Questões de Inglês

Text II

Scientists Want Your Help to ID Creatures in Your Home

By Danielle Venton

The next time you hunger to see wildlife without

leaving the city limits, save yourself a trip to the zoo,

and take a peek inside the refrigerator. Places inside

your home, like the fridge, water heater and bedroom

pillows, contain more wild and unknown species than

any nature reserve.

A project to collect and identify the little-studied

flora and fauna of our homes, with our help, was

launched Aug. 21 by ecologists at North Carolina

State University (the same biology department

organizing the School of Ants project). The Wild Life

of Your Home project will collect samples from rural

and urban homes in all 50 states. […]

Normally when samples of bacteria, insects or

fungi are collected from homes, it is by people interested

in killing them. Next to nothing is known about

the benign species that intimately share our lives, said

Dunn, who got his start in research studying tropical

forest species.

“There is still a ton of stuff to find around rainforest

trees,” said Dunn, “but there is also a ton of stuff

to find around our basement, in our bedrooms. Really

no one is researching those places, especially in the

context of new discoveries.”

Dunn and his colleagues are looking for 10

homes from each state to volunteer: five from urban

areas, five from rural. Rural homes will provide a

historical baseline of the critters our recent ancestors

lived around.

As our society has become progressively more

urbanized, Dunn said, we’ve intentionally filtered out

many of the species we once lived with. Today our

in-home environment is spectacularly artificial: the

creatures that do manage to stick around are a sort

of freak show.

“If you look at an apartment in Manhattan, it is

essentially a who’s who of evolutionary miracle stories,”

said Dunn.

“You have bed bugs that have evolved pesticide

resistance. You have rats that have evolved resistance

not just to rat poison, but even to rat traps. They’ve

evolved a fear of new things, which is not found to the

same extent in wild native rats. You have antibioticresistant

bacteria. Who we live with is essentially the

biggest and the baddest of the sneaky species.”

One of the more promising explanations of why far

lower incidence of immunological and autoimmune

diseases, such as asthma, Crohn’s disease, multiple

sclerosis and autism, is found in the developing world

than the industrialized world, is the so-called hygiene

hypothesis. The human immune system evolved to

cope with an abundance of bacterial diversity and 

beasts of the gut, such as tapeworms. The thinking is

that stripping those organisms from our environment

may then leave our immune system amped up to

defend itself against absent threats, which could

cause it to turn against our own cells instead, as

happens with autoimmune diseases.

“The creatures we were interacting with when

we were living in small villages are very different from

what is around now,” said Dunn. “As people send in

samples from all over the country, that will help us

determine what consequences this transition has

had.”

After getting a collection kit, volunteers will swab

specific areas of the house, collect dust from under

the sofa, sample their own foreheads and belly button

fauna, and mail the kit back. Dunn and his colleagues

will identify the organisms with microscopes and DNA

sequencing, let the people who sent the samples

know what they are living with, and post (anonymous)

results on the project’s website for the curious public.

Dunn hopes the project will go beyond uncovering

new species and encourage people to think about

how they are treating the life in their homes.

“As a species we’re very unusual. We’ve spent

very little time thinking about how to promote favorable

species in our daily lives and much more time

thinking about how to kill species. Look at species

like leaf-cutter ants. They favor and encourage the

species that help them, like their foods, and then they

try to keep the bad species at bay.”

Available in: <http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/08/ wildlife-in-your-home/> Retrieved on: August 26th, 2011. Adapted.

Text II

Scientists Want Your Help to ID Creatures in Your Home

By Danielle Venton

The next time you hunger to see wildlife without

leaving the city limits, save yourself a trip to the zoo,

and take a peek inside the refrigerator. Places inside

your home, like the fridge, water heater and bedroom

pillows, contain more wild and unknown species than

any nature reserve.

A project to collect and identify the little-studied

flora and fauna of our homes, with our help, was

launched Aug. 21 by ecologists at North Carolina

State University (the same biology department

organizing the School of Ants project). The Wild Life

of Your Home project will collect samples from rural

and urban homes in all 50 states. […]

Normally when samples of bacteria, insects or

fungi are collected from homes, it is by people interested

in killing them. Next to nothing is known about

the benign species that intimately share our lives, said

Dunn, who got his start in research studying tropical

forest species.

“There is still a ton of stuff to find around rainforest

trees,” said Dunn, “but there is also a ton of stuff

to find around our basement, in our bedrooms. Really

no one is researching those places, especially in the

context of new discoveries.”

Dunn and his colleagues are looking for 10

homes from each state to volunteer: five from urban

areas, five from rural. Rural homes will provide a

historical baseline of the critters our recent ancestors

lived around.

As our society has become progressively more

urbanized, Dunn said, we’ve intentionally filtered out

many of the species we once lived with. Today our

in-home environment is spectacularly artificial: the

creatures that do manage to stick around are a sort

of freak show.

“If you look at an apartment in Manhattan, it is

essentially a who’s who of evolutionary miracle stories,”

said Dunn.

