Questões de Concurso Sobre advérbios e conjunções | adverbs and conjunctions em inglês

TEXT II

World Work Worker Workplace

Does your workplace offer affordances for #wellbeing? Natural light, movement, a view, informal areas to socialize or collaborate? 40% say no. 

NASA’s Nuclear Frontier: The Plum Brook Reactor Facility

    There are three main types of nuclear reactors: power, research, and test. Research and test reactors as scientific tools are more common than most people realize. While power reactors frequently appear in newspaper headlines and are conspicuous because of their size and power, research reactors can be quietly tucked away, even in the midst of a college campus. Power reactors generate heat, which can easily be converted to other useable forms of energy, such as electricity. Research reactors operate at very low thermal power levels – so low, in fact, that they do not even require any type of forced cooling. They are used to measure nuclear parameters and other characteristics, which can then be used to build other reactors or to design experiments for test reactors. Test reactors are more powerful than research reactors and are able to produce much more intense radiation fields. Though they are still much less powerful than the power reactors, they generate enough heat to require a closed-loop forced-circulation coolant system. This system will remove the heat from the reactor by transferring it to a secondary cooling system, which releases it into the atmosphere through cooling towers.

NASA’s Nuclear Frontier: The Plum Brook Reactor Facility. Pages 36 to 40. 

Text III

Here are some of the conclusions of a study conducted by The British Council to examine the policy, perceptions and influencing factors of English in Brazil:

[…] Brazil does not have a policy that focuses solely on teaching and learning English. The National Education Guidelines identify English as one of many foreign languages offered to students in primary and secondary education. Various English language learning initiatives have emerged at the federal, state and municipal levels however many English initiatives have limited success due to unbalanced curriculums, limited class time, teachers lacking the linguistic and pedagogical knowledge to effectively guide students, and minimal resources.[…]

Those working in internationalised industries, especially in management roles, do need English for employment though they may use it sparingly. As FDI ("Foreign Direct Investment") and interaction with other countries grow, especially in localised sectors, the demand for English as a medium of communication will increase. Currently, Brazil‘s average level of education and lack of English are perceived by some as detrimental to its economic growth and investment.[…] 

Perceptions of English language use are changing. Younger generations are more open to English and link it less to a political agenda and more with personal growth and opportunity. Although there seem to be deeply-rooted ideological barriers at a national level to prioritise English over other languages, at an individual level, the language is gaining increased value and influence.

(Source: British Council Education Intelligence. (2015). English in Brazil: An examination of policy, perceptions and

influencing factors. Retrieved and adapted from https://ei.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/latin-americaresearch/English%20in%20Brazil.pdf.)

A recent study, performed with children aged 2 months to 10 years, produced clinicai evidence delineating the stages a child goes through in developing a self-image. It involved exposing the child to his reflection in both a true mirror and then one that was convexly distorted. Children from 9 to 10 months old were highly responsive to both the true and the distorted mirror images. Their excitement, attention, and activity seemed to be unaffected by the distortion, indicating they had no self-image. Slightly older children, aged 10 to 11 months, made rhythmic circular movements when exposed to their distorted image as though attempting to correct the distortion. This change in response indicates the child may have some idea of his image and perhaps recognizes the distorted image is wrong. Amarked change in response changes when a child reaches 18 to 22 months of age. The child avoids both images, having begun to develop a self-image which does not match the mirror image. From 2 to 5 years, the child has developed a definite self-image which is recognizable in the mirror, since the child literally flees the distorted image. Children ages 7 to 10 had reached a levei of cognitive development which allowed them to laugh at the distorted images, play with the mirror and observe the changes they could effect.

                                                                                                                       Crescer magazine 1992

AUNT ACQUITTED IN NIECE’S HIT-AND-RUN DEATH

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015 BY TAMARA APARTON

      San Francisco, CA − A woman charged with child endangerment after a hit-and-run driver fatally struck her 2-year-old niece as the family crossed against a traffic light was acquitted of all charges today, San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi announced.

