Questões de Concurso Sobre pronomes | pronouns em inglês

Model copes with chaos to deliver relief Computer program helps responders transport supplies in tough conditions
By Rachel Ehrenberg Science News, Web edition: Monday, February 21st, 2011
WASHINGTON — Getting blood or other perishable supplies to an area that’s been struck by an earthquake or hurricane isn’t as simple as asking what brown can do for you. But a new model quickly determines the best routes and means for delivering humanitarian aid, even in situations where bridges are out or airport tarmacs are clogged with planes.
The research, presented February 18 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, could help get supplies to areas which have experienced natural disasters or help prepare for efficient distribution of vaccines when the flu hits.
Efficient supply chains have long been a goal of manufacturers, but transport in fragile networks — where supply, demand and delivery routes may be in extremely rapid flux — requires a different approach, said Anna Nagurney of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who presented the new work. Rather than considering the shortest path from one place to another to maximize profit, her system aims for the cleanest path at minimum cost, while capturing factors such as the perishability of the product and the uncertainty of supply routes. ‘You don’t know where demand is, so it’s tricky,’ said Nagurney. ‘It’s a multicriteria decision-making problem.’
By calculating the total cost associated with each link in a network, accounting for congestion and incorporating penalties for time and products that are lost, the computer model calculates the best supply chain in situations where standard routes may be disrupted.
‘Mathematical tools are essential to develop formal means to predict, and to respond to, such critical perturbations,’ said Iain Couzin of Princeton University, who uses similar computational tools to study collective animal behavior. ‘This is particularly important where response must be rapid and effective, such as during disaster scenarios … or during epidemics or breaches of national security.
’ The work can be applied to immediate, pressing situations, such as getting blood, food or medication to a disaster site, or to longer-term problems such as determining the best locations for manufacturing flu vaccines. . Retrieved April 7th, 2011.

Instruções: Para responder as questões de números 11 a 17,
considere o texto abaixo.

We can help you save energy in the home…

There are lots of things you can do to save energy at home, from simple things like washing at 30 °C, saving water and
recycling, to insulating your loft and cavity walls. By saving energy you’ll be reducing your home’s carbon dioxide () emissions
and helping to fight climate change.

Why should you save energy?

Over 40 per cent of the UK’s man-made emissions actually come from energy we use every day – at home and when
we travel. To generate that energy, we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) that produce ‘greenhouse’ gases – in particular –
which are changing our climate and damaging the environment.

The greenhouse effect

and various other gases wrap the Earth in an invisible ‘blanket’, helping to prevent heat from escaping. Without this
greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Earth would be around -18 ºC, compared with the current average of around +15
ºC. This blanket of gases has remained at a constant concentration for many thousands of years. Since the Industrial Revolution
began around 200 years ago, people have been burning more fossil fuels. This has increased the heating effect of the ‘blanket’,
trapping more of the sun’s energy inside our atmosphere. In turn the Earth’s temperature has increased more rapidly in a shorter
period of time than it has for thousands of years.

The impact of climate change

People sometimes think that climate change will be a positive thing for the UK, giving us warmer summers and fewer cold
winters. But hotter summers and less rain in the south and east will mean water shortages, forest fires and damage to crops and
wildlife. In the north and west there could be much heavier rain and more flooding. As the polar ice caps continue to melt, rising sea
levels will threaten many coastal communities. Overall, the cost to society, the environment, our health and the economy is likely to
far outweigh any benefits.

Make a difference

The average UK household creates around six tonnes of every year – that’s 6,000 kg – to heat and power their home.
Making your home more energy efficient could save you up to £340 a year and reduce your home’s emissions by up to 1,500–
2,000 kg. You could save even more by switching to renewable energy sources, by walking, cycling or using public transport
whenever possible, and by driving more efficiently.
(Texto introdutório ao manual “A guide to energy saving in the home”, disponível em: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Resources/Publications.)