ISBN 978850262409-2
Celestino, Jefferson
Inglês/Jefferson Celestino. – São Paulo: Saraiva, 2016. – (Coleção diplomata/coordenador Fabiano Távora)
1. Inglês 2. Inglês – Concursos I. Távora, Fabiano. II. Título. III. Série. 14-13037 CDD-420.76
Índices para catálogo sistemático: 1. Inglês : Concursos 420.76 Diretor editorial Luiz Roberto Curia Gerente editorial Thaís de Camargo Rodrigues
Gerência de concursos Roberto Navarro Editoria de conteúdo Iris Ferrão
Assistente editorial Thiago Fraga | Verônica Pivisan Reis Coordenação geral Clarissa Boraschi Maria
Preparação de originais Maria Izabel Barreiros Bitencourt Bressan e Ana Cristina Garcia (coords.) | Carolina Massanhi | Luciana Cordeiro Shirakawa
Projeto gráfico Isabela Teles Veras Arte e diagramação Know-how editorial
Revisão de provas Amélia Kassis Ward e Ana Beatriz Fraga Moreira (coords.) | Luciene Ruzzi Brocchi Conversão para E-pub Guilherme Henrique Martins Salvador
Serviços editoriais Elaine Cristina da Silva | Kelli Priscila Pinto | Marília Cordeiro Capa Aero Comunicação / Danilo Zanott
Data de fechamento da edição: 1-10-2015 Dúvidas?
Acesse www.editorasaraiva.com.br/direito
Nenhuma parte desta publicação poderá ser reproduzida por qualquer meio ou forma sem a prévia autorização da Editora Saraiva. A violação dos direitos autorais é crime estabelecido na Lei n. 9.610/98 e punido pelo artigo 184 do Código Penal.
SUMÁRIO
PREFÁCIO
APRESENTAÇÃO
1ST PART | READING SKILLS * Read more 1
Military-Industrial Complex Speech, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961 * Read more 2
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 2ND PART | VOCABULARY SKILLS
Texts and Questions Word Translation
3RD PART | GRAMMAR SKILLS Articles
Definite Article: The (o, a, os, as) The definite article is used
Indefinite Article: A/An (um, uma) The indefinite article is used
Pronouns I Subject Pronouns Singular Plural Object Pronouns Singular Plural
Adjective Possessive Pronouns Singular Plural Possessive Pronouns Singular Plural Reflexive Pronouns Singular Plural Reciprocal Pronouns Verb Tenses
The Simple Tenses Singular
Plural
The Simple Present Tense is used
Emphatic, Negative and Question Forms Singular
Plural Singular
Plural
The Simple Past Tense is used
Emphatic, Negative and Question Forms Singular
Plural
The Simple Future Tense is used Negative and Question Forms Singular
Plural
The Simple Conditional Tense is used Negative and Question Forms
The Continuous/Progressive Tenses Singular
Plural
The Present Continuous/Progressive Tense is used Negative and Question Forms
Singular Plural
The Past Continuous/Progressive Tense is used The Perfect Tenses
The Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tenses Main Irregular Verbs List
Pronouns II
Demonstrative Pronouns Interrogative Pronouns Relative Pronouns
Relative Pronouns Application Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite Relative Pronouns Prepositions Main Prepositions About Above Across After Against Along Among/Amongst | Amid/Amidst Around/Round At
Because of/Due to/Owing to Before Behind Below Beneath Beside Besides
Between Beyond By Despite/In spite of During For From In Inside Into Of Off On Out Outside Over Since Through Throughout To Toward(s) Under Underneath Until/Till With Within Without Conjunctions Main Conjunctions Although/Though And As Because Besides But Either ... or Even though/Even if For However If Neither ... nor Nor
Not only ... (but) also Once
Or
Otherwise Rather (than)
Since So Unless Whereas While Yet
More Relevant Conjunctions 4TH PART | PRACTICE MORE 5TH PART | TRANSLATION SKILLS
AUTOR
Jefferson Celestino
Graduado em Letras pela Universidade da Amazônia, atuou como professor de Língua Inglesa, entre 1996 e 2004, em algumas das melhores instituições de Belém, com passagem, inclusive, pela Escola de Formação de Oficiais da Marinha Mercante – Centro de Instrução Almirante Braz de Aguiar. Em Fortaleza, entre 2005 e 2013, além de trabalhar com treinamento específico para o IME, o ITA e o IRBr, foi autor de diversos materiais didáticos para editoras locais. Atualmente, é responsável pela administração do conteúdo do website especializado em D-Learning aideea, na Alemanha.
Coordenador Fabiano Távora
Graduado em Direito pela Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) – Turma do Centenário – 2003. Especialista em Gestão Empresarial pela Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) – 2005. Mestre em Direito dos Negócios pelo Ilustre Colégio de Advogados de Madri (ICAM) e pela Universidade Francisco de Vitória (UFV) – 2008. Mestre em Direito Constitucional aplicado às Relações Econômicas pela Universidade de Fortaleza (UNIFOR) – 2012. Advogado. Diretor-geral do Curso Diplomata – Fortaleza/CE. Foi Coordenador do único curso de graduação em Relações Internacionais do Estado do Ceará, pertencente à Faculdade Stella Maris. Professor de Direito Internacional para o Concurso de Admissão à Carreira Diplomática. Professor de Direito Internacional Público, Direito Internacional Privado, Direito do Comércio Exterior e Direito Constitucional em cursos de graduação e pós-graduação.
PREFÁCIO*
Dez anos atrás, recebi a notícia de que havia sido aprovado no concurso do Instituto Rio Branco para a carreira diplomática. Era difícil acreditar que meu nome estava na lista de aprovados, que o meu antigo sonho tornara-se realidade. Aquele momento deu-me a impressão de ser um divisor de águas, o primeiro passo da carreira que por tantos anos me fascinara.
Hoje, percebo que o primeiro passo para a carreira diplomática havia sido dado em um momento anterior, quando comecei meus estudos de preparação para o concurso. A preparação para a carreira diplomática exige o desenvolvimento da capacidade de analisar politicamente a combinação de diferentes fatores da sociedade. Essa capacidade pode ser adquirida pela leitura atenta de diferentes pensadores e exposição a diferentes manifestações artísticas, o que requer uma caminhada de constantes descobertas.
Essa caminhada é feita em direção às mais profundas e fundamentais características da sociedade brasileira, percorrendo a longa estrada que lentamente mostra as cores que delineiam o multifacetado cenário que é o Brasil. A preparação para a carreira diplomática requer este (re)encontro com o Brasil, este momento em que o futuro diplomata reflete sobre seu país e sobre seu povo. Eu diria que o processo de preparação é uma caminhada para dentro.
Ao caminhar em direção às profundezas do Brasil, o futuro diplomata se defrontará com perspectivas históricas, geopolíticas, econômicas e jurídicas da realidade brasileira que lhe proporcionarão o arcabouço intelectual para sua contínua defesa dos interesses do Brasil e do povo brasileiro no exterior. Essa observação de quem somos como povo e como país é fundamental para o trabalho cotidiano dos diplomatas brasileiros, principalmente porque também pressupõe as relações do Brasil com outros países. Ao compreender a história política externa brasileira, o candidato poderá perceber características do Brasil que explicam como o país percebe sua inserção no mundo.
