Inglês
Prova objetiva realizada no dia 8/12/1999
Questões

Text 1

THE LABORATORY OF URBANISM





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     For the first time in human history, early in the next
millennium, there will be more people living in cities than on
the rest of the planet. Until the late 19th century, the world's
urban population did not surpass 10% of the human total. In
the 20th century, that percentage has more than quadrupled,
and at the very beginning of the new era, almost one-half of
all humanity will live in an urban area. The biggest problems
and challenges of the next millennium will certainly be urban.
The solutions will need to be urban too.
     If the story will be that of the city and its discontents,
Latin America will be its paramount laboratory. Latin America
and the Caribbean have exceeded the global trend in the
past half-century. Entering the next millennium, nearly 75%
of the region's population is urban, a level rapidly approaching
those of Europe and North America, up from less than 50%
in 1950. Two of the five largest agglomerations in the world
— São Paulo and Mexico City, with populations in excess of
16 million and 15 million, respectively — are in Latin America,
as well as three other megacities, metropolitan areas with
more than 8 million residents each: Buenos Aires, Rio de
Janeiro and Lima. By 2015, Latin America will be the most
urbanized region in the world, with an estimated 364 million
city dwellers, four metropolitan areas of more than 10 million
people, and 28% of the total population living in cities of a
million or more inhabitants.
     The consequences of this astounding demographic
shift, one that is almost unprecedented in its magnitude and
compressed time frame, will dominate the region indefinitely.
Rural Latin America is becoming little more than the womb
of urban Latin America. It will be increasingly so in the decades
ahead.
     The reasons people migrate to cities are clear:
economic opportunity born of greater economic productivity
in the cities; and a better life than in the country as a result of
access to health care and other services. Much is made of
the squalid and violent conditions of the shantytowns that
sprawl across the region, but life expectancy levels of urban
dwellers far exceed those for rural areas, as do education
levels and most other standard-of-living measures.
 
Alberto Vourvoulias (excerpt). Time, May 24, 1999



36

In paragraph 1, the author states that, in the next millennium, about:

(A) fifty per cent of the world population will live in cities.

(B) forty per cent of the planet should be covered by megacities.

(C) a hundred per cent of all humanity could dominate the cities.

(D) eighty per cent of the city dwellers shall migrate to rural areas.

(E) ten per cent of the earth's population will move to urban areas.

 



37

The remark that São Paulo and Mexico City have populations in excess of 16 million and 15 million respectively (lines 17-18) means that:

(A) there should be 15 million fewer dwellers in Mexico City to curb demographic excess.

(B) the number of residents of the two cities should exceed the reported figures.

(C) the total population of the two cities has been excessively exaggerated.

(D) the population of São Paulo exceeds by 16 million the reasonable limit.

(E) the two cities have more than 16 million and 15 million inhabitants respectively.

 



38

What prediction does paragraph 2 make about Latin America?

(A) In the next millennium, the population growth of Latin America and the Caribbean will quickly surpass that of Northern America and Europe.

(B) By the second decade of the next century, 28% of Latin American cities will have a population of one million or more.

(C) In 2015, Latin America will have at least one megacity with a population that might reach 364 million dwellers.

(D) In the next half-century, the whole urban population of Latin America will be extremely unsatisfied with the region's laboratorial conditions.

(E) As the next decades unfold, the growth rate of urban population in Latin America and Caribbean will come increasingly close to that of Europe.

 



39

According to the text, Latin America will certainly:

(A) be mostly dominated by nomadic peoples.

(B) offer endless job opportunities to urban inhabitants.

(C) attract people from Europe and North America.

(D) multiply its social investments in rural areas.

(E) provide the most typical examples of city dwellers' grievances.

 



40

The word "do" (line 38) is replacing:

(A) measure.

(B) expect.

(C) sprawl.

(D) exceed.

(E) make.

 



41

Check the expression that has a negative connotation.

(A) Metropolitan areas (line 19).

(B) Urbanized region (line 22).

