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Questões de Concurso Sobre sinônimos | synonyms em inglês

Foram encontradas 1.586 questões

Q859151 Inglês

Assinale a alternativa que substitui corretamente as palavras ou expressões em negrito:


Tom Hardy is a thief. He was aiven a punishment of one year in prison. He used force to aet inside the house. He intended to steal things that were worth a lot of money. The door was closed with a kev. He droooed off on a chair.

Alternativas
Q859147 Inglês

Read the extract of the song GIVE ME LO VE by ED Sheeram and answer


Told you l ’d let them go

And TU fight my comer

Maybe tonight Til call ya

After my blood turns into alcohol

No I just wanna hold ya

Give a little time to me, we’ll burn this out

We’ll play hide and seek, to turn this around

All I want is the taste that your lips allow

Give me love like never before

‘Cause lately /Ve been craving more

And it’s been a while but I still feel the same

Maybe I should let you go

Choose the alternative that presents a word that could replace “maybe” in the sentence “Maybe I should let you go”:
Alternativas
Q859132 Inglês

Michael Joseph Jackson’s story was an American tale of celebrity and excess that took him from musical boy wonder to global pop superstar to sad figure haunted by lawsuits, paparazzi and failed plastic surgery.

At the height of his career, Mr. Jackson was indisputably the biggest star in the world; he sold more than 750 million albums. He spent a lifetime surprising people, in his last years mainly because of a surreal personal life, lurid legal scandals, serial plastic surgeries and erratic public behaviorthat turned him — on his very best days — into the butt of late-night talk-show jokes and tabloid headlines.

Mr. Jackson died atage 50 in Los Angeles on June25,2009. His death itself became an enormous spectacle. On television and on the Internet, tens of millions of people worldwide watched a memorial Service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The cause of Mr. Jackson’s death was a mixture of the powerful anesthetic propofol and the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.

Two days after Mr. Jackson’s death his personal doctor, Conrad Murray, told detectives that he had been using propofol nearly daily for the last two months to help Mr. Jackson sleep. But he said that he had been trying to wean Mr. Jackson off the drug and had tried sedatives instead. Dr. Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter for providing him with propofol.

                                                                                             Adapted from New York Times, Nov. 29, 2011

Choose the correct synonym for the word “manslaughter” in “Dr. Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter for providing him with propofol.” 
Alternativas
Ano: 2015 Banca: ACAFE Órgão: SED-SC Prova: ACAFE - 2015 - SED-SC - Professor - Inglês |
Q603290 Inglês

Teen romance usually digitally enhanced, says US study

Technology plays a key role in teenage romance from initial encounters to eventual break-ups, says a US study.

Teenagers rarely meet online but do use technology for flirting, asking out, meeting up and parting, American think tank, the Pew Research Center, found.

A survey of 1,060 US teenagers aged 13 to 17 revealed that technology brings them closer but also breeds jealousy.

"Digital platforms are powerful tools for teens," said Amanda Lenhart, lead author of the report from Pew.

"But even as teens enjoy greater closeness with partners and a chance to display their relationships for others to see, mobile and social media can also be tools for jealousy, meddling and even troubling behaviour."

Digital romance, broken down

Of the 1,060 teenagers surveyed:

35% said they were currently dating and 59% of that group said technology made them feel closer to their partner.

For boys who were dating, 65% said social media made them more connected to a significant other while it was 52% for girls.

27% of dating teenagers thought social media made them feel jealous or insecure in relationships.

50% of all teens surveyed, dating or not, said they had indicated interest by friending someone on Facebook or other social media and 47% expressed attraction by likes and comments.

Texting is king - 92% of teens who were dating said they texted a partner, assuming the partner would check in with "great regularity"

Jealousy happens, but not as much as flirting does - 11% of teenage daters reported accessing a partner's online  accounts and 16% reported having a partner asking them to de-friend someone.

What gets discussed during all those frequent social media enabled check-ins?

According to the survey, it is mostly "funny stuff" followed by "things you're thinking about" as well as other information such as where they are and what their friends have been doing.

And forget having to meet up to resolve a conflict - 48% of dating teenagers said that could be done by texting or talking online.

Online tools, with their accessibility and ease of use, also showed some signs of giving this group relationship anxiety. Females are more likely to be subject to unwanted flirting and 25% of teenagers surveyed said they have blocked or unfriended someone because of uncomfortable flirting.