É interessante notar que essa caminhada para dentro é o início de uma carreira feita para fora, em contato com o mundo. Os diplomatas são os emissários que também contam para o mundo o que é o Brasil e o que é ser brasileiro. A aprovação no concurso do Instituto Rio Branco não é, portanto, o primeiro passo da carreira. É o momento em que a caminhada para dentro do Brasil se completou e passa a ser uma viagem para fora, para relatar ao mundo o que nós somos e o que pensamos.
Devo confessar que a minha caminhada foi bem difícil. Quando comecei a me preparar para o concurso, poucas cidades brasileiras tinham estruturas que guiassem os estudos dos candidatos para o concurso. Apesar de ter certeza de que nunca nenhuma leitura é inútil, estou certo de que a imensidão de pensadores e artistas que conformam o pensamento brasileiro é difícil de ser abordada no momento de preparação para o concurso. Lembro-me de que sempre busquei obras que me guiassem os estudos, mas não tive a sorte de naquele momento haver publicações neste sentido.
Foi com muita alegria que recebi o convite para escrever sobre minha experiência pessoal como jovem diplomata brasileiro em uma coleção que ajudará na caminhada preparatória dos futuros diplomatas. Esta coleção ajudará meus futuros colegas a seguir por caminhos mais rápidos e seguros para encontrar o sentido da brasilidade e a essência do Brasil. Congratulo-me com a Editora Saraiva, com os autores e com o organizador da coleção, Fabiano Távora, pela brilhante iniciativa e pelo excelente trabalho.
Aos meus futuros colegas diplomatas, desejo boa sorte nessa caminhada. Espero que se aventurem a descobrir cada sabor deste vasto banquete que é a brasilidade e que se permitam vivenciar cada nota da sinfonia que é o Brasil. Espero também que possamos um dia sentar para tomar um café e conversar sobre o que vimos e, juntos, contar aos nossos amigos de outros países o que é o Brasil.
Pequim, novembro de 2014.
APRESENTAÇÃO**
Indubitavelmente, o concurso para o Instituto Rio Branco, uma das escolas de formação de Diplomatas mais respeitadas do mundo, é o mais tradicional e difícil do Brasil. Todos os anos, milhares de candidatos, muito bem preparados, disputam as poucas vagas que são disponibilizadas. Passar nessa seleção não é só uma questão de quem estuda mais, envolve muitos outros fatores.
Depois de muito observar essa seleção, nasceu a ideia de desenvolver um projeto ímpar, pioneiro, que possibilitasse aos candidatos o acesso a uma ferramenta que os ajudasse a entender melhor a banca examinadora, o histórico dos exames, o contexto das provas, o grau de dificuldade e aprofundamento teórico das disciplinas, de forma mais prática. Um grupo de professores com bastante experiência no concurso do IRBr formataria uma coleção para atender a esse objetivo.
Os livros foram escritos com base nos editais e nas questões dos últimos 13 anos. Uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa do que foi abordado em prova foi realizada detalhadamente. Cada autor tinha a missão de construir uma obra que o aluno pudesse ler, estudar e ter como alicerce de sua preparação. Sabemos, e somos claros, que nenhum livro consegue abordar todo o conteúdo programático do IRBr, mas, nesta coleção, o candidato encontrará a melhor base disponível e pública para os seus estudos.
A Coleção Diplomata é composta dos seguintes volumes: Direito internacional público; Direito
interno I – Constituição, organização e responsabilidade do Estado brasileiro; Direito interno II –
Estado, poder e direitos e garantias fundamentais (no prelo); Economia internacional e brasileira (no prelo); Espanhol (no prelo); Francês (no prelo); Geografia I – Epistemologia, política e meio ambiente;
Geografia II – Geografia econômica; História do Brasil I – O tempo das Monarquias; História do Brasil II – O tempo das Repúblicas; História geral; Inglês; Macroeconomia; Microeconomia; Política internacional I – A política externa brasileira e os novos padrões de inserção no sistema internacional
do século XXI; Política internacional II – Relações do Brasil com as economias emergentes e o diálogo com os países desenvolvidos; Português.
Todos os livros, excetuando os de língua portuguesa e inglesa, são separados por capítulos de acordo com o edital do concurso. Todos os itens do edital foram abordados, fundamentados numa doutrina ampla e atualizada, de acordo com as indicações do IRBr. Os doutrinadores que mais influenciam a banca do exame foram utilizados como base de cada obra. Juntem-se a isso a vivência e a sensibilidade de cada
autor, que acumula experiências em sala de aula de vários locais (Brasília, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Salvador, Teresina...).
Portanto, apresentamos aos candidatos do IRBr, além de uma coleção que apresenta um conteúdo teórico muito rico, bastante pesquisado, uma verdadeira e forte estratégia para enfrentar o concurso mais difícil do Brasil. Seguindo esses passos, acreditamos, seguramente, que você poderá ser um DIPLOMATA.
Fortaleza, 29 de julho de 2015.
1ST PART | READING SKILLS
Read the text and answer the following questions from 1 to 10.TEXT 1: ______________________________
Eastern and Southern Africa are suffering from a catastrophic drought and famine, with more than 30 million people facing hunger. Ethiopia is one of the worst affected countries. As it struggles to cope, it is hosting an annual conference to discuss how Africa is affected by economic globalisation. For many agencies seeking to alleviate famine and cope with Africa’s crippling level of poverty, globalisation is a key and controversial issue. Those who favour the process, like the former head of the International Monetary Fund, Michel Camdessus, argue that it will lead to the modernisation of economies, the removal of trade barriers and to the elimination of want. He says the prospects are good for “achieving more rapid poverty reduction and faster growth”. But critics, like the British charity ActionAid, argue that trade liberalisation has harmed Africa. It says that the freer trade, especially in agricultural produce, has worked to “threaten or destroy the livelihoods of millions of farmers” and to keep people poor. The arguments are fierce and complex, but how does globalisation affect people’s lives?
Sugar’s bitter taste
Selpha Maende Okweno is an 87-year-old grandmother living in Kenya’s Busia district. For decades her family has grown sugar cane and made a good living from it. But now it is threatened by trade policies which enable foreign sugar exporters to sell sugar more cheaply in Kenya than local producers. Her granddaughter, journalist Florence Machio, says that her “grandmother cannot afford to buy sugar, yet the crop that produces it stretches as far as the eye can see” near her home. Cheap imports of processed sugar undercut the prices Kenyan farmers need to survive and so sugar farmers are becoming poorer or are having to grow other crops. Kenya’s Director of Internal Trade, Seth Otieno, says that liberalisation of trade has been a disaster for many in Kenya. “Globalisation is a curse to many sectors, especially agriculture, in this country,” he says. In Swaziland, the import of sugar products from the European Union countries has undermined the local industry. The sugar industry has lost 16,000 jobs and a further 20,000 have gone in transport and packaging, according to ActionAid.