(C) Demographic shift (lines 26-27).

(D) Squalid shantytowns (line 36).

(E) Urban dwellers (lines 37-38).

 



42

Mark the item that lists one characteristic of life in urban areas and one of life in rural areas, according to the text.

(A) Increased economic productivity _ squalid life conditions.

(B) Violent shantytowns _ lower life-expectancy levels.

(C) Access to general services _ turbulent conditions of shantytowns.

(D) Better education levels _ higher life-expectancy levels.

(E) Greater economic opportunities _ better life standards.

 



43

It can be inferred from the text that the author's intention was to:

(A) encourage urban migration to rural areas.

(B) alarm people about a huge disaster.

(C) put forward possible urban solutions.

(D) point out an imminent problem.

(E) discuss the prospects for economic growth.

 



44

In the sentence "For the first time..." (line 1), the future form is used to express a prediction. In which of the alternatives below is the future form used to express a similar idea?

(A) Will someone help me with the luggage?

(B) It will snow heavily in two days' time.

(C) If it rains, the match will be cancelled.

(D) Don't worry. I'll watch your dog carefully.

(E) Waiter, I'll have some salad for lunch.

 



45

Read the following statements concerning the vocabulary used in the text.

I - In line 1, "early" could be replaced by "near the beginning".

II - The word "estimated" (line 22) indicates that the figure is not exact.

III - The opposite of "unprecedented" as it is used in line 27 could be "usual".

IV - "More" in lines 2, 5, 25 and 29 is used as a comparative.

V - "Inhabitants" (line 25) and "indefinitely" (line 28) have the same negative prefix.

The correct statements are:

(A) III and IV only.

(B) I, II and III only.

(C) I, III and V only.

(D) II, III and IV only.

(E) I, II, IV and V only.

 


Text 2





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     On the way to the hardware store my husband and I
noticed that our 15-year-old son's bike was parked outside
the drugstore — unlocked and unattended. We were
thoroughly annoyed because during the past year, two of his
bikes had been stolen. In the name of tough love, we tossed
the bike into the back of the truck and continued with our
errands.
     Several hours later we returned home. Our 17-year-old
daughter met us at the door with a cat-that-swallowed-
the-canary look. "Mom and Dad, the police were here while
you were gone," she reported. "Someone called in your
license-plate number for stealing a bike from the parking lot
at the drugstore."

 
Reader's Digest
September 1998



46

The expression "called in" (line 11) could be replaced by:

(A) memorized.

(B) shouted.

(C) telephoned.

(D) denounced.

(E) requested.

 



47

At the beginning of the text, the couple was:

(A) running away from the police.

(B) looking for their son's bike.

(C) going to do some shopping.

(D) heading for the drugstore.

(E) about to park their car.

 



48

The girl said to her parents: "Mom and Dad, the police were here while you were gone." If we turned this statement into reported speech, we would have: "The girl said to her parents that the police..."

(A) had been there while they had been gone.

(B) had been here while they had gone.

(C) have been there while they were gone.

(D) have been here while they would be gone.

(E) would have been there while they have been gone.

 



49

The 15-year-old boy's parents took his bike home:

(A) since they had to run many errands and needed two vehicles.

(B) to prevent their son from getting a ticket for unauthorized parking.

(C) because they were afraid that it would be stolen.

(D) for fear that the boy might forget where he had parked it.

(E) in order to teach their son a tough lesson.

 



50

The prepositions "on" and "in" are used in lines 1 and 5, respectively. Mark the sentence which must be completed with "on" and "in", in the same sequence.

(A) I was talking ____ the phone when I heard a knock ____ the door.

(B) The boy got a bike ____ his birthday, and is now keeping it ____ his parents' garage.

(C) The Smith family lives ____ the countryside, ____ a very cozy farm house.

(D) John was invited to speak ____ the conference ____ behalf of the company's president.

(E) Several workers decided to go ____ strike ____ the same day their boss announced his bankruptcy.