Questões de Concurso – Aprova Concursos

INSTRUÇÃO: Leia o texto a seguir para responder à questão.

O sintomático desprezo pela ciência

Em março de 2018, António Guterres, secretário-geral da ONU, declarou: “As manchetes são naturalmente dominadas pela escalada das tensões, de conflitos ou de eventos políticos de alto nível, mas a verdade é que as mudanças climáticas permanecem a mais sistêmica
ameaça à humanidade. Informações divulgadas recentemente pela Organização Meteorológica Mundial, pelo Banco Mundial e pela Agência Internacional de Energia mostram sua evolução implacável”. Meses antes, um discurso proferido em Riad por Christine Lagarde,
diretora do Fundo Monetário Internacional, exibia um teor similar: “Se não fizermos nada a respeito das mudanças climáticas, seremos tostados, assados e grelhados num horizonte de tempo de 50 anos”. Ambas as advertências reconhecem a extrema gravidade de nossa situação, a respeito da qual o Painel Intergovernamental sobre as Mudanças Climáticas (IPCC) é categórico: “O aquecimento do sistema climático é inequívoco. A influência humana sobre o sistema climático é clara. Limitar a mudança climática requer reduções substanciais e contínuas de emissões de gases de efeito estufa” (2007).
[...]
Malgrado esse acúmulo de saber e essa virtual unanimidade, a ciência do clima pode estar equivocada? Em princípio, sim. Ciência não é dogma, é diminuição da incerteza. Contestar um consenso científico, mesmo o mais sólido, não pode ser objeto de anátema. Mas quem o põe em dúvida deve apresentar argumentos convergentes e convincentes em sentido contrário. Na ausência destes, contestação torna-se simples denegação irracional, enfraquece o poder persuasivo da evidência, milita em favor da perda da autoridade da ciência na formação de uma visão minimamente racional do mundo e turbina a virulência das redes sociais, dos “fatos alternativos”, da pós-verdade, do fanatismo religioso e das crenças mais estapafúrdias e até há pouco inimagináveis. O negacionismo climático é apenas mais uma dessas crenças [...], e seu repertório esgrime as mesmas surradas inverdades, mil vezes refutadas: os cientistas estão divididos sobre a ciência do clima, os modelos climáticos são falhos, maiores concentrações atmosféricas de CO2 são efeito e não causa do aquecimento global e são benéficas para a fotossíntese, o próximo mínimo solar anulará o aquecimento global, não se deve temer esse aquecimento, mas a recaída numa nova glaciação etc. Esse palavreado resulta de esforços deliberados de denegação das evidências. Diretamente ou através, por exemplo, da Donors Trust e da Donors Capital Fund, as corporações injetam milhões de dólares em lobbies disseminadores de desinformação sobre as mudanças climáticas.
[...]

Malgrado alguma tangência ideológica entre certa esquerda e a extrema-direita, o negacionismo climático e a negação da ciência em geral são fundamentalmente uma bandeira da extrema-direita e é preciso pôr em evidência uma razão maior dessa estreita afinidade. Ela se encontra, a meu ver, numa mutação histórica fundamental do teor do discurso científico. Das revoluções científicas do século XVII a meados do século XX, a ciência galgou posição de hegemonia, destronando discursos de outra natureza, como o religioso e o artístico, porque foi capaz de oferecer às sociedades vitoriosas mais energia, mais mobilidade, mais bens em geral, mais capacidade de sobrevivência, em suma, mais segurança. Seus benefícios eram indiscutíveis e apenas confirmavam suas promessas, que pareciam ilimitadas. A partir de 1962, se quisermos uma data, o livro de Rachel Carson, “Primavera Silenciosa” punha a nu pela primeira vez o lado sombrio dessas conquistas da ciência: agrotóxicos como o DDT aumentavam, de fato, a produtividade agrícola, mas ao preço de danos tremendos à saúde e à biodiversidade. Essa primeira dissonância tornou-se muito maior nos anos 1980, quando o aquecimento global resultante das emissões de CO2 pela queima de combustíveis fósseis – justamente esses combustíveis aos quais devíamos o essencial de nosso progresso – tornou-se pela primeira vez inequívoco. A ciência começa, então, a mudar seu discurso. Ela passa a anunciar que havíamos passado da idade das promessas à idade das escolhas, de modo a evitar a idade das consequências. [...] Uma brecha começava a se abrir na imagem social da ciência. Enquanto os cientistas diziam o que queríamos ouvir, tudo era defesa e apologia da ciência. A partir do momento em que seu discurso converteu-se em alertas e advertências sobre os riscos crescentes a que começávamos a nos expor, esse entusiasmo arrefeceu.
[...]
Em nosso século, esse novo mal-estar na civilização não cessou de crescer. Ele toma hoje a forma de uma espécie de divisão esquizofrênica da autoimagem de uma sociedade moldada pela ciência. Quando entramos num avião, atravessamos uma ponte ou tomamos um remédio, somos gratos às tentativas da ciência de compreender o mundo e traduzi-lo em tecnologia. Mas quando dessa
mesma ciência vem o aviso que é preciso mudar o modo de funcionamento de nossa economia, conter nossa voracidade, diminuir o consumo de carne, restaurar as florestas e redefinir nossa relação com a natureza, sob pena de nos precipitarmos num colapso de insondáveis proporções, a gratidão cede lugar à indiferença, ao descrédito e mesmo à hostilidade.
[...]

Disponível em: <https://adunicamp.org.br/artigo-o-sintomaticodesprezo-pela-ciencia/>. Acesso em: 2 ago. 2019.

INSTRUÇÃO: Leia o texto a seguir para responder à questão.

O sintomático desprezo pela ciência

Em março de 2018, António Guterres, secretário-geral da ONU, declarou: “As manchetes são naturalmente dominadas pela escalada das tensões, de conflitos ou de eventos políticos de alto nível, mas a verdade é que as mudanças climáticas permanecem a mais sistêmica
ameaça à humanidade. Informações divulgadas recentemente pela Organização Meteorológica Mundial, pelo Banco Mundial e pela Agência Internacional de Energia mostram sua evolução implacável”. Meses antes, um discurso proferido em Riad por Christine Lagarde,
diretora do Fundo Monetário Internacional, exibia um teor similar: “Se não fizermos nada a respeito das mudanças climáticas, seremos tostados, assados e grelhados num horizonte de tempo de 50 anos”. Ambas as advertências reconhecem a extrema gravidade de nossa situação, a respeito da qual o Painel Intergovernamental sobre as Mudanças Climáticas (IPCC) é categórico: “O aquecimento do sistema climático é inequívoco. A influência humana sobre o sistema climático é clara. Limitar a mudança climática requer reduções substanciais e contínuas de emissões de gases de efeito estufa” (2007).
[...]
Malgrado esse acúmulo de saber e essa virtual unanimidade, a ciência do clima pode estar equivocada? Em princípio, sim. Ciência não é dogma, é diminuição da incerteza. Contestar um consenso científico, mesmo o mais sólido, não pode ser objeto de anátema. Mas quem o põe em dúvida deve apresentar argumentos convergentes e convincentes em sentido contrário. Na ausência destes, contestação torna-se simples denegação irracional, enfraquece o poder persuasivo da evidência, milita em favor da perda da autoridade da ciência na formação de uma visão minimamente racional do mundo e turbina a virulência das redes sociais, dos “fatos alternativos”, da pós-verdade, do fanatismo religioso e das crenças mais estapafúrdias e até há pouco inimagináveis. O negacionismo climático é apenas mais uma dessas crenças [...], e seu repertório esgrime as mesmas surradas inverdades, mil vezes refutadas: os cientistas estão divididos sobre a ciência do clima, os modelos climáticos são falhos, maiores concentrações atmosféricas de CO2 são efeito e não causa do aquecimento global e são benéficas para a fotossíntese, o próximo mínimo solar anulará o aquecimento global, não se deve temer esse aquecimento, mas a recaída numa nova glaciação etc. Esse palavreado resulta de esforços deliberados de denegação das evidências. Diretamente ou através, por exemplo, da Donors Trust e da Donors Capital Fund, as corporações injetam milhões de dólares em lobbies disseminadores de desinformação sobre as mudanças climáticas.
[...]