And 15% of teenage daters said a partner had used the internet to pressure them into unwanted sexual activity.

'More than emojis'

Nearly half the respondents admitted to concentrating on their phone ahead of their partner when together with 43% of dating teens saying that had happened to them.

"I don't think this survey reveals much that is surprising.

But it is affirming. Humans are social animals and we build tools to connect with each other,"wrote Julie Beck, an associate editor at The Atlantic news site, of the survey's findings.

"It's not all heart emojis all the time, no, but the tools that facilitate relationships facilitate all aspects of them, good and bad. "Connecting with others is scary, hard, sometimes dangerous, but usually, hopefully, good. The teens get it."

(Fonte: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34416989)

In the sentence "technology brings them (teenagers) closer but also breeds jealousy", the verb "breeds" can be replaced by which other verb without changing its meaning?
Alternativas
Ano: 2015 Banca: ACAFE Órgão: SED-SC Prova: ACAFE - 2015 - SED-SC - Professor - Inglês |
Q603289 Inglês

Teen romance usually digitally enhanced, says US study

Technology plays a key role in teenage romance from initial encounters to eventual break-ups, says a US study.

Teenagers rarely meet online but do use technology for flirting, asking out, meeting up and parting, American think tank, the Pew Research Center, found.

A survey of 1,060 US teenagers aged 13 to 17 revealed that technology brings them closer but also breeds jealousy.

"Digital platforms are powerful tools for teens," said Amanda Lenhart, lead author of the report from Pew.

"But even as teens enjoy greater closeness with partners and a chance to display their relationships for others to see, mobile and social media can also be tools for jealousy, meddling and even troubling behaviour."

Digital romance, broken down

Of the 1,060 teenagers surveyed:

35% said they were currently dating and 59% of that group said technology made them feel closer to their partner.

For boys who were dating, 65% said social media made them more connected to a significant other while it was 52% for girls.

27% of dating teenagers thought social media made them feel jealous or insecure in relationships.

50% of all teens surveyed, dating or not, said they had indicated interest by friending someone on Facebook or other social media and 47% expressed attraction by likes and comments.

Texting is king - 92% of teens who were dating said they texted a partner, assuming the partner would check in with "great regularity"

Jealousy happens, but not as much as flirting does - 11% of teenage daters reported accessing a partner's online  accounts and 16% reported having a partner asking them to de-friend someone.

What gets discussed during all those frequent social media enabled check-ins?

According to the survey, it is mostly "funny stuff" followed by "things you're thinking about" as well as other information such as where they are and what their friends have been doing.

And forget having to meet up to resolve a conflict - 48% of dating teenagers said that could be done by texting or talking online.

Online tools, with their accessibility and ease of use, also showed some signs of giving this group relationship anxiety. Females are more likely to be subject to unwanted flirting and 25% of teenagers surveyed said they have blocked or unfriended someone because of uncomfortable flirting.

And 15% of teenage daters said a partner had used the internet to pressure them into unwanted sexual activity.

'More than emojis'

Nearly half the respondents admitted to concentrating on their phone ahead of their partner when together with 43% of dating teens saying that had happened to them.

"I don't think this survey reveals much that is surprising.

But it is affirming. Humans are social animals and we build tools to connect with each other,"wrote Julie Beck, an associate editor at The Atlantic news site, of the survey's findings.

"It's not all heart emojis all the time, no, but the tools that facilitate relationships facilitate all aspects of them, good and bad. "Connecting with others is scary, hard, sometimes dangerous, but usually, hopefully, good. The teens get it."

(Fonte: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34416989)

Which of the adverbs below have the same meaning of "nearly half" in the sentence "Nearly half the respondents admitted to concentrating on their phone ahead of their partner when together...".
Alternativas
Q599906 Inglês
TEXT 2

Innovation is the new key to survival

[…]

At its most basic, innovation presents an optimal strategy for controlling costs. Companies that have invested in such technologies as remote mining, autonomous equipment and driverless trucks and trains have reduced expenses by orders of magnitude, while simultaneously driving up productivity.

Yet, gazing towards the horizon, it is rapidly becoming clear that innovation can do much more than reduce capital intensity. Approached strategically, it also has the power to reduce people and energy intensity, while increasing mining intensity.

Capturing the learnings 

The key is to think of innovation as much more than research and development (R&D) around particular processes or technologies. Companies can, in fact, innovate in multiple ways, such as leveraging supplier knowledge around specific operational challenges, redefining their participation in the energy value chain or finding new ways to engage and partner with major stakeholders and constituencies.

