Questões de Inglês

A HISTORY OF PI 

 

[1]    The history of Pi, says the author, though a small part of the history of mathematics, is nevertheless a mirror of  

the history of man. Petr Beckmann holds up this mirror, giving the background of the times when Pi made progress — 

and also when it did not, because science was being stifled by militarism or religious fanaticism. The mathematical  

level of this book is flexible, and there is plenty for readers of all ages and interests.  

[5] 

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

  Petr Beckmann was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1924. Until 1963, he worked as a research scientist for  

the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, when he was invited as a Visiting Professor to the University of Colorado,  

[10] where he decided to stay permanently as professor of electrical engineering.  

  Dr. Beckmann has authored 11 books and more than 50 scientific papers, mostly on probability theory and 

electromagnetic wave propagation. History is one of his side interests; another is linguistics (he is fluent in five  

languages and he has worked out a new generative grammar which enables a computer to construct trillions of  

grammatical sentences from a dictionary of less than 100 unprocessed words).  

[15]   He also publishes a monthly pro-science, pro-technology, pro-free enterprise newsletter Access to Energy, in  

which he promotes the viewpoint that clean energy can be made plentiful, but that access to it is blocked by  

government interference and environmental paranoia.  

BECKMANN, Petr. A History of Pi. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1983.

 

O texto foi extraído de um(a) 

Brazil judicial decision paves way for gay marriage

The authorities in Brazil have ruled that marriage licences should not be denied to same-sex couples. The council that oversees the country’s judiciary said it was wrong for some offices just to issue civil union documents when the couple wanted full marriage certificates. Correspondents say the decision in effect authorises gay marriage. However full legalisation depends on approval of a bill being examined by the Congress. Tuesday’s resolution by Brazil’s National Council of Justice was based on a 2011 Supreme Court ruling that recognised same-sex civil unions. Notary publics were not legally bound to converting such unions into marriages when asked by gay couples. This led to some being denied marriage certificates at certain places, but being granted the document at others. That would be illegal, according to the new resolution. 

“If a notary public officer rejects a gay marriage, he could eventually face disciplinary sanctions”, NCJ judge Guilherme Calmon told BBC Brasil. The ruling brings Brazil one step closer to its neighbours Argentina and Uruguay, which have legalised gay marriages. But opponents could still challenge it at the Supreme Court. And the same-sex marriage bill being examined by the Congress faces strong opposition from religious and conservative lawmakers. Brazil is the world’s most populous Roman Catholic nation and has an estimated 60,000 gay couples.

(BBC World News. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 10 maio 2013.) 

 

Em relação à polêmica apresentada pela notícia de jornal, assinale a alternativa correta. 

Angelina Jolie’s cancer decision highlights row over genetic technology

Concerns that firms’ rights to hold patents on genes linked to breast cancer is increasing cost of testing for disease

 

Before the end of next month the US supreme court will issue a landmark decision in a case brought against the biotech firm Myriad Genetics, which is based in Utah, by the Association for Molecular Pathology. The firm owns a patent on the BRCA1 gene, which Jolie carries and which is believed to carry a high risk of causing breast cancer. It also owns a patent on the similar BRCA2 gene. It means that Myriad has the exclusive right to develop diagnostic tests for those genes – a fact that has implications for other firms, who thus might be prevented from developing innovations in the field. 

It also has some serious money business implications: in the wake of Jolie’s announcement, Myriad’s share price increased. That has worried some commentators. In a New York Times column describing her decision, Jolie recognised she was lucky to be rich enough to easily afford to take the test for the culpable genes.

Some have complained that the long court battle over Myriad’s patents has kept the price of the tests too high and have asked whether patents actually sacrifice patients’ interests in favour of protecting corporate profits. “How many more women – and men – might have been able over the past four years to afford BRCA1 or BRCA2 testing in the absence of those protective patents?” wrote Andrew Cohen in Atlantic magazine.

The issue of patents and genetic technology is one of growing importance as a flood of companies enter the booming sector and scientific advances permit more and more advanced genetic manipulation. So far the supreme court has shown a disposition to associate with big business. Earlier this month it ruled in favour of agricultural firm Monsanto in defence of a patent it holds on soy beans that dominate the US farming sector. 

(Adaptado de: . Acesso em: 19 maio 2013.)

 

Com base no texto, considere as afirmativas a seguir.

 

I. Em “who thus might be prevented from developing innovation in the field”, o uso da palavra sublinhada introduz uma contradição.

II. Em “Some have complained that the long court battle over Myriad’s”, a palavra sublinhada é usada para indeterminar o sujeito da frase.

III. Em “whether patents actually sacrifice patient’s interests in favour of protecting corporate profits”, o uso da palavra sublinhada indica um questionamento.

