Questões de Inglês

Texto 3

DEATH TOLL RISES TO 30 FROM CHINA COAL MINE LEAK

[5] The death toll from a coal mine gas leak in

central China rose to 30 Monday after rescue

workers discovered four more bodies, state

media said Monday. Seven others remain

[10] trapped underground, but their chances of

survival are slim, rescue crews fear. More than

2,500 metric tons of coal dust smothered the

pit after the gas leak, hampering efforts to

reach the miners, said Du Bo, deputy chief of

[15] the rescue headquarters. He comments were

reported by the Xinhua news agency. The gas

leak occurred in Henan province when 276

miners were working underground. A total of

239 workers escaped, Xinhua said. An initial

[20] investigation showed that 173,500 cubic meters

of gas leaked out in the accident. The same

mine reported another explosion in August

2008, that killed 23 miners. China has one of

the world's deadliest records for miners, with

[25] poor safety standards accounting for thousands

of deaths each year. Earlier last week, China

announced it had closed 1,355 small coal

mines this year, Xinhua said. The effort was

part of a larger plan by the National Energy

[30] Administration to restructure the mining

industry to prevent deadly accidents and reduce

greenhouse gas emissions, the news agency

said.

Fonte: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/18/china.m iners/index.html?iref=allsearch (Acessado e adaptado em 08/10/10)

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TEXTO 01

New law claims fetuses feel pain

Can fetuses feel pain – and if so, when? The questions have long been debated by scientists and are key for 
opponents of abortion. But this week Nebraska became the first US state to restrict abortion on that basis.  

    The Nebraska law, passed on 13 April, lays out several arguments about fetal pain. Each was contradicted 
last month in a letter to the Nebraska legislature by Mark Rosen of the University California, San Francisco, 
[5] co-author of a 2005 review on the subject. 

    The law states that at 20 weeks a fetus “has the physical structures necessary to experience pain”. But 
Rosen argues that fetuses don’t have the brain connections needed to feel pain until about 29 weeks. 

    The law also claims that after 20 weeks fetuses have reflex responses to evade painful stimuli. Rosen 
counters that these responses are involuntary, and, like “knee-jerk” reflexes, don’t correspond to pain. 

[10]    Vivette Glover of Imperial College London says that fetuses may feel pain at 20 weeks, but they can be 
given anaesthetics in any case. 

    Rosen and others believe the law is designed to provoke a legal challenge from LeRoy Carhart, a surgeon 
who performs late-term abortions in Nebraska. This could take the claims of fetal pain to the US Supreme Court, 
which has the power to overturn the Roe vs Wade ruling of 1973 that gave US women almost unrestricted 
[15] access to abortion.

(NewScientist, 24 April 2010.)

TEXTO 02

Fetuses have their own immunity

Fetuses aren’t as defenceless as they seem – they may be armed to fight off viruses long before birth.

    It was thought that fetal immune cells were too immature to be useful and that fetuses and newborns relied 
on antibodies provided by their mothers. Now David Vermijlen at the Institute for Medical Immunology in 
Brussels, Belgium, and his colleagues have shown that fetuses just 21 weeks old may be capable of fending off 
[5] infections using their own immune cells. This could lead to new vaccines for newborns and unborn babies. 

    Vermijlen’s team analysed cord blood from 19 newborns infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) – which can 
cause serious symptoms in infected infants and give fetuses brain damage – and 22 uninfected newborns. The 
team found that the number of gamma delta T-cells was higher in the CMV-infected babies, and that a greater 
proportion of these immune cells were activated. 

[10]    When the team compared the types of immune cells activated in the fetus with those in the mother, there 
were clear differences, suggesting that fetuses generate an independent immune response to CMV (Journal of 
Experimental Medicine, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20090348). 

(NewScientist , 1 May 2010.)

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TEXTO 01

New law claims fetuses feel pain

Can fetuses feel pain – and if so, when? The questions have long been debated by scientists and are key for 
opponents of abortion. But this week Nebraska became the first US state to restrict abortion on that basis.  

