Questões de Inglês

Forgetting our past could cost us our future

Cultural amnesia refers to the phenomenon where societies ignore significant historical events, lessons,
and cultural practices, leading to a fragmentation of knowledge and identity. This forgetfulness can arise
from various factors, including the rapid pace of modernization, globalization and the overwhelming
influence of technology, which often prioritizes immediacy over historical context. As a result, vital
[5] lessons from the past may be disregarded, leaving individuals and communities disconnected from their
heritage and the wisdom embedded in historical narratives. 

It is widely known that this fragmentation frequently undermines a society’s ability to learn from past
mistakes. This phenomenon of cultural amnesia is not merely a contemporary issue; it has been observed
throughout history. Many societies have experienced periods of forgetting or neglecting significant
[10] events due to political motives, societal shifts or collective trauma. For example, the aftermath of wars
often sees nations rewriting histories to foster national unity or to justify certain actions, leading to
a distorted collective memory. In some cases, governments may actively suppress historical truths to
maintain power, creating a dangerous precedent where the past is selectively remembered or entirely
erased. Actually, the frequency of cultural amnesia varies across societies and historical contexts, but it
[15] is a recurring theme that has profound implications.

Cultural amnesia frequently highlights a troubling tendency to overlook the lessons of history, leading
to a fragmented understanding of identity and heritage. When the emphasis is placed on the new and
the immediate, the rich tapestry of history can become fragmented, leading to a shallow understanding
of cultural identity. To counteract this trend, it is essential for communities to prioritize historical
[20] awareness, engage with their narratives.

Addressing cultural amnesia is not simply a matter of saying “Ok, let’s accept that History has a role”.
What ordinary citizens should keep in mind is that facts and data provide some of the basic elements of
history as a field of study that connects to other areas, but by themselves they have limited meaning. It
requires a conscious effort to engage with history, celebrate memories and ensure that significant events
[25] and lessons are passed on to the next generations. 

It seems unlikely that there would be mutual respect and understanding between different groups
without awareness of these narratives. This awareness has been shown to dismantle stereotypes,
challenge prejudices and build bridges between different cultural groups, fostering a more cohesive and
harmonious society. When societies overlook significant historical events, they may fail to learn from
[30] previous injustices, conflicts or failures.

When people recognize the fragility of cultural memory, they may feel compelled to engage with their
history, whether through storytelling, education or community activities. This active participation can
strengthen communal bonds and promote intergenerational knowledge transfer, ensuring that valuable
lessons from the past are not lost to time. Finally, when individuals do engage with the histories and
[35] experiences of others, they are more likely to appreciate the complexities of cultural identities and the
impact of historical events on various communities.

Adaptado de bohotude.com.

Forgetting our past could cost us our future

Cultural amnesia refers to the phenomenon where societies ignore significant historical events, lessons,
and cultural practices, leading to a fragmentation of knowledge and identity. This forgetfulness can arise
from various factors, including the rapid pace of modernization, globalization and the overwhelming
influence of technology, which often prioritizes immediacy over historical context. As a result, vital
[5] lessons from the past may be disregarded, leaving individuals and communities disconnected from their
heritage and the wisdom embedded in historical narratives. 

It is widely known that this fragmentation frequently undermines a society’s ability to learn from past
mistakes. This phenomenon of cultural amnesia is not merely a contemporary issue; it has been observed
throughout history. Many societies have experienced periods of forgetting or neglecting significant
[10] events due to political motives, societal shifts or collective trauma. For example, the aftermath of wars
often sees nations rewriting histories to foster national unity or to justify certain actions, leading to
a distorted collective memory. In some cases, governments may actively suppress historical truths to
maintain power, creating a dangerous precedent where the past is selectively remembered or entirely
erased. Actually, the frequency of cultural amnesia varies across societies and historical contexts, but it
[15] is a recurring theme that has profound implications.

Cultural amnesia frequently highlights a troubling tendency to overlook the lessons of history, leading
to a fragmented understanding of identity and heritage. When the emphasis is placed on the new and
the immediate, the rich tapestry of history can become fragmented, leading to a shallow understanding
of cultural identity. To counteract this trend, it is essential for communities to prioritize historical
[20] awareness, engage with their narratives.

Addressing cultural amnesia is not simply a matter of saying “Ok, let’s accept that History has a role”.
What ordinary citizens should keep in mind is that facts and data provide some of the basic elements of
history as a field of study that connects to other areas, but by themselves they have limited meaning. It
requires a conscious effort to engage with history, celebrate memories and ensure that significant events
[25] and lessons are passed on to the next generations. 

It seems unlikely that there would be mutual respect and understanding between different groups
without awareness of these narratives. This awareness has been shown to dismantle stereotypes,
challenge prejudices and build bridges between different cultural groups, fostering a more cohesive and
harmonious society. When societies overlook significant historical events, they may fail to learn from
[30] previous injustices, conflicts or failures.

When people recognize the fragility of cultural memory, they may feel compelled to engage with their
history, whether through storytelling, education or community activities. This active participation can
strengthen communal bonds and promote intergenerational knowledge transfer, ensuring that valuable
lessons from the past are not lost to time. Finally, when individuals do engage with the histories and
[35] experiences of others, they are more likely to appreciate the complexities of cultural identities and the
impact of historical events on various communities.

Adaptado de bohotude.com.

Forgetting our past could cost us our future

Cultural amnesia refers to the phenomenon where societies ignore significant historical events, lessons,
and cultural practices, leading to a fragmentation of knowledge and identity. This forgetfulness can arise
from various factors, including the rapid pace of modernization, globalization and the overwhelming
influence of technology, which often prioritizes immediacy over historical context. As a result, vital
[5] lessons from the past may be disregarded, leaving individuals and communities disconnected from their
heritage and the wisdom embedded in historical narratives. 

It is widely known that this fragmentation frequently undermines a society’s ability to learn from past
mistakes. This phenomenon of cultural amnesia is not merely a contemporary issue; it has been observed
throughout history. Many societies have experienced periods of forgetting or neglecting significant
[10] events due to political motives, societal shifts or collective trauma. For example, the aftermath of wars
often sees nations rewriting histories to foster national unity or to justify certain actions, leading to
a distorted collective memory. In some cases, governments may actively suppress historical truths to
maintain power, creating a dangerous precedent where the past is selectively remembered or entirely
erased. Actually, the frequency of cultural amnesia varies across societies and historical contexts, but it
[15] is a recurring theme that has profound implications.

Cultural amnesia frequently highlights a troubling tendency to overlook the lessons of history, leading
to a fragmented understanding of identity and heritage. When the emphasis is placed on the new and
the immediate, the rich tapestry of history can become fragmented, leading to a shallow understanding
of cultural identity. To counteract this trend, it is essential for communities to prioritize historical
[20] awareness, engage with their narratives.

Addressing cultural amnesia is not simply a matter of saying “Ok, let’s accept that History has a role”.
What ordinary citizens should keep in mind is that facts and data provide some of the basic elements of
history as a field of study that connects to other areas, but by themselves they have limited meaning. It
requires a conscious effort to engage with history, celebrate memories and ensure that significant events
[25] and lessons are passed on to the next generations. 

It seems unlikely that there would be mutual respect and understanding between different groups
without awareness of these narratives. This awareness has been shown to dismantle stereotypes,
challenge prejudices and build bridges between different cultural groups, fostering a more cohesive and
harmonious society. When societies overlook significant historical events, they may fail to learn from
[30] previous injustices, conflicts or failures.

When people recognize the fragility of cultural memory, they may feel compelled to engage with their
history, whether through storytelling, education or community activities. This active participation can
strengthen communal bonds and promote intergenerational knowledge transfer, ensuring that valuable
lessons from the past are not lost to time. Finally, when individuals do engage with the histories and
[35] experiences of others, they are more likely to appreciate the complexities of cultural identities and the
impact of historical events on various communities.

Adaptado de bohotude.com.

READ THE TEXT BELOW, THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

With 100 days to go until COP30, Belém is undergoing a sweeping transformation. In preparation for the global climate conference, which will take place in November 2025, the federal government — working in partnership with the Government of Pará and the Belém City Hall — is leading a broad agenda of investments and construction projects.

    For Valter Correia, Special Secretary for COP30, hosting the United Nations Climate Conference (UNCC) in Belém is a historical milestone. “This is the first Climate Conference to be held in the Amazon, and Brazil is mobilizing to deliver a global event that matches the urgency of the climate crisis,” says Correia.

    That symbolism is backed by more than BRL 4 billion (approximately USD 722 million) in structural investments that are directly benefiting the local population through longawaited infrastructure projects. COP30 is also creating jobs and stimulating sectors, such as construction, hospitality, transportation, tourism, and food services. It is helping to elevate the Amazon as a global climate leader while attracting strategic investments and partnerships to the region.

    Funding for these initiatives includes resources from the federal budget, Itaipu Binacional, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), and matching contributions from state and municipal governments. The aim is to ensure that Belém is fully equipped — with safety, comfort, and high-quality infrastructure — to welcome more than 50,000 participants, including official delegations, civil society representatives, and the press.

Adapted from: https://cop30.br/en/news-about-cop30/belem-under-construction-the-final-100-days-beforecop30

Glossary

   Sweeping: extensa

   Broad: ampla
   Hosting: sediando
   Milestone: evento
   Backed by: apoiado por
   Matching: similar

READ THE TEXT BELOW, THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

With 100 days to go until COP30, Belém is undergoing a sweeping transformation. In preparation for the global climate conference, which will take place in November 2025, the federal government — working in partnership with the Government of Pará and the Belém City Hall — is leading a broad agenda of investments and construction projects.

    For Valter Correia, Special Secretary for COP30, hosting the United Nations Climate Conference (UNCC) in Belém is a historical milestone. “This is the first Climate Conference to be held in the Amazon, and Brazil is mobilizing to deliver a global event that matches the urgency of the climate crisis,” says Correia.

    That symbolism is backed by more than BRL 4 billion (approximately USD 722 million) in structural investments that are directly benefiting the local population through longawaited infrastructure projects. COP30 is also creating jobs and stimulating sectors, such as construction, hospitality, transportation, tourism, and food services. It is helping to elevate the Amazon as a global climate leader while attracting strategic investments and partnerships to the region.

    Funding for these initiatives includes resources from the federal budget, Itaipu Binacional, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), and matching contributions from state and municipal governments. The aim is to ensure that Belém is fully equipped — with safety, comfort, and high-quality infrastructure — to welcome more than 50,000 participants, including official delegations, civil society representatives, and the press.

Adapted from: https://cop30.br/en/news-about-cop30/belem-under-construction-the-final-100-days-beforecop30

Glossary

   Sweeping: extensa

   Broad: ampla
   Hosting: sediando
   Milestone: evento
   Backed by: apoiado por
   Matching: similar

A questão está relacionada ao texto abaixo.

[1]    Do all people deserve to be loved? To be
able to answer such a question, we ........
first understand its meaning. The common
view regarding love meets Plato’s view on it
[5] quite nicely. His view as elaborated in his
dialogues Phaedo and Symposium is that
love for someone or something is a type of
desire. Specifically, it is a desire for beauty.
Yet by desiring a certain person or thing, we
[10] must also desire its conservation, its
protection, and its general wellbeing – by
which I simply mean, lack of pain or its non-

destruction. If on the contrary, we want a
certain thing or person to change, that
[15] would necessarily mean that we want it to
be different from the way it is, implying that
we do not love it, at least as it is. Defining
love in this way does satisfy a common belief
on the subject, which is that if someone truly
[20] loves you then they will accept you as you
are and will not desire your alteration.
Counting all this in, my initial question could
be rephrased as: Do all people deserve to be
desired just as they are?
[25]    Evidently, the term ‘deserve’ is an ethical
term. If person A does deserve thing B, then
it is morally correct for A to have B.
Therefore, in order to answer our question,
we must now also find out what we
[30] morally ........ desire. The question then
becomes: is it morally right for all people to
be desired just as they are?
     If something should exist, we call it
‘good’, and contrarily, we call something that
[35] should not exist ‘bad’. So the desire for
something good should itself exist, since it
promotes something that should exist.
Similarly, the desire for something bad
should not exist, or be encouraged to exist.
[40] We can also clearly see that love is not
always good, since it can form for bad
things. So such sayings as ‘Love is love’ in
fact hold no meaning, for they grow from the
assumption that love is always good, which
[45] it isn’t. More than that, we can also see from
this that love is not an intrinsic virtue (as it
is widely claimed to be), for it can be
unhealthy if it is directed towards something
unworthy – which is everything except what
[50] is good.
     ‘Perfect’ is what I call something that is
precisely the way it should be – meaning

that it is totally good. So if something is
imperfect, this means that it is in part bad –
[55] which implies that it should change and not
be as it is. Furthermore, it is rather well
known how rare perfection in humans is, and
if one reaches perfection then they should
be called God rather than human; so we will
[60] say that no human is entirely perfect; so all
humans are in part bad.
    Now we’re ready to draw some
conclusions, which to some ........ seem
outrageous. We have said that something
[65] should be desired only if it is good, not bad,
and then we said that no human is entirely
good. It would follow that no human should
be desired as they are – meaning that no
one should be loved.
[70]    This seems truly tragic. Do we all really
deserve no love? I wouldn’t be so quick to
conclude that.
    St. Augustine said: “Learn not to love so
that you will learn to love.” He is advising us
[75] to stop loving people, for they are all wicked
in part, and to start loving the good itself,
which too is present in all. Humans should
not be the primary object of love – the good
itself should be – but that also means that
[80] everyone does deserve a certain amount of
love, for everyone does contain a certain
amount of good within them, even though
they’re not perfect. This also applies to love
of self, which too ........ not be directed to
[85] ourselves, but to the good we contain (so
the very term ‘self-love’ is misleading).
Meister Eckhart seems to have arrived at the
same conclusion when he said that God, who
in the Judeo-Christian tradition is morally
[90] perfect, ultimately loves only Himself. As
Eckhart’s theology itself explicitly states, God
Himself is ultimately all the good and all the
beauty. So our original question has been
answered: yes, all people deserve to be
[95] loved, at least insofar as they are good.
    I want to underline that this view – which
might not be seen favourably by the
romantics among us – is by no means sad or
ugly, but progressive and just, pushing all
[100] people towards becoming better people.
One must remember: evil is not loved by the
one who is righteous, but by the one who is
wicked, and in need of moral repair.

Adapted from: TANASĂ, Matei. The Unlovable Parts of a Loving Society. 2022. Retrieved from:https://philosophynow.org/issues/148/The_Unlovable_Parts_of_a_Loving_Society.Accessed: 18 Sep. 2025.