Questões para Concursos

Electoral accountability is a distinctively democratic form of accountability. Since officials typically seek reelection or election to a higher office, this potential sanction is regarded as a powerful inducement for them to explain their actions to electorates and serve their electorates’ interests. In this conventional view, much of the activity of elected officials takes place “in the shadow of elections,” with the awareness that potential opponents may publicize their actions, if these seem likely to be unpopular with their electorates.
On the other hand, some recent work suggests that even in democracies, there is much less retrospective electoral accountability than the conventional view suggests. In a sense, this failure should not be surprising in light of democratic theory. Alexis de Tocqueville and John Stuart Mill emphasized in the mid-19th century the importance, for effective control of government, of alert and involved citizens. Alexis de Tocqueville observed that “the inhabitant of New England is attached to his township not so much because he was born there as because he sees in that township a free and strong corporation that he is a part of and that is worth his trouble to seek to direct.” Democracy, in Tocqueville’s view, also relies on the existence of multiple voluntary associations, linked to political associations in multiple ways. In the words of John Stuart Mill, “the rights and interests of every or any person are only secure from being disregarded when the person is himself able, and habitually disposed, to stand up for them.”

Robert O. Keohane. The Concept of Accountability in World Politics and the Use of Force. Internet: (adapted).

Considering the preceding text, judge the following items.

Jack Kilby’s revolutionary idea was to make all the different components of a circuit out of the same flat block of semiconductor material. Not only would this get rid of wires and faulty connections, it would make the entire circuit much more compact. Kilby demonstrated his first “integrated circuit” on Sept. 12, 1958.
Six months later, in California, another engineer, Robert Noyce, independently came up with the idea of making an integrated circuit. Noyce’s chip was better suited to be manufactured in large numbers, and soon he was part of a young company called Intel.
Thus was launched a revolution. The first chip-based computer was the first U.S. Air Force computer, built in 1961. The true potential of the integrated circuit was shown when Texas Instruments unveiled the pocket calculator. Previously calculators had been bulky devices that needed to be plugged in to electrical mains. The pocket calculator, small enough to hold in one’s palm, had a chip inside and batteries were adequate to power it.
Progress was rapid thereafter. Many have already heard of Moore’s law, which has become a mantra of the digital age. First put forward by the Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in the 1960s, it says that the processing power of a chip doubles every two years, while the price falls by half. For more than four decades, Moore’s law has held, driving incredible growth and miniaturization — and wealth.
The question is whether the semiconductor industry can sustain this pace. Further increasing the processing power of chips is proving to be problematic as certain fundamental physical barriers are being reached. At the same time, new frontiers are opening up. The quest is on to make chips that are powered by light instead of electricity, which will enable much faster computers.
...
Saswato Das. The Chip that Changed the World . Internet: (adapted).
........
Considering the text above, judge the following items.

Text 3A1-I
Bill Watterson. Calvin and Hobbes. Internet: .

Revolution Accelerated

How Digital Transformation is Shaping the Future of Banking

1 Like all businesses, banks have had to act fast to respond to the unprecedented human and economic impact of Covid-19.
2 First, they needed to keep the lights on and ensure business continuity. Second, they had to meet the changing ways customers wanted to engage. Finally, they sought to balance their business priorities with a responsibility to support society. Previous crises cast the banks as part of the problem — this time they are part of the solution.
3 Banks who have embraced modern banking technology have fared better in meeting these challenges. They’ve moved seamlessly to remote working, kept up service for their customers, coped with huge increases in demand and quickly adapted their products. In contrast, banks using legacy ‘spaghetti’ software have struggled.
4 Covid-19 has accelerated the need for modern banking technology, but it didn’t create it. Before coronavirus, the 2020s were already being framed as the decade for digital in the banking industry. Banks’ return on equity were too low and their cost-income ratios were too high. Meanwhile, regulation like open banking was disrupting the industry and increasing competition from new entrants like the GAAFAs (Google, Amazon, Alibaba, Facebook, Apple).
5 Providing seamless digital customer experiences was therefore already a ‘must’. Every year, Temenos partners with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for a global study on the future of banking. More than 300 banking leaders are interviewed from retail, commercial and private banks. Over half of these are at C-suite level.
6 In 2020, the study took place amid the Covid-19 crisis. The results give a fascinating insight into banking leaders’ approach during these unprecedented times. But they also show how they see their industry in the years to come.
7 And the findings suggest three trends which will shape the future of banking:
New technologies will be the key driver of banking transformation over the next 5 years. 77% of respondents strongly believed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be the most game-changing of these technologies. They see a diverse range of uses for AI — from personalised customer experience to fraud detection.
Banks will overhaul their business models to create digital ecosystems. 80% of respondents believe that banking will become part of a platform of services. 45% are committed to transforming their business models into digital ecosystems.
The sun will set on branch banking. World Bank data shows that visits to branches have been steadily declining globally over the last decade. As a result of coronavirus, customers are now more concerned about visiting their branch, and so even more people are willing to try digital applications. This combination of pandemic and increasingly transformative advanced technology has led a majority of respondents (59%) to our survey with the EIU to state that traditional branch-based banking model will be dead in just five years. That’s a 34% increase from last year.
8 The current environment is undoubtedly challenging for banks. But they have the capital, customer relationships and customer data. They are regulated. And most importantly: they still enjoy their customers’ trust.
9 In short, banks are best-placed to succeed if they commit to end-to-end digital transformation. That means a fully digital front office which creates hyper-personalized experiences and ecosystems. And a back office driving efficient operations and rapid innovation. By embracing modern banking technology, banks can support their customers today, create new value for the future and drive new levels of future growth.

