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John Lennon
Born in 1940;
His father, a merchant seaman, goes to jail for desertion;
His mother finds a new husband and sends John to live with his aunt and uncle;
12 years old – is considered a troublemaker at school;
13 years old – his school report says “Hopeless”;
His mother reenters his life and buys him his first guitar;
1956 – John recruits classmates to form The Quarrymen band.
Paul McCartney
Born in 1942;
His father is a salesman, his mother is a nurse;
1956 – Paul’s mother dies of a cancer. He is 14 years old. His father’s salary is £ 8 a week;
His father buys him a guitar (£ 15). Paul plays all kinds of American rock;
Joins The Quarrymen, an unknown rock band.
George Harrison
Born in 1943;
His father is a bus conductor; his mother, a part-time clerk;
He has three brothers, but he is the only son to enter the Liverpool Institute, where he
meets Paul;
His parents, although poor, buy him his first guitar (£ 3);
1957 – joins The Quarrymen rock band.
Ringo Starr
Comprehension
3. Scan the text and list nine words that mean family relations.
________________ __________________ ___________________
________________ __________________ ___________________
________________ __________________ ___________________
4. Scan the text and list six words that are professions.
________________ __________________ ___________________
________________ __________________ ___________________
6. Look at these expressions in the dictionary and write their meanings in Portuguese.
a) Troublemaker: ________________ b) hopeless: ________________
c) working-class: ____________________ d) support: _________________
The Tortoise and the Eagle
A Central Africa fable revisited
The food at Tortoise’s home is so good that Eagle comes back again and again. Everytime
he flies back home, Eagle laughs : “Ha, ha! I can share Tortoise’s food, but he can never
come to my tree to share my food!”
One day Frog is talking to Tortoise and decides to advise him. “Tortoise”, says Frog, “Eagle
is taking advantage of your generosity. Every time he leaves your home he says, “Ha, ha!I
can share Tortoise’s food, but he can never come to my tree to share mine!”
The next time Eagle comes, he can’t find Tortoise; all he can find is a basket with a
message: “This basket of food is for you and your family.” Eagle takes the basket home. He
doesn’t know that Tortoise is inside it.
When they are at Eagle’s home, Tortoise jumps out of the basket and says, “Hello, Eagle. I
am visiting you today and sharing a meal with you.” Eagle is furious and says, “You are the
only meal here, Tortoise!”
“Now I see what kind of friend you are, Eagle”, says Tortoise. “This is the end of our
friendship. Please, take me back home now.”
“Take you home!”, shouts Eagle. “I am not going to take you home! I am going to throw
you to the ground and watch you smash into little pieces,” screams the bird.
Tortoise quickly grips Eagle’s leg and doesn’t let go. Eagle screams, “Tortoise! Let me go!
Let go of my leg!”
Tortoise replies, “I can let go of your leg only if you take me back to my home.”
Eagle has no choice and takes Tortoise back to his home.
That was the end of the friendship.
Moral: “Friendship requires the contribution of two people.”
[Fable: a story that teaches a moral lesson. The characters, usually animals, speak and act like human being.]
Keywords:advise => aconselhar; eagle => águia; frog => sapo; laugh => rir; meet => encontrar-se;
scream=> gritar; smashintopieces => quebrar em pedaços; throw => jogar; tortoise => tartaruga.
Comprehension
a) a biography
b) a newspaper article
c) a fable
a) children
b) animals
c) monsters
a) Aesop
b) La Fontaine
c) unknown
a) a description
b) that a character is speaking
c) the end of the story
7. Look at the underlined words in the dictionary and choose the correct alternatives.
a) I can share Tortoise’s food.
( ) comer
( ) compartilhar
( ) roubar
b) Tortoise offers him a delicious meal.
( ) refeição
( ) prato de milho
( ) vinho
( ) grita
( ) agarra
( ) morde
8. Who says?
01. “Take it to your children.”
a) Tortoise
b) Eagle
c) Frog
02. “He can never come to my tree.”
a) Tortoise
b) Eagle
c) Frog
03. “Eagle is taking advantage of your generosity.”
a) Tortoise
b) Eagle
c) Frog
04. “You are the only meal here.”
a) Tortoise
b) Eagle
c) Frog
05. “I can let go of your leg only if you take me back.”
a) Tortoise
b) Eagle
c) Frog
Comprehension
Find the correct meaning for the words below. Check the correct alternatives.
1. WEAPON
a) órfão c) mina
b) arma d) vítima
2. REMAIN
a) permanecer c) principal
b) remar d) matar
3. DEADLY
a) morrer c) mortal
b) matar d) morto
4. HERD
a) ouvir c) pastorear
b) ouvido d) bocejar
5. DEVICE
a) aparelho c) conselho
b) controle d) complicação
Circle the words related to war. Use the dictionary for help.
1. landmines
2. homeless
3. disable
AFTER READING
JERICOACOARA
The enormous beach of Jericoacoara, on the northern tip of Ceará, is one of the most
beautiful beaches in Brazil. This fishing community – 1,500 people, near the border of the
state of Piauí – is becoming increasingly popular.
WHAT TO FIND
sand dunes, little shade
a lagoon, deserted beaches
cactus-covered cliffs
village life, pigs, chickens, donkeys on the street
cool restaurants
electricity depends on generators
forró nightly
THINKING OF GOING?
How to go
By boat – seasickness guaranteed.
Or flying into Fortaleza, take a bus to Jijoca (5 hours), and take a jeep to
Jericoacoara (an hour journey).
Where to stay
There are many hotels (book in advance!). They may offer Pool and bar, light
and shower; gas lamp.
Many locals rent hammocks.
When to go
Heavy rains from March to May.
Best winds – June to January.
Crowded – from January to March.
What to do
Windsurfing, sand boarding, horseback riding.
