➧ TEXTO 1: This text refers to items from 01 through 05.
As a young democracy, Brazil has confronted economic
and financial upheavals in the past. The country’s economic
crisis of 2014-2017 saw a drastic fall in gross domestic product
(GDP), stark rise in unemployment, a severe fiscal crisis, and an
increased budget deficit. Since then, the economy has been a
prominent issue in political conversations, especially regarding
globalization and the ways in which trade liberalization can affect
economic growth. Those running for office in 2018 differed
slightly in this debate, and comparing the proposals and
backgrounds of their economic advisors was as important as
comparing the candidates themselves.
Lara Bartilotti Picanço, Mariana Nozela Prado & Andrew Allen.
Economy and Trade - Brazil 2018
Understanding the Issues. August 14, 2018.
Internet: <www.wilsoncenter.org> (adapted)
Considering the text above, judge the following items.
01. According to the text, Brazil has a long history of
democracy.
02. The authors of the text state that, in the past, Brazil faced
economic challenges.
03. The adverb “then” (third sentence) substitutes the antecedent
“The country’s economic crisis of 2014-2017” (second
sentence).
04. In “especially regarding globalization and the ways in which
trade liberalization can affect economic growth” (third
sentence), the word “growth” can be substituted by the word
expansion without substantially changing the meaning of the
sentence.
05. The authors of the text argue that during the 2018 election it
was important for voters to learn about political candidates’
economic advisors.
➧ TEXTO 2: This text refers to items from 06 through 10.
Despite being the eighth largest economy in the world and
the largest in Latin America, Brazil is still relatively closed
compared to other large economies. Brazil is an outlier in that its
trade penetration is extremely low, with trade at 24.1 percent of
GDP in 2017. The number of exporters relative to the population
is also very small: its absolute number of exporters is roughly the
same as that of Norway, a country with approximately 5 million
people compared to Brazil’s 200 million. While further
integrating into the global economy could threaten uncompetitive
companies and their workers, competitive businesses would most
likely benefit. Brazil’s insertion would also allow the country to
better leverage its competitive advantages, such as in natural
resource-based industries.
Idem. Ibidem (adapted).
Judge the following items, based on the text above.
06. According to the text, at the time of publication, there were
eight countries with economies larger than Brazil’s.
07. The authors present data that demonstrates that, when the
text was written, Brazil participated in international
commerce at the same level as other countries with robust
economies.
08. The text cites Norway as an example of a country with a
similar number of exporters and total population as Brazil.
09. The authors claim that if Brazil expands its international
commerce activities, this will only put weak local businesses
and their workers at risk.
10. “Brazil” is the antecedent of the pronoun “its” in “its
absolute number of exporters” (third sentence).
➧ TEXTO 3: This text refers to items from 11 through 14.
With the exception of business owners and investors, most
Brazilians looked for candidates who prioritized job creation and
income generation, in the 2018 elections. According to a
Brazilian Economic Outlook from the Institute of Applied
Economic Research (IPEA), the economy sustained growth
(albeit slow) for a while since the end of 2017, industrial
production increased, and unemployment rates declined.
Nevertheless, 13.4 million people remained jobless, particularly
women, youth, and people of color; and growth rates were
disappointing. A poll by Datafolha showed at the time that
Brazilians’ perceptions of the economy were pessimistic: 72
percent of those surveyed felt the economic scenario had
worsened in the last months. Similar to the reaction to corruption,
this extremely negative perception of the socioeconomic
environment could potentially further distance voters from the
traditional government and their allies, turning voters toward
“unconventional” candidates instead, who could represent a
change in the status quo.
Idem. Ibidem (adapted).
Concerning the text presented above, judge the following items.
11. It can be concluded from the text that job creation was a
priority for many Brazilian voters, in 2018.
12. When the article was published, unemployment rates in
Brazil had been going down.
13. According to the authors, unemployment in Brazil, at the
time of publication, affected all gender and racial profiles
equally.
14. The article presents data from a survey that pointed to
optimism about Brazil’s economic situation.
15. The authors claim that voters’ attitudes towards the
economic situation at the time would lead to them
identifying with candidates from traditional political parties.
