UnB–VESTIBULAR–2014.2–UNIVERSIDADE DE BRASÍLIA–COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION, ANSWERS & LEXICAL APPROACH.

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❑ PROVA DE LÍNGUA INGLESA:

• UNIVERSIDADE DE BRASÍLIA-VESTIBULAR-2014.2-2º SEMESTRE-14/07/2014.

❑ ESTRUTURA-PROVA:

• 28 True False Questions.

• 02 MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) / 4 Options Each Question.

❑ PROVA:

❑ TRADUÇÃO - TEXTO 1:

(...)

The press is sometimes called the fourth estate.

A imprensa às vezes é chamada de quarto estado.

That is probably too grandiose a concept for most journalists' tastes — but it does suggest an important, coherent and independent force in society.

Esse é provavelmente um conceito grandioso demais para o gosto da maioria dos jornalistas - mas sugere uma força importante, coerente e independente na sociedade.

That "apartness" is crucial. The press does not share the same aims as those of government, the legislature, the executive, religion or commerce. It is, or should be, an outsider.

Essa "separação" é crucial. A imprensa não tem os mesmos objetivos do governo, do legislativo, do executivo, da religião ou do comércio. É, ou deveria ser, um estranho.

Stanley Baldwin did not intend it as a compliment when he said of newspapers in 1931 that they had "power without responsibility".

Stanley Baldwin não pretendia ser um elogio quando disse sobre os jornais em 1931 que eles tinham "poder sem responsabilidade".

But, in fact, that lack of responsibility is one of the important respects in which the press is different.

Mas, na verdade, essa falta de responsabilidade é um dos aspectos importantes em que a imprensa é diferente.

Of course, the press must be responsible for its own standards and ethics.

Claro, a imprensa deve ser responsável por seus próprios padrões e ética.

But it is not the job of journalists to run things: they are literally without responsibility.

Mas não é função dos jornalistas comandar as coisas: eles estão literalmente sem responsabilidade.

They don’t have to respond to a party whip, make the compromises necessary in politics or answer to shareholders.

Eles não precisam responder a um chicote partidário, fazer as concessões necessárias na política ou responder aos acionistas.

They are not bound by the confidentiality agreements that bind others.

Eles não estão vinculados aos acordos de confidencialidade que vinculam outros.

They are careless of causing inconvenience or embarrassment.

Eles são descuidados em causar transtornos ou constrangimentos.

They do not have to win votes.

Eles não precisam ganhar votos.

They can write things — about the economy, say, or the environment — which may need saying but which are unsayable by politicians.

Eles podem escrever coisas – sobre a economia, digamos, ou o meio ambiente – que podem precisar ser ditas, mas que não podem ser ditas pelos políticos.

They come from a different place.

Eles vêm de um lugar diferente.

Internet: <http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu> (adapted).

(...)
Based on text above, judge the items that follow.
1 Most journalists agree the press deserves to be called the fourth estate.
2 A "fourth estate" (l.1) conveys the idea that the press and some other social segments do have the same goals.
3 The press is said to totally neglect its responsibilities.
4 Journalists are not tied to commitments which can impair their activities.
5 Journalists are eager to cause inconvenience.
6 Politicians avoid telling the truth.
7 The pronoun "it" (l.3) refers to "The press" (l.1).
8 The noun "embarrassment" (l.17) means a feeling of being nervous or ashamed because of what people know or think about you.
9 Not always is the press considered the fourth estate.
👉 Questão-Item  1-Errada :

Most journalists agree the press deserves to be called the fourth estate.
(A maioria dos jornalistas concorda que a imprensa merece ser chamada de quarto estado.)

➽O texto expressa que  a imprensa ser chamada de 4º estado é provavelmente um conceito grandioso demais para a maioria dos jornalistas:

"[...] The press is sometimes called the fourth estate. That is probably too grandiose a concept for most journalists' tastes — but it does suggest an important, coherent and independent force in society."

(A imprensa às vezes é chamada de quarto estado. Isso é provavelmente um conceito pomposo demais para o gosto da maioria dos jornalistas - mas ele(quarto estado) sugere uma força importante, coerente e independente na sociedade.)

👉 Questão-Item  2-Errada :

A "fourth estate" conveys the idea that the press and some other social segments do have the same goals.
(Um "quarto estado" transmite a ideia de que a imprensa e alguns outros segmentos sociais têm os mesmos objetivos.)

