Questões

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then answer the questions from 33 to 38 by choosing the correct alternative.

Brazil corruption scandals: All you need to know

For the past three years, Brazil has been gripped by a scandal which started with a state-owned oil company and grew to encapsulate people at the very top of business - and even presidents.

On the face of it, it is a straightforward corruption scandal - albeit one involving millions of dollars in kickbacks and more than 80 politicians and members of the business elite.

But as the tentacles of the investigation dubbed Operation Car Wash fanned out, other scandals emerged.

It has led to some of those who have found themselves accused claiming they are the victims of political plots, designed to bar them from office.

What is Operation Car Wash?

Operation Car Wash began in March 2014 as an investigation into allegations that Brazil's biggest construction firms overcharged state-oil company Petrobras for building contracts.

Investigators accused directors at the firm - named the world's most ethical oil and gas company in 2008 - of skimming the extra money off the top as a bribe for awarding the contract.

Which is bad enough - but then the Workers' Party found itself dragged into the corruption scandal amid allegations of having funneled some of these funds to pay off politicians and buy their votes and help with political campaigns.

Among those accused in the scandal were dozens of politicians, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - the country's extremely popular former president, known affectionately as "Lula".

Text for the questions from 38 to 50.

Sound Advice for Language Learners

1 A recent issue of a language learning magazine has

consulted a number of experts in the field of second

language acquisition. Their advice may prove invaluable for

4 those considering a language course. Ask yourself some

basic questions, they suggest. Did you enjoy studying

languages at school, for example? Can you really afford the

7 time to learn a language?

First and foremost, you have to be realistic in your

goals. If you fail to set achievable aims you are likely to give

10 up. Besides, it is worth knowing that the most expensive

courses are not necessarily the best. You should also bear in

mind that the quicker you learn a language the more quickly

13 you forget it. Sue Miller, a French teacher, attempted to

teach herself German by enrolling on a crash course.

Already fluent in three languages, her chances of making

16 progress were high. Two years on she hardly remembers

anything. “I should have chosen a regular course in order to

have more time for practice and consolidation.”

19 Sue’s comment is certainly a good piece of advice.

Internet: <www.flo‐joe.uk> (adapted).

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then answer the questions from 21 to 26 by choosing the correct alternative.

Grammarly corrects your writing errors on every device

Sometimes, it pays to make a good first impression. When you‘re writing that important email pitch, Grammarly can help. This intelligent app is like a personal writing coach, spotting your errors and suggesting improvements. It can even check your work for plagiarism.

Whereas Microsoft Word often misunderstands the context of your writing, Grammarly is intelligent enough to follow along. The app lets you fix spelling mistakes, grammar faults, and punctuation errors with a couple of clicks. The app actually explains where you went wrong, so you can avoid making the same mistakes twice.

In addition, Grammarly can find areas for improvement and make relevant suggestions. The app even adapts to your style with genre-specific checks, and the plagiarism checker compares your work with 8 billion web pages.

Along with the main app, Grammarly offers a neat browser extension. This means you get the same checks across the web—whether you‘re crafting the perfect tweet or updating your LinkedIn profile. It‘s an essential tool when you want to look professional online.

By Stack Commerce January 5, 2018 –Popular Science.

Text for the questions from 38 to 50.

Sound Advice for Language Learners

1 A recent issue of a language learning magazine has

consulted a number of experts in the field of second

language acquisition. Their advice may prove invaluable for

4 those considering a language course. Ask yourself some

basic questions, they suggest. Did you enjoy studying

languages at school, for example? Can you really afford the

7 time to learn a language?

First and foremost, you have to be realistic in your

goals. If you fail to set achievable aims you are likely to give

10 up. Besides, it is worth knowing that the most expensive

courses are not necessarily the best. You should also bear in

mind that the quicker you learn a language the more quickly

13 you forget it. Sue Miller, a French teacher, attempted to

teach herself German by enrolling on a crash course.

Already fluent in three languages, her chances of making

16 progress were high. Two years on she hardly remembers

anything. “I should have chosen a regular course in order to

have more time for practice and consolidation.”

