Inglês I

Caderno de Atividades

I º Ano

Profª. Dra. Nisreene Matar

Doutora em Letras, departamento de línguas
orientais/árabe- USP; Mestre em Linguística
Aplicada ao Ensino de Línguas- UNITAU.
Especialista em Linguística Aplicada ao
Ensino de Inglês, UNAMA. Graduada em
Letras Inglês/português pela Universidade
da Amazônia (2002). Linha de pesquisa: Profª. Dra. Nisreene Matar
Metodologia de Ensino/Aprendizagem de
Línguas, Materna e Estrangeiras. Ministra as nanamatarza@gmail.com
disciplinas: Inglês Instrumental, Português
Instrumental, Leitura e Produção Escrita,
Metodologia do Trabalho Científico,
Linguagens e Códigos, Teoria da Tradução,
Ética da Tradução, Tradução comentada e
Interpretação Simultânea. Atualmente,
professora efetiva do IFPA- Campus
Abaetetuba. Tradutora de
Inglês/Português/Árabe. Tradutora
Juramentada e Intérprete Comercial da
Língua Árabe.

Apostila desenvolvida a partir de várias

referências bibliográficas (devidamente
citadas no final da apostila).

Proibida a venda desta apostila ou qualquer

parte da mesma.

2
TEXTOS E ATIVIDADES

3
TEXTO: 1

A Computer
A computer is a machine with a complicated network of electronic circuits using
very high integration. It is capable of storing millions of data and performing up to
billions of operations in one second, from the simplest comparison between two
numbers to the most complicated and powerful string manipulation. This work is
performed at incredible speed, following technological improvements.
In only a short time, the computer has changed the way in which many kinds of
jobs are done. However, it is not able to think. It accepts data and instructions as
input, and after processing them, it outputs the results.
A computer is not merely a machine but a system. So in a Data Processing
Center (DPC.) we have to consider three parts: the hardware or central processor
and peripheral equipment, the software or programs and the liveware or the technical
people, including the staff.
The hardware consists of several units: the central processor, the input/output
processors (I/O), data communication processors (DCOM), all of them with one or
several units and many combinations. Attached to the I/O processors is the
peripheral equipment; attached to the DCOM are the teleprocessing lines, adapters,
modems and terminals, or another computer alone or networking with another host
system.
The software is the collection of man-written solutions and specific instructions
needed to solve problems with a computer, as well as all documents needed to guide
the operation of a computer, that is, manuals, programs, flowcharts, etc.
The liveware basically consists of system analysts, the programmers, operators
and technical managers, including supervisors, networking and data base
administrators.
(Inglês para processamento de dados. Galante, T.P., Pow, E.7ºed, SP: Atlas, 1996.)

Questões
O texto tem 6 parágrafos,
1. Coloque o número do parágrafo onde estão contidas as seguintes ideias:

a)      Definição de software e sua utilidade___________

b)      O computador não é somente uma máquina, mas um sistema. ___________
c)      Descrição de um computador. ___________
d)     Os componentes pertencentes a um hardware. ___________
e)      O computador foi capaz de mudar a maneira de se fazer muitas coisas, em um
curto espaço de tempo. ___________
f)       Profissionais ligados à área de informática. ___________

4
TEXTO: 2

Four USA helicopters

lost in Iraq in recent
weeks appear to have
been downed by ground
fire, the USA military
has admitted publicly for
the first time.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6329353.stm)

1. Quais a palavras cognatas do texto-legenda acima?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Quais são as principais informações da notícia deste texto-legenda?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

TEXTO: 3

In 1968 Douglas Engelbart made a strange device called a mouse. Last week 1.500
people gathered at Stanford University to honor him. Speakers stressed that
Engelbart’s contributions went beyond the mouse.
His Stanford computer was the second one to hook up to ARPAnet, the Internet’s
predecessor, and he developed the first use of multiple “windows” in 1988. More
important, Engelbart strove to enhance human intelligence, thus improving our ability
to solve problems. We’ll click to that.
(Newsweek, December 28, 1998)

Glossário:
Made: fez
Beyond: além

1. O texto relata um fato que aconteceu:

a) em 1968
b) em 1988
c) em 2002
d) durante a semana anterior a 28 de dezembro de 1988
e) durante a semana anterior a 28 de dezembro de 1998

