O texto a seguir, é sobre Albert Einstein, o mais célebre cientista do século 20. Foi o físico que propôs a teoria da relatividade, tornando-se famoso mundialmente, um sinônimo de inteligência. Suas descobertas provocaram uma verdadeira revolução do pensamento humano, com interpretações filosóficas das mais diversas tendências.

                                               Are they crazy or am I?

Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists and thinkers in history. However, he was not considered very bright when he was a child. His teachers complained that he had no sense of discipline and that he was a bad influence on the other students.

When he was fifteen, he was thrown out of school, but a few years later, he was allowed to study mathematics and physics at a special technical university in Zurich. But even at the university, he was hardly “a good student”. He rarely attended classes, and he was often in trouble with his professors because he constantly argued with them.

When he graduated from the university, he couldn’t get a job – partly because none of his professors would recommend him for one. Finally, he found one in the Swiss Patent Office in Berne. One of his duties was writing descriptions of new inventions. This helped him learn how to write clearly and simply.

In 1905, when he was only twenty-six, he published an article in a scientific journal. The article dealt with a theory, which he called the Theory of Relativity. He became very famous for this theory, which concerns time and gravity and how things change when they travel at very high speeds.

All his life, he lived very simply and was totally uninterested in money, power, or fame. He could never understand why so many people admired him and wanted to meet him. He knew that most of them had never read anything he had written and that they didn’t understand his ideas. “Are they crazy or am I?” he asked.

    From American Dimensions Intermediate Robert O’Neill – Longman (Adapted)

According to the text, check the adjectives can be used to describe Albert Einstein.

Para responder à questão, leia novamente o texto sobre Einstein.

                                              Are they crazy or am I?

Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientists and thinkers in history. However, he was not considered very bright when he was a child. His teachers complained that he had no sense of discipline and that he was a bad influence on the other students.

When he was fifteen, he was thrown out of school, but a few years later, he was allowed to study mathematics and physics at a special technical university in Zurich. But even at the university, he was hardly “a good student”. He rarely attended classes, and he was often in trouble with his professors because he constantly argued with them.

When he graduated from the university, he couldn’t get a job – partly because none of his professors would recommend him for one. Finally, he found one in the Swiss Patent Office in Berne. One of his duties was writing descriptions of new inventions. This helped him learn how to write clearly and simply.

In 1905, when he was only twenty-six, he published an article in a scientific journal. The article dealt with a theory, which he called the Theory of Relativity. He became very famous for this theory, which concerns time and gravity and how things change when they travel at very high speeds.

All his life, he lived very simply and was totally uninterested in money, power, or fame. He could never understand why so many people admired him and wanted to meet him. He knew that most of them had never read anything he had written and that they didn’t understand his ideas. “Are they crazy or am I?” he asked.

    From American Dimensions Intermediate Robert O’Neill – Longman (Adapted)

According to the text, what is surprising about Einstein’s childhood?

Os versos abaixo são de autoria do poeta inglês Lewis Carroll.

THERE are certain things – as, a spider, a ghost,

 The income tax, gout, an umbrella for three –

That I hate, but the thing I hate the most

 Is a thing they call the Sea.

Pour some salt water over the floor –

 Ugly I’m sure you’ll allow it to be:

Suppose it extended a mile or more,

 That’s very like the Sea.

Beat a dog  till it howls outright –

 Cruel, but all very well, for a spree:

Suppose that he did so day and night,

 That would be like the Sea.

(…)

Após a leitura, podemos afirmar que há a predominância de um sentimento expresso em relação ao mar. Que sentimento é esse?

Para muitos, aprender um idioma estrangeiro é tarefa quase inalcançável. O texto a seguir, indica caminhos que desmistificam essa ideia. Na sequência, responda a questão.

1 According to language experts, you can learn basic communication skills in weeks and master the basics of a foreign language in several months.

2 Sometimes travelling the globe for work will force you to come up with ways to master conversation in many languages. This is the case of Benny Lewis, an engineer, who learned enough of seven languages to work easily such as German, French and Spanish, and attained near fluency in several others, including Mandarin. “The biggest barrier in the beginning is the lack of confidence,” said Lewis. “That got better and better for me [as I spoke].”

3 Indeed, simply having the courage to speak is necessary if you are going to make progress in a foreign language, language experts said. “A lot of people don't make progress if they don't open their mouths,” said Michael Geisler, the vice president for language schools at Middlebury College in Vermont in the US. “If you are not willing to put your identity on the line, progress will be slower.” This means not being afraid to take risks or make mistakes.

4 Geisler believes that total immersion is key to mastering a foreign language quickly. The more you immerse yourself in the foreign language – such as reading, listening to the radio or speaking to people – the more rapid your progress will be.

5 As a recommendation, consume media in the foreign language. Even if you are starting out, read illustrated children's books or watch familiar films in a foreign language.

Fábula é uma composição literária curta, escrita em prosa ou versos, em que os personagens são animais. As fábulas possuem caráter educativo e fazem uma analogia entre o cotidiano humano com as histórias vivenciadas pelas personagens. Essa analogia é chamada de “moral” e, geralmente, é apresentada no fim da narrativa.

Read the text to answer the question:                      ‘

                                    The Lion and the Mouse

               One morning a lion almost stepped on a mouse in the forest. “Please, Mister Lion”, said the mouse. “Don’t eat me, I’m so small”. “You’re right”, said the lion, and he carefully stepped around the tiny creature.

               Later that same day, the mouse found the lion trapped in a net prepared to capture wild animals. With his sharp teeth, the mouse soon gnawed the threads of the net, and the lion was free.