To reap these rewards, however, mining companies must overcome their traditionally conservative tendencies. In many cases, miners struggle to adopt technologies proven to work at other mining companies, let alone those from other industries. As a result, innovation becomes less of a technology problem and more of an adoption problem.

By breaking this mindset, mining companies can free themselves to adapt practical applications that already exist in other industries and apply them to fit their current needs. For instance, the tunnel boring machines used by civil engineers to excavate the Chunnel can vastly reduce miners' reliance on explosives. Until recently, those machines were too large to apply in a mining setting. Some innovators, however, are now incorporating the underlying technology to build smaller machines—effectively adapting mature solutions from other industries to realize more rapid results. 

Re-imagining the future

At the same time, innovation mandates companies to think in entirely new ways. Traditionally, for instance, miners have focused on extracting higher grades and achieving faster throughput by optimizing the pit, schedule, product mix and logistics. A truly innovative mindset, however, will see them adopt an entirely new design paradigm that leverages new information, mining and energy technologies to maximize value. […]

Approached in this way, innovation can drive more than cost reduction. It can help mining companies mitigate and manage risks, strengthen business models and foster more effective community and government relations. It can help mining services companies enhance their value to the industry by developing new products and services. Longer-term, it can even position organizations to move the needle on such endemic issues as corporate social responsibility, environmental performance and sustainability.

(http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ru/Document s/energy-resources/ru_er_tracking_the_trends_2015_eng.pdf)
“For instance" in “Traditionally, for instance, miners have focused on extracting" (l. 34-35) is used to:
Alternativas
Q599904 Inglês
TEXT 2

Innovation is the new key to survival

[…]

At its most basic, innovation presents an optimal strategy for controlling costs. Companies that have invested in such technologies as remote mining, autonomous equipment and driverless trucks and trains have reduced expenses by orders of magnitude, while simultaneously driving up productivity.

Yet, gazing towards the horizon, it is rapidly becoming clear that innovation can do much more than reduce capital intensity. Approached strategically, it also has the power to reduce people and energy intensity, while increasing mining intensity.

Capturing the learnings 

The key is to think of innovation as much more than research and development (R&D) around particular processes or technologies. Companies can, in fact, innovate in multiple ways, such as leveraging supplier knowledge around specific operational challenges, redefining their participation in the energy value chain or finding new ways to engage and partner with major stakeholders and constituencies.

To reap these rewards, however, mining companies must overcome their traditionally conservative tendencies. In many cases, miners struggle to adopt technologies proven to work at other mining companies, let alone those from other industries. As a result, innovation becomes less of a technology problem and more of an adoption problem.

By breaking this mindset, mining companies can free themselves to adapt practical applications that already exist in other industries and apply them to fit their current needs. For instance, the tunnel boring machines used by civil engineers to excavate the Chunnel can vastly reduce miners' reliance on explosives. Until recently, those machines were too large to apply in a mining setting. Some innovators, however, are now incorporating the underlying technology to build smaller machines—effectively adapting mature solutions from other industries to realize more rapid results. 

Re-imagining the future

At the same time, innovation mandates companies to think in entirely new ways. Traditionally, for instance, miners have focused on extracting higher grades and achieving faster throughput by optimizing the pit, schedule, product mix and logistics. A truly innovative mindset, however, will see them adopt an entirely new design paradigm that leverages new information, mining and energy technologies to maximize value. […]

Approached in this way, innovation can drive more than cost reduction. It can help mining companies mitigate and manage risks, strengthen business models and foster more effective community and government relations. It can help mining services companies enhance their value to the industry by developing new products and services. Longer-term, it can even position organizations to move the needle on such endemic issues as corporate social responsibility, environmental performance and sustainability.

(http://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ru/Document s/energy-resources/ru_er_tracking_the_trends_2015_eng.pdf)
The verb “reduce" in “reduce capital intensity" (l. 7) has the same meaning as:
Alternativas
Q599901 Inglês
 TEXT 1

                        


Mining tourism in Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto is surrounded by a rich and varied natural environment with waterfalls, hiking trails and native vegetation partially protected as state parks. Parts of these resources are used for tourism. Paradoxically, this ecosystem contrasts with the human occupation of the region that produced, after centuries, a rich history and a cultural connection to mining, its oldest economic activity which triggered occupation. The region has an unlimited potential for tourism, especially in specific segments such as mining heritage tourism, in association or not with the existing ecotourism market. In fact, in Ouro Preto, tourism, history, geology and mining are often hard to distinguish; such is the inter-relationship between these segments.