Your visit will be incomplete if you don’t sit on the top of dune and watch the
sunset.
Keywords:
(to) book => fazer reserve; border => fronteira, divisa;
crowded => lotado; tip => extremidade; wind => vento.
Comprehension
Scan the text pages and check the correct alternative.
What do the words in bold letters mean? Use the dictionary for help.
a) Enjoo
b) Marinheiro
a) Hotéis
b) Redes
Read this postcard.
Dear Tasha,
Take care.
Martha
Keywords:
Choice => escolha; consumer => consumidor; step => passo;
sociallyresponsible => socialmente responsável
Comprehension
1. Check the correct meaning of the words in bold letters.
a) However, they may not have the same social and ecological impact.
( ) but
( ) and
( ) also
1. Similar products:
a) may have different ecological impact.
b) don't give us the same satisfaction.
3. Our actions:
a) can help to determine working conditions.
b) can make a difference.
c) can help to determine environmental considerations.
d) can help to determine the quality of products.
e) can determine our workers.
GM food
What is genetically modified food?
It is food containing ingredients that come from genetically modified crops. That
means, scientists transfer genes from another plant or animal to the species that
they want to modify.
Genetic modification intends to increase the resistance of plants against insects,
fungal, and viral pests. One of the main goals is to reduce the need for pesticides.
The risks are not well-defined. People do not know for sure the long-term effects of
GM on human health and on the environment. There is also the possibility of
increasing control of agriculture by biotechnology corporations.
The Food and Agriculture Organization – FAO – states that we have to use GM as a
tool to combat hunger and malnutrition. FAO also defends the need to take
precautions to protect human health and the environment.
Nowadays, scientists can genetically modify crops of soybean, corn, cotton, canola,
potatoes, and anything containing lecithin (a substance extracted from soybeans).
Comprehension
1. Scientists:
2. Lecithin:
a) is a modified food.
b) is not present in potatoes.
c) is derived from soybean.
d) is a kind of GM good.
e) is modified by scientists.
3. Crop characteristics:
a) biotechnology corporations
b) environmental effects
c) herbicide tolerance
d) increase the resistance
e) reduces prices
PASSO FUNDO, Brazil – Antonio is a Brazilian soybean planter with 1,200 acres and a pit
bull.
The dog is not for bandits or thieves. It is for government officials who want to inspect
Antonio’s fields, particularly the 250 acres he will use to grow illegal genetically modified
soybeans.
“The government doesn’t want me to plant GM soybean,” says Antonio. “But if I don’t
plant it, what am I going to do? Let my children starve?” To many planters, GM crops is
the only way they can survive. They say that if they don’t plant GM crops, they will lose
their lands and will have to live in the bushes.
There is a serious economical and ethical involved in GM crops.
What is adolescence?
Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood, a period in which an individual
acquires the skills necessary on his/her own, away from their parents or other caretakers.
It often happens during the entire second decade of life or longer.
Adolescence can be a very confusing time for everyone involved. Happy, fun-loving
children can suddenly become sad. How do I know this? Because I remember being one!
For some reason, adults forget just how strange, confusing, exciting, frightening, etc., the
adolescence years are. Adolescence is a time of intense flux… emotional, behavioral, and
physical. Changes in sleep, diet, mood, weight, attitude, decreased pleasure from daily
activities, and the list goes on, are all normal during adolescence.
Much of the chaos that occurs during the adolescent years is normal and necessary, in
spite of how painful it can be for parents and kids.
Comprehension
1. Adolescence happens
a) from eleven to seventeen
b) from eleven to eighteen
c) from twelve to nineteen
d) from twelve to twenty or more
e) from eleven to twenty or more
2. Check the correct alternative according to the text.
a) Mood, diet, sleep and other changes are normal in adolescence.
b) Adolescence increase pleasure.
c) Adolescence happens because adults forget its years.
d) Adolescence is happy for parents and kids.
e) Everything is normal during adolescence.
Climate changes
What is it all about?
Climate change is happening, and its impact on all of us is growing. Does it seem to be
warmer in the winter? Do you feel that spring is coming a little earlier each year? Are
storms and floods becoming more frequent?
These are all signs of accelerating climate change – or global warming.
What causes climate change?
The way people live these days, especially in richer, economically developed countries.
The power plants that create energy, the cars and planes that we use, the factories that
produce the goods we buy, agriculture to grow our food – all these play a part in changing
the climate.
What will climate change do?
Most scientists agree that global warming will probably increase the Earth’s temperature
between 1.5º - 4º Celsius by 2030. This will change the weather everywhere. The ice at the
South and North Poles will start to melt. And when that happens, the level of the sea will
rise too. This will cause serious floods in many countries.
Besides this, there will be less food in the world. Some areas that are good for farming
now will become too dry or too wet. It won’t be possible to grow the same amount of
food as before.
What do you think? Are these scientists being too pessimistic or not?
Comprehension
Check the correct alternative according to the text.
1. In 2030…
a) there will be no change in the weather.
b) the level of the sea will be the same.
c) the ice at both Poles will begin to melt.
d) there will be food for everybody.
e) climate will be the same.
2.Check the correct alternative according to the text.
a) The economically developed countries are not responsible for global warming.
b) When we buy cars, goods or food, we don’t help cause climate change.
c) Rich countries create more energy than poor countries.
d) Global warming will bring more food for everybody.
e) There won’t be climate change in 2030.
5. Check the correct alternative according to the text.
a) Fifty years from now things won’t be different.
b) In 2030 things won’t be different.
c) It seems to be colder in winter.
d) Storms and floods are becoming more frequent.
e) Climate change isn’t happening.
Superstition
There is evidence of superstition among ancient civilizations. But this is not something of
the past. Superstition is part of our modern world, too.
