experience specifically in the oil industry in order to have relevant experience.
The oil patch is a little bit different from most other industries. You’ll soon lose the idea of a weekend as you now know it... The patch runs seven days a week, and in
many cases, 24 hours a day. You’ll be expected to work every day in all weather conditions, for weeks or even months at a time. The oil industry is also very production
oriented; you’ll make more money welding in the oil patch than in another industry, but you’ll work longer and harder for that bigger paycheck.
There are a few prerequisites if you want a field job in the oil patch:
You must be in reasonably good physical condition, and be able to lift at least 50 lbs. regularly.
For most positions, you must have a valid driver’s license.
You must have suitable clothing for extended outdoor work and in most cases, hard toed safety boots.
You should not have any medical condition which would make it unsafe for you to operate machinery.
You don’t need to live in the city where your employer is located, but in most cases you will have to provide your own transportation to and from your home from
the employer’s location (point-of-hire). If you live a long way from any area with oil and gas activity, you will have a very difficult time finding an entry level job in
this industry.
You must be willing and able to work hard for long hours. This industry is all about production, and if you don’t produce, you’re not an asset to the company.
You must be drug-free. Most companies conduct pre-employment drug screenings and random testing of employees. If your test show signs of illegal drugs in your
system, you will not be hired. Most oil work requires you to live away from home, in motels or camps near the jobs. Your travel, accommodations, and meals will
usually be paid by your employer while you’re working. Most companies also provide all required safety supplies, such as hard hats and reflective safety vests. You
are required to supply your own work clothes, boots, gloves, etc.
Before you leave for your first job, be sure you have appropriate clothing to spend 14 hours outside... frostbite isn’t fun, neither is heat stroke.
Much of the work in the oil industry is very physically demanding, especially in the entry level positions. There is no upper age limit, but you should be willing and able to
work hard for long hours, lift 50 lbs regularly, and be in relatively good physical condition. If you have back or other health problems that prevent strenuous activity, you
may want to reconsider this line of work. Most companies require employees to be at least 18 years old. A recent hearing test and/or medical evaluation may be required.
Many oilfield companies also require a preemployment drug and alcohol screening. You should know that though you can make a lot of money in a month in the oil patch,
you can also make no money in a month. Most oilfield work isn’t very stable, and you’ll occasionally find yourself laid-off on short notice due to a shortage of work... and
called back on even shorter notice. Many people in Canada work in the oil industry during the winter while it’s busy, then take the spring and summer off, or work non-
oilfield summer jobs.
Offshore and overseas rigs usually operate yearround, offering a much more stable work environment; but there are very few positions on these rigs that are available
without any experience. If you’re interested in working on one of these rigs, you may want to start with a catering job. All major offshore and overseas projects employ
catering staff to provide meals for the rig crew. These positions are often available without experience, and rig managers will often hire catering staff onto the rig crew if
they need an extra hand, or if a member of the rig crew gets injured or leaves. It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and showing interest in working
on the rig.
Available at: <http://www.oilfi eldworkers.com/oilfi eldintro.php> Retrieved on: Aug. 29, 2012
In Text I, the idea stated in italics corresponds to the meaning expressed by the boldfaced verb phrase in
a) “First, you should realize that the oil industry isn’t just drilling rigs, pumpjacks, and gas stations.” (line 5) – probability
b) “For most positions, you must have a valid driver’s license.” (line 16) – ability
c) “You should not have any medical condition which would make it unsafe for you to operate machinery.” (line 18) – obligation
d) “You don’t need to live in the city where your employer is located,” (lines 19-20) – remote possibility
e) “A recent hearing test and/or medical evaluation may be required.” (line 33) – concrete possibility
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2381756
World oil market prospects for the second half of the year
[...] World oil demand in 2H14 is anticipated to increase by 1.2 mb/d over the same period last year to average 92.1 mb/d. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development) demand is projected to decline by around 60 tb/d, despite positive growth in OECD Americas, mainly due to a general improvement in the US economy.
OECD Europe and OECD Asia Pacific are expected to see a lesser contraction than a year earlier. However, oil demand growth in OECD Asia Pacific will largely be impacted
by any restart of nuclear power plants in Japan. Non-OECD countries are projected to lead oil demand growth this year and forecast to add 1.3 mb/d in 2H14 compared to
the same period a year ago. Nevertheless, risks to the forecast include the pace of economic growth in major economies in the OECD, China, India and Russia, as well as
policy reforms in retail prices and substitution toward natural gas.
On the supply side, non-OPEC oil supply in the second half of the year is expected to increase by 1.2 mb/d over the same period last year to average around 55.9 mb/d,
with the US being the main driver for growth, followed by Canada. Production in Russia and Brazil is also expected to increase in 2H14. However, oil output from the UK
and Mexico is projected to continue to decline. The forecast for non-OPEC supply growth for 2H14 is seen lower than in the first half of the year, but could increase given
forecasts for a mild hurricane season in the US Gulf. Less field maintenance in the North Sea and easing geopolitical tensions could also add further barrels in the coming
two quarters. OPEC NGLs are also projected to continue to increase, adding 0.2 mb/d in 2H14 to stand at 5.9 mb/d.
Taking these developments into account, the supply-demand balance for 2H14 shows that the demand for OPEC crude in the second half of the year stands at around 30.3
mb/d, slightly higher than in the first half of the year. This compares to OPEC production, according to secondary sources, of close to 30.0 mb/d in May. Global inventories
are at sufficient levels, with OECD commercial stocks in days of forward cover at around 58 days in April. Moreover, inventories in the US – the only OECD country with
positive demand growth – stand at high levels. Non- OECD inventories are also on the rise, especially in China, which has been building Strategic Petroleum Reserves
(SPR) at a time when apparent demand is weakening due to slowing economic activities. [...]
Available at: <http://www.opec.org/opec_web/static_fi les_project/ media/download/publications/MOMR_June_2014.pdf>. Retrieved on: 15 June 2014. Adapted.
In the fragments of Text I “World oil demand in 2H14 is anticipated to increase” (lines 2-3), “OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) demand
is projected to decline”, “oil demand growth in OECD Asia Pacific will largely be impacted”, “Production in Russia and Brazil is also expected to increase” (lines 24-25)
the boldfaced verb forms indicate:
a) past time
b) present time and future time
c) the author’s desire for the future
d) the author’s promise for the future
e) the author’s commitment to the future
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/135960
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Psicologia/2013
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Gramática (Grammatics)
314) Coworking: Sharing How We Work
Genevieve DeGuzman
Communication
In the past, when trying to find places to work, independent workers, small businesses, and organizations often had to choose between several scenarios(a), all with their
attendant advantages and disadvantages: working from home; working from a coffee shop, library, or other public venue; or leasing an executive suite or other
commercial space.
Coworking takes freelancers, indie workers, and entrepreneurs who feel that they have been dormant or isolated working alone at home or who have been migrating from
a coffee shop to a friend’s garage or languishing in a sterile business center — to a space where they can truly roost(b).
“We can come out of hiding,” a coworker tells us, “and be in a space that’s comfortable, friendly, and has an aesthetic appeal that’s a far cry from the typical cookie-cutter
office environment.”
For many, it might be puzzling to pay for a wellequipped space teeming with other people(c), even with the chance of free coffee and inspiration. You might ask yourself,
“Well, why pay for a place to work when I’m perfectly comfortable at home and paying nothing?” Or, “Isn’t the whole point of telecommuting or starting my own business a
chance to avoid ‘going to the office’?”
Coworking may sound like an unnecessary expense(d), but let’s consider what you get from being a part of the space.
At its most basic level, coworking is the phenomenon of workers coming together in a shared or collaborative workspace for one or more of these reasons: to reduce costs
by having shared facilities and equipment, to access a community of fellow entrepreneurs, and to seek out collaboration within and across fields. Coworking spaces offer
an exciting alternative for people longing to escape the confines of their cubicle walls, the isolation of working solo at home, or the inconveniences of public venues.
The benefits and cost-savings in productivity and overall happiness and well-being reaped from coworking are also potentially huge. Enthusiasm and creativity become
contagious and multiply when you diversify your work environment with people from different fields or backgrounds. At coworking spaces, members pass each other
during the day, conversations get going, and miraculously idea-fusion happens with everyone benefitting from the shared thinking and brainstorming.
Differences matter. Coworking hinges on the belief that innovation and inspiration come from the cross-pollination of different people in different fields or specializations.
Random opportunities and discoveries that arise from interactions with others play a large role in coworking.
To see this in action on a large scale, think about Google. Google made the culture of sharing and collaboration in the workplace legend. It deployed “grouplets” for
initiatives that cover broader changes through the organization.
One remarkable story of a successful Google grouplet involved getting engineers to write their own testing code to reduce the incidence of bugs in software code. Thinking
creatively, the grouplet came up with a campaign based on posting episodes discussing new and interesting testing techniques on the bathroom stalls. “Testing on the
Toilet” spread fast and garnered both rants and raves. Soon, people were hungry for more, and the campaign ultimately developed enough inertia to become a de facto
part of the coding culture. They moved out of the restrooms and into the mainstream.
Keith Sawyer, a professor of psychology and education at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, has written widely on collaboration and innovation. In his study of jazz
performances, Keith Sawyer made this observation, “The group has the ideas, not the individual musicians.” Some of the most famous products were born out of this mosh
pit of interaction — in contrast to the romantic idea of a lone working genius driving change. According to Sawyer, more often than not, true innovation emerges from an
improvised process and draws from trial-by-error and many inputs.
Unexpected insights emerge from the group dynamic. If increasing interaction among different peer groups within a single company could lead to promising results(e),
imagine the possibilities for solopreneurs, small businesses, and indie workers — if only they could reach similar levels of peer access as those experienced by their bigger
counterparts. It is this potential that coworking tries to capture for its members.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/199189
President Obama lectured air traffic controllers in an exclusive interview with ABC News, impressing on them the enormous responsibility of safeguarding flying passengers
and telling them, “You better do your job.”
The president spoke after several controllers were caught asleep on the job and the man in charge of air traffic control, Hank Krakowski, resigned on Thursday.
“The individuals who are falling asleep on the job, that’s unacceptable,” the president told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on Thursday. “The
fact is, when you’re responsible for the lives and safety of people up in the air, you better do your job. So, there’s an element of individual responsibility that has to be
dealt with.”
Five controllers have been suspended for apparently napping on the job while planes were trying to land at their airports.
The president said a full review of air traffic control work shifts is under way.
“What we also have to look at is air traffic control systems. Do we have enough back up? Do we have enough people? Are they getting enough rest time?” Obama said.
In March, two commercial airliners were forced to land unassisted at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport after a controller apparently fell asleep.
Just days later, two controllers at the Preston Smith International Airport in Lubbock, Texas, did not hand off control of a departing aircraft to another control center and it
took repeated attempts for them to be reached.
On Feb. 19, an air traffic controller in Knoxville, Tenn., slept during an overnight shift. Sources told ABC News that the worker even took pillows and cushions from a break
room to build a make-shift bed on the control room floor.
And this month, there were two more incidents. A controller fell asleep on the job in Seattle, and days later a controller in Reno was snoozing when a plane carrying a
critically ill passenger was seeking permission to land.
The FAA and the controller’s union have been studying the fatigue issue for over a year and their report finds that “acute fatigue occurs on a daily basis,” and “fatigue can
occur at any time, on any shift.”
Some sleep experts said controllers are ripe for fatigue because they often bounce between day shifts and night shifts. “When we’re constantly having to adjust to different
work schedules, our body is always playing catch up,” said Philip Gehrman, Director of the Behavioral Sleep Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Controllers on the night shift have another hurdle: they often work in dim light conditions with little stimulation between radio calls. “That’s exactly the kind of type of task
that’s hardest to maintain, when you’re at the wrong point in your biological rhythms,” said Gehrman.
One recommendation from the government study suggests allowing controllers to take scheduled naps, with breaks as long as two and a half hours to allow for sleeping
and waking up.
Sleep experts said a long break in the middle of an eight hour overnight shift would help, but it might be a tough sell politically. It has taken decades to try to come up with
new fatigue rules for pilots and it may not be any easier when it comes to controllers.
In the fragment of Text: “‘So, there’s an element of individual responsibility that has to be dealt with.’” (lines 6-7), the expression has to expresses an idea of
a) ability
b) capacity
c) obligation
d) permission
e) possibility
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/220761
Although far fewer women work in the oil and gas (O&G) industry compared to men, many women find rewarding careers in the industry. Five women were asked the
same questions regarding their career choices in the oil and gas industry.
Question 1: Why did you choose the oil and gas industry?
Woman 3: They offered me a job! I couldn’t turn down the great starting salary and a chance to live in New Orleans.
Woman 4: I did not really choose the oil and gas industry as much as it chose me.
Woman 5: I chose the oil and gas industry because of the challenging projects, and I want to be part of our country’s energy solution.
Question 2: How did you get your start in the oil and gas industry?
Woman 1: I went to a university that all major oil companies recruit. I received a summer internship with Texaco before my last year of my Master’s degree.
Woman 3: At the time, campus recruiters came to the geosciences department of my university annually and they sponsored scholarships for graduate students to help
complete their research. Even though my Master’s thesis was more geared toward environmental studies, as a recipient of one of these scholarships, my graduate advisor
strongly encouraged me to participate when the time came for O&G Industry interviews.
Woman 4: I was working for a company in another state where oil and gas was not its primary business. When the company sold its division in the state where I was
working, they offered me a position at the company’s headquarters in Houston managing the aftermarket sales for the company’s largest region. Aftermarket sales
supported the on-highway, construction, industrial, agricultural and the oil and gas markets. After one year, the company asked me to take the position of managing their
marine and offshore power products division. I held that position for three years. I left that company to join a new startup company where I hold the position of president.
Woman 5: My first job in the oil and gas industry was an internship with Mobil Oil Corp., in New Orleans.I worked with a lot of smart, focused and talented geoscientists
and engineers.
Woman 1: Tough one to describe a typical day. I generally read email, go to a couple of meetings and work with the field’s earth model or look at seismic.
Woman 2: I talk with clients, help prepare bids and work on getting projects out the door. My days are never the same, which is what I love about the job I have.
Woman 3: I usually work from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (although the official day is shorter). We call the field every morning for an update on operations, security,
construction, facilities and production engineering activities. I work with my team leads on short-term and long-term projects to enhance production (a lot of emails and
Powerpoint). I usually have 2-3 meetings per day to discuss/prioritize/review ongoing or upcoming work (production optimization, simulation modeling, drilling plans,
geologic interpretation, workovers, etc.). Beyond our team, I also participate in a number of broader business initiatives and leadership teams.
Woman 4: A typical day is a hectic day for me. My day usually starts well before 8 a.m. with phone calls and emails with our facility in Norway, as well as other business
relationships abroad. At the office, I am involved in the daily business operations and also stay closely involved in the projects and the sales efforts. On any given day I am
working on budgets and finance, attending project meetings, attending engineering meetings, reviewing drawings and technical specifications, meeting with clients and
prospective clients, reviewing sales proposals, evaluating new business opportunities and making a lot of decisions.
Woman 5: On most days I work on my computer to complete my projects. I interpret logs, create maps, research local and regional geology or write documents. I go to
project meetings almost every day. I typically work only during business hours, but there are times when I get calls at night or on weekends from a rig or other geologists
for assistance with a technical problem.
The sentence, in Text, in which the boldfaced expression introduces an idea of addition is
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/220763
Although far fewer women work in the oil and gas (O&G) industry compared to men, many women find rewarding careers in the industry. Five women were asked the
same questions regarding their career choices in the oil and gas industry.
Question 1: Why did you choose the oil and gas industry?
Woman 3: They offered me a job! I couldn’t turn down the great starting salary and a chance to live in New Orleans.
Woman 4: I did not really choose the oil and gas industry as much as it chose me.
Woman 5: I chose the oil and gas industry because of the challenging projects, and I want to be part of our country’s energy solution.
Question 2: How did you get your start in the oil and gas industry?
Woman 1: I went to a university that all major oil companies recruit. I received a summer internship with Texaco before my last year of my Master’s degree.
Woman 3: At the time, campus recruiters came to the geosciences department of my university annually and they sponsored scholarships for graduate students to help
complete their research. Even though my Master’s thesis was more geared toward environmental studies, as a recipient of one of these scholarships, my graduate advisor
strongly encouraged me to participate when the time came for O&G Industry interviews.
Woman 4: I was working for a company in another state where oil and gas was not its primary business. When the company sold its division in the state where I was
working, they offered me a position at the company’s headquarters in Houston managing the aftermarket sales for the company’s largest region. Aftermarket sales
supported the on-highway, construction, industrial, agricultural and the oil and gas markets. After one year, the company asked me to take the position of managing their
marine and offshore power products division. I held that position for three years. I left that company to join a new startup company where I hold the position of president.
Woman 5: My first job in the oil and gas industry was an internship with Mobil Oil Corp., in New Orleans.I worked with a lot of smart, focused and talented geoscientists
and engineers.
Woman 1: Tough one to describe a typical day. I generally read email, go to a couple of meetings and work with the field’s earth model or look at seismic.
Woman 2: I talk with clients, help prepare bids and work on getting projects out the door. My days are never the same, which is what I love about the job I have.
Woman 3: I usually work from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (although the official day is shorter). We call the field every morning for an update on operations, security,
construction, facilities and production engineering activities. I work with my team leads on short-term and long-term projects to enhance production (a lot of emails and
Powerpoint). I usually have 2-3 meetings per day to discuss/prioritize/review ongoing or upcoming work (production optimization, simulation modeling, drilling plans,
geologic interpretation, workovers, etc.). Beyond our team, I also participate in a number of broader business initiatives and leadership teams.
Woman 4: A typical day is a hectic day for me. My day usually starts well before 8 a.m. with phone calls and emails with our facility in Norway, as well as other business
relationships abroad. At the office, I am involved in the daily business operations and also stay closely involved in the projects and the sales efforts. On any given day I am
working on budgets and finance, attending project meetings, attending engineering meetings, reviewing drawings and technical specifications, meeting with clients and
prospective clients, reviewing sales proposals, evaluating new business opportunities and making a lot of decisions.
Woman 5: On most days I work on my computer to complete my projects. I interpret logs, create maps, research local and regional geology or write documents. I go to
project meetings almost every day. I typically work only during business hours, but there are times when I get calls at night or on weekends from a rig or other geologists
for assistance with a technical problem.
The only fragment from Text I that presents a series of actions exclusively performed in the past is
a) “I chose the oil and gas industry because of the challenging projects, and I want to be part of our country’s energy solution.”
b) “I held that position for three years. I left that company to join a new startup company where I hold the position of president.”
c) “My first job in the oil and gas industry was an internship with Mobil Oil Corp., in New Orleans. I worked with a lot of smart, focused and talented geoscientists
and engineers.”
d) “At the office, I am involved in the daily business operations and also stay closely involved in the projects and the sales efforts.”
e) “On most days I work on my computer to complete my projects. I interpret logs, create maps, research local and regional geology or write documents.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/352346
Today’s meeting is really about you. I can stand in front of you and talk about working safely and what procedures to follow until I’m blue in the face. But until you
understand the need for working safely, until you are willing to be responsible for your safety, it doesn’t mean a whole lot.
Some of you may be familiar with OSHA - the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The sole purpose of this agency is to keep American workers safe. Complying
with OSHA regulations isn’t always easy, but if we work together, we can do it. Yet, complying with regulations is not the real reason for working safely. Our real motive is
simple. We care about each and every one of you and will do what is necessary to prevent you from being injured.
However, keeping our workplace safe takes input from everyone. Management, supervisor, and all of you have to come together on this issue, or we’re in trouble. For
example, upper management has to approve the purchase of safe equipment. Supervisors, including myself, have to ensure that each of you knows how to use that
equipment safely. Then it’s up to you to follow through the task and use the equipment as you were trained. If any one part of this chain fails, accidents are going to
happen and people are going to get hurt.
At the core of your safety responsibilities lies the task of recognizing safety and health hazards. In order to do that, you must first understand what constitutes a hazard.
Extreme hazards are often obvious. Our hopes are that you won’t find too many of those around here.
There are, however, more subtle hazards that won’t jump up and bite you. As a result of your safety training and meetings like these, some things may come to mind. For
example, a machine may not be easy to lock out. Common practice may be to use a tag. This is a potential hazard and should be discussed. Maybe something can be
changed to make it easier to use a lock. Other subtle hazards include such things as frayed electrical cords, a loose machine guard, a cluttered aisle, or maybe something
that just doesn’t look right.
A big part of recognizing hazards is using your instincts. Nobody knows your job as well as you do, so we’re counting on you to let us know about possible problems.
Beyond recognizing hazards, you have to correct them or report them to someone who can. This too, is a judgement call. For example, if something spills in your work
area you can probably clean it up yourself. However, if there is an unlabeled chemical container and you have no idea what it is, you should report it to your supervisor.
Good housekeeping is a major part of keeping your work area safe. For example, you should take a few minutes each day to ensure that aisles, hallways, and stairways in
your work area are not obstructed. If boxes, equipment, or anything else is left to pile up, you have a tripping hazard on your hands. Those obstructions could keep you
from exiting the building quickly and safely should you face an emergency situation.
Also watch out for spills. These can lead to slips and falls. Flammable materials are another thing to be aware of. Make sure they are disposed of properly.
Keep Thinking. Even if you’re doing your job safely and you are avoiding hazards, there are often even better ways to work safely. If you have ideas for improving the
safety of your job or that of co-workers, share them.
Concluding Remarks
While nothing we do can completely eliminate the threat of an incident, we can work together to improve our odds. As I said, this must be a real team effort and I’m
counting on input from all of you. Let’s keep communicating and continue to improve safety.
Available at: <http://www.ncsu.edu/ehs/www99/right/training/ meeting/emplores.html>. Retrieved on: April 1st, 2012. Adapted.
The modal auxiliary in boldface conveys the idea of obligation in the fragment:
a) “Some of you may be familiar with OSHA”
b) “we can do it.”
c) “and will do what is necessary to prevent you from being injured.”
d) “you must first understand what constitutes a hazard.”
e) “Those obstructions could keep you from exiting the building quickly and safely”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2294408
By Neena Rai
June 29, 2011, 9:20 AM GMT
There is a famous Chinese proverb that warns “not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also.”
And with global water shortages on the horizon, climate change supporters say an extreme response will be needed from international governments to stem the potential
for conflict it will create around the world.
Professor Patricia Wouters at the IHP-HELP Centre for water law, policy and science at University of Dundee, said the world could face a future of “water wars” as
deterioration in climatic patterns and global population growth leave people struggling to stake their claim to the natural resource.
The World Bank in a report said that 1.4 million people could be facing water scarcity by 2025. But the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
forecast is even more gloomy. It estimates that 47% of the world’s population could face water stress in the same period – equivalent to more than three billion people.
The issue isn’t restricted to countries that typically see temperatures soar, such as Cyprus, which in 2009 was forced to import water in tankers and ration its use. Northern
hemisphere nations like the U.K. are also finding themselves in the midst of a drought in some regions, forcing governments to start to take action. The U.K. government,
for instance, plans to issue a Water White Paper this December that will focus on the future challenges facing the water industry and measures to increase protection of
river flows during summer months.
Parts of the U.K. are currently marked as having drought status and other areas of the country are deemed to be at risk of drought. The U.K.’s Department for Environment
Food and Rural Affairs held a second drought summit Monday, at which Secretary of State Caroline Spelman warned the prospect of a dry summer and dry winter could
have a serious impact on the country’s water reserves.
“We’re going to keep working with farmers, water companies and environmental groups to minimize the impacts of drought, because this year is sign of things to come,”
she said. “The climate is changing and these extreme weather events will become more common. How we deal with that problem will be one of the key parts of our Water
White Paper, which will be published later this year.”
This may be a far cry from a declaration of war on other more water-abundant nations, but reaching this stage in some countries isn’t beyond the realms of imagination.
Egypt and Ethiopia have been battling the issue for the share of the Nile’s water reserves, and Israel – already fighting Palestine for territory that includes precious water
reserves – has started to charge the agricultural sector high rates for using the resource.
Even in the U.K., the armed forces are being prepared for potential conflicts over water.
Professor Wouters said that military plans are being prepared on a 30-year horizon, but that the water security topic had somewhat fallen off the table since the financial
crisis. Portugal and Spain are facing serious water scarcity issues but the agricultural sector there is having to shout loudly for its voice to be heard above the noise of the
countries’ current financial woes.
Maybe Israel’s entrepreneurial approach to the issue is the way forward. Nevertheless, the fact remains that water scarcity is now firmly on the agenda of the world’s
governments, and isn’t going to vanish overnight.
In the text, the excerpt, “the world could face a future of “water wars” ”, the verb form in bold expresses the idea of
a) advice
b) suggestion
c) necessity
d) obligation
e) possibility
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2336404
The United States Mint, created by Congress in 1792, is the Nation’s unique manufacturer of dollars (bills and coins), so that the country can conduct its trade and
commerce. In addition to producing currency, the United States Mint also produces uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and
platinum coins.
Today the United States Mint announced the new designs that will appear on the Presidential $1 Coins in 2012. Each coin has two sides: the heads and the tails. The
obverse (heads sides) of the coins will bear portraits of former Presidents Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland (first term), Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland (second
term).
Inscriptions on the obverse of each coin include the President’s name, the years of his term in office, a number indicating the order in which he served, and the inscription
IN GOD WE TRUST. The portraits of Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland were designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart. The portrait
of Benjamin Harrison was designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor- Engraver Phebe Hemphill.
All coins in the Presidential $1 Coin Program bear a common reverse (tails side) featuring the iconic Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by Everhart. Inscriptions on
the reverse are $1 and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The year of minting, or issuance, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint mark are incused on the edge of the coins.
The Presidential $1 Coin Program is authorized by Public Law 109-145. Although production of circulating Presidential $1 Coins will soon be suspended, collectible versions
of the coin will continue to be available in select United States Mint offerings. For information on the availability and pricing of products featuring Presidential $1 Coins, visit
http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or call 1-800-USAMINT (872-6468).
An equivalent way of saying “The portrait of Benjamin Harrison was designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill.” is in:
a) Benjamin Harrison designed and sculpted the portrait of Phebe Hemphill in the United States.
b) Authored by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Benjamin Harrison, the portrait of Phebe Hemphill was designed and sculpted.
c) Phebe Hemphill’s portrait of Benjamin Harrison was designed and sculpted by a United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver.
d) United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill designed and sculpted the portrait of Benjamin Harrison.
e) United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill had her portrait designed and sculpted by Benjamin Harrison.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2340154
Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come – and in the United Kingdom’s capital, huge efforts are
being made to ensure this vision. One of them was the creation of the London Development Agency (LDA), set up by the Mayor of London.
Despite the fact that London bears the UK’s highest productivity rate, and that its global transport links are second to none, LDA has to face many challenges in the capital:
population expansion, high crime rate, rising costs, housing shortages and the highest child poverty rate in the UK.
In order to do this, LDA implements an economic development strategy that is based on basic interconnected themes. They are:
(ii) Investment in people to tackle the employment barrier that still affects too many Londoners, putting forth campaigns to tackle discrimination in all its forms - against
disabled people, older people, women, and people from lower economic strata.
(iii) “Investments in marketing should promote new businessesa to start-up, grow and compete in the market. To help the economic scenario, the LDA must maintain
Londonb as a key business and trading location. With LDA’s help London may secure its positionc as a top international destination and the principal UK gateway for tourism
and business investments in general. London might also profitd from new synergies LDA can help develop with emerging countriese such as Brazil, Russia and China.
(iv) Investments to maintain London Remade, an innovative recycling programme aimed at increasing markets for recycled products and driving the development of an
entrepreneurial recycling supply chain. This programme uses recycling as a vehicle to drive economic and social regeneration and it is principally funded by the LDA to
deliver green procurement and ecology-turned business consulting.
