Técnico da Receita Federal - TRF - 2003 INGLÊS -
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For questions 21-24 below, choose the answer which best fits the ideas in the text.
Brazil: One Growth Obstacle after Another
After just eight months in office, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the left-wing Workers' Party has won congressional approval for economically critical and politically controversial pension and tax reforms. Now, however, da Silva faces a bigger challenge: reviving Brazil's economy. In 2003's first half, Brazil's economy fell into recession. Most economists expect growth for the entire year to be a miserly 1%. And a governmentlinked research group recently embarrassed ministers by
predicting growth of just 0.5% in 2003. Taxes are a serious obstacle to growth. Brazil's tax burden is among the highest in the world, equal to 41.7% of salaries. Reforms now proceeding through Congress will simplify the tax system, but won't reduce the total burden. That will be possible only if interest rates fall and the government can keep spending in check, thereby reducing the amount of money needed to pay its own debts. For now, Brazil's economy is going nowhere.
(By Jonathan Wheatley in São Paulo – adapted. From: Business Week September 10, 2003)
21- The picture of the current Brazilian economy given by this article is
a) highly optimistic.
b) guardedly hopeful.
c) unremittingly positive.
d) faintly negative.
e) distinctly bleak.
A alternativa correta é a letra e. O quadro que é apresentado a respeito da atual economia do Brasil não é claramente expresso como negativo nem como positivo. Com isto são eliminadas as alternativas a, b, c, d. Veja que a palavra bleak significa obscuro, sombrio.
22- According to the text, a think tank recently caused the government some embarrassment by predicting
a) lower growth than most other economists had forecast.
b) cynicism over the government’s tax reform program.
c) one of the highest tax burdens in the world.
d) stubbornly high interest rates for bank loans.
e) further cuts in the national interest rates for loans.
Veja o trecho: Most economists expect growth for the entire year to be a miserly 1%. And a governmentlinked research group recently embarrassed ministers by predicting growth of just 0.5% in 2003. A alternativa correta é a letra a.
23- The advantage of the proposed tax reform measures is
a) particularly fast progress through Congress.
b) a proposed 41.7% reduction in taxation.
c) a welcome simplification of the tax system.
d) the prospect of controlling high inflation.
e) further political support for the government
Analise o trecho: Reforms now proceeding through Congress will simplify the tax system. Logo a alternativa correta é a letra c.
24- According to the last section of the text, taxation will only be reduced if
a) there are strong signs of growing inflation.
b) Congress passes the new taxation reform bill.
c) Brazil’s economy goes nowhere soon.
d) the sum needed to meet public debt is reduced.
e) income tax bills cease to be such a heavy burden.
Veja o trecho: the government can keep spending in check, thereby reducing the amount of money needed to pay its own debts. A alternativa correta é a letra d.
For questions 25-27 below, choose the answer which best fits the ideas in the text.
How the world's poor changed dynamics of global politics. A new alliance of some of the world's poorest countries forged during the last week's global trade talks has changed the entire dynamics of world politics, the foreign minister of Brazil told The Independent yesterday. In an exclusive interview, Celso Amorim said the formation of the Group of 21 nations (G21) had "reshuffled the cards" by creating a powerful counterweight to Washington and Brussels. The creation of the G21 has been one of the most significant developments of the World Trade Organisation meetings that have dominated the Mexican beach resort of Cancun since Wednesday. Thanks to tough negotiating by the G21, analysts believe that the world's two most powerful economic blocs have been prevented from riding roughshod over the 100-plus countries that make up the developing world. It has also enhanced the reputation of Brazil - the leading voice in the G21 and the country with the largest democratic support for any left-wing government in the world - and the administration led by the uneducated steelworker Lula da Silva. "We have gained the political initiative," said Mr Amorim on the fringes of the conference.
(From: The Independent September 15th 2003 – slightly adapted.)
25- The expression “forged” in the first paragraph of the text could best be defined as
a) misled.
b) broken down.
c) set up.
d) made off with.
e) falsified.
Veja que com exceção da alternativa c, que é a correta, todas as outra apresentam palavras cuja conotação é negativa. Entretanto a idéia expressa pela oração onde a palavra “forge” está inclusa é de algo positivo, de mudança na dinâmica da política mundial.
26- According to the text, G21 is a group involved in trade talks, and it aims to
a) bring up new trump cards in Mexico negotiations.
b) offset the bargaining power of the USA and the EU.
c) shore up the power of the WTO to do deals.
d) lead over 100 countries to victory in the talks.
e) enhance the power of Brazil internationally.
A resposta a essa questão encontra-se em: by creating a powerful counterweight to
Washington and Brussels. Portanto a alternativa correta é a letra b. Vale ressaltar aqui o significado de offset = to counterbalance; to compensate for.
27- In relation to Brazil, the G 21 is expected to
a) reinforce the President’s left-wing tendencies.
b) override national decisions of smaller powers.
c) make it the leading voice in the WTO.
d) leave it on the fringes of the conference.
e) bring additional prestige to the country.
O último trecho deixa claro que a alternativa correta é a letra e. Veja, inclusive, as palavras de Celso Amorim: “We have gained the political initiative."
For questions 28-30 below, choose the answer which best fits the ideas in the text.
Virtues of Vice The rewards from investing in politically incorrect companies
REGRETTABLE though it may be, the wages of sin can be well worth having. Vice Fund, a mutual fund started 14 months ago by Mutuals.com, a Dallas investment company, is profiting nicely from what some would consider the wickedest corners of the legitimate economy: alcohol, arms,gambling and tobacco. So far this year, Vice Fund has returned 17.2% to investors, beating both the S&P 500 (15.2%) and the Dow Jones industrial average (13.2%) by a few points. In fact, all four vice-ridden sectors have outperformed the overall American market during the past five years. “No
matter what the economy's state or how interest rates move, people keep drinking, smoking and gambling,” says Dan Ahrens, a portfolio manager at the self-described “socially irresponsible” fund. With President George Bush pursuing a muscular foreign policy, the outlook for defence spending is also bright.
(From: The Economist October 30th 2003)
28-According to the text, Vice Fund
a) is concerned with stamping out illegal vices.
b) deals with illicit assets in the grey economy.
c) has attracted 17.2% of the legitimate investors.
d) profits from human addictions and conflicts.
e) is barely worth serious attention from investors.
A resposta encontra-se no seguinte trecho: … is profiting nicely from what some would consider the wickedest corners of the legitimate economy: alcohol, arms, gambling and tobacco. O que nos leva a alternativa d. Vale lembrar aqui o significado de wicked – sugere conscious or premeditated moral transgression (segundo o The American Heritage Dictionary).
29- The text points out that Vice Fund has
a) proved a good investment for its shareholders.
b) outperformed smoking, drinking and gambling.
c) had mutually regrettable fund results.
d) found popularity with portfolio managers.
e) been promoted in wicked corners of Dallas.
Já na primeira oração do texto, encontramos indícios da resposta. Veja: REGRETTABLE though it may be, the wages of sin can be well worth having. Logo, a alternativa correta é a letra a.
30- The word “muscular” (paragraph 2, last line) implies that US foreign policy is
a) peaceable.
b) belligerent.
c) athletic.
d) protective.
e) well-formed.
De todas as alternativas dadas, a única que apresenta conotação diferente é a letra b. Vale lembrar aqui o significado de belligerent = hostil, agressivo e se contrapõe claramente com a expressão usada na mesma oração: “outlook for defense"
Alexander Vieira
www.alexandervieira.blogspot.com