For centuries, a major problem of mining has been the reuse of the affected areas. Modern mining projects proposed solutions to this problem right from the initial stages of operation, which did not happen until recently. As a result, most quarries and other old mining areas that do not have an appropriate destination represent serious environmental problems. Mining tourism utilizing exhausted mines is a source of employment and income. Tourism activities may even contribute to the recovery of degraded areas in various ways, such as reforestation for leisure purposes, or their transformation into history museums where aspects of local mining are interpreted.

Minas Gerais, and particularly Ouro Preto, provides the strong and rich cultural and historical content needed for the transformation of mining remnants into attractive tourism products, especially when combined with the existing cultural tourism of the region. Although mining tourism is explored in various parts of the world in extremely different social, economic, cultural and natural contexts, in Brazil it is still not a strategy readily adopted as an alternative for areas affected by mining activities.

(Lohmann, G. M.; Flecha, A. C.; Knupp, M. E. C. G.; Liccardo, A. (2011). Mining tourism in Ouro Preto, Brazil: opportunities and challenges. In: M. V. Conlin; L. Jolliffe (eds).Mining heritage and tourism: a global synthesis. New York: Routledge, pp. 194-202.)
The phrase “As a result" (l. 16) can be replaced by:
Alternativas
Q599898 Inglês
 TEXT 1

                        


Mining tourism in Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto is surrounded by a rich and varied natural environment with waterfalls, hiking trails and native vegetation partially protected as state parks. Parts of these resources are used for tourism. Paradoxically, this ecosystem contrasts with the human occupation of the region that produced, after centuries, a rich history and a cultural connection to mining, its oldest economic activity which triggered occupation. The region has an unlimited potential for tourism, especially in specific segments such as mining heritage tourism, in association or not with the existing ecotourism market. In fact, in Ouro Preto, tourism, history, geology and mining are often hard to distinguish; such is the inter-relationship between these segments.

For centuries, a major problem of mining has been the reuse of the affected areas. Modern mining projects proposed solutions to this problem right from the initial stages of operation, which did not happen until recently. As a result, most quarries and other old mining areas that do not have an appropriate destination represent serious environmental problems. Mining tourism utilizing exhausted mines is a source of employment and income. Tourism activities may even contribute to the recovery of degraded areas in various ways, such as reforestation for leisure purposes, or their transformation into history museums where aspects of local mining are interpreted.

Minas Gerais, and particularly Ouro Preto, provides the strong and rich cultural and historical content needed for the transformation of mining remnants into attractive tourism products, especially when combined with the existing cultural tourism of the region. Although mining tourism is explored in various parts of the world in extremely different social, economic, cultural and natural contexts, in Brazil it is still not a strategy readily adopted as an alternative for areas affected by mining activities.

(Lohmann, G. M.; Flecha, A. C.; Knupp, M. E. C. G.; Liccardo, A. (2011). Mining tourism in Ouro Preto, Brazil: opportunities and challenges. In: M. V. Conlin; L. Jolliffe (eds).Mining heritage and tourism: a global synthesis. New York: Routledge, pp. 194-202.)
The opposite of the underlined word in “are often hard to distinguish" (l. 11) is:
Alternativas
Q599897 Inglês
 TEXT 1

                        


Mining tourism in Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto is surrounded by a rich and varied natural environment with waterfalls, hiking trails and native vegetation partially protected as state parks. Parts of these resources are used for tourism. Paradoxically, this ecosystem contrasts with the human occupation of the region that produced, after centuries, a rich history and a cultural connection to mining, its oldest economic activity which triggered occupation. The region has an unlimited potential for tourism, especially in specific segments such as mining heritage tourism, in association or not with the existing ecotourism market. In fact, in Ouro Preto, tourism, history, geology and mining are often hard to distinguish; such is the inter-relationship between these segments.

For centuries, a major problem of mining has been the reuse of the affected areas. Modern mining projects proposed solutions to this problem right from the initial stages of operation, which did not happen until recently. As a result, most quarries and other old mining areas that do not have an appropriate destination represent serious environmental problems. Mining tourism utilizing exhausted mines is a source of employment and income. Tourism activities may even contribute to the recovery of degraded areas in various ways, such as reforestation for leisure purposes, or their transformation into history museums where aspects of local mining are interpreted.