By making London Remade enforce recycling as a rule, LDA reaches the crucial aim of making each company – whenever possible – buy recycled products from other
companies that have taken in its waste materials. Ultimately, LDA’s efforts are turned to ensure that London becomes a sustainable world city with strong, long-term
economic growth, with social inclusion and with active and lasting environmental improvements.
Available at: <http://www.21stcentury.co.uk/environment/ capital-future.asp>. Retrieved on: Jan. 10, 2012. Adapted.
The excerpt that includes a word (modal) in bold that conveys the meaning “of obligation” is:
a) “Investments in marketing should promote new businesses”
b) “To help the economic scenario, the LDA must maintain London”
c) “With LDA’s help London may secure its position”
d) “London might also profit”
e) “LDA can help develop with emerging countries.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670741
Having the right equipment in place to detect and suppress a petrochemical fire is essential, but so is having well thought out emergency preparedness plans, being in a
position to ensure fast response, and having effective incident control.
The response in the first few minutes to a petrochemical fire is critical to the final outcome, as anyone who has ever found themselves in that unenviable position will tell
you. The fact of the matter is that irrespective of how sophisticated the detection and fire suppression installations, nothing will make up for a lack of emergency
preparedness, inadequate training or poorly implemented incident management. The golden rule when preparing for such an emergency is: assume nothing and test
everything.
Risk assessments for petrochemical plants, indeed for any high-hazard site, should not be limited to what might be described as “internal” fire safety threats and
challenges. If evidence is needed of this, it is necessary only to look at what happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan where the disaster was triggered by
an offshore earthquake and tsunami. In the current uncertain international climate, the risk assessor also has to consider the very real prospect of acts of terrorism aimed
at headlinegrabbing mass destruction of property and lives.
None of this, of course, lessens the need to provide the most effective detection, alarm and suppression equipment. This will probably take the form of fixed equipment
providing primary aroundthe- clock protection for such structures as cone roof tanks; open-top floating roof tanks; covered floating roof tanks; horizontal tanks; bunds, and
spill grounds. However, it cannot be overstressed that, potentially, all of this equipment is itself at risk in the event of an explosion.
While petrochemical fires are, thankfully, not everyday occurrences, when they do occur the consequences can be economically and environmentally devastating, as well as
being seriously life-threatening on a significant scale. So it is essential for petrochemical workers to keep a higher attention level so that they do not risk being faced with
the prospect. More time and energy needs to be devoted to implementing sustainable measures that will reduce or eliminate the risk of fire. Certainly, this means workers
must do their job according to stricter rules at all times: performing both passive and active fire protection measures daily, devising and implementing fully integrated
emergency and disaster management plans, and most importantly, seeing fire engineering as a dynamic and indispensable business continuity process.
In Text I, the word do in the fragments: “when they do occur”; “they do not risk being faced” and “workers must do their job” respectively, fulfill the role of
a) emphasis, auxiliary verb and main verb
b) auxiliary in the two first instances and modal in the third
c) modal, main verb and auxiliary verb
d) main verb, emphasis and modal
e) auxiliary, modal and emphasis
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/80955
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2011
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Gramática (Grammatics)
323)
Are You Training Yourself to Fail?
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
https://w w w .tecconcursos.com.br/caderno/Q3QQDf/imprimir 83/136
23/03/2024, 16:35 Tec Concursos - Questões para concursos, provas, editais, simulados.
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
become our habits, and our habits become our identity. We no longer experience an unproductive day; we become unproductive people.
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
Did you get done what you wanted to get done today?
By Peter Bregman. September 13, 2011 / Psychology Today
Some people are naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. They start their days with a clear and reasonable intention of what they plan to do, and then they work
diligently throughout the day, sticking to their plans, focused on accomplishing their most important priorities, until the day ends and they've achieved precisely what they
had expected. Each day moves them one day closer to what they intend to accomplish over the year.
I am, unfortunately, not one of those people. Left to my own devices, I rarely end my day with the satisfaction of a plan well executed. My natural inclination is to start my
morning with a long and overly ambitious list of what I hope to accomplish and push myself with sheer will to accomplish it. I'm prone to be so busy — answering emails,
multitasking, taking phone calls, taking care of errands — that, without intervention, I would get very little of importance done.
And then, exhausted by my busyness, but unsatisfied by how little of importance I'd accomplished, I would distract myself further by doing things that made me feel better
in the moment, if not accomplished — like browsing the internet or eating something sweet.
Our instincts most often drive us toward instant gratification. And the world around us conspires to lure us off task. Given total freedom, most of us would spend far too
much time browsing websites and eating sweets. And being totally responsive to our environments would just have us running around like crazy catering to other people's
agendas.
For me, the allure of accomplishing lots of little details would often override my focus on the big things I value. Each morning I would try to change my natural tendency by
exerting self-control. I would talk to myself about how, starting this morning, I would be more focused, psych myself up to have a productive day, and commit to myself
that I wouldn't do any errands until the important work was done.
And so, without understanding it at the time, I was teaching myself to fail. People talk about failure — I talk about failure — as critical to learning. But what if we don't
learn? What if we do the same things, repeatedly, hoping for different results but not changing our behavior?
Because the more we continue to make the same mistakes, the more we ingrain the ineffective behaviors into our lives. Our failures become our rituals, our rituals
You can't get out of this pattern by telling yourself you're a productive person. You’re smarter than that; you won't believe yourself and the data won't support the illusion.
You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals.
For me, the best way to discover the most effective rituals to help me achieve my most important priorities was through trial and error. Every evening I looked at what
worked and repeated it the next. I looked at what didn't and stopped it.
What I found is that rather than trying to develop super-human discipline and focus, I needed to rely on a process to make it more likely that I would be focused and
productive and less likely that I would be scattered and ineffective.
Rituals like these: Spending five minutes in the morning to place my most important work onto my calendar, stopping every hour to ask myself whether I'm sticking to my
plan, and spending five minutes in the evening to learn from my successes and failures. Answering my emails in chunks at predetermined times during the day instead of
whenever they come in. And never letting anything stay on my to do list for more than three days (after which I either do it immediately, schedule it in my calendar, or
delete it).
It doesn't take long for these rituals to become habits and for the habits to become your identity. And then, you become a productive person.
The trick then is to stay productive. Once your identity changes, you are at risk of letting go of your rituals. You don't need them anymore, you think to yourself, because
you are now a productive person. You no longer suffer from the problem the rituals saved you from.
But that's a mistake. Rituals don't change us. They simply modify our behavior as long as we practice them. Once we stop, we lose their benefit. In other words, being
productive — forever more — requires that you maintain the rituals that keep you productive — forever more.
I would love to say that I am now one of those people who is naturally pre-disposed to being highly productive. But I’m not. There's nothing natural about productivity for
me.
In "You have to climb out the same way you climbed in: with new rituals" the modal that substitutes 'have to' without a change in meaning is
a) may
b) can
c) must
d) would
e) might
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/81207
Everyone makes mistakes — but some of those mistakes are more avoidable than others. When it comes to your job, even just one mistake could result in major
consequences for your career.
It's inevitable that, at some point, your supervisor or co-workers will approach you and ask for your help on an outside project or assignment. Although it might be
tempting to ignore those emails(a) or say no to additional work, don't. You might think that no one will notice if you don’t help with extra work, but they will. And, although
it's not technically in your job description, more companies today must do more with less — meaning each employee needs to be flexible and multi-skilled. Make yourself
indispensible by pitching in on other assignments when possible. (Of course, don't overextend yourself to the point where you can’t get your normal work done.)
Some of the best job advice I've heard is to always dress at least one step above your current position. It helps others picture you working above your current position and
makes you look extremely professional. You're not just an intern/entry-level professional, you have the potential to be so much more — so act like it.
No one is perfect. And while doing projects to the best of your ability is something you should strive to do(b), it doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake or do something
incorrectly. If you make a mistake, own up to it and correct it. Remember to not lose sight of the overall goal by focusing too much on the little details. You could potentially
miss deadlines and quality of your work — not to mention drive your co-workers (and boss) crazy.
Many workplaces still don't give employees feedback more than a few times per year. If you wait around for feedback for several months, you're doing yourself (and your
organization) a disservice. Instead of waiting for your supervisor to come to you(c), ask to set up a quick meeting to discuss your progress thus far and any improvements
you could make. Bring up specific projects you’ve completed and ask for feedback on things you were unsure about. This way, you know where you stand in your position
and at the company — before a formal performance review comes across your desk.
Even if you're doing spectacular work, you could be overlooked if you sit at your desk each day and avoid interactions with co-workers and upper management. When you
need a break, head over to the break room or cafeteria and interact with other workers in your office. Not only will this help reduce stress on the job, but you’ll have the
potential to make some great professional relationships, too.
Some people think asking questions is a sign of weakness. Yet, when you’re unsure how to complete a task(d), it can be hard to do it the right way the first time without
clarification. When assigned a new project, ask any questions that might come up right then and there. Furthermore, you might also want to inquire about how your
When you first start on a new job, it’s important to take note of cultural differences from previous workplaces. What does everyone wear on a daily basis? How much
socialization goes on during the workday? Do employees tend to come in early or stay late? What is the typical mode of communication for the office? Assimilating to the
culture is a great way to fit in quickly at the organization and get along with other employees.
Available in: <http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outsidevoices- careers/2011/06/17/how-to-avoid-7-common-on-thejob- mistakes>. Retrieved on: Sept. 17, 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409330
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
New Orleans. “We’re going to discuss what the opportunities are for exposure and what the potential short- and long-term health effects are. That’s the essence of the
workshop, to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” Lichtveld explained.
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
Many of the ailments, including nausea, headache and dizziness, are already evident, especially in clean-up workers, some of whom have had to be hospitalized.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
The word may in “They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” expresses
a) ability.
b) advice.
c) certainty.
d) necessity.
e) possibility.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1409344
WEDNESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) - This Tuesday and Wednesday, a high-ranking group of expert government advisors is meeting to outline and anticipate potential
health risks from the Gulf oil spill - and find ways to minimize them.
The workshop, convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will not issue any formal
recommendations, but is intended to spur debate on the ongoing spill.
“We know that there are several contaminations. We know that there are several groups of people — workers, volunteers, people living in the area,” said Dr. Maureen
Lichtveld, a panel member and professor and chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in
New Orleans. “We’re going to discuss what the opportunities are for exposure and what the potential short- and long-term health effects are. That’s the essence of the
workshop, to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” Lichtveld explained.
High on the agenda: discussions of who is most at risk from the oil spill, which started when BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico on April
20, killing 11 workers. The spill has already greatly outdistanced the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in magnitude.
“Volunteers will be at the highest risk,” one panel member, Paul Lioy of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University, stated at the
conference. He was referring largely to the 17,000 U.S. National Guard members who are being deployed to help with the clean-up effort.
Many lack extensive training in the types of hazards — chemical and otherwise — that they’ll be facing, he said. That might even include the poisonous snakes that inhabit
coastal swamps, Lioy noted. Many National Guard members are “not professionally trained. They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor,” he pointed out.
Seamen and rescue workers, residents living in close proximity to the disaster, people eating fish and seafood, tourists and beach-goers will also face some risk going
forward, Dr. Nalini Sathiakumar, an occupational epidemiologist and pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, added during the conference.
Many of the ailments, including nausea, headache and dizziness, are already evident, especially in clean-up workers, some of whom have had to be hospitalized.
“Petroleum has inherent hazards and I would say the people at greatest risk are the ones actively working in the region right now,” added Dr. Jeff Kalina, associate medical
director of the emergency department at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. “If petroleum gets into the lungs, it can cause quite a bit of damage to the lungs [including]
pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs.”
“There are concerns for workers near the source. They do have protective equipment on but do they need respirators?” added Robert Emery, vice president for safety,
health, environment and risk management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Physical contact with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and with solvents can cause skin problems as well as eye irritation, said Sathiakumar, who noted that VOCs can
also cause neurological symptoms such as confusion and weakness of the extremities.
“Some of the risks are quite apparent and some we don’t know about yet,” said Kalina. “We don’t know what’s going to happen six months or a year from now.”
In the fragments “to look at what we know and what are the gaps in science,” and “‘They may be lawyers, accountants, your next-door neighbor’, he pointed out.”, the
expressions look at and pointed out mean, respectively,
a) face – revealed.
b) seek – deduced.
c) examine – adverted.
d) investigate – estimated.
e) glance at – mentioned.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057020
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
In Text, what anchors the use of the present perfect in “good materials have led professional developments.”?
a) A definite time in the past.
b) A continuous action in the present.
c) An action that will take place in the near future.
d) An action repeated several times in the past towards the present.
e) One past action before the other.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057024
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
In Text, in the sentence “We are supported by several very professional professional associations.” the words in boldface type function respectively as
a) numeral, intensifying adverb, adjective, noun and adjective
b) emphatic adverb, quantifying adverb, noun, adjective and noun
c) quantifying adverb, intensifying adverb, adjective, adjective and noun
d) intensifying adverb, quantifying adjective, adverb, adjective and noun
e) numeral, intensifying adverb, adjective, adjective and noun
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057070
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
In Text, the present simple is used in the excerpt “when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says...” to convey
a) the narration of an action that is happening at the moment of the speech.
b) a story that happened once in a remote past.
c) a habitual story.
d) a conditional situation in the present.
e) greater engagement of the listener in a story that happened in the past.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057099
Military Cameras & Olive Oil Help Solve Longstanding Mystery: How Hummingbirds Fly The secret lies right where you wouldn’t expect it: in the bird’s
upstroke
by Andrew Grant
The aerodynamics of nature’s greatest hovercraft, the nectar-loving hummingbird, has long eluded explanation. The tiny bird can buzz above a flower for minutes just as
some insects do, and even fly backward and sideways, outmaneuvering most other birds. Now biologist Bret Tobalske of the University of Montana Flight Laboratory and his
colleagues have documented the hummingbird’s remarkable flying skills in unprecedented detail, rendering surprising insights into how the bird stays aloft.
To catch the bird in action, Tobalske and his team employed an unusual visualization technique involving a clear plastic box, high-speed military cameras originally designed
to document ballistics, a laser, and a few spritzes of olive oil.
In their experiments, a hummingbird is set loose in one side of the box. As it darts for sugar water on the other side, it rapidly flaps its wings, flying through a laser-
illuminated fog of vaporized olive oil particles. Cameras, meanwhile, snap pictures at a rate of 1,000 per second (standard movie cameras take 24). “We joke that the lab
smells like pizza,” Tobalske says. “But the oil droplets show up brilliantly in the photos as shiny points on a dark background.” Computer software then analyzes the motion
of the oil particles to determine airflow and the force applied by the bird’s wings.
Tobalske discovered that the bird generates vortices on upstrokes that produce lift. When he implanted miniature sensors in a hummingbird’s muscles, he found that the
whirlpools of air allowed the bird to rest its pectoral muscles during the downstroke and conserve energy.
Interestingly, other researchers have found that insects, bats, and even maple-seed pouches that spin like helicopters employ a similar strategy while hovering. “All these
different species have converged on the same approach,” Tobalske says. Upcoming experiments will explore the flight mechanics of heavier birds, such as pigeons.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/82067
Today's business is all about being green. From Walmart to Apple, everyone is talking about how green their approach, packaging, or methods are. But green business is
really in its infancy, and the future of being green will no doubt distill down to some very real and definable goals and practices.
In fact, businesses that today find themselves carrying the green banner will be put to the test to define their actions, and it must make sense to the soon to be green
savvy public. So, what are some of these definable trends that will dictate the future of green business? Let's take a look.
A Measure Impact
First up, businesses will find it harder to do business under the "Green" herald unless they hold themselves accountable to their own carbon footprint. While today we can
find a number of carbon footprint calculators, the net results tend to vary between sites. As time continues on, these results will merge together to a more cohesive
reporting structure, and this is the measuring stick to which the company will report.
A company's net carbon footprint may be as important to its success as its bottom line, since no doubt one could drive the other. This is especially true if it is a public
company that is directly coupled to selling to the public.
For a lot of businesses, a major part of their environmental impact can be found in the very building that their business takes place in. A green building is not only
potentially cheaper to operate, it can pay big dividends in brand appearance and customer loyalty.
In other words, you may find that it is cheaper to be green than not. Today utilities are being held accountable for energy standards, but incentives may make it the logical
choice for all businesses.
Soon businesses will find that it is simply not enough to talk to consumers about being green – instead they will need to educate them. Through promotions, handouts,
special deals, and other means, businesses will find that an educated customer will better appreciate the new emphasis on being green.
By relating to the customer on green issues, the door is open for further dialog on others. Even such things as giving out free branded reusable bags is a simple but
effective way of using the green relationship to build the business and improve the customer relationship.
The consumer of today is better informed than ever before, and this is a trend that will no doubt continue. In order for a business to be seen as green, it will no doubt
need to have the chain more open to all parties. This can be seen today by the inclusion of local growers in big chain grocery stores, and the trend will no doubt continue.
Not only grocery stores and produce markets will be affected by the need for open green practices. Restaurants will find it beneficial to proudly declare that a particular
side item is being provided by a given local producer. The act of being green is really building a responsible community on a global scale, so it should come to no surprise
that strengthening the local community ties works well with being green.
With these trends, the future of a successful green business will be defined. The businesses soon must responsibly measure and report their environmental impact to a
given standard. They must build the places of business to a green standard. They will need to reach out and connect to their customers on green matters, to the
advantage of both. And finally, they will need to develop and refine openly green practices that tie together the sense of a green community.
While these trends are more evolutionary than revolutionary in their arrival, you may be surprised at how fast they can become a standard accepted business process in
2010 and beyond.
Available at: http://www.futureofbusiness.info/ - retrieved on June 27, 2010.
In the fragment "A company's net carbon footprint may be as important to its success as its bottom line, since no doubt one could drive the other.", "since" can be
substituted by
a) because.
b) however.
c) while.
d) when.
e) so.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/82072
Today's business is all about being green. From Walmart to Apple, everyone is talking about how green their approach, packaging, or methods are. But green business is
really in its infancy, and the future of being green will no doubt distill down to some very real and definable goals and practices.
In fact, businesses that today find themselves carrying the green banner will be put to the test to define their actions, and it must make sense to the soon to be green
savvy public. So, what are some of these definable trends that will dictate the future of green business? Let's take a look.
A Measure Impact
First up, businesses will find it harder to do business under the "Green" herald unless they hold themselves accountable to their own carbon footprint. While today we can
find a number of carbon footprint calculators, the net results tend to vary between sites. As time continues on, these results will merge together to a more cohesive
reporting structure, and this is the measuring stick to which the company will report.
A company's net carbon footprint may be as important to its success as its bottom line, since no doubt one could drive the other. This is especially true if it is a public
company that is directly coupled to selling to the public.
For a lot of businesses, a major part of their environmental impact can be found in the very building that their business takes place in. A green building is not only
potentially cheaper to operate, it can pay big dividends in brand appearance and customer loyalty.
In other words, you may find that it is cheaper to be green than not. Today utilities are being held accountable for energy standards, but incentives may make it the logical
choice for all businesses.
Soon businesses will find that it is simply not enough to talk to consumers about being green – instead they will need to educate them. Through promotions, handouts,
special deals, and other means, businesses will find that an educated customer will better appreciate the new emphasis on being green.
By relating to the customer on green issues, the door is open for further dialog on others. Even such things as giving out free branded reusable bags is a simple but
The consumer of today is better informed than ever before, and this is a trend that will no doubt continue. In order for a business to be seen as green, it will no doubt
need to have the chain more open to all parties. This can be seen today by the inclusion of local growers in big chain grocery stores, and the trend will no doubt continue.
Not only grocery stores and produce markets will be affected by the need for open green practices. Restaurants will find it beneficial to proudly declare that a particular
side item is being provided by a given local producer. The act of being green is really building a responsible community on a global scale, so it should come to no surprise
that strengthening the local community ties works well with being green.
With these trends, the future of a successful green business will be defined. The businesses soon must responsibly measure and report their environmental impact to a
given standard. They must build the places of business to a green standard. They will need to reach out and connect to their customers on green matters, to the
advantage of both. And finally, they will need to develop and refine openly green practices that tie together the sense of a green community.
While these trends are more evolutionary than revolutionary in their arrival, you may be surprised at how fast they can become a standard accepted business process in
2010 and beyond.
Available at: http://www.futureofbusiness.info/ - retrieved on June 27, 2010.
In "you may be surprised at how fast they can become a standard accepted business process in 2010 and beyond." the verb form "may" expresses
a) necessity.
b) certainty.
c) obligation.
d) capability.
e) possibility.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/226027
By Alexis Madrigal
WIRED SCIENCE, August 27, 2009
One hundred and fifty years ago on Aug. 27, Colonel Edwin L. Drake sunk the very first commercial well that produced flowing petroleum. The discovery that large
amounts of oil could be found underground marked the beginning of a time during which this convenient fossil fuel became America’s dominant energy source.
But what began 150 years ago won’t last another 150 years — or even another 50. The era of cheap oil is ending, and with another energy transition upon us, we’ve got to
extract all the lessons we can from its remarkable history.
“I would see this as less of an anniversary to note for celebration and more of an anniversary to note how far we’ve come and the serious moment that we’re at right
now,” said Brian Black, an energy historian at Pennsylvania State University. “Energy transitions happen and I argue that we’re in one right now. Thus, we need to
aggressively look to the future to what’s going to happen after petroleum.”
When Drake and others sunk their wells, there were no cars, no plastics, no chemical industry. Water power was the dominant industrial energy source. Steam engines
burning coal were on the rise, but the nation’s energy system — unlike Great Britain’s — still used fossil fuels sparingly. The original role for oil was as an illuminant, not a
motor fuel, which would come decades later.
Oil, people later found, was uniquely convenient. To equal the amount of energy in a tank of gasoline, you need 200 pounds of wood. Pair that energy density with stability
under most conditions and that, as a liquid, it was easy to transport, and you have the killer application for the infrastructure age.
In a world that only had a tiny fraction of the amount of heat, light, and power available that we do now, people came up with all kinds of ideas for what to do with oil’s
energy: cars, tractors, airplanes, chemicals, fertilizer, and plastic.
The scale of the oil industry is astounding, but it’s becoming clear the world’s oil supply will peak soon, or perhaps has peaked already. People discuss about the details,
but no one argues that oil will play a much different role in our energy system in 50 years than it did in 1959.
The search for alternatives is on. If that search goes poorly — as some Peak Oil analysts predict — human civilization will fall off an energy cliff. The amount of energy we
get back from drilling oil wells in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico continues to drop, and alternative sources don’t provide usable energy for humans on the generous terms
that oil long has.
Yet humans with an economic incentive to be optimistic become optimists, and the harder we look, the more possible alternatives we find. The big question now is
whether the cure for our oil addiction will come with a heavy carbon side effect.
Over the next 20 years, synthetic fuels made from coal or shale oil could conceivably become the fuels of the future. On the other hand, so could advanced biofuels from
cellulosic ethanol or algae. Or the era of fuel could end and electric vehicles could be deployed in mass, at least in rich countries.
With the massive injection of stimulus and venture capital money into alternative energy that’s occurred over the past few years, the solutions for replacing oil could
already be circulating among the labs and office parks of the country. To paraphrase technology expert Clay Shirky talking about the media, nothing will work to replace oil,
but everything might.
If history tells us anything, it’s that energy sources can change, never tomorrow, but always some day.
“What is required is to operate without fear and to take energy transitions on as a developmental opportunity,” Black said.
In the fragment “nothing will work to replace oil, but everything might.” (line 29) the verbs ‘will’ and ‘might’, respectively, convey the idea of
a) possibility, doubt.
b) fact, high probability.
c) probability, suspicion.
d) future possibility, certainty.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/227477
The twentieth century has been called the hydrocarbon century due to the abundance of fossil fuels, and their contribution to human development. Fossil fuels were
formed over millions of years by the decomposing remains of plants and animals under immense heat and pressure. This process resulted in energy laden fuels coal,
petroleum, and natural gas, which together have generated most of the energy consumed globally for over a century, paving the way for continued advancement and new
inventions.
Fossil fuels are currently the most economically available source of power for both personal and commercial uses. Petroleum fuels our cars and thirst for plastics, while
natural gas and coal heat and electrify our homes. Mass transportation is also largely propelled by fossil fuels. In 2005, more than 3/4 of total world energy consumption
was through the use of fossil fuels. Petroleum led with over 43.4 percent of the world’s total energy consumption, followed by natural gas (15.6 percent) and coal (8.3
percent). North America is the largest consumer of fossil fuels, utilizing nearly 25 percent of the world’s resources.
Long thought to be inexhaustible, fossil fuels have been used extensively since the Industrial Revolution. However, many believe that the world is using fossil fuels at an
unsustainable rate. Some experts believe that the world has already reached its peak for oil extraction and production, and that it is only a matter of time before natural
gas and coal follow suit. These near-term concerns about oil supply have led to increasing focus on, and exploration of, alternative sources of petroleum, such as in tar
sands and oil shale.
To release their stored energy, fossil fuels must be burned. It is during this combustion process that a variety of emissions and particulates, including ash, are released into
the atmosphere. Primary releases are sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon, which can be harmful to the environment. They can combine with water vapor in the air to form acidic
compounds that create acid rain, and burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that scientists believe is key factor in global climate change.
There are also environmental risks associated with extracting, transporting, and utilizing fossil fuels. Mining for coal and drilling for oil are especially hazardous because
the digging of massive mines and wells can change the surrounding landscapes and bring massive amounts of salt water to the surface which can damage nearby
ecosystems without proper treatment and sequestration. Natural gas extraction is somewhat safer, but can also be hazardous. While there are regulations in place that
attempts to minimize the risks, it is impossible to eliminate them completely. However, regulation is not sufficient; there must be continued research in developing new
technologies for both fossil fuel and renewable energy, in addition to increasing conservation measures. Environmental Literacy Council
In “The twentieth century has been called the hydrocarbon century due to the abundance of fossil fuels, and their contribution to human development.”, ‘due to’ can be
substituted by
a) such as
b) besides
c) in spite of
d) instead of
e) because of
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/293682
Besides surfing, tourism and the ocean views, California may get another benefit from its famed coast: energy(a).
With shores that stretch for 745 miles along the Pacific Ocean, California ‘could harness more than 37,000 megawatts of ocean power, or enough to supply a fifth of the
state’s energy needs’, according to the California Energy Commission.
On Friday, California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co, or PG&E, took a dive in that direction. The company said it signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to study a
wave energy project near a base and off the coast of northern Santa Barbara County. The utility is also seeking approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
or FERC.
The proposed project could harness up to 100 megawatts of electricity from waves in the Pacific. If it is built, devices would convert the wave’s energy into electricity(b), a
submarine cable would bring it to shore, where it would feed into the electrical grid at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Any excess electricity would go to the utility’s electrical
grid, which is connected to the base.
California will have to wait a few years, however, to see if wave energy will help the state meet its goal for a third of its energy needs(c) to come from renewable
resources by 2020.
The study for wave power off of the central coast will take three years and is part of PG&E’s wave energy program. The company is also looking to develop a smaller
project in northern California, off the coast of Humboldt County. Together the studies will cost more than $7 million, a spokesman with PG& E said.
“Right now the wave industry is in its infancy,” said Kory Raftery, with PG&E. “It’s comparable to where wind was in the 1970s.”
Currently there are few projects around the world that generate electricity from the ocean(d). PG&E estimates that together they produce about 300 megawatts of power,
less than a single mid-sized coal plant(e).
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1388753
Over the past decade, a fierce debate has emerged amongst energy experts about whether global oil production was about to reach a peak, followed by an irreversible
decline. This event, commonly known as “Peak Oil” far outreaches the sole discipline of geology. From transportation to modern agriculture, petrochemicals and even the
pharmaceutical industry all of them rely on one commodity: cheap and abundant oil. In order to sustain the needs of an ever globalized world, oil demand should double by
2050.