Reform
Those in favour of globalisation say Africa needs better economic management and more trade liberalisation. These changes, argues Michel Camdessus, will enable it to be part of the new economic partnership offered by globalisation and so increase economic growth. Many African leaders accept globalisation as a long-term goal, but say it must be accompanied by reform by the developed countries to make the terms of trade fairer to Africa. President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, an originator of the
pro-globalisation New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), says that Africa must embrace the process but warns that it is leading to rising inequalities between and within countries. He says governments must “re-shape and re-direct its impact”.
“Negative effects”
Some critics are harsher. The African director of the International Labour Organisation, Regina Amadi-Njoku, says globalisation is responsible for the decline in Africa’s status in the global economy. Pressures for economic liberalisation in Africa from the IMF, World Bank and Western governments “have brought negative effects on the globalisation process,” she says. ActionAid and Oxfam say that European Union and US financial support for their1 farmers gives them2 big advantages in trade and ruins
African farmers by subjecting them3 to unfair competition.
These countries protect their own farmers but demand that African countries cut subsidies to theirs, they argue. In a submission to the UK Government, Oxfam calls for globalisation to “be underpinned by global rules and institutions that place human development above the pursuit of corporate self-interest and national advantage”. For ordinary African farmers the question of globalisation comes down to issues of economic survival. Kenyan grandmother Selpha Maende Okweno’s view is simple: “Why should I plant sugar cane if there is no market for it?”
Adapted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2538665.stm
1. According to the text, Michel Camdessus: a) is the head of the International Monetary Fund.
b) is not the head of the International Monetary Fund anymore. c) is against the process of globalisation in Africa.
d) does not know how globalisation affects people’s lives.
e) said globalisation is not the key to the modernisation of economies.
Answer: B
2. From the first paragraph, it can be inferred that:
a) there are different points of view about Africa’s process of globalisation.
b) globalisation will surely lead Africa to a faster economic growth and reduce poverty. c) the effects of globalisation in Africa are not rather clear and well-known.
d) the process of globalisation does not affect the agricultural production in Africa. e) the African farmers are sure that globalisation will bring progress to their crops.
3. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below about Selpha Maende Okweno.
( ) Her family deals with sugar cane. ( ) She is in her eighties.
( ) Her daughter is a journalist. ( ) She lives near a sugar cane crop. ( ) She has at least one grandchild.
Answer: C, C, E, C, C
4. In accordance with the text:
a) Trade policies do not threaten sugar cane crops despite they favour foreign exporters.
b) Agriculture in Kenya is one of the sectors that have suffered the consequences of globalisation. c) Kenyan sugar farmers are growing other crops in order to vie with foreign sugar entrepreneurs.
d) The effects of globalization in Kenya are a blessing for they removed trade barriers and caused economical increase.
e) Kenyan industry has hired more than 36,000 new employees to fight against the EU countries.
Answer: B
5. Which is the most suitable title for this text? a) The African Sugar Market
b) A Pro-globalisation Analysis
c) The Fight Against Famine Must Go On d) Africa: Globalisation or Marginalisation? e) Drought and Famine Attack Africa Again
Answer: D
6. After reading the text one can say that:
a) the process of globalisation must be embraced in short term by the Africans.
b) the African leaders are not against globalisation, but fear the long-term consequences. c) it is necessary to establish fairer terms of trade in the developed countries.
d) the Nepad was created by President Thabo Mbeki and Michel Camdessus to make the terms of trade fairer to Africa.
e) the process of globalisation is provoking the increase of inequalities in the African countries.
Answer: E
replaced by __________. a) verb – need b) verb – misery c) noun – poverty d) noun – desire e) adjective – poverty Answer: C
8. Which pair of words is formed only by false friends? a) farmer – former b) policies – demand c) support – embrace d) status – argument e) ordinary – simple Answer: B
9. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below.
( ) Africa’s status in the global economy has decreased due to the effects of globalisation.
( ) African farmers are ruining for the unfair competition against European and American farmers.
( ) IMF, World Bank and Western governments have pressured the African countries for economic liberalisation.
( ) The question at the end of the text was made by an expert in globalisation and foreign trade.
Answer: C, C, C, E
10. The pronouns THEIR (ref. 1), THEM (ref. 2) and THEM (ref. 3) refer, respectively, to: a) ActionAid and Oxfam – European and American farmers – European farmers
b) ActionAid and Oxfam – European and American farmers – American farmers c) EU and USA – American farmers – African farmers
d) EU and USA – European farmers – African farmers
e) EU and USA – European and American farmers – African farmers
Answer: E
TEXT 2: China’s development is costing the Himalayas
New Delhi, June 29 (Reuters) – China’s “irresponsible and reckless” development activities in Tibet have had a devastating impact on the Himalayas – threatening glaciers, rivers and the lives of millions of people, an activist said on Friday.
“Over the years, China has degraded forests, diverted rivers, built roads and numerous reservoirs and hydropower projects,” Tenzin Tsultrim, head of the environment desk for the Tibetan government-in-exile, told a conference in New Delhi.
“This has led to increased recession of glaciers, desertification and soil erosion, loss of flora and fauna, displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, droughts and floods __________ landslides.”
The conference was organised by the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre, which aims to promote the political agenda of the exiled Tibetan government, and brought together environmentalists __________ supporters of the Tibetan cause.
India recognises Tibet as part of China but gives asylum to around 120,000 Tibetans including the exiled Tibetan government and Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
The Tibetan plateau, which has an area of 2.5 million sq km (965,255 sq miles), is the highest plateau in the world with over 46,000 glaciers.
Known as the “Roof of the World”, it is the source of several major rivers in Asia including the Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Indus, Karnali and Mekong, and over one billion people rely on the water which originates from glaciers.
Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950 and over the ensuing decades Beijing has sought to impose its own stamp on traditional Tibetan society, closing monasteries and restricting religious life.
China’s recent announcement to improve the road to Mount Everest which __________ on the Tibet side in time for the 2008 Olympics was also of concern, an environmentalist told the conference.
“This is a frightening prospect as it will bring more tourists, hotels and restaurants at the base camp, litter, more vehicles which will have direct impacts on the fragile mountain ecology,” said Syed Iqbal Hasnain, a glaciologist.
“Billions of people in so many countries rely on water from these glaciers and we must value the ‘Roof of the World’ because if we don’t, we will all be homeless.”
China has started improving the road to Mount Everest on the Tibet side to make the trip to the world’s highest mountain easier for bearers of the Olympic flame, Xinhua news agency reported earlier this
month.
The 150 million yuan ($19.66 million) project will involve blacktopping an existing 108-km (67-mile) unpaved road up to the foot of the mountain, and will take four months to build.
The torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Games has been touted by organisers as the longest in Olympic history.
The inclusion of Tibet has proved controversial. In April, China deported five American tourists after they demonstrated for a free Tibet and protested against the Games at the base of Mount Everest.
