Questões de Inglês - Preposições | Prepositions para Concurso

TEXT III

Important reasons for teaching kindness in schools

Most people have heard the phrase random acts of kindness, which refers to a selfless act of giving

resulting in the happiness of another person. Terms like this are increasing in popularity around the

world, as more people identify a deficiency in their lives that can only be fulfilled by altruism.

It seems we just can't get enough of those addictive feel good emotions and with good reason.

5 Scientific studies have shown that kindness has a great number of physical and emotional benefits,

and that children require a healthy dose of the warm and fuzzies in order to flourish as health, happy,

well-rounded individuals.

Patty O'Grady, PhD, is an expert in the area of neuroscience, emotional learning, and positive

psychology with special attention to the educational arena. She believes that kindness changes the brain

10 by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and

talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. Kindness is an emotion that

students feel and empathy is a strength that they share.

A great number of benefits have been reported to support the theory of teaching kindness in schools:

1. Happy Children

15 Science explains that the good feelings we experience when being kind are produced by endorphins

that activate areas of the brain that are associated with pleasure, social connection and trust, and it's

proven that these feelings of joyfulness are contagious, encouraging more kind behaviour by the giver

and recipient.

2. Increased Peer Acceptance

20 Research on the subject has determined that kindness increases our ability to form meaningful

connections with others. Studies show that kind, happy children enjoy greater peer acceptance

because they are well-liked and that better than average mental health is reported in classrooms that

practice more inclusive behaviour due to an even distribution of popularity.

3. Improved Health and Less Stress

25 It's widely documented that being kind can trigger a release of the hormone oxytocin which has a

number of physical and mental health benefits as it can significantly increase a person's level of

happiness and reduce stress. More recently though, it's been found it plays a significant role in the

cardiovascular system, helping protect the heart by lowering blood pressure and reducing free

radicals and inflammation, which incidentally speed up the aging process.

30 4. Greater Sense of Belonging and Improved Self Esteem

Studies show that people experience a 'helpers high' when they do a good deed, a rush of endorphins

that creates a lasting sense of pride, wellbeing and an enriched sense of belonging. Even small acts of

kindness are reported to heighten our sense of wellbeing, increase energy and give a wonderful

feeling of optimism and self worth.

35 5. Increased Feelings of Gratitude

When children are part of projects that help others less fortunate than themselves, it provides them

with a real sense of perspective and helps them appreciate the good things in their own lives.

6. Better Concentration and Improved Results

As it increases serotonin, which plays an important part in learning, memory, mood, sleep, health and

40 digestion, kindness is a key ingredient that helps children feel good. Having a positive outlook allows

them greater attentions spans and enables more creative thinking to produce better results at school.

7. Less Bullying

Two Penn State Harrisburg faculty researchers, Shanetia Clark and Barbara Marinak say, unlike

previous generations, today's adolescents are victimizing each other at alarming rates. They argue adolescent

45 bullying and youth violence can be confronted through in-school programs that integrate kindness the

antithesis of victimization.

Many traditional anti-bullying programs focus on the negative actions that cause children anxiety and

often with little impact. Teaching kindness and compassion in schools, not only fosters the positive

behaviour that creates warm and inclusive school environments, but helps children feel that they

50 belong. It's documented that the effects of bullying can be significantly reduced by integrating

kindness based programs in schools.

8. Reduced Depression

Dr. Wayne Dyer, internationally renowned author and speaker, says research has discovered that an

act of kindness increases levels of serotonin (a natural chemical responsible for improving mood) in

55 the brain. It's also found that serotonin levels are increased in both the giver and receiver of an act of

kindness, as well as anyone who witnesses that kindness, making it a wonderful natural

antidepressant.

Maurice Elias, a professor at Rutgers University Psychology Department says that as a citizen,

grandparent, father, and professional, it is clear to me that the mission of schools must include teaching kindness.

60 Without it, communities, families, schools, and classrooms become places of incivility where lasting learning is

unlikely to take place.

We need to be prepared to teach kindness, because it can be delayed due to maltreatment early in life. It can be

smothered under the weight of poverty, and it can be derailed by victimization later in life. Yet despite these and

other travails, the receipt of kindness and the ability to show kindness through service are both growth enhancing

65 and soul cleansing.

Kindness can be taught, and it is a defining aspect of civilized human life. It belongs in every home, school,

neighborhood, and society.

It's become quite clear that modern education must encompass more than just academics, that in order

for children to develop into happy, confident, well-rounded individuals, matters of the heart must be

70 taken seriously and nurtured as a matter of priority.

Disponível em: <http://edarticle.com/8-important-reasons-for-teaching-kindness-in-schools/>. Acesso em: 15 set. 2016.

O texto seguinte servirá de base para responder às questões de 28 a 32.

Popular hot drink 'lowers blood glucose levels in weeks - and could help prevent diabetes and silent killers'

(1º§) Drinking more green tea made significant improvements to health - a finding which surprised US researchers. They believe the brew could offset risk factors that are linked to metabolic syndrome.

(2º§) Metabolic syndrome, according to the NHS, is the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and obesity. Therefore, people are more likely to have metabolic syndrome if they are overweight, and have poor or high levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.

(3º§) However, the new study, by Ohio State University, suggests green tea could improve all these factors. And in turn, it could slash the odds of deadly complications related to metabolic syndrome - coronary heart disease and stroke. A group of 40 people were recruited for the study. For one part of the study, they took green tea supplements for 28 days.

(4º§) The gummy sweets contained the compound catechinsdose and was the equivalent of five cups of green tea. ___ another 28 days, they had dummy pills, according to the findings published in Current Developments in Nutrition. In both parts of the experiments they ate a diet that was low in fruit and veg to make sure any positive results could be attributed to green tea, and not a healthy diet.

(5º§) The results showed that fasting blood glucose levels for all participants were significantly lower during the green-tea phase. Poo samples showed fewer markers of gut inflammation, and "leaky gut" was reduced. Leaky gut, or gut permeability, is when the gut lining has cracks or holes in, allowing bacteria to enter the bloodstream and cause inflammation.

(6º§) This is thought to be an "initiating factor for obesity and insulin resistance, which are central to all cardiometabolic disorders", according to Richard Bruno, senior study author and professor of human nutrition. He said: "If we can improve gut integrity and reduce leaky gut, the thought is we'll be able to not only alleviate low-grade inflammation that initiates cardiometabolic disorders, but potentially reverse them."

(7º§) All the participants - half healthy and half with metabolic syndrome - saw benefits, an unexpected finding for the research team. Prof Bruno said: "What this tells us is that within one month we're able to lower blood glucose ___ both people with metabolic syndrome and healthy people.

(8º§) "The lowering of blood glucose appears to be related to decreasing leaky gut and decreasing gut inflammation - regardless of health status." But Prof Bruno added: "We did not attempt to cure metabolic syndrome with a one-month study. "But based on what we know about the causal factors behind metabolic syndrome, there is potential for green tea to be acting at least in part ___ the gut level to alleviate the risk for either developing it or reversing it if you already have metabolic syndrome."

(9º§) Most often, doctors will tell people at risk of metabolic syndrome to improve their lifestyle habits - eat healthier and exercise more. "Unfortunately, we know most persons can't comply with lifestyle modifications for various reasons," Prof Bruno said. Green tea isn't as popular in the Western world as it is in the East, where it has origins in China.

(10º§) It's touted as a healthy drink because studies have found evidence it helps with weight loss, heart disease risk and even cancer. But the findings aren't very strong and are often observational, have small sample sizes or other limitations.

(adapted) https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/19350396/green-tea-lowers-bloodglucose-levels-prevent-silent-killers/