Nonetheless, geological limitations will disrupt this improbable scenario. In fact, a growing proportion of energy experts argue that Peak Oil is impending and warn about
the extraordinary scale of the crisis.
According to the 2009 BP Statistical Review, the world has precisely 42 years of oil left. Those numbers come from a very simple formula, the R/P ratio, which consists of
dividing the official number of global oil reserves by the level of today’s production.
Nevertheless, this methodology is dangerously defective on several key points as it ignores geological realities. Oil production does not consist of a plan level of production
that brutally ends one day; it follows a bell-shaped curve.
Indeed, the important day occurs when production starts to decline, not when it ends. As it is a non-flexible commodity, even a small deficit in oil production can lead to a
major price surge.
Finally, the R/P ratio does not acknowledge that production costs increase over the time; the first oil fields to be developed were logically the easy ones and so the most
profitable. It is well recognized that remaining oil fields consist of poor quality oil or remotely located fields which need high technologies and expensive investments.
Therefore, relying on the R/P ratio gives a false impression of security while the actual situation is critical.
Oil is a strategic resource; therefore having oil is a key political and economical advantage for a state. This is why politics interfere in the evaluation of oil reserves,
especially in countries with poor accountability records; that is, the majority of OPEC countries. In fact, OPEC oil reserves have dramatically increased during the 1980s and
1990s. However, they have not discovered major oil fields after the 1970s. At this conjuncture, the question of what lays behind these fluctuations needs to be asked.
The geologist Dr. Colin Campbell, founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO), explains the hidden reasons that led to these changes: “In 1985,
Kuwait, added 50% to its reserve. At that time, the OPEC quota was based on the reported reserves; the more you reported, the more you could produce.”
Fellow OPEC members who were unwilling to see the influence of Kuwait growing, simply raised their reserves soon after. Moreover, OPEC countries continue to present
their reserves as flat despite having extracted huge amounts of oil during the past twenty years.
At this point, we should not forget that oil reserves reported by these countries are not audited by independent experts. In 2006, the notorious Petroleum Intelligence
Weekly said it had access to confidential Kuwaiti reports which stated that reserves were half the official numbers.
The question of oil reserves is most relevant. As oil exporting countries have less oil in their ground, Peak Oil will arrive faster. Oil optimists who argue Peak Oil is still
decades away rely on these same erroneous data.
In addition, if importing countries assume oil reserves are abundant as they do, the crisis will be unexpected, unprepared and misunderstood; in one word: overwhelming.
Similarly, once oil shortages occur, oil importing countries may assume that exporting countries are deliberately reducing their oil exports to harm their national interests.
Such a flawed assumption from oil importing countries is likely to have serious repercussions, and eventually lead to new oil wars.
b) past ability.
c) reasonable expectation.
d) future permission.
e) scientific certainty.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1388755
Nonetheless, geological limitations will disrupt this improbable scenario. In fact, a growing proportion of energy experts argue that Peak Oil is impending and warn about
the extraordinary scale of the crisis.
According to the 2009 BP Statistical Review, the world has precisely 42 years of oil left. Those numbers come from a very simple formula, the R/P ratio, which consists of
dividing the official number of global oil reserves by the level of today’s production.
Nevertheless, this methodology is dangerously defective on several key points as it ignores geological realities. Oil production does not consist of a plan level of production
that brutally ends one day; it follows a bell-shaped curve.
Indeed, the important day occurs when production starts to decline, not when it ends. As it is a non-flexible commodity, even a small deficit in oil production can lead to a
major price surge.
Finally, the R/P ratio does not acknowledge that production costs increase over the time; the first oil fields to be developed were logically the easy ones and so the most
profitable. It is well recognized that remaining oil fields consist of poor quality oil or remotely located fields which need high technologies and expensive investments.
Therefore, relying on the R/P ratio gives a false impression of security while the actual situation is critical.
Oil is a strategic resource; therefore having oil is a key political and economical advantage for a state. This is why politics interfere in the evaluation of oil reserves,
especially in countries with poor accountability records; that is, the majority of OPEC countries. In fact, OPEC oil reserves have dramatically increased during the 1980s and
1990s. However, they have not discovered major oil fields after the 1970s. At this conjuncture, the question of what lays behind these fluctuations needs to be asked.
The geologist Dr. Colin Campbell, founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO), explains the hidden reasons that led to these changes: “In 1985,
Kuwait, added 50% to its reserve. At that time, the OPEC quota was based on the reported reserves; the more you reported, the more you could produce.”
Fellow OPEC members who were unwilling to see the influence of Kuwait growing, simply raised their reserves soon after. Moreover, OPEC countries continue to present
their reserves as flat despite having extracted huge amounts of oil during the past twenty years.
At this point, we should not forget that oil reserves reported by these countries are not audited by independent experts. In 2006, the notorious Petroleum Intelligence
Weekly said it had access to confidential Kuwaiti reports which stated that reserves were half the official numbers.
The question of oil reserves is most relevant. As oil exporting countries have less oil in their ground, Peak Oil will arrive faster. Oil optimists who argue Peak Oil is still
decades away rely on these same erroneous data.
In addition, if importing countries assume oil reserves are abundant as they do, the crisis will be unexpected, unprepared and misunderstood; in one word: overwhelming.
Similarly, once oil shortages occur, oil importing countries may assume that exporting countries are deliberately reducing their oil exports to harm their national interests.
Such a flawed assumption from oil importing countries is likely to have serious repercussions, and eventually lead to new oil wars.
d) “Therefore, relying on the R/P ratio gives a false impression of security…” - . (Yet)
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/1531271
In the past two years Brazil has discovered the largest oil deposits in the country’s history and the world’s most promising fields since the discoveries made in Kashagan in
Kazakhstan in 2000. This has put Brazil well on its way to becoming a major producer in the future, but technological and financial hurdles will have to be overcome first.
(a)
The finds are located in the Santos oil Basin, 300 km from the coast at Rio de Janeiro in south-eastern Brazil. The first discovery—the giant Tupi field—was made in
November 2007. Potential reserves are estimated by Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras, the statecontrolled oil company) at 5-8bn barrels of oil equivalent (boe), which should
make it the largest-ever deep-water oilfield discovery.(b) Partner company British Gas is more optimistic, estimating that the field could contain 12-13bn boe.
The Tupi discovery was followed by other large finds, including Sugar Loaf, to the south-west of Tupi, in December 2007, and the Jupiter natural-gas field, located east of
Tupi, in January 2008. The three fields constitute the largest hydrocarbons discoveries in the cluster area of the Santos Basin. The government estimates reserves at Sugar
Loaf could be even larger than those of Tupi, at around 33bn boe, and that the Jupiter field could have “similar dimensions” to Tupi.
Other discoveries in the area include Parati, Bem te-vi, Carioca, Iara, Tupi Sul and Iati.
The president of the Agência Nacional de Petróleo (ANP, the industry regulating agency) puts total potential reserves in the Santos Basin at 80bn boe. If the new
discoveries are found to be commercially viable, Brazil could become one of the world’s major oil-producing and exporting countries.
Two successful wells—Caramba and Guara— have already been drilled in the Sugar Loaf field by Petrobras in association with Portuguese Galp Energy in the first case,
and with BG and Spanish Repsol in the second. Projected initial production at Tupi is estimated at 100,000 barrels/day under a pilot project scheduled to start next year. In
With oil production averaging 1.9m b/d in 2008, the extra capacity might lift Brazil’s output to levels similar to(d) Latin America’s two main oil producers, Venezuela and
Mexico, who both produce 2.5-3m b/d.
Yet full development of the fields will pose serious geological challenges. The onset of a sharp global economic slowdown will throw up further complications, as financing
constraints hinder investment and lower oil prices bring into question the government’s preference for a production-sharing (rather than concessionary) framework.
The reserves are located in the so-called “presalt” area (below the thick salt layer and more than 4km below the sea bed, under a series of layers of rock and salt). Until
now, Brazil’s reserves have been found in post-salt formations—above the salt layer.
The depth of the oil reservoirs is not the main challenge, since Petrobras ranks among the world’s bestqualified companies in offshore deep-water exploration and is
already exploring fields located at a similar depth.
The depth and thickness of the salt formation poses more problems. Unlike drilling through rock, which can be difficult owing to its thickness(e) but once drilled remains
stable, it is tough to maintain the dimensions of the hole after drilling through salt. Another challenge is the temperature shock of the oil as it travels up to the surface.
The technology needed and the subsequent development and maintenance of the reservoirs will be expensive. The development cost of each sub-salt well is estimated at
US$100-150m, and Tupi alone could require as many as 200 wells. Developing the entire Tupi area could cost around US$600bn over the life of the wells. Unexpected
geological or operational issues— such as longer drilling times, and increases in the rental costs of rigs—could further raise costs. The availability of deep-water rigs could
also delay Brazil’s oil plans, as globally these are in short supply.
d) “the extra capacity might lift Brazil’s output to levels similar to…”.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2676153
The Internet is believed to have much influence on foreign language syllabus design in the form that it may change the roles of the teacher as well as of the students
insofar as some of the authority and power is transferred to the learners. First of all, it can be seen that the roles of the teacher as provider of information and the student
as receptacle thereof have shifted radically. The students, through their self-access internet facilities, have access to huge amounts of information and, unlike the teacher,
have more free time to explore it. With the Internet, learners will be more independent as active shapers of the knowledge they obtain and the information they process.
This supports one of the ten principles on ESL critical pedagogy by Crookes and Lehner (1998), stating that “[T]he purpose of education is to develop critical thinking by
presenting students’ situation to them as a problem so that they can perceive, reflect, and act on it” (p. 321). The Internet can be tremendously liberating for both teacher
and students, and therefore significantly affects the syllabus of a course.
Second, in many cases students are IT (information technology) experts well ahead of their teachers, especially the senior ones. This entails the expanding responsibility
that the teacher must have in encouraging students to think about what they are learning and why they are learning it. Also, students need to develop critical skills in order
to use information fully and significantly, and teachers must be able to train them in these skills. Pennycook (2001) used the term critical literacy, proposing a new English
curriculum in which students must develop not only knowledge of text content but also knowledge about texts and text genre.
Finally, the counseling role of the teacher is expanding as learners confront the need to make decisions about their learning. With the new role of language counseling,
teachers must now expand the traditional guidance to incorporate a far greater number of tasks and a sequence in which they can be completed to best suit a student’s
needs, in both cognitive and affective ways. In this view, “the teacher participates as a learner among learners” (Crookes & Lehner, 1998, p.321). In other words, language
counseling involves teacher and student negotiating learning goals and paths.
In general, the Internet means very much to the learner-centred model because it is both a learning and a teaching tool. Laurillard (2008, p. 144) argued that technology is
certainly part of the problem here, as it impacts increasingly on the conduct of education. It is new, ever-changing, expensive, difficult to master, complex to manage,
wide-ranging in its potential, disruptive of existing systems. And although there is usually funding for the hardware and infrastructure, there has never been commensurate
funding for staff development, training, content development and research so that teachers can appropriately incorporate internet-resources into their classroom syllabi.
Admittedly, there are some drawbacks and problems to consider when using the Internet in designing a syllabus. Anyway, it is clear if we are in favour of the argument
that education must aim at teaching people to gather information from an extensive variety of sources, and to integrate what they have gathered into a coherent whole so
that it becomes knowledge, then the Internet is a useful medium to achieve this aim. Therefore, language teachers ought to bear in mind the educational advantages and
challenges of the Internet in order to regulate the teaching programmes to meet the learners’ needs.
NGUYEN, Long V. Technology-Enhanced EFL Syllabus Design and Materials Development. English Language Teaching, vol 1, n.2, December, 2008.
www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/465/475. Retrieved on August 29,2010.
In the sentence “…students are IT (information technology) experts well ahead of their teachers, especially the senior ones.”, the word ‘ones’ is used in the same way as
‘one’ in
a) The young clown was awful; one felt embarrassed for him.
b) One of the senators will lead the group to the front of the podium.
c) He delivered the bulky package to one Ronald Pepin of Colchester.
d) The yellow sports car is fast, but I think the blue one is more likely to win.
e) The three twin brothers get along quite well; in fact they adore one another.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2676155
The Internet is believed to have much influence on foreign language syllabus design in the form that it may change the roles of the teacher as well as of the students
insofar as some of the authority and power is transferred to the learners. First of all, it can be seen that the roles of the teacher as provider of information and the student
as receptacle thereof have shifted radically. The students, through their self-access internet facilities, have access to huge amounts of information and, unlike the teacher,
have more free time to explore it. With the Internet, learners will be more independent as active shapers of the knowledge they obtain and the information they process.
This supports one of the ten principles on ESL critical pedagogy by Crookes and Lehner (1998), stating that “[T]he purpose of education is to develop critical thinking by
presenting students’ situation to them as a problem so that they can perceive, reflect, and act on it” (p. 321). The Internet can be tremendously liberating for both teacher
and students, and therefore significantly affects the syllabus of a course.
Second, in many cases students are IT (information technology) experts well ahead of their teachers, especially the senior ones. This entails the expanding responsibility
that the teacher must have in encouraging students to think about what they are learning and why they are learning it. Also, students need to develop critical skills in order
to use information fully and significantly, and teachers must be able to train them in these skills. Pennycook (2001) used the term critical literacy, proposing a new English
curriculum in which students must develop not only knowledge of text content but also knowledge about texts and text genre.
Finally, the counseling role of the teacher is expanding as learners confront the need to make decisions about their learning. With the new role of language counseling,
teachers must now expand the traditional guidance to incorporate a far greater number of tasks and a sequence in which they can be completed to best suit a student’s
needs, in both cognitive and affective ways. In this view, “the teacher participates as a learner among learners” (Crookes & Lehner, 1998, p.321). In other words, language
counseling involves teacher and student negotiating learning goals and paths.
In general, the Internet means very much to the learner-centred model because it is both a learning and a teaching tool. Laurillard (2008, p. 144) argued that technology is
certainly part of the problem here, as it impacts increasingly on the conduct of education. It is new, ever-changing, expensive, difficult to master, complex to manage,
wide-ranging in its potential, disruptive of existing systems. And although there is usually funding for the hardware and infrastructure, there has never been commensurate
funding for staff development, training, content development and research so that teachers can appropriately incorporate internet-resources into their classroom syllabi.
Admittedly, there are some drawbacks and problems to consider when using the Internet in designing a syllabus. Anyway, it is clear if we are in favour of the argument
that education must aim at teaching people to gather information from an extensive variety of sources, and to integrate what they have gathered into a coherent whole so
that it becomes knowledge, then the Internet is a useful medium to achieve this aim. Therefore, language teachers ought to bear in mind the educational advantages and
challenges of the Internet in order to regulate the teaching programmes to meet the learners’ needs.
NGUYEN, Long V. Technology-Enhanced EFL Syllabus Design and Materials Development. English Language Teaching, vol 1, n.2, December, 2008.
www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/465/475. Retrieved on August 29,2010.
The fragment “It is new, ever-changing, expensive, difficult to master, complex to manage, wide-ranging in its potential, disruptive of existing systems.” is illustrative of
several language processes that contribute to reading comprehension.
All of the following language features are found in the fragment and could be highlighted by the teacher to help students grasp the form and meaning of this passage, but
for
a) the pronoun “It”, an element of textual reference, to point out cohesive devices.
b) premodification in noun phrases, to show differences between the Portuguese and English languages.
c) the compound present continuous tense (verb to be + -ing participle), to illustrate the use of this verb form.
d) the structure ‘adjective + non-finite clause’ used as a premodifier, to contrast with its use in post-predicative position.
e) varied processes of word formation in the English language, showing different suffixes used for the same grammatical function.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2677687
No living or manufactured thing exists on this planet without energy. It enables flowers and people to grow. We need energy to mine minerals, extract oil or cut wood and
then to process these into finished goods. Without energy the goods would not exist so we can think of each productA) as containing “embodied energy”. So the most
fundamental definition of moneyB) is that it is a mechanism to allow the exchangeC) and allocationD) of different forms of energyE). The economy is energy.
The most important source of energy in the world economy is hydrocarbons - molecules made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Small hydrocarbon molecules form
gases such as natural gas. Larger molecules form the liquid we know as crude oil. Hydrocarbons can be burned to provide heat energy to power generators and motors.
Almost all transport relies on liquid hydrocarbon energy. Hydrocarbons are also incredibly useful for making plastics. It is difficult to find any manufactured thing that does
not now include plastic. Oil and natural gas provide almost 2/ 3rds of the energy used in the world economy. A simpler way to say this is that hydrocarbons are 2/3rds of
the world economy.
Until recently (about 2005) the world economy was growing. The number of people has been increasing which requires increased production of food, clothing and shelter -
the basics. On top of this, many of us have been using more energy than previously - to travel farther, eat more food, buy additional clothes and enhance our shelters. Until
2005 we could expand our energy use to meet this demand. This is something we were able to do - with occasional interruptions - for the past 150 years. However, after
2005 we could not expand our energy supply. In other words, we could not expand the world economy.
Oil supply was flat from 2005 onwards and is now in decline. That is not to say that we did not try to expand the world economy after 2005. However, much of the
expansion that occurred was an illusion. In many industrialised nations a great deal of “money” was created (by increasing the money supply and other means) but it did
not correspond to an increase in energy use.
Meanwhile, the US economy began to contract at an accelerating rate. If you ignore the way the US government avoids clarifying its GDP calculation method to maintain a
more favorable picture, you can see that that the US economy has been contracting since 2005.
As a whole, the world may attempt to turn to coal to continue to grow its energy production. However, the USA (the world’s greatest coal province) is already past peak
net energy from coal production even though its total mined tonnage increases. World coal production is expected to peak before 2030 and will only be marginally higher
than current levels. Coal currently supplies only 25 per cent of world energy so this will not compensate for the decline in energy from oil.
In “…it is a mechanism to allow the exchange and allocation of different forms of energy.”, “it” refers to
a) “...product...”
b) “...money...”
c) “...exchange...”
d) “...allocation...”
e) “...energy...”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2677715
No living or manufactured thing exists on this planet without energy. It enables flowers and people to grow. We need energy to mine minerals, extract oil or cut wood and
then to process these into finished goods. Without energy the goods would not exist so we can think of each product as containing “embodied energy”. So the most
fundamental definition of money is that it is a mechanism to allowA) the exchange and allocation of different forms of energy. The economy is energy.
The most important source of energy in the world economy is hydrocarbons - molecules made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Small hydrocarbon molecules form
gases such as natural gas. Larger molecules form the liquid we know as crude oil. Hydrocarbons can be burned to provide heat energy to power generators and motors.
Almost all transport relies on liquid hydrocarbon energy. Hydrocarbons are also incredibly useful for making plastics. It is difficult to find any manufactured thing that does
not now include plastic. Oil and natural gas provide almost 2/ 3rds of the energy used in the world economy. A simpler way to say this is that hydrocarbons are 2/3rds of
the world economy.
Until recently (about 2005) the world economy was growing. The number of people has been increasing which requires increased production of food, clothing and shelter -
the basics. On top of this, many of us have been using more energy than previouslyB) - to travel farther, eat more food, buy additional clothes and enhance our shelters.
Until 2005 we could expand our energy use to meet this demand. This is something we were able to do - with occasional interruptions - for the past 150 years. However,
after 2005 we could not expand our energy supply. In other words, we could not expand the world economy.
Oil supply was flat from 2005 onwards and is now in decline. That is not to say that we did not try to expand the world economy after 2005. However, much of the
expansion that occurred was an illusionC). In many industrialised nations a great deal of “money” was created (by increasing the money supply and other means) but it did
not correspond to an increase in energy use.
Meanwhile, the US economy began to contract at an accelerating rate. If you ignore the way the US government avoids clarifying its GDP calculation methodD) to maintain
a more favorable picture, you can see that that the US economy has been contracting since 2005.
China managed to grow until recently by declaring to own a greater proportion of the world’s stagnant production of oil. This was a significant factor in increasing the
demand for, and price of, oil. China has also been rapidly expanding its coal-fired electricity generation. Indeed, coal provides the bulk of China’s energyE).
As a whole, the world may attempt to turn to coal to continue to grow its energy production. However, the USA (the world’s greatest coal province) is already past peak
net energy from coal production even though its total mined tonnage increases. World coal production is expected to peak before 2030 and will only be marginally higher
than current levels. Coal currently supplies only 25 per cent of world energy so this will not compensate for the decline in energy from oil.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2681845
ScienceDaily (Mar. 26, 2010) — The world's capacity to meet projected future oil demand is at a tipping point, according to research by the Smith School of Enterprise and
the Environment at Oxford University. There is a need to accelerate the development of alternative energy fuel resources in order to ensure energy security and reduce
emissionsa , says a paper just published in the journal Energy Policy.
The age of cheap oil has now ended as demand starts to outstrip supply as we head towards the middle of the decade, says the report. It goes on to suggest that the
current oil reserve estimates should be downgraded from between 1150-1350 billion barrels to between 850-900 billion barrels, based on recent research. But how can
potential oil shortages be mitigated?
Dr Oliver Inderwildi, Head of the Low Carbon Mobility centre at the Smith School, said: “The common belief that alternative fuels such as biofuelsb could mitigate oil supply
shortages and eventually replace fossil fuels is pie in the sky. There is not sufficient land to cater for both food and fuel demand. Instead of relying on those silver bullet
solutionsc, we have to make better use of the remaining resources by improving energy efficiency. Alternatives such as a hydrogen economy and electric transportation are
not mature and will only play a major role in the medium to long term.
Nick Owen, from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, added: 'Significant oil supply challenges will be compounded in the near future by rising demand and
strengthening environmental policy. Mitigating the oil crunch without using lower grade resources such as tar sands is the key to maintaining energy stability and a low
carbon future.”
The Smith School paper also highlights that in the past, political and financial objectives have led to misreporting of oil reserves, which has led to contradictory estimates
of oil reserve data available in the public domain.
Sir David King, Director of the Smith School, commented: “We have to face up to a future of oil uncertainty much like the global economic uncertainty we have faced
during the past two years. This challenge will have a longer term effect on our economies unless swift action is taken by governments and business. We all recognise that
oil is a finite resource. We need to look at other low carbon alternatives and make the necessary funding available for research, development and deployment today if we
are to mitigate the tipping point:
The report also raises the worrying issue that additional demand for oil could be met by nonconventional methods, such as the extraction of oil ffom Canada's tar sands.
However, these methods have a far higher carbon output than conventional drillingd, and have been described as having a double impact on emissions owing to the
emissions produced during extraction as well as during usagee .
The word in parentheses describes the idea expressed by the word in boldtype in
a) “...a need to accelerate the development of alternative energy fuel resources in order to ensure energy security and reduce emissions,” - (contrast)
b) “The common belief that alternative fuels such as biofuels...” (result)
c) “Instead of relying on those silver bullet solutions,” - (consequence)
d) “However, these methods have a far higher carbon output than conventional drilling,” - (reason)
e) “...the emissions produced during extraction as well as during usage.” (addition)
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2348322
It is impossible to envision an innovative city without innovative people. To respond to the many challenges innovative cities will face, such cities must have citizens with a
passion for discovery, and institutions ready to implement new ideas: but this is not enough. Innovative cities will also depend on education systems that are capable of
producing people with open minds; who are willing and able to solve new problems and acquire new skills in contexts of continuing challenge and change. Citizens of
innovative cities will need to acquire and exercise a complex combination of knowledges, skills and social capacities that were never expected of their parents or
grandparents. Innovative cities will also need to establish and support schools in which young people learn and also practice new social capacities. These will include, for
example, the ability to live and work harmoniously with fellow citizens whose languages, religions and cultures may be very different from their own.
In contrast with this vision, the current structure, culture, and curriculum of most secondary schools are not well adapted to meet these challenges. Curriculum options
tend to divide ‘academic’ learning from ‘vocational’ training, deliver computing and information technology classes that are seriously out of date, and rely on linear, ‘chalk
and talk’ methods of knowledge transfer. While much is being done by regions, states, and even local schools to alter the provision of education to young people, the
overall leadership fashioning the policies of large school systems often appears to be stagnant, and caught in bureaucratic inertia. Many schools persist in privileging a
curriculum that is geared to students who are university-bound and ignores or marginalizes those with different interests or learning needs. In addition, the structure of
schooling often finds schools isolated from their communities, workplaces, and other educational institutions.
This article focuses on three of the most pressing issues facing educational systems as they attempt to respond to present and future challenges.
The first challenge is the emergence of a digital divide between less adapted digital users known as ‘digital immigrants’ and the surprisingly different mind sets of children
who have grown up as ‘digital natives’ (Prensky 2001). These ‘digital natives’ have been born into, and are familiar with, such a wide range of technologies that their
approach to learning, knowledge acquisition and even social relationships, is vastly different from that of their parents and elders who are often their teachers. How are
educational systems to be devised that will respond to these technological natives, yet also deliver knowledge, opportunity and experience that will equip students with the
abilities to meet the challenges ahead of them?
The second challenge refers to the problems inherent in mass secondary education. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies
completing a full upper secondary education with a recognised qualification forwork, tertiary study, or both as central to the social and economic well-being of individuals,
communities and nations (OECD 2006). The challenge of ensuring that all students complete a high school qualification is exacerbated by the increasing diversity of the
populations some schools are expected to serve. Given the degree of uniformity and centralization imposed on most high schools by the systems in which they are
embedded, most high schools in low-income areas struggle to deliver what is needed.
The third challenge is associated with the changing nature of cities themselves, reflecting the increasing exclusion of particular populations on the basis of geographical
location, cultural discrimination, gross income inequality, and poor access to resources. The issue for educational systems is how to create meaningful forms of education
to meet the diversified needs of a wide range of students, providing them with opportunities and hope, rather than furthering their exclusion. Crucial as well is the
provision of all students with the social capacities, knowledges and skills required to adapt and function within innovative cities.
Innovation: management, policy & practice (2008) 10: vol 2-3; p. 257. http://www.innovation-enterprise.com/archives/vol/10/issue/2-3/article/ 2628/digital-natives-dropouts-and-refugees
Choose the alternative in which the word with the ING suffix functions as a noun.
a) “...contexts of continuing challenge and change.”
b) “deliver computing and information technology classes...”
c) ‘the structure of schooling...”
d) “...issues facing educational systems...”
e) “...the changing nature of cities...”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2348538
“Globalization or global dominance? Lingua franca or lingua Americana? Is English as lingua franca “a neutral instrument for ‘international’ communication” or a political
tool used to create hegemony? Language isnot entirely independent of culture and ideology: all three co-constitute each other, and thus supporting the belief that “lingua
franca English is disconnected from the many ‘special purposes’ it serves in key societal domains” (Phillipson, 2008: 250) is almost paramount to disbelieving the growing
“McDonaldization” (Ritzer, 2004) of society. The spread of lingua franca English may be seen as leading to the transfer by powerful nations of their values onto less
powerful states, transforming lingua franca into what Phillipson (2008) refers to as lingua cucula.
Experiences of reality are not only expressed through but also created by the language spoken. Language reflects our perception of reality, and the spread of English
imperialism (cf. Phillipson, 1992) can be seen to an extent as suspending one’s own repository of experiences in favour of another’s (cf. Bhatia, 2007). “Globalization” itself
is a dubious term, and seems less an interconnection of nations and more their dependence on the “American way of life”. The spread of lingua franca English does indeed
seem like part of the New World Order agenda – one introduced by Bush Senior in an attempt to direct the world with the American moral compass.”
Comment by Aditi Bhatia on Phillipson’s text Published in World Englishes, Vol. 27, no 2, pp. 268–269, 2008.