➽ O texto relata diferente, veja:

"[...] The press does not share the same aims as those of government, the legislature, the executive, religion or commerce."

(A imprensa NÃO compartilha os mesmos objetivos do governo, do legislativo, do executivo, da religião ou do comércio.)

➽ VOCÁBULOS contextuais sinônimos:

* the same aims → os mesmos objetivos/alvos.

* the same goals → os mesmos objetivos/alvos.

👉 Questão-Item  3-Errada :

The press is said to totally neglect its responsibilities.
(Dizem que a imprensa negligencia totalmente suas responsabilidades.)

➽ O texto relata diferente, veja:

"[...] Of course, the press must be responsible for its own standards and ethics."
(Obviamente, a imprensa deve ser responsável por seus próprios padrões e ética.)
👉 Questão-Item  4-Correta :
Journalists are not tied to commitments which can impair their activities.
(Os jornalistas não estão vinculados a compromissos que possam prejudicar suas atividades.)

➽ O texto confirma a afirmação, veja:

"[...] They are not bound by the confidentiality agreements that bind others."
(Eles não estão vinculados aos acordos de confidencialidade que vinculam outras pessoas.)
👉 Questão-Item  5-Errada :
Journalists are eager to cause inconvenience.
(Jornalistas são ansiosos em causar transtornos.)

➽ O texto relata que:

"[...] They are careless of causing inconvenience or embarrassment."
(Eles são descuidados de causar transtornos ou constrangimentos.)
👉 Questão-Item  6-Errada :
Politicians avoid telling the truth.
(Os políticos evitam dizer a verdade.)

➽ O texto relata que:

"[...] They can write things — about the economy, say, or the environment — which may need saying but which are unsayable by politicians."
(Eles podem escrever coisas - sobre a economia, digamos, ou o meio ambiente - que podem precisar ser ditas, mas que são indizíveis pelos políticos.)
👉 Questão-Item  7-Errada :
The pronoun "it" refers to "The press".
➽ O pronome IT  → the fourth estate:
"[...] The press is sometimes called the fourth estate. That is probably too grandiose a concept for most journalists' tastes — but it does suggest an important, coherent and independent force in society."
(A imprensa às vezes é chamada de quarto estado. Isso é provavelmente um conceito pomposo demais para o gosto da maioria dos jornalistas - mas ele(the fourth estate) sugere uma força importante, coerente e independente na sociedade.)
👉 Questão-Item  8-Correta :
The noun "embarrassment" means a feeling of being nervous or ashamed because of what people know or think about you.
(O substantivo "constrangimento" significa um sentimento de estar nervoso ou envergonhado por causa do que as pessoas sabem ou pensam sobre você.)

TÓPICO - VOCABULÁRIO: embarassment → a feeling of shame, or awkwardness. :

➽ Veja no texto:
"[...] They are careless of causing inconvenience or embarrassment."
(Eles ficam indiferentes ao causar transtornos ou constrangimentos.)
👉 Questão-Item  9-Correta :
Not always is the press considered the fourth estate.
(Nem sempre a imprensa é considerada o quarto estado.)

➽ O texto relata que:

"[...] The press is SOMETIMES called the fourth estate."
(A imprensa às vezes é chamada de quarto estado.)

❑ TRADUÇÃO - TEXTO 2:

1

The development of technology in the last decades has considerably improved our lifestyles.

O desenvolvimento da tecnologia nas últimas décadas melhorou consideravelmente nossos estilos de vida.

It has made its impact felt on each and every aspect of life, also on the communication techniques.

Fez sentir o seu impacto em todos os aspectos da vida, também nas técnicas de comunicação.

Everything has both a positive and negative impact, and the impact of technology on the communication process also comes as mixed baggage.
Tudo tem um impacto positivo e negativo, e o impacto da tecnologia no processo de comunicação também vem como uma bagagem confusa.
Technology has transformed the once big and far world into a tiny global village.

A tecnologia transformou o outrora grande e distante mundo em uma pequena aldeia global.

Thanks to technology, we now have the power to communicate with anybody on the other side of the world. 

Graças à tecnologia, agora temos o poder de nos comunicar com qualquer pessoa do outro lado do mundo.

Technology has brought the world closer and promoted exchange of thoughts to find better solutions to any problem. Services like video-conferencing have made it possible to provide students with best education via the web.