Some very old beliefs are present among us today: a broken mirror, for example, means
seven years of bad luck. A black cat brings you bad luck when it crosses your way. Some
people never walk under a ladder because it also means bad luck. There is a very curious
belief among New Yorkers: 13 is a sign of bad luck and many buildings have no thirteenth
floor.
There is also a place for good luck in superstition. Some charms and beliefs are popular
because they bring good luck. A horseshoe, for example, and also a four-leaf clover are
popular good luck charms around the world. In Brazil, it is very difficult to find a ticket of
the Federal Lottery with a final 13 – this is a lucky number. There is another curious belief
in Brazil: three kisses on the face of a single girl bring marriage.
Superstition is certainly part of the past, present, and future life of man. For some people
it is ignorance; for others, it is an important part of their lives.
Comprehension
Choose the correct alternative according to the text.
1. Some very old beliefs:
a) are good luck charms
b) are part of our world
c) bring seven years of bad luck
d) are something of the past
e) are horseshoes
2. A broken mirror:
a) brings bad luck
b) brings good luck
c) brings marriage
d) brings three kisses
e) brings a four-leaf clover
3. Thirteen:
4. A horseshoe and:
a) F, F, T, F, T b) F, F, F, T, F c) F, F, F, T, T d) T, T, T, F, F e) T, F,T, F, T
“I think we spend too much money on products every day. Youngsters especially have
learned to live in a consumer world, and many of them are not really paying attention to
environmental and social problems.” (Adam)
“I believe in anti-consumerism, myself. I see so many of my friends blindly buying
whatever is fashionable. I try to give and reuse more than I take. But in today’s consumer-
based society it is getting harder. Many second hand stores are disappearing, and it is
becoming more and more difficult to shop for the most environmentally sounds
products.” (Victoria)
“I do not agree with anything. I don’t think we have to change. We were born in a world
that wants bigger and better things. Why do we need to reduce things? Do we need to
reduce demand for clean water? I prefer to live in my own house, with my own clean
water. If you are really against consumerism, then it is better to live under a rock.”
(Philip)
“We get ‘buy’ messages from all kinds of sources: billboards, flyers, e-mails, phone calls,
TV ads and more. This is one of the many reasons we have such a desire to accumulate
‘stuff’. We need to be more conscious consumers and fight back.” (Maggie)
Comprehension
1. These texts refer to:
2. Write T for (true) or F for (false) then check the correct alternative:
a) T – F – T – F – T b) T – F – F – T – F c) T – F – T – F – F d) F – F – T – T – F e) F – T – T – F – F
3. Write T for (true) or F for (false) then check the correct alternative:
a) T – T – T – F b) F – F – F – T c) F – T – F – T d) T – F – T – F e) F – F – T – T
4. Check the correct alternative according to the texts.
a) Most of the people are influenced by billboards, flyers, e-mails, phone calls, TV ads
and more.
b) None of the people in the texts is against the anti-consumerism.
c) Everybody in the texts is against the anti-consumerism.
d) Everybody in the texts thinks we don’t need to reduce things.
e) Everybody in the texts buys whatever is fashionable.
1. Floss your teeth! – During puberty your gums are more sensitive.
Flossing helps get rid of the bacteria that can cause real gum disease.
a) are doctors.
b) are writing about healthy habits.
c) were reading a magazine article.
d) don’t floss their teeth.
e) are bed-heads.
2. The tics of the article that attracted Julie and Mary’s attention were
Home Remedies
When people are sick, they usually go to the doctor, but some prefer to try home
remedies. They are medicines made from natural ingredients as fruits, vegetables and
herbs – simple and inexpensive. Read about some of them.
Next time you have a cough, make cough syrup! Mix onion juice and honey and take a
teaspoon three times a day.
An earache? Don’t spend money on eardrops. Drop garlic juice.
You’re catching a cold? Start drinking lemon tea, especially with honey!
And a fever? Orange juice is the best medicine. Drink and watch the thermometer go
down.
Did anyone say stomachache? Before you take antacid, drink peppermint or ginger tea.
And speaking of tea, there is nothing better for sore throats, especially if you add a little
salt and gargle with it.
Got a stiff neck? Mix warm water and a little alcohol. Wet a towel in it and put it around
your neck. Thirty minutes and you’ll feel nothing!
How about you? Do you know any home remedies?
Adapted from: <www.home-remedies-for-you.com>
Comprehension
a) expensive
b) natural
c) better than going to the doctor
d) not worth
e) preferred by everybody
Comprehension
a year, all human beings wish peace and happiness for the rest of mankind.
So, “Gung hoy fat choy”, by the way, means “Best wishes and congratulations. Have a
prosperous and good year”.
Comprehension
2. Zaowang:
a) gave presents to the children
b) was the inventor of fire
c) appeared at the end of the year
d) left his house on the 23rd day
e) gathered the family
––
Subway Rescue
By Gordon Bass
At 7:15 on the morning of February 9, the subway station at 59 th Street and Lexington
Avenue was getting crowded.
For Leah Bianco, it was a typical Monday. She was wearing gym clothes, waiting for the
train to take her four stops to Times Square. She was watching for the lights of an
approaching train when, suddenly, a man collided with her and ran away. She fell down
the five feet to the track below.
Across the platform, Randy Brown was listening to music on his portable CD player when
he heard a scream: “Please, help me!” Taking off his headphone, he kneeled, stretched
down, and pulled Leah up onto the platform. A few seconds later, a train stopped at the
platform.
Because Leah was very nervous, she went to work without thanking Randy. Later that day,
she contacted the New York Daily News. The newspaper published her photograph in a
front-page story about the incident.
Brown read it and contacted the newspaper. In a typical New York twist, the Daily News
rewarded him for his heroism with a job in sales support.
As for Leah Bianco, she thanked Brown for having saved her life. She still rides the subway
train to go to work. “I’m not afraid”, she says. And because of heroes like Brown, she adds,
“I love New York!”.