Malgrado alguma tangência ideológica entre certa esquerda e a extrema-direita, o negacionismo climático e a negação da ciência em geral são fundamentalmente uma bandeira da extrema-direita e é preciso pôr em evidência uma razão maior dessa estreita afinidade. Ela se encontra, a meu ver, numa mutação histórica fundamental do teor do discurso científico. Das revoluções científicas do século XVII a meados do século XX, a ciência galgou posição de hegemonia, destronando discursos de outra natureza, como o religioso e o artístico, porque foi capaz de oferecer às sociedades vitoriosas mais energia, mais mobilidade, mais bens em geral, mais capacidade de sobrevivência, em suma, mais segurança. Seus benefícios eram indiscutíveis e apenas confirmavam suas promessas, que pareciam ilimitadas. A partir de 1962, se quisermos uma data, o livro de Rachel Carson, “Primavera Silenciosa” punha a nu pela primeira vez o lado sombrio dessas conquistas da ciência: agrotóxicos como o DDT aumentavam, de fato, a produtividade agrícola, mas ao preço de danos tremendos à saúde e à biodiversidade. Essa primeira dissonância tornou-se muito maior nos anos 1980, quando o aquecimento global resultante das emissões de CO2 pela queima de combustíveis fósseis – justamente esses combustíveis aos quais devíamos o essencial de nosso progresso – tornou-se pela primeira vez inequívoco. A ciência começa, então, a mudar seu discurso. Ela passa a anunciar que havíamos passado da idade das promessas à idade das escolhas, de modo a evitar a idade das consequências. [...] Uma brecha começava a se abrir na imagem social da ciência. Enquanto os cientistas diziam o que queríamos ouvir, tudo era defesa e apologia da ciência. A partir do momento em que seu discurso converteu-se em alertas e advertências sobre os riscos crescentes a que começávamos a nos expor, esse entusiasmo arrefeceu.
[...]
Em nosso século, esse novo mal-estar na civilização não cessou de crescer. Ele toma hoje a forma de uma espécie de divisão esquizofrênica da autoimagem de uma sociedade moldada pela ciência. Quando entramos num avião, atravessamos uma ponte ou tomamos um remédio, somos gratos às tentativas da ciência de compreender o mundo e traduzi-lo em tecnologia. Mas quando dessa
mesma ciência vem o aviso que é preciso mudar o modo de funcionamento de nossa economia, conter nossa voracidade, diminuir o consumo de carne, restaurar as florestas e redefinir nossa relação com a natureza, sob pena de nos precipitarmos num colapso de insondáveis proporções, a gratidão cede lugar à indiferença, ao descrédito e mesmo à hostilidade.
[...]

Disponível em: <https://adunicamp.org.br/artigo-o-sintomaticodesprezo-pela-ciencia/>. Acesso em: 2 ago. 2019.

INSTRUÇÃO: Leia a tirinha a seguir para responder à questão.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT I

Using authentic reading materials in FLT

Let us discuss what reading in a foreign language is, how it differs from reading in one’s mother-tongue. If the foreign language learners are poor readers in their mother-tongue, we can’t expect them to read efficiently in the foreign language. But if they are good readers in
their mother-tongue, we expect them to transfer their reading strategies to the foreign language automatically. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Automatic transfer of reading strategies from L1 to L2 is difficult or never occurs. Good readers use top-down and bottom-up strategies to make predictions about the meaning of the text and check them. They vary their reading speed and strategies according to the purpose for their reading and the type of the text. When the same students read a text in the foreign language, they tend to use bottom-up strategies, i.e. their linguistic knowledge, but they rarely dare to use top-down strategies, i.e. their knowledge about the world. Appropriate reading strategies are rarely used and even some faulty reading habits, e.g. subvocalizing, regressive eye movements, etc., can be observed. So, foreign language students usually need more reading practice in order to become efficient readers in the foreign language. The use of authentic materials is an important principle of Communicative Language Teaching. In real life we read because we are interested in the communicative purpose of the text, in the ideas that the writer has expressed or the effect that the text is supposed to produce on the reader. The language in an authentic text is varied, whereas in a non-authentic one there is often one single structure that is repeated. The use of truly authentic texts is an important means of teaching students to communicate effectively.

Unfortunately, most textbooks make use of non-authentic texts. They are supposed to be easier than authentic ones and to be better suited to the students’ language proficiency level. However, this is not true because:

• non-authentic texts are usually over-explicit: they say too much because they lack the natural redundancy of authentic ones, they abound with details, so, the students are not given the chance to make any inferences;
• textbook reading materials usually deal with over-familiar topics. This can hardly be avoided at beginner level but at the higher levels the reading texts can be more informative, enjoyable and interesting;
• there is often a noticeable emphasis on the product of the activity, i.e. on the answers to the comprehension questions, over the process, i.e. the appropriate use of reading skills and strategies in order to understand the text.

We can overcome these shortcomings quite successfully if we provide supplementary authentic texts. Thus the language learners will become better readers, confident in their ability to cope with reading in real life situations.

So, why do we read? In our daily lives we read for two basic reasons: for pleasure and for information (Grellet, 1981:4). We read for information because we want to find out something, to learn something from the text, or for instruction, in order to do something with the information we get, to find out how to act. These reasons for reading are authentic. […]

Having mentioned the major drawbacks of textbook reading materials, let’s now consider the guidelines for selecting a text to supplement them or even replace them. These are the readability, the suitability of content and the exploitability of the authentic text (Nuttal, 1982:25).

• Readability means that the text should be at the right level. When we try to find a readable text, we have to assess the level of its structural and lexical difficulty. Still, we should not forget that the students can deal with more difficult texts, provided the task is not too difficult.
• Suitability of content means that the text should be interesting and informative. The students’ preferences should not be neglected and a survey of their tastes might help the teacher quite a lot.
• Exploitability means that the text should facilitate the development of reading skills in order to help the students become competent and independent readers.