A tecnologia aproximou o mundo e promoveu a troca de ideias para encontrar as melhores soluções para qualquer problema. Serviços como videoconferência tornaram possível oferecer aos alunos a melhor educação via web.
The most prominent negative effect of technology is that the charm of the good old world is missing.

O efeito negativo mais proeminente da tecnologia é que o charme do bom e velho mundo está faltando.

The lengthy face-to-face conversations have been slowly going away, and have been replaced by texting or chatting.

As longas conversas cara a cara foram desaparecendo lentamente e foram substituídas por mensagens de texto ou bate-papo.

The current young generation lacks essential interpersonal skills (the ability to 19 express the ideas and thoughts to others face-to-face).

A atual geração jovem carece de habilidades interpessoais essenciais (a capacidade de 19 expressar ideias e pensamentos face a face com outras pessoas).

Internet: <http://www.buzzle.com> (adapted)

(...)

According to the text above, it can be concluded that
10 the long face-to-face conversation has been fading away.
11 young people are unable to engage in interpersonal conversations.
12 the verbal form "improved" (l.2) is synonymous with bettered.
13 since the recent remarkable technological progress the world has witnessed, people’s life has no longer been the same.
14 significant advancement in communication has been brought about by the new technology.
15 the relation between technology and communication coexists with pros and cons.
16 the world is shrinking in size.
17 the world technological progress has turned out to be a more effective tool to find problem solutions.
18 people haven't ever been so closely related due to modern technology.
19 video-conferences are a satisfactory substitute for traditional teaching.
👉 Questão-Item  10-Correta :
the long face-to-face conversation has been fading away.
(a longa conversa cara a cara foi desaparecendo.)

👉 Questão-Item  11-Errada :

young people are unable to engage in interpersonal conversations.
(os jovens são incapazes de se envolver em conversas interpessoais.)

👉 Questão-Item  12-Correta :

the verbal form "improved" is synonymous with bettered.
(a forma verbal "improved"(melhorada) é sinônimo de bettered(melhorada.)

👉 Questão-Item  13-Correta :

since the recent remarkable technological progress the world has witnessed, people’s life has no longer been the same.
(desde o recente progresso tecnológico notável que o mundo testemunhou, a vida das pessoas não é mais a mesma.)

👉 Questão-Item  14-Correta :

significant advancement in communication has been brought about by the new technology.
(avanços significativos na comunicação foram provocados pela nova tecnologia)

👉 Questão-Item  15-Correta :

the relation between technology and communication coexists with pros and cons.
(a relação entre tecnologia e comunicação coexiste com prós e contras.)

👉 Questão-Item  16-Errada :

the world is shrinking in size.
(o mundo está encolhendo de tamanho.)

👉 Questão-Item  17-Correta :

the world technological progress has turned out to be a more effective tool to find problem solutions.
(o progresso tecnológico mundial acabou sendo uma ferramenta mais eficaz para encontrar soluções de problemas.)

👉 Questão-Item  18-anulada :

people haven't ever been so closely related due to modern technology.
(as pessoas nunca foram tão intimamente relacionadas devido à tecnologia moderna.)

👉 Questão-Item  19-Errada :

video-conferences are a satisfactory substitute for traditional teaching.
(videoconferências substituem satisfatoriamente o ensino tradicional.)

➽ O texto NÃO relata que a video-conferencing substitui o ensino tradicional, veja:

"[...] Services like video-conferencing have made it possible to provide students with best education via the web."
(Serviços como videoconferência tornaram possível oferecer aos alunos a melhor educação via web.)

❑ TRADUÇÃO - TEXTO 3:

Newspapers, radio, television, and the internet — including e-mail and blogs — are usually less influential than the social environment, but they are still significant, especially in reassuring attitudes and opinions that are already established.

Jornais, rádio, televisão e internet — incluindo e-mail e blogs — costumam ser menos influentes do que o meio social, mas ainda assim são significativos, principalmente na tranqüilização de atitudes e opiniões já consolidadas.

The news media focus the public’s attention on certain personalities and issues, leading many people to form opinions about them.

A mídia noticiosa concentra a atenção do público em certas personalidades e assuntos, levando muitas pessoas a formar opiniões sobre eles.

Government officials accordingly have noted that communications to them from the public tend to “follow the headlines.”

Funcionários do governo, portanto, observaram que as comunicações do público para eles tendem a “seguir as manchetes”.

The mass media can also reinforce latent attitudes and "activate" them, prompting people to take action.