Comprehension
1. Check the correct alternative according to the sequence of the events in the text.
a) 4, 1, 2, 5, 3; b) 4, 2, 1, 3, 5; c) 4, 1, 2, 3, 5; d) 4, 2, 1, 5, 3; e) 4, 2, 3, 1, 5.
2. Check the correct alternative according the sequence of the true or false sentences.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Patrick Swayze made peace with the notion of dying from
pancreatic cancer after initially finding his diagnosis a "cruel joke," according to a memoir
to be published later this month.
The "Dirty Dancing" star, 57, who lost his 20-month battle against the disease on Monday,
wrote that fighting his cancer had been an "emotional rollercoaster".
But in excerpts of the memoir "The Time of My Life", released on Wednesday, he wrote
later; "I began thinking to myself, I've had more lifetimes than any 10 people put together,
and it's been an amazing ride. So this is okay."
The book, which Swayze co-wrote with his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, will be published
on September 29. Excerpts were released to People Magazine and NBC News.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has only a 5 percent, five-year
survival rate, in January 2008.
"I had been excited about the upswing my life was on," Swayze wrote. "Now it all seemed
like a cruel joke. I couldn't be dying -- I had too much to live for!"
While undergoing chemotherapy, Swayze filmed a new TV police drama series called "The
Beast," which was broadcast in the United States earlier this year.
"There are days when I feel determined to live until a cure is found, and truly believe I can
do it," he wrote. "And there are days when I'm so tired, I just don't know how I can keep
on going."
Atria Books publisher Judith Curr told NBC's "Today" show that "when he sat down to
write the book, he wanted to see if he had lived a good life.
"He absolutely was a good person and lived a good life," Curr said.
Swayze's storied career included runs on Broadway in the plays "Grease" and "Chicago."
He also starred in the 1990 blockbuster "Ghost" and the 2001 movie "Donnie Darko."
No plans have been announced for Swayze's funeral.
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)
28
Keywords:excerpt =>trecho; put together =>juntos(as); runs =>passagens;
grease =>graxa;to undergo =>submeter-se; joke =>piada;
amazing =>incrível, sensacional;to keep on =>continuar; upswing =>auge;
rollercoaster =>montanharussa; to release =>liberar; blockbuster =>sucesso
Comprehension
a) in the 40’s.
b) in the 50’s.
c) in the 60’s.
d) forty decades ago.
e) fifty decades ago.
4. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Swayze still lived for
a) five years.
b) twenty years.
c) five percent of his life.
d) a year and eight months.
e) until January, 2008.
29
5. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Swayze
a) stopped working.
b) starred in “The Time of my Life”.
c) starred in “Grease” and “Chicago”.
d) starred in “The Beast”.
e) starred in “Donnie Darko”.
30
The Obama White House frequently uses Facebook, Twitter and other
social networking sites to bypass the media and communicate directly to
Americans.
(Editing by Phil Stewart)
31
Comprehension
32
Canada intercepts migrant ship on Pacific coast
By Allan Dowd
VANCOUVER | Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:16am EDT
33
He criticized officials for focusing on whether the ship was being operated by
human smugglers instead of considering whether the passengers might be
legitimate refugee claimants trying to escape persecution.
Canada's Conservative government has recently taken a harder line on law and
order issues, including tougher laws against organized crime and plans to
spend more than C$9 billion to build new prisons and retrofit old ones.
Sri Lanka's ambassador to Canada told interviewers on Thursday her
government believes the ship is being operated by organized groups linked to
the Tamil Tigers, who were defeated last year by government troops, ending a
bloody 25-year war in the island nation.
The Sri Lankan government has been at odds with the United Nations, which is
investigating allegations that thousands of civilians died at the end of the war.
The government denies the allegations. There are also claims the Tamil Tigers
used civilians as human shields.
Tamil groups in Canada, which have rallied to help the migrants, have accused
Sri Lanka of saying the migrants are linked to the Tamil Tigers in an effort to
make their refugee bids more difficult.
(Reporting Allan Dowd; editing by Rob Wilson and Todd Eastham)
Comprehension
a) they will encourage other ships carrying people cargo to come to Canada.
b) theywill punish only the MV Sun Sea.
c) they will punish the MV Sun Sea to frighten other ships.
d) theywillcreate a new law to punish the MV Sun Sea.
e) they will host the MV Sun Sea’s refugees.
Comprehension
3. When you see that other people are stressed or angry, you should…
a) be patient with them
b) ignore them
c) be angry with them too
d) be similar
e) control a negative angle
4. When people are defensive, they…
a) do negative things
b) say negative things
c) see things in a negative way
d) listen a lot
e) are right in that society
5. What is right for one person…
35
a) is right in that society
b) can be wrong for others
c) is wrong for everybody
d) is right for everybody
e) can be right for others
IAA INTERNATIONAL
ADVERTISING
ASSOCIATION
Source: Newsweek
Comprehension
36
a) Text tipe (In Portuguese): _________________________
b) Published in: ________________________
c) Advertiser: _____________________________________________________
a) to help a child.
b) totake a child for a walk.
c) to donate organs.
3. Find the correct meaning for these words: critical, expert, caring, deprived, pocket.
Someone has:
( ) to teach children how to do things.
( ) to give them money.
( ) to hold them.
( ) to help them to read.
37
( ) to play with them.
Kids
At Heart Project
Dear neighbor:
You probably don’t have much time, but we ask for just a few seconds
to read this letter.
We are a group of volunteers responsible for the Kids – at – Heart Project.
We take care of 45 children. They have no home and some don’t have a family.
Here we feed them, we play with them, we give a little bit of love.
38
A lot of people are involved, but we
Need more. Stop by sometime.
Martin Uhl
Project manager
From Marathon
To Athens
I n September of 490 B.C., the powerful forces of the Persian
Empire landed on the plan of Marathon. They were ready to
attack the city-state of Athens just a few miles away.
