Questões de Concurso Comentadas por alunos sobre interpretação de texto | reading comprehension em inglês

(Adapted from Teaching English Today: context

and objectives, Holden & Nobre, 2018, p.03)

All languages reflect the culture of the countries and regions where they have developed and are used. However, some languages are also used as a means of communication between a wide range of non-native speakers and contexts. In this way, the communication develops new priorities to reflect those contexts.

Today, English is probably the prime example of a global language. It is used to communicate in areas such as the workplace, science and technology, the arts and in the world of business. This is why so many parents are keen of their children to start learning it at an ever-earlier age. Students, too, realize that English in more than just a school subject: it is important for their own future success. This realization can be used to your advantage as a teacher:

Your students should be aware that English is widely used among non-native speakers in a variety of contexts in their own environments. It is no longer just linked with going to the US or Britain.

They are more likely to be motivated if they feel they are being given appropriate materials and practice for their own needs, which is easier to do nowadays, since English is present almost everywhere.

In fact, you are part of this world where English is used, however imperfectly, in real life, as well as being part of that other, classroom world. This gives your role even more importance.

There are, then, clear practical and economic reasons why it is important for as many of your students as possible to feel positive about learning English, and ultimately, to feel confident about using it. However, there is also an equally important reason, which applies to all languages: their social function.

Learning and using another language can put people into contact, directly or indirectly, with others from different societies and cultures. It exposes them to different ways of thinking, different ways of communicating, different values. This, in turn, encourages them to think about their own culture, values and way of life. They realize there is not just one way of doing something, but many different ones.

In other words, as well as equipping learners with practical skills, learning a foreign language extends their horizons, which is one of the important aims of education in most countries.

Why Easter is bad for ducks

      On Christmas Eve, two Pekin ducks were found frozen to a pond in Smithville, Ohio. They flapped their wings and squawked, fruitlessly struggling to free themselves until two locals, Maiara and Helder Bertolucci, spotted them. The pair slid on their stomachs over razor-thin ice and chiseled the animals free.

       The rescued ducks—later named Olaf and Elsa, after characters from Disney’s Frozen—were two of 109 domestic ducks abandoned in a pond outside of a restaurant. A local group ________ Good Sprout Rescue and Sanctuary rescued the animals; two died, but the rest were rehomed to sanctuaries or adopted. Every spring, the Barn Restaurant would buy a hundred new babies for its patrons to enjoy— but since this incident they’ve __________ not to do so again.

         Every year in springtime, particularly at Easter, many people “impulse buy” ducklings as gifts, often for their kids. But after the holiday, sometimes months later, animal rescuers routinely see an uptick in abandoned adult ducks in local parks and ponds, Di Leonardo says. There’s no ________ data on how often this happens, but he estimates tens of thousands of domestic ducks are dumped each year throughout the U.S. His organization rescues as many as 500 ducks per year in the New York City area alone.

Fonte: (National Geographic – adaptado.)

(1º§)EACH passing day brings many moments that cause you to furrow your brow. And the more face scrunching you do, the more dreaded lines are likely to emerge __ your forehead. But before you devote time (and a decent amount of money) to fading those pesky wrinkles, it's good idea to try and figure out what's really causing your lines. If you're under 30, chances are your forehead 'wrinkles' are in fact just dehydrated skin, according to one medic.

(2º§)Dr Ivy Lee, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in southern California, US, said dehydration lines can be easily improved without splashing the cash on Botox. She told Insider that unlike wrinkles caused by repetitive muscle movement dehydration lines are finer and have a "crepe paper-like texture when the affected skin is not well hydrated." And while we may associate dehydration with drinking water, the expert said drinking more water does not have any added skin benefits. Instead, she urges young people to use topical skin treatments.

(3º§)Dr Ivy said you should look for moisturisers that contain the following three ingredients:

Humectants, which attract water into the skin (eg: hyaluronic acid)

Emollients, which repair the skin barrier and soften the skin (ex: squalene and plant-derived oils).

Occlusives, which "trap moisture into the skin by creating a seal," the expert said (ex: hydrated petroleum or mineral oil).

(4º§) She recommended using CeraVe Moisturising Cream - a 177ml tube from Boots costs will set up back just £10.

(5º§) There's no denying that luxury products contain some premium ingredients and look pretty aesthetic, but given the cost __ living crisis, affordable skincare is just as important, especially when the products work just as well. Some dermatologists have shared their favourite skincare swaps for luxury products that they say work as effectively as expensive versions.

(6º§)Vaseline vs La Mer lip balm

La Mer lip balm is touted __ many celebs as a bit of a handbag necessity. But according to Mia, nothing beats a pot of good-old Vaseline. And while La Mer balm can set you back £58 ($75), Vaseline can be as cheap as a couple of pounds.

(7º§)The INKEY List Vitamin C serum vs SkinCeuticals 

Vitamin C creams and serums can brighten your skin and, according to some studies, can reduce the signs of ageing. But these products can be expensive, because they can be tricky to make, Rebecca explained. SkinCeuticals' C E ferulic vitamin C antioxidant serum is an excellent product, she said - but it will set you back a whopping £165 ($182). Instead, why not give the INKEY List's own vitamin C a whirl, Mia suggested, which only costs £9.99 ($15.99).