A mídia de massa também pode reforçar atitudes latentes e "ativá-las", incitando as pessoas a agir.

Just before an election, for example, voters who earlier had only a mild preference for one party or candidate may be inspired by media coverage not only to take the trouble to vote but perhaps also to contribute money or to help a party organization in some other way.

Pouco antes de uma eleição, por exemplo, os eleitores que anteriormente tinham apenas uma leve preferência por um partido ou candidato podem ser inspirados pela cobertura da mídia não apenas a se dar ao trabalho de votar, mas talvez também a contribuir com dinheiro ou a ajudar uma organização partidária em algum outro lugar. caminho.

The mass media play another important role by letting individuals know what other people think and by giving political leaders large audiences. In this way the media make it possible for public opinion to encompass large numbers of individuals and wide geographic areas.

Os meios de comunicação de massa desempenham outro papel importante ao permitir que os indivíduos saibam o que os outros pensam e ao dar aos líderes políticos grandes audiências. Desta forma, os meios de comunicação permitem que a opinião pública abranja um grande número de indivíduos e amplas áreas geográficas.

Internet: <http://global.britannica.com>(adapted).

(...)

From the text above, it can be concluded that
20 money donations to parties can also be influenced by the media.
21 the most important role played by the media is to grant political leaders large audiences.
22 the media are capable of including plenty of individuals so as to make them know others' ideas.
23 the gist of the text can be said to be: "The media viewed as a political instrument."
24 newspapers, radio, television, and the internet are less influential than the social environment.
25 personalities and issues depend on the media to get a favourable public opinion.
26 a few people can be led to form their opinions about personalities and issues based on the news focused by the media.
27 the media can turn once dormant opinion into actual action.
28 some voters may make up their mind about whom to vote for based on the media coverage.
👉 Questão-Item  20-Correta :
money donations to parties can also be influenced by the media.
(doações em dinheiro para festas também podem ser influenciadas pela mídia.)

👉 Questão-Item  21-Errada :

the most important role played by the media is to grant political leaders large audiences.
(o papel mais importante desempenhado pela mídia é conceder aos líderes políticos plateias grandes.)

➽ É importante sim, mas não é o mais importante, veja no texto:

"[...] The mass media play another important role by letting individuals know what other people think and by giving political leaders large audiences."
(A mídia de massa desempenha outro papel importante, ao permitir que as pessoas saibam o que as outras pessoas pensam e ao dar aos líderes políticos plateias grandes. )
👉 Questão-Item  22-Correta :
the media are capable of including plenty of individuals so as to make them know others' ideas.
(os meios de comunicação são capazes de incluir muitos indivíduos, a fim de fazê-los conhecer as idéias dos outros.)

👉 Questão-Item  23-Correta :

the gist of the text can be said to be: "The media viewed as a political instrument.".
(pode-se dizer que a essência do texto é: "A mídia é vista como um instrumento político".)

👉 Questão-Item  24-Errada :

newspapers, radio, television, and the internet are less influential than the social environment.
(jornais, rádio, televisão e internet são menos influentes que o ambiente social.)

➽ O texto relata que GERALMENTE são menos influentes:

"[...] Newspapers, radio, television, and the internet — including e-mail and blogs — are usually less influential than the social environment, but they are still significant, especially in reassuring attitudes and opinions that are already established."
(Jornais, rádio, televisão e internet - incluindo e-mail e blogs - geralmente são menos influentes que o ambiente social, mas ainda são significativos, principalmente para tranquilizar atitudes e opiniões já estabelecidas.)
👉 Questão-Item  25-Errada :
personalities and issues depend on the media to get a favourable public opinion.
(personalidades e questões dependem da mídia para obter uma opinião pública favorável.)

👉 Questão-Item  26-Errada :

a few people can be led to form their opinions about personalities and issues based on the news focused by the media.
(algumas pessoas podem ser levadas a formar suas opiniões sobre personalidades e questões com base nas notícias focadas pela mídia.)

👉 Questão-Item  27-Correta :

the media can turn once dormant opinion into actual action.
(a mídia pode transformar a opinião, uma vez inativa, em ação real.)

👉 Questão-Item  28-Correta :

some voters may make up their mind about whom to vote for based on the media coverage.
(alguns eleitores podem decidir em quem votar com base na cobertura da mídia.)

❑ TRADUÇÃO - TEXTO 4:

(...)

.

➭ "At my job l was replaced by a smart phone App that was created by a teenager."