The Athenians sent their best runner, Pheidippides, to Sparta to
ask for help. The runner went out of the city on foot. He ran
all that day and through the night and arrived in Sparta the next
morning. He delivered the message, got the answer, and started
the trip back.
Just a few days later, the Athenian and Persian armies clashed in
the now famous battle of Marathon. Pheidippides, although tired,
participated in the battle as an infantryman.
The Athenians defeated the Persians. Pheidippides was exhausted
when the fighting came to an end, but even so, he accepted his
commander’s request to carry the news of the victory to the
anxious people of the city. He then set out on his last and
greatest run.
39
The runner covered the distance from Marathon to Athens in just
a few hours. He shouted “Victory, victory”, and dropped to the
pavement dead.
Marathon
The Athenians established a series of running events
under the name of marathon in memory of Pheidippides.
Comprehension
3. Take a look at the first paragraph. The text may talk about:
a) an event in the present moment
b) a past event
2. The Athenian and the Persian armies clashed in the famous battle of Marathon.
a) enfrentaram-se
b) despediram-se
c) cumprimentaram-se
It won’t happen to me
The Nazareth Chronicle
September 2006
Donald Martin
_________________
Questionnaire
What do you know about teen pregnancy?
3. If a person doesn’t use any form of contraception when having sex, what are the
chances of becoming pregnant within a year?
a) 28%
b) 85%
c) 76%
d) 43%
4. Most teens who have had sex wish they had waited.
True ( ) False ( )
42
6. What percentage of teen mothers get their high school diplomas?
a) 25%
b) 32%
c) 50%
d) 72%
7. About 70% of the fathers marry the teen mothers of their first children.
True ( ) False ( )
9. The daughters of teen mothers are more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
True ( ) False ( )
Breastfeed means:
( ) limpar
( ) lavar
( ) rir
( ) amamentar
Outskirts means:
( ) periferia
( ) perto
( ) centro
( ) longe
Deliverymeans:
( ) entrega
( ) parto
( ) pronto entrega
( ) venda
43
Accountformeans:
( ) contra
( ) estimar em
( ) resolver
( ) divulgar
LOS ANGELES | Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:38am EDT
(Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will pick up the
formal endorsement of former President George H.W. Bush during a visit to
Houston on Thursday, a Romney campaign official said.
Bush, 87, who was U.S. president from 1989 to 1993, has spoken
warmly of Romney during the campaign but had withheld a formal endorsement
of the former Massachusetts governor.
"Mitt and Ann (Romney) are close friends with George and Barbara, and
governor Romney is honored to have the president's support," a Romney
campaign official said.
Bush's son, former president George W. Bush, has not endorsed a
candidate in the Republican primary race, preferring to stay out of the contest to
pick a challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama in the November 6
election.
The elder Bush's endorsement adds to a long list of establishment
Republicans who are supporting Romney, whose struggles to persuade party
conservatives to back his campaign have prolonged a nominating race in which
he has long been seen as the favorite.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Vicki Allen)
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON | Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:19pm EDT
(Reuters) - The Obama administration proposed on Tuesday the first
rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from new U.S. power plants, a
move hotly contested by Republicans and industry in an election year.
The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal would effectively stop the building of most
new coal-fired plants in an industry that is moving rapidly to more natural gas. But the rules
will not regulate existing power plants, the source of one third of U.S. emissions, and will
not apply to any plants that start construction over the next 12 months.
The watering down of the proposal led some ardent environmentalists to criticize its
loopholes, but a power company that has taken steps to cut emissions praised the rules.
While the proposal does not dictate which fuels a plant can burn, it requires any new coal
plants to use costly technology to capture and store the emissions underground. Any new
coal-fired plants would have to halve carbon dioxide emissions to match those of gas
plants.
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"We're putting in place a standard that relies on the use of clean, American made
technology to tackle a challenge that we can't leave to our kids and grandkids," EPA
Administrator Lisa Jackson told reporters in a teleconference.
Jackson could not say whether the standards, which will go through a public comment
period, would be finalized before the November 6 election. If they are not, they could be
more easily overturned if Obama lost.
Republicans say a slew of EPA clean air measures will drive up power costs but have had
little success in trying to stop them in Congress. Industries have turned to the courts to slow
down the EPA's program.
Some Democrats from energy-intensive states also complained. "The overreaching that
EPA continues to do is going to create a tremendous burden and hardship on the families
and people of America," said Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia.
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Stem Cells
Stem cells are the master cells of the human body. All the other cells of the body come
from stem cells. They can regenerate via mitotic division and change into other tissues of the
body like bones, nerves, muscles and blood. Therefore, embryo stem cells – or trunk cells – are
very important in medical therapies to treat illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease and
spinal cord injuries. Many stem cells therapies already exist, especially bone marrow
transplants for the treatment of leukemia.
They can be divided into two categories:
Embryonic stem cells come from the human embryo and they can mutate into other
cell types.
Adult stem cells are the ones which can be found in other tissues like bone marrow,
blood, the liver, the umbilical cord and the placenta. But they have a limited capacity
to mutate.
There is a lot of controversy over human stem cell research because to study these
cells it is necessary to destroy a human embryo. The pro-life movement says that a human
embryo is a human life. Consequently, it must not be destroyed but protected.
Different countries have different policies for embryonic stem cell research. In China,
for example, studies with embryos are permitted, including therapeutic cloning. In Brazil, the
Supreme Court authorized scientist to conduct embryonic stem cell research in May 2008 with
restrictions: embryos must not be destroyed, and each case must be approved by an ethics
committee.
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Teaching is one of the most stressful jobs there is. In research conducted by the
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology into how 113 different
jobs rated in terms of their stress levels, teaching came out near the top (16th
most stressful out of 113, and 6.2 on a scale of 0-10). Below mining (8.3) and the
police (7.7) - the two most stressful jobs - but well above librarians (2.0) and
museum workers (2.8) - the two least stressful jobs.
