Questões Sobre Sinônimos | Synonyms - Inglês - concurso

Questão 61

Instrução: Leia o texto para responder às questões de números 40 a 45.

      To Scientists, Laughter Is No Joke – It’s Serious
March 31, 2010.

 (www.nytimes.com. Adaptado.)

No trecho do terceiro parágrafo – Whether you speak Mandarin, French or English, everyone will understand laughter. – a palavra whether pode ser substituída, sem alteração de sentido, por

Questão 62

The uses for oil
Oil is the largest source of liquid fuel and, in spite of attempts to develop synthetic fuels, world consumption of oil
products in increasing.
The oil industry is not much more than a hundred years old. It began when the first oil well was drilled in 1859. In the
early days, oil was used to light houses because there was no electricity and gas was very scarce. Later, people began to use oil
for heating too.
Most industries use machinery to make things. Every machine needs oil in order to run easily. Even a small clock or watch
needs a little oil from time to time.
The engines of many machines use oil fuels petrol, kerosene or diesel. Cars, buses, trucks, tractors, and small aircraft use
petroleum chemicals: synthetic rubber, plastics, synthetic fiber materials for clothes and for the home, paints, materials which
help to stop rust, photographic materials, soap and cleaning materials (detergents), drugs, fertilizers for farms and gardens, food
containers, and may others.
In 1900 the world’s oil production was less than 2 million tons a year. Today the oil industry is one of the world’s largest
and most important suppliers of raw materials.

“…In spite of attempts to develop synthetic fuels…” In spite of is the same as:

Questão 63

                           Don’t spend all your time at the office. Take a break.
                                 By Kim Painter, USA TODAY, April 7th, 2011

Remember the lunch hour? In a more relaxed,
less plugged-in era, office workers would rise up
midday to eat food at tables, gossip with co-workers,
enjoy a book on a park bench or take a walk in the
sun. Can it still be done, without invoking the scorn
of desk-bound colleagues or enduring constant
electronic interruptions? It can and should. Here are
five ways to break free:
1. Give yourself permission.
As the hair-color ads say, “You’re worth it.” Taking
a break in the workday is more than an indulgence,
though: It’s a way of taking care of your body and
mind, says Laura Stack, a time-management expert
and author who blogs at theproductivitypro.com. “You
have to eliminate the guilt and remind yourself that
the more you take care of yourself, the better you are
able to take care of others,” she says. “We have to
recharge our batteries. We have to refresh. It’s OK.”
2. Get a posse.
“Indeed, many people are wishing they could
just peel themselves away, but they don’t have the
discipline,” Stack says. Thus, invite a co-worker to
take daily walks with you or a group to gather for
Friday lunches. Pretty soon, you’ll be working in a
happier place (and feeling less like a shirker and more
like a leader).
3. Schedule it.
Put it on your calendar and on any electronic
schedule visible to co-workers. “Code yourself as
‘unavailable.’ Nobody has to know why,” says Laura
Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have More
Time Than You Think. And, if a daily hour of “me time”
seems impossible right now, then commit to just one or
two big breaks a week. Or schedule several 15-minute
leg-stretching, mind-freeing breaks each day. Keep
those appointments, and spend them in “a cone of
silence,” without electronic devices, Vanderkam says.
4. Apply deadline pressure.
The promise of a lunch break could make for a
more productive morning: “Treat it as a deadline or a
game,” Stack says. Pick a meaty task or two that must
be finished before lunch and dive in. Plan what you’ll
finish in the afternoon, too. That will free your mind to
enjoy the break, Vanderkam says.
5. Eat at your desk.
That’s right: If you can’t beat them, seem to join
them. If you really don’t care about eating elsewhere,
“pack your lunch and eat it at your desk, and save
the time for something you’d rather do,” whether it’s
going to the gym or sneaking out to your car to read,
Vanderkam says. (But remember, you still have to
schedule this break.) While most co-workers care less about your habits than you think they do, she says,
“this has the extra advantage that you can be seen
eating at your desk.”
.
Access on April 7th, 2011. Adapted.

Questão 64

The boldfaced item can be replaced by the word in parentheses, without change in meaning, in

Questão 65

                           Don’t spend all your time at the office. Take a break.
                                 By Kim Painter, USA TODAY, April 7th, 2011

Remember the lunch hour? In a more relaxed,
less plugged-in era, office workers would rise up
midday to eat food at tables, gossip with co-workers,
enjoy a book on a park bench or take a walk in the
sun. Can it still be done, without invoking the scorn
of desk-bound colleagues or enduring constant
electronic interruptions? It can and should. Here are
five ways to break free:
1. Give yourself permission.
As the hair-color ads say, “You’re worth it.” Taking
a break in the workday is more than an indulgence,
though: It’s a way of taking care of your body and
mind, says Laura Stack, a time-management expert
and author who blogs at theproductivitypro.com. “You
have to eliminate the guilt and remind yourself that
the more you take care of yourself, the better you are
able to take care of others,” she says. “We have to
recharge our batteries. We have to refresh. It’s OK.”
2. Get a posse.
“Indeed, many people are wishing they could
just peel themselves away, but they don’t have the
discipline,” Stack says. Thus, invite a co-worker to
take daily walks with you or a group to gather for
Friday lunches. Pretty soon, you’ll be working in a
happier place (and feeling less like a shirker and more
like a leader).
3. Schedule it.
Put it on your calendar and on any electronic
schedule visible to co-workers. “Code yourself as
‘unavailable.’ Nobody has to know why,” says Laura
Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have More
Time Than You Think. And, if a daily hour of “me time”
seems impossible right now, then commit to just one or
two big breaks a week. Or schedule several 15-minute
leg-stretching, mind-freeing breaks each day. Keep
those appointments, and spend them in “a cone of
silence,” without electronic devices, Vanderkam says.
4. Apply deadline pressure.
The promise of a lunch break could make for a
more productive morning: “Treat it as a deadline or a
game,” Stack says. Pick a meaty task or two that must
be finished before lunch and dive in. Plan what you’ll
finish in the afternoon, too. That will free your mind to
enjoy the break, Vanderkam says.
5. Eat at your desk.
That’s right: If you can’t beat them, seem to join
them. If you really don’t care about eating elsewhere,
“pack your lunch and eat it at your desk, and save
the time for something you’d rather do,” whether it’s
going to the gym or sneaking out to your car to read,
Vanderkam says. (But remember, you still have to
schedule this break.) While most co-workers care less about your habits than you think they do, she says,
“this has the extra advantage that you can be seen
eating at your desk.”
.
Access on April 7th, 2011. Adapted.

Questão 66

Questão 67

CLIMATE CHANGE WILL DESTROY US

Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a
global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural
disasters.
A secret report, suppressed by US defense chiefs and
obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will
be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a
‘Siberian’ climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts,
famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.
The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring
the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear
threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy
supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of
terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents.
‘Disruption and conflict will be endemic features of life,’
concludes the Pentagon analysis. ‘Once again, warfare would
define human life.’

(Adapted fromhttp: / /www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/ story/0,12374,1153530,00.html)

Considering the text, what does the word “dwindling” mean in this extract?

” (…) countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies.”

Questão 68

CULLING PIGS IN FLU FIGHT, EGYPT ANGERS HERDERS AND DISMAYS U.N.

Cairo — Egypt has begun forcibly slaughtering the country’s
pig herds as a precaution against swine flu, a move that the
United Nations described as “a real mistake” and one that is
prompting anger among the country’s pig farmers.
The decision, announced Wednesday, is already adding new
strains to the tense relations between Egypt’s majority Muslims
and its Coptic Christians. Most of Egypt’s pig farmers are
Christians, and some accuse the government of using swine flu
fears to punish them economically.

(Adaptedfromhttp: / /www.nytimes.com/ 2009/05/01/health/Olegypt.html)

The word “prompting” in this extract from the first paragraph ” (…) and one that is prompting anger among the country’s pig farmers.” has the same meaning as:

Questão 69

                                                        Cleaning up a spill 
                                                       Written by Laura Hill

Water and oil don’t mix. We see this every day;
just try washing olive oil off your hands without soap
or washing your face in the morning with only water. It
just doesn’t work!

When an oil spill occurs in the ocean, like the
catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, what do scientists
do to clean up the toxic mess? There are a number of
options for an oil spill cleanup and most efforts use a
combination of many techniques. The fact that oil and
water don’t mix is a blessing and a curse. If oil mixed
with water, it would be difficult to divide the two.

Crude oil is less dense than water; it spreads out
to make a very thin layer (about one millimetre thick)
that floats on top of the water. This is good because
we can tell what is water and what is oil. It is also bad,
because it means the oil can spread really quickly
and cover a very large area, which becomes difficult
to manage. Combined with wind, ocean currents and
waves, oil spill cleanup starts to get really tricky.

