Questões de Inglês

Secrets of a long life

 

A A hundred years ago, not many people lived into their seventies. Today, it is fairly common to do so in developed countries. But on the Japanese island of Okinawa, people live longer than anywhere else in the world, with an average life expectancy of 81.2 years. Many people on Okinawa live to be over 1000 years. Many people on Oknawa live to be over 100 years old – the highest ratio of centenarians per head of population in the world. And they don’t just live longer, they live better.

 

B So what’s the Okinawan secret? So far all the findings indicate that lifestyle, not genetic factors, is largely responsible.

 

C Okinawans eat a traditional diet of soya, fruit, and vegetables. They consume a lot of fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and help reduce the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. They don’t eat a lot of red meat, and their diet is low in fats. Many elderly Okinawans also live by the motto ‘Eat until you are 80% full’ and this helps them to control portion sizes.

 

D Elderly Okinawans enjoy walking, gardening, and T’ai Chi, and often work long after the usual age of retirement in Western countries. Interviews with elderly Okinawans reveal that they are optimistic, adaptable, and easy-going. They have strong religious beliefs, which give them comfort and support. They have a valued role in society and the family, and they are respected for their wisdom and experience of life.

 

E Most of them belong to moai, groups of old classmates, colleagues, friends, or neighbours that meet several times a week to drink tea and chat. These networks provide emotional and financial support throughout their lives.

 

F Unfortunately, younger Okinawans have abandoned these good habits. They have followed a more Western diet and lifestyle, and the results have been devastating.

 

G For Okinawans who move away from the island, the picture is similar. Around 100,000 Okinawans moved to Brazil and adopted the eating habits of their new home, including eating a lot of red meat.

 

 

Read the article and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F) and mark the correct option.

 

1. Genetic factors explain the long life of Okinawans. ( )

2. Elderly people in Okinawa usually eat large meals. ( )

3. Elderly people Okinawans are physically active. ( )

4. Elderly Okinawans are usually cheerful and relaxed. ( )

5. On Okinawa, elderly people are often involved in group activities. ( )

6. Young Okinawans follow the same lifestyle as their grandparents. ( )

Germany nuclear shutdown by 2022 may mean blackouts, Merkel warned

As chancellor mulls Germany's nuclear future, energy firms say solar and wind power may not make up shortfall in winter

Helen Pidd

Guardian.co.uk.Monday 23 May 2011

 

Germany could face widespread winter blackouts following Angela Merkel's "knee-jerk" decision to decommission the country's nuclear power stations, according to German power grid operators.

 

The warning from four energy providers ________¹ the German chancellor suggested she agreed with a proposal to ________² all of Germany's 17 nuclear power plants by 2022.

 

Seven nuclear power stations have been off-grid ever since Merkel announced in the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima disaster a "threemonth moratorium" on her controversial decision last year to extend the lives of the plants.

 

Merkel ordered safety checks on all reactors and ________³ two commissions – one on safety and another on ethics – to look at whether Germany had a nuclear future.

 

The resultant safety report will be evaluated by the German government, along with a separate report by an ethics commission due on May 28, before it makes a final decision on nuclear power

 

But over the weekend, Merkel said the year 2022 was "the right space of time" to set as a goal for Germany's total withdrawal from nuclear power. She was speaking after the CSU – the Bavarian sister party of her Christian Democratic CDU – voted for all German nuclear power plants to come off-grid by 2022. Merkel did not herself commit to a firm date for nuclear decommissioning.

 

The timetable is too slow for many of Merkel's opponents. Claudia Roth, co-head of the national Green party, which beat the chancellor's CDU in elections in Bremen on Sunday, insists it would be feasible to close down all plants by 2017. 

 

According to a report in Monday's Süddeutsche Zeitung, four firms which operate Germany's network of high-voltage power cables and pylons - 50Hertz, Tennet, EnBW Transportnetze and Amprion – believe Germany cannot currently ________⁴ nuclear power. The companies say that the grid is already "largely exhausted" during winter months when solar power is at a minimum and when wind cannot be ________⁵ to keep turbines in motion.

 

The firms warned in a statement that calm winter days with no wind could result in "large-scale supply disruptions", particularly in Germany's affluent and industry-heavy south, which guzzles much of the country's electricity. "A safe supply to customers in these cases could be severely compromised," they said.

 

There are no current problems because good weather in Germany has meant that solar panels have been able to compensate for the shortfall left by the decommissioned nuclear plants. 

 

The industry group German Atomic Forum cautioned against abandoning nuclear power without careful consideration.