By Nita Bhalla Adapted from http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL256082.htm
1. According to the activist speech, China’s actions on Himalayas are: a) rash. b) lackadaisical. c) sparkling. d) tantalizing. e) hapless. Answer: A
2. In accordance with Tenzin Tsultrim:
a) For years, China has degraded the nature resources for nothing. b) China’s environmental policy is cost-effective.
c) China’s development is highly costly to the environment.
d) There is no other way to China’s development besides environmental degradation.
e) Despite the high cost to the environment, China has to keep devastating in order to improve its economy.
Answer: C
3. Which consequence of China’s development is not mentioned by Tenzin Tsultrim? a) Long periods without rainfalls.
b) Soil exhaustion. c) Decadence of forests.
d) Large amounts of water covering dry areas. e) Sudden violent movements of the Earth’s surface.
Answer: E
a) Policy. b) Agenda. c) Supporters. d) Major. e) Improve. Answer: E
5. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below.
( ) The Dalai Lama as soon as thousands of Tibetans are given asylum by the Chinese government. ( ) Restrictions are imposed in Tibet by China for almost sixties years.
( ) Many a river in Asia originates from the Tibetan plateau.
( ) A plethora of people depend on the water from the Chinese rivers to their livelihoods.
Answer: E, C, C, E
6. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below.
( ) Environmentalists are concerned about the improvements that will be made on the road to Mount Everest.
( ) Syed Iqbal Hasnain has criticised China’s environmental policy in a harsh way.
( ) The number of visitors of Mount Everest will be boosted higher than expected after the improvements the Chinese government is making in the region ends.
( ) Ecologists hope the production of litter will improve after the works on the new road.
Answer: C, E, C, E
7. The word foot in “to the foot of the mountain” (13th paragraph) can be replaced by:
a) boot b) downhill c) shallow d) edge e) bottom Answer: E
8. Which of these verbs taken from the text is not in the Past Participle form? a) led (3rd paragraph)
b) organised (4th paragraph)
c) marched (8th paragraph)
d) sought (8th paragraph)
Answer: C
9. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below. ( ) Some US tourists were deported to China.
( ) Chinese government will spend up to 150 million dollars to build the new road to Mount Everest. ( ) Chinese government will asphalt 108 km of a road as far as the foot of Mount Everest.
( ) The Dalai Lama keeps ruling Tibet despite living in India.
Answer: E, E, C, E
10. In “The torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Games has been TOUTED by organisers as the longest in Olympic history” (14th paragraph), the capital word has the same meaning
of: a) heralded. b) spared. c) concealed. d) bent. e) struck. Answer: A
11. The sentences below have been left with blank spaces. Choose the option below that contains the correct expression to fill in these blanks, keeping the main ideas of the text.
This has led to increased recession of glaciers, desertification and soil erosion, loss of flora and fauna, displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, droughts and floods __________ landslides. (3rd paragraph)
The conference was organised by the Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre, which aims to promote the political agenda of the exiled Tibetan government, and brought together environmentalists __________ supporters of the Tibetan cause. (4th paragraph)
a) likely b) henceforth c) notwithstanding d) albeit e) as well as Answer: E
12. Choose the option that contains the correct verb form to fill in the blank in the sentence below.
China’s recent announcement to improve the road to Mount Everest which __________ on the Tibet side in time for the 2008 Olympics was also of concern, an environmentalist told the conference. (9th paragraph) a) lays b) lain c) laid d) lies e) lying Answer: D
TEXT 3: Economists see no need for more stimulus
No more stimulus, please, we’re capitalists.
That’s the view, at least, of the majority of economists surveyed in msnbc.com’s year-end roundtable. Though unemployment will remain stubbornly high, and the economic recovery sluggish in 2010, the government doesn’t need to provide another round of stimulus spending to keep the economy afloat, they say.
The House last week narrowly approved a $155 billion “jobs” bill that includes nearly $50 billion in infrastructure spending and $79 billion for expanding benefits like unemployment insurance and Medicaid. But most of the forecasters in our panel are against the idea of another government stimulus package.
“The time to short-circuit the negative feedback from job losses is behind us,” said Ed Leamer, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. “Let the private sector heal the economy.”
Many feel the $787 billion package of tax cuts and new spending enacted in February spurred the rebound in the second half of this year. As the impact of that stimulus wears off, the expectation is that private spending by consumers and businesses will create enough demand to take up the slack.
“You have a floor (on growth) that comes from the fact that there’s an awful lot of latent demand out there that will slowly be tapped into,” said Joel Naroff at Naroff Economic Advisors.
The consensus of msnbc.com’s forecasters is that while growth will fade a bit next year, the economy will continue to expand at a slow but steady pace. After a 3.3 percent increase for the second half of 2009, gross domestic product growth is expected to slow to 2.6 percent for all of 2010, picking up a bit to 2.8 percent in 2011.
“Although the risk of a double-dip* recession* is still significant, it is not the most likely scenario,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. “Moreover, there are no silver bullets when it comes to fueling employment. I think our efforts __________ better if __________ on improving the health of the credit market, most notably banks, as they are now the only game in town for many consumers and small businesses.”
Two members of the panel, Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius and Ethan Harris, head of North American economics for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, support the idea of another round of government stimulus. Harris thinks the package should be “targeted to the housing or the job market”.
for an extension of unemployment benefits through the first half of 2010. But there’s less agreement over proposals to give the economy another shot in the arm with a new spending package aimed at creating jobs.
The White House favors a targeted approach including a tax credit for small businesses that create new jobs. The House bill, __________ has not been taken up by the Senate, includes a grab bag of measures designed to keep the economy moving, including another $27.5 billion for highway construction projects and $8.4 billion for transit systems. Though much of the original $787 billion in stimulus remains to be spent, budget analysts estimate the positive economic impact of that measure will begin to fade by the second half of 2010. (…)
Adapted from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34452363/ns/business-personal_finance/ * Double-Dip Recession: When gross domestic product (GDP) growth slides back to negative after a quarter or two of positive growth. A double-dip recession refers to a recession followed by a short-lived recovery, followed by another recession. From http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/doublediprecession.asp
1. It can be inferred from the text that:
a) the world economy may have a quick recovery in 2010.
b) the unemployment rate will only fall after a $155 government help.
c) the application of a new government stimulus package is unnecessary for some predictors.
d) the msnbc.com’s economists agree that the government does not need to provide another stimulus package.
e) the White House intends to approve a new bill to accelerate the job creation rate.
Answer: C
2. Read the following sentence taken from the text:
Many feel the $787 billion package of tax cuts and new spending enacted in February spurred the rebound in the second half of this year.
The words in bold mean respectively:
a) sentem – taxas – promulgado – desacelerou – retomada b) sentem – taxas – decretado – estimulou – reinício
c) acham – impostos – promulgado – provocou – recomeço d) acham – impostos – decretado – estimulou – retomada e) acreditam – impostos – promulgado – provocou – reinício
3. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below. ( ) It is expected that the private sector help the economy to recover after the slump.
( ) The prediction for 2010 is that the economy will keep growing steadily while growth will shrink. ( ) In 2011, it is expected a higher GDP in comparison to 2009 and 2010.