      Jurors deliberated a day and a half before clearing Loyresha Gage, 26, of felony child endangerment resulting in death and misdemeanor child endangerment. Gage faced up to 10 years in state prison, said her attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kevin Mitchell.

      The tragic incident occurred Aug. 15, 2014. Gage was caring for her sister’s 2-year-old twins. As the three left the Metreon after seeing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Gage took a long-awaited call from a friend who had been a no-show to the planned movie date. ..I.. still on the phone, Gage attempted to navigate a crosswalk on Mission Street.

      After waiting for traffic to clear, Gage and her niece, Mi’yana Gregory, stepped into the crosswalk. A little less than halfway across Mission Street,

      Gage realized her nephew was still on the curb and panicked. As she sprinted back to pick him up, a sedan sped down Mission and fatally struck Mi’yana.

      Gage was arrested Aug. 19 and police never found the hit-and-run driver.

      Gage’s family did not want her prosecuted and attended the trial to support her. The prosecutor’s decision to charge Gage was extremely painful for her family, who were struggling to cope with losing Mi’yana, Mitchell said.

      Adachi praised the jury’s decision.

      “The decision to treat this tragic mistake like a crime only added to the pain and suffering Ms. Gage and her entire family experienced. Fortunately, her public defender worked hard to ensure her case was heard,” Adachi said.

(http://sfpublicdefender.org/news/2015/07/aunt-acquitted-in-nieces-hit-and-run-death/) 

Teen romance usually digitally enhanced, says US study

Technology plays a key role in teenage romance from initial encounters to eventual break-ups, says a US study.

Teenagers rarely meet online but do use technology for flirting, asking out, meeting up and parting, American think tank, the Pew Research Center, found.

A survey of 1,060 US teenagers aged 13 to 17 revealed that technology brings them closer but also breeds jealousy.

"Digital platforms are powerful tools for teens," said Amanda Lenhart, lead author of the report from Pew.

"But even as teens enjoy greater closeness with partners and a chance to display their relationships for others to see, mobile and social media can also be tools for jealousy, meddling and even troubling behaviour."

Digital romance, broken down

Of the 1,060 teenagers surveyed:

• 35% said they were currently dating and 59% of that group said technology made them feel closer to their partner.

• For boys who were dating, 65% said social media made them more connected to a significant other while it was 52% for girls.

• 27% of dating teenagers thought social media made them feel jealous or insecure in relationships.

• 50% of all teens surveyed, dating or not, said they had indicated interest by friending someone on Facebook or other social media and 47% expressed attraction by likes and comments.

• Texting is king - 92% of teens who were dating said they texted a partner, assuming the partner would check in with "great regularity"

• Jealousy happens, but not as much as flirting does - 11% of teenage daters reported accessing a partner's online  accounts and 16% reported having a partner asking them to de-friend someone.

What gets discussed during all those frequent social media enabled check-ins?

According to the survey, it is mostly "funny stuff" followed by "things you're thinking about" as well as other information such as where they are and what their friends have been doing.

And forget having to meet up to resolve a conflict - 48% of dating teenagers said that could be done by texting or talking online.

Online tools, with their accessibility and ease of use, also showed some signs of giving this group relationship anxiety. Females are more likely to be subject to unwanted flirting and 25% of teenagers surveyed said they have blocked or unfriended someone because of uncomfortable flirting.

And 15% of teenage daters said a partner had used the internet to pressure them into unwanted sexual activity.

'More than emojis'

Nearly half the respondents admitted to concentrating on their phone ahead of their partner when together with 43% of dating teens saying that had happened to them.

"I don't think this survey reveals much that is surprising.

But it is affirming. Humans are social animals and we build tools to connect with each other,"wrote Julie Beck, an associate editor at The Atlantic news site, of the survey's findings.

"It's not all heart emojis all the time, no, but the tools that facilitate relationships facilitate all aspects of them, good and bad. "Connecting with others is scary, hard, sometimes dangerous, but usually, hopefully, good. The teens get it."

(Fonte: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34416989)

TEXT 2

                             Women in Computing

(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/3/19/1363705626950/women-at-computers-003.jpg accessed October 26th, 2015)

                                                                  The Next Generation

Technology is rapidly evolving, but the low number of women in computer science and engineering remains stagnant and experts say that this could have major implications for the future.

“Computing is at the heart of everything,” says Dr. Telle Whitney, CEO of the Anita Borg Institute and co-founder of Grace Hopper Celebration. “To be missing half the population is a significant loss to our world.

In 2014, women made up only 22 percent of the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM) workforce. The number of Canadian women working in STEM fields has barely changed in the past three decades.

“Women look at the world a little differently than men and I think we have a huge opportunity to disrupt and play a big role in the technology space,” says Vicki Saunders, founder of SheEO, an initiative that supports female entrepreneurs.[…]

(MACLEAN’S, October 12th, 2015, p. 1)

                                      What causes hunger?

      The world produces enough to feed the entire global population of 7 billion people. And yet, one person in eight on the planet goes to bed hungry each night. In some countries, one child in three is underweight. Why does hunger exist? There are many reasons for the presence of hunger in the world and they are often interconnected. Here are six that we think are important.  

      Poverty trap

      People living in poverty cannot afford nutritious food for themselves and their families. This makes them weaker and less able to earn the money that would help them escape poverty and hunger. This is not just a day-to-day problem: when children are chronically malnourished, or ‘stunted’, it can affect their future income, condemning them to a life of poverty and hunger. In developing countries, farmers often cannot afford seeds, so they cannot plant the crops that would provide for their families. They may have to cultivate crops without the tools and fertilizers they need. Others have no land or water or education. In short, the poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty. 

      Lack of investment in agriculture

      Too many developing countries lack key agricultural infrastructure, such as enough roads, warehouses and irrigation. The results are high transport costs, lack of storage facilities and unreliable water supplies. All conspire to limit agricultural yields and access to food. Investments in improving land management, using water more efficiently and making more resistant seed types available can bring big improvements. Research by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization shows that investment in agriculture is five times more effective in reducing poverty and hunger than investment in any other sector. 

      Climate and weather

      Natural disasters such as floods, tropical storms and long periods of drought are on the increase – with calamitous consequences for the hungry poor in developing countries. Drought is one of the most common causes of food shortages in the world. In 2011, recurrent drought caused crop failures and heavy livestock losses in parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. In 2012 there was a similar situation in the Sahel region of West Africa. In many countries, climate change is exacerbating  already adverse natural conditions. Increasingly, the world’s fertile farmland is under threat from erosion, salination and desertification. Deforestation by human hands accelerates the erosion of land which could be used for growing food.

      War and displacement

      Across the globe, conflicts consistently disrupt farming and food production. Fighting also forces millions of people to flee their homes, leading to hunger emergencies as the displaced find themselves without the means to feed themselves. The conflict in Syria is a recent example. In war, food sometimes becomes a weapon. Soldiers will starve opponents into submission by seizing or destroying food and livestock and systematically wrecking local markets. Fields are often mined and water wells contaminated, forcing farmers to abandon their land. Ongoing conflict in Somalia and the has contributed significantly to the level of hunger in the two countries. By comparison, hunger is on the retreat in more peaceful parts of Africa such as Ghana and Rwanda.  

      Unstable markets

      In recent years, the price of food products has been very unstable. Roller-coaster food prices make it difficult for the poorest people to access nutritious food consistently. The poor need access to adequate food all year round. Price spikes may temporarily put food out of reach, which can have lasting consequences for small children. When prices rise, consumers often shift to cheaper, less-nutritious foods, heightening the risks of micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of malnutrition.  

      Food wastage

      One third of all food produced (1.3 billion tons) is never consumed. This food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security in a world where one in 8 is hungry. Producing this food also uses up precious natural resources that we need to feed the planet. Each year, food that is produced but not eaten guzzles up a volume of water equivalent to the annual flow of Russia’s Volga River. Producing this food also adds 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, with consequences for the climate and, ultimately, for food production.