Questões de Concurso
Comentadas sobre interpretação de texto | reading comprehension em inglês
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January 26, 2009
By John C. Dvorak
It's no coincidence that the computer industry peaked around the year 2000, went into a serious decline, stabilized at the low point a couple of years ago, and has since collapsed again.
A confluence of reasons is responsible for this, but when it comes to the industry bringing this on itself, one major event may have taken down the entire business.
I'm speaking about the announcement of the Itanium processor. This continues to be one of the great fiascos of the last 50 years, and not because Intel blew too much money on its development or that the chip performed poorly and will never be widely adopted. It was the reaction and subsequent consolidation in the industry that took place once this grandiose chip was preannounced.
We heard that HP, IBM, Dell, and even Sun Microsystems would use these chips and discontinue anything else they were developing. This included Sun making noise about dropping the SPARC chip for this thing - sight unseen. I say "sight unseen" because it would be years before the chip was even prototyped. The entire industry just took Intel at its word that Itanium would work as advertised in a PowerPoint presentation.
Because this chip was supposed to radically change the way computers work and become the driving force behind all systems in the future, one promising project after another was dropped. Why? Because Itanium was the future for all computing. Why bother wasting money on good ideas that didn't include it?
The failure of this chip to do anything more than exist as a niche processor sealed the fate of Intel - and perhaps the entire industry, since from 1997 to 2001 everyone waited for the messiah of chips to take us all to the next level.
It did that all right. It took us to the next level. But we didn't know that the next level was below us, not above.
(Adapted from PCMAG.COM)
January 26, 2009
By John C. Dvorak
It's no coincidence that the computer industry peaked around the year 2000, went into a serious decline, stabilized at the low point a couple of years ago, and has since collapsed again.
A confluence of reasons is responsible for this, but when it comes to the industry bringing this on itself, one major event may have taken down the entire business.
I'm speaking about the announcement of the Itanium processor. This continues to be one of the great fiascos of the last 50 years, and not because Intel blew too much money on its development or that the chip performed poorly and will never be widely adopted. It was the reaction and subsequent consolidation in the industry that took place once this grandiose chip was preannounced.
We heard that HP, IBM, Dell, and even Sun Microsystems would use these chips and discontinue anything else they were developing. This included Sun making noise about dropping the SPARC chip for this thing - sight unseen. I say "sight unseen" because it would be years before the chip was even prototyped. The entire industry just took Intel at its word that Itanium would work as advertised in a PowerPoint presentation.
Because this chip was supposed to radically change the way computers work and become the driving force behind all systems in the future, one promising project after another was dropped. Why? Because Itanium was the future for all computing. Why bother wasting money on good ideas that didn't include it?
The failure of this chip to do anything more than exist as a niche processor sealed the fate of Intel - and perhaps the entire industry, since from 1997 to 2001 everyone waited for the messiah of chips to take us all to the next level.
It did that all right. It took us to the next level. But we didn't know that the next level was below us, not above.
(Adapted from PCMAG.COM)
January 26, 2009
By John C. Dvorak
It's no coincidence that the computer industry peaked around the year 2000, went into a serious decline, stabilized at the low point a couple of years ago, and has since collapsed again.
A confluence of reasons is responsible for this, but when it comes to the industry bringing this on itself, one major event may have taken down the entire business.
I'm speaking about the announcement of the Itanium processor. This continues to be one of the great fiascos of the last 50 years, and not because Intel blew too much money on its development or that the chip performed poorly and will never be widely adopted. It was the reaction and subsequent consolidation in the industry that took place once this grandiose chip was preannounced.
We heard that HP, IBM, Dell, and even Sun Microsystems would use these chips and discontinue anything else they were developing. This included Sun making noise about dropping the SPARC chip for this thing - sight unseen. I say "sight unseen" because it would be years before the chip was even prototyped. The entire industry just took Intel at its word that Itanium would work as advertised in a PowerPoint presentation.
Because this chip was supposed to radically change the way computers work and become the driving force behind all systems in the future, one promising project after another was dropped. Why? Because Itanium was the future for all computing. Why bother wasting money on good ideas that didn't include it?
The failure of this chip to do anything more than exist as a niche processor sealed the fate of Intel - and perhaps the entire industry, since from 1997 to 2001 everyone waited for the messiah of chips to take us all to the next level.
It did that all right. It took us to the next level. But we didn't know that the next level was below us, not above.
(Adapted from PCMAG.COM)
How long can the run on the dollar continue? Last
year's dollar slump, with its attendant rise in commodity
prices, ended when the market put paid to it. This time
governments are attempting to slow it down. But it is not,
as widely expected, the US government that is doing
this. Instead, the Canadian dollar dropped sharply on
Tuesday after the Bank of Canada issued a warning over
the currency's recent strength. Brazil's government went
further, imposing capital controls to stop the real gaining
at the dollar's expense. Other countries, it appears, have
more to lose from a weak dollar than the US does.