IV. Em “Earlier this month it ruled in favor of agriculture firm Montsanto”, o pronome sublinhado refere-se à Corte Suprema.

 

Assinale a alternativa correta.

Angelina Jolie’s cancer decision highlights row over genetic technology

Concerns that firms’ rights to hold patents on genes linked to breast cancer is increasing cost of testing for disease

 

Before the end of next month the US supreme court will issue a landmark decision in a case brought against the biotech firm Myriad Genetics, which is based in Utah, by the Association for Molecular Pathology. The firm owns a patent on the BRCA1 gene, which Jolie carries and which is believed to carry a high risk of causing breast cancer. It also owns a patent on the similar BRCA2 gene. It means that Myriad has the exclusive right to develop diagnostic tests for those genes – a fact that has implications for other firms, who thus might be prevented from developing innovations in the field. 

It also has some serious money business implications: in the wake of Jolie’s announcement, Myriad’s share price increased. That has worried some commentators. In a New York Times column describing her decision, Jolie recognised she was lucky to be rich enough to easily afford to take the test for the culpable genes.

Some have complained that the long court battle over Myriad’s patents has kept the price of the tests too high and have asked whether patents actually sacrifice patients’ interests in favour of protecting corporate profits. “How many more women – and men – might have been able over the past four years to afford BRCA1 or BRCA2 testing in the absence of those protective patents?” wrote Andrew Cohen in Atlantic magazine.

The issue of patents and genetic technology is one of growing importance as a flood of companies enter the booming sector and scientific advances permit more and more advanced genetic manipulation. So far the supreme court has shown a disposition to associate with big business. Earlier this month it ruled in favour of agricultural firm Monsanto in defence of a patent it holds on soy beans that dominate the US farming sector. 

(Adaptado de: . Acesso em: 19 maio 2013.)

 

Com base no texto, considere as afirmativas a seguir.

 

I. Os laboratórios Myriad Genetics têm subornado a justiça americana para continuar com o direito exclusivo sobre os testes genéticos.

II. Os entraves legais com relação às patentes têm diminuído o interesse dos laboratórios por tecnologia genética.

III. A demora da justiça em cancelar as patentes sobre os testes com os genes BRCA1 e BRCA2 pode prejudicar muitas pessoas.

IV. Se os exames para detectar os genes causadores de câncer fossem mais baratos, mais pessoas poderiam ter acesso a eles.

 

Assinale a alternativa correta

Angelina Jolie’s cancer decision highlights row over genetic technology

Concerns that firms’ rights to hold patents on genes linked to breast cancer is increasing cost of testing for disease

 

Before the end of next month the US supreme court will issue a landmark decision in a case brought against the biotech firm Myriad Genetics, which is based in Utah, by the Association for Molecular Pathology. The firm owns a patent on the BRCA1 gene, which Jolie carries and which is believed to carry a high risk of causing breast cancer. It also owns a patent on the similar BRCA2 gene. It means that Myriad has the exclusive right to develop diagnostic tests for those genes – a fact that has implications for other firms, who thus might be prevented from developing innovations in the field. 

It also has some serious money business implications: in the wake of Jolie’s announcement, Myriad’s share price increased. That has worried some commentators. In a New York Times column describing her decision, Jolie recognised she was lucky to be rich enough to easily afford to take the test for the culpable genes.

Some have complained that the long court battle over Myriad’s patents has kept the price of the tests too high and have asked whether patents actually sacrifice patients’ interests in favour of protecting corporate profits. “How many more women – and men – might have been able over the past four years to afford BRCA1 or BRCA2 testing in the absence of those protective patents?” wrote Andrew Cohen in Atlantic magazine.

The issue of patents and genetic technology is one of growing importance as a flood of companies enter the booming sector and scientific advances permit more and more advanced genetic manipulation. So far the supreme court has shown a disposition to associate with big business. Earlier this month it ruled in favour of agricultural firm Monsanto in defence of a patent it holds on soy beans that dominate the US farming sector. 

(Adaptado de: . Acesso em: 19 maio 2013.)

 

Com base no texto, assinale a alternativa correta.

Com base no texto, considere as afirmativas a seguir.

 

I. A expressão “Sooner or later” e a imagem do VW amassado reforçam a ideia de que, inevitalmente, o carro será batido.

II. A expressão “drive home” e a imagem do VW amassado traçam um paralelo entre o modo como as mulheres dirigem seus lares e o modo como dirigem seus carros.

III. A palavra “even”, na frase “Even the brakes”, indica que as mulheres regularmente utilizam os freios para parar o carro.

IV. A frase “Even the brakes” expressa uma ironia em relação à mulher motorista que utiliza tudo para parar o carro, menos a peça que foi destinada para esse fim.

 

Assinale a alternativa correta.