In the sentence “ ‘Globalization’ ” itself is a dubious term, and seems less an interconnection of nations and more their dependence on the ‘American way of life’.”, the
coordination of ideas with ‘less’ and ‘more’ expresses a
a) minor hypothesis.
b) cause and its effect.
c) comparison of items.
d) problem followed by a solution.
e) chronological sequence of actions.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2665538
By Marissa Miller
Contrary to popular belief, flying on a commercial jetliner is extremely safe. Yet if you suffer from aviophobia (the fear of flying), that short sentence probably does nothing
to ease your fears and anxiety.
According to a study conducted by the Valk Foundation, approximately 40% of people experience some level of anxiety about flying. The fear of flying typically stems from
other common fears, such as the fear of heights, crowds, or claustrophobia.
Flying is in fact one of the safest modes of transportation. In fact, more than 3 million people fly around the world every single day without any incident. In 2000, more
than one billion people flew throughout the world and there were only 20 fatal accidents. In the United States alone, fewer people have died in commercial plane accidents
over the last 60 years than are killed in car crashes in a typical three month period. An even more sobering statistic is that about 115 people die every day in automobile
accidents, which equates to one death every 13 minutes.
However, if the thought of flying really makes you extremely anxious and if it is interfering with your life (unable to go on vacations, business trips etc.), consider taking a
fear of flying program or course, designed specifically to help people conquer their fears associated with flying. Such programs are typically offered at local airports and
taught by pilots, therapists, and other qualified experts.
Choose the alternative in which the idea introduced by the word in bold type is correctly described.
a) “Contrary to popular belief,” – condition.
b) “Yet if you suffer from aviophobia...” – comparison.
c) “such as the fear of heights, crowds, or …” – exemplification.
d) “In fact, more than 3 million people...” – contrast.
e) “However, if the thought of flying …” – result.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670037
Accreditation in Aviation
Marjo Mitsutomi and Jerry Platt University of Redlands (California)
Data
There is substantial anecdotal evidence to suggest that language miscommunication has been a contributing factor in several airplane crashes, and in even more
nearmisses. Unfortunately, the coding mechanisms for recording cause of failure often obscure the role of language. Worse, there is evidence of deliberate withholding of
such data, presumably to avoid increasing fears among an already skittish flying public. The result is surprisingly scant hard evidence to systematically support any claim
that language communication “in global airspace is an important safety issue today”.
Growth
By contrast, there is substantial evidence to support the claim that “effective communication in global airspace … will become even more important tomorrow”. In
projecting air traffic for the year 2026, the Boeing web site indicates that traffic within the Asia-Pacific region, with its great variety of native languages, will exceed air
traffic within North America – the historically-dominant region that is comprised of but three native languages. Additionally, there are clear indicators that per capita air
travel traffic, which increases with wealth, is about to undergo dramatic shifts in demography.
Accreditation
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that the education provided by schools, institutions and programs meets the minimum acceptable levels of quality. The value
proposition of Aviation English is best advanced through an accreditation process for its training programs. Just what is accreditation? Why does it matter? How can it help?
Our interest is in a specific, specialized, programmatic accreditation. It would not assess the overall effectiveness of a flight school, an air traffic controller program, or an
English language school. Instead, it would focus only on the Aviation English component of that school or program, and assess it only with respect to the stated ICAO
(International Civil Aviation Organization) standards and benchmarks for Aviation English. An analogy may help.
There are thousands of universities around the world, and most countries have national or regional accreditation bodies to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the
universities in meeting their educational goals. Many of these universities have schools of business as one patch of its educational fabric. There are only two global bodies
for the accreditation of business programs within universities – EQUIS and AACSB. These two bodies accredit the business training subset of an institution, according to
quite specific global standards that have been set by peers at business schools worldwide.
Accreditation for Aviation English It is proposed that an international body be established to accredit schools and programs that purport to train and prepare pilots and
controllers to be proficient in Aviation English by ICAO standard
Necessary and/or Desirable Ingredients The accreditation process should examine not only the measurement instrument(s) and output from the testing process for
demonstrating proficiency in Aviation English, but also the inputs (recruitment; student support; organization structure; financial resources; personnel) and the processes
(training; testing; certification). It is essential that accreditation be established as a holistic enterprise.
While it is both premature and presumptuous to specify standards today that should be set in agreement among peer schools and programs at some future date, there are
certain ingredients that transcend specific criteria and can help guide in the formulation and establishment of the accreditation unit. It should be an independent, not-for-
profit federation of schools and programs, with broad global representation that reflects the rich diversity in native languages and cultures across member states.
Accreditation must be limited to Aviation English, and must be based upon a peer-review process that emphasizes absolute standards for performance while also
recognizing relative advancement toward the absolute standard, thereby acting as a supportive organization that actively helps all programs improve.
Mark the only boldfaced discourse marker that DOES NOT introduce contrasting ideas.
a) “Unfortunately, the coding mechanisms for recording cause of failure often obscure the role of language.”
b) “By contrast, there is substantial evidence to support the claim that ‘effective communication in global airspace …will become even more important tomorrow.’ ”
c) “Additionally, there are clear indicators that per capita air travel traffic, which increases with wealth, is about to undergo dramatic shifts in demography.”
d) “Accreditation is a common element of education systems all over the world. Some accreditation agencies are general, and assess overall performance, while
others are specific to a particular task.”
e) “Instead, it would focus only on the Aviation English component of that school or program, and assess it only with respect to the stated ICAO (International Civil
Aviation Organization) standards and benchmarks for Aviation English.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670046
Accreditation in Aviation
Marjo Mitsutomi and Jerry Platt University of Redlands (California)
Data
There is substantial anecdotal evidence to suggest that language miscommunication has been a contributing factor in several airplane crashes, and in even more
nearmisses. Unfortunately, the coding mechanisms for recording cause of failure often obscure the role of language. Worse, there is evidence of deliberate withholding of
such data, presumably to avoid increasing fears among an already skittish flying public. The result is surprisingly scant hard evidence to systematically support any claim
that language communication “in global airspace is an important safety issue today”.
Growth
By contrast, there is substantial evidence to support the claim that “effective communication in global airspace … will become even more important tomorrow”. In
projecting air traffic for the year 2026, the Boeing web site indicates that traffic within the Asia-Pacific region, with its great variety of native languages, will exceed air
traffic within North America – the historically-dominant region that is comprised of but three native languages. Additionally, there are clear indicators that per capita air
travel traffic, which increases with wealth, is about to undergo dramatic shifts in demography.
Accreditation
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that the education provided by schools, institutions and programs meets the minimum acceptable levels of quality. The value
proposition of Aviation English is best advanced through an accreditation process for its training programs. Just what is accreditation? Why does it matter? How can it help?
Accreditation is “the stamp of approval” for schools and/ or programs in a particular discipline or industry. Institutions that seek accreditation recognize its importance by
agreeing to a set of commonly adopted industry standards for quality assurance. The accrediting process is done by one’s peers. Accrediting agencies are private
educational associations of regional, national or international scope. The agencies develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those
criteria are met. In terms of the so-called Level-4 proficiency benchmark, accreditation can address both general and specific questions of common interest.
Our interest is in a specific, specialized, programmatic accreditation. It would not assess the overall effectiveness of a flight school, an air traffic controller program, or an
English language school. Instead, it would focus only on the Aviation English component of that school or program, and assess it only with respect to the stated ICAO
(International Civil Aviation Organization) standards and benchmarks for Aviation English. An analogy may help.
There are thousands of universities around the world, and most countries have national or regional accreditation bodies to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the
universities in meeting their educational goals. Many of these universities have schools of business as one patch of its educational fabric. There are only two global bodies
for the accreditation of business programs within universities – EQUIS and AACSB. These two bodies accredit the business training subset of an institution, according to
quite specific global standards that have been set by peers at business schools worldwide.
Accreditation for Aviation English It is proposed that an international body be established to accredit schools and programs that purport to train and prepare pilots and
controllers to be proficient in Aviation English by ICAO standard
Necessary and/or Desirable Ingredients The accreditation process should examine not only the measurement instrument(s) and output from the testing process for
demonstrating proficiency in Aviation English, but also the inputs (recruitment; student support; organization structure; financial resources; personnel) and the processes
(training; testing; certification). It is essential that accreditation be established as a holistic enterprise.
While it is both premature and presumptuous to specify standards today that should be set in agreement among peer schools and programs at some future date, there are
certain ingredients that transcend specific criteria and can help guide in the formulation and establishment of the accreditation unit. It should be an independent, not-for-
profit federation of schools and programs, with broad global representation that reflects the rich diversity in native languages and cultures across member states.
Accreditation must be limited to Aviation English, and must be based upon a peer-review process that emphasizes absolute standards for performance while also
recognizing relative advancement toward the absolute standard, thereby acting as a supportive organization that actively helps all programs improve.
The passage below is the concluding paragraph of the article “Accreditation in Aviation” by Marjo Mitsutomi and Jerry Platt.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670133
B. KUMARAVADIVELU San José State University San José, California, United States
The three shifts—from communicative language teaching to taskbased language teaching, from methodbased pedagogy to postmethod pedagogy, and from systemic
discovery to critical discourse—constitute the major transition in TESOL methods during the past 15 years. This transition is still unfolding, opening up opportunities as well
as challenges. The shift from CLT to TBLT has resulted in, and has benefited from, a body of empirical research in L2 acquisition to such an extent that TBLT is considered
more psycholinguistically oriented compared to CLT, which is more sociolinguistically oriented.
But still, vexing questions remain to be resolved. I highlight two major ones. The first pertains to the relationship between form and meaning and its attendant issue of
how the learner’s attention resources are allocated. Calling the allocation of attention “the pivotal point” in L2 learning and teaching, Schmidt (2001) argues that it “largely
determines the course of language development” The crux of the problem facing TBLT is how to make sure that learners focus their attention on grammatical forms while
expressing their intended meaning.
That brings up yet another concern: the issue of context. One of the central claims of CLT as well as TBLT is that it can be contextualized to meet various learning and
teaching needs, wants, and situations. It should be remembered that advocates of both CLT and TBLT have been using the term context mainly to refer to linguistic and
pragmatic features of language and language use. They seldom include the broader social, cultural, political, and historical particularities. The inadequacy of CLT and TBLT
in addressing such broader contextual issues has led some to call for a context approach to language teaching.
The shift from CLT to TBLT may be described as an internal shift within the boundaries of a method-based pedagogy. The shift from method-based pedagogy to
postmethod pedagogy, however, is seen as much more fundamental because it seeks to provide an alternative to method rather than an alternative method. There are,
however, dissenting voices. Liu (1995) has argued that postmethod is not an alternative to method but only an addition to method. Likewise, Larsen-Freeman (2005) has
questioned the concept of postmethod saying that “Kumaravadivelu’s macro-microstrategies constitute a method” (p. 24).
Because of its unfailing focus on the teacher, postmethod pedagogy has been described as “a compelling idea that emphasises greater judgment from teachers in each
context and a better match between the means and the ends” (Crabbe, 2003, p. 16). It encourages the teacher “to engage in a carefully crafted process of diagnosis,
treatment, and assessment” (Brown, 2002, p. 13). It also provides one possible way to be responsive to the lived experiences of learners and teachers, and to the
local exigencies of learning and teaching. It “opens up new opportunities for the expertise of language teachers in periphery contexts to be recognized and valued” and
“makes it more feasible for teachers to acknowledge and work with the diversity of the learners in their classrooms, guided by local assessments of students’ strategies for
learning rather than by global directives from remote authorities” (Block & Cameroon, 2002b, p.10).
Yet another skepticism pertains to the investigative methods followed by the practitioners of critical discourse analysis, and, by extension, critical pedagogy (Toolan, 1997;
Widdowson, 1998). Toolan suggests that critical discourse analysts should be more critical in their argumentation by following robust research design and by providing
stronger evidence. Dubbing (drubbing?) critical linguistics as “linguistics with a conscience and a cause,” Widdowson (1998, p. 136) questions its “less rigorous operation”
(p. 137) that involves “a kind of ad hoc bricolage which takes from theory whatever comes usefully to hand” (p. 137). Undoubtedly, these deserved admonitions demand
serious attention. The criticism about research in critical pedagogy could, in fact, be extended to research in TESOL in general and TESOL methods in particular,
warranting the search for robust research design. One should at the same time remember, however, that language teaching, not unlike anthropology, is “not an
experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning” (Geertz, 1973, p. 5). Searching for meaning, particularly at the initial stages of
pedagogic exploration, runs the risk of becoming a speculative exercise. And today’s speculative exercise may lead to tomorrow’s specialized knowledge.
While the chances provided and the challenges posed by the three changing tracks in TESOL methods will keep us all busy for some time to come, there are other
developments on the horizon that confront us. We have just started investigating the inevitable impact that the emerging processes of globalization and the renewed forces
of imperialism will have on language teaching practices. But, that’s another story.
Mark the only alternative where the word ‘one’ functions as an indefinite personal pronoun.
a) “I highlight two major ones.” (line 14)
b) “One of the central claims of CLT as well as TBLT is that it can be contextualized…” (lines 25-26)
c) “It also provides one possible way to be responsive….” (lines 55-56)
d) “One should at the same time remember,” (lines 82-83)
e) “ ‘…but an interpretive one in search of meaning.’ ” (line 85)
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670223
B. KUMARAVADIVELU San José State University San José, California, United States
The three shifts—from communicative language teaching to taskbased language teaching, from methodbased pedagogy to postmethod pedagogy, and from systemic
discovery to critical discourse—constitute the major transition in TESOL methods during the past 15 years. This transition is still unfolding, opening up opportunities as well
as challenges. The shift from CLT to TBLT has resulted in, and has benefited from, a body of empirical research in L2 acquisition to such an extent that TBLT is considered
more psycholinguistically oriented compared to CLT, which is more sociolinguistically oriented.
But still, vexing questions remain to be resolved. I highlight two major ones. The first pertains to the relationship between form and meaning and its attendant issue of
how the learner’s attention resources are allocated. Calling the allocation of attention “the pivotal point” in L2 learning and teaching, Schmidt (2001) argues that it “largely
determines the course of language development” The crux of the problem facing TBLT is how to make sure that learners focus their attention on grammatical forms while
expressing their intended meaning.
That brings up yet another concern: the issue of context. One of the central claims of CLT as well as TBLT is that it can be contextualized to meet various learning and
teaching needs, wants, and situations. It should be remembered that advocates of both CLT and TBLT have been using the term context mainly to refer to linguistic and
pragmatic features of language and language use. They seldom include the broader social, cultural, political, and historical particularities. The inadequacy of CLT and TBLT
in addressing such broader contextual issues has led some to call for a context approach to language teaching.
The shift from CLT to TBLT may be described as an internal shift within the boundaries of a method-based pedagogy. The shift from method-based pedagogy to
postmethod pedagogy, however, is seen as much more fundamental because it seeks to provide an alternative to method rather than an alternative method. There are,
however, dissenting voices. Liu (1995) has argued that postmethod is not an alternative to method but only an addition to method. Likewise, Larsen-Freeman (2005) has
questioned the concept of postmethod saying that “Kumaravadivelu’s macro-microstrategies constitute a method” (p. 24).
Because of its unfailing focus on the teacher, postmethod pedagogy has been described as “a compelling idea that emphasises greater judgment from teachers in each
context and a better match between the means and the ends” (Crabbe, 2003, p. 16). It encourages the teacher “to engage in a carefully crafted process of diagnosis,
treatment, and assessment” (Brown, 2002, p. 13). It also provides one possible way to be responsive to the lived experiences of learners and teachers, and to the local
exigencies of learning and teaching. It “opens up new opportunities for the expertise of language teachers in periphery contexts to be recognized and valued” and “makes
it more feasible for teachers to acknowledge and work with the diversity of the learners in their classrooms, guided by local assessments of students’ strategies for
learning rather than by global directives from remote authorities” (Block & Cameroon, 2002b, p.10).
Yet another skepticism pertains to the investigative methods followed by the practitioners of critical discourse analysis, and, by extension, critical pedagogy (Toolan, 1997;
Widdowson, 1998). Toolan suggests that critical discourse analysts should be more critical in their argumentation by following robust research design and by providing
stronger evidence. Dubbing (drubbing?) critical linguistics as “linguistics with a conscience and a cause,” Widdowson (1998, p. 136) questions its “less rigorous operation”
(p. 137) that involves “a kind of ad hoc bricolage which takes from theory whatever comes usefully to hand” (p. 137). Undoubtedly, these deserved admonitions demand
serious attention. The criticism about research in critical pedagogy could, in fact, be extended to research in TESOL in general and TESOL methods in particular,
warranting the search for robust research design. One should at the same time remember, however, that language teaching, not unlike anthropology, is “not an
experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning” (Geertz, 1973, p. 5). Searching for meaning, particularly at the initial stages of
pedagogic exploration, runs the risk of becoming a speculative exercise. And today’s speculative exercise may lead to tomorrow’s specialized knowledge.
While the chances provided and the challenges posed by the three changing tracks in TESOL methods will keep us all busy for some time to come, there are other
developments on the horizon that confront us. We have just started investigating the inevitable impact that the emerging processes of globalization and the renewed forces
of imperialism will have on language teaching practices. But, that’s another story.
Choose the option that correctly describes the word in the text both in terms of its grammatical function and meaning.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670234
B. KUMARAVADIVELU San José State University San José, California, United States
The three shifts—from communicative language teaching to taskbased language teaching, from methodbased pedagogy to postmethod pedagogy, and from systemic
discovery to critical discourse—constitute the major transition in TESOL methods during the past 15 years. This transition is still unfolding, opening up opportunities as well
But still, vexing questions remain to be resolved. I highlight two major ones. The first pertains to the relationship between form and meaning and its attendant issue of
how the learner’s attention resources are allocated. Calling the allocation of attention “the pivotal point” in L2 learning and teaching, Schmidt (2001) argues that it “largely
determines the course of language development” The crux of the problem facing TBLT is how to make sure that learners focus their attention on grammatical forms while
expressing their intended meaning.
That brings up yet another concern: the issue of context. One of the central claims of CLT as well as TBLT is that it can be contextualized to meet various learning and
teaching needs, wants, and situations. It should be remembered that advocates of both CLT and TBLT have been using the term context mainly to refer to linguistic and
pragmatic features of language and language use. They seldom include the broader social, cultural, political, and historical particularities. The inadequacy of CLT and TBLT
in addressing such broader contextual issues has led some to call for a context approach to language teaching.
The shift from CLT to TBLT may be described as an internal shift within the boundaries of a method-based pedagogy. The shift from method-based pedagogy to
postmethod pedagogy, however, is seen as much more fundamental because it seeks to provide an alternative to method rather than an alternative method. There are,
however, dissenting voices. Liu (1995) has argued that postmethod is not an alternative to method but only an addition to method. Likewise, Larsen-Freeman (2005) has
questioned the concept of postmethod saying that “Kumaravadivelu’s macro-microstrategies constitute a method” (p. 24).
Because of its unfailing focus on the teacher, postmethod pedagogy has been described as “a compelling idea that emphasises greater judgment from teachers in each
context and a better match between the means and the ends” (Crabbe, 2003, p. 16). It encourages the teacher “to engage in a carefully crafted process of diagnosis,
treatment, and assessment” (Brown, 2002, p. 13). It also provides one possible way to be responsive to the lived experiences of learners and teachers, and to the local
exigencies of learning and teaching. It “opens up new opportunities for the expertise of language teachers in periphery contexts to be recognized and valued” and “makes
it more feasible for teachers to acknowledge and work with the diversity of the learners in their classrooms, guided by local assessments of students’ strategies for
learning rather than by global directives from remote authorities” (Block & Cameroon, 2002b, p.10).
Yet another skepticism pertains to the investigative methods followed by the practitioners of critical discourse analysis, and, by extension, critical pedagogy (Toolan, 1997;
Widdowson, 1998). Toolan suggests that critical discourse analysts should be more critical in their argumentation by following robust research design and by providing
stronger evidence. Dubbing (drubbing?) critical linguistics as “linguistics with a conscience and a cause,” Widdowson (1998, p. 136) questions its “less rigorous operation”
(p. 137) that involves “a kind of ad hoc bricolage which takes from theory whatever comes usefully to hand” (p. 137). Undoubtedly, these deserved admonitions demand
serious attention. The criticism about research in critical pedagogy could, in fact, be extended to research in TESOL in general and TESOL methods in particular,
warranting the search for robust research design. One should at the same time remember, however, that language teaching, not unlike anthropology, is “not an
experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning” (Geertz, 1973, p. 5). Searching for meaning, particularly at the initial stages of
pedagogic exploration, runs the risk of becoming a speculative exercise. And today’s speculative exercise may lead to tomorrow’s specialized knowledge.
While the chances provided and the challenges posed by the three changing tracks in TESOL methods will keep us all busy for some time to come, there are other
developments on the horizon that confront us. We have just started investigating the inevitable impact that the emerging processes of globalization and the renewed forces
of imperialism will have on language teaching practices. But, that’s another story.
All of the sentences below, rephrasing ideas contained in the passage, contain mistakes in language use, from the point of view of standard written English, EXCEPT FOR:
a) Having started investigations, the emerging process of globalization is still not known.
b) Each of the advocates of CLT and TBLT can submit their ideas on contextualization.
c) Neither the postmethod-generation TESOLer nor the strong supporter of TBLT are aware of what determines the course of language teaching development.
d) The founding-father of critical pedagogy, together with critical discourse analysts, have been accused of being lenient in analyzing recent methodological trends.
e) One reason for the skepticism towards critical pedagogy may have lain in the unwillingness of researchers to be more precise in their argumentation and
research design.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/177163
Once again, humanity is facing the risk of catastrophe. The terror of destruction by nuclear missiles ready to be launched at the touch of a button has given way to the
disturbing possibility of global warming going past the point of no return, and this is turning traditional international coalitions and geopolitical concepts upside down.
Although the seriousness of the threat to human survival has been acknowledged in diplomatic rhetoric, the international powers are still not giving the climate crisis the
absolute priority it deserves. The old divisions and disputes arising from strategic, economic, trade and ideological issues continue to predominate.
According to Eduardo Viola, a professor of International Relations at the University of Brasilia, Brazil should join the European Union (EU) in a “virtuous and responsible
alliance,” and distance itself from China, the country that now emits the greatest volume of greenhouse gases and has an “irresponsible” attitude to climate.
In the view of this pioneer Brazilian scholar of global climate security, only cooperation between the main greenhouse gas emitters can create the conditions needed to
avoid dangerous climate change, which will occur if the average surface temperature of the planet rises by more than two degrees during the course of this century.
Brazil, the sixth largest greenhouse gas emitter after China, the United States, the EU, India and Russia, could contribute to climate-friendly progress by allying itself with
European governments and Japan to work for “a transition to a low-carbon economy,” assuming major commitments and recovering the degree of environmental
leadership it enjoyed in the 1990s, said Viola.
Together, China and the United States account for 43 percent of global emissions. China has adopted an economic growth model based on heavy environmental and
climate impacts, said Viola, who puts both countries in the “irresponsible” category.
Global climate security depends on a “grand agreement” between the 13 largest emitters, which each contribute over 1.5 percent of the world total, to achieve a
substantial reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions. by Mario Osava
In “Although the seriousness of the threat to human survival has been acknowledged in diplomatic rhetoric…”, “although” introduces a(an)
a) contrast.
b) addition.
c) condition.
d) hypothesis.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/177212
We were impressed with your letter in answer to our advertisement, but should like to have further information before asking you to make the trip here for an interview. If
you will be kind enough to answer these few questions it will be most helpful.
We note that your sales experience is extensive, but we wonder if you have had any actual experience with paper products. Have you any contacts that would be valuable
in this field?
(a) How long have you been with your present employer?
(b) Would you be willing to relocate in Ohio or New Mexico? If so, which would you prefer? (Moving expenses will be paid.)
(c) May we contact your present employer?
Please let us know your reply at your earliest convenience, and we will notify you of our decision promptly.
Sincerely,
Herbert R. Jones
Sales Manager
Check the option in which “may” is used in the same sense as in “May we contact your present employer?”
a) I will take a seat if I may.
b) He will do his duty come what may.
c) May the best presidential candidate win.
d) The new employee may be slow but he is smart.
e) Civil rights officials say there may be hundreds of other cases of racial violence.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2675088
Don’t expect Shaun Osher, the CEO of Core Group Marketing in New York, to answer your e-mail right away. He has stopped responding to e-mails every minute and only
checks his e-mail account twice a day. He also started turning off his BlackBerry during meetings.
This tactic has made him so much more productive that earlier this year he held a meeting with his staff of 50 and “strongly suggested” that they stop relying so heavily on
e-mail and actually start calling clients on the phone. And, he requested his employees put cell phones and PDAs on silent mode during meetings, as well as curtail the
common practice of cc-ing everybody when sending out an e-mail. “There was so much redundancy, so much unnecessary work,” he explains. “One person could handle
an issue that should take two minutes, but when an email goes out and five people get cc-ed, then everybody responds to it and there’s a snowball effect.”
It’s not that Osher has anything against technology. In fact, he loves it. The problem is, last year he realized he was inundated with so many e-mails and so much
information in general that he began to experience data overload. “In the beginning, e-mail and all this data was a great phenomenon, revolutionizing what we do. But the
pendulum has swung way too much to the other side,” he maintains. “We’re less productive.”
Osher isn’t the only one out there under a data avalanche. Thanks to technological innovations, you can be talking to a customer on your cell phone, answering a LinkedIn
invitation on your laptop, and responding to email on your PDA all at the same time. Besides, during tough economic times, who will want to miss any information when
your job could be on the line if you indulge in the luxury of being offline? Turns out, seven out of 10 office workers in the United States feel overwhelmed by information in
the workplace, and more than two in five say they are headed for a data “breaking point,” according to a recently released Workplace Productivity Survey.
Mike Walsh, CEO of LexisNexis U.S. Legal Markets, says there are a host of reasons we’re all on the information brink: “exponential growth of the size of the information
‘haystack,’ the immensity and immediacy of digital communications, and the fact that professionals are not being provided with sufficient tools and training to help them
keep pace with the growing information burden.”
Ellen Kossek, a professor from Michigan State, believes we are less productive in this age of 24-7 technology, and our multitasking mentality has spawned a “not-
mentallypresent” society. “We’re becoming an attention-deficit disorder society switching back and forth like crazy,” Kossek says. “We’re connected all the time. We’re
working on planes, in coffee shops, working on the weekends. Work is very seductive, but yet we’re actually less effective.”
The key to getting your head above the data flood, according to workplace experts, is managing and reducing the information you’re bombarded with.
Mark the sentence in which the idea introduced by the word in bold type is correctly described.
a) “as well as curtail the common practice of cc-ing everybody when sending out an e-mail.” – contrast.
b) “but when an e-mail goes out and five people get cc-ed,” – reason.
c) “In fact, he loves it.” – condition.
d) “Besides, during tough economic times, who will want to miss any information…” – addition
e) “Work is very seductive, but yet we’re actually less effective.” – consequence
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/83055
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Economia/2007
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Gramática (Grammatics)
355) Green is the hot topic these days, and the concept is having an impact on the way people think about datacenters. Companies around the world are announcing ways
to save energy and reduce costs by buying new hardware and services. Yet, there is little guidance on how you can take action to control energy costs. In the past,
electricity has been treated as an overhead expense, like the cost of space. But with rising power costs and issues regarding reliability, supply, and capacity, electricity
requires its own specific strategy.
Projects regarding performance optimization and cost reduction are a part of everyday best practices in nearly every area of business. So why not treat energy cost in the
same way?
As Information Technologies (IT) pros, many of us make decisions about the configuration and setup of servers, the specifications on the equipment our organizations
purchase, and the requirements for datacenter upgrades and construction. We even provide early design input during application development. When it comes to these
projects, we obviously have a golden opportunity to be green and influence the energy efficiency of any datacenter.
