Questões de Inglês

Texto para a pergunta.

EQUALITY

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Those powerful words, from the all-important second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence (the document that led, eventually, to the creation of the United States of America), represented a watershed [divisor de águas] in the life of an idea that had sources going back as far as the ancient world and the precepts of Jesus Christ. But it required centuries of struggle for it to find genuine and widespread acceptance. It was Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) who composed the words, which were then amended by Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson had originally described the truths as “sacred and undeniable,” effectively rooting them in religious traditions. Franklin made them “self-evident,” basing them in traditions of reason going back to the self-evident axioms of the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid and the “analytic truths” of Franklin’s close friend, the eminent Scottish philosopher David Hume.

    Despite the confident tone of the famous assertion, equality was not an idea that would have seemed “self-evident” in most cultures and times – or even at the time and in the place that the words were written. It’s a well-recognized irony of the Declaration that fully a third of the 56 men who signed it in July 1776 were slaveholders [donos de escravos], including Jefferson, and few of them would have agreed that their black slaves were their equals. Real equality for women was also unimaginable to most men of the time. So it would be a long journey before that phrase took on real substance, one that would require a civil war and a century of turmoil [tumulto, distúrbio, desordem] after that. Yet with that momentous document the journey had truly begun.

    Even so, although the thinkers of the Enlightenment [o Iluminismo, uma época de grande progresso em ciência e cultura] spoke regularly and eloquently about the rights of man, when they did, they often seemed to have only men in mind. It was not until 1792 that someone stepped forward to speak at length about the conditions endured by the other half of the human race. That was the year Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97) published A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. A former teacher and governess, Wollstonecraft identified the failure to educate women for any independent role in life as the great source of their difficulties. Men led women to be “docile and attentive to their looks [cuidadosas com suas aparências atraentes] to the exclusion of anything else,” she wrote. She called marriage “legal prostitution” and demanded the vote, proclaiming, “Let women share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of man.”

    Wollstonecraft was just 38 when she died, a few days after giving birth to a daughter, Mary (later the wife of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the author of Frankenstein). After Wollstonecraft’s death, her husband, the political philosopher William Godwin, published a biography of his wife that frankly acknowledged her early affair with an American lover and the illegitimate child she bore him. Opponents soon used those revelations to dismiss her. But her arguments would inspire later generations, including the suffragists, who brought women the vote, and the feminist activists of the 1960s and ‘70s

Texto para a pergunta.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

    Life has never been easy for the Persian Gulf’s migrant workers. Though they are around half of the region’s population and are essential to its economy, the locals give them little respect. Coming from poorer countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal, most work long hours for wages [salários] that are high compared with salaries back home but low by any other standard. They care for Kuwaiti children, nurse sick Saudis, and build Dubai’s skyscrapers. When their workday is done, many are crammed into Spartan dormitories by their employers. Whether visiting workers have lived in the Gulf for two months or two decades, they are deemed [considerados, julgados] to be “temporary” and are left out of the social contract. Most citizens treat them as a subservient underclass.

    The outbreak [erupção, surto] of Covid-19 has made life even harder for migrants, who probably account for the majority of the recorded infections in the Gulf and are also suffering the most from the resulting economic problems. Many are locked down [confinados rigidamente na quarantena], out of work, and unable to go home because of restrictions on travel. Some struggle to afford food. Governments should take better care of them. This is not only humane, it is also practical. If the Gulf states do not start treating their guests with more compassion, they are likely to find that their outbreaks last longer and that their economies recover more slowly.

    So far, the pandemic has revealed more bigotry [intolerância] than benevolence. A Member of Parliament in Kuwait wants to “purify” the country of illegal workers. “Put them in the desert,” says a famous Kuwaiti actress. A viral video in Bahrain featured a man complaining of migrants receiving medical treatment next to citizens – even though half the nurses in Bahrain come from abroad [do exterior]. In hospitals across the region foreigners are on the front line fighting the virus.

    Discrimination is bad enough, but the dormitories where migrants live are incubators for Covid-19. With four or more to a room, there is no space for social distancing. At a big labor camp in Qatar one infection quickly became hundreds. Far from the Gulf, Singapore, which treats migrant workers somewhat better, thought it had the virus under control until it broke out [eclodiu] in their dormitories. Now infections are rising fast and the authorities have had to extend restrictions on work and travel.

     Neglecting migrants hurts citizens, too. The dormitory outbreaks stand a good chance of spreading to the permanent population, lengthening lockdowns. Xenophobes see this as yet another reason to banish foreigners. But countries such as India, which have their hands full, are not cooperating with efforts to return their unemployed, potentially ailing [doentes] expatriates.

