Questões de Inglês - Grammar

TEXT

        Memory Loss on Your Mind?
    The good news is that your occasional memory loss is probably nothing to worry about
It's an all-too-common scenario: You've lost your keys (again!), don't remember where you left your glasses, or, for
the life of you, can't recall the name of that darn movie. And your first reaction is "Sheesh — I must be getting old.
[5] I'm losing my memory!"
Well, the reassuring news is that these so-called senior moments have nothing to do with your brain getting old,
says Pierce J. Howard, Ph.D., director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, North
Carolina, and the author of The Owner's Manual for the Brain. Chances are your (very normal) memory snafus are
associated not with age but with experience.
[10] Memory Rivalry
Try this brainteaser: Off the top of your head, name ten things that are the color red. Not as easy as it sounds, is
it? When you were 5 years old, you could probably have completed this task easily, but by the time you reach your
"seasoned" years, your brain is filled with some 6,000 objects that are red. And because we have so many things in
brain storage bins that fit the description — what scientists refer to as rivals — we struggle when we try to
[15] remember the name of a red object.
"Your mind will cycle through hundreds of candidates before you come up with the right ones," explains Howard.
"And it might take longer than you expect. That's not a memory lapse. It's simply trying to recall a memory that's in
storage." Ever notice your computer slowing down when the hard drive gets too full? It's akin to what happens with
the human mind — as it gets fuller, it takes more time to sift through everything. "Aging is a misnomer here," says
[20] Howard. "It's not getting old that causes the sluggishness of memory — it's simply a crowded memory bank. By
now, you've got so many associations that it's just a competition in your mind for the correct memory to surface."
[...]
In addition, certain substances can damage neurons, as can lifestyle choices and health problems, including the
following:
[25] Too much caffeine. A dehydrating agent, caffeine can, over time, make your neural membranes brittle. It's a double
whammy, too: It can affect your ability to recall because it encourages the production of excess cortisol, the stress
chemical that prepares you for "fight or flight." Too much cortisol can shrink the size of your hippocampus, which
is where memories are stored in the brain. Howard says it's best not to exceed one dose of caffeine every seven
hours. (A dose is one milligram per pound of body weight.) In such moderate amounts, however, some studies have
[30] shown that caffeine can, in fact, offer health benefits — just be sure not to overdo it!
Heavy alcohol consumption. Because alcohol is also a diuretic, it can cause dehydration, producing symptoms such
as confusion and memory problems. So for every ounce of alcohol you consume, drink a glass of water, says
Howard. Alcohol may also directly lead to neuronal degeneration.
A sedentary lifestyle and untreated high blood pressure. Both can make you susceptible to memory lapses. A rule
[35] of thumb worth following: Anything that's good for the heart is good for the mind. That's because mental activity is
dependent on blood flow (among other factors), which also supplies essential oxygen to the brain.
Prolonged stress and illness. Both of these can wreak havoc on mental as well as physical functioning.
Resting on your laurels. This is no time to be complacent or lazy. It's important to keep stimulating your mind to
learn new things and take on new challenges. Follow the slogan Use it or lose it!
[40] [...]
By JANENE MASCARELLA 

(Source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/mental-fitness/memory-loss.aspx retrieved on September9, 2019)

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    The Brazilian culture is one of the world’s most varied and diverse. This is due to its being a melting pot of nationalities, as a result of centuries of European domination as well as slavery, which brought hordes of African migrants across Brazil’s borders to live in and influence the local cultures with their ancient customs and ideas. The European settlers also brought ideas, innovations and belief systems with them, shaping the local societies significantly. All of these different influences have meant that the modern-day Brazilian culture is unique and very complex. 

    At present, Brazil has a population of about 190 million people. Of these, more than half are white (which includes Portuguese, Italian, German, Polish etc... individuals), just fewer than 40% are mixed Afro-Brazilian and white and less than 10% are Afro-Brazilian.

    Brazilians, as a nation, focus much importance on the family structure and the values that are entrenched within that institution. Families are usually large, and even extended family members are close with one another, providing much-needed help and support to each other whenever and however necessary.

    Brazilians are usually rather affectionate, tactile people. Men shake hands with one another, while women are going to kiss each others’ cheeks in greeting. They are going to start with the left cheek and then kiss the right. In business relationships, Brazilian businessmen are going to know one another before committing to long-term business dealings, as they want to know those with whom they deal.

(Texto Adaptado. Disponível em: https://www.brazil.org.za/brazil-culture.html#:~:text=Th e%20Brazilian%20culture%20is%20one%20of%20the%20wo rld's%20most%20varied%20and%20diverse.&text=At%20pr esent%2C%20Brazil%20has%20a,less%20than%2010%25% 20are%20black.. Acesso em: 15 dez. 2020).

INSTRUCTION: Answer question according to text.

TEXT

As the familiar story goes, not long ago there was an
orphan who on his 11th birthday discovered he had
a gift that set him apart from his preteen peers. Over
the years he endured the usual adolescent challenges
[5] – maturation, relationships, social conflicts, general
teenage neuroses. He also faced the less common
challenge of battling a murderous, psychopathic
wizard set on establishing a eugenic police state.
I’m referring to the young wizard Harry Potter, the
[10] protagonist in author JK Rowling’s wildly popular
fantasy book series; his nemesis is Lord Voldemort,
the story’s malevolent antagonist. And new research
suggests that Rowling’s world of house-elves, half-

giants and three-headed dogs has the potential to
[15] make us nicer people.

For decades it’s been known that an effective means of
improving negative attitudes and prejudices between
differing groups of people is through intergroup contact
– particularly through contact between “in-groups,”
[20] or a social group to which someone identifies, and
“out-groups,” or a group they don’t identify with or
perceive as threatening. Even reading short stories
about friendship between in- and out-group characters
is enough to improve attitudes toward stigmatized
[25] groups in children. A new study ______ in the Journal
of Applied Social Psychology ______ that reading
the Harry Potter books in particular _______ similar
effects, likely in part because Potter is continually in
contact with stigmatized groups. The “muggles” get no
[30] respect in the wizarding world as they lack any magical
ability. The “half-bloods,” or “mud-bloods” – wizards
and witches descended from only one magical parent
– don’t fare much better, while the Lord Voldemort
character believes that power should only be held by
[35] “pure-blood” wizards. He’s Hitler in a cloak.

Sep 9, 2014, By Bret Stetka http://www.scientificamerican.com/author/bret-stetka/ (adapted)