The first part of any strategy is to know your current energy usage. You need to know where your energy is used and by what specific equipment, as well as what usage is
efficient and what is wasteful in the datacenter. Unfortunately, it’s rare to find power-consumption metering in place that can break down usage to a level where people
can see the results of their actions. Most organizations typically only see a monthly power bill that rolls up consumption into an overall bottom line. This offers little
incentive for saving energy since individuals never see the impact of their decisions, and there is no way for them to prove that their changes have actually saved energy.
One of the first issues people confront when considering a green datacenter initiative is whether they have executive support. For the purpose of the article, I am going to
assume the answer is "not yet." Executive support requires a serious commitment that provides resources and budget for your initiative. And while there is a lot of talk
about green datacenters, the reality is that there is still often a lack of serious support at the executive level. If you did already have such executive support, you would
probably be running a green datacenter right now.
Still, even assuming you are not getting the support you need, there is a great deal you can do to push your green datacenter initiative forward. So how do you determine
effective actions to take in achieving your goals? Fortunately, energy efficiency is not a new concept and there is a lot that IT pros can learn from other industries. […]
Anyway, for whichever direction you choose, planning an energy efficiency program for your datacenter will require collaboration across groups in IT. Until recently, the
typical approach to planning IT solutions has been to ignore power costs early on during the design phase, focusing on the hardware and software being purchased, along
with the labor and hosting costs of the solution. When power is buried in the overhead cost of running solutions in a datacenter, energy efficiency is a low priority. Exposing
the actual power being consumed by solutions is the first critical step in changing the behavior of your organization.
By Dave Ohara
TechNet Magazine, October 2007
The sentence in which "can" is used in the same sense as in "there is a great deal you can do to push your green datacenter initiative forward." is:
a) The employees will ask the manager if they can give their opinion on the issue.
b) You can read my final report on energy consumption if you want to.
c) Stockholders can hardly wait to read the company's balance sheet.
d) Can you tell me how many laptops the company has?
e) I don't think you can find a solution for this problem.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2677129
Brazil’s energy sector is following the worldwide tendency towards greater diversification of primary energy sources and the increased use of natural gas and biofuels.
There are several reasons for this change. The most important are the environmental restrictions that are gradually being adopted in the world’s principal energy-
consuming markets and the need to reduce the dependence on oil, set against a scenario of accelerated depletion in oil reserves and escalating prices.
The share of gas in Brazilian primary energy consumption has more than doubled in a short period, increasing from 4.1% in 1999 to 8.9% in 2004, and this share is
forecast to rise to 12% by 2010.
Over the past two decades, the world gas industry has experienced a structural and regulatory transformation. These changes have altered the strategic behaviour of gas
firms, with an intensification of competition, the search for diversification (especially in the case of power generation) and the internationalisation of industry activities.
Together, these changes have radically changed the economic environment and the level of competition in the industry.
Brazil’s gas industry is characterised by its late development, although in recent years, internal supply imports and demand have grown significantly — the growth
trajectory of recent years exceeds that of countries with more mature markets, such as Spain, Argentina, the UK and the US a . And the outlook is positive for continued
growth over the next few years, particularly when set against the investment plans already announced in Brazil.
The country has a small transportation network concentrated near the coast. The distribution network is concentrated in the major consumption centres. Domestic gas
sources are largely offshore in the Campos basin and Bolivia provides imports. Given the degree of gas penetration in the country’s primary energy consumption, the
industry is poorly developed when compared with other countries. The industry requires heavy investment in expanding the transport and distribution (T&D) networks, as
well as in diversifying and increasing its supplies.b Such investments are necessary for realising the industry’s enormous potential.
In a world of primary energy consumption diversification, of greater environmental restrictions and the reduced dependence on oil, Brazil has been seeking to develop
alternative energy sources – principally natural gas and biofuels. The gas industry holds enormous potential for Brazil, although there is still a long way to goe before it
reaches maturity and major investment is required.
World Energy in 2006. copyright © 2006, World Energy Council. p.29-31 (adapted)
Check the item in which there is an INCORRECT correspondence between the idea expressed by the words in bold type and the idea in italics.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2679395
May 2007 – As the demand for biofuels surges with over one billion people living without access to electricity, a new United Nations report released today cautions that the
world’s energy needs must be met in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.
The report from UN-Energy, an inter-agency body established to coordinate the world body’s work in the realm of energy, is entitled “Sustainable Energy: A Framework for
Decision Makers” and was funded by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The study is the first of its kind to examine the issue of bioenergy through the lens of nine issues, including poverty, health, food security, agriculture, climate change,
finance and trade.
Bioenergy is produced from biofuels – solid fuels, biogas, liquid fuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel – which come from crops such as sugar cane and beet, maize and
energy grass or from fuel wood, charcoal, agricultural wastes and by-products, forestry residues, livestock manure and others.
The report underscores the many benefits that bioenergy provides in reducing poverty, improving access to energy and promoting rural development.
A surge in oil prices has lead some of the world’s poorest countries to spend six times as much on petroleum as they do on health care, and thus bioenergy “can create a
lot of opportunities”, Alexander Müller, Assistant Director- General of FAO, told reporters at the briefing.
However, it warns that “unless new policies are enacted to protect threatened lands, secure socially acceptable land use, and steer bioenergy development in a sustainable
direction overall, the environmental and social damage could in some cases outweigh the benefits.” In the realm of food security, for example, price increases in major
biofuel sources such as sugar, palm oil and soybeans could drive up the prices of basic foods. These detrimental possibilities must be weighed against the tremendous
benefits bioenergy stands to offer, Gustavo Best, Vice Chair of UN-Energy observed.
“The biofuel market offers a new and fast-growing opportunity for agricultural producers and could contribute significantly to higher incomes and could support higher
productivity growth in agriculture with positive implications for food availability, sustainability and access,” he said.
At the national level, suggestions made to decision makers include creating bioenergy policies that take into account availability, access, stability and utilization. It also
recommends that governments weigh the economic and social costs of subsidizing bioenergy sources, in particular, liquid biofuels.
Meanwhile, the study proposes at the global level that signatories to the Conventions on Biological Diversity and on Combating Desertification consider opportunities for the
sustainable cultivation and utilization of energy crops. It also suggests that greater emphasis is placed on promoting research on the social, scientific, technological,
economic, policy and environmental facets of bioenergy development.
In “The biofuel market offers a new and fast-growing opportunity…and could contribute significantly to higher incomes…”, “could” can be correctly substituted by:
a) might.
b) should.
c) must.
d) need to.
e) ought to.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2686008
Consumption is one of life’s great pleasures. Buying things we desire, traveling to beautiful places, eating delectable food: icing on the cake of life. But too often the effects
of our blissful consumption make for a sad story. Giant cars exhaling dangerous exhaust, hog farms pumping out harmful pollutants, toxic trash pestering poor
neighborhoods — none of this if there weren’t something to sell.
But there’s no need to trade pleasure for guilt. With thoughtfulness and commitment, consumption can be a force for good. Through buying what we need, produced the
way we want, we can create the world we’d like to live in.
To that end and for the future, a Consumption Manifesto: Principle One. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This brilliant triad says it all. Reduce: Avoid buying what you don’t need
— and when you do get that dishwasher/lawnmower/toilet, spend the money up front for an efficient model. Re-use: Buy used stuff, and wring the last drop of usefulness
out of most everything you own. Recycle: Do it, but know that it’s the last and least effective leg of the triad. (Ultimately, recycling simply results in the manufacture of
more things.) Principle Two. Stay close to home. Work close to home to shorten your commute; eat food grown nearby; support local businesses; join local
organizations. All of theseA) will improve the look, shape, smell, and feel of your community. Principle Three. Internal combustion engines are polluting, and their use
should be minimized. Period.
Principle Four. Watch what you eat. Whenever possible, avoid food grown with pesticides, in feedlots, or by agribusiness. ItB)’s an easy way to use your dollars to vote
against the spread of toxins in our bodies, land, and water. Principle Five. Private industries have very little incentive to improve theirC) environmental practices. Our
consumption choices must encourage and support good behavior; our political choices must support government regulation.
Principle Six. Support thoughtful innovations in manufacturing and production. Hint: Drilling for oil is no longer an innovation.
Principle Seven. Prioritize. Think hardest when buying large objects; don’t drive yourself mad fretting over the small onesD). It’s easy to be distracted by the paper bag
puzzle, but an energy-sucking refrigerator is much more worthy of your attention. (Small electronics are an exception.)
Principle Eight. Vote. Political engagement enables the spread of environmentally conscious policies. Without public action, thoughtful individuals are swimming upstream.
Principle Nine. Don’t feel guilty. It only makes you sad. Principle Ten. Enjoy what you have—the things that are yours alone, and the things that belong to none of us.
Both are nice, but the latter are precious. Those things that we cannot manufacture and should never own—water, air, birds, trees—are the foundation of life’s pleasures.
Without themE), we’re nothing. With us, there may be nothing left. It’s our choice.
Umbra Fisk, Grist Magazine. Slightly adapted from: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1470 Access on June 1, 2007.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2686010
But there’s no need to trade pleasure for guilt. With thoughtfulness and commitment, consumption can be a force for good. Through buying what we need, produced the
way we want, we can create the world we’d like to live in.
To that end and for the future, a Consumption Manifesto: Principle One. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This brilliant triad says it all. Reduce: Avoid buying what you don’t need
— and when you do get that dishwasher/lawnmower/toilet, spend the money up front for an efficient model. Re-use: Buy used stuff, and wring the last drop of usefulness
out of most everything you own. Recycle: Do it, but know that it’s the last and least effective leg of the triad. (Ultimately, recycling simply results in the manufacture of
more things.) Principle Two. Stay close to home. Work close to home to shorten your commute; eat food grown nearby; support local businesses; join local
organizations. All of these will improve the look, shape, smell, and feel of your community. Principle Three. Internal combustion engines are polluting, and their use
should be minimized. Period.
Principle Four. Watch what you eat. Whenever possible, avoid food grown with pesticides, in feedlots, or by agribusiness. It’s an easy way to use your dollars to vote
against the spread of toxins in our bodies, land, and water. Principle Five. Private industries have very little incentive to improve their environmental practices. Our
consumption choices must encourage and support good behavior; our political choices must support government regulation.
Principle Six. Support thoughtful innovations in manufacturing and production. Hint: Drilling for oil is no longer an innovation.
Principle Seven. Prioritize. Think hardest when buying large objects; don’t drive yourself mad fretting over the small ones. It’s easy to be distracted by the paper bag
puzzle, but an energy-sucking refrigerator is much more worthy of your attention. (Small electronics are an exception.)
Principle Eight. Vote. Political engagement enables the spread of environmentally conscious policies. Without public action, thoughtful individuals are swimming upstream.
Principle Nine. Don’t feel guilty. It only makes you sad. Principle Ten. Enjoy what you have—the things that are yours alone, and the things that belong to none of us.
Both are nice, but the latter are precious. Those things that we cannot manufacture and should never own—water, air, birds, trees—are the foundation of life’s pleasures.
Without them, we’re nothing. With us, there may be nothing left. It’s our choice.
Umbra Fisk, Grist Magazine. Slightly adapted from: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1470 Access on June 1, 2007.
In “we can create the world we’d like to live in.”, “can” is correctly substituted by:
a) must.
b) may.
c) should.
d) need to.
e) ought to.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/83437
CESGRANRIO - PB (BNDES)/BNDES/Direito/2006
Língua Inglesa (Inglês) - Gramática (Grammatics)
360) INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Some 40 women entrepreneurs from the Middle East and North Africa told a World Bank-sponsored roundtable that education and wealth were usually not enough to
overcome barriers to business(a) in their countries. The women made it(a) clear they still faced barriers men might not.
For example, a Harvard-educated woman(b) had to establish a medical waste management company under her(b) brother's name, because women were not allowed to
be issued licenses in her country. Another woman building the first private petrochemical terminal in the Persian Gulf could not take her two foreign business partners to
lunch because she had to sit in the women's section of the restaurant.
The examples(c) show that women make up an increasing number of small, medium and large-scale producers, investors, and entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North
Africa region, and they(c) are creating significant number of jobs in the process. But as the world marks International Women's Day today, the examples also show there
are many, usually gender-based, obstacles in their way – including obstructed access to decision makers, inaccessibility of finance, unequal treatment under the law, and
resistant social norms.
The women who took part in the World Bank's recent roundtable were among those who made it despite the hurdles – successful owners or founders of businesses in a
wide variety of sectors from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, WBG, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, Syria and the United
Arab Emirates. But as statistics and anecdotal evidence show many other women are held back, costing the Middle East and North African countries millions of jobs; the
region has the world’s lowest rate — 32 percent — of female workforce participation.
"The World Bank's goal is to increase women's entrepreneurship to strengthen the private sector, create jobs, and advance women’s empowerment through economic
opportunities," says Nadereh Chamlou, Senior Advisor and Gender Coordinator in the Office of the Chief Economist for the Bank’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region. The Middle East and North Africa region needs to create some 90 million jobs over the next 20 years — "twice as fast as in the past," says Mustapha Nabli, Chief
MENA Economist at the World Bank. "These jobs can only be created by a competitive and diversified private sector, since the public sector and oil-driven models of the
past have failed to create the needed jobs." […]
Women in the Middle East and North Africa have considerable financial resources, sometimes through inheritance. A study in one country found $26.6 billion in women's
bank accounts sitting idle because of laws and regulations, which prevented women from opening businesses. Other obstacles were more cultural than structural, such as
the negative perception often attached to working women in the Middle East and North Africa.
[…]
In the United States, women-owned business is the fastest growing segment of the private sector(d) – which(d) has an impact on the productivity and competitiveness of
the economy. With the investments that the Middle East and North Africa has made to advance women’s education, identifying and removing barriers(e) that women face
to start up their(e) businesses can spur growth, according to the Bank.
Mark the option in which there is a correct correspondence between pronoun and referent.
a) "it" – "business".
b) "her" – "a Harvard-educated woman".
c) "they" – "examples".
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2665276
Contrary to what its name suggests at first sight, safety is not the only aspect of air navigation addressed by our Organisation. It is of course, and must remain, the most
important aspect, but we also work in many other areas.
For example, one of our key activities is making sure that the constant increase in air traffic can be accommodatedA) without the risk of dangerously overloading the air
traffic control system.
In order to achieve this, we need to be active at all levels: development strategy, design, coordination, support for the introduction of new operating procedures and
equipment, regulation, etc. We are even active at institutional level in order to guarantee that the right decisions are taken by the right bodies at the right time and – above
all – to assure that these decisions are possible so that they are acceptable across the board.
To this end, we work together with all those involved in the air navigation system, not just the airlines – who were the ones you probably thought of first. Having first
guaranteed that airspace is less crowded - or, more precisely, that the system is able to accommodate more traffic - we are now working on the airport component.
This new activity for EUROCONTROL is of great importance, as airport congestion is becoming a significant source of delay. Since it is not easy for national, regional or
local authorities to extend the surface area of airports and operating hours are tending to become more restricted as a result of environmental pressure, solutions must be
found elsewhere, and with the relevant partiesB).
From an outsider’s perspective, however, airports represent a wide range of institutional arrangements. Some elements of airport operations may be under the control of
the StateC), while others are the responsibility of a purely commercially oriented company; such a mixture is common.
One of the objectives of EUROCONTROL’s work, in coordination with the relevant airport authorities, is to help to rationalise the use of infrastructure which is directly
related to air navigation.
Even though their status often differs from one country to the next, airports have a common aim - to achieve economic development and, at the same time, to make sure
that this does not have unacceptable adverse secondary effects. EUROCONTROL is going to help them do thisD), without affecting competition.
The ‘Airports’ pages of the EUROCONTROL website will give youE) a very good general idea of what airports and EUROCONTROL have already begun to achieve together,
and what we still aim to achieve. Users will be the big winners from such cooperation, but local residents must not suffer as a result.
Mark the only option in which the word(s) in bold type expresses an idea of obligation/necessity:
a) “… the constant increase in air traffic can be accommodated ….
b) “…solutions must be found elsewhere, and with the relevant parties.”
c) “Some elements of airport operations may be under the control of the State, ...” .
d) “EUROCONTROL is going to help them to do this, ...” .
e) “The ‘Airports’ pages of the EUROCONTROL website will give you…”.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2665399
Contrary to what its name suggests at first sight, safety is not the only aspect of air navigation addressed by our Organisation. It is of course, and must remain, the most
important aspect, but we also work in many other areas.
For example, one of our key activities is making sure that the constant increase in air traffic can be accommodated without the risk of dangerously overloading the air
traffic control system.
In order to achieve this, we need to be active at all levels: development strategy, design, coordination, support for the introduction of new operating procedures and
equipment, regulation, etc. We are even active at institutional level in order to guarantee that the right decisions are taken by the right bodies at the right time and – above
all – to assure that these decisions are possible so that they are acceptable across the board.
To this end, we work together with all those involved in the air navigation system, not just the airlines – who were the ones you probably thought of first. Having first
guaranteed that airspace is less crowded - or, more precisely, that the system is able to accommodate more traffic - we are now working on the airport component.
This new activity for EUROCONTROL is of great importance, as airport congestion is becoming a significant source of delay. Since it is not easy for national, regional or
local authorities to extend the surface area of airports and operating hours are tending to become more restricted as a result of environmental pressure, solutions must be
found elsewhere, and with the relevant parties.
From an outsider’s perspective, however, airports represent a wide range of institutional arrangements. Some elements of airport operations may be under the control of
the State, while others are the responsibility of a purely commercially oriented company; such a mixture is common.
One of the objectives of EUROCONTROL’s work, in coordination with the relevant airport authorities, is to help to rationalise the use of infrastructure which is directly
related to air navigation.
Even though their status often differs from one country to the next, airports have a common aim - to achieve economic development and, at the same time, to make sure
that this does not have unacceptable adverse secondary effects. EUROCONTROL is going to help them do this, without affecting competition.
The paragraphs that contain examples of EUROCONTROL’s plans for the future are:
a) 1 and 2.
b) 3 and 4.
c) 5 and 6.
d) 7 and 8.
e) 9 and 10.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2665417
Contrary to what its name suggests at first sight, safety is not the only aspect of air navigation addressed by our Organisation. It is of course, and must remain, the most
important aspectA), but we also work in many other areas.
For example, one of our key activities is making sure that the constant increase in air traffic can be accommodated without the risk of dangerously overloading the air
traffic control system.
In order to achieve this, we need to be active at all levels: development strategy, design, coordination, support for the introduction of new operating procedures and
equipment, regulation, etc. We are even active at institutional level in order to guarantee that the right decisions are taken by the right bodies at the right time and – above
all – to assure that these decisions are possible so that they are acceptable across the board.
To this end, we work together with all those involved in the air navigation system, not just the airlines – who were the ones you probably thought of first. Having first
guaranteed that airspace is less crowdedB) - or, more precisely, that the system is able to accommodate more trafficC) - we are now working on the airport component.
This new activity for EUROCONTROL is of great importance, as airport congestion is becoming a significant source of delay. Since it is not easy for national, regional or
local authorities to extend the surface area of airports and operating hours are tending to become more restrictedD) as a result of environmental pressure, solutions must
be found elsewhere, and with the relevant parties.
From an outsider’s perspective, however, airports represent a wide range of institutional arrangements. Some elements of airport operations may be under the control of
the State, while others are the responsibility of a purely commercially oriented company; such a mixture is common.
One of the objectives of EUROCONTROL’s work, in coordination with the relevant airport authorities, is to help to rationalise the use of infrastructure which is directly
related to air navigation.
Even though their status often differs from one country to the next, airports have a common aim - to achieve economic development and, at the same time, to make sure
that this does not have unacceptable adverse secondary effects. EUROCONTROL is going to help them do this, without affecting competition.
The ‘Airports’ pages of the EUROCONTROL website will give you a very good general ideaE) of what airports and EUROCONTROL have already begun to achieve together,
and what we still aim to achieve. Users will be the big winners from such cooperation, but local residents must not suffer as a result.
The only sentence that contains an adjective used in the superlative form is:
a) “It is of course, and must remain, the most important aspect, ...”
b) “Having first guaranteed that airspace is less crowded −”
c) “... that the system is able to accommodate more traffic −”
d) “… operating hours are tending to become more restricted…”
e) “The ‘Airports’ pages ... will give you a very good general idea…”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/404587
As an etiquette consultant, you can teach people the etiquette skills they need to succeed in business and in life. While many individuals hire etiquette consultants, you
might also be hired by corporate clients. For example, a company might hire you to help a young manager learn proper business etiquette or teach a senior executive to
make a good impression meeting with clients from different countries.
Etiquette consultants are also paid up to thousands of dollars a day to present training programs (seminars or workshops) on topics related to etiquette. For example you
might teach telephone etiquette to customer service staff.
As an etiquette consultant you might offer coaching or training programs in all areas of etiquette or you could choose to specialize in such areas as business etiquette (or
corporate etiquette), communication etiquette, international etiquette (international protocol), among others.
As a business etiquette consultant you will teach people how to behave in business settings. Business etiquette covers a variety of areas such as meetings, email,
introductions, handshakes, business cards, and corporate gift giving. You might offer training in one specific topic such as telephone etiquette or you may design an entire
program to build a corporate image.
Communication Etiquette covers communication in business and social settings. If you choose to specialize in this area, you may teach people about conversation skills,
telephone etiquette, email etiquette, thank you notes, making introductions, and other aspects of interpersonal communication.
International Protocol covers how to interact with people from foreign countries. According to Wordnet, protocol means “forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by
diplomats and heads of state.” However, protocol is used by all kinds of people doing business overseas or hosting a guest from another country. If you decide to teach
international protocol, you may cover status and forms of address, proper clothes, making introductions, gift giving, dining customs, and other aspects of doing business or
interacting with people from other cultures.
From http://www.fabjob.com/etiquetteconsultant.asp
Mark the sentence in which the verb “can” is NOT used in the same sense as “you can teach people the etiquette skills they need…”.
a) In some companies people can smoke in business meetings.
b) I know a place where you can find books on etiquette.
c) Anybody can become an etiquette consultant.
d) Many people can pay for etiquette consulting services.
e) Please speak louder, I can’t hear you.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/404588
As an etiquette consultant, you can teach people the etiquette skills they need to succeed in business and in life. While many individuals hire etiquette consultants, you
might also be hired by corporate clients. For example, a company might hire you to help a young manager learn proper business etiquette or teach a senior executive to
make a good impression meeting with clients from different countries.
Etiquette consultants are also paid up to thousands of dollars a day to present training programs (seminars or workshops) on topics related to etiquette. For example you
might teach telephone etiquette to customer service staff.
As an etiquette consultant you might offer coaching or training programs in all areas of etiquette or you could choose to specialize in such areas as business etiquette (or
corporate etiquette), communication etiquette, international etiquette (international protocol), among others.
As a business etiquette consultant you will teach people how to behave in business settings. Business etiquette covers a variety of areas such as meetings, email,
introductions, handshakes, business cards, and corporate gift giving. You might offer training in one specific topic such as telephone etiquette or you may design an entire
program to build a corporate image.
Communication Etiquette covers communication in business and social settings. If you choose to specialize in this area, you may teach people about conversation skills,
telephone etiquette, email etiquette, thank you notes, making introductions, and other aspects of interpersonal communication.
International Protocol covers how to interact with people from foreign countries. According to Wordnet, protocol means “forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by
diplomats and heads of state.” However, protocol is used by all kinds of people doing business overseas or hosting a guest from another country. If you decide to teach
international protocol, you may cover status and forms of address, proper clothes, making introductions, gift giving, dining customs, and other aspects of doing business or
interacting with people from other cultures.
From http://www.fabjob.com/etiquetteconsultant.asp
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/84744
Shades of peach adorn America’s recently redesigned $20 note, but currency traders care little for pretty colours. The dollar has steadily been losing value in the foreign-
exchange markets. This week it reached its low against the euro since the single European currency was launched in 1999, breaking through $1.20. The dollar has fallen
by 31% against the euro from its peak in July 2001. Recently it has also hit a three-year low against the yen and a five-year low against sterling.
It may seem curious that the dollar is falling(a) when America is enjoying a remarkable burst of growth and Europe looks far less lively. America's GDP grew at an annual
rate of 8.2% in the third quarter. The Institute of Supply Management’s widely watched index of manufacturing activity hit a 20-year high in November. Meanwhile, the euro
area’s economies are on the mend, but are expected to grow by only 0.5% this year and 1.8% next, according to The Economist's monthly poll of economic forecasters.
However, currencies are not economic virility symbols, but assets on which investors expect a return. The dollar used to be buoyant because investors expected to make
more from dollar assets than from those denominated in other currencies. Now they are not so sure. Their worries over America’s twin deficits, on the current-account
and the federal budget, loom large. With a current-account deficit of 5% of GDP, America must borrow $2 billion each business day.(b) Tax cuts, spending on the war in
Iraq and a new scheme to provide prescription drugs to the old are dragging the government's books into disarray.
How much further might the dollar fall?(c) Predicting the future price of a currency is useless. But there are good reasons to believe that over the medium term the dollar
could drop a lot lower,(d) especially against the euro. Whether that will have the desired effects, in reducing America's imbalances, or in causing the expected chaos in
Europe's economies, is a different question.
A stronger euro should be bad news for European firms, even if it means cheaper Florida holidays for their employees. A rise in the euro against the dollar causes exports
from European firms to become more expensive relative to American ones, cutting into Europe's sales. Similarly, American firms' products become relatively cheaper, both
for Americans and for foreign buyers. By creating more exports and curbing imports, a weaker dollar should thus help to cut America's huge current-account deficit.(e)
But there is reason to think that these days currency movements are not as effective as they once were in bringing economies into balance. A recent report of an
investment bank doubts that a sliding dollar will do much to eliminate America’s trade and current-account imbalances.
In an increasingly integrated global economy, companies' pricing power has been eroded around the world. In addition, low inflation has made price increases more
obvious. So it is more difficult for a European car company, say, to raise its prices in America in response to a stronger euro. According to a study cited in the report, the
ability to pass on the effects of a stronger currency has been waning in recent years.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/84978
King Lear tells us that nothing comes from nothing. So do scientists, for that matter. Everything in the world already exists; whatever seems new is only something old
rearranged. So how do we explain innovation?
Innovation is a form of change. For the most part our culture welcomes change, but people proposing it do, as you might expect, run into barriers. As our society has
become more complex, we find important segments of it becoming larger, more structured, more bureaucratic, less agile, and less hospitable to unusual persons. Leaders
can resist the hardening of the arteries. Leaders can help unusual people produce innovations – even if it's not out of thin air. But leading creative people in this age of
diverse work arrangements and electronic relationships requires leaders themselves to be thoughtfully innovative. The secret, I believe, lies in how individual leaders in a
great variety of settings make room for people with unusual and creative gifts and temporarily become followers themselves.
Creative persons stand out from the rest of us. Somehow their contributions affect large groups and move organizations toward something better. Some people call them
"explorationists". Yet they function, for the most part, outside of or away from organizations. They work in all kinds of places – in cafés, in airports, at home – and they
benefit from unusual relationships with the organizations they join. They often have odd reporting relationships, but somehow they instinctively insert themselves into
organizations wherever they are needed.
The changes and innovations they bring are often more like leaps than the small steps most of us experience. They think of the world in large terms. They work for
institutions or societies or cultures or ideas, not for individuals. Their creativity comes from the novel connections they make between their work and their experience or
observations. They are usually curious and need a field in which to exercise that curiosity. Leaders can work to bring the special and creative gifts of these people to bear
on the efforts of a group.
Leaders in companies and colleges and banks, in churches and government, in high schools and museums, have already chosen to follow the gifted people who can bring
renewal, vitality, and opportunity. Once a leader becomes committed to a new way of dealing with creative people, we can define the process quickly. I would call it a
search for beneficial surprise. Traditional education does not prepare us for this. Though familiarity with technology helps us deal with such a search, all the technology in
the world won't help us begin to discover the ideas and experiments and failures and successes we will need.[…]
Check the sentence in which "can" DOES NOT have the same meaning as in "Leaders can help unusual people produce innovations –".
a) You can't give energy to your team if you don't have it.
b) Creative persons can find work almost anywhere.
c) Tennis can be played at many levels of ability.
d) Can I interrupt your meeting for two seconds?
e) Can leadership skills be developed and mastered?
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/84979
King Lear tells us that nothing comes from nothing. So do scientists, for that matter. Everything in the world already exists; whatever seems new is only something old
rearranged. So how do we explain innovation?
Innovation is a form of change. For the most part our culture welcomes change, but people proposing it do, as you might expect, run into barriers. As our society has
become more complex, we find important segments of it becoming larger, more structured, more bureaucratic, less agile, and less hospitable to unusual persons. Leaders
can resist the hardening of the arteries. Leaders can help unusual people produce innovations – even if it's not out of thin air. But leading creative people in this age of
diverse work arrangements and electronic relationships requires leaders themselves to be thoughtfully innovative. The secret, I believe, lies in how individual leaders in a
great variety of settings make room for people with unusual and creative gifts and temporarily become followers themselves.
Creative persons stand out from the rest of us. Somehow their contributions affect large groups and move organizations toward something better. Some people call them
"explorationists". Yet they function, for the most part, outside of or away from organizations. They work in all kinds of places – in cafés, in airports, at home – and they
benefit from unusual relationships with the organizations they join. They often have odd reporting relationships, but somehow they instinctively insert themselves into
organizations wherever they are needed.
The changes and innovations they bring are often more like leaps than the small steps most of us experience. They think of the world in large terms. They work for
institutions or societies or cultures or ideas, not for individuals. Their creativity comes from the novel connections they make between their work and their experience or
observations. They are usually curious and need a field in which to exercise that curiosity. Leaders can work to bring the special and creative gifts of these people to bear
on the efforts of a group.
The only option in which the prefix "re-" DOES NOT have the same meaning as in "rearranged" and "renewal" is:
a) refill.
b) realize.
c) rebuild.
d) recharge.
e) reelection.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2695169
Certain genre of books about English extols the language’s supposed difficulty and idiosyncrasy. “Crazy English”, by an American folk-linguist, Richard Lederer, asks “how is
it that your nose can run and your feet can smell?”. Bill Bryson’s “Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way” says that “English is full of booby traps for the unwary
foreigner…Imagine being a foreigner and having to learn that in English one tells a lie but the truth.”
Such books are usually harmless, if slightly factchallenged. You tell “a” lie but “the” truth in many languages, partly because many lies exist but truth is rather more
definite. It may be natural to think that your own tongue is complex and mysterious. But English is pretty simple: verbs hardly conjugate; nouns pluralise easily (just add
“s”, mostly) and there are no genders to remember.
English spelling may be the most idiosyncratic -- “Ghoti,” as wordsmiths have noted, could be pronounced “fish”: gh as in “cough”, o as in “women” and ti as in “motion”.
But spelling is ancillary to a language’s real complexity; English is a relatively simple language, absurdly spelled.
Perhaps the “hardest” language studied by many Anglophones is Latin. In it, all nouns are marked for case, an ending that tells what function the word has in a sentence
(subject, direct object, possessive and so on). There are six cases, and five different patterns for declining verbs into them. But it also gives Latin a flexibility of word order.
If the subject is marked as a subject with an ending, it need not come at the beginning of a sentence. This ability made many scholars of bygone days admire Latin’s
majesty—and admire themselves for mastering it. Knowing Latin (and Greek, which presents similar problems) was long the sign of an educated person.
Yet are Latin and Greek truly hard? These two genetic cousins of English, in the Indo-European language family, are child’s play compared with some. Languages tend to
get “harder” the farther one moves from English and its relatives.
Even before learning a word, the foreigner is struck by how differently languages can sound. Vowels, for example, go far beyond a, e, i, o and u, and sometimes y. Those
represent more than five or six sounds in English (consider the a’s in father, fate and fat.) And vowels of European languages vary more widely; think of the nasal ones of
French, Portuguese and Polish. Consonants are more complex, though. Some (p, t, k, m and n) appear in most languages, but consonants can come in a blizzard of
varieties And languages with hard-to-pronounce consonants cluster in families.
Beyond sound comes the problem of grammar. On this score, some European languages are far harder than are, say, Latin or Greek. Latin’s six cases cower in comparison
with Estonian’s 14[…] and the system is riddled with irregularities and exceptions. Slavic languages force speakers, when talking about the past, to say whether an action
was completed or not. Linguists call this “aspect”, and English has it too, for example in the distinction between “I go” and “I am going.” And to say “go” requires different
Slavic verbs for going by foot, car, plane, boat or other conveyance.
Dec 17th 2009 | NEW YORK From The Economist print edition (slightly adapted) http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story _id=15108609
“You tell “a” lie but “the” truth in many languages, partly because many lies exist but truth is rather more definite.”
Considerando a questão gramatical suscitada pelo fragmento do Texto 2, pode-se afirmar que o uso do artigo em inglês, em geral, é
a) problemático para alunos brasileiros, pois os artigos em inglês não seguem regras.
b) fácil porque o artigo definido é empregado exclusivamente antes de nomes próprios.
c) incompreensível para alunos brasileiros porque os artigos em português são usados de forma totalmente distinta.
d) melhor internalizado quando os alunos entendem que a escolha do artigo dependente de fatores contextuais e extra-contextuais.
e) melhor compreendido quando o professor traduz, já que todas as línguas usam artigos definidos e indefinidos exatamente da mesma forma.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057026
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2706334
Some energy sources have advantages for specific uses or locations. For example, fuels from petroleum are well suited for transportation because they pack a lot of
energy in a small space and are easily transported and stored. Small hydroelectric installations are a good solution for supplying power or mechanical energy close to
where it is used. Coal is widely used for power generation in many fast-developing countries – including China, India, and many others – because domestic supplies are
readily available.
How efficiently can the energy be produced, delivered, and used? How much energy value is lost in that process, and how much ends up being transformed into useful
work? Industries that produce or use energy continually look for ways to improve efficiency, since this is a key to making their products more competitive.
The ideal energy source – cheap, plentiful, and pollution-free – may prove unattainable in our lifetime, but that is the ultimate goal. The energy industry is continuing to
improve its technologies and practices, to produce and use energy more efficiently and cleanly.
Renewable energy resources are those that can be replenished quickly – examples are solar power, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind power, and fast-reaction
nuclear power. They supply about seven percent of energy needs in the United States; the other 93 percent comes from nonrenewables. The two largest categories of
renewable energy now in use in the U.S. are biomass – primarily wood wastes that are used by the forest products industry to generate electricity and heat – and
hydroelectricity.
In: http://www.classroom-energy.org/teachers/energy_tour/pg5.html
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2689931
We live in vulnerable energy times. The energy crisis, climate change and energy transition are all shaking and shaping the global future. “The energy realities of the world
remind us that oil and gas will be here for decades to pivot a just, affordable and secure energy transition,” as John Hess, CEO of Hess Corporation, mentioned during the
International Energy Conference and Expo in Guyana in February 2023.
As someone said, vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation and technology is the driving force behind progressive changes. Nevertheless, how can Guyana play a vital
role in reordering energy security? “By embedding innovation earlier in the process, Guyana can skip several steps and avoid what most economies went through” this idea
was emphasized several times during the same conference. “If we integrate innovation into Guyana’s process today, there might be some accelerated success.”
Guyana can play an essential role in balancing the global energy supply and demand markets and address the energy crisis by becoming a top crude oil producer globally.
The goal is to become competitive in the global oil and gas market and this can be achieved by attracting and establishing partnerships with companies that can bring
increased efficiency and productivity to the local oil and gas operations, from exploration and production to storage and transportation. For Guyana, this means that
improvements in regulations, a transparent, secure and competitive environment for foreign investment, and incentives from the government can serve as catalysts for
technology and innovation.
Collaborating with universities and creating a business innovation hub mentality for young entrepreneurs with government support, like loan guarantees, grants, and tax
credits, will also spur the industry.
Innovative technology will play a critical role in climate change. The oil and gas sector must reduce its emissions by at least 3.4 gigatons of CO2 equivalent a year by 2050
– a 90 % reduction in current emissions. Guyana today can become a world leader in setting a benchmark around flaring and it’s possible for the country to achieve zero-
flare objective, because “from day one the right solutions and the right technologies were properly planned and properly positioned in order to enable the extraction and
the production with almost zero carbon footprint”, as the Emissions Director at Schlumberger vocalized about a year ago.
Innovations and technologies are key to the energy transition, from floating wind farms to solar photovoltaic farm developments, waste-to-fuel projects and green
hydrogen, shaping Guyana’s energy transition and future. All this requires not only massive financial support but an innovationoriented and technology-friendly
environment, with a strong emphasis on education, training and research. Nevertheless, the decision in Guyana on what technologies to adopt and how much to innovate
will have a big impact on results over the long term and the government should base it on a clear vision and roadmap.
In the fragment of paragraph 5 “Innovative technology will play a critical role in climate change”, the verb form will indicates
a) obligation
b) prediction
c) suggestion
d) convention
e) decision
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2037066
U.S. domestic air conditioning use could exceed electric capacity in next decade due to climate change
Climate change will provoke an increase in summer air conditioning use in the United States that will probably cause prolonged blackouts during peak summer heat if
states do not expand capacity or improve efficiency, according to a new study of domestic-level demand.
Human emissions have put the global climate on a trajectory to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the early 2030s, the IPCC reported in its 2021 evaluation.
Without significant alleviation, global temperatures will probably exceed the 2.0-degree Celsius limit by the end of the century.
Previous research has examined the impacts of higher future temperatures on annual electricity consumption for specific cities or states. The new study is the first to
project residential air conditioning demand on a domestic basis at a wide scale. It incorporates observed and predicted air temperature and heat, humidity and discomfort
indices with air conditioning use by statistically representative domiciles across the contiguous United States, collected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
in 2005-2019.
“It’s a pretty clear warning to all of us that we can’t keep doing what we are doing or our energy system will fail completely in the next few decades, simply because of the
summertime air conditioning,” said Susanne Benz, a geographer and climate scientist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The heaviest air conditioning use with the greatest risk for overcharging the transmission lines comes during heat waves, which also present the highest risk to health.
Electricity generation tends to be below peak during heat waves as well, reducing capacity to even lower levels, said Renee Obringer, an environmental engineer at Penn
State University. Without enough capacity to satisfy demand, energy companies may have to adopt systematic blackouts during heat waves to avoid network failure, like
California’s energy organizations did in August 2020 during an extended period of record heat sometimes topping 117 degrees Fahrenheit. “We’ve seen this in California
already -- state power companies had to institute blackouts because they couldn’t provide the needed electricity,” Obringer said. The state attributed 599 deaths to the
heat, but the true number may have been closer to 3,900.
The new study predicted the largest increases in kilowatt-hours of electricity demand in the already hot south and southwest. If all Arizona houses were to increase air
conditioning use by the estimated 6% needed at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, for example, amounting to 30 kilowatt-hours per month, this would place an
additional 54.5 million kilowatthours of demand on the electrical network monthly.
In paragraph 1, the fragment “Climate change will provoke an increase in summer air conditioning use in the United States that will probably cause prolonged blackouts”
implies that prolonged blackouts
a) are happening.
b) had happened.
c) have happened.
d) may happen.
e) will have happened.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/300499
Good oil and gas talent is in short supply. Combine the so-called “Big Shift Change” with the reduced number of students applying for and completing STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses in college, and there is a serious concern about where the next generation of industry talent will come from.
As oil and gas companies bring in new talent to meet staffing demands, CEB research shows that five-in-six hiring managers believe their new graduate hires present a
lack of the skills and knowledge they consider necessary. But rather than changing their hiring strategies to find candidates with the potential to learn and develop those
skills and knowledge, many companies continue to waste money on ineffective and poorly targeted recruitment programs. As a result, these companies are forced to
replace a growing percentage of their graduate hires within the first year.
One thing is for certain – millennials, or workers born between 1980 and 2000, will be a critical part of the oil and gas workforce of tomorrow. So how can today’s oil and
gas leaders find strong millennial talent who make an impact quickly? We’ve identified several tips for companies that want to see greater return on investment for
millennial recruitment.
1. Broaden your net beyond only those with top grades and use objective assessments
Strong academic performers aren’t always those who will perform best in the job. Recruiting from good schools and evaluating academic performance will always be
important, and every company wants to hire smart people. However, grades are not a perfect measure of how smart someone is, and they do not necessarily reflect all
the characteristics that make a person successful on the job. The job candidate with a 3.1 GPA who worked full-time while going to school may have demonstrated drive,
motivation, time management and resourcefulness – all of which are beneficial on the job. This person can be just as qualified as a top student. Using objective
assessments to measure employability – a comprehensive evaluation of hard and soft skills and overall potential – improves the odds of finding the right hires for the
business.
With a growing need for new talent in the sector, most oil and gas companies will feel pressure to hire new millennial employees as rapidly as possible. However, making
incorrect assumptions about how millennials think and hiring for short-term rather than long-term goals will be ineffective. Companies will see the most success in
attracting top millennial talent by taking a more thoughtful, objective and company-specific approach to hiring.
Available at: <http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/ 2014/10/millennials-the-next-generation-of-oil-and-gas-talent.html>. Retrieved on: Apr. 30th, 2015. Adapted.
In the fragment of Text “We’ve identified several tips for companies that want to see greater return on investment for millennial recruitment”, the verb form in bold
indicates that the
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057081
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
The use of the gerund in “[…] the fascination of working […]” and “[…] that comes from building […]” can be explained due to the fact that
a) these are verbs that follow a preposition.
b) these are verbs in the progressive form in the present.
c) these are verbs in the progressive form in the past.
d) the action is happening simultaneously to speech.
e) the actions should all be parallel.
Teacher sense of efficacy, defined as a teacher’s “judgment of his or her capabilities to bring about desired outcomes of student engagement and learning” (Tschannen-
Moran & Hoy, 2001, p. 783), is now regarded as a relevant variable in educational research, especially in relation to teacher performance and student achievement gains
(Good & Brophy, 2003).
The strong link between this important construct and student achievement has been demonstrated through many studies, mostly in mainstream education (e.g., Anderson,
Greene, & Loewen, 1988; Ashton & Webb, 1986; Bandura, 1997; Good & Brophy, 2003; Midgley et al., 1989; Pajares, 1996; Schunk, 1991; Zimmerman, 1995).
These studies have shown that teachers with a strong sense of efficacy take more risks, set higher standards for themselves and their students, and provide the potential
for higher academic gains among learners (Wood & Bandura, 1989). Teacher efficacy also has been shown to be related to many other behaviors that have the potential to
impact student achievement. For instance, teacher efficacy has been shown to be strongly related to teachers’ adoption of innovations (Gusky, 1988; Smylie, 1988) and
classroom management strategies (Gibson & Dembo, 1984) which preserve student motivation and self-esteem, both with the possibility of being translated into more
success for individual students.
It is also argued that teacher efficacy may influence student achievement through teacher persistence (Good & Brophy, 2003). Teachers with high efficacy take
responsibility for student learning and may view student failure as a push for greater effort to improve achievement. These teachers spend more time monitoring and
working with their students (through whole-group instruction, for example), providing the means for higher levels of student engagement. Efficacious teachers are more
likely to implement instructional strategies to enhance student learning, rather than just covering the curriculum. They also take more risks and have confidence in
overcoming classroom challenges, which contributes to higher student achievement (Good & Brophy, 2003).
In contrast, teachers with low efficacy feel they have only minimal influence on students’ learning outcomes. Such teachers give up more easily when confronted with
difficult situations, are less resourceful, and often feel that students cannot learn because of extenuating circumstances (Ashton & Webb, 1986; Bandura, 1997). Such
teachers tend to create classroom cultures that “undermine students’ sense of efficacy and cognitive development” (Bandura, 1995, p. 20) and rely on extrinsic motivation
or punishment to get students to study. According to Hoy (2000), pre-service teachers with a low sense of teacher efficacy have an orientation toward control, take a
pessimistic view of students’ motivation, and rely more on strict classroom regulations, extrinsic rewards, and punishments to make students study. Teachers who lacked a
secure sense of teacher efficacy were reported to “show weak commitment to teaching, spend less time in subject matters in their areas of perceived inefficacy, and
devote less overall time to academic matters” (Bandura, 1995, p. 20).
Teachers’ efficacy beliefs have also been studied with reference to their behavior in the classroom, which in turn helps students’ academic growth. Efficacy influences the
effort teachers invest in teaching, the goals they set for their classes, and their level of aspiration (Ware & Kitsantas, 2007); in addition, teachers with a strong sense of
efficacy often tend to manifest greater levels of planning and organization (Allinder, 1994). They are also more open to new ideas and tend to experiment with new
methods and strategies to better meet the needs of their students (Berman, et al., 1977; Guskey, 1987; Stein & Wang, 1988). Furthermore, efficacy beliefs influence
teachers’ persistence when things do not go smoothly and enhance their resilience in the face of setbacks (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001).
Greater efficacy makes teachers less critical of students when they make errors (Ashton & Webb, 1986) and pushes them to work longer and better with a student who is
struggling (Gibson & Dembo, 1984). Teachers with a higher sense of efficacy show greater enthusiasm for and are more inclined towards teaching, feel more commitment
to teaching and are more likely to stay in the profession (Burley, et al., 1991; Glickman & Tamashiro, 1982).
AKBARI, Ramin & ALLVAR, Nabi Karimi. L2 Teacher Characteristics as Predictors of Students’ Academic Achievement. TESL-EJ (The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language), vol 13, n. 4, March
2010. http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume13/ej52/ej52a2/, Retrieved on August 11, 2010.
In “It is also argued that teacher efficacy may influence student achievement through teacher persistence”, the modal auxiliary may expresses
a) anticipated possibility.
b) remote probability.
c) formal permission.
d) definite certainty.
e) clear necessity.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2714289
From Science Fiction to Reality: Personal Robots Emerge at Work, Home and School
It’s 6 a.m., and the Clarks awake to fresh coffee served to them by Millie, one of the family’s personal robots. As they get ready for work, Millie makes the bed, and their
robotic dog Mickey gently reminds Mr. Clark to take his medicine.
This scenario is not a page from a lost “Jetsons” script. It’s likely to be a normal day in the life of a family in as few as 20 years from now, according to robotics experts at
the Georgia Institute of Technology. Already, the global market for personal robots is growing 400 percent a year, says Professor Henrik Christensen, director of the newly
formed Robotics and Intelligent Machines Center in the Georgia Tech College of Computing. “Personal robots are becoming more popular as people want to do more and
more with their lives,” Christensen says. “Technology is making it possible...We live stressful lives now, and we can use technology to take away the boring tasks of
everyday life.”
Robots are not novel technology in industry, the military and even space exploration. However, a new generation of intelligent machines called personal robots — ones that
work with and directly for humans, especially in the home, workplace and school — have begun to emerge only recently. A confluence of smart materials, low-cost, high-
speed computing power, better batteries and knowledge of how humans interact with machines is creating an explosion in the market for personal robots, researchers say.
“To have a personal robot that does things you need, you have to have onboard processing, perception, motion and power, [A]” says roboticist Tucker Balch, an associate
professor in the College of Computing. “Until two or three years ago, you couldn’t put all of that on one small, light platform. Motors and computers take a lot of energy,
and the batteries we had couldn’t do the job. Now, demand for better cell phone and laptop batteries is driving improvements,” Balch adds. “Therefore, we have all the
technologies which can support a consumer robot [B] that is not too expensive.” Balch predicts that truly useful, multi-function personal robots will cost between $1,000
and $1,500. [C] Single-purpose robots, such as the Roomba vacuum cleaner already on the market, cost between $150 and $300.
While some personal robots are already available, important research is under way to address the remaining technical and societal challenges. Georgia Tech researchers
in computer science, engineering, psychology and the liberal arts are collaborating under the umbrella of the new Robotics and Intelligent Machines Center that
Christensen directs. That cooperation is vital to creating the best-designed personal robots. [D] “If you just have computer scientists designing them, you’re not going to
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057005
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously [A]. […] Textbooks were pretty [B] unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were
‘structural syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely [C] existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent
professional training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very [D]
professional professional associations. Language teaching now has so many [E] components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2689835
We live in vulnerable energy times. The energy crisis, climate change and energy transition are all shaking and shaping the global future. “The energy realities of the world
remind us that oil and gas will be here for decades to pivot a just, affordable and secure energy transition,” as John Hess, CEO of Hess Corporation, mentioned during the
International Energy Conference and Expo in Guyana in February 2023.
As someone said, vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation and technology is the driving force behind progressive changes. Nevertheless, how can Guyana play a vital
role in reordering energy security? “By embedding innovation earlier in the process, Guyana can skip several steps and avoid what most economies went through” this idea
was emphasized several times during the same conference. “If we integrate innovation into Guyana’s process today, there might be some accelerated success.”
Guyana can play an essential role in balancing the global energy supply and demand markets and address the energy crisis by becoming a top crude oil producer globally.
The goal is to become competitive in the global oil and gas market and this can be achieved by attracting and establishing partnerships with companies that can bring
increased efficiency and productivity to the local oil and gas operations, from exploration and production to storage and transportation. For Guyana, this means that
improvements in regulations, a transparent, secure and competitive environment for foreign investment, and incentives from the government can serve as catalysts for
technology and innovation.
Collaborating with universities and creating a business innovation hub mentality for young entrepreneurs with government support, like loan guarantees, grants, and tax
credits, will also spur the industry.
Innovative technology will play a critical role in climate change. The oil and gas sector must reduce its emissions by at least 3.4 gigatons of CO2 equivalent a year by 2050
– a 90 % reduction in current emissions. Guyana today can become a world leader in setting a benchmark around flaring and it’s possible for the country to achieve zero-
flare objective, because “from day one the right solutions and the right technologies were properly planned and properly positioned in order to enable the extraction and
the production with almost zero carbon footprint”, as the Emissions Director at Schlumberger vocalized about a year ago.
Innovations and technologies are key to the energy transition, from floating wind farms to solar photovoltaic farm developments, waste-to-fuel projects and green
hydrogen, shaping Guyana’s energy transition and future. All this requires not only massive financial support but an innovationoriented and technology-friendly
environment, with a strong emphasis on education, training and research. Nevertheless, the decision in Guyana on what technologies to adopt and how much to innovate
will have a big impact on results over the long term and the government should base it on a clear vision and roadmap.
In the sentence of paragraph 2 “Nevertheless, how can Guyana play a vital role in reordering energy security?”, the term nevertheless establishes the idea of
a) reason
b) purpose
c) similarity
d) contrast
e) comparison
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690647
Knowledge workers fuel innovation and growth, yet the nature of knowledge work remains poorly understood—as do the ways to improve its effectiveness. The heart of
what knowledge workers do on the job is collaborate, which in the broadest terms means they interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and
nurture new ideas. Technology and workflow processes support knowledge worker success and are increasingly sources of comparative differentiation. Those able to use
new technologies to reshape how they work are finding significant productivity gains. This article shares our research on how technology can improve the quality and
output of knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers are growing in numbers. In some sectors of the economy, such as healthcare providers and education, they account for 75 percent of the workforce; in
the United States, their wages total 18 percent of GDP. The nature of collaborative work ranges from high levels of abstract thinking on the part of scientists to building and
maintaining professional contacts and information networks to more ground-level problem solving. Think of a buyer for a retail chain whose distributed web of contacts
span resourceful professionals as fashion designers in Tokyo to experts on manufacturing in Brazil.
For companies, knowledge workers are expensive assets — earning a wage premium that ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent over the pay of workers who perform
more basic production and transaction tasks. Yet there are wide variations in the performance of knowledge workers, as well as in their access to technologies that could
improve it. Our research shows that the performance gap between top and bottom companies in collaboration-intense sectors is nine times that of production- or
transaction-intense sectors. And that underscores what remains a significant challenge for corporations and national economics alike: how to improve the productivity of
this prized and growing corps of workers.
Unfortunately, the productivity measures for collaboration workers are fuzzy at best. For production workers, productivity is readily measured in terms of units of output;
for transaction workers, in operations per hour. But for knowledge workers, what might be thought of as collaboration productivity depends on the quality and quantity of
interactions occurring. And it’s from these lessthan- perfectly-understood interactions that companies and national economies derive important benefits. Consider the
collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens. Or, in a similar vein, the interplay between
a company and its customers or partners that results in an innovative product.
Raising the quality of these interactions is largely uncharted territory. Taking a systematic view, however, helps bring some of the key issues into focus. Our research
suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that
interactive work is done. Just as important is deciding how to support interactions with technology — in particular, Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, wikis, and video.
There is potential for sizeable gains from even modest improvements. Our survey research shows that at least 20 percent and as much as 50 percent of collaborative
There are some companies that already are tackling aspects of this collaboration–technology nexus. A wellknown multinational company selling networking and
communications technology, for example, was eager to improve interactions between its technology specialist sales teams and enterprise customers. Frequent travel and
stepped-up job requirements had resulted in overstretched teams whose effectiveness had become diminished. The company tackled the problem by mandating the use of
its own video technologies, as well as other collaboration tools to reach more customers and business partners by shifting a large portion of inperson meetings to virtual
interactions. Policy and governance changes ensured that technology use became part of daily workflows and not an added task. Internal surveys showed that 78 percent
of the targeted employees reported increased productivity and improved lifestyles without diminishing customer or partner satisfaction.
But most companies are only beginning to take these paths. That’s because, in many respects, raising the collaboration game differs from traditional ways of boosting
productivity. In production and transaction work, technology use is often part of a broader campaign to reduce head counts and costs—steps that are familiar to most
managers. In the collaboration setting, technology is used differently. It multiplies interactions and extends the reach of knowledge workers. That allows for the speedier
product development found at Proctor & Gamble and improved partner and customer intimacy at Cisco. In general, this is new terrain for most managers.
Adapted from the article written by James Manyika, Kara Sprague and Lareina Yee, published in McKinsey Quarterly, 27 October 2009. http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-
toimprove- workforce-collaboration
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2694335
7 September 2007
The global spread of English is leading to unforeseen - and, for many mother tongue speakers, unwelcome - outcomes. For example, two years ago, Korean Airlines
reportedly chose a French company to supply its flight simulators, in part because its English was more comprehensible than that of a UK rival. Increasingly, it seems that
non-mother-tongue speakers of English are realising that conversation in the language tends to flow more easily and intelligibly when few or no mothertongue speakers
are present.
In other words, where English is used as a lingua franca native speakers are often the problem and non-native speakers the solution. Nevertheless, the opposite scenario
is still widely assumed to be trueA).
The "deficiency by default" perspective on nonmother- tongue English is common even among linguistics experts. For instance, eminent British academic Roy Harris wrote
in The Times Higher in March that the English of non-mother tongue speakers was "a hotch-potch in which it does not matter how the words are spelt, whether or not
singulars are distinguished from plurals, and which syllables are stressed in speech and which are not". The equally eminent German scholar Manfred Görlach similarly
described "broken, deficient forms" of English that reflect "incomplete acquisition".
Harris, Görlach and the countless others who share their mindset claim, in effect, that any feature of English that differs from a particular native standard variety is an
error. According to this view, adjustments to the "correct" forms can be acceptable only if sanctioned by mothertongue use. Hence, they would argue, the plural
"accommodations" can now be accepted because it has been adopted in the UK and the US,B) whereas the plural "informations" remains an error because it has notC).
The possibility that the English spoken by non-mother-tongue speakers may be both proficient and different from that of native speakers is dismissed out of hand.
Thus, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's English speakers speak it as a lingua franca it is seen asD) the prerogative of the minority who speak it as a
native language to decide its international forms. This is patently absurd.
