Questões de Inglês

The Two White Americas

Charles Negy At the risk of over-simplification, I propose there are two distinct groups of white Americans living in the United States: multicultural Whites and monocultural Whites. Multicultural whites recognize our changing demographics and see the benefits of living in a multicultural society. They are comfortable with rubbing elbows with dissimilar others and are relatively unthreatened by change. They support, in a more genuine way, the notion of liberty and justice for all. By contrast, monocultural whites are a different species. They, too, recognize the changing demographics, but are threatened by it. Pining for the days when they could impose their values on the rest of us, they\'d like to have Christianity present in public life. The values held by many monocultural whites tend to be extreme. Many monocultural whites (…) are at war with sexual minorities and want to legislate discrimination against our gay and lesbian citizens. Their views of women hardly are much better (wanting government [i.e., white men] to dictate to women what they can and cannot do with their own bodies). Finally, many monocultural whites do not respect science and are in denial over climate change. They eschew evolution and yearn for the days when creationism was taught in science classes. In sum, the Republican party is excessively dominated by what I call monocultural whites. Monocultural whites need to recognize that their provincial and unfair ideology has no real place in modernity or in the future of the United States.

(Disponível em: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-negy-phd/the-two-white-americas_b_2120164.html. Acesso em: 16 dez. 2013)

O texto The Two White Americas trata de dois grupos de brancos que vivem nos Estados Unidos da América: os multiculturais e os monoculturais. Tendo em vista a composição do texto e as escolhas léxico-gramaticais do autor, pode-se afirmar que o objetivo do texto é

A carta da leitora, endereçada à coluna da Abby, demonstra a preocupação dos pais com o(a)(s)

DEAR ABBY: My 17-year-old daughter, "Erica," is planning to marry her 24-year-old boyfriend. I use the term "boyfriend" loosely because their relationship consists entirely of texting, talking on the phone and the Internet. There has been no dating or getting to know each other in person. Erica is intent on marrying this man even though he has lied to her several times in addition to having lied to us. She is planning to attend a four-year college.

I\'m not sure how to handle this. She hid the relationship from us for more than six months. I realize Erica needs to make her own mistakes, but I\'m not sure how to make her understand my very real concern about this. Any advice would be appreciated. -- NEEDS HELP IN VIRGINIA (Disponível em: http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/. Acesso em: 13 dez. 2013)   Dear Abby é o nome de uma coluna de aconselhamento em que a colunista dá conselhos sobre situações as mais diversas do cotidiano de seus leitores. Na carta acima, a leitora pede conselhos sobre como agir em relação à/ao

 

Welcome to the official Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations website

 

Every year a unique event takes place in Stratford-upon-Avon to mark the birth of the world’s greatest playwright. The Birthday Celebrations are a tradition going back nearly 200 years and are held on the weekend closest to William Shakespeare’s birthday.

The birthday weekend brings together performers, artists, the local community and ambassadors from around the world in a vibrant celebration of the life and works of William Shakespeare. During the two day event, the town’s streets overflow with music, pageantry and drama and you are invited to enjoy a packed programme of special activities and great days out at the five Shakespeare houses. Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations Timeline:

1564 26 April Shakespeare is baptised, which custom of the time suggests he is born around 23 April 1650 onwards Visitors start travelling to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespeare’s place of birth 1824 The Shakespeare Club marks the birthday itself (23rd April) with a procession to Holy Trinity Church and a ceremonial dinner.

2014 Shakespeare’s 450th birthday – Stratford’s celebrations will provide a full weekend of entertainment.

 

(Adapted from: http://www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk.)

Qual é uma atividade que você NÃO pode realizar ao acessar este site?

Brazil’s Rousseff woos investors for infrastructure plan

 

By Luciana Lopez and Alonso Soto

NEW YORK/BRASILIA, Sept 25 | Wed Sep 25, 2013 3:46pm EDT

 

(Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her economic team courted Wall Street on Wednesday for investment in a massive plan to upgrade roads, airports and other infrastructure that has gotten off to a rocky start.

 

Investments to improve dilapidated roads, ports,

railways and airports are crucial for Rousseff’s

strategy to recover confidence in Brazil and bolster

an economy that has struggled to grow over the last

three years.

Her government is worried by the initial lack of

interest in concessions being offered to private

companies, which appear reluctant to commit to

the projects due to fears of excessive government

intervention.

Rousseff assured investors at a Goldman Sachs

event that her country has never broken a contract

and never will do so.

“I believe Brazil can offer opportunities that very

few countries in the world can,” she told an audience

of bankers and business people. “Legal risk does not

exist in Brazil.”

Brazil is scrambling to lift anemic investment levels

that have kept its economy stagnant, but concerns

that the government is meddling in contracts has

dented investors’ appetite for logistics tenders that

started last week.

A deserted highway tender, a last-minute

postponement in a high-speed train concession and

disappointing participation in the upcoming auction

for the huge Libra offshore oil prospect have cast

doubt on Brazil’s ability to draw investors.

 

(Fonte: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/25/brazil-economyinvestors-idUSL2N0HL0YD20130925. Acesso em 3 out. 2013.)

De acordo com o texto (linhas 11-17), o discurso de Dilma Rouseff, no evento da Goldman Sachs,

Brazil’s Rousseff woos investors for infrastructure plan

 

By Luciana Lopez and Alonso Soto

NEW YORK/BRASILIA, Sept 25 | Wed Sep 25, 2013 3:46pm EDT

 

(Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and her economic team courted Wall Street on Wednesday for investment in a massive plan to upgrade roads, airports and other infrastructure that has gotten off to a rocky start.

 

Investments to improve dilapidated roads, ports,

railways and airports are crucial for Rousseff’s

strategy to recover confidence in Brazil and bolster

an economy that has struggled to grow over the last

three years.

Her government is worried by the initial lack of

interest in concessions being offered to private

companies, which appear reluctant to commit to

the projects due to fears of excessive government

intervention.

Rousseff assured investors at a Goldman Sachs

event that her country has never broken a contract

and never will do so.

“I believe Brazil can offer opportunities that very

few countries in the world can,” she told an audience

of bankers and business people. “Legal risk does not

exist in Brazil.”

Brazil is scrambling to lift anemic investment levels

that have kept its economy stagnant, but concerns

that the government is meddling in contracts has

dented investors’ appetite for logistics tenders that

started last week.

A deserted highway tender, a last-minute

postponement in a high-speed train concession and

disappointing participation in the upcoming auction

for the huge Libra offshore oil prospect have cast

doubt on Brazil’s ability to draw investors.

 

(Fonte: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/25/brazil-economyinvestors-idUSL2N0HL0YD20130925. Acesso em 3 out. 2013.)

Segundo o texto, como as empresas privadas reagiram às concessões oferecidas a elas pelo governo brasileiro?