Perhaps as a result, there was a day's pause in the
trade that has seen the dollar hit 14-month lows while oil,
denominated in dollars, briefl y hit $80 a barrel before falling.
Brazil's imposition of a 2 per cent tax on capital infl ows, to
both stocks and bonds, showed strong intent. This move
brought the real, which has risen 54.5 per cent against the
dollar since its nadir, down by 3.8 per cent. The Bovespa
stock index, which has tripled since its low, fell 7.5 per cent
in dollar terms at one point.
Brazil evidently fears that an overpriced real could endanger
its recovery. Other exporters will be watching closely.
(Source: the Financial Times October 20- www.ft.com, adapted)
How long can the run on the dollar continue? Last
year's dollar slump, with its attendant rise in commodity
prices, ended when the market put paid to it. This time
governments are attempting to slow it down. But it is not,
as widely expected, the US government that is doing
this. Instead, the Canadian dollar dropped sharply on
Tuesday after the Bank of Canada issued a warning over
the currency's recent strength. Brazil's government went
further, imposing capital controls to stop the real gaining
at the dollar's expense. Other countries, it appears, have
more to lose from a weak dollar than the US does.
Perhaps as a result, there was a day's pause in the
trade that has seen the dollar hit 14-month lows while oil,
denominated in dollars, briefl y hit $80 a barrel before falling.
Brazil's imposition of a 2 per cent tax on capital infl ows, to
both stocks and bonds, showed strong intent. This move
brought the real, which has risen 54.5 per cent against the
dollar since its nadir, down by 3.8 per cent. The Bovespa
stock index, which has tripled since its low, fell 7.5 per cent
in dollar terms at one point.
Brazil evidently fears that an overpriced real could endanger
its recovery. Other exporters will be watching closely.
(Source: the Financial Times October 20- www.ft.com, adapted)
How long can the run on the dollar continue? Last
year's dollar slump, with its attendant rise in commodity
prices, ended when the market put paid to it. This time
governments are attempting to slow it down. But it is not,
as widely expected, the US government that is doing
this. Instead, the Canadian dollar dropped sharply on
Tuesday after the Bank of Canada issued a warning over
the currency's recent strength. Brazil's government went
further, imposing capital controls to stop the real gaining
at the dollar's expense. Other countries, it appears, have
more to lose from a weak dollar than the US does.
Perhaps as a result, there was a day's pause in the
trade that has seen the dollar hit 14-month lows while oil,
denominated in dollars, briefl y hit $80 a barrel before falling.
Brazil's imposition of a 2 per cent tax on capital infl ows, to
both stocks and bonds, showed strong intent. This move
brought the real, which has risen 54.5 per cent against the
dollar since its nadir, down by 3.8 per cent. The Bovespa
stock index, which has tripled since its low, fell 7.5 per cent
in dollar terms at one point.
Brazil evidently fears that an overpriced real could endanger
its recovery. Other exporters will be watching closely.
(Source: the Financial Times October 20- www.ft.com, adapted)
How long can the run on the dollar continue? Last
year's dollar slump, with its attendant rise in commodity
prices, ended when the market put paid to it. This time
governments are attempting to slow it down. But it is not,
as widely expected, the US government that is doing
this. Instead, the Canadian dollar dropped sharply on
Tuesday after the Bank of Canada issued a warning over
the currency's recent strength. Brazil's government went
further, imposing capital controls to stop the real gaining
at the dollar's expense. Other countries, it appears, have
more to lose from a weak dollar than the US does.
Perhaps as a result, there was a day's pause in the
trade that has seen the dollar hit 14-month lows while oil,
denominated in dollars, briefl y hit $80 a barrel before falling.
Brazil's imposition of a 2 per cent tax on capital infl ows, to
both stocks and bonds, showed strong intent. This move
brought the real, which has risen 54.5 per cent against the
dollar since its nadir, down by 3.8 per cent. The Bovespa
stock index, which has tripled since its low, fell 7.5 per cent
in dollar terms at one point.
Brazil evidently fears that an overpriced real could endanger
its recovery. Other exporters will be watching closely.
(Source: the Financial Times October 20- www.ft.com, adapted)
How long can the run on the dollar continue? Last
year's dollar slump, with its attendant rise in commodity
prices, ended when the market put paid to it. This time
governments are attempting to slow it down. But it is not,
as widely expected, the US government that is doing
this. Instead, the Canadian dollar dropped sharply on
Tuesday after the Bank of Canada issued a warning over
the currency's recent strength. Brazil's government went
further, imposing capital controls to stop the real gaining
at the dollar's expense. Other countries, it appears, have
more to lose from a weak dollar than the US does.
Perhaps as a result, there was a day's pause in the
trade that has seen the dollar hit 14-month lows while oil,
denominated in dollars, briefl y hit $80 a barrel before falling.
Brazil's imposition of a 2 per cent tax on capital infl ows, to
both stocks and bonds, showed strong intent. This move
brought the real, which has risen 54.5 per cent against the
dollar since its nadir, down by 3.8 per cent. The Bovespa
stock index, which has tripled since its low, fell 7.5 per cent
in dollar terms at one point.