( ) New jobs could be created if small businesses received a tax credit.
Answer: C, C, E, C
4. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below. ( ) A double-dip recession scenario is still a possible event.
( ) It is necessary to improve the creation of jobs instead of the credit market.
( ) Despite the high levels of unemployment, the job market could be fully recovered by the second semester of 2010.
( ) Both the housing and the job market should receive another government stimulus package.
Answer: C, E, E, C
5. The words although and moreover (8th paragraph) can be replaced respectively by:
a) even though and hence. b) albeit and furthermore. c) whereas and therefore. d) regardless of and still.
e) notwithstanding and henceforth.
Answer: B
6. The expression shot in the arm (10th paragraph) means:
a) a sum of money which is borrowed, often from a bank, and has to be paid back, usually together with an extra amount of money that you have to pay as a charge for borrowing.
b) a situation that has reached an extremely difficult or dangerous point. c) a sudden fall of prices, values or sales.
d) a period of economic difficulty when it is difficult to borrow money from banks.
e) something which has a sudden and positive effect on something, providing encouragement and new activity.
Answer: E
7. The word dismal (10th paragraph) can be replaced by:
a) hopeful. b) sorrowful.
c) bright. d) upbeat. e) lighthearted.
Answer: B
8. Fill in the gaps in the 8th paragraph correctly:
a) could prove – focus b) will prove – will focus c) proved – would focus d) would prove – focused
e) had proved – would have focused
Answer: D
9. Fill in the gap in the 11th paragraph correctly:* = no pronoun
a) which b) that c) * d) what e) whose Answer: A
10. Which of the following words has the definition below?
The speed with which something happens or changes.
a) afloat (2nd paragraph) b) bill (3rd paragraph) c) slack (5th paragraph) d) pace (7th paragraph) e) budget (11th paragraph) Answer: D
TEXT 4: Brazil gets recognition for improved economic management
Investment-grade status, which was awarded to Brazil’s foreign-currency-denominated debt on April 30th by Standard & Poor’s, one of the main US credit rating agencies, is an acknowledgment of the
important progress achieved in macroeconomic management and of a substantial improvement in external solvency ratios. Indeed, with reserves close to US$200bn, Brazil has become a net external creditor. __________, weaknesses persist, as the government has confirmed its intention to keep increasing public spending as part of its state-led development policies.
The quest for investment grade was so long and fraught with difficulties that financial markets were taken somewhat by surprise when Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raised Brazil’s long-term foreign-currency credit rating from BB+ to BBB- on the eve of the May 1st Labour Day holiday.
Even though some investors thought the upgrade had been long overdue, few expected it to materialise before the end of the year due to current global uncertainty. The Latin American giant is now on par with India, according to S&P’s ratings, but still two notches below the ratings given to Russia and Mexico, and far below that of China.
The Economist Intelligence Unit, for its part, has held its BB rating for Brazil under its country risk model. This remains just short of investment grade, and reflects a weakening current account and risks to key macroeconomic indicators, given the impact of a US recession. However, steady GDP growth and a falling debt interest burden will still underpin a score at the strong end of the BB band, and an upgrade to EIU’s sovereign rating is quite possible in the medium term.
Fitch Ratings, another credit rating agency (which upgraded Peru to investment grade in March), has said Brazil’s sovereign rating was under “active review”, while Moody’s has pointed out that Brazil’s indicators are not yet as good as other investment grade countries.
__________ Standard & Poor’s upgrade is __________ strong vote of confidence and __________ milestone in __________ Brazil’s economic history, after years of mistrust following the 1987 debt default.
The macroeconomic management of the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been widely praised, although improvements have been partially a consequence of the extremely positive external environment until last year. The US subprime crisis and the accompanying global financial turbulence have put the resilience of Brazil’s economy to the test. Even though it may eventually suffer some fallout should global conditions worsen, S&P says that Brazil has already passed such a test.
There is ample evidence that Brazil’s external vulnerability has been significantly reduced. Instead of slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves. In February, the announcement that Brazil had become a net international creditor was a further sign of improvement in its solvency ratios.
In addition, the amount of public debt declined to 41.2% of GDP as of March. While the overall stock of debt is still relatively high, S&P has praised “a fairly predictable track record of pragmatic fiscal and debt management policies”. One of the most positive impacts of the upgrade itself may be to reduce the cost associated with financing the sovereign debt and to improve its profile.
May 2nd, 2008
Adapted from http://www.economist.com/node/11318008?story_id=11318008
1. The appropriate expression to complete the blank in the 1st paragraph is:
a) Nevertheless b) Notwithstanding c) Furthermore d) For instance e) Hence Answer: A
2. GDP (4th paragraph) is an example of __________ and stands for __________.
a) abbreviation – Giant Development Progress b) abbreviation – Giant Domestic Product c) abbreviation – Gross Domestic Product d) acronym – Gross Development Production e) acronym – Gross Domestic Product
Answer: E
3. The first paragraph:
a) shows how the Brazilian economy has increased since April 2008. b) states the recognition of Brazil as a safe place to receive investments. c) shows the amount of the Brazilian foreign debt.
d) declares the importance of foreign investments in Brazil.
Answer: B
4. In the sentence “Even though some investors thought the upgrade had been long overdue, few expected it to materialise before the end of the year due to current global uncertainty”, even though and due to express, respectively, ideas of:
a) cause and effect. b) contrast and addition. c) contrast and resulting.
d) complementarity and consequence. e) resulting and effect.
Answer: C
5. In relation to investment-grade status, Brazil is: a) above Mexico.
b) above Russia and India. c) in the same level of China. d) in the same level of Russia. e) in the same level of India.
Answer: E
6. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below. It is said in the text that the credit rating agencies:
( ) agree unanimously that Brazil’s indicators should be improved.
( ) think Brazil’s indicators are better than any other investment grade countries.
( ) should not have changed Brazil’s investment-grade status from BB+ to BBB- before May 1st.
( ) have different points of view about the Brazilian economy.
Answer: E, E, E, C
7. The sentence “The macroeconomic management of the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been widely praised” indicates that Lula’s administration has been:
a) exalted. b) disapproved. c) criticized. d) depreciated. e) condemned. Answer: A
8. Fill in the gaps in the following sentence taken from the text using the articles correctly:
__________ Standard & Poor’s upgrade is __________ strong vote of confidence and __________ milestone in __________ Brazil’s economic history.* = no article
a) The – a – a – the b) The – an – a – * c) The – a – a – * d) The – an – a – the e) A – a – an – * Answer: C
9. The word eventually (7th paragraph) can be replaced by:
a) at least. b) finally. c) actually. d) occasionally. e) all the same.
Answer: B
10. The sentence “Instead of slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves” is equivalent in meaning to:
a) Besides slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves.
b) In addition to slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves.
c) Due to slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves.
d) Rather than slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves.
e) In spite of slashing interest rates aggressively during years of financial bonanza and low inflation, the Central Bank maintained a cautious and gradual monetary policy and piled up large amounts of foreign reserves.
