Questões de Língua Inglesa

Read the text below in order to answer questions 21 to 25:

RUSSIA'S PROMISING FUTURE

Major political developments have been taking place in Russia since the early resignation of President Boris Yeltsin.

Andrew Hunt, economist at Dresdner RCM, says the present leader Putin - a former KGB agent - is seen as someone who can get taxes collected and close the budget deficit.

"The markets are excited and believe Putin can bring about change which can make Russia's economy function properly".

The ASP General, the stock market index in Russia, grew by 350% last year.

"We will see the stabilisation of the financial situation in Russia which has had a problem with tax collection, but this will improve and lead to a reduction in interest rates which were at 50% at the beginning of 2000. If inflation comes down to 25%, interest rates will come down 15%, within the next six months".

According to the text, Boris Yeltsin

• A. became too ill to go on ruling Russia.
• B. was suddenly overthrown by Vladimir Putin.
• C. intervened swiftly in the Russian economy.
• D. was interviewed by a former KGB agent.
• E. was replaced as leader by Vladimir Putin.

READ TEXT I AND ANSWER QUESTIONS 15 AND 16:

16 - As regards the Brazilian colonial past, the Modernist movement tried to:

• A. look up to it;
• B. turn back to it
• C. search for it;
• D. break away from it;
• E. bring it back.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 31 to 35

REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The pluriannual Plan of the Federal Government for the years 2000-2003 has chosen regional integration as one of the main themes of Brazilian foreign policy due to its importance for the country's competitive insertion in the global economy. Regional integration, which comprises the deepening of the relations with other Mercosur Member States and the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), is necessary in order to attract productive investment, to create opportunities for employment and to facilitate access to new sources of technology. This growing interdependence has led to an increase in the international activities of different bodies at all levels, such as state and local governments, NGOs and private enterprises, thus requiring a greater effort of coordination by the Ministry of External Relations.

According to the text, the relations with the other Mercosur Member States should be

• A. stronger and more inten
• B. more respectful and sporadic.
• C. spontaneous and shallow
• D. spontaneous and shallow
• E. less frequent and intense

Read the text below in order to answer questions 19 to 22:

IMF COMPLETES BRAZIL FIFTH REVIEW

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the fifth review under the Stand-By credit for Brazil. As a result, Brazil will be able to draw, if needed, up to the equivalent of SDR 814.05 million ( about US$1,066 million ) from the IMF.

In commenting on the Executive Board's discussion of the review, Stanley Fischer, First Deputy Managing Director, made the following statement:

"Executive Directors commended the authorities for the performance of the Brazilian economy under the Government's program and noted with satisfaction that developments in the Brazilian economy since the completion of the fourth review at the end of November 1999 have been better than projected under the program, and that Brazil has continued to make progress in its macroeconomic adjustment and structural reforms. In particular, Directors noted that activity is recovering at a sustained pace, unemployment continues to decline gradually and inflation is decelerating in line with targets. They also welcomed the strong expansion in export in recent months".

The Brazilian authorities have been commended for the performance of the Brazilian economy, which means they have been

• A. questioned
• B. congratulated
• C. criticized
• D. disapproved of
• E. cross-examined

Read the text below in order to answer questions 26 to 30.

STOCK OPTIONS

Twenty years ago, the biggest component of executive compensation was cash, in the form of salaries and bonuses. Stock options were just a footnote. Now the reverse is true. With astounding speed, stock option grants have come to dominate the pay - and often the wealth - of top executives throughout the United States. Last year, Jack Welch's unexercised GE options were valued at more than $260 million. Intel CEO Craig Barrett's were worth more than $100 million. Michael Eisner exercised 22 million options on Disney stock in 1988 alone, netting more than a half-billion dollars. In total, U.S. executives hold unexercised options worth tens of billions of dollars.

"Stock options were just a footnote". What does the author mean by "a footnote"?

• A. Not part of the executives' wealth.
• B. The executives' wealth.
• C.

  A minor component of the executives' compensation.

• D.

  Just about half of the executives' compensation.

• E.

  Only cash paid as part of the executives' salary.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTIONS 17 TO 24:

According to the text, archaeology:

• A. has always employed scientific methods;
• B. was structured on detailed measurement;
• C. used statistics only in its initial studies;
• D. will never be much concerned with scientificity;
• E. has turned to scientific methods only recently.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 31 to 35

REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The pluriannual Plan of the Federal Government for the years 2000-2003 has chosen regional integration as one of the main themes of Brazilian foreign policy due to its importance for the country's competitive insertion in the global economy. Regional integration, which comprises the deepening of the relations with other Mercosur Member States and the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), is necessary in order to attract productive investment, to create opportunities for employment and to facilitate access to new sources of technology. This growing interdependence has led to an increase in the international activities of different bodies at all levels, such as state and local governments, NGOs and private enterprises, thus requiring a greater effort of coordination by the Ministry of External Relations.

The text refers to NGOs as

• A.

  already part of the European Integration.

• B.

  organizations that should be set up

• C.

  playing a disruptive role in the process.

• D.

  the most powerful tool of economic changes

• E.

  already part of the growing interdependence

Read the text below in order to answer questions 26 to 30.

STOCK OPTIONS

Twenty years ago, the biggest component of executive compensation was cash, in the form of salaries and bonuses. Stock options were just a footnote. Now the reverse is true. With astounding speed, stock option grants have come to dominate the pay - and often the wealth - of top executives throughout the United States. Last year, Jack Welch's unexercised GE options were valued at more than $260 million. Intel CEO Craig Barrett's were worth more than $100 million. Michael Eisner exercised 22 million options on Disney stock in 1988 alone, netting more than a half-billion dollars. In total, U.S. executives hold unexercised options worth tens of billions of dollars.

Which of the following statements reflects the content of the text?

• A.

  Stock option grants might dominate world top executives'pay.

• B.

  Stock options had always played a leading role in American top executives' career.

• C.

  Stock options will soon be the smallest component of international top executives' pay.

• D.

  Stock options may represent just a footnote in American top executives' pay.

• E.

  Stock options are already a significant part of American top executives' pay.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTIONS 17 TO 24:

The title implies that archaeologists:

• A. kept bones in their cupboard;
• B. were afraid of mummies;
• C. died in their expeditions;
• D. had an embarrassing past;
• E. hid treasures from scientists.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 31 to 35

REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The pluriannual Plan of the Federal Government for the years 2000-2003 has chosen regional integration as one of the main themes of Brazilian foreign policy due to its importance for the country's competitive insertion in the global economy. Regional integration, which comprises the deepening of the relations with other Mercosur Member States and the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), is necessary in order to attract productive investment, to create opportunities for employment and to facilitate access to new sources of technology. This growing interdependence has led to an increase in the international activities of different bodies at all levels, such as state and local governments, NGOs and private enterprises, thus requiring a greater effort of coordination by the Ministry of External Relations.

One of the aims of regional integration

• A. relates to productive investments
• B. is to forbid productive investments
• C. is to restrain productive investments.
• D. is to avoid the use of technology
• E. is to allow financial losses