However, we shouldn’t forget the fact that language classes are not entirely homogeneous: the level of the students is not the same, their tastes may vary and it is virtually impossible to create an ideal reader who could tackle all existing texts successfully. So, our goals and
criteria should be realistic.

[…]

What should be pointed out in conclusion is the vital importance of using authentic texts as supplements to textbook reading materials in order to prepare students for real life reading. Authentic texts foster the development of their reading skills thus helping them gain confidence in their reading ability in the foreign language. They become autonomous readers, who can take responsibility for their own reading.

Available at: <https://www.beta-iatefl.org/1106/blogpublications>.Accessed on: July 9th, 2019. (Adapted).

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT II

Reading approaches language practices which come directly from the interaction of the reader with the written text, especially under the focus of the constitution of meaning, based on understanding and interpreting genres written in the English language, which circulate in the
various fields and layers of society. The practice of reading in English promotes, for example, the development of strategies of textual recognition (the use of verbal and non-verbal clues into the formulation of hypotheses and inferences) and of the investigation of the ways in which the contexts in the BNCC facilitate processes of meaning and critical reflection of the themes under study.

The work with verbal and hybrid genres, mainly potentialized by digital media, makes it possible to live, in a meaningful and pre-given way, diverse ways of reading (reading in order to have a general idea of the text, search for specific information, understand details, etc.), as well as different aims at reading (in order to do research, or enhance one’s own writing, read aloud to defend ideas or arguments, to act in the actual world, always in a critical manner, among other aims). Besides, reading practices in English include diverse possibilities of contexts in the use of languages for research and enhancing of knowledge of meaningful themes for the students, in interdisciplinary works or esthetic appreciation of genres like poems, plays, etc.

Reading from chosen texts, involving practice with diverse written and multimodal texts, of great importance to the life of students in their school, social and cultural aspects, as well as the analyzing and problematizing of the chosen texts, help develop critical reading and the
building of an autonomous and creative trajectory in language learning.

BRASIL. Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC). Available at: <http://basenacionalcomum.mec.gov.br/>. Acessed on: August 31th, 2019 (Free translation).

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT III

The cab had arrived ten minutes late, then had got stuck in a monumental traffic jam on Charing Cross Road. ‘Sorry, love, nothing doing,’ the driver had said. Joanna had looked at her watch, chucked a ten-pound note at him and jumped out of the cab. As she’d hared through
the streets towards Covent Garden, her chest laboring and her nose streaming, she’d wondered whether life could get any worse.

Joanna was snapped out of her reverie as the congregation suddenly ceased their chatter. She opened her eyes and turned round as Sir James Harrison’s family members began to file into the church.

Leading the party was Charles Harrison, Sir James’s only child, now well into his sixties. He lived in Los Angeles, and was an acclaimed director of big-budget action films filled with special effects. She vaguely remembered that he had won an Oscar some time ago, but his films weren’t the kind she usually went to see.

By Charles Harrison’s side was Zoe Harrison, his daughter. As Alec had hoped, Zoe looked stunning in a fitted black suit with a short skirt that showed her long legs, and her hair was pulled back in a sleek chignon that set off her classic English-rose beauty to perfection.
She was an actress, whose film career was on the rise, and Matthew had been mad about her. He always said Zoe reminded him of Grace Kelly his dream woman, apparently – leading Joanna to wonder why Matthew was going out with a dark-eyed, gangly brunette such as herself. She swallowed a lump in her throat, betting that Winnie the Pooh hot-water bottle that his ‘Samantha” was a petite blonde.

Holding Zoe Harrison’s hand was a young boy of around nine or ten, looking uncomfortable in a black suit and tie: Zoe’s son Jamie Harrison, named after his great-grandfather. Zoe had given birth to Jamie when she was only nineteen and still refused to name the father. Sir James had loyally defended his granddaughter and her decision to both have the baby and to remain silent about Jamie’s paternity.

Joanna thought how alike Jamie and his mother were: the same fine features, a milk and rose complexion, and huge blue eyes. Zoe Harrison kept him away from the cameras as much as possible – if Steve had got a shot of mother and son together, it would probably make the front page tomorrow morning.