Answer: D
11. In the fourth paragraph, the word however expresses an idea of: a) condition. b) effect. c) cause. d) addition. e) contrast. Answer: E
12. Brazil’s sovereign rating (5th paragraph) is an example of:
a) Present Progressive Tense. b) question tag.
c) genitive case. d) reported speech. e) passive voice.
Answer: C
TEXT 5: Is America still AAA? Não – Brazil rates America
When Brazil’s sovereign bonds were raised to investment grade last year there was much rejoicing, such is the heft of the big credit-rating agencies in emerging markets. Yet somehow the process does not work in reverse, even though there are several independent rating agencies based in the bigger emerging markets that are capable of judging sovereign creditworthiness. This may be about to change. SR Rating, a Brazilian firm, will soon issue a judgment on American government bonds. Its verdict is not pretty: the company says it will issue a AA rating.
Paulo Rabello de Castro, who chairs the ratings committee at SR, describes the decision to rate Uncle Sam as “an outright provocation”. Yet he also thinks that firms in emerging markets like Brazil, which are accustomed to instability, might have some advantages when scanning the horizon for danger signs, compared with agencies that operate in the relative calm of Europe or America.
“You can be living happily in the belly of a whale and operating with that as your world,” says Mr. de Castro, “until one day the whale’s belly contracts and you discover there is a whole universe of risks out there”. Brazilians, he suggests, are specialists in such belly contractions.
Questioning America’s long-held AAA rating is not as treasonable now as it once seemed. Moody’s has recently raised the alarm about the combined strain that bailing out banks, stimulating the economy, and paying for health care and social security will put on the Treasury. Mr. de Castro argues that perfect scores should henceforth be saved for places like Norway that sit on lots of oil, put revenues from its sale into a piggy bank and are unlikely to be invaded by their neighbours. As for the structured products that were mistakenly given AAA ratings over the past few years, he argues that no asset that has been around for less than ten years should be considered worthy of the accolade.
America’s bondholders will not be too put out by the verdict of one Brazilian rating agency. Concerns about long-term credit worthiness aired recently by the People’s Bank of China are much more likely to trouble them. SR Rating is, however, hoping to build a network of independent agencies in emerging markets that, taken together, would have more clout. They might even help to prevent future contractions.
May 21st, 2009 | São Paulo
Adapted from http://www.economist.com/node/13714198?story_id=13714198
1. Match the columns below: a) rejoicing ( ) direct
c) issue ( ) albeit d) outright ( ) realize e) scan ( ) worry f) discover ( ) happiness g) treasonable ( ) survey h) henceforth ( ) power i) concern ( ) hereafter j) clout ( ) release Answer: d, g, b, f, i, a, e, j, h, c
2. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below. ( ) Brazil and the United States had their sovereign bonds raised.
( ) The United States’ sovereign bonds were judged for the first time by a Brazilian rating agency. ( ) The ratings recently made by Brazilian and American credit agencies did not cause any surprise. ( ) The United States’ sovereign creditworthiness was wrongly rated by a Brazilian credit agency.
Answer: E, C, E, E
3. Paulo Rabello de Castro:
a) is a former member of the SR Rating’s credit committee.
b) declared that European and American rating firms are not as well prepared as the Brazilian ones. c) said that emerging country-based rating firms are used to dealing with economic fluctuations. d) was against the way his company rated the United States’ sovereign bonds.
e) thinks that Brazilians are not used to living with economic contractions anymore.
Answer: C
4. Read the following words stated by Paulo Rabello de Castro in the 3rd paragraph of
the text:
You can be living happily in the belly of a whale and operating with that as your world (…) until one day the whale’s belly contracts and you discover there is a whole universe of risks out there.
They can be considered: a) a proverb.
b) a quotation. c) a riddle. d) a forecast. e) a metaphor.
Answer: E
5. Based on the text, judge – right (C) or wrong (E) – the items below. ( ) Norway will probably go to war with one of its neighbours.
( ) It was a deceitful decision to question America’s AAA rating during the crisis. ( ) The verdict of the Brazilian rating agency bothered the United States’ investors.
( ) No developing country-based credit rating agency had got to judge the United States’ creditworthiness before the Brazilian firm.
Answer: E, E, E, E
6. In the last paragraph of the text, the word however cannot be replaced by: a) rather than. b) nevertheless. c) nonetheless. d) yet. e) still. Answer: A
TEXT 6: U.S. looks to Brazil to fuel energy revolution
When George W. Bush came to Brazil, he brought with him an offer to promote biofuels in oil-dependent countries just as Brazil is gripped by green energy fever.
Over the next six years, Brazil expects 77 new sugar or alcohol (both are raw ingredients for biofuels) plants1 to be built – a rate of more than one a month. According to Unica, the industry association,
investments already under way amount to $14.6bn. Throughout its rich agricultural heartland, soya and other crops are being torn out and replaced by sugar cane.
Most investment is by local companies but foreigners are also arriving. Sempra Energy of the US has agreed, with local partners, to build 12 alcohol refineries in northern Brazil for $4.2bn. Others already committed include Cargill of the US, Louis Dreyfus of France, the Noble Group of Singapore and Infinity Bio-Energy of the UK.
US officials, seeking a way to reach out to the dominant economy of South America and undercut the regional impact of [genitive case], think they have found it in biofuels.
Brazil has the potential to be the world’s leading producer. Establishing a partnership now would give the US the significance in the region it has gradually lost since talk of a US-led Free Trade Area of the Americas fizzled out a few years ago.
In spite of the widespread optimism, the outlook for Brazil’s ethanol industry seems uncertain. “It’s euphoria,” says Roberto Giannetti da Fonseca of Ethanol Trading, which represents more than 200 Brazilian producers. “People seem to be investing without really studying what’s going on.”
The US and Brazil in equal measure between them produce about 72 per cent of the world’s ethanol. However, Brazil is much more efficient than the US, where ethanol is made exclusively from maize2.
Production per hectare is twice that in the US and, per unit of energy used from planting to processing, it is more than five times more efficient.
Yet it is unclear what Brazil will do with its expected increase in production. Its own market is by far the world’s most biofueled: ethanol is added to gasoline at 23 per cent of volume and pure ethanol is universally available as an alternative. Some 80 per cent of all new cars in Brazil can run on gasoline or ethanol or any mixture of the two.
If other countries were to follow Brazil’s lead, its exporters’ futures would be secure. But the refusal of governments in Europe and the US to expose their much less efficient producers to Brazilian competition means an export boom cannot be expected.
Last year, Brazil exported more than 430m gallons of ethanol to the US – a six-fold leap over 2005 – in spite of an import tariff of 54 cents per gallon and subsidies to US producers of 51 cents per gallon. But last year’s surge was due to a shortage in the US that local producers will fill this year. Brazilian exports are due to slump.
The US has made it clear that discussing import tariffs is not on Mr Bush’s agenda, and the European Union is no less intransigent, but Washington will be able to offer co-operation on research into ethanol and cellulose-based fuels made from a more diverse range of materials. That development is still 10 to 15 years from commercial reality but will yield much more environmentally-friendly fuels and will also offer Brazil huge natural advantages.