Chemical dispersants can be used to break
up big oil slicks into small oil droplets. They work
like soaps by emulsifying the hydrophobic (waterrepelling)
oil in the water. These small droplets can
degrade in the ecosystem quicker than the big oil
slick. But unfortunately, this means that marine life
of all sizes ingest these toxic, broken-down particles
and chemicals.

If the oil is thick enough, it could be set fire, a
process called “in situ burning”. Because the oil is
highly flammable and floats on top of the water, it
is very easy to set it alight. It’s not environmentallyfriendly
though; the combustion of oil releases thick
smoke that contains greenhouse gases and other
dangerous air pollutants.

Some techniques can contain and recapture
spilled oil without changing its chemical composition.
Booms float on top of the water and act as barriers to
the movement of oil. Once the oil is controlled, it can
be gathered using sorbents. “Sorbent” is a fancy word
for sponge. These sponges absorb the oil and allow it
to be collected by siphoning it off the water.

However, weather and sea conditions can prevent
and obstruct the use of booms, sorbents and in situ
burning. Imagine trying to perform these operations
on the open sea with wind, waves and water currents
moving the oil (and your boat!) around on the water.
What about the plants and animals? It’s easy to
forget about the organisms in the sea that are under
water. Out of sight, out of mind! There is not much we
can do to help them. But when oil reaches the shore it
impacts sensitive coastal environments including the
many fish, bird, amphibian, reptilian, and crustaceanspecies that live there. We have easy access to these
areas and there are some things we can do to clean
up. For the plants, it is often a matter of setting them
on fire, or leaving them to degrade the oil naturally.
Sometimes, we can spray the oil with nutrients
(phosphorus and nitrogen) that can encourage the
growth of specialized microorganisms. For species
that can tolerate our soaps, manpower is needed to
wash every affected animal. Yet, if the animal has
tried to lick itself clean, it can die from ingesting the
toxic oil.
Unfortunately, there can be many negative
economic and social impacts, in addition to the
environmental impacts of oil spills and, as you’ve just
read, the clean up techniques are far from perfect.
Prevention is the very best cleanup technique we
have.
http://www.curiocity.ca/everyday-science/environme…
-cleaning-up-a-spill.html, retrieved on Dec 10, 2010

Questão 70

                                                 Computer Systems Analysts

Nearly all organizations rely on computer and information technology (IT) to conduct business
and operate efficiently. Computer systems analysts use IT tools to help enterprises of all sizes achieve
their goals. They may design and develop new computer systems by choosing and configuring
hardware and software, or they may devise ways to apply existing systems resources to additional
5 tasks.
Training requirements for computer systems analysts vary depending on the job, but many
employers, when hiring computer systems analysts, usually prefer applicants who have a bachelor’s
degree. Relevant work experience also is very important. Advancement opportunities are good for those
with the necessary skills and experience. For more technically complex jobs, people with graduate
10 degrees are preferred. For jobs in a technical or scientific environment, employers often seek
applicants who have at least a bachelor’s degree in a technical field, such as computer science,
information science, applied mathematics, engineering, or the physical sciences. For jobs in a business
environment, employers often seek applicants with at least a bachelor” degree in a business-related
field such as management information systems (MIS). Increasingly, employers are seeking individuals
15 who have a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with a concentration in information
systems.
Despite the preference for technical degrees, however, people who have degrees in other
areas may find employment as systems analysts if they also have technical skills. Courses in computer
science or related subjects combined with practical experience can qualify people for some jobs in the
20 occupation.
Employers generally look for people with expertise relevant to the job. For example, systems
analysts who wish to work for a bank may need some expertise in finance, and systems analysts who
wish to work for a hospital may need some knowledge of health management. Furthermore, business
enterprises generally prefer individuals with information technology, business, and accounting skills and
25 frequently assist employees in obtaining these skills.
Technological advances come so rapidly in the computer field that continuous study is
necessary to remain competitive. Employers, hardware and software vendors, colleges and universities,
and private training institutions offer continuing education to help workers attain the latest skills.
Additional training may come from professional development seminars offered by professional
30 computing societies.
COMPUTER Systems Analysts. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 5 jan. 2011. Adaptado. 

Na frase “Despite the preference for technical degrees” (linha 17), a palavra em negrito pode ser substituída por