Questões para Concursos

Text 1 Companies know how we think Companies can now find out exactly how you think through the science of neuromarketing. Advertisers are currently collaborating with scientists to test their products directly on our brains. Some experts believe that one in ten TV commercials have already been designed using neuromarketing. The reasons are obvious. The technique allows companies to discover exactly what people like about their products. For example, when we eat a type of potato chip, it may be the color, the flavor, or the pleasant noise it makes when you crunch it in your mouth that we like most. In order ............ tap into what’s going ............ in consumers’ brains, it all begins ............ laboratories and office buildings. Groups of volunteers submit themselves to a simple process. Wearing a special headset called an electrode cap, they watch commercials or test products. The caps allow researchers to monitor brain activity. When something attracts the attention of the volunteers, this is highlighted on a computer. They literally use this device to read the minds of their volunteers. This may sound a little scary, but advertisers are just tap-ping into our existing thoughts and desires. And that’s what advertisers have always tried to do. Previously, companies would give people a survey or questionnaire to complete in order to research their customers. The problem was that people didn’t always tell the truth. They may not want to be critical of a product or advertisement because they don’t want to upset the interviewer. The electrode cap overcomes this problem. It shows when someone really is interested in something. Neuromarketing is also used to develop packaging for the world’s most famous brands. The aim is to make their products stand out in a busy marketplace. This will become standard as more companies capitalize on the technology. With millions invested in advertising, companies simply cannot afford to hope that their ads and products will be a success. If they can find out what we think first, and change their products to make them more successful, they will quickly pay off the high cost of neuromarketing and dominate their market.

Google News, Thursday, June 16, 2021 Teaching methods keep changing with the times,................... the blackboard of the old days ........... electronic teaching today. Mr. Kam, physics instructor the Chinese University of Hong Kong, is one of those who has changed ......... the times. Mr. Kam employs a two-pronged approach. First , he uses multimedia teaching materials during lectures. Second , he arranges internships for undergraduates. These can take the form of learning assistantships at the university or teaching assistantships at secondary schools, and also there’s always the odd science project at the Space Museum. The initiatives have earned him the Faculty Exemplary Teaching Award 2020. A CUHK alumnus, he is grateful for the chance to teach at the university after earning his doctoral degree there. His teaching position actually represents the fulfillment of a dream, for the status of professors during his days as a university student was extremely high and he could meet them only during lectures. After being a teacher for 10 years, Mr. Kam has found no apparent regression in the learning abilities of students, but he believes teachers should not just force knowledge on students - they have to pay careful attention to their needs too. The multimedia materials that Mr. Kam uses to illustrate his area of interest includes animation and video clips. He encourages students to read popular astronomy magazines and share any note-worthy content they find. Mr. Kam also gets his undergraduates to help prepare students sitting for physics papers in public exams or to help out on research projects undertaken by meteorological officers at the observatory. He also arranges for his undergraduates to teach students from other faculties during physics liberal studies classes through talks and star-gazing expeditions. Such responsibilities serve two greater purposes. First, undergraduates become even more motivated to learn when they find out they have to guide other students. Second, physics students are, unlike arts students, not at their best when called upon to express themselves. Acting as assistants allows them to practice their skills and build up their self- confidence. I asked Mr. Kam what he found most satisfying in teaching. And the answer is obvious. It is the deep friendship he forms with students. Mr. Kam says many former students still come back to see him occasionally despite being busy parents. He draws considerable satisfaction from seeing his students grow into mature adults. For Mr. Kam, the best teachers will never find extracurricular activity a burden because the good work that is done today plants the seed for future generations.