    The Gulf states are finally taking steps to impede the virus in migrant areas. Some have launched mass inspections and are testing those migrants with symptoms. Temporary housing has been set up to allow social distancing. Most countries are treating Covid-19 patients, including migrants, for free. Saudi Arabia has also released dozens of migrants held [detidos] for minor immigration offenses [contravenções], so that prisons do not become plague factories [fábricas de pestilência]. The United Arab Emirates is automatically renewing the paperwork for migrant workers so that they don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law just because they are locked down.

    That is all to the good, but more needs to be done. Some migrants are still working – building stadiums for the World Cup in 2022 or facilities for the World Expo next year. Employers should be obliged to guarantee their safety. Many migrants cannot work, though, and states should care for them, too. Gulf countries can afford to pay a portion of their wages during the outbreak. That will not only ensure that they do not go hungry – it will mean that someone is there to turn the lights back on when businesses start to open up again.

Adapted from The Economist, April 25, 2020.

Texto para a pergunta.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

    Life has never been easy for the Persian Gulf’s migrant workers. Though they are around half of the region’s population and are essential to its economy, the locals give them little respect. Coming from poorer countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal, most work long hours for wages [salários] that are high compared with salaries back home but low by any other standard. They care for Kuwaiti children, nurse sick Saudis, and build Dubai’s skyscrapers. When their workday is done, many are crammed into Spartan dormitories by their employers. Whether visiting workers have lived in the Gulf for two months or two decades, they are deemed [considerados, julgados] to be “temporary” and are left out of the social contract. Most citizens treat them as a subservient underclass.

    The outbreak [erupção, surto] of Covid-19 has made life even harder for migrants, who probably account for the majority of the recorded infections in the Gulf and are also suffering the most from the resulting economic problems. Many are locked down [confinados rigidamente na quarantena], out of work, and unable to go home because of restrictions on travel. Some struggle to afford food. Governments should take better care of them. This is not only humane, it is also practical. If the Gulf states do not start treating their guests with more compassion, they are likely to find that their outbreaks last longer and that their economies recover more slowly.

    So far, the pandemic has revealed more bigotry [intolerância] than benevolence. A Member of Parliament in Kuwait wants to “purify” the country of illegal workers. “Put them in the desert,” says a famous Kuwaiti actress. A viral video in Bahrain featured a man complaining of migrants receiving medical treatment next to citizens – even though half the nurses in Bahrain come from abroad [do exterior]. In hospitals across the region foreigners are on the front line fighting the virus.

    Discrimination is bad enough, but the dormitories where migrants live are incubators for Covid-19. With four or more to a room, there is no space for social distancing. At a big labor camp in Qatar one infection quickly became hundreds. Far from the Gulf, Singapore, which treats migrant workers somewhat better, thought it had the virus under control until it broke out [eclodiu] in their dormitories. Now infections are rising fast and the authorities have had to extend restrictions on work and travel.

     Neglecting migrants hurts citizens, too. The dormitory outbreaks stand a good chance of spreading to the permanent population, lengthening lockdowns. Xenophobes see this as yet another reason to banish foreigners. But countries such as India, which have their hands full, are not cooperating with efforts to return their unemployed, potentially ailing [doentes] expatriates.

    The Gulf states are finally taking steps to impede the virus in migrant areas. Some have launched mass inspections and are testing those migrants with symptoms. Temporary housing has been set up to allow social distancing. Most countries are treating Covid-19 patients, including migrants, for free. Saudi Arabia has also released dozens of migrants held [detidos] for minor immigration offenses [contravenções], so that prisons do not become plague factories [fábricas de pestilência]. The United Arab Emirates is automatically renewing the paperwork for migrant workers so that they don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law just because they are locked down.

    That is all to the good, but more needs to be done. Some migrants are still working – building stadiums for the World Cup in 2022 or facilities for the World Expo next year. Employers should be obliged to guarantee their safety. Many migrants cannot work, though, and states should care for them, too. Gulf countries can afford to pay a portion of their wages during the outbreak. That will not only ensure that they do not go hungry – it will mean that someone is there to turn the lights back on when businesses start to open up again.

Adapted from The Economist, April 25, 2020.

Texto para a pergunta.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

    Life has never been easy for the Persian Gulf’s migrant workers. Though they are around half of the region’s population and are essential to its economy, the locals give them little respect. Coming from poorer countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal, most work long hours for wages [salários] that are high compared with salaries back home but low by any other standard. They care for Kuwaiti children, nurse sick Saudis, and build Dubai’s skyscrapers. When their workday is done, many are crammed into Spartan dormitories by their employers. Whether visiting workers have lived in the Gulf for two months or two decades, they are deemed [considerados, julgados] to be “temporary” and are left out of the social contract. Most citizens treat them as a subservient underclass.