Minas Gerais, and particularly Ouro Preto, provides the strong and rich cultural and historical content needed for the transformation of mining remnants into attractive tourism products, especially when combined with the existing cultural tourism of the region. Although mining tourism is explored in various parts of the world in extremely different social, economic, cultural and natural contexts, in Brazil it is still not a strategy readily adopted as an alternative for areas affected by mining activities.

(Lohmann, G. M.; Flecha, A. C.; Knupp, M. E. C. G.; Liccardo, A. (2011). Mining tourism in Ouro Preto, Brazil: opportunities and challenges. In: M. V. Conlin; L. Jolliffe (eds).Mining heritage and tourism: a global synthesis. New York: Routledge, pp. 194-202.)
Text 1 refers to “hiking trails" (l. 2), which are primarily intended for:
Alternativas
Ano: 2015 Banca: BIO-RIO Órgão: IF-RJ Prova: BIO-RIO - 2015 - IF-RJ - Secretário Executivo |
Q597375 Inglês

TEXT 2

                             Women in Computing

 


(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/3/19/1363705626950/women-at-computers-003.jpg accessed October 26th, 2015)


                                                                  The Next Generation

Technology is rapidly evolving, but the low number of women in computer science and engineering remains stagnant and experts say that this could have major implications for the future.

“Computing is at the heart of everything,” says Dr. Telle Whitney, CEO of the Anita Borg Institute and co-founder of Grace Hopper Celebration. “To be missing half the population is a significant loss to our world.

In 2014, women made up only 22 percent of the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM) workforce. The number of Canadian women working in STEM fields has barely changed in the past three decades.

“Women look at the world a little differently than men and I think we have a huge opportunity to disrupt and play a big role in the technology space,” says Vicki Saunders, founder of SheEO, an initiative that supports female entrepreneurs.[…]

(MACLEAN’S, October 12th, 2015, p. 1)


The word “barely” in “has barely changed” can be replaced by:
Alternativas
Ano: 2015 Banca: BIO-RIO Órgão: IF-RJ Prova: BIO-RIO - 2015 - IF-RJ - Secretário Executivo |
Q597373 Inglês
TEXT 1

How to Deal with the Stress and Anxieties in the Public Relations Industry

Stress and anxiety are very common in today’s public relations industry. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage the daily stresses and anxieties of their public relations industry profession.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

When facing a current or upcoming task at your job that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, you are afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you; however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one. In addition, people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location.

Remember that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. […] Remember: We may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

(http://bprschicago.org/how-to-deal-with-the-stress-and-anxieties-in-the-public-relations-industry-2/)


As regards the content of the text, analyse the assertions below:

I - One way of administering stress is to do the task all at once and finish it up as fast as possible.

II- Upcoming situations cannot be wholly anticipated and controlled.

III- One should ask questions on thoughts that may cause anxiety.

IV- Even if unhappy with a job, one should keep it as jobs are hard to obtain.
The verb in “When encountering thoughts” can be replaced without change in meaning by:
Alternativas
Ano: 2015 Banca: BIO-RIO Órgão: IF-RJ Prova: BIO-RIO - 2015 - IF-RJ - Secretário Executivo |
Q597372 Inglês
TEXT 1

How to Deal with the Stress and Anxieties in the Public Relations Industry

Stress and anxiety are very common in today’s public relations industry. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage the daily stresses and anxieties of their public relations industry profession.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

When facing a current or upcoming task at your job that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, you are afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you; however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one. In addition, people change jobs all the time, and you always have that option of going elsewhere if you are unhappy at your present location.

Remember that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. […] Remember: We may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

(http://bprschicago.org/how-to-deal-with-the-stress-and-anxieties-in-the-public-relations-industry-2/)


As regards the content of the text, analyse the assertions below:

I - One way of administering stress is to do the task all at once and finish it up as fast as possible.

II- Upcoming situations cannot be wholly anticipated and controlled.

III- One should ask questions on thoughts that may cause anxiety.

IV- Even if unhappy with a job, one should keep it as jobs are hard to obtain.
When a person is “fearful”, this person is:
Alternativas
Q593584 Inglês

          

In the text about IT-managers, the word

“However" (l.5) can be replaced by nevertheless without it changing the meaning of the text.


Alternativas
Q591643 Inglês
Based on the text, judge the item below.

In line 3, “immediately" means soon after leaving.
Alternativas
Q585236 Inglês

In the text about IT-managers, the word

“glitches” (R.16) is synonymous with malfunctions.

Alternativas
Q583649 Inglês
                
According to the text above, judge the following item.

In the text, “to put your money where your mouth is" (l. 3 and 4) can be correctly replaced by to act on your outspoken beliefs, although this change results in a more formal text.
Alternativas
Q576069 Inglês

Text 3

                                                                                             Small, cold, and absurdly far away, Pluto has

                                                                                                            always been selfi sh with its secrets.

                THE X – FILES

      It wouldn´t be the fi rst time Pluto has confounded expectations. In 2006, the year New Horizons was launched, Pluto vanished from the list of planets and reappeared as a “dwarf planet.” That, of course, had more to do with astronomers on Earth than any celestial sleight of hand, but the truth is, Pluto has been a tough world to crack since before it was discovered.

      By the turn of the century, the hunt for that missing planet had gathered momentum: Whoever found it would earn the shiny distinction of discovering the first new planet in more than 50 years. Calling the rogue world “Planet X,”, Boston aristocrat Percival Lowell – perhaps best known for claiming to have spotted irrigation canals on the surface of Mars – vigorously took up the search. Lowell had built his own observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and in 1905 it became the epicenter of the search for Planet X, with Lowell calculating and recalculating its probable position and borrowing equipment for the hunt. 

      But Lowell died in 1916, without knowing that Planet X really existed.

      Fast-forward to 1930. Late one February afternoon, 24-year-old Clyde Tombaugh was parked in his spot at Lowell Observatory. A transplant from the farm fields of Kansas, Tombaugh had been assigned the task of searching for Lowell`s elusive planet. He had no formal training in astronomy but had developed a skill for building telescopes, sometimes from old car parts and other improbable items.

                                                                 (Source: National Geographic Magazine – July 2015 - http://

                                                                  ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ print/2015/07/ pluto/drake-text

                                                                                                                                                 (adapted))

In the first paragraph, the expression “sleight of hand” means
Alternativas
Q576065 Inglês

Text 1

                                                                                                                            The good oil boys club

      It should have been a day of high excitement. A public auction on July 15th marked the end of a 77-year monopoly on oil exploration and production by Pemex, Mexico`s state-owned oil company, and ushered in a new era of foreign investment in Mexican oil that until a few years ago was considered unimaginable.

      The Mexican government had hoped that its firstever auction of shallow-water exploration blocks in the Gulf of Mexico would successfully launch the modernisation of its energy industry. In the run-up to the bidding, Mexico had sought to be as accommodating as its historic dislike for foreign oil companies allowed it to be. Juan Carlos Zepeda, head of the National Hydrocarbons Commission, the regulator, had put a premium on transparency, saying there was “zero room” for favouritism.

      When prices of Mexican crude were above $100 a barrel last year (now they are around $50), the government had spoken optimistically of a bonanza. It had predicted that four to six blocks would be sold, based on international norms.

      It did not turn out that way. The results fell well short of the government’s hopes and underscore how residual resource nationalism continues to plague the Latin American oil industry. Only two of 14 exploration blocks were awarded, both going to the same Mexican-led trio of energy fi rms. Offi cials blamed the disappointing outcome on the sagging international oil market, but their own insecurity about appearing to sell the country’s oil too cheap may also have been to blame, according to industry experts. On the day of the auction, the fi nance ministry set minimum-bid requirements that some considered onerously high; bids for four blocks were disqualifi ed because they failed to reach the offi cial fl oor.

                                                                (Source: http://www.economist.com/news/business/21657827-

                                   latinamericas-oil-fi rms-need-more-foreign-capital-historic-auctionmexico-shows)

In the sentence “Officials blamed the disappointing outcome on the sagging international oil market” the word “sagging” means
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Q566946 Inglês

                       

In the fragment of the text “the efficient allocation of economic resources is achieved by a financial system that allocates money to those people and for those purposes that will yield the greatest return” (lines 19-22), the verb form yield can be replaced, without change in meaning, by
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Respostas
1061: B
1062: A
1063: C
1064: D
1065: B
1066: C
1067: E
1068: B
1069: A
1070: C
1071: C
1072: E
1073: D
1074: C
1075: C
1076: C
1077: C
1078: C
1079: C
1080: A