    The Nebraska law, passed on 13 April, lays out several arguments about fetal pain. Each was contradicted 
last month in a letter to the Nebraska legislature by Mark Rosen of the University California, San Francisco, 
[5] co-author of a 2005 review on the subject. 

    The law states that at 20 weeks a fetus “has the physical structures necessary to experience pain”. But 
Rosen argues that fetuses don’t have the brain connections needed to feel pain until about 29 weeks. 

    The law also claims that after 20 weeks fetuses have reflex responses to evade painful stimuli. Rosen 
counters that these responses are involuntary, and, like “knee-jerk” reflexes, don’t correspond to pain. 

[10]    Vivette Glover of Imperial College London says that fetuses may feel pain at 20 weeks, but they can be 
given anaesthetics in any case. 

    Rosen and others believe the law is designed to provoke a legal challenge from LeRoy Carhart, a surgeon 
who performs late-term abortions in Nebraska. This could take the claims of fetal pain to the US Supreme Court, 
which has the power to overturn the Roe vs Wade ruling of 1973 that gave US women almost unrestricted 
[15] access to abortion.

(NewScientist, 24 April 2010.)

TEXTO 02

Fetuses have their own immunity

Fetuses aren’t as defenceless as they seem – they may be armed to fight off viruses long before birth.

    It was thought that fetal immune cells were too immature to be useful and that fetuses and newborns relied 
on antibodies provided by their mothers. Now David Vermijlen at the Institute for Medical Immunology in 
Brussels, Belgium, and his colleagues have shown that fetuses just 21 weeks old may be capable of fending off 
[5] infections using their own immune cells. This could lead to new vaccines for newborns and unborn babies. 

    Vermijlen’s team analysed cord blood from 19 newborns infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV) – which can 
cause serious symptoms in infected infants and give fetuses brain damage – and 22 uninfected newborns. The 
team found that the number of gamma delta T-cells was higher in the CMV-infected babies, and that a greater 
proportion of these immune cells were activated. 

[10]    When the team compared the types of immune cells activated in the fetus with those in the mother, there 
were clear differences, suggesting that fetuses generate an independent immune response to CMV (Journal of 
Experimental Medicine, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20090348). 

(NewScientist , 1 May 2010.)

TEXTO

Literacy in Brazil

The statistics for educational exclusion in Brazil are staggering. Of a total population of about 184 million (of whom 62% are aged under 29) there are 65 million young people and adults aged 15 or over who have not completed primary education. Of these 65 million:

•   33 million are functionally illiterate and have not even completed 4th grade;

•   14.6 million are completely illiterate.

In the 15 to 24 year age bracket - an important age-group that will provide the future critical mass of the country - 19 million people have not finished primary education and almost three million are completely illiterate.

These numbers illustrate the need to rescue the idea of education as a right of all young people and adults who have been excluded from the education system. Although Brazil has made significant progress in the field of education, especially in adult and youth education, the Brazilian government recognises there is still much to do, particularly in confronting a range of interrelated illiteracies: in education, culture, politics and citizenship.

The Ministry of Education organises its action strategy by giving priority to the articulation between social and educational inclusion and literacy. In addition to being a right, the articulation between literacy and programmes of social inclusion is strategic and re-defines the horizons of citizenship. Links within the federal sphere and also with local state and municipal programmes and links between literacy and the income transfer programme (Bolsa Família) permit an important focus on those living in extreme poverty. The literacy and adult and youth education agendas form the structural base of inclusion. The articulation with vocational courses expresses the role of literacy as the gateway to inclusion and citizenship.

Disponível em: http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1033. Acesso em: 8 set. 2009. (Adaptado).

TEXTO

Literacy in Brazil

The statistics for educational exclusion in Brazil are staggering. Of a total population of about 184 million (of whom 62% are aged under 29) there are 65 million young people and adults aged 15 or over who have not completed primary education. Of these 65 million:

•   33 million are functionally illiterate and have not even completed 4th grade;

•   14.6 million are completely illiterate.

In the 15 to 24 year age bracket - an important age-group that will provide the future critical mass of the country - 19 million people have not finished primary education and almost three million are completely illiterate.

