Questões de Inglês

TEXTO:

Multitasking harmful to productivity

    Scientists have found that focusing on multiple

media sources, such as email, phone, the internet, and

television, all at once does not make you more efficient.

In fact, multitaskers find it harder to concentrate.

5    Researchers at Stanford University in the United

States divided a group of over 250 students into light or

heavy media multitaskers. Light multitaskers focus on

just one or two sources at a time — listening to music

while working for example. Heavy multitaskers watch

10 online videos, surf the web, talk or text on their mobiles,

and write or read, all at the same time. Lead researcher

Cliff Nass wanted to see how this would affect the way

their brains work. “You would think that people who are

multitasking with all these media at once would be great

15 at ignoring irrelevant information. However, we discovered

they are suckers for irrelevant information, so they’re

much worse than low multitaskers at ignoring the

irrelevant”, says Nass.

    Not only that, but multitaskers are worse at

20 organizing and sorting information, and worse at switching

from one task to another. The findings have left the

scientists with something of a mystery — why do people

multitask at all? They say that in an increasingly

demanding work environment, expecting staff to be

25 constantly available by email and instant message while

doing their jobs may actually mean that productivity falls.

MULTITASKING, harmful to productivity. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 2 jan. 2010. 

TEXTO:

Multitasking harmful to productivity

    Scientists have found that focusing on multiple

media sources, such as email, phone, the internet, and

television, all at once does not make you more efficient.

In fact, multitaskers find it harder to concentrate.

5    Researchers at Stanford University in the United

States divided a group of over 250 students into light or

heavy media multitaskers. Light multitaskers focus on

just one or two sources at a time — listening to music

while working for example. Heavy multitaskers watch

10 online videos, surf the web, talk or text on their mobiles,

and write or read, all at the same time. Lead researcher

Cliff Nass wanted to see how this would affect the way

their brains work. “You would think that people who are

multitasking with all these media at once would be great

15 at ignoring irrelevant information. However, we discovered

they are suckers for irrelevant information, so they’re

much worse than low multitaskers at ignoring the

irrelevant”, says Nass.

    Not only that, but multitaskers are worse at

20 organizing and sorting information, and worse at switching

from one task to another. The findings have left the

scientists with something of a mystery — why do people

multitask at all? They say that in an increasingly

demanding work environment, expecting staff to be

25 constantly available by email and instant message while

doing their jobs may actually mean that productivity falls.

MULTITASKING, harmful to productivity. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 2 jan. 2010. 

TEXTO:

Can animals predict natural disasters?

    The tsunami disaster killed over 30,000 people in

Sri Lanka. However, almost all local elephants, deer and

other wild animals survived the monstrous attack of the

tidal waves. It’s worth mentioning that only one wild boar

5 of 2,000 animals of an Indian reserve was killed in the

2004 tsunami disaster.

    According to US biologists, 14 sharks, which were

kept under regular observation for several years, had

left their usual places of living 12 hours before Charlie

10 hurricane hit Florida. The sharks disappeared in deep

waters of the ocean and returned only two weeks later,

although they have never left their natural habitat before.

    Animals obviously know something that humans

can never comprehend or learn. The 2004 tsunami

15 disaster made scientists look deeper into the mystery.

Researchers have already proved that different animal

species living all over the world possess the surprising

ability to envisage natural catastrophes.

    Unlike humans, wild animals can perceive a lot

20 more information about the world around them. Their

senses are a lot better, they can sense vibrations at

huge distances; even a slight change in the atmospheric

pressure will not remain unnoticed for animals. Their major

advantage is an ability to read and see natural warnings,

25 which helps them avoid the storm of nature.

    Scientists also noticed that wild animals have a

much better reaction to imminent dangers in comparison

with domestic animals. Domestic animals live under the

strong influence of human culture, which is made of a

30 system of rules, taboos and physiological delicacies. It

is not ruled out that a human being used to be as sensitive

to natural changes as wild animals are now. Ancient

people probably had this animal instinct as well: perhaps

they knew where to run and hide in order to save

35 themselves from earthquakes or volcano eruptions.

CAN, animals predict natural disasters? Disponível em:

TEXTO:

Can animals predict natural disasters?