Behind them came Marcus Harrison, Zoe’s brother. Joanna watched him as he drew level with her pew. Even with her thoughts still on Matthew, she had to admit Marcus Harrison was a serious ‘hottie’, as her fellow reporter Alice would say. Joanna recognised him from
the gossip columns – most recently squiring a blonde British socialite with a triple-barreled surname. As dark as his sister was fair, but sharing the same blue eyes, Marcus carried himself with louche confidence. His hair almost touched his shoulders and, wearing a crumpled black jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, he oozed charisma. Joanna dragged her gaze away from him. Next time, she thought firmly, I’m going for a middle-aged man who likes bird watching and stamp collecting. She struggled to recall what Marcus Harrison did for a living – a fledgling film producer, she thought.
Well, he certainly looked the part.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen’. The vicar spoke from the pulpit, a large picture of Sir James Harrison in front of him, surrounded with wreaths of white roses.
‘Sir James’s family welcomes you all here and thanks you for coming to pay tribute to a friend, a colleague, a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and perhaps the finest actor of this century. For those of us who had the good fortune to know him well, it will not come as a
surprise that Sir James was adamant that this was not to be a sombre occasion, but a celebration. Both his family and I have honoured his wishes. Therefore, we start with Sir James’s favourite hymn “I Vow to Thee My Country”. Please stand’.

RILEY, Lucinda. The Love Letter. London: Pan Books, 2018,p. 13-15.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT III

The cab had arrived ten minutes late, then had got stuck in a monumental traffic jam on Charing Cross Road. ‘Sorry, love, nothing doing,’ the driver had said. Joanna had looked at her watch, chucked a ten-pound note at him and jumped out of the cab. As she’d hared through
the streets towards Covent Garden, her chest laboring and her nose streaming, she’d wondered whether life could get any worse.

Joanna was snapped out of her reverie as the congregation suddenly ceased their chatter. She opened her eyes and turned round as Sir James Harrison’s family members began to file into the church.

Leading the party was Charles Harrison, Sir James’s only child, now well into his sixties. He lived in Los Angeles, and was an acclaimed director of big-budget action films filled with special effects. She vaguely remembered that he had won an Oscar some time ago, but his films weren’t the kind she usually went to see.

By Charles Harrison’s side was Zoe Harrison, his daughter. As Alec had hoped, Zoe looked stunning in a fitted black suit with a short skirt that showed her long legs, and her hair was pulled back in a sleek chignon that set off her classic English-rose beauty to perfection.
She was an actress, whose film career was on the rise, and Matthew had been mad about her. He always said Zoe reminded him of Grace Kelly his dream woman, apparently – leading Joanna to wonder why Matthew was going out with a dark-eyed, gangly brunette such as herself. She swallowed a lump in her throat, betting that Winnie the Pooh hot-water bottle that his ‘Samantha” was a petite blonde.

Holding Zoe Harrison’s hand was a young boy of around nine or ten, looking uncomfortable in a black suit and tie: Zoe’s son Jamie Harrison, named after his great-grandfather. Zoe had given birth to Jamie when she was only nineteen and still refused to name the father. Sir James had loyally defended his granddaughter and her decision to both have the baby and to remain silent about Jamie’s paternity.

Joanna thought how alike Jamie and his mother were: the same fine features, a milk and rose complexion, and huge blue eyes. Zoe Harrison kept him away from the cameras as much as possible – if Steve had got a shot of mother and son together, it would probably make the front page tomorrow morning.

Behind them came Marcus Harrison, Zoe’s brother. Joanna watched him as he drew level with her pew. Even with her thoughts still on Matthew, she had to admit Marcus Harrison was a serious ‘hottie’, as her fellow reporter Alice would say. Joanna recognised him from
the gossip columns – most recently squiring a blonde British socialite with a triple-barreled surname. As dark as his sister was fair, but sharing the same blue eyes, Marcus carried himself with louche confidence. His hair almost touched his shoulders and, wearing a crumpled black jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, he oozed charisma. Joanna dragged her gaze away from him. Next time, she thought firmly, I’m going for a middle-aged man who likes bird watching and stamp collecting. She struggled to recall what Marcus Harrison did for a living – a fledgling film producer, she thought.
Well, he certainly looked the part.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen’. The vicar spoke from the pulpit, a large picture of Sir James Harrison in front of him, surrounded with wreaths of white roses.
‘Sir James’s family welcomes you all here and thanks you for coming to pay tribute to a friend, a colleague, a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and perhaps the finest actor of this century. For those of us who had the good fortune to know him well, it will not come as a
surprise that Sir James was adamant that this was not to be a sombre occasion, but a celebration. Both his family and I have honoured his wishes. Therefore, we start with Sir James’s favourite hymn “I Vow to Thee My Country”. Please stand’.

RILEY, Lucinda. The Love Letter. London: Pan Books, 2018,p. 13-15.