“You have bed bugs that have evolved pesticide

resistance. You have rats that have evolved resistance

not just to rat poison, but even to rat traps. They’ve

evolved a fear of new things, which is not found to the

same extent in wild native rats. You have antibioticresistant

bacteria. Who we live with is essentially the

biggest and the baddest of the sneaky species.”

One of the more promising explanations of why far

lower incidence of immunological and autoimmune

diseases, such as asthma, Crohn’s disease, multiple

sclerosis and autism, is found in the developing world

than the industrialized world, is the so-called hygiene

hypothesis. The human immune system evolved to

cope with an abundance of bacterial diversity and 

beasts of the gut, such as tapeworms. The thinking is

that stripping those organisms from our environment

may then leave our immune system amped up to

defend itself against absent threats, which could

cause it to turn against our own cells instead, as

happens with autoimmune diseases.

“The creatures we were interacting with when

we were living in small villages are very different from

what is around now,” said Dunn. “As people send in

samples from all over the country, that will help us

determine what consequences this transition has

had.”

After getting a collection kit, volunteers will swab

specific areas of the house, collect dust from under

the sofa, sample their own foreheads and belly button

fauna, and mail the kit back. Dunn and his colleagues

will identify the organisms with microscopes and DNA

sequencing, let the people who sent the samples

know what they are living with, and post (anonymous)

results on the project’s website for the curious public.

Dunn hopes the project will go beyond uncovering

new species and encourage people to think about

how they are treating the life in their homes.

“As a species we’re very unusual. We’ve spent

very little time thinking about how to promote favorable

species in our daily lives and much more time

thinking about how to kill species. Look at species

like leaf-cutter ants. They favor and encourage the

species that help them, like their foods, and then they

try to keep the bad species at bay.”

Available in: <http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/08/ wildlife-in-your-home/> Retrieved on: August 26th, 2011. Adapted.

Text I

Blog Talking Teenage: listen, learn and discuss

Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 10:24AM - It is hard to

believe that yet another summer is coming to an end.

Where did all the time go? As I review my “Summer To

Do” list I have to chuckle out loud. Did I even complete

one item on this long list? Gee, I must have been

feeling optimistic when I wrote it.

With only a few weeks left, it is now time to switch

gears. Time to mentally prepare for Fall. It is a time to

focus on transitions.

I must admit that preparing for the transition

presents somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand

there is the urge to savor every last moment of

summer. On the other hand, the more you mentally

and physically prepare for the Fall, the less chaos and

confusion you face when it finally arrives.

So how can you prepare for the end of one

season and the beginning of another? It is not so easy

but here are some thoughts:

1. Buy school supplies now. You do not want to

be caught in the last minute rush to the office supply

store! It is usually a madhouse. How do I know? I am

not always so good at taking my own advice!

2. If your Fall schedule will include putting on

your chauffeur hat to shuttle your teens from activity

to activity, then try to work out potential carpool

partners now. While you may not be able to work out

the complete schedule, starting to plan now will cut

down on the anxiety often associated with arranging

car-pools once school starts. This is especially true if

you are a working parent.

3. Ask your teens to do a quick wardrobe check.

They should sort out what no longer fits and do an

inventory of shoes and necessary accessories (e.g.

backpacks).

4. If you need to shop try to go during off hours

such as early evening or mid-day during the week.

Once school starts the mall will be mobbed with last

minute shoppers.

5. Create a Fall calendar which details events and

activities. This will give you a visual picture of what

to expect in the upcoming months. Such preparation

will quell the feeling of internal (and external) chaos

that often accompanies the transition from Summer

to Fall.

6. Enjoy the final days of summer! You can truly

relax knowing you are well prepared for the up-coming

transition into Fall.

Available in: <http://www.talkingteenage.com/blog/2011/8/7/switching- -gears-preparing-for-the-transition-from-summer-to.html> Retrieved on: August 20th, 2011.

Text I

Blog Talking Teenage: listen, learn and discuss

Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 10:24AM - It is hard to

believe that yet another summer is coming to an end.

Where did all the time go? As I review my “Summer To

Do” list I have to chuckle out loud. Did I even complete

one item on this long list? Gee, I must have been

feeling optimistic when I wrote it.

With only a few weeks left, it is now time to switch

gears. Time to mentally prepare for Fall. It is a time to

focus on transitions.

I must admit that preparing for the transition

presents somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand

there is the urge to savor every last moment of

summer. On the other hand, the more you mentally

and physically prepare for the Fall, the less chaos and

confusion you face when it finally arrives.

So how can you prepare for the end of one

season and the beginning of another? It is not so easy

but here are some thoughts:

1. Buy school supplies now. You do not want to

be caught in the last minute rush to the office supply

store! It is usually a madhouse. How do I know? I am

not always so good at taking my own advice!

2. If your Fall schedule will include putting on

your chauffeur hat to shuttle your teens from activity

to activity, then try to work out potential carpool

partners now. While you may not be able to work out

the complete schedule, starting to plan now will cut

down on the anxiety often associated with arranging

car-pools once school starts. This is especially true if

you are a working parent.