Text 1 Structure of education in Singapore The complete control and management of Singapore’s education is in the hands of the Ministry of Education (MOE). With continuous endeavour from MOE, today Singapore can be considered to have a strong and well-reputed education system. As per recent study Singapore is ranked fourth in terms of World’s Best Education System. The preschools are run by the private sector, including religious bodies, community foundations, business groups, etc. However, every preschool need to register itself with the Singapore Ministry of Education before being functional. After completion of 6 years of primary education, students have to appear for a Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE). All those students who passed the exam are admitted in a secondary level course, which is usually completed in 4-5 years. It is similar to attending seventh grade through tenth grade in the American education system. After completion of the secondary education, the students need to appear in Singaporean GCE ‘O’ Level exam. Based on the merit in that exam, students proceed to pre-university education, which is similar to attending eleventh grade and twelfth grade as per the American education system. At this level students can opt for a wide range of subjects from varied academic areas covering Humanities, Arts and Languages, Sciences and Mathematics streams. www.singaporeeducation.info/Education-System/ Structure-of-Education

Using your phone while on the toilet poses significant health risks, as warned by an expert, Dr. Sethi. Despite being a common habit, mindlessly scrolling or using your phone in the bathroom can lead to severe consequences. Dr. Sethi, a Harvard-trained stomach doctor, highlights that this practice, particularly during bowel movements, causes extended sitting that strains the rectum and anus, potentially resulting in hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and rectal prolapse. Furthermore, using phones in the bathroom makes them a breeding ground for bacteria, surpassing the hygiene levels of a public toilet seat. Dr. Sethi emphasizes the importance of avoiding phone usage while on the toilet or, if unavoidable, suggests disinfecting the phone afterward. Research spanning over a decade has consistently shown that phones harbor a significant amount of germs, including fecal matter. Despite these health warnings, over 65% of adults take their phones into the bathroom, with Spain having the highest usage rates (nearly 80%) and Germany the lowest (just under 55%). Interestingly, younger age groups, particularly those aged 26-41 and 18-25, are most likely to engage in this unhygienic behavior. Apart from health concerns, there’s the practical risk of dropping the phone into the toilet, with a fifth of respondents in the United States admitting to this mishap. Internet: (adapted).

Scientists study the world’s oldest person After being bewildered by the “super grandmother’s” great health at 116 years old, scientists are studying Maria Branyas, the world’s oldest person, in an attempt to unearth the secret to a long life. Mr. Branyas was born __ San Francisco __ 1907, and __ the age of eight, she moved __ Catalonia, Spain, where her family was originally from. Ms. Branyas, known to her X followers as the “Super Catalan Grandma”, has lived in the region ever since and has resided in the same nursing home, Residència Santa María del Tura, for the last 22 years. She has agreed to undergo scientific testing, which researchers hope will further their understanding of certain illnesses associated with old age, such as neurodegenerative or cardiovascular diseases. Despite her age, Ms. Branyas has no health complications other than mobility issues and hearing (she suffered permanent hearing loss when she was a child). She also still has a great memory: “She has a completely lucid head,” scientist Manel Esteller told ABC, a Spanish outlet. “She remembers with impressive clarity episodes of her when she was only four years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular disease, common in elderly people.” Esteller, who studies genetics and how it applies to health conditions, became curious about how Ms. Branyas’ genetic makeup might affect her aging. After a long talk with Ms. Branyas, Mr. Esteller believes there must be more to her longevity than meets the eye. The remarkable woman has not had an easy life; she survived an earthquake while she was in the US, a major fire, both world wars, the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Flu pandemic, and more recently, COVID-19 in 2020. Despite the various pandemics, wars, and family losses she has endured, her longevity has made scientists question what her secret could be. “We know Maria’s chronological age, 116 years, but we must determine her biological age,” Esteller said to ABC, believing that “she is much younger” physically. The scientist has taken biological samples of saliva, blood, and urine from Ms. Branyas, which are thought to be the “longest-lived” biological samples and have great scientific value, Josep Carreras, the head of a leukemia research institute, said to ABC. The samples will be compared with the 116-year-old’s middle daughter, who is 79 years old. Ms. Branyas often has been asked what her secret is to her long life, and she uses her X account to post her advice for others. She attributed her longevity to “order, tranquillity, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people”. However, she also credits a great amount of luck. “It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members of her family who are over 90 years old,” said Esteller. The rare biological samples will assess her genes, which will hopefully advance the research of drugs that could help diseases associated with age and cancer. As for Ms. Branyas, she said on her X account that she is “very happy she can be useful for research and progress”. (Available in: https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/lifestyle/maria-branyas-oldest-person-alive-spain-b2436228.html – text especially adapted for this test).