It becomes all the more untenable in light of research findings demonstrating that the use of native English idioms and some pronunciation features more often hinder than
facilitate successful communication in lingua franca contexts. The entrenched attitudes of those who dismiss such work as an exercise in political correctness prevent them
from embracing change and cause them to cling to the belief that only mother-tongue speakers from England (and now also North America) may determine its norms. This
ignores the many changes that nonmother- tongue speakers have wrought on the language through linguistic contact and influence down the centuries, which for some
reason are not seen as appropriate to modern English.
In our universities, there are those who agree with Harris that the English of non-mothertongue students is "appalling". And it is becoming increasingly common to hear
native British students complain they cannot understand their non-mother-tongue international lecturers. The solution is invariably said to be pronunciation classes to
correct the supposed deficiencies of these non native accents.
On the other hand, it could be argued that in these days of globalization, with English being used extensively as an academic lingua franca, those students are fortunate to
have exposure to the kinds of English varieties that they are likely to meet later on in their working lives.
It could also be argued that we mother-tongue university lecturers, rather than our non-mothertongue students, should make most of the adjustments. We need to be able
to make ourselves understood by and understand students from a wide range of first-language backgrounds but we are notoriously bad at both. Instead, we fall back on
the argument that students' "appalling" English skills rather than our poor accommodation skills are to blameE) and ignore the fact that most of us do not speak an English
that is internationally understood.
In July, an article in The Times Higher, bemoaning the fact that the British are poor at learning languages, was illustrated with a cartoon depicting the seven deadly sins.
Pride is saying "I'm British, why learn Spanish?" This same ethnocentric attitude is responsible for the position that many hold in respect of English as a lingua franca: "I
speak British English, why learn to understand Spanish English or to be understood by Spanish speakers of English?" And it is this same attitude that led Korean Airlines to
decide to deal with a French, not a British, company.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2680349
Oil Pollution
The amount of oil pollution in our environment needs to be reduced. Once oil has affected the environment, no matter how well it is cleaned up, it has already taken effect
and the environment will take many years to return to its original state if it ever does. Prevention is better than cure, and reducing oil usage is one way of reducing
pollution. Some methods are simple and immediate.
Avoid dumping and recycle used oil - 363 million gallons of oil are dumped in the waterways each year and everyone has a part to play in reducing this. This applies in
both the domestic and work arenas, if oil is used in the workplace, can colleagues be better educated in disposal methods? Some governments have used the slogan “You
dump it. You drink it.” to educate people that dumping motor oil directly affects drinking water. Oil can be recycled and recycling stations are set up for this purpose.
Reduce the amount of oil used – 300 billion gallons of oil are used each day worldwide. Our reliance on oil for fuel and manufacturing needs to be reduced. Simple
solutions are trying to use public transport or a bicycle rather than drive a car. If everyone makes a small contribution, oil usage can be significantly reduced. Less usage
means there is less oil transported over the seas, and therefore less risk of spills. [A]
Industry and governments also have a large role to play in the prevention of spills.
Deterrence & Legislation - Statistics show that a large percentage of oil pollution is from industry spills through drilling, maintenance or major accidents. If the polluters
are penalized for these environmental crimes then they will be forced into reducing future possibilities of pollution, [B] both purposefully and accidentally. The penalty for
pollution needs to be severe enough to persuade industries and those that dump illegally that pollution of the sea is not worth the risk. If polluters are to be prosecuted
they must be caught first and governments should make more effort in surveillance of ships discharging illegally, for example by satellite photography.
Improvement in ship design and training of those involved in shipping is essential to prevent disasters. Many oil spills into the sea are caused by faulty equipment or
carelessness on the part of those manning vessels. Again if severe penalties are imposed, perhaps more emphasis will be placed on these areas. [C]
By 2016, single-hulled ships will be outlawed in U.S. waters under a federal law passed after the wreck of the Exxon Valdez. In 2003 the European Union banned single-
hulled vessels more than 15 years old but the deadline set by the International Maritime Organization is later, [D] which will mean oil spills will continue globally for many
years.
The figures show that increased and better enforcement of legislation does work. Between 1981 and 1990 oil pollution from shipping fell from 3.2 million tons to 2.35
million tons, mainly due to stricter regulations. Optimistic as these figures seem, certain areas still have a very high level of pollution, for example the Caribbean basin and
the Northern part of the Indian Ocean, due to a high intensity of shipping in those areas. [E] Figures used are only levels of pollution reported and it is thought that in
actuality the level is much higher. People need to be educated that every time oil pollutes the waterways it has an effect on the complex eco-structure, no matter how
small.
Check the item in which the word in bold type introduces a consequence.
a) “Less usage means there is less oil transported over the seas, and therefore less risk of spills.”
b) “If the polluters are penalized for these environmental crimes then they will be forced into reducing future possibilities of pollution,”
c) “Again if severe penalties are imposed, perhaps more emphasis will be placed on these areas.”
d) “…the European Union banned single-hulled vessels more than 15 years old but the deadline set by the International Maritime Organization is later,”
e) “certain areas still have a very high level of pollution, (…) due to a high intensity of shipping in those areas.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2695227
Vernon Gibson is a chief chemist at an important oil company. Below are extracts from his interview to Nature on his new job and the company’s energy policies.
What do you say to critics, such as Jim Hansen(a) [the NASA scientist and environmentalist], who criticize building new coal-fired power stations?
If we just stopped burning coal the lights would go out.
Period. We’re going to need coal for the foreseeable future, but we have to capture the carbon-dioxide emissions. It’s not as if it’s dirty old coal, it’s new clean coal.
So we’re going to need a broad mix of conventional and alternative energy sources.(c) There are substantial global fossil resources. Then there are at least equivalent
further reserves yet to find, and unconventional harder-to-get sources — oil sands [tar sands], oil shale, shale gas — on top of that.
Longer term solutions are using the sun’s energy to produce electricity or hydrogen; concentrated solar thermal energy; geothermal energy, and working on improved
power transmission and storage. We need to be working very hard on those now, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves(d) that we are ready for deployment on the scale that the
others are ready for.
Our four big planks are biofuels, solar, wind and CCS.
We hope to commercialise cellulosic biofuels in the next few years. We have plans to develop 20 gigawatts of wind capacity over 24 states in the United States. Then in
CCS, we have been running a storage project since 2004 in Algeria. We are developing a 400-megawatt hydrogen energy plant with carbon capture in Abu Dhabi.
Solar conversion is longer term: our projects here are not expected to deliver on the ten-year horizon. We are industrial partners with a team of researchers at the
California Institute of Technology, who are using nanorods of silicon to capture sunlight and split water.
At Imperial College, London, we are supporting a project to develop organic photovoltaics that can be processed in solution, to provide flexible plastic solar cells.
We made a statement that we will look ‘beyond petroleum’ and we are on track: so far we have invested $3 billion in alternative energies and are on track to invest $8
billion by 2015, as we said we were going to.(e)
Check the only item in which the boldfaced item introduces a consequence.
a) “What do you say to critics, such as Jim Hansen…”
b) “If you project forward the predicted growth in renewable energy,”
c) “So we’re going to need a broad mix of conventional and alternative energy sources.”
d) “We need to be working very hard on those now, but we shouldn’t kid ourselves…”
e) “... we ... are on track to invest $8 billion by 2015, as we said we were going to.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2681304
VALENCIA, Spain: The blunt and alarming final report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), released here by UN Secretary General
Ban Ki Moon, may well underplay the problem of climate change, many experts and even the report’s authors admit.
The report describes the evidence for human-induced climate change as “unequivocal.” The rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere thus far will result in an average
rise in sea levels of up to 4.6 feet, or 1.4 meters, it concluded.
“Slowing - and reversing - these threats is the defining challenge of our age,” Ban said upon the report’s release Saturday. Ban said he had just completed a whirlwind tour
of some climate change hot spots, which he called as “frightening as a science-fiction movie.”
He described ice sheets breaking up in Antarctica, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, and children in Chile having to wear protective clothing because an
ozone hole was letting in so much ultraviolet radiation.
The panel’s fourth and final report summarized and integrated the most significant findings of three sections of the panel’s exhaustive climate-science review, to create an
official “pocket guide” to climate change for policy makers who must now decide how the world will respond. The first covered climate trends; the second, the world’s
ability to adapt to a warming planet; the third, strategies for reducing carbon emissions.
“The sense of urgency when you put these pieces together is new and striking,” said Martin Parry, a British climate expert who was co-chairman of the delegation that
wrote the second report.
This report’s summary was the first to acknowledge that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet could result in a substantive sea level rise over centuries rather than
millennia. “Many of my colleagues would consider that kind of melt a catastrophe” so rapid that mankind would not be able to adapt, said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate
scientist at Princeton University who contributed to the IPCC.
Delegations from hundreds of nations will be meeting in Bali, Indonesia in two weeks to start hammering out a global climate agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, the
current climate change treaty.
“It’s extremely clear and is very explicit that the cost of inaction will be huge compared to the cost of action,” said Jeffrey Sachs, head of Columbia University’s Earth
Institute. “We can’t afford to wait for some perfect accord to replace Kyoto, whose first phase expires in 2012, for some grand agreement. We can’t afford to spend years
bickering about it. We need to start acting now.”
He said that delegates in Bali should take action immediately by public financing for demonstration projects on new technologies like “carbon capture,” a “promising but not
proved” system that pumps emissions underground instead of releasing them into the sky. He said the energy ministers should start a global fund to help poor countries
avoid deforestation, which causes emissions to increase because growing plants absorb carbon in the atmosphere.
Although the scientific data is not new, this was the first time it had been looked at together in its entirety, leading the scientists to new emphasis and more sweeping
conclusions.
“And the new science is saying: ‘You thought it was bad? No it’s worse.’ ”
The IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, an engineer and economist from India, acknowledged the new trajectory. “If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late,”
Pachauri said. “What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future.”
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/18/europe/climate.php
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2705779
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Sugar cane and cane-based ethanol became a more important energy source than hydroelectric power plants in Brazil’s overall energy
complex last year, topped only by petroleum and oil products.
The government’s EPE energy planning agency said on Thursday sugar cane had a 16 percent share in the country’s so-called energy matrix — a combination of all
sources of energy including fuels and electricity — while power dams were left behind with a 14.7 percent share.
Oil and derivatives had a 36.7 percent weighting, dropping from 37.8 percent in 2006. “It’s a historic year in that sense, it’s an irreversible trend,” EPE President Mauricio
Tolmasquim told reporters. He attributed the growing role of sugar cane to booming demand for ethanol as a motor fuel, but expected more cane and ethanol to be used
for electricity generation as well.
Brazil is a world leader in biofuels with decades of valuable expertise in using ethanol in cars.
In February 2007, the consumption of ethanol surpassed that of gasoline for the first time in two decades. The trend is driven by a drop in ethanol prices and huge sales of
flex-fuel cars that can run on ethanol, gasoline or any mix of the two.
Hydrous ethanol consumption jumped 46 percent last year to 10.4 billion liters, while the usage of anhydrous ethanol that is mostly blended into gasoline sold in Brazil rose
nearly 20 percent to 6.2 billion liters, EPE said. At the same time, gasoline consumption in the country dipped almost 4 percent to 18 billion liters.
Tolmasquim said it was important that Latin America’s largest country was self-sufficient in the three main sources of energy, including oil. Brazil met its oil needs with
domestic output for the first time in 2006.
It still needs to import some light crude to mix with heavy local crudes for refining, but it also exports heavy oil. Last year’s exports totaled an average of 421,000 barrels
per day and imports stood at 418,000 bpd.
All nonrenewable energy’s share fell to 53.6 percent in the overall complex in 2007 from 55.1 percent in 2006, with coal gaining some ground on its increased use in
steelmaking. Nuclear energy’s share was just 1.4 percent.
Renewables, which include hydroelectricity, ethanol and plant-based biodiesel, gained to a 46.4 percent weighting from 44.9 percent. The use of renewable energy sources
in Brazil by far surpasses the world’s average of around 13 percent, EPE said.
In the sentence “…while power dams were left behind with a 14.7 percent share.”, the word “while”
a) anticipates a conclusion.
b) presents an example.
c) imposes a condition.
d) expresses a contrast.
e) introduces a reason.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2714276
From Science Fiction to Reality: Personal Robots Emerge at Work, Home and School
It’s 6 a.m., and the Clarks awake to fresh coffee served to them by Millie, one of the family’s personal robots. As they get ready for work, Millie makes the bed, [A] and
their robotic dog Mickey gently reminds Mr. Clark to take his medicine.
This scenario is not a page from a lost “Jetsons” script. It’s likely to be a normal day in the life of a family in as few as 20 years from now, according to robotics experts at
the Georgia Institute of Technology. Already, the global market for personal robots is growing 400 percent a year, says Professor Henrik Christensen, director of the newly
formed Robotics and Intelligent Machines Center in the Georgia Tech College of Computing. “Personal robots are becoming more popular as people want to do more and
more with their lives,” Christensen says. “Technology is making it possible...We live stressful lives now, and we can use technology to take away the boring tasks of
everyday life.”
Robots are not novel technology in industry, the military and even space exploration. However, a new generation of intelligent machines called personal robots [B] — ones
that work with and directly for humans, especially in the home, workplace and school — have begun to emerge only recently. A confluence of smart materials, low-cost,
high-speed computing power, better batteries and knowledge of how humans interact with machines is creating an explosion in the market for personal robots,
researchers say. “To have a personal robot that does things you need, you have to have onboard processing, perception, motion and power,” says roboticist Tucker Balch,
an associate professor in the College of Computing. “Until two or three years ago, you couldn’t put all of that on one small, light platform. Motors and computers take a lot
of energy, and the batteries we had couldn’t do the job. Now, demand for better cell phone and laptop batteries is driving improvements,” Balch adds. “Therefore, we have
While some personal robots are already available, important research is under way [D] to address the remaining technical and societal challenges. Georgia Tech
researchers in computer science, engineering, psychology and the liberal arts are collaborating under the umbrella of the new Robotics and Intelligent Machines Center
that Christensen directs. That cooperation is vital to creating the best-designed personal robots. “If you just have computer scientists designing them, you’re not going to
build a robot that’s [E] as good as one that could be built by computer scientists and mechanical engineers working together,” Christensen says. “We are leveraging
Georgia Tech’s world-class expertise in all of these domains and want to make something that no one else in the United States is doing today.”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2687965
Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel can significantly reduce global dependence on oil, according to a new report by the Worldwatch Institute.
Last year, world biofuel production surpassed 670,000 barrels per day, the equivalent of about 1 percent of the global transport fuel market. Although oil still accounts for
more than 96 percent of transport fuel use, biofuel production has doubledA) since 2001 and is poised for even stronger growth as the industry responds to higher fuel
prices and supportive government policies. “Coordinated action to expand biofuel markets and advance new technologies could relieve pressure on oil prices while
strengthening agricultural economies and reducing climatealtering emissions,” says Worldwatch Institute President Christopher Flavin.
Brazil is the world’s biofuel leader, with half of its sugar cane crop providing more than 40 percent of its nondiesel transport fuel. In the United States, where 15 percent of
the corn crop provides about 2 percent of the non-diesel transport fuel, ethanol production is growing even more rapidly. This surging growth may allow the U.S. to
overtake Brazil as the world’s biofuel leader this year. Both countries are now estimated to be producing ethanol at less than the current cost of gasoline.
Figures cited in the report reveal that biofuels could provide 37 percent of U.S. transport fuel within the next 25 years, and up to 75 percent if automobile fuel economy
doubles. Biofuels could replace 20–30 percent of the oil used in European Union countries during the same time frame.
As the first-ever global assessment of the potential social and environmental impacts of biofuels, Biofuels for Transportation warns that the large-scale use of biofuels
carries significant agricultural and ecological risks. “It is essential that government incentives be used to minimize competition between food and fuel crops and to
discourage expansion onto ecologically valuable lands,” says Worldwatch Biofuels Project Manager Suzanne Hunt. However, the report also finds that biofuels have the
potential toB) increase energy security, create new economic opportunities in rural areas, and reduce local pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases.
The long-term potential of biofuels is in the use of non-food feedstock that include agricultural, municipal, and forestry wastes as well as fast-growing, cellulose-richD)
energy cropsC) such as switchgrass. It is expected that the combination of cellulosic biomass resources and “nextgeneration” biofuel conversion technologies will compete
with conventional gasoline and diesel fuel without subsidies in the medium term.
The report recommends policies to accelerate the development of biofuels, while maximizing the benefitsE) and minimizing the risks. Recommendations include:
strengthening the market (i.e. focusing on market development, infrastructure development, and the building of transportation fleets that are able to use the new
fuels), speeding the transition to next-generation technologies allowing for dramatically increased production at lower cost, and facilitating sustainable
international biofuel trade, developing a true international market unimpeded by the trade restrictions in place today.
Check the item in which there is an INCORRECT correspondence between the idea expressed by the words in bold type and the idea in italics.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2706300
Some energy sources have advantages for specific uses or locations. For example, fuels from petroleum are well suited for transportation because they pack a lot of
energy in a small space and are easily transported and stored. Small hydroelectric installations are a good solution for supplying power or mechanical energy close to
where it is used. Coal is widely used for power generation in many fast-developing countries – including China, India, and many others – because domestic supplies are
readily available.
How efficiently can the energy be produced, delivered, and used? How much energy value is lost in that process, and how much ends up being transformed into useful
work? Industries that produce or use energy continually look for ways to improve efficiency, since this is a key to making their products more competitive.
The ideal energy source – cheap, plentiful, and pollution-free – may prove unattainable in our lifetime, but that is the ultimate goal. The energy industry is continuing to
improve its technologies and practices, to produce and use energy more efficiently and cleanly.
Renewable energy resources are those that can be replenished quickly – examples are solar power, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind power, and fast-reaction
nuclear power. They supply about seven percent of energy needs in the United States; the other 93 percent comes from nonrenewables. The two largest categories of
renewable energy now in use in the U.S. are biomass – primarily wood wastes that are used by the forest products industry to generate electricity and heat – and
hydroelectricity.
Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium-235, which is used to fuel slow-reaction nuclear power. Projections of how long a
nonrenewable energy resource will last depend on many changeable factors. These include the growth rate of consumption, and estimates of how much of the remaining
resources can be economically recovered. New exploration and production technologies often increase the ability of producers to locate and recover resources. World
reserves of fossil energy are projected to last for many more decades – and, in the case of coal, for centuries.
In: http://www.classroom-energy.org/teachers/energy_tour/pg5.html
In the sentence “since this is a key to making their products more competitive.”, the word “since”:
a) introduces a reason.
b) presents an example.
c) expresses a contrast.
d) makes a comparison.
e) imposes a condition.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2709809
You don’t have to be a diplomat or a rocket scientist to do something about global warming. There are simple steps each of us can take that will go a long way toward
reducing our use of energy — and hence our emissions of the greenhouse gasesA), such as carbon dioxideB), that help produce global warming. Here are a few things
each of us can do:
Reduce, reuse, recycle. Buy products that feature reusable, recyclable, or reduced packaging to save the energy required to manufacture new containers. By recycling all
of your home’s waste newsprint, cardboard, glass, and metal, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 850 pounds annually.
Think about giving your car a day off. Consider transportation alternatives such as mass transit, car pooling, bicycling, and telecommuting. By leaving your car at home two
days a week, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds per year. When you do drive, keep your car tuned up and the tires properly inflated to save on fuel
costs.
Go solar. Install a solar thermal system in your home to help provide your hot water, and reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 720 pounds annually.
Plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air. Join family members, neighbors, or community service groups in planting trees in your yard,
along roadways, and in parks. Trees reduce energy use when planted for shade; they also can remove 50 poundsC) of carbon from the atmosphere in a year during
photosynthesis.
By taking these measures, you could cut your annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10,000 pounds annually, almost as much as if you didn’t drive your car for a
year. Why not do your part to help slow global warming and make our planet a better place forE) ourselves and our children. You’ll be surprised at how much money you
can save at the same time.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/ ResourceCenterPublicationsOutreachMaterial.html#resources
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2719723
Oil and natural gas are an important part of your everyday life. Not only do they giveA) us mobility, they heat and cool our homes and provide electricity. Millions of products
are made from oil and gas, including plastics, life-saving medications, clothing, cosmetics, and many other items you may use daily.
In the United States, 97% of the energy that drives the transportation sector (cars, buses, subways, railroads, airplanes, etc.) comes from fuels made from oil. Auto
manufacturers are developing cars to run on alternate fuels such as electricityB), hydrogen and ethanol. However, the electric batteriesC) need to be charged and the fuel
to generate the electricity could be oil or gas. The hydrogen needed for fuel cells may be generated from natural gas or petroleum-based products. Even as alternative
fuels are developedD), oil will be crucially important to assuring that people can get where they need to be and want to go for the foreseeable future. Unless there is an
increase in the penetration of new technologies, alternative fuels are not expected to become competitive with oil for transportation before 2025.
World population is currently around 6 billion people, but is expected to grow toE) approximately 7.6 billion by 2020. That will mean a huge increase in the demand for
transportation fuels, electricity, and many other consumer products made from oil and natural gas.
The world economy runs on these fuels. They improve your quality of life by providing you with transportation, warmth, light, and many everyday products. They enable
you to get where you need to go, they supply products you need, and they create jobs. Without them, quality of life would decline and people in developing nations would
not be able to improve their standard of living.
http://www.spe.org/spe/jsp/basic/0,1104_1008218_1108884,00.html
Check the item in which there is a correct correspondence between the underlined words and the idea in italics.
a) “Not only do they give…” – Condition.
b) “alternate fuels such as electricity” – Addition.
c) “However, the electric batteries…” – Contrast.
d) “Even as alternative fuels are developed”. – Cause.
e) “…but is expected to grow to…” – Result.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670702
The extract below consists of the introductory lines in the abstract of the study referred to in lines 56 to 64 of Text I. Some words are missing and
you will be asked to complete the blanks in question 34.
“The existence of maintenance and inspection personnel _______ native language is not English suggests that language barriers _______ causing performance errors.
This project examines _______ such errors exist, what patterns characterize these errors, what their contributing factors are and how effectively we can mitigate these
errors. _______ language error would be communication errors by definition, _______ first we reviewed models of communication to search for characteristic error
patterns. We identified two primary communication types relevant _______ aviation maintenance: synchronous communications (largely verbal and informal) and
asynchronous communication (largely written and formal). We then analyzed several error databases (e.g. ASRS) and found that both the contributing factors and the use
of recovery mechanisms were different for the two error types. Next, we analyzed survey data from 113 aircraft operators, covering their English speaking/ reading
abilities and use of mitigation strategies. There were significant differences across four world regions in the incidence of these two sets of factors. Neither of these data
sources emphasized maintenance, so to discover more refined patterns of error, contributing factors and mitigation strategies, we conducted a series of focus groups at
maintenance organizations. The patterns found were grouped, as expected, into synchronous and asynchronous. We developed classified lists of contributing and
mitigating factors, which will be used in subsequent stages to quantify error incidence and test the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.”
Retrieved from: http:// www2.hf.faa.gov/docs/508/docs/ Maint%20-%20Language%20SUNY.pdf
Choose the option that appropriately completes the passage in Text II.
Reference to English as a lingua franca generally seems to imply that the language is a neutral instrument for ‘international’ communication between speakers who do not
share a mother tongue. The fact that English is used for a wide range of purposes, nationally and internationally, may mislead one into believing that lingua franca English
is disconnected from the many ‘special purposes’ it serves in key societal domains. English might be more accurately described as a lingua economica (in business and
advertising, the language of corporate neoliberalism), a lingua emotiva (the imaginary of Hollywood, popular music, consumerism, and hedonism), a lingua academica (in
research publications, at international conferences, and as a medium for content learning in higher education), or a lingua cultura (rooted in the literary texts of
Englishspeaking nations that school foreign language education traditionally aims at, and integrates with language learning as one element of general education). English is
definitely the lingua bellica of wars between states (aggression by the US and its loyal acolytes in Afghanistan and Iraq, building on the presence of US bases in hundreds
of countries worldwide). The worldwide presence of English as a lingua americana is due to the massive economic, cultural, and military impact of the USA. Labelling
English as a lingua franca, if this is understood as a culturally neutral medium that puts everyone on an equal footing, does not merely entail ideological dangers – it is
simply false. The history, etiology, and misuse of the concept will be explored below.
While English manifestly opens doors for many worldwide, it also closes them for others, as recounted by an Indian with experience of the language being seen as a lingua
divina (Chamaar, 2007), for which he had rather more empirical justification than the hopefully apocryphal story of the American head teacher informing immigrants that if
English was good enough for Jesus, it was good enough for them.
It wasn’t until he was 18 that Kanchedia Chamaar realized that God spoke and understood English and nothing else. Because unfamiliarity with the lingua divina was a
matter of intense shame at Delhi School of Economics in the 1970s, he started learning English on the sly, and continues to be consumed by the process to this day. Over a
period of three years after his master’s degree, no fewer than one hundred and eight Indian firms found him unfit for gainful employment. While doing his PhD in the
1980s, he found that at Universities in the US, even those not fluent in English were treated as human beings, a dignity that not everybody seemed willing to accord him in
Delhi. He has been hiding in the US ever since.
In India, as in many former colonies, English is the language of elite formation, social inclusion and exclusion. Are there then grounds for referring to English as a lingua
frankensteinia?
We need to recall that Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s novel is the person who created the monster rather than the monster itself. This is a useful reminder of the role of
agency, particularly in relation to language use, and of the truism that any language can serve good or evil purposes, whether humane or monstrous ones. English tends to
be marketed as though it serves exclusively laudable purposes (a language of international understanding, human rights, development, progress etc.). Since languages
have never been co-terminous with state boundaries, and granted the current pre-eminence of English as the most extreme case of a language with international impact,
we need to consider which agents promote or constrain English and for what purposes.
The elimination of linguistic diversity has been an explicit goal of states attempting to impose monolingualism within their borders: linguicist policies favour the lingua
frankensteinia and lead to linguicide.
Swales (1996), after a lifetime of work on scientific English, is so concerned about other languages of scholarship being on the way to extinction that he labels English a
lingua tyrannosaura. The widespread concern in political and academic circles in Scandinavian countries with domain loss signifies a perception that segments of the
national language are at risk from the English monster, hence the national policy to ensure that Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish remain fully operational in all domains.
What therefore needs further analysis is whether English is a cuckoo in the European higher education nest of languages, a lingua cucula. Cuckoos substitute their own
eggs for those in place, and induce other species to take on the feeding and teaching processes. Higher-education authorities in the Nordic countries are increasingly
addressing the question of cohabitation between the local language and English. The current strategy is to aim at ‘parallel competence’ in the two languages. The Nordic
Declaration of Language Policy, signed by ministers from five countries, endorses this goal. Quite what ‘parallel competence’ means in practice, for an individual or for
institutions, remains obscure.
Excerpt adapted from: PHILLIPSON, Robert. Lingua franca or lingua frankensteinia? English in European integration and globalization. World Englishes, Vol. 27, no 2, pp. 250–267, 2008.
Mark the option that contains a set of words in which all the stressed syllables are pronounced with the same vowel sound.
a) “...believing...” – “...teacher...” – “...feeding...”
b) “...described...” – “...definitely...” – “...merely...”
c) “...consumerism...” – “...conferences...” – “...countries...”
d) “...rooted...” – “...understood...” – “...footing...”
e) “...laudable...” – “...language...” – “...labels...”
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670065
Air Traffic Communication in a Second Language: Implications of Cognitive Factors for Training and Assessment
Candace Farris, Pavel Trofimovich, Norman Segalowitz, and Elizabeth Gatbonton Concordia University Montréal, Québec, Canada
Summary of Findings
We investigated the effects of cognitive workload on L2 speakers’ repetition accuracy and speech production (as judged by listeners) in a simulated pilot navigation task.