These numbers illustrate the need to rescue the idea of education as a right of all young people and adults who have been excluded from the education system. Although Brazil has made significant progress in the field of education, especially in adult and youth education, the Brazilian government recognises there is still much to do, particularly in confronting a range of interrelated illiteracies: in education, culture, politics and citizenship.

The Ministry of Education organises its action strategy by giving priority to the articulation between social and educational inclusion and literacy. In addition to being a right, the articulation between literacy and programmes of social inclusion is strategic and re-defines the horizons of citizenship. Links within the federal sphere and also with local state and municipal programmes and links between literacy and the income transfer programme (Bolsa Família) permit an important focus on those living in extreme poverty. The literacy and adult and youth education agendas form the structural base of inclusion. The articulation with vocational courses expresses the role of literacy as the gateway to inclusion and citizenship.

Disponível em: http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=1033. Acesso em: 8 set. 2009. (Adaptado).

British Culture

[1]      Awareness will be one of your best allies during your first few days in Oxford. Below you will find a brief overview
of some aspects of life in Britain that may be the most strikingly different from your own country.

General habits

    In general, the British are very polite most of the time. 'Please' and 'thank you' are among the most commonly
[5]  used words in Britain. People also have a tendency to apologize —some would say too much— and so, you will also
hear 'sorry' and 'excuse me' a lot. The popular stereotype of the average British person is more often than not true
—they will say sorry to you, even when it is in fact you who has accidentally stepped on their toes or bumped into them!

    It will not surprise you to know then that queuing, or waiting in line so that someone who arrived first is served
first, is another British near-obsession. It is sacrosanct. Seriously! Be it in the pub, at the supermarket or at a bus stop,
[10]  people in Britain queue for everything. Pushing in or cutting into a queue is considered very impolite and you will be
heavily frowned upon for doing it. It is one of the few occasions when the famously reserved British can get visibly
annoyed in public, so do bear it in mind.

    In most cases, queues are easy to spot. They tend to be tidy lines of people waiting. In public places, including
shops and restaurants, there will also usually be a sign —such as 'Please Wait Here to Be Served' or 'Please Queue
[15]  Here'. Where it can be a bit tricky is in pubs, where the lines are neither tidy nor so easy to spot at the bar. The best thing
to do is to take note of who was there before you and wait your turn to be served after them. Bar staff are usually very
good about keeping track of who should be served next.

    Finally, punctuality is important in Britain. As a rule, you should arrive on time for lectures, tutorials and any
other appointments. Similarly, if you've arranged to meet someone at a pub, café or elsewhere and find yourself running
[20]  late or unable to make it, then let the person you are meeting know.

Pubs

Students in a beer garden.

    The word 'pub' is short for 'public house', which is a
place where you can buy and consume alcohol on the
premises. A pub is not very different from a bar. Indeed, it is
[25]  often difficult to tell them apart in cities today and opinion can
be divided even among the British. Though it is difficult to
generalize, pubs are more traditional and have a more
intimate atmosphere. They also tend not to sell cocktails and
liquors, but serve a variety of beers and wine instead. You can
[30]  find a pub in or near every village, town and city in Britain.

    Going to the pub is very popular and you may be
surprised by the amount of beer people drink! This does not
mean that you have to drink alcohol, if you go to a pub. All
pubs serve non-alcoholic drinks and small snacks (such as
[35]  crisps or salted nuts). Going to the pub is a common social
activity among students and central to British social life.
People go to the pub not simply to drink, but as importantly
to meet friends, socialize and relax.

    Many pubs also have gardens —often known as 'beer gardens'— where people can sit and eat or drink in
[40]  summer. Most pubs serve food at reasonable prices, making them a great place to eat lunch and dinner with friends as
well. As with drinks, meals usually have to be ordered at the bar.

    Most pubs close at 11pm. Although recent changes in licensing law allow them to have longer opening hours
and serve alcohol round-the-clock, only a few pubs make use of these new rules. Anumber of them, however, stay open
till later on Fridays and Saturdays.

http://handbook.oxfordisc.com/01b.php (com adaptações)