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Thursday, May 8, 2014

ENGLISH TEST - UNICENTRO 2014


Read the following text and answer questions 1 to 3.

Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie Voight was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 4, 1975. She starred in the HBO biopic Gia before earning an Academy Award for best supporting actress for Girl, Interrupted. Jolie has become one of Hollywood’s top marquee names, having starred in movies like Wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Salt and Changeling. She’s also directed the film In the Land of Blood and Honey. In October 2008, Jolie appeared in the Clint Eastwood-directed thriller Changeling, for which she received an Oscar nomination for best actress.
She is coupled with actor Brad Pitt and has a big family. Jolie first adopted Maddox, her first son. Three years later, Jolie adopted a daughter, Zahara. The couple’s first biological daughter, Shiloh, was born in 2006. In March 2007, Jolie added a new member to her family, she adopted another boy. In 2008, she gave birth to twins.
A devoted humanitarian, Angelina Jolie was made a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency in 2001. She has made headlines for her work to obtain aid for refugees in Cambodia, Darfur and Jordan, to name just a few. In 2005, Jolie received the Global Humanitarian Action Award from the United Nations Association of the USA for her activism on behalf of refugee rights.
In May 2013, 37-year-old Jolie announced in a New York Times op-ed article titled My Medical Choice that she underwent a double mastectomy in an effort to prevent breast cancer in the future. The actress said she decided to undergo the surgery after learning that she carries a gene known as BRCA1, which increases the risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. The news made headlines all over the world.
(Adapted from: Angelina Jolie’s Biography. Source: . Accessed on: 14 jul. 2013.)

1. According to the text, Angelina Jolie has received an
a) Academy Award for best actress.
b) Academy Award for best director.
c) Oscar for best supporting actress.
d) Oscar Nomination for best director.
e) MTV Movie Award for best performance.

2.  How many children does Angelina Jolie have, both adopted and biological?
a) 2                 
b) 3                 
c) 4                             
d) 5                 
e) 6

Based on the text about Angelina Jolie, assign T (true) or F (false) to the following statements.
(  ) She has made headlines because of her involvement in sex scandals.
(  ) She has more adopted children than biological ones.
(  ) She has recently made public she has undergone surgery to prevent a disease.
(  ) She has won an award in recognition of her humanitarian activism.
(  ) She is known for both her acting career and humanitarian activism.

3. Choose the alternative that shows, top-down, the correct sequence.
a) T, T, F, T, F.
b) T, F, T, F, T.
c) F, T, T, F, F.
d) F, T, F, F, T.
e) F, F, T, T, T.

Read the following book review and answer questions 4 and 5.
The Great Gatsby is probably F. Scott Fitzgerald’s greatest novel, a book that offers damning and insightful views of the American nouveau riche in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is an American classic and a wonderfully evocative work.

Like much of Fitzgerald’s prose, it is neat and well crafted. Fitzgerald seems to have had a brilliant understanding of lives that are corrupted by greed and incredibly sad and unfulfilled. The novel is a product of its generation with one of American literature’s most powerful characters in the figure of Jay Gatsby, who is urbane and world-weary. Gatsby is really nothing more than a man desperate for love.
(Adapted from: The Great Gatsby Review. Source: .
Accessed on: 14 jul. 2013.)

4. Based on the review, it is correct to assert that
a) The Great Gatsby is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s minor works of prose.
b) The Great Gatsby is unlike most of Scott Fitzgerald’s prose.
c) the book depicts the lifestyle of newly wealthy Americans in the 1920s.
d) the novel is poorly written and shows the lack of writing skills of its author.
e) the novel portrays a number of powerful characters, except for Jay Gatsby.
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According to what is stated in the review, consider the following statements.
I. Fitzgerald shows in his novel an understanding of the corruption greed can cause.
II. The Great Gatsby portrays lives fulfilled by love and professional satisfaction.
III. The novel reflects the lifestyle of a generation of American literature writers.
IV. The main character, Gatsby, represents someone who is in despair for love.

5. Choose the correct alternative.
a) Only the statements I and II are correct.
b) Only the statements I and IV are correct.
c) Only the statements III and IV are correct.
d) Only the statements I, II and III are correct.
e) Only the statements II, III and IV are correct.

Read the following text and answer questions 6 to 8.
São Paulo, Brazil – Protesters showed up by the thousands in Brazil’s largest cities on Monday night in a remarkable display of strength for an agitation that had begun with small protests against bus-fare increases, then evolved into a broader movement by groups and individuals irate over a range of issues including the country’s high cost of living and lavish new stadium project costs.
The growing protests rank among the largest and most resonant since the nation’s military dictatorship ended in 1985, with demonstrators numbering into the tens of thousands gathered here in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, and other large protests unfolding in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Curitiba, Belem and Brasília, the capital, where marchers made their way to the roof of Congress.
Sharing a parallel with the antigovernment protests in Turkey, the demonstrations in Brazil intensified after a harsh police crackdown last week stunned many citizens. In images shared widely on social media, the police here were seen beating unarmed protesters with batons and dispersing crowds by firing rubber bullets and tear gas into their midst.    
“The largest protests are happening in cities which will host World Cup Games,” said Mr. Malini, a scholar who analyzes data patterns in social media at the Federal University of Espírito Santo. “Brazilians are mixing soccer and politics in a way that is new, and minority voices are making themselves heard.”
(ROMERO, S. Thousands Gather for Protests in Brazil’s Largest Cities. The New York Times. Source:
2013/06/18/world/americas/thousands-gather-for-protests-in-brazils-largest-cities.html>. Accessed on: 9 jul. 2013.)
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6. Among the motivations for the protests held in Brazil mentioned in the text are
a) claims for changes in election rules and regulations.
b) crisis in the elementary educational system.
c) fight against a law that reduces criminal responsibility age.
d) indignation over the impressive expenses of sports stadiums.
e) the enormous salaries and gratifications of politicians.
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7. According to the text, it is correct to say that
a) protest became more intense because of police severe repression.
b) protests started as an objection to the World Cup Game being held in Brazil.
c) social media was left out as a means to help release news related to protests.
d) the protests are believed to be ineffective due to small number of participants.
e) there was little, if any, space for varied topics during the manifestations.

About the protests in Brazil, according to the text, consider the following statements.
I. It can be compared to protests against government in Turkey.
II. With the protests minorities are having their claims heard.
III. The manifestations happened without any violent incident.
IV. Protesters kept a distance from government buildings.

8. Choose the correct alternative.
a) Only the statements I and II are correct.
b) Only the statements I and IV are correct.
c) Only the statements III and IV are correct.
d) Only the statements I, II and III are correct.
e) Only the statements II, III and IV are correct.

Observe the following editorial cartoon and answer questions 9 and 10.

9. According to what the man says, we can infer that he believes
a) parents should join their kids in their activities.
b) playing football daily prevents one from putting on weight.
c) it is wise for parents to support their children’s sports practice.
d) kids need to be engaged in intellectual activities as well as sports.
e) kids need to play sports for a certain amount of hours daily.

10. The editorial cartoon addresses a common issue parents deal with, which is
a) children refuse to help with chores around the house when asked.
b) kids nowadays are less obedient and cause their parents trouble.
c) kids refuse to do their homework and as a consequence go bad at school.
d) many kids are choosing electronic games over sports or outdoors activities.
e) parents are often called at schools to discuss their kids learning problems.

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