2. Na frase: “We’ll click to that”, o termo em destaque passa a ideia de:

a) discordar
b) aplaudir
c) rejeitar
5
d) reprovar
e) aprovar
TEXTO: 4

Leia atentamente o texto a seguir:

A Baby and a Sock

The mother gave her baby a red apple. The baby tried to eat the apple. His mouth
was too small. And he didn't have any teeth. His brother took the apple. His brother
ate the apple. The baby cried. His brother gave the baby a blue ball to play with. The
baby smiled. His brother took the ball from the baby. He rolled the ball on the floor.
The brown and white dog picked up the ball. The dog chewed on the ball. The baby
cried again. His brother picked up the cat. He put the cat on the bed with the baby.
The baby pulled the cat's tail. The cat jumped off the bed. The dog chased the cat.
The baby cried again. His brother let the baby hold a sock. The baby played with the
sock. The baby was happy.
Disponível em: http://www.eslfast.com/easyread/es/easy001.htm

01- Segundo o texto, o bebê esteve chorando, porque

a) o gato mordeu seu pé.
b) seu irmão comeu a maçã.
c) caiu do berço.
d) quebrou o seu brinquedo.

02- O texto foi construído usando o

a) Simple Present.
b) Simple Past.
c) Simple Future.
d) Present Continuous.

03- O irmão do bebê tentou de várias formas distraí-lo, inclusive usando um animal
para brincar na cama. Que animal era este?
a) A dog.
b) A White mouse.
c) A cat.
d) A frog.

04- “The baby pulled the cat’s tail.” Podemos afirmar que o bebê
a) empurrou o gato.
b) puxou o rabo do gato.
c) pisou no gato.
d) sentou sobre o gato.

6
TEXTO: 5

A computer is a programmable machine that stores and retrieves data and performs
high- speed logical and mathematical operations. However, it is not able to think. It
accepts data and instructions as input, and after processing them, it outputs the
results.
When we talk about computers, we have to consider the hardware and the software.
The hardware consists of all the electronic and mechanical parts that make up a
computer system, and the software is the collection of data and programs needed to
solve problems with a computer.

3. É uma ideia presente no texto:

a) o computador resolve problemas através do seu próprio raciocínio.
b) o hardware é mais importante para o computador do que o software.
c) o processamento de dados é composto de três etapas.
d) o software é mais importante para o computador do que o hardware.
e) Nenhuma das alternativas acima.

4. O melhor parágrafo para finalizar o texto seria:

a) os computadores de quarta geração são bastante mais rápidos do que os
computadores de terceira geração.
b) Na parte traseira do computador, existem vários slots no qual podemos nos
conectar a uma ampla gama de periféricos.
c) Em apenas um curto período de tempo, o computador mudou a forma em que
muitos trabalhos são feitos e se tornou parte de nossas vidas cotidianas.
d) os computadores da quinta geração são supercomputadores
e) Nunca deveria ter sido inventado.

7
TEXTO: 6

Technology
With This Ringtone...
From text-messaged love notes to comments left on
My Space, technology has modernized courtship, to
the dismay of many traditionalists. Indian couples,
however, are using new technology to solidify an age-
old tradition, a new study suggests. They are helping
arranged marriages flourish, using mobile phones to
get to know each other before officially tying the
knot-courting via cell or blackberry. “The mobile
gives prospective matches more time, both before and TEXT TO THE HEART: TECHNOLOGY HAS
after engagement,” says Carolyn Wei, a doctoral CHANGED HOW THE YOUNG VIEW LOVE
candidate at the University of Washington whose study focused on Bangalore, a largely
migratory city with a booming tech business. “This is especially valuable for two people who
do not live in the same city.”
But mobile phones are not only supporting that system, they are subverting it a well- and
maybe even changing attitudes. Using phones to connect can work within the rules of
tradition, but it can also undermine it’s principles. Some arranged couples are communicating
regularly- traditionally forbidden- beneath the radar of protective parents, Wei says. But
others carry out relationships without their families’ knowledge and then come full circle by
nudging the parents to “arrange” the match. Maybe the mobile can satisfy both ends.

1. Leia o texto e procure localizar as informações abaixo:

a. Qual é o tema geral do texto?
................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
b. Como as mensagens no celular estão ajudando os jovens, cite dois aspectos positivos:
................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................................................
c. Qual é o efeito negativo das mensagens na tradição deste país?
.......................................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................