➭ "No meu trabalho, fui substituído por um aplicativo de smartphone criada por um adolescente."

Internet: < http://www.cartoonstock.com>.

29 – (CESPE/UnB-2014/2 - VESTIBULAR 2º SEMESTRE)
From the cartoon above, it can be deduced that
(A) the patient is jobless.
(B) the teenager replaced the man in his job.
(C) most teenagers are able to produce smart phones.
(D) smart phones make people redundant.
 👍  Comentários e Gabarito   A  
TÓPICO - ELEMENTOS VERBAIS E NÃO VERBAIS, INFERÊNCIA:
A partir do CARTOON acima, deduz-se que...

(A) the patient is jobless. – o paciente está desempregado.
(B) the teenager replaced the man in his job. – o adolescente substituiu o homem em seu trabalho.
(C) most teenagers are able to produce smart phones. – a maioria dos adolescentes é capaz de produzir smart phones.
(D) smart phones make people redundant. – smart phones tornam as pessoas redundantes.
➦IDEIA CONTEXTUAL: O paciente alega que foi substituído por um aplicativo, o que se deduz que perdeu o emprego, ou seja, está desempregado.
"At my job l was replaced by a smart phone App that was created by a teenager."
(No meu trabalho, fui substituído por um aplicativo de smartphone criado por um adolescente.)

❑ TEXTO 5:

➭ "What we need in this organisation is more personal contact."

➭ "O que precisamos nesta organização é de mais contato pessoal."

30 – (CESPE/UnB-2014/2 - VESTIBULAR 2º SEMESTRE)

The cartoon suggests that
(A) the boss sets a good example when he claims there should be more personal contact.
(B) the staff doesn’t think more face-to-face conversation is needed.
(C) the cartoon presents a contradiction.
(D) the organisation is about to fail because people don't socialize.
 👍  Comentários e Gabarito   C  
TÓPICO - ELEMENTOS VERBAIS E NÃO VERBAIS, INFERÊNCIA:
O CARTOON sugere que...

(A) the boss sets a good example when he claims there should be more personal contact. – o chefe dá um bom exemplo quando afirma que deve haver mais contato pessoal.
(B) the staff doesn’t think more face-to-face conversation is needed. – os funcionários não acham que é necessária mais conversa cara a cara.
(C) the cartoon presents a contradiction. – o cartoon apresenta uma contradição.
(D) the organisation is about to fail because people don't socialize. – a organização está prestes a falhar porque as pessoas não socializam.

➦IDEIA CONTEXTUAL: No cartoon, o chefe relata da necessidade de mais contato pessoal dentro da organização, e no entanto, ele mesmo está em um videoconferência em vez de um contato pessoal, o que denota uma clara contradição. 
"What we need in this organisation is more personal contact."
(O que precisamos nesta organização é de mais contato pessoal.) 

DIPLOMATA–CACD–WRITING EXAMINATION–2007–LÍNGUA INGLESA–CESPE/UnB–GABARITO, TEXTOS TRADUZIDOS & AQUISIÇÃO DE VOCABULÁRIO.

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❑ PROVA DE LÍNGUA INGLESA:

• DIPLOMATA-CACD-WRITING EXAMINATION-2007-CESPE/UnB.

❑ ESTRUTURA-PROVA ESCRITA (WRITING EXAMINATION):

• (1) TRANSLATION  | 20 pontos |
• (2) VERSION  | 15 pontos |
• (3) SUMMARY | 15 pontos |
• (4) COMPOSITION | 50 pontos | 

1 - TRANSLATION:

Translate into Portuguese the following text adapted from John Cornwell’s, Seminary Boy (New York: Doubleday, 2006):

By late 1944, and after four wartime home removals, I was attending a Catholic primary school run by Irish nuns and spinsters, surrounded by a hostile world of unbelief. One Sunday a V-2 rocket destroyed a nearby Anglican church, killing most of the congregation. The next day Miss Doonan, who taught us so piously to make the sign of the
cross, informed us that these people had been struck down by God because they were Protestants.

            
The day before we celebrated the end of the war in Europe, I was humming to myself, skipping ahead of the girl who took me to school, when two bull terriers hurtled round the corner and sank their teeth into my plump legs. I spent the morning in a doctor’s surgery being stitched up and painted with iodine. According to the policeman who visited our house on Victory Day, the dogs’ owner claimed that I had made the animals bite me by my singing and dancing.