INSTRUÇÃO: Leia a tirinha a seguir para responder à questão.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT I

Using authentic reading materials in FLT

Let us discuss what reading in a foreign language is, how it differs from reading in one’s mother-tongue. If the foreign language learners are poor readers in their mother-tongue, we can’t expect them to read efficiently in the foreign language. But if they are good readers in
their mother-tongue, we expect them to transfer their reading strategies to the foreign language automatically. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. Automatic transfer of reading strategies from L1 to L2 is difficult or never occurs. Good readers use top-down and bottom-up strategies to make predictions about the meaning of the text and check them. They vary their reading speed and strategies according to the purpose for their reading and the type of the text. When the same students read a text in the foreign language, they tend to use bottom-up strategies, i.e. their linguistic knowledge, but they rarely dare to use top-down strategies, i.e. their knowledge about the world. Appropriate reading strategies are rarely used and even some faulty reading habits, e.g. subvocalizing, regressive eye movements, etc., can be observed. So, foreign language students usually need more reading practice in order to become efficient readers in the foreign language. The use of authentic materials is an important principle of Communicative Language Teaching. In real life we read because we are interested in the communicative purpose of the text, in the ideas that the writer has expressed or the effect that the text is supposed to produce on the reader. The language in an authentic text is varied, whereas in a non-authentic one there is often one single structure that is repeated. The use of truly authentic texts is an important means of teaching students to communicate effectively.

Unfortunately, most textbooks make use of non-authentic texts. They are supposed to be easier than authentic ones and to be better suited to the students’ language proficiency level. However, this is not true because:

• non-authentic texts are usually over-explicit: they say too much because they lack the natural redundancy of authentic ones, they abound with details, so, the students are not given the chance to make any inferences;
• textbook reading materials usually deal with over-familiar topics. This can hardly be avoided at beginner level but at the higher levels the reading texts can be more informative, enjoyable and interesting;
• there is often a noticeable emphasis on the product of the activity, i.e. on the answers to the comprehension questions, over the process, i.e. the appropriate use of reading skills and strategies in order to understand the text.

We can overcome these shortcomings quite successfully if we provide supplementary authentic texts. Thus the language learners will become better readers, confident in their ability to cope with reading in real life situations.

So, why do we read? In our daily lives we read for two basic reasons: for pleasure and for information (Grellet, 1981:4). We read for information because we want to find out something, to learn something from the text, or for instruction, in order to do something with the information we get, to find out how to act. These reasons for reading are authentic. […]

Having mentioned the major drawbacks of textbook reading materials, let’s now consider the guidelines for selecting a text to supplement them or even replace them. These are the readability, the suitability of content and the exploitability of the authentic text (Nuttal, 1982:25).

• Readability means that the text should be at the right level. When we try to find a readable text, we have to assess the level of its structural and lexical difficulty. Still, we should not forget that the students can deal with more difficult texts, provided the task is not too difficult.
• Suitability of content means that the text should be interesting and informative. The students’ preferences should not be neglected and a survey of their tastes might help the teacher quite a lot.
• Exploitability means that the text should facilitate the development of reading skills in order to help the students become competent and independent readers.

However, we shouldn’t forget the fact that language classes are not entirely homogeneous: the level of the students is not the same, their tastes may vary and it is virtually impossible to create an ideal reader who could tackle all existing texts successfully. So, our goals and
criteria should be realistic.

[…]

What should be pointed out in conclusion is the vital importance of using authentic texts as supplements to textbook reading materials in order to prepare students for real life reading. Authentic texts foster the development of their reading skills thus helping them gain confidence in their reading ability in the foreign language. They become autonomous readers, who can take responsibility for their own reading.

Available at: <https://www.beta-iatefl.org/1106/blogpublications>.Accessed on: July 9th, 2019. (Adapted).

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT III

The cab had arrived ten minutes late, then had got stuck in a monumental traffic jam on Charing Cross Road. ‘Sorry, love, nothing doing,’ the driver had said. Joanna had looked at her watch, chucked a ten-pound note at him and jumped out of the cab. As she’d hared through
the streets towards Covent Garden, her chest laboring and her nose streaming, she’d wondered whether life could get any worse.

Joanna was snapped out of her reverie as the congregation suddenly ceased their chatter. She opened her eyes and turned round as Sir James Harrison’s family members began to file into the church.

Leading the party was Charles Harrison, Sir James’s only child, now well into his sixties. He lived in Los Angeles, and was an acclaimed director of big-budget action films filled with special effects. She vaguely remembered that he had won an Oscar some time ago, but his films weren’t the kind she usually went to see.