2. Passe para o português as palavras marcadas no texto:

Azuis Vermelhas

8
TEXTO:7
Civil rights icon Rosa Parks dies (26 October, 2005)

Rosa Parks, the mother of America’s civil rights movement, has died aged 92.
Her refusal to give up her seat to a white man on an Alabama bus sparked a
revolution in the US civil rights movement. She was one of the first people to
actively challenge America’s segregation laws, both in deed and in court. Ms
Parks reportedly passed away in her sleep at her home in Detroit. The actual
cause of death is as yet unknown. She had been suffering from progressive
dementia in recent years and was rarely seen in public. The mayor of Detroit
hailed her courage and strength and said she symbolized the civil rights
movement, which gained increasing momentum in the late 1950s and 1960s.
He said: “Just by a simple act of sitting down she stood up for so many
people.”

Ms Parks was a 42-year-old seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, when she

caught a bus in December 1955. Shortly after, a white man boarded and had
to stand. The law required black passengers to make room for white
passengers. Ms Parks refused to comply with the bus driver’s demands for her
to move, saying: “No. I'm tired of being treated like a second-class citizen.”
She was convicted of breaking the law and fined $10. Her action sparked a
now famous bus boycott that lasted 381 days. Simultaneous legal challenges
led to a Supreme Court decision that forced Montgomery to desegregate its
bus system and quashed other discriminatory laws throughout America’s
South. In 1999, the US Senate described her as “a living icon for freedom in
America.”

1. “TRUE / FALSE” DE ACORDO COM O TEXTO

a. Rosa Parks foi a avó dos movimentos pelos direitos civis. T/F
b. Ela foi uma das primeiras pessoas a desafiar a segregação nos anos 50. T/F
c. Recentemente ela fez uma série de aparições públicas T/F
d. O simples ato de levantar-se proporcionou que muitas pessoas pudessem T/F
sentar.
e. Ela perguntou a um homem branco se ela podia sentar-se no lugar dele. T/F
f. A lei Americana exigia que os negros devem dar os seus lugares para os T/F
brancos nos ônibus.
g. Ela foi presa e ficou detida por 381 dias. T/F
h. O Senado Americano a descreveu como: “um ícone vivo da liberdade na T/F
América

9
TEXTO: 8

Risk of forest fires in Acre - 01/03/2007

Locality: Rio de Janeiro - RJ

Source: O Eco
Link: http://www.oeco.org.br

Acre is not safe from again undergoing the devastation caused in 2005 by forest fires. A
report by the Federal University of Acre (UFAC) shows that, in addition to the 250,000
hectares that went up in smoke that year, there are 267,000 hectares of forest that have been
damaged and are susceptible to fire. Satellites have noted changes in the coloring of the
crowns of trees that survived the fire. This means that unless controls are placed in these
areas, the state may reach a definitive state of irreversible degradation.

"The affected forests are flammable and ready to burn, no longer are adverse climatic
conditions needed for us to have large forest fires again", warns Sumaia Vasconcelos,
researcher at the Land Use Studies Center at UFAC. An example of this is the border area.
Last year the Acre Public Prosecutors Office (MP) petitioned for preventative action to be
taken that forbade the use of fire in the driest months of the year, from July to September.
This contributed towards only some 2,500 hotspots being detected in the state compared to
12,000 captured by satellites in 2005. On the border regions with Peru and Bolivia, where no
preventative and control measures were taken, the number of hotspots did not return to the
pre-2005 levels. In other words, there were more fires in 2006 than the historical average.

Fearing what the use of fire - a practice deeply rooted in the culture of people from Acre -
may cause, the State Public Prosecutors Office prepared a class action suit petitioning the
federal court to permanently prohibit the use of fire to clear large areas of secondary forest, a
measure that will affect large-scale ranchers in the state.

To address the issue of smallholders, the MP wants to obtain commitments from the state and
federal governments that they will provide alternatives to the use of fire, such as training
programs in new techniques and credit for purchase of soil preparation machinery. Patrícia
Rego, head of the Environmental Division of the MP, explains that the idea is to oblige the
authorities to sign a Term of Change of Conduct (TAC) with a timetable for banning the use
of fire in agricultural and livestock production. "If the Constitution orders the State to care
for natural resources, then it is in breach of the law to allow burnings", argues the prosecutor.

The Justice Department in Acre, with its strategy of totally forbidding the use of fire, may
definitively influence the future of deforestation in the region. There are signs that this
already took place in 2006. The Real Time Detection System (Deter) of the National Space
Research Institute (Inpe) showed that deforestation in Acre grew by "only" 4% last year
compared to 2005. UFAC researchers interpret this to the strict measures that enabled
environmental degradation to stabilize to something around 500-600 square kilometers per
year.

10
Responda, em português, as questões abaixo com base no texto acima:

1. Encontre dez palavras cognatas (parecidas com o português) no texto e escreva os seus
significados.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Encontre as seguintes informações no texto:

a) Quantos hectares foram consumidos pelo fogo em 2005 no Acre?

________________________________________________________
b) Qual a medida tomada pelo Ministério Público do Acre a fim de prevenir as
queimadas?
________________________________________________________
c) A medida tomada pelo Ministério Público acreano obteve sucesso na fronteira com a
Bolívia e o Peru?
________________________________________________________
d) Quais as alternativas para substituir o uso do fogo que o texto sugere?
________________________________________________________

Trabalhando com a linguagem

6. Com base na notícia e nas palavras cognatas deduza os significados das palavras ou
expressões marcadas em negrito.

a) Unless controls are placed in these areas, the state may reach a definitive state of
irreversible degradation.
________________________________________________________
b) Last year the Acre Public Prosecutors Office (MP) petitioned for preventative action to
be taken that forbade the use of fire in the driest months of the year.
________________________________________________________
c) Satellites have noted changes in the coloring of the crowns of trees that survived the fire.
________________________________________________________
d) The MP wants to obtain commitments from the state and federal governments that they
will provide alternatives to the use of fire.
________________________________________________________
e) The Justice Department in Acre, with its strategy of totally forbidding the use of fire, such
as training programs in new techniques and credit for purchase of soil preparation
machinery.
________________________________________________________

11
(As três provas abaixo foram retiradas do caderno de prova de proficiência da USP.)
Equipe de Proficiência em Inglês
www.clinguas.fflch.usp.br

Texto 1

NANO-DISPERSION OF CLAYS MAKES BETTER, CLEANER PLASTICS

Small amounts of well-dispersed natural clay can lead to environmentally friendly and
inexpensive plastic composites with improved specialized properties, according to a Penn
State researcher.
"Adding very small amounts of natural clays to plastics changes some of their physical
properties," says Dr. Evangelos Manias, assistant professor of materials science and
engineering. "While we can tune the chemical interactions between the clays and some
polymers, it is the general changes due to the nanometer fillers in all plastics that may be the
most interesting."

Addition of clay can make plastics less permeable to liquids and gases; more flame retardant
and tougher. Lower permeability can make plastics like PET, the standard plastic used in soft
drink bottling, suitable for bottling beer or wine. The clay-enhanced product would protect the
beverages from the effects of oxygen. At the same time, the addition of small amounts of clay
does not affect the transparency of plastics.

Adding clay to polymer blends is not a simple process as polymers and clays mix about as
well
as oil and water. However, if the clay is treated with an organic surfactant, a compound that
allows the inert clay to mix with the polymers, much as soap allows oil and water to mix, the
clays can be incorporated into the final product.

An inexpensive, more environmentally clean method of producing flame retardant plastics

could eventually save lives. Because the addition of clay into plastics reduces flammability in
a wide range of plastics, it may have universal application as a general flame-retardant
additive.

"Currently, chemicals used to make plastics flame retardant contain bromine, which produces
poisonous combustion gases when burned," says Manias. "Using clay is a green alternative to
current practices and reduces flammability in a wide range of plastics." When polymers with
clay incorporated in their structures burn, the clay forms a char layer on the outside of the
plastic that insulates the material beneath.

"Natural clays are currently the most used because they are the same clays already used in
many
products," says Mania. "However, synthetic clays, because of their tailored properties, may
prove essential for high added value products, such as in biomedical devices and space
applications."
12
The natural clays Manias refers to are bentonites and montmorillonites that are already in use
in paints to prevent dripping, cosmetics to prevent shine and in pharmaceuticals. Because the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration already approve them for use, there is no problem
incorporating them into plastics that come in contact with foods, medicines, beverages or
plastics used in biomedical devices.