     Resposta (Inglês→português)     :           

No fim de 1944, após quatro mudanças de residência por causa da guerra, eu frequentava uma escola primária administrada por solteironas e freiras irlandesas, cercada por um mundo hostil de descrença. Num domingo, um foguete V-2 destruiu uma igreja Anglicana que ficava próximo, matando a maior parte da congregação. No dia seguinte, a senhorita Doonan, que nos ensinou tão fervorosamente a fazer o sinal da cruz, informou-nos que aquelas pessoas haviam sido golpeadas por Deus porque eram protestantes.
            
Um dia antes de celebrarmos o fim da Guerra na Europa, eu estava cantando bem baixinho, pulando à frente da garota que me levava para a escola, quando dois cachorros da raça bull terrier pularam de trás da esquina e cravaram os dentes na minha perna roliça. Eu passei a manhã em um consultório médico levando pontos e pinceladas de iodo. De acordo com o policial que visitou nossa casa no Dia da Vitória, o dono dos cães afirmou que eu havia provocado a mordida dos animais com a minha dança e a minha música.

Translate into English the following text adapted from Wilson Martins’ A Palavra Escrita (São Paulo: Editora Ática, 1996):

Não havia razão para que os gregos amassem e, por conseqüência, guardassem os seus próprios livros: Sócrates, como tantos outros, nada escreveu. Desprezando profundamente os “bárbaros”, não havia igualmente razão para que amassem e, por conseqüência, procurassem guardar os livros estrangeiros. Assim, o povo letrado por excelência da Antiguidade, a pátria das letras e das artes, não possuía bibliotecas.
            
Para completar o paradoxo, é um povo militar e guerreiro, comerciante e prático, imediatista e político, que só admitia a palavra — escrita ou oral — como instrumento da ação, que vai, no mundo ocidental, possuir as melhores bibliotecas e, em particular, as primeiras bibliotecas públicas. Nisto, aliás, neste último traço, está gravado o caráter de um povo, voltado para a conquista do mundo e capaz de imediatamente perceber a utilidade de todas as armas: com os romanos, o livro passa da categoria sagrada para a categoria profana, deixa de ser intocável para ser condutor, e, posto ao alcance de todos, é o veículo por excelência das idéias, dos projetos e dos empreendimentos.

    Resposta (Português→Inglês)     :           

]There was no reason for the Greeks to love and therefore keep their own books. Socrates, like so many others, wrote nothing. Deeply despising “barbarians”, there was neither reason for them to love and therefore preserve foreign books. Thus, the most remarkably literate people of the Ancient World had no libraries. 

            
In order to render the paradox complete, the best libraries and particularly the first public libraries, in the Western World, will belong to a military and bellicose, trading and practical, immediatistic and political people, who only allowed for words – written or spoken – as instruments for action. Indeed, this last trait summarizes the character of a people driven
for world conquest and capable of instantly perceiving the utility of all weapons: with the Romans, book leave the sacred sphere to enter the profane one, shed their aura of aloofness to become means, and, available to everyone, turn into the privileged vehicle of ideas, projects and entreprises.

03. (CESPE-2007-MRE-DIPLOMATA-DISCURSIVA)

Read the following text adapted from Empires with Expiration Dates by Niall Ferguson in FOREIGN POLICY, nr. 156 (Sept./Oct. 2006), and complete the exercises at the end.

Empires, more than nation-states, are the principal actors on the stage of world history. Much of history consists of the deeds of the few score empires that once ruled alien peoples across large tracts of the globe. Yet the lifespan of empires has tended to decline. Compared with their predecessors, the empires of the last century were singularly shortlived. Reduced imperial life expectancy has profound implications for our own time.
            
Officially, there are no empires now, only 190-plus nation-states. Yet the ghosts of empires past continue to stalk the Earth. Regional conflicts are easily — nay, often glibly — explained in terms of imperial sins of yore: an arbitrary border here, a strategy of divide-and-rule there.
            
Moreover, many of today's most important states are still recognizably the progeny of empires. Imperial inheritance is apparent from the Russian Federation to Great Britain, Italy and Germany. India is the heir of the Mughal Empire and the British Raj, China the direct descendant of the Middle Kingdom. In the Americas, the imperial legacy is patent from Canada to Argentina.
           