               “Thanks a lot, little friend. Now how can I repay you?” the lion asked. “Never mind”, the mouse said. “After all, you let me go free earlier today, and one good turn deserves another”.

                Little kindness often have big results.

         (Adapted from “Listen to Aesop” – Get Ready - Editora Moderna)

Write T (true) or F (false) according to the text:

(    ) The following day the mouse found the lion trapped in a net.

(    ) The mouse found the lion trapped in a hole.

(    ) The mouse gnawed the threads of the net with his teeth.

(    ) The mouse wanted a reward immediately.

The correct sequence is:

Read the situations and complete the sign with the correct words.  

Attention All Hikers: Hiking is great exercise, and it can be a lot of fun.

But hiking can also be dangerous. Follow these rules to stay safe.

1.Take plenty of food and water. This is a long hike, and it can be  _______________. You’ll need food to give you energy.

2. Don’t ever go into a  _______________. Animals might be living there, and they’ll fight to protect their territory.

3. Be careful if you hike early in the morning. Sometimes it’s  ______________, and it can be difficult to see.

4. If you hike in the evening, take a flashlight. If you’re not back before it gets _______________, you’ll need it to find your way back.

5. Be careful in the winter. The paths can get icy, and then they’re really _______________.

O texto, a seguir, nos apresenta uma situação peculiar que aconteceu em uma linha aérea que oferece serviços a turistas.

Read the text to answer the question.

                                               Bright ideas

Ah, the food… For all of $78, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offers round-trip service from Amsterdam to any of about 20 European cities. There’s a catch, however. KLM picks the destination, flies the traveler there and then takes him or her straight back. Passengers do not officially enter the country to which they have flown, but do earn frequent-flyer miles and may shop in the duty-free store before reboarding. KLM calls the flights “mystery tours”; about 5,000 people a year take the apparently mindless trips, which are designed to gain revenue from seats otherwise unfilled. “I think it’s great”, said one recent mystery tourist. “The food is one of the high points.”

                                                                                (Time, August 22)

No plano da KLM descrito no texto, as viagens podem ser consideradas “mindless”, porque:

I. o passageiro pode fazer compras no “free shop”.

II. o passageiro não escolhe sua destinação.

III. o passageiro tem crédito em milhagem para uma próxima viagem.

IV. o passageiro não entra no país de destino.

V. o passageiro beneficia-se das excelentes refeições servidas a bordo.

Muitas vezes, aprendemos coisas novas e interessantes com as crianças, especialmente, com os filhos. As crianças nascem tendo de aprender tudo, mas também podem ensinar muitas coisas aos adultos. Em várias ocasiões elas nos dão lições sobre nossos preconceitos e nossas atitudes perante a vida. 

Read the text and write T (true) or F (false) to the sentences.

                                Lessons only kids can teach

What I’ve learned from my children transcends the various physical skills I’ve developed and the many mental feats I can perform.

If I hadn’t had children, I’d probably still be yawning my way through novels badly translated from Portuguese when I secretly wanted to read another thing.

I don’t always like the music or clothing fads they bring home, but some of their choices have become my own.

Being a mother lets you see parts of the world you would otherwise ignore because sometimes you are forced to justify your own fascinations before your kids.

My children made me realize it didn’t cost anything to smile at the bus driver or to put some warmth into my voice when I thanked a delivery boy.

Motherhood is grueling, not only because so much of it is donkey work but also because it brings so little recognition and so few tangible rewards. Mothers don’t get raises or promotions or their name in the newspapers for doing a good job. Even so, being a mother is truly the most important job any woman can have.

                 (adapted from an article by Carol Rinzler in Woman’ s Day, May 2)

Segundo o texto, Carol Rinzler:

I-  está satisfeita na condição de mãe, apesar de tudo. (    )   

II- admite que seus filhos lhe ensinaram muito, mas o preço foi alto. (    ) 

III- em um mundo machista as mulheres continuam subjugadas. (    ) 

IV- ela se tornou mais educada com as pessoas devido aos filhos. (    )  

V- expressa insatisfação quando diz que os filhos raramente dão valor ao árduo trabalho das mães. (    )      

The correct sequence is:

O chocolate não é só uma delícia. Segundo estudos recentes, o seu consumo moderado também oferece uma lista de benefícios ao organismo. E quanto mais cacau na fórmula, melhor.

Read the text to answer the question.

                                  Chocolate lovers rejoice!

Muscle Australia magazine recently reported some delicious news on chocolate that may lift your spirits. According to some fascinating studies, eating chocolate may not be as much of a bugaboo as once believed. For example, figures from the U.S Department of Agriculture show that a typical plain chocolate bar, weighing approximately 1.5 oz., can contain more potassium than a banana and has almost eight times as much as an apple.

A University of Pennsylvania study shows that chocolate does not cause or even aggravate acne. Better still, it may prevent cavities! Such is the conclusion of the National Institute for Dental Research. They concluded that chocolate could be less damaging on the teeth because the cocoa butter it contains coats the teeth, thereby preventing the sugar from reaching the cavity-causing bacteria.

                                        (Inglês – Textos, Wilson Liberato, editora FTD)

According to the text:

A compreensão de um texto envolve o ato de perceber, entender, enfim, de compreender uma afirmação, um problema, uma dedução a respeito de um fato, uma história, um provérbio, uma situação, etc. Muitas vezes, o leitor precisa ser capaz de detectar pequenas sutilezas de linguagem, como a ironia, a comicidade, por exemplo, para entender uma mensagem.

Observe a frase de Agatha Christie e responda a questão proposta.

“An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.” (Agatha Christie)

According Agatha Christie: