TÓPICO 18: Pratique sua Leitura com Notícias
Bem-vindo(a) ao Curso Prático de Inglês para Leituras.
O objetivo deste curso é fazer você aprender ou melhorar em pouco tempo o seu inglês, por meio de estratégias, conteúdos e ferramentas que farão você estudar somente o necessário e de forma focada na utilização prática do idioma.
O objetivo deste curso é fazer você aprender ou melhorar em pouco tempo o seu inglês, por meio de estratégias, conteúdos e ferramentas que farão você estudar somente o necessário e de forma focada na utilização prática do idioma.
Neste primeiro tópico, você irá praticar o seu inglês por meio da leitura de textos das últimas notícia publicadas no site da Folha de São Paulo, sobre temas relativos a direito, política, economia, finanças públicas, entre outros, com a tradução de apenas algumas palavras mais difíceis e importantes, para que você possa tentar entender o contexto.
O estudo de notícias facilita muito o aprendizado daqueles que querem aprimorar a capacidade de leitura e ampliar o vocabulário. Além disso, no caso dos concursos, o estudo de notícias reais e recentes é de suma importância, especialmente para cargos de alto nível, pois as bancas costumam utilizar esses textos nas questões de provas.
Caso você ache os referidos textos muito difíceis ou não consiga compreendê-los, nos próximos tópicos você encontrará diversas palavras, expressões e regras gramaticais disponibilizadas de forma selecionada para que você consiga aumentar a sua capacidade de leitura e compreensão textual, sem ter que perder tempo com uma infinidade de conteúdos desnecessários .
Para ouvir a pronúncia cole o texto no site TEXT-TO-SPEECH.
Odebrecht Negotiates Multi-Billion Dollar Accord with Brazil, USA and Switzerland
MARIO CESAR CARVALHO
FROM SÃO PAULO
FROM SÃO PAULO
BELA MEGALE
FROM BRASÍLIA
FROM BRASÍLIA
It's kind of (é uma espécie de) a now-everything-all-at-the-same-time deal (acordo com tudo ao mesmo tempo), intended to save Odebrecht from bankruptcy (falência).
At the same moment that it is finalizing a massive plea-bargain agreement (mega acordo de delação) involving around 70 executives, the group is negotiating a leniency agreement (acordo de leniência) in Brazil, the United States and Switzerland which likely (que provavelmente) will result in what American Prosecutors (procuradores) consider to be the largest fine (a maior multa) ever paid for dealings of this nature, around R$ 6 billion (US$ 1,9 billion).
The final amount (o montante final) , which is still under discussion, would be divided among the three countries, according to what Folha has learned (apurou). Brazil would receive more than half of the R$ 6 billion while the United States would receive the second largest amount.
Siemens currently holds (detém) the record for an amount paid for violating American anti-corruption laws (leis), with a fine of US$ 800 million in 2008 (an amount equivalent to R$ 2,5 billion today).
Together with fines paid in Europe, Siemens' punitive amounts reached nearly (alcançaram aproximadamente) US$ 1,6 billion (R$ 5 billion at the current exchange rate). In Brazil, the largest fine ever paid for a leniency award (prêmio de leniência) was R$ 1 billion (US$ 320 million), paid by Andrade Gutierrez.
The accord negotiated with the United States involves Odebrecht itself as well as (bem como) Braskem, an industrial petrochemical company which is part of the group and is the largest in Latin America.
The agreement with the United States is seen by Odebrecht as equally essential to the group's survival (tão essencial para a sobrevivência do grupo) as the one (como aquele) being hammered out (sendo fechado/martelado) here in Brazil.
Prosecutors from the United States are actively participating in the negotiations with the US Justice Department, in conjunction with Brazilian investigators.
To set (definir) the amount of the fine, the authorities have taken into consideration Odebrecht's ability to handle the debt (capacidade de lidar com a dívida) in coming to a (para chegar a um) final amount, in other words, its ability to pay.
RISK OF GOING BROKE (risco de quebra)
If the negotiations with the United States fail (falharem), the group could go broke (poderia quebrar) since it would be facing (uma vez que estaria diante de) a fine essentially impossible for it to pay (impossível de ser paga)
In order to (de forma a) save the group, Emílio Odebrecht, chairman of the board (presidente do conselho de administração), decided to make the agreements in Brazil against the wishes (contra a vontade) of his son, Marcelo Odebrecht, who has been (está) in prison since July of last year.
Odebrecht is Brazil's largest construction company with revenues (receitas) of R$ 132 billion (US$ 42,2 billion) last year. Debt (dívida), however (contudo), has grown to nearly (cresceu para aproximadamente) R$100 billion (US$ 32 billion) and due to (devido à) the Lava Jato (Car Wash) investigation the group has had difficulty in obtaining new bank lines of credit.
Translated by LLOYD HARDER
Notícia extraída na íntegra de: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2016/11/1830737-odebrecht-negotiates-multi-billion-dollar-accord-with-brazil-usa-and-switzerland.shtml
Fiscal Budgetary Adjustment (ajuste orçamentário fiscal) Is an 'Example" for Other Portuguese Speaking Countries, Says Temer
MARINA DIAS
FROM BRASÍLIA
FROM BRASÍLIA
President Michel Temer said on Tuesday (the 1st) that Brazil's fiscal budgetary adjustment (ajuste orçamentário fiscal) should "serve as an example" for the rest of the Portuguese language countries.
"Every country should, within the framework (estrutura) of its [overall] activities (atividades gerais), scale its expenses (dimensionar suas despesas) to meet expected revenues (de acordo com as receitas esperadas), like we are doing here. And, for countries that are going through (estão passando por) situations where spending is beyond revenues collected (gastos são maiores que as receitas arrecadadas), Brazilian can serve, in a way (de certa forma), as an example to the community of Portuguese language countries", he said, after the closing of the 11th Conference of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries).
Among (entre) the nations that participated in the summit (encontro de chefes de governo) which took place (aconteceu) on Monday (the 31st) and Tuesday in Brasília, many have GDP's (PIB) much smaller than Brazil's as well as (bem como) serious economic and social problems including Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor, as well as Mozambique, Angola and Portugal.
Temer made this statement (declaração) when he was referring to some of the 16 lofty objectives (principais objetivos) of the summit. The fiscal adjustment, however, was not listed among them.
When questioned, the President of Portugal, Rebelo de Sousa, declared that the PEC (Proposed Brazilian Constitutional Amendment) for a spending ceiling (teto de gastos), which still depends upon the approval of two rounds (rodadas) of voting in the Senate, wasn't discussed in "detail" at the summit.
The counties agreed, among other measures, to eliminate poverty (pobreza) "in all of its forms and all of its locations", to eliminate hunger (fome), to guarantee an inclusive and quality education, to promote a sustainable economy and to reduce inequality within and among (interna e entre) the countries.
Translated by LLOYD HARDER
Notícia extraída na íntegra de: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/business/2016/11/1828950-fiscal-budgetary-adjustment-is-an-example-for-other-portuguese-speaking-countries-says-temer.shtml
In Shambles (em ruínas), Rio Shuts Down (fecha) Departments and Taxes (tributa) Civil Servants
ITALO NOGUEIRA
NICOLA PAMPLONA
FROM RIO
NICOLA PAMPLONA
FROM RIO
MARIANA CARNEIRO
FROM SÃO PAULO
The state of Rio de Janeiro announced on Friday (the 4th) that it will reduce the number of departments from 20 to 12 in an attempt (tentativa) to create a favorable political environment (ambiente) for the approval of harsh austerity measures (medidas duras de austeridade) designed to fix (consertar) a financial crisis that has afflicted the state for the past two years.
Most of the measures (a maior parte das medidas) contained in the proposal (proposta) had already been presented (já tinha sido apresentada) by Rio's governor Luiz Fernando Pezão (PMDB) at the beginning of the year with the intent of improving (intensão de melhorar) the state's finances.
The proposal stipulates that civil servants will pay higher (maiores) social security contributions, responsibility over employer contributions (a responsabilidade sobre as contribuições do empregador) will be transferred to other branches of power (para os outros poderes), state revenues (receitas estaduais) will be unbound (desvinculadas) and personnel spending will be capped (limitadas).
However (contudo), such measures (tais medidas) do little to improve (melhorar) the short-term situation (situação de curto prazo) and this year's estimated R$19 billion (US$ 6 billion) deficit (o déficit estimado de 19 bilhões para este ano), which has put (o qual colocou) both (ambos) pension payments and the wages (salários) of civil servants on the line (em risco).
Finding a solution hinges on reaching an agreement (depende de chegar a um acordo) with the federal government.
Folha learned (apurou) that the governor's office (o gabinete do governador) is looking for alternative sources of revenue (fontes alternativas de receita), such as advances on revenue (tais como antecipações de receita) from petroleum royalties and the ICMS (Merchandise and Services Circulation Tax), as well as (bem como) other pending transfers (transferências pendentes) from the federal government that Rio is entitled to (que o Rio tem direito).
Rio has already gone over (já superou/passou) the debt ceiling (teto da dívida). The state may also go over (pode também superar/passar) the cap (limite) on personnel spending this month.
Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON
Notícia extraída na íntegra de: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/business/2016/11/1829326-in-shambles-rio-shuts-down-departments-and-taxes-civil-servants.shtml
Harvard Professor Sees (vê) "Presumption of Guilt" (presunção de culpa) Used Against Ex-President Lula
THAIS BILENKY
FROM SÃO PAULO
FROM SÃO PAULO
According to anthropologist and Harvard professor John Comaroff, 71, Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash) is breaking the law (violando a lei) and using the "presumption of guilt" (presunção de culpa) to prosecute former (para processar o ex) president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The professor of South African origin and "lawfare" specialist (especialista em lei) - a term used to describe the manipulation of the law for political purposes (propósitos políticos) - has been consulting with Lula's attorneys (advogados de defesa), who have embraced the term (que abraçaram o termo).
He believes that (acredita que) judge Sergio Moro should be replaced (deveria ser substituído) so that concerns regarding (para que as preocupações em relação a) his conduct in the lawsuits (nas ações judiciais) the former president is involved in can be appraised (possam ser avaliadas).
"By leaking (vazar) private conversations, even if there are (mesmo se houver) 20 people participating, if Lula is among them (entre eles) then you know that's who the media is going to (vai) talk about. That's 'lawfare'. You manipulate the law and create the presumption of guilt", Comaroff said.
In August, Brazil's supreme court ruled (decidiu) that the recordings obtained after the authorization to tap (grampear) Lula's phone conversations had expired were illegal.
However (contudo), Moro had already made the conversations public, stirring up (suscitando) controversy over Lula's use of language, and especially the conversation in which (na qual) former president Dilma Rousseff suggests that she would (iria) name him minister, granting (concedendo) him partial immunity.
Comaroff also questioned the bugs (escutas) planted in Lula's lawyers' law firm, which he considered "highly illegal anywhere in the world".
The anthropologist was approached (foi abordado) by Lula's lawyers for being an expert witness (perito) in "lawfare" - although (embora) the professor says he will not be providing (prestando) any services to the defense.
"I'm trying to understand the case. My colleagues here at Harvard can't make sense of it (não conseguem entender sentido disso). There are facts about it that bother the international audience (incomodam o público internacional)", he said.
Given (dadas) the formal complaints raised (reclamações levantadas) by the defense regarding (em relação a) Moro's conduct, the anthropologist said that by recusing himself Moro would demonstrate that the operation is politically unbiased (imparcial).
"Why not? There are (há) certainly many other competent judges in Brazil. In order to keep (de forma a manter) the justice system as clean as possible (o mais limpo possível) you can't miss out (não pode perder) on opportunities to avoid conflicts of interest and questionable conduct."
The former president's lawyers filed several complaints against (advogados apresentaram várias reclamações contra) Moro and the task force (força tarefa) because of what they considered clear abuses of authority, such as keeping them (tal como mantê-los) from accessing the full investigations against their client.
There are three separate lawsuits in which (ações judiciais nas quais) Lula is being charged (acusado) of corruption as well as (bem como) other crimes. His attorneys (advogados de defesa) have also appealed (apelaram/recorreram) to the UN, which is reviewing his case.
Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2016/11/1829328-harvard-professor-sees-presumption-of-guilt-used-against-ex-president-lula.shtml
*Caso não consiga ouvir a pronúncia no seu dispositivo, utilize um computador com o java atualizado.
PARABÉNS!
Você completou o Curso! Mantenha a leitura diária do site da folha e não esqueça que o segredo do aprendizado é a repetição!
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/