The polymer clay blends, while containing only 1 to 5 percent clay, are actually
nanocomposites. The addition of clay into the polymer blend does not alter the normal
production and processing
of the clayless polymer.
"The clay can be added at the final stages of polymer processing without any change in the
current industrial practices," says Manias. "The thermodynamics drive the nanometer
dispersion of the clay through the polymer and the small amounts of clay do not cause any
wear in the 40 equipment. Manufacturers can use the same equipment, timing and settings as
in their normal process."

While natural and synthetic clays provide a broad possibility of enhances plastics, Manias is
also looking at polymer nanocomposites that contain platelets of metal and ceramic
nanoparticles instead of clay. These ultra-small fillers require different surfactants and offer
much more flexibility in property tailoring, where cost can be 45 slightly increased.

The Penn State researcher has reported on his work in a variety of journals including
Advances
in Polymer Science, Chemistry of Materials and Macromolecules.

Disponível em: Science Daily (Mar. 27, 2001)

#As questões de 1 a 7 referem-se ao texto “Nano-Dispersion Of Clays Makes Better,

Cleaner Plastics”

1. Segundo o pesquisador Dr. Evangelo Manias,

a) a adição de argila natural aos plásticos ainda é um processo caro e trabalhoso.
b) as mudanças nas propriedades físicas dos plásticos só se tornam possíveis com a
adição de uma quantidade muito grande de argila.
c) não é possível ajustar as interações entre a argila natural e os plásticos.
d) compostos plásticos resultantes da adição de argila possuem vantagens quanto aos
impactos ambientais.

2. A adição de argila aos plásticos NÃO:

a) afeta a transparência dos plásticos
b) deixa o plástico mais rígido
c) protege bebidas do oxigênio
d) retarda a combustão

3. O processo de incorporação da argila aos polímeros:

a) é um processo simples.
b) é mais fácil do que misturar água e óleo.
c) necessita de um surfactante orgânico para que a argila se incorpore ao produto final.
13
d) é mediado pelo acréscimo de sabão, que permitirá a mistura dos dois materiais.

4. Sobre a combustão dos polímeros, podemos afirmar que:

a) durante a combustão, a adição da argila permite a formação de uma crosta que isola
o material abaixo dela, tornando o plástico mais seguro.
b) a incorporação da argila reduz a inflamabilidade de todos os tipos de plásticos.
c) as substâncias químicas, atualmente adicionadas aos plásticos são inofensivas aos
seres humanos.
d) apesar de ser uma alternativa mais ecológica, a argila não interfere na
inflamabilidade dos plásticos.

5. Sobre a aplicabilidade da argila no dia-a-dia, podemos afirmar que:

a) apesar das vantagens da incorporação da argila natural aos plásticos, a sintética
ainda é mais comumente utilizada.
b) atualmente ela já é empregada na fabricação de tintas, cosméticos e produtos
farmacêuticos.
c) ainda não se sabe se o contato das embalagens de plástico com argila incorporada
pode interferir na qualidade e segurança de alimentos e medicamentos.
d) a argila natural é empregada na sintetização de uma ampla variedade de produtos,
exceto instrumentos biomédicos.

6. A palavra “which” (linha 21) se refere a:

a) químicos
b) bromina
c) plásticos
d) gases

7. Leia as afirmações abaixo:

I. Os nanocompósitos são necessariamente polímeros que contém de 1 a 5% de argila
em sua mistura.
II. A incorporação da argila aos polímeros nos últimos estágios do processamento não
afeta a fabricação, nem causa o desgaste do equipamento.
III. Há nanocompósitos que contém plaquetas de metal e nanopartículas de cerâmica,
ao invés de argila, sem que haja aumento nos custos de produção.
Estão corretas:
a) Apenas a I.
b) Apenas a II.
c) Apenas a III.
d) I, II e III.

14
TEXTO:2
BEST PRACTICE COMES THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Organization-wide strategies will help staff to embrace reduced restraint use. Several projects
aimed at achieving restraint-free care have been conducted in long-term care and acute care
settings, with varying degrees of success. Common elements among them include
administrative support and commitment; staff education on dementia, assessment and
behavioral management, ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of restraints, and
individualized care; and an interdisciplinary team that helps design an individualized care
plan for at-risk and restrained patients. Consultants may also be helpful in developing
behavioral management plans.