The two will also discuss setting international standards to develop ethanol as a commodity, and joint initiatives to develop the industry in Peru, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean.
But as Marcos Jank of Icone, a trade think-tank in São Paulo, points out, any move on tariffs is a matter for Congress and the short-term outcome of Mr Bush’s visit is likely to be limited. “But we think tariffs have to3 be on the agenda and in a couple of years we can try to advance,” he says.
Mr Jank and many others in Brazil believe consolidation of the global market is inevitable. In that process, the US will be the most significant single interest. In that context, each side has every reason to reach out to the other.
By Jonathan Wheatley – March 6, 2007 Adapted from http://ethanolbrasil.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html (with slight alterations)
1. In the text, what means the word PLANTS (ref. 1)?
a) Living things which grow in earth, in water or on other plants, and usually have a stem, leaves, roots and flowers and produce seeds.
b) Something illegal or stolen that has been put secretly in a person’s clothing or among the things that belong to them to make them seem guilty of a crime.
c) Large heavy machines or vehicles used in industry, for building roads, etc. d) A group of buildings for the manufacture of a product; a factory.
e) Organisms that belong to the Kingdom Plantae (plant kingdom) in biological classification.
Answer: D
2. The correct form of [genitive case] in the text is: a) Venezuela’s oil diplomacy
b) Venezuelas’ oil diplomacy c) Venezuela oil’s diplomacy d) Venezuela oils’ diplomacy e) Venezuela’s oil’s diplomacy’s
Answer: A
3. In the text, the word MAIZE (ref. 2) means the same as: a) soy b) corn c) bean d) grain e) pea Answer: B
4. Read these two sentences taken from the text:
But last year’s surge was due to a shortage in the US that local producers will fill this year. Brazilian exports are due to slump.
Now, give the correct synonyms to the expression DUE TO as it is being used in both sentences: a) therefore – hence b) because of – otherwise c) owing to – about to d) for – despite e) in spite of – furthermore Answer: C
5. In the text, HAVE TO (ref. 3) can be substituted by: a) are able to b) ought to c) should d) dare e) must Answer: E
6. Use T (true) or F (false) to judge the following items:
I. More than a factory per month is expected to be built in Brazil to the production of sugar or alcohol during the next years.
factories for the last years.
III. Brazil and the United States began to talk about a US-led Free Trade Area of the Americas just a couple of years ago.
IV. Brazil produces two times more ethanol from maize than the United States. V. Brazil exported six times more ethanol to the United States in 2006 than in 2005. Now, mark the correct alternative:
a) T – F – F – F – F b) T – F – F – T – T c) T – F – F – F – T d) T – F – T – F – T e) T – T – F – F – T Answer: C
TEXT 7: The Iraq question
One of the things that I try to do when I’m on vacation in the States is to pay attention to the questions friends and family ask about the Middle East. This isn’t always helpful. “How come you live in the Middle East, but you still don’t have a tan?” asked one beach-crazy cousin last week. But more often than not, people ask me questions about my life in Lebanon or Syria or Iraq – Are you safe? Do you have Arab friends? What do you do fun? – that testify to the curiosity that Americans have about this region. But on this recent trip – which ended when I returned home to Beirut on Tuesday – I was overwhelmed by one particular question, a question asked by almost everyone, and one which I was unable to answer: What should we do about Iraq?
One reason I find it so difficult to come up with any convincing response to the Iraq question is that I have little moral authority on the subject. I’m not there. Besides reporting from the safety of Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq and the rare, furtive day-trip into Mosul or Kirkuk, I haven’t been in Baghdad – the real Iraq – since July 2004.
I stopped going to Baghdad and Arab Iraq because I thought I could no longer be effective there, because the growing dangers seemed to make it impossible for me do good work. Since I left, I’ve been humbled by the quality of stories written by my colleagues at Time and elsewhere who continue to report from Iraq. They found a way to do what I thought was impossible.
Moral authority on Iraq matters now more than ever, as we are faced with a seemingly impossible choice. Do we abandon millions of Iraqis to their fate and watch the country become one giant terrorist training factory sitting on the world’s third largest pool of oil? Or do we continue the surge and send more troops on the doomed mission of bolstering the Iraqi government, which in fact is led by a bunch of Shia warlords just waiting to resume their real business of killing Sunnis? At such a moment of moral confusion, we need to someone who will make us believe in the impossible, who will lead us on a way where there is no way.
Sadly, those are exactly the leaders we don’t have, ones willing to take moral responsibility for the Iraq war. When you or I really screw up and want forgiveness and help solving whatever problem we created, we apologize and take responsibility for our actions. But that’s exactly what the Bush Administration has avoided doing.
The commutation of Scooter Libby – the one official set to pay the price for misleading the American public about the reasons for going to war – is just the latest dodge. Why should citizens and soldiers
support an administration that won’t bear the consequences of its actions? Perhaps we shouldn’t be asking what to do about Iraq. Perhaps we should ask what to do about America.
July 5, 2007 | Posted by Andrew Lee Butters (Beirut) Adapted from http://time-blog.com/middle_east/
1. Which question is not made to the author during his trips to the United States? a) Shall America abandon Iraq’s population to their own destiny?
b) What should be done about the Iraq question?
c) Why are you not tanned since you live in the Middle East? d) Have you made friendships there?
e) What do you do to have a good time there?
Answer: A
2. Judge – right (C) or wrong (E) –the items below. The author: ( ) became tantalized with a question made by a cousin.
( ) is seldom asked questions about his personal life in the Middle East. ( ) thinks that Americans have much curiosity about the region he lives. ( ) travels to the United States, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq during his vacation.
Answer: E, E, C, E
3. The phrasal verb to come up with (2nd paragraph) means the same as:
a) to suggest. b) to contend. c) to infer. d) to urge. e) to seek. Answer: A
4. According to the text, Andrew Lee Butters: a) has lived in Iraq for the last four years.
b) himself thinks he is pretty able to talk about Iraq’s war because he lives there. c) feels himself humiliated by the reporters who still work in Iraq.
d) has a lot of close friends who still live and work in Iraq. e) thinks that the real Iraq is in the Northern part of the country.
Answer: C
a) Apologize. b) Response. c) Support. d) Largest. e) Resume. Answer: B
6. The questions made by the author in the 4th paragraph show that:
a) the solution to the war is to send more troops to Iraq. b) someone is needed to make us believe in the impossible. c) Iraq is going to become a stronger place for terrorist training.
d) experts are sure about Iraq’s future after the troops leave the country. e) the future of Iraq is uncertain.
Answer: E
7. The word forgiveness (5th paragraph) means, in Portuguese:
a) perdão. b) sacrifício. c) esquecimento. d) favorecimento. e) força. Answer: A
8. The modal auxiliary should in “Perhaps we should ask what to do about America” (last paragraph) can be best replaced by:
a) dare. b) could. c) ought to. d) might. e) must. Answer: C
9. In the 5th paragraph, the author states that:
a) he seldom apologizes for his actions.
b) Bush Administration does not intend to assume the responsibility for their actions. c) America’s problems must be solved before Iraq’s ones.
d) many governors are willing to assume the responsibility for the Iraq war.
e) ordinary people and soldiers must support an administration that bears the consequences of its actions.