Available at: . Retrieved on: July 13th, 2021. Adapted.

TEXT 2 – Questions 41 to 50

Jean Piaget – Champion of Children’s Ideas "If logic itself is created rather than being inborn, it follows that the first task of education is to form reasoning." - Jean Piaget (1896-1980).

The legacy of Jean Piaget to the world of early childhood education is that he fundamentally altered the view of how a child learns. And a teacher, he believed, was more than a transmitter of knowledge. He/she was also an essential observer and guide to helping children build their own knowledge.
As a university graduate, Swiss-born Piaget got a routine job in Paris standardizing Binet-Simon IQ tests, where the emphasis was on children getting the right answers. Piaget observed that many children of the same ages gave the same kinds of incorrect answers. What could be learned from this?
Piaget interviewed many hundreds of children and concluded that children who are allowed to make mistakes often go on to discover their errors and correct them, or find new solutions. In this process, children build their own way of learning. From children's errors, teachers can obtain insights into the child's view of the world and can tell where guidance is needed. They can provide appropriate materials, ask encouraging questions, and allow the child to construct his own knowledge.
Piaget's continued interactions with young children became part of his life-long research. He explored children's countless "why" questions, such as, "Why is the sun round?" or "Why is grass green?", and concluded that they do not think like adults. Their thought processes have their own distinct order and special logic. Children are not "empty vessels to be filled with knowledge" (as traditional pedagogical theory had it). They are "active builders of knowledge - little scientists who construct their own theories of the world."
(Adapted from: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content)

Despite being the eighth largest economy in the world and the largest in Latin America, Brazil is still relatively closed compared to other large economies. Brazil is an outlier in that its trade penetration is extremely low, with trade at 24.1 percent of GDP in 2017. The number of exporters relative to the population is also very small: its absolute number of exporters is roughly the same as that of Norway, a country with approximately 5 million people compared to Brazil’s 200 million. While further integrating into the global economy could threaten uncompetitive companies and their workers, competitive businesses would most likely benefit. Brazil’s insertion would also allow the country to better leverage its competitive advantages, such as in natural resource-based industries.

Idem. Ibidem (adapted).

Judge the following items, based on the text above.

TEXT V – Questions 40 to 49.

I happily advertise the fact I breastfed – it’s

high time that brands embraced it too

by Nell Frizzell

New ads by Aldi, Adidas and Sainsbury’s all
feature breastfeeding mothers. Hopefully this will
normalize the process to help new parents feed
with ease

It may be some time yet until we see a mother
in an advert precariously balancing her
child/bag/shopping/pets before pushing a nipple
into the mouth of a howling, jam-smeared toddler.
But when they do, oh boy, are my days as a model
really going to get going.

In recent weeks, a series of adverts have
appeared from Tu at Sainsbury’s, Adidas and Aldi,
all featuring breastfeeding mothers. Some are
wearing flowery blouses and have tattoos, others
are holding a naked baby between the zips of a
sports top. Of course the women are good-looking,
of course they are slim, of course we cannot
actually see anything as erotically charged or as
morally unsettling as an areola – this is still
advertising, after all. But it is, surely, a start.

As someone who breastfed her son for 21 shirtlifting,
bra-soaking, carefree months, I am of
course pleased to see breastfeeding being held up
as something both everyday and aspirational. It is
as prosaic as a trip to the supermarket yet as
physically impressive as professional sport. It
belongs on billboards and screens as much as
beds and sofas.