We know teaching and training are stressful and we can often feel quite exhausted.
But how many of us actually put into practice strategies in our life which help us to
cope with that stress in an ongoing way, and which prevent it turning into
something a lot more serious?
The symptoms of stress act as a warning to us to slow down and start doing things
a little bit differently ... before it's too late. What does 'too late' mean?! Well, a lot
of recent (and even some not so recent) research into the links between stress and
illness would suggest that these two things are inextricably connected. Although it
may be oversimplifying things to say that stress causes illness in a one-to-one way
(because there are so many other factors involved too), there is now overwhelming
evidence that stress is a major cause in many illnesses. Some of these illnesses are
quite minor. Some of them, however, are quite major, and we ignore our body's
warnings at our peril.
So how well are you managing your stress? Here is a little quiz to help you find out
- and which you might also use with your students.
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2 What do you know about the signs and symptoms of stress?
A a lot B something C little
3 How consciously do you anticipate stressful periods and plan for them?
A always B sometimes C rarely or never
9 Are you
A your correct weight? B a bit overweight? C very overweight?
11 Are you reasonably careful about what you eat? (ie avoiding foods high in sugar, salt, white flour,
saturated fats, chemicals)
A yes - reasonably B no C hyper-careful!
13 Do you smoke?
A no B occasionally C yes - heavily
QUIZ ANSWERS
Although these are obviously just a guide and not to be taken too seriously, there may be
important learning here nonetheless.
Give yourself 2 for every A, 1 for every B and 0 for every C that you have answered. (Highest
possible score = 32, lowest = 0).
If you have a score of 10 and under, you may already be experiencing some of the early
symptoms of stress such as frequent minor illnesses, headaches and so on. You need - without
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getting too stressed about it (!) - to start taking action. Make sure you get adequate water,
rest, exercise and relaxation time as well as a reasonably healthy diet. You will also need to
deal actively with the things that are causing you stress.
If you have a score of between 11 and 20, you are coping pretty well. What more could you
do?! Are there any areas for improvement (indicated in the quiz above) that you are currently
neglecting and which would help if you added them to your existing strategies? Have a think.
If you have a score of over 21, you are doing brilliantly. Well done.
I am aware that this article may have raised a few questions without answering them ...
thereby possibly adding to your present stress levels! Fear not. At my teacher training sessions
in Brazil in February 2010, I hope to develop this theme and point to some coping strategies.
See you there!
************************************
North Korea agrees to nuclear moratorium, IAEA inspections
By Andrew Quinn
(Reuters) - North Korea agreed on Wednesday to stop nuclear tests, uranium enrichment
and long-range missile launches, and to allow checks by nuclear inspectors, in an apparent
policy shift that paves the way for resuming long-stalled disarmament talks.
The surprise breakthrough, announced simultaneously by the U.S. State Department and
North Korea's official news agency, makes possible the resumption of six-nation nuclear
negotiations with Pyongyang. It followed talks between U.S. and North Korean diplomats in
Beijing last week.
"These are concrete measures that we consider a positive first step toward complete and
verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner," White House
spokesman Jay Carney said.
One senior U.S. official said the move "unlocked" an impasse over the six-party talks,
but that follow-through would require persistence and patience.
"We believe that it's important to translate this initial sign of Pyongyang's seriousness of
purpose into substantive and meaningful negotiations on denuclearization that get at the entirety
of the North's nuclear program," the official said.
Along with halting weapon activities, North Korea said it would permit nuclear
inspectors from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency to visit its Yongbyon nuclear
complex to verify the moratorium on uranium enrichment has been enforced.
1. North Korea
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d) IV and V are correct e) All are wrong
4. Yongbyon
a) has been enforcing uranium enrichment.
b) is going to verify the moratorium on uranium enrichment.
c) is a North Korean nuclear complex.
d) is going to visit the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.
e) fights substantive and meaningful negotiations on denuclearization.
**************************************
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The Leaning Tower of Pisa, another of Italy's most popular attractions, was
reopened in 2001 after being shut for more than a decade as engineers worked
to prevent it from falling over and to make it safe for visitors.
Rea has asked Rome's La Sapienza University and environmental geology
institute IGAG to launch a study on the phenomenon, with investigations to be
concluded in a year.
Tests have also started to observe the effects that traffic on nearby busy roads
may have on the monument.
Professor Giorgio Monti, from La Sapienza's construction technology
department, warned there may be a crack in the base below the amphitheatre.
"The slab of concrete on which the Colosseum rests, which is like a 13-metre
(yard)-thick oval doughnut, may have a fracture inside it," he told the
newspaper.
He said intervention could be necessary if the concerns are confirmed, along
the lines of stabilisation work carried out in Pisa, but he said it was too early to
judge what kind of intervention would be most suitable.
The Colosseum - famous for hosting bloody gladiator fights in the days of the
Roman Empire - attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists and is usually
packed with visitors. (Writing byCatherine Hornby; Editing by Michael Roddy)
2. Turn away from you sins. “Those who have been born into God’s family do not
sin, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they
51
are children of God” (1 John 3:9). As a Christian, you may sin from time to time.
But you should not continue to live a sinful lifestyle. Putting your faith in Jesus
means that you are willingly turning away from your old sinful nature. It also
means that you are living to please God. You can live to please God by obeying
the commands He has given everyone in the Bible. If you obey God, you can be
sure that you are a Christian and will one day have eternal life in heaven.
The First French Empire (French: Empire Français), also known as the
Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon
I of France. It was the dominant power of much of continental Europe during the
early 19th century.