Answer: B
10. Based on the text, judge – right (C) ou wrong (E) – the items below: ( ) overwhelmed (paragraph 1) and stirred are interchangeable.
( ) Besides (paragraph 2) can be replaced by albeit.
( ) surge (paragraph 4) can be defined as a sudden and great increase. ( ) Sadly (paragraph 5) is synonymous with unfortunately.
Answer: C, E, E, C
TEXT 8: Iraq leader Maliki supports Obama’s withdrawal plans
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama’s plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq __________ [I] 16 months. When asked in an interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded “as soon as possible, __________ [II]”. He then continued: “US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes”.
Maliki was careful to back away from outright support for Obama. “Of course, this is __________ [III] an election endorsement. Who they choose as their president is the Americans’ business,” he said. But then, apparently referring to Republican candidate John McCain’s more open-ended Iraq policy, Maliki said: “Those __________ [IV] operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems”.
Iraq, Maliki went on to say, “would like to see the establishment of a long-term strategic treaty with the United States, __________ [IV] would govern the basic aspects of our economic and cultural relations”. He also emphasized though that the security agreement between the two countries should only “remain in effect in the short term”.
The comments by the Iraqi leader come as Obama embarks on a trip to both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as to Europe. Obama was in Afghanistan on Saturday to, as he said prior to his trip, “see what the situation on the ground is… and thank our troops for the heroic work that they __________ [V]”. The exact itinerary of the candidate’s trip has not been made public out of security concerns, but it is widely expected that he will arrive in Iraq on Sunday to meet with Maliki.
Maliki has long __________ [VI] impatience with the open-ended presence of US troops in Iraq. In his conversation with SPIEGEL, he was once again candid about his frustration over the __________ [VII] about agreeing to a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops. But he did say he was optimistic that such a schedule would be drawn up before Bush leaves the White House next January – a confidence that appeared justified following Friday’s joint announcement in Baghdad and Washington that Bush has now, for the first time, spoken of “a general time horizon” for moving US troops out of Iraq.
“So far the Americans have had trouble agreeing to a concrete timetable for withdrawal, because they feel it would appear tantamount to an admission of defeat”, Maliki told SPIEGEL. “But that isn’t the case at all. If we come to an agreement, it is not evidence of a defeat, but of a victory, of a severe blow we have inflicted on al-Qaida and the militias.”
He also bemoaned the fact that Baghdad has little control over the US troops in Iraq. “It is a fundamental problem for us that it should not be possible, in my country, to prosecute offences or crimes committed by US soldiers against our population”, Maliki said.
Adapted from http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,566841,00.html
1. The word withdrawal is:
a) when you take money out of a bank account. b) when a military force moves out of an area.
c) when something is taken away so that it is no longer available.
d) when someone prefers to be alone and does not want to talk to other people.
Answer: B
2. The blank [I] is filled correctly with: a) inside.
b) into. c) within. d) on.
Answer: C
3. The blank [II] is filled correctly with: a) for we wanted it.
b) due to our surprise. c) as long as we know.
d) as far as we are concerned.
Answer: D
4. In the sentence “with the possibility of slight changes”, the underlined word means: a) soft.
b) huge. c) terrific. d) great.
Answer: A
5. The blank [III] is filled correctly with: a) by no meaning.
b) by any means. c) by no means.
d) by some means.
Answer: C
6. The blanks [IV] are filled correctly with: a) who – which
b) which – which c) whom – that d) what – whose
Answer: A
7. The sentence “The comments by the Iraqi leader come as Obama embarks on a trip to both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as to Europe” means the same as:
a) The notes by the Iraqi leader come while Obama goes not only to Afghanistan but also Iraqi or Europe.
b) The quotations made by the Iraqi leader come when Obama travels not only to Afghanistan and also Iraqi and Europe.
c) The observations made by the Iraqi leader come when Obama travels not only to Afghanistan but also Iraqi and Europe.
d) The remarks by the Iraqi president come while Obama goes either to Afghanistan or Iraqi or Europe.
Answer: C
8. The blank [V] is filled correctly with: a) have been doing.
b) are doing. c) have done.
d) would have done.
Answer: A
9. The sentence “The exact itinerary of the candidate’s trip has not been made public” in the active form is:
a) They have not made public the exact itinerary of the candidate’s trip. b) They had not made public the exact itinerary of the candidate’s trip.
c) They should have not made public the exact itinerary of the candidate’s trip. d) They have made public the exact itinerary of the candidate’s trip.
Answer: A
a) Nouri al-Maliki. b) Iraq and Maliki.
c) economic and cultural relations. d) Iraqi people.
Answer: D
11. The blank [VI] is filled correctly with: a) to show. b) showed. c) show. d) showing. e) shown. Answer: E
12. The blank [VII] is filled correctly with: a) Bush’s administration hesitancy
b) Bush’s administrations’ hesitancy c) Bush’s administration’s hesitancy d) Bush administration’s hesitancy e) Bush’ administration’s hesitancy
Answer: D
13. The sentence “But he did say he was optimistic” means the same as: a) But he did said he was optimistic.
b) But he really said he was optimistic. c) But he did say he was optimistic.
d) But he actually said to us he was optimistic. e) But he seldom said he was optimistic.
Answer: B
14. In “moving US troops out of Iraq”, out of can be replaced by: a) from.
b) outside. c) onto. d) aside. e) apart.
Answer: A
15. In “So far the Americans have had trouble agreeing to a concrete timetable for withdrawal”, So far is equivalent in meaning to:
a) As long as. b) In a fortnight. c) From now on. d) Until now.
e) Within a couple of days.
Answer: D
16. In the text, the word blow (6th paragraph) is a(n) __________ and can be replaced by
__________. a) noun – hit b) noun – wind c) verb – shot d) verb – punch e) adjective – upper Answer: A
17. The verb to bemoan (7th paragraph) means:
a) to make a formal statement saying that someone is accused of a crime. b) to officially record something especially in a law court.
c) to express to someone that you are pleased about or appreciate something that they have done. d) to tell someone that you are sorry for having done something that has caused them inconvenience. e) to complain about or express sadness.
Answer: E
18. Tantamount to in “it would appear tantamount to an admission of defeat” cannot be substituted by:
a) alike.
b) comparable with. c) likely.
d) equivalent to. e) the same as.
19. Fill in the following sentence meaningfully according to the text:
__________ Nouri al-Maliki __________ Barack Obama are __________ the US troops’ withdrawal from Iraqi.
a) Not only – but also – against b) Both – and – for
c) Either – or – for
d) Neither – nor – against e) * – and – off
Answer: B
20. Fill in the following sentence meaningfully according to the text:
__________ one year to the US troops __________ Iraq.
a) It did take more than – left
b) They will take more than – go away c) It will take more than – leave
d) They will take less than – went on e) It takes at least – drive away
Answer: C