 

"A quick and rash exit from German nuclear power would raise costs for the whole economy, make us miss climate goals, raise our reliance on fossil fuels and make our power supply less secure, meaning more power imports and problems with network stability," said president Ralf Gueldner. "It would also spark intense debate in the European Union," he added.

 

Nuclear power has long been unpopular in Germany and Merkel's decision last year to extend the life of nuclear plants was a major factor in her party's loss of power after 60 years in Baden-Württemberg – a prosperous conservative state – in March. Her about-turn on nuclear policy was derided as "knee-jerk" by many of her critics.

 

Currently, nuclear energy supplies 22.3% of Germany's electricity while coal provides 42%, natural gas 13.6% and renewable energies 16.5%, according to the environment ministry.

Match the following nominal groups with their corresponding definitions and mark the correct answer:

 

1. knee-jerk decision

2. the immediate aftermath

3. nuclear decommissioning

4. large-scale supply disruptions

5. fossil fuels

 

( ) The period of time in which the consequences of an accident are dealt.

( ) Situations in which things are prevented from continuing in their normal way due to problems and difficulties.

( ) Stop using a weapon or reactor and prepare to take it to pieces.

( ) The result of what is produced by the very gradual decaying of animal or plants over millions of years.

( ) What you feel or say about a situation from habit, without thinking about it.

Secrets of a long life

 

A A hundred years ago, not many people lived into their seventies. Today, it is fairly common to do so in developed countries. But on the Japanese island of Okinawa, people live longer than anywhere else in the world, with an average life expectancy of 81.2 years. Many people on Okinawa live to be over 1000 years. Many people on Oknawa live to be over 100 years old – the highest ratio of centenarians per head of population in the world. And they don’t just live longer, they live better.

 

B So what’s the Okinawan secret? So far all the findings indicate that lifestyle, not genetic factors, is largely responsible.

 

C Okinawans eat a traditional diet of soya, fruit, and vegetables. They consume a lot of fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and help reduce the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. They don’t eat a lot of red meat, and their diet is low in fats. Many elderly Okinawans also live by the motto ‘Eat until you are 80% full’ and this helps them to control portion sizes.

 

D Elderly Okinawans enjoy walking, gardening, and T’ai Chi, and often work long after the usual age of retirement in Western countries. Interviews with elderly Okinawans reveal that they are optimistic, adaptable, and easy-going. They have strong religious beliefs, which give them comfort and support. They have a valued role in society and the family, and they are respected for their wisdom and experience of life.

 

E Most of them belong to moai, groups of old classmates, colleagues, friends, or neighbours that meet several times a week to drink tea and chat. These networks provide emotional and financial support throughout their lives.

 

F Unfortunately, younger Okinawans have abandoned these good habits. They have followed a more Western diet and lifestyle, and the results have been devastating.

 

G For Okinawans who move away from the island, the picture is similar. Around 100,000 Okinawans moved to Brazil and adopted the eating habits of their new home, including eating a lot of red meat.

Add these sentences to the end of the paragraphs (A-G) where they fit best and mark the correct order.

 

1. All of these factors give Okinawans ‘a reason for living’, which makes their lives happier and more fulfilled. ________

2. The life expectancy of Brazilian Okinawans is 17 years lower than that on Okinawa itself. ________

3. Rates of osteoporosis, heart disease, strokes, cancer, and dementia are all low on Okinawa. ________

4. Okinawans under the age of 50 have Japan’s highest rates of obesity, heart disease, and premature death. ________

Secrets of a long life

 

A A hundred years ago, not many people lived into their seventies. Today, it is fairly common to do so in developed countries. But on the Japanese island of Okinawa, people live longer than anywhere else in the world, with an average life expectancy of 81.2 years. Many people on Okinawa live to be over 1000 years. Many people on Oknawa live to be over 100 years old – the highest ratio of centenarians per head of population in the world. And they don’t just live longer, they live better.

 

B So what’s the Okinawan secret? So far all the findings indicate that lifestyle, not genetic factors, is largely responsible.

 

C Okinawans eat a traditional diet of soya, fruit, and vegetables. They consume a lot of fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and help reduce the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. They don’t eat a lot of red meat, and their diet is low in fats. Many elderly Okinawans also live by the motto ‘Eat until you are 80% full’ and this helps them to control portion sizes.

 

D Elderly Okinawans enjoy walking, gardening, and T’ai Chi, and often work long after the usual age of retirement in Western countries. Interviews with elderly Okinawans reveal that they are optimistic, adaptable, and easy-going. They have strong religious beliefs, which give them comfort and support. They have a valued role in society and the family, and they are respected for their wisdom and experience of life.

 

E Most of them belong to moai, groups of old classmates, colleagues, friends, or neighbours that meet several times a week to drink tea and chat. These networks provide emotional and financial support throughout their lives.

 

F Unfortunately, younger Okinawans have abandoned these good habits. They have followed a more Western diet and lifestyle, and the results have been devastating.

 

G For Okinawans who move away from the island, the picture is similar. Around 100,000 Okinawans moved to Brazil and adopted the eating habits of their new home, including eating a lot of red meat.

Read the article and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F) and mark the correct option.

 

1. Genetic factors explain the long life of Okinawans. ( )

2. Elderly people in Okinawa usually eat large meals. ( )

3. Elderly people Okinawans are physically active. ( )

4. Elderly Okinawans are usually cheerful and relaxed. ( )

5. On Okinawa, elderly people are often involved in group activities. ( )

6. Young Okinawans follow the same lifestyle as their grandparents. ( )

[1] New Dehli’s Paharganj rail station is

humming with sound and crawling with

people. The gray platforms are bathed in

white light. The train engines belch smoke

[5] and whistle like impatient bulls.

If you were to search for me in the

crowded maze, where would you look? You

would probably try to find me among the

dozens of street children who are stretched

[10] out on the smooth concrete floor in various

stages of rest and slumber. You might even

imagine me as an adolescent vendor,

peddling plastic bottles containing tap water

from the station’s toilet as pure Himalayan

[15] mineral water. You could visualize me as one

of the sweepers in dirty shirts and torn pants

shuffling ........ the platform, with a long

swishing broom transferring dirt from the

pavement ........ the track. Or you could look

[20] for me among the regiments of red-

uniformed porters bustling about with heavy

loads on their heads.

Well, think again, because I am neither a

vendor, nor porter, nor sweeper. Today I am

[25] a genuine passenger, travelling to Mumbai, in

the sleeper class no less, and with a proper

reservation. I am wearing a starched white

bush shirt made 100% cotton and Levi’s

jeans-yes, Levi’s jeans, bought from the

[30] Tibetan Market. I am walking purposefully

........ platform number five to board the

Paschim Express for Mumbai. There is a

porter trudging along by my side carrying a

light-brown suitcase on his head. The porter

[35] has been hired by me, and the suitcase on his

head belongs to me. The suitcase does not

contain any money. I have heard too many

stories about robbers on trains that drug you

at night and make off with your belongings to

[40] take the chance of keeping the most precious

cargo of my life-my salary from the Taylors-in

my suitcase. It is inside my underwear. I take

a quick look ........ the loose notes in my front

pocket. I reckon I will have just enough to

[45] take an auto-rickshaw from Bandra Terminus

to Salim’s room in the Ghatkopar slum. Won’t

Salim be surprised to see me arrive in a

three-wheeler instead of on the local train?

And when he sees the game I bought for

[50] him, I hope he doesn’t faint from happiness.

Adapted from: SWARUP, Vikas. Slumdog Millionaire. 2005. p. 148-149.

We can deduce, after reading the text, that the narrator’s feelings are of

[1] Beware. There is a new danger on the

streets. And you might not spot it until it’s too

late.

Pedestrians wearing iPod or MP3 music

[5] player headphones have a habit of stepping

out into the road, oblivious to traffic.

‘Podestrians’, as they have been called,

now account for nearly one in ten minor

accidents involving sudden braking and

[10] shunts, according to ........ from an insurance

company.

Well over half of the ........ are described

as young people, teenagers or children.

‘We have seen a significant increase in

[15] drivers citing such individuals as having been

a factor in accidents,’ a spokesman for the

company said.

The most common ........ involves a

‘podestrian’ stepping into the road without

[20] looking properly and failing to hear an

oncoming vehicle.

This can force the driver to brake

suddenly, risking collision with the car behind.

And if a head full of music isn’t bad

[25] enough, some podestrians are talking on their

mobile phones at the same time.

'The problem of music players masking

the noise of cars can often be compounded

by the simultaneous use of mobile phones,’

[30] the spokesman said.

‘People have enjoyed listening to music on

foot ever since the first Walkmans were

introduced in the late 1970s. But 30 years on

there seems to be a rising number of

[35] pedestrians who are isolated from traffic

noise.’

Adaptado de: Daily Mail, 8 out. 2008.

Assinale a alternativa que preenche corretamente as lacunas das linhas 10, 12 e 18, na ordem em que aparecem.