Today's world, in short, is as much one of ex-empires and former colonies as it is of nation-states. Even institutions designed to reorder the world after 1945 have a distinctly imperial bent. For what ______ are the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council if not a cozy ______ of empires past? And what, pray, is "humanitarian intervention" if not a more politically correct-sounding version of the western empires' old "civilizing mission"?
            
Empires’ life cycles and geographic reach are remarkably irregular. Whereas the average Roman empire lasted over 800 years, equivalents elsewhere before the modern age survived no more than half that time. The empires forged in the 20th century, by contrast, were comparatively short. Why did they prove so ephemeral? The answer lies partly in the unprecedented degrees of centralized power, economic control, and social homogeneity to which the Communists in Russia and China, the Fascists in Germany and Italy and the expansionist Japanese aspired. They were not content with the haphazard administrative arrangements that had characterized the old empires. Though they inherited from the 19th century nation-builders an insatiable appetite for uniformity, these new "empire states" repudiated religious and legal constraints on the use of force. They relished sweeping away old political institutions and existing social structures. Above all, they made a virtue of ruthlessness.
            
The empire states of the mid-20th century were to a considerable extent the architects of their own demise. In particular, the Germans and Japaneses imposed their authority on other peoples with such unbridled ferocity that they undermined local collaboration thus laying the foundations for indigenous resistance. At the same time, their territorial ambitions were so boundless that they swiftly conjured into being an unassailable coalition of imperial rivals in the form of the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the United States.
           
Empires do not survive for long if they cannot establish and sustain local consent and if they allow more powerful coalitions of rival empires to unite against them. The crucial question is whether or not today's global powers behave differently from their imperial forebears.
            
Publicly, the leaders of the American and Chinese republics deny entertaining imperial designs. Both states are the product of revolutions and have entrenched anti-imperialist traditions. Yet the mask does slip on occasions. In 2004 a senior presidential advisor confided to a journalist: "We're an empire now and when we act, we create our own reality." Similar thoughts may cross the minds of China's leaders. In any case, it is perfectly possible for a republic to behave like an empire in practice, while remaining in denial about its loss of republican virtue.
             
A historical pattern of U.S. imperial intervention underpins the widespread assumption that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq will not long outlast President Bush's term in office. Empire — especially unstated empire — is ephemeral in a way that sets our own age quite apart. In the American case, however, the real snag is not the alienation of conquered peoples or threats posed by rival empires (the prime solvents of other 20th-century empires) but domestic constraints. These take three distinct forms.
            
The first can be classified as a troop deficit. The United States prefers to maintain a relatively small proportion of its population in the armed forces, at 0.5 percent. Moreover, only a small and highly trained part of this military is available for combat duties overseas. Members of this elite are not to be readily sacrificed. Nor are they easy to replace.
            
The second constraint on America's tacit empire is the burgeoning budget deficit. The costs of the war in Iraq have substantially exceeded the administration’s forecast: $290 billion since the invasion in 2003.
            
Finally, there is the attention deficit. Past empires were not sorely taxed to sustain public support for protracted conflicts. The American public, by contrast, tires quickly. It has taken less than 18 months for a majority of American voters to start viewing the invasion of Iraq as a mistake.
            
An empire will thrive and endure so long as the benefits of exerting power over foreign peoples outstrip the costs of doing so in the eyes of the
imperialists; and so long as the benefits of knuckling under a foreign yoke exceed the costs of resistance in the eyes of the subjects. Such calculations implicitly take stock of the potential costs of relinquishing power to a rival empire.
            
For the time being, the costs of empire building look too high to most Americans while the benefits seem at best nebulous. Moreover, a rival equipped or willing to do the job is clearly wanting. With its republican institutions battered but still intact, the United States hardly passes muster as a latter-day Rome.
            
All that may change, however. In a world where natural resources are destined to become scarcer, the old mainsprings of imperial rivalry resist. Empire today is both unstated and unsung. History suggests, though, that the calculus of power could well swing back in its favor tomorrow.

04. (CESPE-2007-MRE-DIPLOMATA-DISCURSIVA)

Summarize the text, in your own words, in up to 200 words:

    Resposta - RESUMO     

Modelo 1 (Resumo):           

Despite the historical importance of empires, modern history has seen a marked decline in their lifespan. Today, nearly 200 nation-states exist and, officially, there are no empires.

             
Notwithstanding, the impact of empires on the modern world is pervasive. Many countries are the result of imperial actions of the past, as are many of today’s conflicts. Even international organizations appear to be influenced by the offspring of empires.
             