Beliefs and values within an organization regarding approaches to pain management or the
use of surveillance can cause resistance to change and lead to fundamental problems in the
care of patients with dementia. Clinicians and other staff members may not understand that
agitation or irregular behavior in patients with dementia may signal a change in health or an
unmet need. Staff education might not in itself bring about lasting change. A nurse who
champions change is important, as is providing staff access to experts in the field, such as
geriatric advanced practice nurses or an interdisciplinary restraint-reduction team.

Ongoing data collection and monitoring, as part of a quality-assessment and quality

improvement system, are very important to achieving and maintaining a reduction in restraint
use. The quality-improvement team should routinely review the use of restraints in the
facility, identify particular challenges, and develop strategies to address them. Staff must be
oriented to a culture in which dialogue regarding challenging cases is ongoing and not having
all the answers is acceptable. Consistent staff assignments, access to supportive equipment
such as bedside commodes and over-bed trapezes, and technology that supports reliable
admission data and communication of care strategies should be institutionalized. Staff should
be recognized and rewarded for reducing or eliminating the use of restraints; one effective
approach is to post unit results in public locations. It's also crucial to develop a plan for
maintaining restraint reduction during times of staffing shortages.

Disponível em: www.nursingcenter.com

#As questões de 1 a 6 referem-se ao texto “Best Practice Comes Through Organizational

Change”

1. Segundo o texto, os projetos desenvolvidos para o fim da imobilização de pacientes têm em

comum:

a) uma preocupação com a legalidade das práticas do regime de imobilização.

15
b) o tratamento de pacientes imobilizados através da terapia em grupo.
c) a instrução dos pacientes imobilizados sobre os problemas relacionados à
demência.
d) o apoio de grupos considerados de risco, formados por pacientes imobilizados.

2. As dificuldades relacionadas ao tratamento de pacientes com demência, mencionadas no

texto, podem resultar:

a) do valor elevado da manutenção de pacientes imobilizados.

b) da resistência à imobilização por parte de muitos pacientes.
c) da falha na observação dos pacientes em contenção.
d) das diferenças nos tipos de tratamento de controle da dor.

3. Qual é a melhor tradução para a frase “Staff education might not in itself bring about
lasting change” (linha 14)?

a) A educação do funcionalismo hospitalar não causará mudanças definitivas.

b) É possível que a educação dos funcionários por si só não gere mudanças
efetivas.
c) A educação do corpo de funcionários não pode trazer uma mudança duradoura.
d) A educação dos profissionais talvez traga uma mudança a longo prazo.

4. De acordo com o texto, os enfermeiros qualificados em prática geriátrica e o grupo

interdisciplinar de redução da imobilização são:

a) dois grupos que têm acesso a médicos especialistas.

b) dois exemplos de especialistas em distúrbios como a demência.
c) dois tipos de funcionários que admitem mudanças no tratamento.
d) enfermeiros com especializações diferentes.

5. A equipe de melhoria de qualidade NÃO tem como função:

a) a análise rotineira das facilidades de uso do regime de imobilização.

b) a identificação de casos que apresentam desafios específicos.
c) o desenvolvimento de diferentes maneiras de enfrentar desafios.
d) o incentivo da prática do diálogo em relação aos problemas detectados.

6. De acordo com o texto, o reconhecimento e a recompensa de funcionários são:

a) práticas adotadas por instituições públicas que usam o regime de imobilização.

b) métodos cruciais no combate às faltas frequentes de funcionários.
c) parte do sistema de melhoria e avaliação de qualidade descrito no texto.
d) uma estratégia de redução da imobilização quando há poucos funcionários.