    The outbreak [erupção, surto] of Covid-19 has made life even harder for migrants, who probably account for the majority of the recorded infections in the Gulf and are also suffering the most from the resulting economic problems. Many are locked down [confinados rigidamente na quarantena], out of work, and unable to go home because of restrictions on travel. Some struggle to afford food. Governments should take better care of them. This is not only humane, it is also practical. If the Gulf states do not start treating their guests with more compassion, they are likely to find that their outbreaks last longer and that their economies recover more slowly.

    So far, the pandemic has revealed more bigotry [intolerância] than benevolence. A Member of Parliament in Kuwait wants to “purify” the country of illegal workers. “Put them in the desert,” says a famous Kuwaiti actress. A viral video in Bahrain featured a man complaining of migrants receiving medical treatment next to citizens – even though half the nurses in Bahrain come from abroad [do exterior]. In hospitals across the region foreigners are on the front line fighting the virus.

    Discrimination is bad enough, but the dormitories where migrants live are incubators for Covid-19. With four or more to a room, there is no space for social distancing. At a big labor camp in Qatar one infection quickly became hundreds. Far from the Gulf, Singapore, which treats migrant workers somewhat better, thought it had the virus under control until it broke out [eclodiu] in their dormitories. Now infections are rising fast and the authorities have had to extend restrictions on work and travel.

     Neglecting migrants hurts citizens, too. The dormitory outbreaks stand a good chance of spreading to the permanent population, lengthening lockdowns. Xenophobes see this as yet another reason to banish foreigners. But countries such as India, which have their hands full, are not cooperating with efforts to return their unemployed, potentially ailing [doentes] expatriates.

    The Gulf states are finally taking steps to impede the virus in migrant areas. Some have launched mass inspections and are testing those migrants with symptoms. Temporary housing has been set up to allow social distancing. Most countries are treating Covid-19 patients, including migrants, for free. Saudi Arabia has also released dozens of migrants held [detidos] for minor immigration offenses [contravenções], so that prisons do not become plague factories [fábricas de pestilência]. The United Arab Emirates is automatically renewing the paperwork for migrant workers so that they don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law just because they are locked down.

    That is all to the good, but more needs to be done. Some migrants are still working – building stadiums for the World Cup in 2022 or facilities for the World Expo next year. Employers should be obliged to guarantee their safety. Many migrants cannot work, though, and states should care for them, too. Gulf countries can afford to pay a portion of their wages during the outbreak. That will not only ensure that they do not go hungry – it will mean that someone is there to turn the lights back on when businesses start to open up again.

Adapted from The Economist, April 25, 2020.

Texto para a pergunta.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

    Life has never been easy for the Persian Gulf’s migrant workers. Though they are around half of the region’s population and are essential to its economy, the locals give them little respect. Coming from poorer countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal, most work long hours for wages [salários] that are high compared with salaries back home but low by any other standard. They care for Kuwaiti children, nurse sick Saudis, and build Dubai’s skyscrapers. When their workday is done, many are crammed into Spartan dormitories by their employers. Whether visiting workers have lived in the Gulf for two months or two decades, they are deemed [considerados, julgados] to be “temporary” and are left out of the social contract. Most citizens treat them as a subservient underclass.

    The outbreak [erupção, surto] of Covid-19 has made life even harder for migrants, who probably account for the majority of the recorded infections in the Gulf and are also suffering the most from the resulting economic problems. Many are locked down [confinados rigidamente na quarantena], out of work, and unable to go home because of restrictions on travel. Some struggle to afford food. Governments should take better care of them. This is not only humane, it is also practical. If the Gulf states do not start treating their guests with more compassion, they are likely to find that their outbreaks last longer and that their economies recover more slowly.

    So far, the pandemic has revealed more bigotry [intolerância] than benevolence. A Member of Parliament in Kuwait wants to “purify” the country of illegal workers. “Put them in the desert,” says a famous Kuwaiti actress. A viral video in Bahrain featured a man complaining of migrants receiving medical treatment next to citizens – even though half the nurses in Bahrain come from abroad [do exterior]. In hospitals across the region foreigners are on the front line fighting the virus.

    Discrimination is bad enough, but the dormitories where migrants live are incubators for Covid-19. With four or more to a room, there is no space for social distancing. At a big labor camp in Qatar one infection quickly became hundreds. Far from the Gulf, Singapore, which treats migrant workers somewhat better, thought it had the virus under control until it broke out [eclodiu] in their dormitories. Now infections are rising fast and the authorities have had to extend restrictions on work and travel.