The short-lived empires of the 20th Century were greatly responsible for their own downfall: their ruthlessness bred resistance and their expansionism contributed to the creation of opposing coalitions. Empires cannot overcome lack of local consent and powerful opponents.
             
The leaders of today’s powers, such as China and America, deny having imperial intentions, thus the question of whether they behave differently when compared to their predecessors gains importance. In the American case, among several factors, one appears to make a significant difference: the lack of popular support for long wars.
             
Empires exist only while imperialists and their subjects believe there is a benefit. The American people’s lack of support for long conflicts seems to prevent imperial designs. Notwithstanding, the increasing scarcity of resources could change that picture, and empires could stage a comeback.

05. (CESPE-2007-MRE-DIPLOMATA-DISCURSIVA)

Fill in each of the two gaps in paragraph four of the text above with an appropriate word or phrase:

"For what ____ are the five permanent members of the U.N.
Security Council if not a cozy ____ of empires past?"

     Resposta      

"For what truly are the five permanent members of the U.N.
Security Council if not a cozy gathering of empires past?"

06. (CESPE-2007-MRE-DIPLOMATA-DISCURSIVA)

Choose the most appropriate substitute in context for the words underlined in paragraph twelve:

(I) taxed:

"Past empires were not sorely taxed to sustain public support for protracted conflicts."

1) drained
2) compelled
3) levied
4) hurt
5) pressed

     Resposta    I    (5) pressed 

"Past empires were not sorely taxed to sustain public support for protracted conflicts."

(Os impérios passados não foram gravemente tributados para sustentar o apoio público a conflitos prolongados.)

(II) protracted:

"Past empires were not sorely taxed to sustain public support for protracted conflicts."

1) dreadful
2) damaging
3) drawn out
4) costly
5) withering

👉    Resposta   II   (3) drawn out  

"Past empires were not sorely taxed to sustain public support for protracted conflicts."
(Os impérios passados não foram gravemente tributados para sustentar o apoio público a conflitos prolongados.)

07. (CESPE-2007-MRE-DIPLOMATA-DISCURSIVA)

Re-write the following sentence from the antepenultimate paragraph of the text starting as indicated below:

"An empire will thrive and endure so long as the benefits of exerting power over foreign peoples outstrip the costs of doing so in the eyes of the imperialists."

Only when the benefits ________________________.

    Resposta     

Only when the benefits of the exercise of power over alien civilizations outweigh their price in the eyes of the conquerors, will an empire grow or survive.

Write a composition on the following quotation from Albert Einstein:

“The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.”

(Length: 350-450 words)

    Redação em Inglês     :

Modelo 01 (com 05 prágrafos- Média de 80 palavras / parágrafo):

            

When Marx stated that revolutions were the locomotives of history, he probably envisaged the technical and scientific revolutions that would alter the course of human actions and thought. What he could not foresee, however, was the boundless destructive capacity of the atom bomb. While developments in nuclear technology have permitted many countries to expand an otherwise deficient energy base, the world continues to fear the prospect of a nuclear war. The end of the Cold War may have somewhat dissipated that fear, but the bellicose tendencies of political leaders are a constant source of preoccupation.
            
Many argue today that scientific experiments with nuclear fission have produced more good than evil. Principal in what pertains to the former is the enlarged capacity which some countries now have to produce energy. With nuclear power, it is possible to provide electricity to more people at a lower cost, especially given the rising prices of fossil fuels used in thermal plants. The environmental effects, though ultimately ambiguous, are visually pleasing: less smoke and a reduction of coal mining in what have once again become pleasant rural landscapes.
            
Some of these arguments, however, are difficult to sustain. On the one hand, while the European countryside seems to be regaining its idyllic wilderness, much of the nuclear waste produced is being exported to poorer countries, which have found a new, though immensely risky, source of income. On the other hand, it has not been clearly shown by world leaders that the benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the dangers of stockpiling and testing nuclear warheads. One is led to question whether nuclear experiments should be banned altogether.
            
The problem lies in the repeated demonstrations of irresponsible behavior by Western and non-Western leaders alike. Some countries, such as North Korea and Iran, have been deemed “rogue states” for their disregard of international norms regulating nuclear experiments. Western leaders, however, also defy societal beliefs and needs, as they undermine world peace by maintaining arsenals and, at least until the 1990s, conducting explosions. This attitude seems to reflect an unchanging militaristic mindset within most governments and, possibly, a significant portion of voters.