By Charles Harrison’s side was Zoe Harrison, his daughter. As Alec had hoped, Zoe looked stunning in a fitted black suit with a short skirt that showed her long legs, and her hair was pulled back in a sleek chignon that set off her classic English-rose beauty to perfection.
She was an actress, whose film career was on the rise, and Matthew had been mad about her. He always said Zoe reminded him of Grace Kelly his dream woman, apparently – leading Joanna to wonder why Matthew was going out with a dark-eyed, gangly brunette such as herself. She swallowed a lump in her throat, betting that Winnie the Pooh hot-water bottle that his ‘Samantha” was a petite blonde.

Holding Zoe Harrison’s hand was a young boy of around nine or ten, looking uncomfortable in a black suit and tie: Zoe’s son Jamie Harrison, named after his great-grandfather. Zoe had given birth to Jamie when she was only nineteen and still refused to name the father. Sir James had loyally defended his granddaughter and her decision to both have the baby and to remain silent about Jamie’s paternity.

Joanna thought how alike Jamie and his mother were: the same fine features, a milk and rose complexion, and huge blue eyes. Zoe Harrison kept him away from the cameras as much as possible – if Steve had got a shot of mother and son together, it would probably make the front page tomorrow morning.

Behind them came Marcus Harrison, Zoe’s brother. Joanna watched him as he drew level with her pew. Even with her thoughts still on Matthew, she had to admit Marcus Harrison was a serious ‘hottie’, as her fellow reporter Alice would say. Joanna recognised him from
the gossip columns – most recently squiring a blonde British socialite with a triple-barreled surname. As dark as his sister was fair, but sharing the same blue eyes, Marcus carried himself with louche confidence. His hair almost touched his shoulders and, wearing a crumpled black jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, he oozed charisma. Joanna dragged her gaze away from him. Next time, she thought firmly, I’m going for a middle-aged man who likes bird watching and stamp collecting. She struggled to recall what Marcus Harrison did for a living – a fledgling film producer, she thought.
Well, he certainly looked the part.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen’. The vicar spoke from the pulpit, a large picture of Sir James Harrison in front of him, surrounded with wreaths of white roses.
‘Sir James’s family welcomes you all here and thanks you for coming to pay tribute to a friend, a colleague, a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and perhaps the finest actor of this century. For those of us who had the good fortune to know him well, it will not come as a
surprise that Sir James was adamant that this was not to be a sombre occasion, but a celebration. Both his family and I have honoured his wishes. Therefore, we start with Sir James’s favourite hymn “I Vow to Thee My Country”. Please stand’.

RILEY, Lucinda. The Love Letter. London: Pan Books, 2018,p. 13-15.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT III

The cab had arrived ten minutes late, then had got stuck in a monumental traffic jam on Charing Cross Road. ‘Sorry, love, nothing doing,’ the driver had said. Joanna had looked at her watch, chucked a ten-pound note at him and jumped out of the cab. As she’d hared through
the streets towards Covent Garden, her chest laboring and her nose streaming, she’d wondered whether life could get any worse.

Joanna was snapped out of her reverie as the congregation suddenly ceased their chatter. She opened her eyes and turned round as Sir James Harrison’s family members began to file into the church.

Leading the party was Charles Harrison, Sir James’s only child, now well into his sixties. He lived in Los Angeles, and was an acclaimed director of big-budget action films filled with special effects. She vaguely remembered that he had won an Oscar some time ago, but his films weren’t the kind she usually went to see.

By Charles Harrison’s side was Zoe Harrison, his daughter. As Alec had hoped, Zoe looked stunning in a fitted black suit with a short skirt that showed her long legs, and her hair was pulled back in a sleek chignon that set off her classic English-rose beauty to perfection.
She was an actress, whose film career was on the rise, and Matthew had been mad about her. He always said Zoe reminded him of Grace Kelly his dream woman, apparently – leading Joanna to wonder why Matthew was going out with a dark-eyed, gangly brunette such as herself. She swallowed a lump in her throat, betting that Winnie the Pooh hot-water bottle that his ‘Samantha” was a petite blonde.

Holding Zoe Harrison’s hand was a young boy of around nine or ten, looking uncomfortable in a black suit and tie: Zoe’s son Jamie Harrison, named after his great-grandfather. Zoe had given birth to Jamie when she was only nineteen and still refused to name the father. Sir James had loyally defended his granddaughter and her decision to both have the baby and to remain silent about Jamie’s paternity.

Joanna thought how alike Jamie and his mother were: the same fine features, a milk and rose complexion, and huge blue eyes. Zoe Harrison kept him away from the cameras as much as possible – if Steve had got a shot of mother and son together, it would probably make the front page tomorrow morning.