Napoleon became Emperor of the French on 18 May 1804 and crowned
Emperor on 2 December 1804, ending the period of the French Consulate, and
won early military victories in the War of the Third Coalition against
Austria, Prussia, Russia, Portugal, and allied nations, notably at the Battle of
Austerlitz (1805) and the Battle of Friedland (1807). The Treaty of Tilsit in July
1807 ended two years of bloodshed on the European continent.
The subsequent series of wars known collectively as the Napoleonic Wars
extended French influence over much of Western Europe and into Poland. At its
height in 1812, the French Empire had 130 départements, ruled over 44 million
subjects, maintained an extensive military presence in Germany, Italy, Spain,
and the Duchy of Warsaw, and could count Prussia and Austria as nominal
allies.Early French victories exported many ideological features of the French
Revolutionthroughout Europe. Seigneurial dues and seigneurial justice were
abolished, aristocratic privileges were eliminated in all places except Poland,
and the introduction of the Napoleonic Code throughout the continent increased
legal equality, established jury systems, and legalized divorce. Napoleon placed
relatives on the thrones of several European countries and granted many noble
titles, most of which were not recognized after the empire fell.
Historians have estimated the death toll from the Napoleonic Wars to be
6.5 million people, or 15% of the French Empire's subjects. In particular, French
losses in the Peninsular War in Iberia severely weakened the Empire; after
victory over the Austrian Empire in the War of the Fifth Coalition (1809)
Napoleon deployed over 600,000 troops to attack Russia, in a
catastrophic French invasion of that country in 1812. The War of the Sixth
Coalition saw the expulsion of French forces from Germany in 1813.
Napoleon abdicated in 11 April 1814. The Empire was briefly restored during the
Hundred Days period in 1815 until Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. It
was followed by the restored monarchy of the House of Bourbon.
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Wildfires rage in West, destroy 60 homes in Washington state
By Jonathan Kaminsky
OLYMPIA, Washington | Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:39am EDT
(Reuters) - Firefighters battled wildfires across the West on Tuesday, including a massive
out-of-control blaze that has destroyed at least 60 homes and burned more than 28,000
acres between two national forests in Washington state.
Another 400 homes were evacuated in the rolling hills between the northwest
Washington towns of Cle Elum and Ellensburg, at the eastern edge of the Cascade
Mountains, prompting Governor Christine Gregoire to declare a state of emergency in two
counties.
The massive Taylor Bridge Fire was among more than a dozen wildfires burning across
the West, which is wilting under a heat wave that has sent temperatures into the triple
digits. Together, the fires have burned some 500,000 acres across Idaho, Washington,
Oregon and California.
Across the nation, wildfires have consumed roughly 6 million acres (2.4 million hectares)
this year, above the 10-year average of 4.9 million acres, according to figures from the
National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
Authorities said the Washington state fire was started on Monday afternoon by workers
at a construction site east of Cle Elum, about 75 miles southeast of Seattle. "We don't
know what the actual cause was. We have no indication it was intentional," said Nancy
Jones, a spokeswoman for a state emergency response team. With strong winds and no
rain in the area for three weeks, more damage is likely, said Bryan Flint, spokesman for the
Department of Natural Resources.
Winds are pushing the fire east toward an area of mostly farmland, although more
homes are in its path, Jones said. The fire is burning just 4 miles northwest of Ellensburg
and 10 miles south of the Wenatchee National Forest. South of the fire is the Snoqualmie
National Forest. "All Washingtonians stand with those who have lost their homes and
property in the Taylor Bridge Fire," Gregoire said in a written statement. "The destruction
overnight is a stark reminder of how quickly and unexpectedly wildfire can move."
In northern California, more than 1,100 firefighters spent a third day attacking a pair of
wildfires that have destroyed two homes in Lake County's Spring Valley area and charred
some 7,000 acres.
Firefighters had contained only 30 percent of the two blazes burning dry brush in
remote Lake and Colusa counties, said Daniel Berlant, a California Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection spokesman. They did not expect full containment for a week.
But firefighters made enough progress attacking one of the fires that authorities lifted
an evacuation order for 480 homes in the Spring Valley area on Monday night, he said.
Berlant said the flames had moved east into Colusa County and continued to threaten the
area around Wilbur Hot Springs, a 147-year-old resort that offers clothing-optional bathing
in mineral water. Owner Richard Miller said he and 15 employees had to flee the property,
which was closed on Sunday for 12 days of maintenance. "It is in jeopardy," Miller said.
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"There's fire surrounding it." But he was confident the California Department of Forestry
would protect the retreat, which includes a stucco hotel built in 1910 and nine homes.
"Wilbur is a charmed and magical place and it has all the luck," Miller said.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while working the blaze in triple-digit
temperatures.
Suzann Thompson, who works the front desk at Clear Lake Cottages and Marina, said the
fires decimated business throughout the area. Clear Lake, the biggest lake in California, is a
popular tourist attraction. "It's really a catastrophe," she said.
WASHINGTON, Sep 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to do justice to
the murderers of the U.S. ambassador in Libya and three other diplomats, while seeking to avoid the
effects of an attack playing light on how his government handled the "Arab Spring."
In a speech at the White House, Obama called the attack on the Benghazi "outrageous and shocking"
but insisted that it does not threaten relations with the newly elected government of Libya, which took
power in July after rebel forces supported by NATO air force toppled Muammar Gaddafi last year.
The attack on U.S. diplomats, triggered by a movie production American considered an insult to the
Prophet Muhammad, may raise questions about Obama's policy regarding Libya's post-Gaddafi at a time
when he seeks re-election in November.
Obama, who apparently sought to take the initiative after the attack, pledged to work with the Libyan
government to "ensure that justice is done for this terrible act."
"And make no mistake: justice will be done," said Obama, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
He ordered increased security at U.S. embassies around the world against terrorism and a team of
Marines was sent to Libya to increase security for American officials.