     Neglecting migrants hurts citizens, too. The dormitory outbreaks stand a good chance of spreading to the permanent population, lengthening lockdowns. Xenophobes see this as yet another reason to banish foreigners. But countries such as India, which have their hands full, are not cooperating with efforts to return their unemployed, potentially ailing [doentes] expatriates.

    The Gulf states are finally taking steps to impede the virus in migrant areas. Some have launched mass inspections and are testing those migrants with symptoms. Temporary housing has been set up to allow social distancing. Most countries are treating Covid-19 patients, including migrants, for free. Saudi Arabia has also released dozens of migrants held [detidos] for minor immigration offenses [contravenções], so that prisons do not become plague factories [fábricas de pestilência]. The United Arab Emirates is automatically renewing the paperwork for migrant workers so that they don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law just because they are locked down.

    That is all to the good, but more needs to be done. Some migrants are still working – building stadiums for the World Cup in 2022 or facilities for the World Expo next year. Employers should be obliged to guarantee their safety. Many migrants cannot work, though, and states should care for them, too. Gulf countries can afford to pay a portion of their wages during the outbreak. That will not only ensure that they do not go hungry – it will mean that someone is there to turn the lights back on when businesses start to open up again.

Adapted from The Economist, April 25, 2020.

Texto para a pergunta.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

    Life has never been easy for the Persian Gulf’s migrant workers. Though they are around half of the region’s population and are essential to its economy, the locals give them little respect. Coming from poorer countries such as India, Pakistan, and Nepal, most work long hours for wages [salários] that are high compared with salaries back home but low by any other standard. They care for Kuwaiti children, nurse sick Saudis, and build Dubai’s skyscrapers. When their workday is done, many are crammed into Spartan dormitories by their employers. Whether visiting workers have lived in the Gulf for two months or two decades, they are deemed [considerados, julgados] to be “temporary” and are left out of the social contract. Most citizens treat them as a subservient underclass.

    The outbreak [erupção, surto] of Covid-19 has made life even harder for migrants, who probably account for the majority of the recorded infections in the Gulf and are also suffering the most from the resulting economic problems. Many are locked down [confinados rigidamente na quarantena], out of work, and unable to go home because of restrictions on travel. Some struggle to afford food. Governments should take better care of them. This is not only humane, it is also practical. If the Gulf states do not start treating their guests with more compassion, they are likely to find that their outbreaks last longer and that their economies recover more slowly.

    So far, the pandemic has revealed more bigotry [intolerância] than benevolence. A Member of Parliament in Kuwait wants to “purify” the country of illegal workers. “Put them in the desert,” says a famous Kuwaiti actress. A viral video in Bahrain featured a man complaining of migrants receiving medical treatment next to citizens – even though half the nurses in Bahrain come from abroad [do exterior]. In hospitals across the region foreigners are on the front line fighting the virus.

    Discrimination is bad enough, but the dormitories where migrants live are incubators for Covid-19. With four or more to a room, there is no space for social distancing. At a big labor camp in Qatar one infection quickly became hundreds. Far from the Gulf, Singapore, which treats migrant workers somewhat better, thought it had the virus under control until it broke out [eclodiu] in their dormitories. Now infections are rising fast and the authorities have had to extend restrictions on work and travel.

     Neglecting migrants hurts citizens, too. The dormitory outbreaks stand a good chance of spreading to the permanent population, lengthening lockdowns. Xenophobes see this as yet another reason to banish foreigners. But countries such as India, which have their hands full, are not cooperating with efforts to return their unemployed, potentially ailing [doentes] expatriates.

    The Gulf states are finally taking steps to impede the virus in migrant areas. Some have launched mass inspections and are testing those migrants with symptoms. Temporary housing has been set up to allow social distancing. Most countries are treating Covid-19 patients, including migrants, for free. Saudi Arabia has also released dozens of migrants held [detidos] for minor immigration offenses [contravenções], so that prisons do not become plague factories [fábricas de pestilência]. The United Arab Emirates is automatically renewing the paperwork for migrant workers so that they don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law just because they are locked down.

    That is all to the good, but more needs to be done. Some migrants are still working – building stadiums for the World Cup in 2022 or facilities for the World Expo next year. Employers should be obliged to guarantee their safety. Many migrants cannot work, though, and states should care for them, too. Gulf countries can afford to pay a portion of their wages during the outbreak. That will not only ensure that they do not go hungry – it will mean that someone is there to turn the lights back on when businesses start to open up again.

Adapted from The Economist, April 25, 2020.