3. Ask your teens to do a quick wardrobe check.

They should sort out what no longer fits and do an

inventory of shoes and necessary accessories (e.g.

backpacks).

4. If you need to shop try to go during off hours

such as early evening or mid-day during the week.

Once school starts the mall will be mobbed with last

minute shoppers.

5. Create a Fall calendar which details events and

activities. This will give you a visual picture of what

to expect in the upcoming months. Such preparation

will quell the feeling of internal (and external) chaos

that often accompanies the transition from Summer

to Fall.

6. Enjoy the final days of summer! You can truly

relax knowing you are well prepared for the up-coming

transition into Fall.

Available in: <http://www.talkingteenage.com/blog/2011/8/7/switching- -gears-preparing-for-the-transition-from-summer-to.html> Retrieved on: August 20th, 2011.

Text I

Blog Talking Teenage: listen, learn and discuss

Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 10:24AM - It is hard to

believe that yet another summer is coming to an end.

Where did all the time go? As I review my “Summer To

Do” list I have to chuckle out loud. Did I even complete

one item on this long list? Gee, I must have been

feeling optimistic when I wrote it.

With only a few weeks left, it is now time to switch

gears. Time to mentally prepare for Fall. It is a time to

focus on transitions.

I must admit that preparing for the transition

presents somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand

there is the urge to savor every last moment of

summer. On the other hand, the more you mentally

and physically prepare for the Fall, the less chaos and

confusion you face when it finally arrives.

So how can you prepare for the end of one

season and the beginning of another? It is not so easy

but here are some thoughts:

1. Buy school supplies now. You do not want to

be caught in the last minute rush to the office supply

store! It is usually a madhouse. How do I know? I am

not always so good at taking my own advice!

2. If your Fall schedule will include putting on

your chauffeur hat to shuttle your teens from activity

to activity, then try to work out potential carpool

partners now. While you may not be able to work out

the complete schedule, starting to plan now will cut

down on the anxiety often associated with arranging

car-pools once school starts. This is especially true if

you are a working parent.

3. Ask your teens to do a quick wardrobe check.

They should sort out what no longer fits and do an

inventory of shoes and necessary accessories (e.g.

backpacks).

4. If you need to shop try to go during off hours

such as early evening or mid-day during the week.

Once school starts the mall will be mobbed with last

minute shoppers.

5. Create a Fall calendar which details events and

activities. This will give you a visual picture of what

to expect in the upcoming months. Such preparation

will quell the feeling of internal (and external) chaos

that often accompanies the transition from Summer

to Fall.

6. Enjoy the final days of summer! You can truly

relax knowing you are well prepared for the up-coming

transition into Fall.

Available in: <http://www.talkingteenage.com/blog/2011/8/7/switching- -gears-preparing-for-the-transition-from-summer-to.html> Retrieved on: August 20th, 2011.

Text I

Blog Talking Teenage: listen, learn and discuss

Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 10:24AM - It is hard to

believe that yet another summer is coming to an end.

Where did all the time go? As I review my “Summer To

Do” list I have to chuckle out loud. Did I even complete

one item on this long list? Gee, I must have been

feeling optimistic when I wrote it.

With only a few weeks left, it is now time to switch

gears. Time to mentally prepare for Fall. It is a time to

focus on transitions.

I must admit that preparing for the transition

presents somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand

there is the urge to savor every last moment of

summer. On the other hand, the more you mentally

and physically prepare for the Fall, the less chaos and

confusion you face when it finally arrives.

So how can you prepare for the end of one

season and the beginning of another? It is not so easy

but here are some thoughts:

1. Buy school supplies now. You do not want to

be caught in the last minute rush to the office supply

store! It is usually a madhouse. How do I know? I am

not always so good at taking my own advice!

2. If your Fall schedule will include putting on

your chauffeur hat to shuttle your teens from activity

to activity, then try to work out potential carpool

partners now. While you may not be able to work out

the complete schedule, starting to plan now will cut

down on the anxiety often associated with arranging

car-pools once school starts. This is especially true if

you are a working parent.

3. Ask your teens to do a quick wardrobe check.

They should sort out what no longer fits and do an

inventory of shoes and necessary accessories (e.g.

backpacks).

4. If you need to shop try to go during off hours

such as early evening or mid-day during the week.

Once school starts the mall will be mobbed with last

minute shoppers.

5. Create a Fall calendar which details events and

activities. This will give you a visual picture of what

to expect in the upcoming months. Such preparation

will quell the feeling of internal (and external) chaos

that often accompanies the transition from Summer

to Fall.

6. Enjoy the final days of summer! You can truly

relax knowing you are well prepared for the up-coming

transition into Fall.

Available in: <http://www.talkingteenage.com/blog/2011/8/7/switching- -gears-preparing-for-the-transition-from-summer-to.html> Retrieved on: August 20th, 2011.