Ambassador Chris Stevens and three embassy employees were killed on Tuesday when militants
attacked the consulate in Benghazi and elsewhere in the city, which lies east of the country and was the
birthplace of the uprising last year against government 42 years of Gaddafi. Another attack was
unleashed against the U.S. embassy in Cairo.
Stevens, a veteran with experience in diplomacy than 21 years in the profession, was one of the first
U.S. officials to reach Benghazi during the uprising against Gaddafi last year.
One of the dead was identified as diplomats Sean Smith. The names of the other two had not been
released yet for the government to notify the families first.
IMPACT ON CAMPAIGN
54
Obama praised the election of Libya in July as a landmark democratic transition in post-Gaddafi and
promised that the U.S. would act as a partner, warning that it would be difficult challenges ahead.
In the series of uprisings of the Arab Spring last year, Obama opted for a cautious strategy that drew
criticism from the Republican Party.
By Phil Wahba
(Reuters) - Barnes & Noble Inc's first high-definition tablets, unveiled on Wednesday,
were well received by analysts who said the devices keep the bookseller in the fight with
Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc and Google Inc - for now.
The largest U.S. bookstore chain has staked its future on success in the growing e-books
industry in the face of declining sales of physical books that last year led to the bankruptcy
of the Borders bookstore chain.
Barnes & Noble introduced a $199 7-inch Nook HD tablet that will go up against similar,
recently launched products by Google and Amazon.com this holiday season.
The company also unveiled a $269 9-inch Nook HD+ tablet that will compete with the
Apple iPad. "The devices are an improvement in important ways over the previous
generations of the Nook, and they one-up Amazon in some areas," Forrester Research
analyst Sarah Rotman Epps told Reuters.
While the new products are thinner and lighter than rivals and follow a few months
after Microsoft said it would invest $605 million in Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader and
college business, the bookstore chain still faces a daunting task. "Barnes & Noble is the
smallest player trying to do the software and the hardware development, and they don't
have the financial means beyond what Microsoft has already fronted them to keep up in
the arms race," said Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom.
In many ways, Barnes & Noble, which operates nearly 700 stores, has defied
expectations. It beat Amazon to the marketplace with touchscreen devices and a color
reader in recent years, and won plaudits from reviewers this year for its glow-in-the-dark
Nook that allows someone to read with the lights off so as not to disturb others. Since the
chain launched its first Nook device, a basic e-reader, in 2009, it has won as much as 30
percent of the U.S. e-books market. Amazon is the leader with about 60 percent. This race
has proven expensive and, so far, unprofitable. The battle with Amazon is taking a toll.
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Barnes & Noble reported lower Nook sales last quarter, after earlier quarters of torrid
growth, hurt by price cuts to fight Amazon's aggressive pricing.
"Barnes & Noble must continue to invest to introduce new products with enhanced
features at prices that are the same as or lower than older, less-sophisticated devices,"
Barclays Capital analyst Alan Rifkin wrote in a research note. The problem is that hurts
profits and margins, he said. But the company's chief said the Nook devices are essential to
helping it generate sales of digital content. "We're growing the digital content portion of
the business, and that's where we envision making our economics," Barnes & Noble's
William Lynch told Reuters at a media event on Tuesday. Shares of Barnes & Noble rose
6.2 percent to $13.03 in afternoon New York Stock Exchange trading.
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World War II
World War II, or the Second World War (often abbreviated as WWII or WW2),
was a global war that was under way by 1939 and ended in 1945. It involved a vast
majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming
two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war
in history, with more than 100 million people serving in military units. In a state of "total
war", the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific
capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and
military resources. Marked by significant events involving the mass death of civilians,
including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it resulted
in 50 million to over 70 million fatalities. These deaths make World War II by far
the deadliest conflict in all of human history.
Although the Empire of Japan was already at war with the Republic of China in
1937, the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939, with
the invasion of Poland by Germany, and subsequent declarations of war on Germany
by France and most of the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth.
Germany set out to establish a large empire in Europe. From late 1939 to early 1941, in
a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or subdued much of
continental Europe. Following the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the nominally neutral
Soviet Union fully or partially invaded, occupied and annexed territories of its six
European neighbors, including Poland. The United Kingdom and its Commonwealth
remained the only major force continuing the fight against the Axis, with battles taking
place in North Africa as well as the long-running Battle of the Atlantic. In June 1941, the
European Axis launched an invasion of the Soviet Union, giving a start to the largest
land theatre of war in history, which tied down the major part of the Axis' military forces
for the rest of the war. In December 1941, the Empire of Japan, which aimed to
dominate East Asia and Indochina, joined the Axis, attacked the United
States and European territories in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of
the West Pacific.
The Axis advance was stopped in 1942, after Japan lost a series of naval
battles and European Axis troops were defeated in North Africa and, decisively,
at Stalingrad. In 1943, with a series of German defeats in Eastern Europe, the Allied
invasion of Fascist Italy, and American victories in the Pacific, the Axis lost the initiative
and undertook strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies invaded
France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded
Germany and its allies. The war in Europe ended with the capture of Berlin by Soviet
and Polish troops and the subsequent German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945.
During 1944 and 1945 the United States defeated the Japanese Navy and captured
key West Pacific islands, dropping atomic bombs on the country as the invasion of the
Japanese archipelago became imminent. The war in Asia ended on 15 August 1945
when the Empire of Japan agreed to surrender.
The total victory of the Allies over the Axis in 1945 ended the conflict. World
War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world. The United
Nations (UN) was established to foster international cooperation and prevent future
conflicts. The great powers that were the victors of the war— the United States, Soviet
Union, China, the United Kingdom, and France—became the permanent members of
the United Nations Security Council. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged
as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46
years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers started to decline, while the
decolonization of Asia and Africa began. Most countries whose industries had been
damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe,
emerged as an effort to estabilish postwar relations.
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