Exercícios de inglês para estudantes do ensino médio

Modern paradoxes

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. And this is just the beginning…

 The paradox of our time is that we spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have more information, but less knowledge, more questions, but fewer answers. We build more computers to hold more information, but we communicate with each other less and less. We have more possessions but fewer values. We are now long on quantity, but short on quality.

We drink too much, smoke too much, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, read too little, watch TV too much.

We know much about the Moon and Mars, but avoid crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We are masters of outer space but not of inner space. We say “yes” to a bigger car in the showroom, but “no” to a homeless street kid who tries to sell us a bag of cookies.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, tall men and short character, large profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of luxurious houses, but broken homes. These are the times of more leisure, but less fun, overweight bodies, but selfish souls.

It is a time when technology brings this message to you, and a time you can choose either to make a difference and pass it on, or to just hit “delete”. (MARQUES, Amadeus, 2011, p. 10)

Vocabulary

Avoid cross: try to not cross

Broken home: a family where the parents are divorced and the children suffer as a result.

Either…or…: one or the other of two possibilities

Leisure: the time when you are not working

Luxurious: Very expensive and comfortable

Overweight: too heavy and fat

Selfish: caring only about yourself and not about other people

Shallow: not deep

Temper: a tendency to get angry very quickly

Viewpoint: a way of considering something.

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A bright idea

 

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” (John Steinbeck)

 

The richest man is a Chinese town many years ago was old and ill. He called his three sons to him and said, “I have a challenge for you. I’ll reward the son who is the most intelligent. Each of you take one coin and buy something that will fill my room.”

The oldest son went to the market, but at first he could not decide whether he should buy flowers or straw. Finally he thought, “Flowers take up less space than straw. And they are more expensive.” The second son also went to the market but he could not decide whether to buy paper or feathers. “Feathers are lighter than paper. And they are cheaper.” So he bought feathers. The youngest son thought and thought, “What can I buy with this coin that will fill a whole room?” At last he found his answer and bought something.

That evening, the three sons returned to their father’s room, each with his gift. The oldest son spread his straw, but it covered only one small corner; the second spread the feathers, but they filled only two corners. Quietly, the youngest son showed a candle and lighted with a match. The whole dark room filled with a warm glow.

The old man smiled and said, “You are my youngest son, but you are the cleverest. The reward is yours.” (MARQUES, Amadeus, 2011, p. 22)

Vocabulary

A dozen: twelve

Challenge: something difficult, that needs a lot of skills and intelligence to deal with

(the) Cleverest: (the) most intelligent

Ill: sick

Pretty soon: very soon, within a very short time

Reward: Give money to someone because they have done something good

Whole: entire

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A land of superlatives

China is a land of superlatives. It is the (I) country in East Asia and the (II) – 1.27 billion people in the world. It cointains the Great Wall of China, which is the world’s (III) human-made structure, and some of the world’s (IV)architecture. It is home to some of the world’s (V) buildings. China shares with Nepal the the world’s (VI) mountain – Everest – and has the fourth (VII) desert – the Gobi – and the fifth (VIII) river – the Yangtze. Things are happening so fast that in just 10 years China will be the (IX) economy in the world. How do you say “Hi, boss!” in Chinese?

( ) Most powerful;

( ) largest;

( ) longest;

( ) tallest;

( ) longest;

( )  highest;

( ) longest;

( ) most populous,

( ) most ancient

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Marque o adjetivo correto:

 

1. The ( ) tropical rainforest on the planet is the Amazon forest.

(  ) largest (  ) more long

…………

2. The ( ) country in the world is Vatican city.

(  ) smallest  (  ) most small

…………….

3. The ( ) continent on earth is Antarctica.

(  ) coldest     (  ) more cold

………………

4. The ( ) and the ( ) country in America is Canada.

(  ) largest, coldest   (  ) more large, most cold

……………

5. The ( ) river in the world is the Amazon.

(  ) longest     (  ) more long

…………………

6. The ( ) desert on the planet is the Atacama desert, in Chile. (  ) driest  (  ) most dry