19 Sue’s comment is certainly a good piece of advice.

Internet: <www.flo‐joe.uk> (adapted).

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then answer the questions from 33 to 38 by choosing the correct alternative.

Brazil corruption scandals: All you need to know

For the past three years, Brazil has been gripped by a scandal which started with a state-owned oil company and grew to encapsulate people at the very top of business - and even presidents.

On the face of it, it is a straightforward corruption scandal - albeit one involving millions of dollars in kickbacks and more than 80 politicians and members of the business elite.

But as the tentacles of the investigation dubbed Operation Car Wash fanned out, other scandals emerged.

It has led to some of those who have found themselves accused claiming they are the victims of political plots, designed to bar them from office.

What is Operation Car Wash?

Operation Car Wash began in March 2014 as an investigation into allegations that Brazil's biggest construction firms overcharged state-oil company Petrobras for building contracts.

Investigators accused directors at the firm - named the world's most ethical oil and gas company in 2008 - of skimming the extra money off the top as a bribe for awarding the contract.

Which is bad enough - but then the Workers' Party found itself dragged into the corruption scandal amid allegations of having funneled some of these funds to pay off politicians and buy their votes and help with political campaigns.

Among those accused in the scandal were dozens of politicians, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - the country's extremely popular former president, known affectionately as "Lula".

Read text I and answer questions 41 to 55:

Text I

Technology for children in the classroom

Attitudes to technology

Many people are afraid of new technology, and, with the

increasing presence of the Internet and computers, the term

technophobe has appeared to refer to those of us who might

5 be wary of these new developments. More recently, the term

digital native has been invented to refer to someone who

grows up using technology, and who therefore feels

comfortable and confident with it – typically today’s children.

Their parents, on the other hand, tend to be digital

10 immigrants, who have come late to the world of technology, if

at all. In many cases, teachers are the digital immigrants and

our younger students are the digital natives.

What about you? How confident do you feel about using

the Internet and computers? Although there is a tendency to

15 call computer users either technophobes or technogeeks (a

term for a technology enthusiast), the truth is that most of us

probably fall somewhere between the two extremes.

Technology and young learners

Modern technologies are very powerful because they rely

20 on one of the most powerful genetic biases we have — the

preference for visually presented information. Television,

movies, videos, and most computer programs are very visually

oriented and therefore attract and maintain the attention of

young children.

25 The problem with this is that many of the modern

technologies are very passive. Because of this they do not

provide children with the quality and quantity of crucial

emotional, social, cognitive, or physical experiences they

require when they are young.

30 On the other hand, there are many positive qualities to

modern technologies. The technologies that benefit young

children the greatest are those that are interactive and allow

the child to develop their curiosity, problem solving and

independent thinking skills.

35 Computers allow interaction. Children can control the pace

and activity and make things happen on computers. They can

also repeat an activity again and again if they choose.

In practice, computers supplement and do not replace highly

valued early childhood activities and materials, such as art,

40 blocks, sand, water, books, exploration with writing materials,

and dramatic play. Research indicates that computers can be

used in developmentally appropriate ways beneficial to

children and also can be misused, just as any tool can.

Developmentally appropriate software offers opportunities for

45 collaborative play, learning, and creation. Educators must use

professional judgment in evaluating and using this learning tool

appropriately, applying the same criteria they would to any

other learning tool or experience.

Char Soucy (a primary school teacher) mentions: "Reading

50 books, handling real books, learning to take care of books,

turning pages, and interacting with human beings about

literature are still vital for learning to read." There are

electronic books, but they are really not the same thing as real

books. There must be a balance between the two. Computers

55 are highly motivating to today's students, who come to school

with plenty of visual stimulation from TV, video games, and

other technological sources, but it is not a good idea to go all

electronic or to let technology replace what teachers have

done for a long time with learning how to read or write.

(Retrieved and adapted from http://pearsonclassroomlink.com /articles/0711/0711_0102.htm on June 10th, 2014)