Results revealed that the NS (native speakers) group repeated messages with greater accuracy than both L2 groups regardless of workload condition, and that the group
with the lowest level of L2 proficiency was the one most affected by high cognitive workload. This finding suggests that L2 communications with controllers may be more
challenging for pilots when they perform one or perhaps even more concurrent cognitive tasks. Results also revealed that the NS group sounded less accented, more
comprehensible, and more fluent than both L2 groups, while the high group, in turn, received higher ratings for all these measures than the low group. In addition, high
workload led to lower fluency ratings for the NS group and lower accentedness and fluency ratings for the low group than did low workload. With respect to the fluency
ratings, our findings suggest that high workload is associated with the production of dysfluencies such as undue or long pauses, false starts and repetitions, to an extent
perceptible by listeners. Although the additional cognitive demands of the high workload condition did not affect repetition accuracy (at least for the NS group), these
demands did affect speech fluency, suggesting that fluency measures may be good indicators of the impact of cognitive workload, even when repetition accuracy is stable.
With respect to accentedness ratings, the findings suggest that lowproficiency L2 users depart even more from native-like, unaccented speech under high cognitive
workload, although this increased workload may not necessarily make their speech less comprehensible.
Other implications of the findings are practical in nature. For training and assessment purposes, especially in the ESP context, learners may benefit from practicing their L2
skills under workload conditions similar to those they might face in the workplace. This and other pedagogical interventions can often be accomplished without much
specialized equipment. For example, to simulate a concurrent task environment that is similar in its cognitive demands to that of pilots, learners could solve a nonlinguistic
puzzle or do an arithmetic task while communicating with a partner or in a group. Another example of increasing the cognitive demands of a language task may be to
simulate the constraints of radio communications, such as monitoring and filtering for relevant information while listening to the communications of others and waiting for
an opportunity to speak.
Similarly, teachers might design paired communicative activities in which interlocutors do not see one another, as in real controller–pilot communications. In setting up
listening activities, teachers could also vary the regional variety of English and expose learners to English spoken by speakers of different language backgrounds, thus
simulating the linguistic diversity which characterizes Aviation English. Although the technical requirements may be greater, instructors could set up activities that
demonstrate the effects of radio frequency constraints on phonetic perception (e.g., showing that /f/ is often indistinguishable from /s/ in radiotelephonic communications).
Whatever pedagogical decisions ESP instructors make, they need not become absolute experts in the learners’ field. A mere familiarization with the cognitive challenges
and the communicative environment of the learners’ workplace would go a long way in helping instructors make sure that learners can cope with the constraints and
challenges of real life communications. Ultimately, this will ensure that learners meet their objective– achieving language proficiency adequate for their workplace.
The words “undue” and “unaccented” are formed by the prefix “un”. In which of the words below would it be possible to add the same prefix to express an opposing idea
in Standard English?
a) Stable
b) Different
c) Cognitive
d) Adequate
e) Compatible
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2670703
Philip Shawcross
English for Aircraft/ICAEA
We all use language and language tends to be something we take for granted. In point of fact, language is probably one of the most complex and also the most
fundamental skills any of us has to master. It is a skill which engages not just our intellect but our personality, our emotions and our relation to the world. Paradoxically, the
fact that language is everywhere and yet transparent explains in part why its use and acquisition have often been treated as negligible quantities in the operational and
training worlds.
In the flight crew sector, that tends to drive the industry, there is now widespread and well documented recognition that linguistic misunderstandings and incomprehension
have been contributory factors in several major accidents. Turning to the maintenance arena, where fortunately the time factor is not so critical, similar snares come to
mind where even the application of the principles of Simplified English for Aircraft Maintenance Manuals has not meant that aircraft technicians no longer have reason to
be puzzled at times, especially when they are not native speakers of English.
So, in the last few years, the Authorities have sought to address the question of proficiency in the language which is the official lingua franca of aviation, English, in the
main aviation professions.
The Aircraft Maintenance Technician of 2004 works in a radically different environment from his forebear, the “mechanic”, of twenty years ago. Aircraft design and
maintenance practice have changed substantially in the last two decades. A computer interface, which speaks English and is the nucleus of centralized maintenance, has
become the alpha and omega of a working shift. It would be trite and unfair, however, to say the pen has replaced the wrench, but there is an element of truth in this.
Technical documentation is also computer-based, generating new more discursive and synthetic reading habits, although it has in no way resulted in a paper-free
environment. In non-English speaking countries, translation is fast becoming a thing of the past for economic, commercial, reactivity and safety reasons.
As regards documentation, eighteen years down the road, AECMA Simplified English has become accepted as the industry norm creating a few problems but attenuating
many more. In its wake, the documentary styles of the various manufacturers’ documentation have tended to converge. Research sponsored by the FAA (Federal Aviation
Administration) and published this year has revealed in a comparative study that the use of Simplified English has reduced the error rate in reading comprehension among
technicians from 18% to 14% for native English speakers and from 31% to 13% for non-native speakers. Perhaps that also says something about native speakers of
English!
native speakers of English! The recent regulatory environment imposed by civil aviation authorities worldwide which defines the standards to which technicians are trained
and work and delineates the process of release to service has brought with it increased paperwork as has the concern for part traceability. Standardisation and the need
for savings have steered most airlines away from in-house training development and towards the use of manufacturer courseware … again in English.
Finally, the global economy and hard times have spurred the airlines towards various forms of cooperation, alliance, load sharing and partnership. National boundaries
have less and less significance. Simultaneously, the maintenance workforce is increasingly mobile, multicultural and cosmopolitan. Sociological and personal reasons only
reinforce the professional need for a common language both in the hangar and at the ramp.
As you can see, all these trends have something “invisible” in common: a much increased reliance upon language and upon a single language, English. Some very
thorough and illuminating research is being conducted since 2001 by C.G. Drury at New York State University, Buffalo, under the auspices of the William J. Hughes Technical
Center of the FAA. This study addresses the question of Language error in Aviation Maintenance. It is in response to an FAA concern that non-native English speakers in
repair stations in the USA and abroad may be prone to an increased error rate that could potentially affect airworthiness.
Language proficiency is not just a question of understanding or not understanding information. It circumscribes the whole way people are able to behave because it affects
their self-confidence, their awareness of the world around them and the scope of their capacity to report this to other.
TEXT II
The extract below consists of the introductory lines in the abstract of the study referred to in lines 56 to 64 of Text I. Some words are missing and
you will be asked to complete the blanks in question 34.
The existence of maintenance and inspection personnel whose native language is not English suggests that language barriers may be causing performance errors. This
project examines whether such errors exist, what patterns characterize these errors, what their contributing factors are and how effectively we can mitigate these errors.
any language error would be communication errors by definition, so first we reviewed models of communication to search for characteristic error patterns. We identified
two primary communication types relevant to aviation maintenance: synchronous communications (largely verbal and informal) and asynchronous communication (largely
written and formal). We then analyzed several error databases (e.g. ASRS) and found that both the contributing factors and the use of recovery mechanisms were
different for the two error types. Next, we analyzed survey data from 113 aircraft operators, covering their English speaking/ reading abilities and use of mitigation
strategies. There were significant differences across four world regions in the incidence of these two sets of factors. Neither of these data sources emphasized
maintenance, so to discover more refined patterns of error, contributing factors and mitigation strategies, we conducted a series of focus groups at maintenance
organizations. The patterns found were grouped, as expected, into synchronous and asynchronous. We developed classified lists of contributing and mitigating factors,
which will be used in subsequent stages to quantify error incidence and test the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.”
Mark the only pair where both words contain affixation that conveys equal meanings and constitutes words with corresponding grammatical functions.
a) maintenance (Text II,) – operator(s) (Text II,)
b) misunderstandings (Text I,) – non-English (Text I,)
c) unfair (Text I, ) – asynchronous (Text II,)
d) discursive (Text I, ) – effectiveness (Text II)
e) regulatory (Text I,) – largely (Text II, )
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2348302
It is impossible to envision an innovative city without innovative people. To respond to the many challenges innovative cities will face, such cities must have citizens with a
passion for discovery, and institutions ready to implement new ideas: but this is not enough. Innovative cities will also depend on education systems that are capable of
producing people with open minds; who are willing and able to solve new problems and acquire new skills in contexts of continuing challenge and change. Citizens of
innovative cities will need to acquire and exercise a complex combination of knowledges, skills and social capacities that were never expected of their parents or
grandparents. Innovative cities will also need to establish and support schools in which young people learn and also practice new social capacities. These will include, for
example, the ability to live and work harmoniously with fellow citizens whose languages, religions and cultures may be very different from their own.
In contrast with this vision, the current structure, culture, and curriculum of most secondary schools are not well adapted to meet these challenges. Curriculum options
tend to divide ‘academic’ learning from ‘vocational’ training, deliver computing and information technology classes that are seriously out of date, and rely on linear, ‘chalk
and talk’ methods of knowledge transfer. While much is being done by regions, states, and even local schools to alter the provision of education to young people, the
overall leadership fashioning the policies of large school systems often appears to be stagnant, and caught in bureaucratic inertia. Many schools persist in privileging a
curriculum that is geared to students who are university-bound and ignores or marginalizes those with different interests or learning needs. In addition, the structure of
schooling often finds schools isolated from their communities, workplaces, and other educational institutions.
This article focuses on three of the most pressing issues facing educational systems as they attempt to respond to present and future challenges.
The first challenge is the emergence of a digital divide between less adapted digital users known as ‘digital immigrants’ and the surprisingly different mind sets of children
who have grown up as ‘digital natives’ (Prensky 2001). These ‘digital natives’ have been born into, and are familiar with, such a wide range of technologies that their
approach to learning, knowledge acquisition and even social relationships, is vastly different from that of their parents and elders who are often their teachers. How are
educational systems to be devised that will respond to these technological natives, yet also deliver knowledge, opportunity and experience that will equip students with the
abilities to meet the challenges ahead of them?
The second challenge refers to the problems inherent in mass secondary education. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies
completing a full upper secondary education with a recognised qualification forwork, tertiary study, or both as central to the social and economic well-being of individuals,
communities and nations (OECD 2006). The challenge of ensuring that all students complete a high school qualification is exacerbated by the increasing diversity of the
populations some schools are expected to serve. Given the degree of uniformity and centralization imposed on most high schools by the systems in which they are
embedded, most high schools in low-income areas struggle to deliver what is needed.
The third challenge is associated with the changing nature of cities themselves, reflecting the increasing exclusion of particular populations on the basis of geographical
location, cultural discrimination, gross income inequality, and poor access to resources. The issue for educational systems is how to create meaningful forms of education
to meet the diversified needs of a wide range of students, providing them with opportunities and hope, rather than furthering their exclusion. Crucial as well is the
provision of all students with the social capacities, knowledges and skills required to adapt and function within innovative cities.
Innovation: management, policy & practice (2008) 10: vol 2-3; p. 257. http://www.innovation-enterprise.com/archives/vol/10/issue/2-3/article/ 2628/digital-natives-dropouts-and-refugees
Based on the fragment “the overall leadership fashioning the policies of large school systems often appears to be stagnant,” (lines 30-32), it is correct to say that
a) ‘stagnant’ is a subject complement referring to ‘systems’.
b) ‘the policies’ is pre-modified by ‘of large school systems’.
c) ‘the policies of a large school system’ is the subject of the verb phrase ‘appears to be’.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2710267
State-of-the-art technology allows the industry to produce more oil and natural gas from more remote places – some previously unreachable – with significantly less
adverse effect on the environment. Among the benefits: increased supply to meet the world’s growing energy demand, reduced energy consumption at oil and natural gas
facilities and refineries, reduced noise from operations, decreased size of facilities, reduced emissions of pollutants, better protection of water resources, and preservation
of habitats and wildlife.
With advanced exploration and production technologies, the oil and gas industry can pinpoint resources more accurately, extract them more efficiently and with less surface
disturbance, minimize associated wastes, and, ultimately, restore sites to original or better condition.
Exploration and production advances include advanced directional drilling, slimhole drilling, and 3-D seismic technology. Other segments of the industry have benefited from
technological advances as well.(b) Refineries are becoming highly automated with integrated process and energy system controls; this results in improved operational and
environmental performance and enables refineries to run harder and produce more products safer than ever before. Also, new process equipment and catalyst technology
advances have been made very recently(c) to meet new fuel regulations requiring very low levels of sulfur in gasoline and diesel.
Technology advances such as these are making it possible for the oil and natural gas industry to grow in tandem with the nation’s energy needs while maintaining a
cleaner environment. The industry is committed to investing in advanced technologies(d) that will continue to provide affordable and reliable energy to support our current
quality of life, and expand our economic horizons.
For example, we are researching fuel cells that may power the vehicles of tomorrow with greater efficiency and less environmental impact. We are investigating ways to
tap the huge natural gas resources locked in gas hydrates. Gas hydrates are common in sediments in the ocean’s deep waters where cold temperatures and high
pressures cause natural gas and water to freeze together, forming solid gas hydrates. Gas hydrates could be an important future source of natural gas for our nation.(e)
Some of our companies are also investigating renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy. By conducting research into overcoming
the many technological hurdles that limit these energy resources, they hope to make them more reliable, affordable and convenient for future use. Although the potential
for these energy resources is great, scientists do not expect them to be a significant part of the nation’s energy mix for many decades. For this reason, the industry must
continue to invest in conventional resources such as oil and natural gas. We will need to rely on these important energy resources for many decades to come.
In: http://api-ec.api.org/focus/index
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/84746
Shades of peach adorn America’s recently redesigned $20 note, but currency traders care little for pretty colours. The dollar has steadily been losing value in the foreign-
exchange markets. This week it reached its low against the euro since the single European currency was launched in 1999,(a) breaking through $1.20. The dollar has
fallen by 31% against the euro from its peak in July 2001. Recently it has also hit a three-year low against the yen and a five-year low against sterling.
It may seem curious that the dollar is falling when America is enjoying a remarkable burst of growth and Europe looks far less lively. America's GDP grew at an annual rate
of 8.2% in the third quarter. The Institute of Supply Management’s widely watched index of manufacturing activity hit a 20-year high in November. Meanwhile, the euro
area’s economies are on the mend, but are expected to grow by only 0.5% this year(b) and 1.8% next, according to The Economist's monthly poll of economic forecasters.
However, currencies are not economic virility symbols, but assets on which investors expect a return. The dollar used to be buoyant because investors expected to make
more from dollar assets(c) than from those denominated in other currencies. Now they are not so sure. Their worries over America’s twin deficits, on the current-account
and the federal budget, loom large. With a current-account deficit of 5% of GDP, America must borrow $2 billion each business day. Tax cuts, spending on the war in Iraq
and a new scheme to provide prescription drugs to the old are dragging the government's books into disarray.
How much further might the dollar fall? Predicting the future price of a currency is useless. But there are good reasons to believe that over the medium term the dollar
could drop a lot lower, especially against the euro. Whether that will have the desired effects, in reducing America's imbalances, or in causing the expected chaos in
Europe's economies, is a different question.
A stronger euro should be bad news for European firms, even if it means cheaper Florida holidays for their employees. A rise in the euro against the dollar causes exports
from European firms to become more expensive relative to American ones, cutting into Europe's sales. Similarly, American firms' products become relatively cheaper, both
for Americans and for foreign buyers. By creating more exports and curbing imports, a weaker dollar should thus help to cut America's huge current-account deficit.
Or so the textbooks have it. In the past, a falling dollar has indeed reduced America's imports. In the 1980s, the last time America had such a large currentaccount deficit
relative to GDP, an agreement to let the dollar depreciate helped to reduce America’s consumption of Japanese cars and Swiss watches.
But there is reason to think that these days currency movements are not as effective as they once were in bringing economies into balance. A recent report of an
investment bank doubts that a sliding dollar will do much to eliminate America’s trade and current-account imbalances.
In an increasingly integrated global economy, companies' pricing power has been eroded around the world.(d) In addition, low inflation has made price increases more
obvious. So it is more difficult for a European car company, say, to raise its prices in America in response to a stronger euro. According to a study cited in the report,(e) the
Check the option which DOES NOT have a verb in the passive voice.
a) "... the single European currency was launched in 1999,"
b) "…but are expected to grow by only 0.5% this year..."
c) "The dollar used to be buoyant because investors expected to make more from dollar assets..."
d) "… companies' pricing power has been eroded around the world."
e) "According to a study cited in the report,"
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2057071
The on-line magazine ELTNEWS interviews Catherine Walter and Michael Swan, co-authors of several books and courses designed to teach English as a
Foreign Language
ELTNEWS
How has the ELT (English Language Teaching) scene changed since you started in the profession?
Catherine
Mostly in terms of the materials available, I think. When I began teaching, classroom materials were thin on the ground, and creating materials for classes took up a lot
more of teachers’ time than it does now. This gives today’s teachers a great start - they can see lots of examples of good practice and look at how to build on it. In fact, in
many cases, good materials have led professional developments. For example, the growth of interest in learner independence would not have taken off as it has without
the excellent self-study books, CDs, readers and so on that are available today. […]
Michael
Things have changed enormously. […] Textbooks were pretty unattractive. Applied Linguistics was in its infancy. The buzz-words from the research front were ‘structural
syllabus’, ‘audio-visual’ and ‘language laboratory’. Professional associations scarcely existed. All this has changed, mostly for the better. There is excellent professional
training. We have a wealth of good textbooks. Applied Linguistics is a long-established and productive field of research. We are supported by several very professional
professional associations. Language teaching now has so many components that it’s difficult to list them all.
One thing that worries me, though, is that language itself (especially grammar and pronunciation) has tended to disappear from language teaching, at least in the UK-
based orthodoxy of the last twenty years. Learning a foreign language centrally involves learning the key structures, phonology and vocabulary of that language, and no
amount of activity-based fluency practice can compensate if that is neglected.
ELTNEWS
How should one respond to a teacher who says that fluency in English is more important than knowing the rules?
Michael
Boots might be more important than socks, but most people find it useful to have both. Fluency and accuracy are not alternatives - students need to be fluent in reasonably
good English, not in a highly deviant interlanguage. And knowledge of rules can help with this. We believe that, in ways that are not completely understood, declarative
knowledge can often aid the development of procedural knowledge - so that knowing some grammar rules can help some students to learn English. […] Unpopular as it
may have been recently, practice of forms is important for the development of fluency in a foreign language. We seem to accept that if musicians are good they must have
practiced scales. We also know that learner drivers have to practice coordinating the different pedals, but there is a certain resistance to language learners’ needing to
practice forms.
ELTNEWS
Dictionaries are being made available over the Internet and students can now practice their English from a variety of interactive English-learning Web sites. What role can
technology play in the teaching and study of foreign languages?
Catherine
Anything that can make practice of forms more attractive will help learners to develop fluency more readily. Some people are more willing to spend time on a game-like
activity on a computer than in a classroom; for these people, technology can be a real boom.
As interactive sites get more sophisticated, it should be possible for individual learners to take the path that suits them towards mastery of forms - perhaps not the same
path for each form or each learner. […]
ELTNEWS
What has been your greatest satisfaction from working in the ELT industry?
Catherine
Can I have two? One would be the pleasure of putting people in touch with one another: teachers from Russia with teachers from the UK; people teaching refugees from
Ethiopia in Israel with people teaching East Asian refugees in Thailand; the Literacy Strategy team of the UK’s Department for Education and Employment with EFL
grammar experts.
And the other would be the buzz that I get when a teacher comes up after a presentation and says “I’ve been teaching for a long time. But I really learned how to teach
from the teacher’s books to your courses.” We put a lot of time and effort into those teacher’s books, trying to think carefully how to make them useful to teachers in
different situations, and I think it has made a small difference to the profession.
Michael
And three for me. Firstly, the fascination of working with language, such a complex cognition that is exclusively human. Secondly, the privilege of being able to work with
and for so many different kinds of people, with such multifarious and endlessly engaging ways of thinking and being. And thirdly, the satisfaction that comes from building
bridges between people – and from finding ways of helping people to succeed in the most defying of all enterprises: learning to communicate well in a foreign language.
Available at: <http://www.eltnews com/features/interviews/2001/06/ interview_with_michael_swan_an.html>. Retrieved on: 27 Oct. 2011. Adapted.
In Text, the excerpt “I’ve been teaching for a long time” is in the direct speech.
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2037075
U.S. domestic air conditioning use could exceed electric capacity in next decade due to climate change
Climate change will provoke an increase in summer air conditioning use in the United States that will probably cause prolonged blackouts during peak summer heat if
states do not expand capacity or improve efficiency, according to a new study of domestic-level demand.
Human emissions have put the global climate on a trajectory to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the early 2030s, the IPCC reported in its 2021 evaluation.
Without significant alleviation, global temperatures will probably exceed the 2.0-degree Celsius limit by the end of the century.
Previous research has examined the impacts of higher future temperatures on annual electricity consumption for specific cities or states. The new study is the first to
project residential air conditioning demand on a domestic basis at a wide scale. It incorporates observed and predicted air temperature and heat, humidity and discomfort
indices with air conditioning use by statistically representative domiciles across the contiguous United States, collected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
in 2005-2019.
“It’s a pretty clear warning to all of us that we can’t keep doing what we are doing or our energy system will fail completely in the next few decades, simply because of the
summertime air conditioning,” said Susanne Benz, a geographer and climate scientist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The heaviest air conditioning use with the greatest risk for overcharging the transmission lines comes during heat waves, which also present the highest risk to health.
Electricity generation tends to be below peak during heat waves as well, reducing capacity to even lower levels, said Renee Obringer, an environmental engineer at Penn
State University. Without enough capacity to satisfy demand, energy companies may have to adopt systematic blackouts during heat waves to avoid network failure, like
California’s energy organizations did in August 2020 during an extended period of record heat sometimes topping 117 degrees Fahrenheit. “We’ve seen this in California
already -- state power companies had to institute blackouts because they couldn’t provide the needed electricity,” Obringer said. The state attributed 599 deaths to the
heat, but the true number may have been closer to 3,900.
The new study predicted the largest increases in kilowatt-hours of electricity demand in the already hot south and southwest. If all Arizona houses were to increase air
conditioning use by the estimated 6% needed at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, for example, amounting to 30 kilowatt-hours per month, this would place an
additional 54.5 million kilowatthours of demand on the electrical network monthly.
In the fragment of paragraph 6 “If all Arizona houses were to increase air conditioning use”, if signals a(n)
a) condition
b) opposition
c) negation
d) conclusion
e) explanation
www.tecconcursos.com.br/questoes/2690606
Knowledge workers fuel innovation and growth, yet the nature of knowledge work remains poorly understood—as do the ways to improve its effectiveness. The heart of
what knowledge workers do on the job is collaborate, which in the broadest terms means they interact to solve problems, serve customers, engage with partners, and
nurture new ideas. Technology and workflow processes support knowledge worker success and are increasingly sources of comparative differentiation. Those able to use
new technologies to reshape how they work are finding significant productivity gains. This article shares our research on how technology can improve the quality and
output of knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers are growing in numbers. In some sectors of the economy, such as healthcare providers and education, they account for 75 percent of the workforce; in
the United States, their wages total 18 percent of GDP. The nature of collaborative work ranges from high levels of abstract thinking on the part of scientists to building and
maintaining professional contacts and information networks to more ground-level problem solving. Think of a buyer for a retail chain whose distributed web of contacts
span resourceful professionals as fashion designers in Tokyo to experts on manufacturing in Brazil.
For companies, knowledge workers are expensive assets — earning a wage premium that ranges from 55 percent to 75 percent over the pay of workers who perform
more basic production and transaction tasks. Yet there are wide variations in the performance of knowledge workers, as well as in their access to technologies that could
improve it. Our research shows that the performance gap between top and bottom companies in collaboration-intense sectors is nine times that of production- or
transaction-intense sectors. And that underscores what remains a significant challenge for corporations and national economics alike: how to improve the productivity of
this prized and growing corps of workers.
Unfortunately, the productivity measures for collaboration workers are fuzzy at best. For production workers, productivity is readily measured in terms of units of output;
for transaction workers, in operations per hour. But for knowledge workers, what might be thought of as collaboration productivity depends on the quality and quantity of
interactions occurring. And it’s from these lessthan- perfectly-understood interactions that companies and national economies derive important benefits. Consider the
collaborative creative work needed to win an advertising campaign or the high levels of service needed to satisfy public citizens. Or, in a similar vein, the interplay between
a company and its customers or partners that results in an innovative product.
Raising the quality of these interactions is largely uncharted territory. Taking a systematic view, however, helps bring some of the key issues into focus. Our research
suggests that improvements depend upon getting a better fix on who actually is doing the collaborating within companies, as well as understanding the details of how that
interactive work is done. Just as important is deciding how to support interactions with technology — in particular, Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, wikis, and video.
There is potential for sizeable gains from even modest improvements. Our survey research shows that at least 20 percent and as much as 50 percent of collaborative
activity results in wasted effort. And the sources of this waste—including poorly planned meetings, unproductive travel time, and the rising tide of redundant e-mail
communications, just to name a few—are many and growing in knowledge-intense industries.
But most companies are only beginning to take these paths. That’s because, in many respects, raising the collaboration game differs from traditional ways of boosting
productivity. In production and transaction work, technology use is often part of a broader campaign to reduce head counts and costs—steps that are familiar to most
managers. In the collaboration setting, technology is used differently. It multiplies interactions and extends the reach of knowledge workers. That allows for the speedier
product development found at Proctor & Gamble and improved partner and customer intimacy at Cisco. In general, this is new terrain for most managers.
Adapted from the article written by James Manyika, Kara Sprague and Lareina Yee, published in McKinsey Quarterly, 27 October 2009. http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/internet/using-technology-
toimprove- workforce-collaboration
Choose the option that correctly describes the expressions both in terms of its grammatical classification and its meaning in Text II.
b) “...wage premium...” noun phrase with the “wage” as the nucleus could be replaced by ‘salary raise’
Gabarito
201) B 202) C 203) B 204) A 205) E 206) B 207) D
208) B 209) A 210) D 211) C 212) C 213) E 214) B
215) B 216) B 217) B 218) E 219) D 220) B 221) B
222) C 223) D 224) B 225) D 226) D 227) B 228) A
229) D 230) B 231) A 232) A 233) E 234) A 235) C
236) B 237) D 238) E 239) A 240) B 241) C 242) B
243) E 244) E 245) D 246) E 247) B 248) E 249) B
250) D 251) E 252) A 253) C 254) C 255) C 256) A
257) A 258) B 259) D 260) E 261) D 262) C 263) A
264) B 265) D 266) B 267) B 268) E 269) B 270) C
271) E 272) D 273) A 274) B 275) E 276) E 277) D
278) A 279) B 280) A 281) A 282) E 283) E 284) C
285) A 286) E 287) C 288) A 289) C 290) D 291) B
292) D 293) C 294) E 295) C 296) A 297) C 298) B
299) D 300) B 301) D 302) D 303) B 304) D 305) E
306) D 307) E 308) D 309) B 310) E 311) D 312) E
313) B 314) A 315) C 316) D 317) C 318) D 319) E
320) D 321) B 322) A 323) C 324) E 325) E 326) C
327) D 328) C 329) C 330) A 331) A 332) E 333) E
334) E 335) A 336) C 337) A 338) D 339) D 340) C
341) B 342) D 343) E 344) C 345) C 346) C 347) C
348) C 349) D 350) C 351) E 352) A 353) A 354) D
355) E 356) E 357) A 358) D 359) B 360) B 361) B
362) E 363) A 364) A 365) C 366) B 367) D 368) B
369) D 370) E 371) E 372) B 373) D 374) D 375) A
376) A 377) E 378) B 379) D 380) C 381) D 382) A
383) C 384) C 385) D 386) C 387) A 388) A 389) B
390) C 391) C 392) A 393) A 394) C 395) E 396) C
397) C 398) B 399) A 400) E