There is no such thing as “normal” when it
comes to babies or bodies. But to normalize
something that, in the words of UNICEF, has a
profoundly positive impact on child health, is of
course to be celebrated. You might find yourself
whipping out a boob on a train full of football fans;
you might squirt milk across somebody else’s coat
on the bus; you might find yourself answering the
door with your full breast outside your clothes
without noticing. And if the presence of big brands
behind your bra straps encourage you to keep
feeding, then all power to your elbow. It is a shame
that this hasn’t happened sooner, but it’s better late
than never – and there’s no use crying over spilled
(breast) milk.

(Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/oct/02/adve
rts-breastfeeding-mothers-aldi-adidas-sainsburys.Access:
08/01/2020)

TEXT V – Questions 40 to 49.

I happily advertise the fact I breastfed – it’s

high time that brands embraced it too

by Nell Frizzell

New ads by Aldi, Adidas and Sainsbury’s all
feature breastfeeding mothers. Hopefully this will
normalize the process to help new parents feed
with ease

It may be some time yet until we see a mother
in an advert precariously balancing her
child/bag/shopping/pets before pushing a nipple
into the mouth of a howling, jam-smeared toddler.
But when they do, oh boy, are my days as a model
really going to get going.

In recent weeks, a series of adverts have
appeared from Tu at Sainsbury’s, Adidas and Aldi,
all featuring breastfeeding mothers. Some are
wearing flowery blouses and have tattoos, others
are holding a naked baby between the zips of a
sports top. Of course the women are good-looking,
of course they are slim, of course we cannot
actually see anything as erotically charged or as
morally unsettling as an areola – this is still
advertising, after all. But it is, surely, a start.

As someone who breastfed her son for 21 shirtlifting,
bra-soaking, carefree months, I am of
course pleased to see breastfeeding being held up
as something both everyday and aspirational. It is
as prosaic as a trip to the supermarket yet as
physically impressive as professional sport. It
belongs on billboards and screens as much as
beds and sofas.

There is no such thing as “normal” when it
comes to babies or bodies. But to normalize
something that, in the words of UNICEF, has a
profoundly positive impact on child health, is of
course to be celebrated. You might find yourself
whipping out a boob on a train full of football fans;
you might squirt milk across somebody else’s coat
on the bus; you might find yourself answering the
door with your full breast outside your clothes
without noticing. And if the presence of big brands
behind your bra straps encourage you to keep
feeding, then all power to your elbow. It is a shame
that this hasn’t happened sooner, but it’s better late
than never – and there’s no use crying over spilled
(breast) milk.

(Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/oct/02/adve
rts-breastfeeding-mothers-aldi-adidas-sainsburys.Access:
08/01/2020)

From Security to Efficiency: Modern Vessel Tracking

More so than many other fields of business, the
maritime industry is focused on cost, which in turn
gives the appearance of being conservative towards
technology. Certainly, we have technical ships
5 magnificently operating with equipment that wouldn’t
look out of place in a NASA lab, but generally, it can
take decades for a technology to become mainstream.
Unless it becomes mandated by the IMO (International
Maritime Organization). Vessel tracking is a partial
10 exception to the rule though, with many fleet owners
realizing its potential for more cost-effective operation
and personnel security.
Knowing the exact position of all vessels in a
fleet, in a software solution designed to fit with your
15 own logistical processes, can significantly improve
efficiency. If a ship arrives early or late, more often
than not there will be an associated cost. If this can
be identified during transit then the early or late arrival
can be negated or at least planned for. Likewise, if
20 by knowing the positions of your fleet of workboats
means that you can route the closest vessel to the
next job, then significant fuel cost savings can be
made. With modern tracking systems, the way data is
used is just as important as knowing where a vessel
25 is at all times. But there are countless ways to apply
the data to the benefit of efficiency for a single ship
or fleet. So providing easy and reliable access to
position reports is essential.

A new tracking unit

30 ___ RockFLEET is an advanced new tracking unit
for the professional maritime environment. During
its design phase, the team decided that in order for
the position data it provides to be of the most use,
as well as being available via Rock Seven’s own
35 fleet viewer ‘The Core,’ it must also be available in
any software system the user chooses. Using a
standards-based API (Application Programming
Interface), the customer can integrate tracking data
from RockFLEET into their own applications. Typically
40 this means that RockFLEET tracked assets can be
added to existing fleet management software, which
invariably is designed around an owner or operators
own logistics.
With precise vessel location data available,
45 the opportunities are unlimited and only down to the
creativity of the user. For instance, a current Rock
Seven customer uses location data to manage payroll
of personnel. Essentially, personnel get paid different
amounts depending on whether the ship is at sea, in
50 international waters, in port or transiting regions with
high piracy incidents.

RockFLEET, a unique device

The above user is a private security company
involved in anti-piracy operations. It actually gets
55 location data using RockSTAR, the handheld version
of RockFLEET, which is a new fixed unit that can be
fitted anywhere on board. Completely waterproof and
with no moving parts, it is a robust, ultra-compact
(13cm diameter/4cm high) device with multiple
60 mounting options. The physical design of RockFLEET
was in part driven by the security challenges faced by
vessels facing the issues of modern piracy.
The unit itself is designed to look anonymous;
as standard there’s no name on the outside. It works
65 from ship’s power, but it uniquely has a backup battery
inside. Which is important should a vessel be hijacked
and the main power cut.
Knowing the location of all friendly vessels in a
region is vital to organisations with a stake in ensuring
70 safe passage through known piracy hotspots. With an
operational vessel/fleet tracking system, ship owners
and fleet managers will know where their ships are at
all times. This information can be fed to authorities,
private anti-piracy companies and the naval forces
75 patrolling piracy hotspots to build a clear, near
real-time picture for domain awareness. The value of
this information should a vessel be hijacked is obvious:
knowing the last whereabouts of a vessel provides
responders with a starting point should a hijacked
80 vessel’s tracking system be disabled by pirates.
Today’s pirates know that many commercial
vessels are tracked, especially those would be targets
sailing in what are known to be hostile waters. So
disabling vessel tracking equipment on board is a
85 sensible action for said pirates after a hijacked ship’s
crew have been subdued and because most tracking
units are powered by the vessel, finding and cutting
the power supply isn’t hard. RockFLEET, however,
is the only device of its kind with an internal battery
90 backup, so it can continue to transmit position for up
to two weeks if external power is cut.
With facility to mount covertly, this makes it
especially suitable for vessels traversing piracy
hotspots.

Available at: .
Retrieved on: Jan, 7 th , 2015. Adapted.

Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline
Why Keystone XL Is Dead

President Obama announced Friday morning
that he has denied TransCanada’s permit application
to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline in the U.S.
“The State Department has decided that the
5 Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national
interest of the United States,” Obama said. “I agree
with that decision.”
Obama said America is a global leader on taking
action on climate change, and approving Keystone XL
10 would have undercut that leadership. Some crude oil
needs to be left in the ground to keep the climate from
warming further, and rejecting Keystone XL will help
meet that goal, he said.
Among the reas ons for rejecting Keystone XL,
15 Obama said the pipeline would not make a meaningful
long-term contribution to the U.S. economy, nor would
it increase U.S. energy security or help to lower gas
prices, which have already declined dramatically over
the last year.
20 TransCanada said in a statement that it “would
review all of its options in light of a permit denial for
Keystone XL,” including the possibility of filing a new
permit application for a pipeline.
“TransCanada and its shippers remain absolutely
25 committed to building this important energy
infrastructure project,” TransCanada CEO Russ
Girling said in a statement.
State Department officials said at a news
conference Friday that TransCanada is free to apply
30 for a new permit to build a cross-border pipeline and it
is up to the company to do so.
The $8 billion Keystone XL pipeline was slated to
stretch 1,179 miles from east-central Alberta, Canada,
to the Texas Gulf Coast. It would transport 830,000
35 barrels of crude oil per day from the Canadian tar
sands to refineries near Houston. Proposed in 2008,
the 875-mile section between the Canadian border
and Steele City, Neb., needed State Department
approval because it crossed an international border.
40 Other parts of TransCanada’s Keystone Project
between central Nebraska and Texas have already
been built and are carrying tar sands oil to refineries
along the Gulf Coast today. Environmental advocates
have rallied against the unbuilt portion and urged the
45 Obama administration to reject it, saying emissions
from the production and burning of tar sands oil it
would carry could worsen climate change.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
calculated that the tar sands oil the pipeline would
50 carry is highly damaging to the climate, emitting about
1.3 billion more tons of greenhouse emissions over
the pipeline’s 50-year lifespan than if it were carrying
conventional crude oil. The production of tar sands oil
releases 17 percent more CO2 into the atmosphere
55 than the average barrel of crude oil produced
elsewhere, according to the State Department.
“Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would
be inconsistent with stabilizing global warming below
dangerous levels,” Penn State University climate
60 scientist Michael Mann said. “I am pleased that the
administration has made good on their promise to take
seriously the task of acting on climate by rejecting the
construction of the pipeline.”

Available at: . Retrieved on: Nov. 10th, 2015. Adapted