16
TEXTO: 3
BRAZIL: A SLEEPING GIANT WITH A TRADITION OF HIGH-QUALITY
SOFTWARE

By Alan S. Horowitz. Disponível em: www.computerworld.com

Brazil is well known for the bossa nova, string bikinis and Amazon forests. Less well known
is that, by many measures, it's one of the world's major countries. It ranks fifth in both
geographic size and population (180 million people) and has the world's eighth-largest
economy. That said, it generally isn't on the radar screen of IT departments thinking of
outsourcing. "I don't know anyone going to Brazil [for IT outsourcing]," says Michael
Janssen, an outsourcing consultant at Everest Group in Dallas.
This isn't all that surprising given Brazil's perceived limitations as an outsourcing venue. Peter
Bendor-Samuel, CEO of Everest Group, says Brazil has a number of shortcomings compared
with other offshore centers. Among those are higher costs than outsourcing giant India (he
says Brazil has a 30% advantage over the U.S. vs. India's 50%), a longer distance from the
U.S. than neighbors Canada and Mexico, and a smaller pool of educated English speakers
than, say, India or Canada.
But Brazil isn't out of the running. Thiago Maia, executive vice president at IT outsourcing
vendor Vetta Technologies Ltd. in Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third-biggest city, cites a number
of the country's strengths: time zone (depending on the season, Rio de Janeiro is just one or
three hours later than New York, since one's on daylight-saving time while the other's on
standard time), a culture more similar to the U.S.'s than India's is, an expanding software
industry and an oversupply of IT professionals.
Ben Goertzel, CEO of Biomind LLC, a bioinformatics company in Silver Spring, Md.,
outsources software engineering, software design, project management, artificial intelligence
R&D, and system and database administration to Vetta. He says Brazil's advantages include a
good knowledge of computer science among IT professionals, a tradition of high-quality
software engineering and the relatively short flight time to Brazil from the U.S. East Coast,
making it feasible to hold in-person meetings several times a year.
He also likes the way Brazilians approach development. "[They] tend to stick a lot closer to
the software development and project management processes that are taught in universities,"
Goertzel says. "Everyone in the U.S. knows what these 'correct practices' are, but American
software teams tend to make a lot more shortcuts. Brazilian developers are a lot less likely to
produce undocumented or poorly documented code."
Goertzel says he has to provide Brazilians with explicit requirements and specifications,
which takes him more time upfront, but "the end result is more robust software and less time
spent on the later phases of the product cycle." Infrastructure can be an issue, since much of
Brazil is very poor. Major cities have reliable electricity and phone service, but Internet
connectivity is slower and more expensive than in the U.S. Goertzel likens Brazil's Internet
infrastructure to that of the U.S. about five years ago.

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#As questões de 1 a 7 referem-se ao texto Brazil: A Sleeping Giant With a Tradition of
High-Technology Software

1. Segundo o texto, o Brasil:

a) é tão conhecido por suas praias quanto por seu vasto território.
b) é uma das maiores economias, mas não é escolhido para serviços de
terceirização.
c) é a quinta maior economia mundial e o quinto país mais populoso.
d) não é escolhido para serviços de terceirização por ser o quinto maior país.

2. Assinale a alternativa que contém um fator que é mencionado pelo autor do texto como um
dos motivos pelos quais o Brasil é dificilmente escolhido para prestar serviços de
terceirização:

a) distância do Canadá.
b) desmatamento da floresta amazônica.
c) índice de analfabetismo.
d) altos custos de terceirização.

3. Qual das alternativas abaixo contém um fator que é considerado por Maia como um ponto
positivo do Brasil?

a) Semelhanças culturais com EUA e Índia.

b) Número reduzido de funcionários de TI.
c) Fuso horário.
d) O horário de verão no mesmo período que em NY.

4. As palavras one e other (linhas 17 e 18, respectivamente) referem-se, respectivamente:

a) à cidade do RJ e à cidade de NY.
b) ao horário padrão do RJ e ao horário de verão de NY.
c) à cidade de NY e à cidade do RJ.
d) à estação do ano do RJ e ao horário de verão de NY.

5. Segundo o texto, Goertzel:

a) não trabalha com empresas brasileiras e explica o porquê.
b) elogiou a maneira de os brasileiros gerenciarem um projeto.
c) acha difícil brasileiros e americanos se reunirem pessoalmente.
d) só vê desvantagens em ter de dar instruções explícitas aos brasileiros.

6. De acordo com o autor,

a) a infra-estrutura brasileira é boa, apesar da pobreza no país.
b) a infra-estrutura pode apresentar problemas por conta da pobreza no Brasil.
c) a pobreza no Brasil prejudica mais os serviços de eletricidade que os de Internet.
d) a pobreza no Brasil diminui a vida útil dos bens produzidos no país.

7. Segundo o que é dito no texto, o autor:

a) elogia tanto a rede elétrica quanto o acesso à Internet no Brasil.
b) afirma que a conectividade da Internet brasileira é igual à da americana.
c) elogia o acesso à Internet, mas critica a rede elétrica.
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d) elogia o serviço telefônico brasileiro, mas critica o acesso à Internet.

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