Brazil evidently fears that an overpriced real could endanger
its recovery. Other exporters will be watching closely.
(Source: the Financial Times October 20- www.ft.com, adapted)
How long can the run on the dollar continue? Last
year's dollar slump, with its attendant rise in commodity
prices, ended when the market put paid to it. This time
governments are attempting to slow it down. But it is not,
as widely expected, the US government that is doing
this. Instead, the Canadian dollar dropped sharply on
Tuesday after the Bank of Canada issued a warning over
the currency's recent strength. Brazil's government went
further, imposing capital controls to stop the real gaining
at the dollar's expense. Other countries, it appears, have
more to lose from a weak dollar than the US does.
Perhaps as a result, there was a day's pause in the
trade that has seen the dollar hit 14-month lows while oil,
denominated in dollars, briefl y hit $80 a barrel before falling.
Brazil's imposition of a 2 per cent tax on capital infl ows, to
both stocks and bonds, showed strong intent. This move
brought the real, which has risen 54.5 per cent against the
dollar since its nadir, down by 3.8 per cent. The Bovespa
stock index, which has tripled since its low, fell 7.5 per cent
in dollar terms at one point.
Brazil evidently fears that an overpriced real could endanger
its recovery. Other exporters will be watching closely.
(Source: the Financial Times October 20- www.ft.com, adapted)
grouping, ended their fi rst major summit by calling for a
stable, predictable and more diversifi ed international
monetary system. But the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India
and China, stopped short of criticising the world's dominant
currency, the US dollar. The group repeated calls for a
bigger say in the global fi nancial system through greater
representation at major institutions, such as the World
Bank.
But the fi nal statement issued by the leaders made no
reference to developing new reserve currencies to challenge
the dollar, which Russia had called for at a separate event
earlier in the day.
Analysts say that as the global recession bites, the four Bric
nations are showing a growing willingness to work together.
One expert claimed the signifi cance of the summit would
be political rather than economic
(BBC News 16/6/09, adapted)
grouping, ended their fi rst major summit by calling for a
stable, predictable and more diversifi ed international
monetary system. But the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India
and China, stopped short of criticising the world's dominant
currency, the US dollar. The group repeated calls for a
bigger say in the global fi nancial system through greater
representation at major institutions, such as the World
Bank.
But the fi nal statement issued by the leaders made no
reference to developing new reserve currencies to challenge
the dollar, which Russia had called for at a separate event
earlier in the day.
Analysts say that as the global recession bites, the four Bric
nations are showing a growing willingness to work together.
One expert claimed the signifi cance of the summit would
be political rather than economic
(BBC News 16/6/09, adapted)
grouping, ended their fi rst major summit by calling for a
stable, predictable and more diversifi ed international
monetary system. But the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India
and China, stopped short of criticising the world's dominant
currency, the US dollar. The group repeated calls for a
bigger say in the global fi nancial system through greater
representation at major institutions, such as the World
Bank.
But the fi nal statement issued by the leaders made no
reference to developing new reserve currencies to challenge
the dollar, which Russia had called for at a separate event
earlier in the day.
Analysts say that as the global recession bites, the four Bric
nations are showing a growing willingness to work together.
One expert claimed the signifi cance of the summit would
be political rather than economic
(BBC News 16/6/09, adapted)

According to the text, judge the following items.

According to the text, judge the following items.
He is the farmer __we talked about last night.
My boss smokes____ a chimney.
____ he had time, he didn’t want to do it.
The man ___ the book on the table and began to write.
Assinale a alternativa que completa apropriadamente a frase abaixo.
The mother ______ the milk for her son, and carelessly he _____ it on his chothes.
O texto a seguir refere-se às questões 29, 30, 31 e 32.
Learning to quit
Jodi Hall started smoking at age 9.
By the time she was 16, she was up to a pack a day – and she wanted to quit. A couple of reasons: one, her health; two, a guy named Mony. “He said that when he kissed me, it was like kissing an ashtray”, Jodi says.
Earlier this year, Jodi, along with 25 of her classmates at Johnson High School, in Savannah, GA, enrolled in the school’s first stop-smoking class. During the eight-week Tobacco Free Teen class, they learned what smoking can do to their body, their wallet and their grades (some kids end up cutting class to satisfy their nicotine cravings). But it wasn’t just about scare tactics. The goal is behavior modification, not punishment, so students are taught techniques for handling stress and resisting the urge to light up even when friends or parents do.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), which sponsors the class, about half the adults who smoke were regular smokers by age 18. “Theses numbers are only going to get worse,” says Kristine Lewis of the ALA. “The tobacco industry is turning to teens.”
How did the students do? Jodi has been cigaretteless for three months. But she’s the only one. Her classmate Adam Cushman is slowly putting his way back to three packs a day. The 16-year-old says he wants to stop, “but the way things are going, I doubt I’ll be able to.”
Seventeen, June 1996.
It can be inferred from the text that smoking can affect the following aspects of students’ lives: