PHRASAL VERBS — TO CALL FOR, TO CUT OUT, TO BRING ABOUT — TO PHASE OUT — SET OFF — CESGRANRIO/2006/PETROBRAS — LÍNGUA INGLESA.

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➧ TEXT:

The age of speed: how to reduce global fuel consumption by 75 percent

September 11, 2008

Low-tech Magazine 

At the same time that President Bush is urging America to free itself from its addiction to oil from unstable parts of the world, European leaders are calling for a more self-sufficient energy policy that relies less on oil and natural gas.

“Europe is becoming ever more dependent on oil and gas imports from geopolitically uncertain regions,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso alerted last month in a speech. “We have to do something about this, and we have to do it now.”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after a meeting in Berlin that Europe must develop an energy policy for the next 15 years that includes more renewable sources of energy.

The new emphasis on energy security is a result of soaring energy prices and signs that supplies may not always be available. Oil prices tripled in the last three years, from about $20 a barrel to $60. And Russia, which has become a major supplier of oil and gas to Europe, raised concerns when it cut off natural gas to Ukraine last month during a dispute over prices.

These developments have motivated a new debate on the continent about nuclear energy and brought about ambitious biofuels programs.

• Nuclear power, which with the exception of France, was disappearing in Western Europe, has re-emerged as a clean and reliable source of energy. Germany is reconsidering its plan to phase out nuclear power generation by 2020. So, too, is Britain. With the exception of France, which gets more than 70% of its power from nuclear sources, Europe has rejected nuclear generation as too costly or unsafe since the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine nearly 20 years ago.

• Sweden has just announced that it wants to be the first nation in the world to eliminate oil as an energy source in the next 15 years. It would use ethanol for its cars, and geothermal heat and burning everything from agricultural byproducts to trash would replace heating oil. “Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020,” said Mona Sahlin, Sweden’s minister of Sustainable Development.

• The European Commission adopted in February 2006 an ambitious biofuels program to set off the production of ethanol and gas from crops and organic waste. The goal: to more than double production — from a 1.4% share of the European fuel supply in 2005 to 5.75% in 2010.

Although Europe relies less on oil than the USA, the tripling of oil prices over the last three years has been felt. Oil provides 40% of the USA’s energy supply and about 36% of Europe’s.

Europe is the largest producer of wind and solar power. Also, biofuels can help give this continent a more diverse supply of energy. But it is unlikely that Europe can replace fossil fuel entirely, as Sweden plans.

“It’s not a crisis,” says Claude Mandil, executive director of the International Energy Agency in Paris, of Europe and the USA’s energy situation. But, he remarks, “Everybody is understanding that capacities are limited ... and the problem will not be solved overnight.”

By Jeffrey Stinson, USA Today, Feb. 20, 2006

QUESTÃO – (CESGRANRIO-2006-PETROBRAS-NÍVEL SUPERIOR)

Check the only item in which the phrasal verb in bold type has the same meaning as the verb in italics.

(A) “European leaders are calling for a more self-sufficient energy policy …” (lines 3-4) – demanding.
(B) “raised concerns when it cut off natural gas to Ukraine last month…” (lines 20-21) – delivered.
(C) “These developments have (…) and brought about ambitious biofuels programs.” (lines 22-24) – discontinued.
(D) “Germany is reconsidering its plan to phase out nuclear power generation by 2020.” (lines 28-29) – encourage.
(E) “The European Commission adopted (…) an ambitious biofuels program to set off the production of ethanol and gas …” (lines 42-44) – discuss.

Resposta :  A

- RESOLUÇÃO RÁPIDA:

(A) “European leaders are calling for a more self-sufficient energy policy …” (lines 3-4) – demanding. 

• CORRETA pois no texto CALL FOR é sinônimo do verbo TO DEMAND.
• Os líderes europeus estão DEMANDANDO (REQUERENDO, EXIGINDO) uma política energética mais autossuficiente.

(B) “raised concerns when it cut off natural gas to Ukraine last month…” (lines 20-21) – delivered.

• INCORRETA porque "CUT OFF" e "DELIVER"(entregar) expressam ideias opostas
• No texto, CUT OFF significa "CORTAR, INTERROMPER". 
• E a Rússia, ... , levantou preocupações quando CORTOU O FORNECIMENTO DE GÁS NATURAL à Ucrânia no mês passado, durante uma disputa sobre os preços.

(C) “These developments have (…) and brought about ambitious biofuels programs.” (lines 22-24) – discontinued.

• INCORRETA porque "BRING ABOUT" e "DESCONTINUE"(descontinuar) expressam ideias diferentes.
• No texto, BRING ABOUT significa "DAR ORIGEM A,   CAUSAR". 
• Esses desenvolvimentos motivaram um novo debate no continente sobre a energia nuclear e DERAM ORIGEM a ambiciosos programas de biocombustíveis.

(D) “Germany is reconsidering its plan to phase out nuclear power generation by 2020.” (lines 28-29) – encourage.

• INCORRETA porque "PHASE OUT" e "ENCOURAGE"(induzir, persuadir) expressam ideias diferentes.
• No texto, PHASE OUT significa "PARAR GRADUALMENTE, CORTAR GRADUALMENTE".
•  A Alemanha está reconsiderando seu plano de PARAR GRADUALMENTE A GERAÇÃO de energia nuclear até 2020.

(E) “The European Commission adopted (…) an ambitious biofuels program to set off the production of ethanol and gas …” (lines 42-44) – discuss.

• INCORRETA porque "SET OFF" e "DISCUSS" (discutir, debater) expressam ideias diferentes.
• No texto, "SET OFF" significa "INICIAR UM PROCESSO PRODUTIVO".
•  A Comissão Européia adotou em fevereiro de 2006 um ambicioso programa de biocombustíveis para INICIAR a produção de etanol e gás a partir de colheitas e resíduos orgânicos.

- MAIS DICAS IMPORTANTES SOBRE PHRASAL VERBS:

(A) CALL FOR :

1) CALL FOR  (to demand, to require) —  DEMANDAR, REQUERER, EXIGIR. 

• European leaders are calling for a more self-sufficient energy policy. — Os líderes europeus estão DEMANDANDO uma política energética mais autossuficiente.

• Human Rights groups are calling for the release of political prisoners. — Grupos de direitos humanos REQUEREM a libertação de presos políticos. [Longman Dictionary]

2) CALL FOR (= to predict) — ANUNCIAR, PROGNOSTICAR, PREVER. 

• The forecast calls for more rain. — A previsão é de mais chuva. [Longman Dictionary]

2) CALL FOR (= to predict) — PEGAR ALGUÉM EM SUA CASA PARA LEVÁ-LO A ALGUM LUGAR.

• I’ll call for you at eight o'clock. — Vou te pegar às 8. [Longman Dictionary]

(B) CUT OFF:

1) CUT OFF (to stop supply) —  PARAR/CORTAR O FORNECIMENTO

• And Russia, which has become a major supplier of oil and gas to Europe, raised concerns when it cut off natural gas to Ukraine last month during a dispute over prices. — E a Rússia, que se tornou um importante fornecedor de petróleo e gás para a Europa, levantou preocupações quando CORTOU O FORNECIMENTO DE GÁS NATURAL à Ucrânia no mês passado, durante uma disputa sobre os preços.

• The gas had been cut off. — O gás havia sido interrompido. [Longman Dictionary]

2) GET CUT OFF  —  SER INTERROMPIDO (cair/cortar uma ligação telefônica).

• I don’t know what happened – we just got cut off. — Não sei o que aconteceu - acabamos de ser cortados. [Longman Dictionary]

(C) BRING ABOUT:

(bring about / bring about / bring about)

1) BRING ABOUT  (= to cause, to make something happen) —  CAUSAR, FAZER ALGO ACONTECER, DAR ORIGEM A ALGO.

• These developments have motivated a new debate on the continent about nuclear energy and brought about ambitious biofuels programs. — Esses desenvolvimentos motivaram um novo debate no continente sobre a energia nuclear e DERAM ORIGEM a ambiciosos programas de biocombustíveis.

• How can we bring about a change in attitudes? — Como podemos CAUSAR uma mudança de atitudes? [Longman Dictionary]

(D) PHASE OUT:

1) PHASE OUT  (= to gradually stop using or providing something) —  PARAR GRADUALMENTE DE USAR OU DE GERAR ALGO.

• Nuclear power, which with the exception of France, was disappearing in Western Europe, has re-emerged as a clean and reliable source of energy. Germany is reconsidering its plan to phase out nuclear power generation by 2020.  — A energia nuclear, que com exceção da França, estava desaparecendo na Europa Ocidental, ressurgiu como uma fonte de energia limpa e confiável. A Alemanha está reconsiderando seu plano de PARAR GRADUALMENTE A GERAÇÃO de energia nuclear até 2020.

• The subsidy for company cars is to be phased out next year. — O subsídio para carros da empresa deve ser PARADO GRADUALMENTE no próximo ano. [Longman Dictionary]

(E) SET OFF:

1) SET OFF (= to start a process) —  INICIAR UM PROCESSO PRODUTIVO.

• The European Commission adopted in February 2006 an ambitious biofuels program to set off the production of ethanol and gas from crops and organic waste. — A Comissão Européia adotou em fevereiro de 2006 um ambicioso programa de biocombustíveis para iniciar a produção de etanol e gás a partir de colheitas e resíduos orgânicos.