    The tsunami disaster killed over 30,000 people in

Sri Lanka. However, almost all local elephants, deer and

other wild animals survived the monstrous attack of the

tidal waves. It’s worth mentioning that only one wild boar

5 of 2,000 animals of an Indian reserve was killed in the

2004 tsunami disaster.

    According to US biologists, 14 sharks, which were

kept under regular observation for several years, had

left their usual places of living 12 hours before Charlie

10 hurricane hit Florida. The sharks disappeared in deep

waters of the ocean and returned only two weeks later,

although they have never left their natural habitat before.

    Animals obviously know something that humans

can never comprehend or learn. The 2004 tsunami

15 disaster made scientists look deeper into the mystery.

Researchers have already proved that different animal

species living all over the world possess the surprising

ability to envisage natural catastrophes.

    Unlike humans, wild animals can perceive a lot

20 more information about the world around them. Their

senses are a lot better, they can sense vibrations at

huge distances; even a slight change in the atmospheric

pressure will not remain unnoticed for animals. Their major

advantage is an ability to read and see natural warnings,

25 which helps them avoid the storm of nature.

    Scientists also noticed that wild animals have a

much better reaction to imminent dangers in comparison

with domestic animals. Domestic animals live under the

strong influence of human culture, which is made of a

30 system of rules, taboos and physiological delicacies. It

is not ruled out that a human being used to be as sensitive

to natural changes as wild animals are now. Ancient

people probably had this animal instinct as well: perhaps

they knew where to run and hide in order to save

35 themselves from earthquakes or volcano eruptions.

CAN, animals predict natural disasters? Disponível em:

TEXTO:

Can animals predict natural disasters?

    The tsunami disaster killed over 30,000 people in

Sri Lanka. However, almost all local elephants, deer and

other wild animals survived the monstrous attack of the

tidal waves. It’s worth mentioning that only one wild boar

5 of 2,000 animals of an Indian reserve was killed in the

2004 tsunami disaster.

    According to US biologists, 14 sharks, which were

kept under regular observation for several years, had

left their usual places of living 12 hours before Charlie

10 hurricane hit Florida. The sharks disappeared in deep

waters of the ocean and returned only two weeks later,

although they have never left their natural habitat before.

    Animals obviously know something that humans

can never comprehend or learn. The 2004 tsunami

15 disaster made scientists look deeper into the mystery.

Researchers have already proved that different animal

species living all over the world possess the surprising

ability to envisage natural catastrophes.

    Unlike humans, wild animals can perceive a lot

20 more information about the world around them. Their

senses are a lot better, they can sense vibrations at

huge distances; even a slight change in the atmospheric

pressure will not remain unnoticed for animals. Their major

advantage is an ability to read and see natural warnings,

25 which helps them avoid the storm of nature.

    Scientists also noticed that wild animals have a

much better reaction to imminent dangers in comparison

with domestic animals. Domestic animals live under the

strong influence of human culture, which is made of a

30 system of rules, taboos and physiological delicacies. It

is not ruled out that a human being used to be as sensitive

to natural changes as wild animals are now. Ancient

people probably had this animal instinct as well: perhaps

they knew where to run and hide in order to save

35 themselves from earthquakes or volcano eruptions.

CAN, animals predict natural disasters? Disponível em:

TEXTO:

Jurassic fossil discovery

    A 150-million-year-old fossilized skull belonging to

a creature called a pliosaur has been unearthed along

the Jurassic Coast in Dorset in England.

    While dinosaurs roamed the land, pliosaurs terrorized

5 the oceans. These giant, crocodile-shaped creatures

were fearsome hunters, their immense jaws and

razor-sharp teeth made easy work of passing prey. Now

an 8ft-long skull has been found in Dorset by a local

fossil collector. And scientists say it could be one of the

10 biggest ever found, belonging to a creature that would

have measured up to 50ft long.

    Paleontologist Richard Forrest has been examining

the specimen. He says: ‘To get a whole skull like this is

like Christmas and Easter and everything rolled into one,

15 because we actually can see, yes this really was an

absolutely enormous animal, and realistically, probably

the most powerful predator that ever lived.’

    The fossilized skull has now been bought by Dorset

County Council using Heritage Lottery Funds. They plan

20 to eventually put it on public display.

MORELLE, Rebecca. Jurassic fossil discovery. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 30 maio 2010.