Behind them came Marcus Harrison, Zoe’s brother. Joanna watched him as he drew level with her pew. Even with her thoughts still on Matthew, she had to admit Marcus Harrison was a serious ‘hottie’, as her fellow reporter Alice would say. Joanna recognised him from
the gossip columns – most recently squiring a blonde British socialite with a triple-barreled surname. As dark as his sister was fair, but sharing the same blue eyes, Marcus carried himself with louche confidence. His hair almost touched his shoulders and, wearing a crumpled black jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, he oozed charisma. Joanna dragged her gaze away from him. Next time, she thought firmly, I’m going for a middle-aged man who likes bird watching and stamp collecting. She struggled to recall what Marcus Harrison did for a living – a fledgling film producer, she thought.
Well, he certainly looked the part.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen’. The vicar spoke from the pulpit, a large picture of Sir James Harrison in front of him, surrounded with wreaths of white roses.
‘Sir James’s family welcomes you all here and thanks you for coming to pay tribute to a friend, a colleague, a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and perhaps the finest actor of this century. For those of us who had the good fortune to know him well, it will not come as a
surprise that Sir James was adamant that this was not to be a sombre occasion, but a celebration. Both his family and I have honoured his wishes. Therefore, we start with Sir James’s favourite hymn “I Vow to Thee My Country”. Please stand’.

RILEY, Lucinda. The Love Letter. London: Pan Books, 2018,p. 13-15.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read the text carefully and then mark the alternatives that answer the question or complete the sentences presented after it.

TEXT III

The cab had arrived ten minutes late, then had got stuck in a monumental traffic jam on Charing Cross Road. ‘Sorry, love, nothing doing,’ the driver had said. Joanna had looked at her watch, chucked a ten-pound note at him and jumped out of the cab. As she’d hared through
the streets towards Covent Garden, her chest laboring and her nose streaming, she’d wondered whether life could get any worse.

Joanna was snapped out of her reverie as the congregation suddenly ceased their chatter. She opened her eyes and turned round as Sir James Harrison’s family members began to file into the church.

Leading the party was Charles Harrison, Sir James’s only child, now well into his sixties. He lived in Los Angeles, and was an acclaimed director of big-budget action films filled with special effects. She vaguely remembered that he had won an Oscar some time ago, but his films weren’t the kind she usually went to see.

By Charles Harrison’s side was Zoe Harrison, his daughter. As Alec had hoped, Zoe looked stunning in a fitted black suit with a short skirt that showed her long legs, and her hair was pulled back in a sleek chignon that set off her classic English-rose beauty to perfection.
She was an actress, whose film career was on the rise, and Matthew had been mad about her. He always said Zoe reminded him of Grace Kelly his dream woman, apparently – leading Joanna to wonder why Matthew was going out with a dark-eyed, gangly brunette such as herself. She swallowed a lump in her throat, betting that Winnie the Pooh hot-water bottle that his ‘Samantha” was a petite blonde.

Holding Zoe Harrison’s hand was a young boy of around nine or ten, looking uncomfortable in a black suit and tie: Zoe’s son Jamie Harrison, named after his great-grandfather. Zoe had given birth to Jamie when she was only nineteen and still refused to name the father. Sir James had loyally defended his granddaughter and her decision to both have the baby and to remain silent about Jamie’s paternity.

Joanna thought how alike Jamie and his mother were: the same fine features, a milk and rose complexion, and huge blue eyes. Zoe Harrison kept him away from the cameras as much as possible – if Steve had got a shot of mother and son together, it would probably make the front page tomorrow morning.

Behind them came Marcus Harrison, Zoe’s brother. Joanna watched him as he drew level with her pew. Even with her thoughts still on Matthew, she had to admit Marcus Harrison was a serious ‘hottie’, as her fellow reporter Alice would say. Joanna recognised him from
the gossip columns – most recently squiring a blonde British socialite with a triple-barreled surname. As dark as his sister was fair, but sharing the same blue eyes, Marcus carried himself with louche confidence. His hair almost touched his shoulders and, wearing a crumpled black jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, he oozed charisma. Joanna dragged her gaze away from him. Next time, she thought firmly, I’m going for a middle-aged man who likes bird watching and stamp collecting. She struggled to recall what Marcus Harrison did for a living – a fledgling film producer, she thought.
Well, he certainly looked the part.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen’. The vicar spoke from the pulpit, a large picture of Sir James Harrison in front of him, surrounded with wreaths of white roses.
‘Sir James’s family welcomes you all here and thanks you for coming to pay tribute to a friend, a colleague, a father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and perhaps the finest actor of this century. For those of us who had the good fortune to know him well, it will not come as a
surprise that Sir James was adamant that this was not to be a sombre occasion, but a celebration. Both his family and I have honoured his wishes. Therefore, we start with Sir James’s favourite hymn “I Vow to Thee My Country”. Please stand’.

RILEY, Lucinda. The Love Letter. London: Pan Books, 2018,p. 13-15.