Is Britain shortchanged on bank holidays?

Centro de Competência de Artes e Humanidades (CCAH)
PROVAS DE ADMISSÃO AO ENSINO SUPERIOR PARA MAIORES DE 23 ANOS
PROVA ESPECÍFICA DE INGLÊS
Curso – 1º Ciclo em Estudos Ingleses e Relações Empresariais
Duração da Prova: 90 minutos
Local: Sala 7 – Campus da Penteada
Data: 13 de Junho de 2011
Hora: 14h30m – 16h30m
______________________________________________________________________
PART I – Text and Context
Read the following text carefully.
Is Britain shortchanged on bank holidays?
Not compared to the Mexicans, no. The sun may always shine in Acapulco, but with only five
public holidays a year, who has time to enjoy it? Suddenly our eight-day allowance (10 in
Northern Ireland) doesn't seem quite so stingy after all. But why be happy with our lot when we
can gripe about our work-shy neighbours across the channel?
This year, according to the European parliament, every country in the EU will enjoy more public
holidays than England, Scotland and Wales. By the time 2006 is out, the Slovenians will have
treated themselves to 18 extra days off, scattered thoughtfully and evenly throughout the year.
Not far behind is Cyprus, with 17, including the suspiciously made-up-sounding St Cyril and St
Methodius Day on July 5.
To risk being teenage about it: it's so unfair. Especially as, due to a loophole in UK law,
employers are allowed to subtract bank holidays from the statutory 20 days of annual leave,
leaving some workers with just over two weeks off. "The EU member states have an average of
11 bank holidays a year," says Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union
Congress. "The government should look at the possibility of creating a few extra public holidays
to bring UK workers in line with their European colleagues."
Naturally, not everyone sees it that way. The Confederation of British Industry, which exists to
protect the interests of employers, seems to think we should stop whingeing and be thankful
that at least we are entitled to the same annual leave as Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the
Netherlands and Spain. "Six other EU countries give 25 days but in reality UK employers go
beyond the entitlement and give an average 24.5 to 25 days," says Tom Moran, the CBI's senior
policy adviser.
Of course, until 1871, when the Bank Holidays Act was passed, Britons got no public holidays at
all. And before 1974, workers were expected to be at their desks on New Year's Day.
Remember, too, that not everyone gets bank holidays. While most of you spend today basking
in the glory of a day off, think of us, stuck inside, producing tomorrow's paper. It's so unfair.
Helen Pidd
The Guardian, Monday 1 May 2006
(Retrieved on June 8, 2011 – 12.20 pm, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/may/01/britishidentity.helenpidd)
1
Now answer the following questions. Provide coherent arguments and pay
attention to cohesion, register, language and mechanical accuracy.
A – Answer these questions in your own words.
1 – Identify the type of text. Find evidence in the text to support your answer.
2 – Explain the meaning of ‘But why be happy with our lot when we can gripe about our
work-shy neighbours across the channel?’ (l. 3-4).
3 – Explain the meaning of ‘…due to a loophole in UK law, employers are allowed to
subtract bank holidays from the statutory 20 days of annual leave…’ (l. 10-11).
4 – Is there consensus in the UK about the possibility of creating a few extra public
holidays to bring UK workers in line with their European colleagues? Justify.
5 – ‘While most of you spend today basking in the glory of a day off, think of us, stuck
inside, producing tomorrow's paper.’ (l. 24-25) What day does ‘today’ refer to?
[5x6=30 Points]
B – Explain the meaning of these words/phrases in your own words:
1 – “so stingy” (l.3).
2 – “whingeing” (l.17).
3 – “basking” (l.24 ).
[3x5=15 Points]
C – Complete these sentences with ideas of your own.
1 – Public holidays across Europe are _____________________________________
2 – Mexicans ________________________________________________________
3 – UK employers _____________________________________________________
4 – The Bank Holidays Act ____________________________________________________
[4x4=16 Points]
D – Rewrite the sentences using the words/phrases given below:
1 – “Six other EU countries give 25 days but in reality UK employers go beyond the
entitlement and give an average 24.5 to 25 days," says Tom Moran, the CBI's
senior policy adviser.”
Tom Moran said _____________________________________________________
2 – “While most of you spend today basking in the glory of a day off, think of us, stuck
inside, producing tomorrow's paper.”
The author states that _______________________________________________
3 – “And before 1974, workers were expected to be at their desks on New Year's Day.”
After 1974, workers _________________________________________________
[3x5=15 Points]
2
PART II - Language in Use
A – Complete the sentences using the words in the box below.
gamble
remember
reminisce
hazard
opportunity
lengthen
remind
chance
1 – They invested money in the company right at the start and the _________ paid off.
2 – Some chemicals pose little __________ to human health.
3 – They intend to close down the company at the earliest __________.
4 – Anne has only a slim __________ of passing the exam.
5 – I bought this skirt last week but think it’s too short. Can you_____ it for me please?
6 – I love to _________ about our childhood camping holidays. They were such fun!
7 – Can you _________ the last time we had a really good night out?
8 – Can you _________ me to pay the phone bill please?
[8x2=16 Points]
B – Add to the each sentence one of the words/phrases in the box in the correct
place and decide whether it is used as an adjective or adverb.
very likely
beautiful
last year
1 – We went to Australia and had a fabulous time.
2 – We are to go back next year.
3 – They live in a really city - it’s so lovely to visit and look at all the buildings.
[3x2=6 Points]
C – Rewrite the sentences using the given word and performing the required
changes.
1 – While most of you spend today basking in the glory of a day off we are stuck
inside, producing tomorrow's paper. (use ‘yesterday’ instead of ‘today’)
2 – I love sunny days. I lie in the sun, rub on my sunscreen, and just think about
nothing besides how lucky I am. (begin with ‘When I was young…’)
[2x6=12 Points]
D – Fill in the missing article and/or delete an unnecessary one in each sentence.
1 – I don’t like that coat. Colour is horrible.
2 – This is itchy jumper! It’s really irritating my skin!
3 – I’ve just read a book by the Amy Tan - it was brilliant book.
4 – She is quite intelligent woman.
[4x2=8 Points]
E – Transform these sentences without changing their meaning using the word
in brackets.
1 – It was an obligation for us to learn irregular verbs off by heart. (had)
2 – She made a bad mistake in arguing with her father-in-law. (shouldn’t)
3 – Your job is to find out who sent the invoices to the financial department. (expect)
4 – You are not obliged to deliver a speech if you don’t want to. (have)
[4x4=16 points]
3
F – Reorder and write the following sentences.
1 – very hardworking person very she a is .
2 – is he a reasonable such person I’m that sure work he’ll it out .
3 – wish I do they’d out sort problems their .
4 – the it’s things essential I always that to run seem of out milk like bread and .
[4x4=16 points]
PART III – Reading / Writing Practice
Read the excerpt below.
Extra time off for Portuguese workers bad for optics as officials toil over €80bn
bailout deal
LIGHTS IN Lisbon’s finance ministry will burn late into the night this weekend as European
Union, International Monetary Fund and Portuguese officials toil over the details of the country’s
€80 billion bailout agreement.
Outside, the streets have been deserted since Thursday, when the caretaker government
granted public administration workers an extra half-day holiday so they could leave early for the
Easter weekend.
By the time Portugal goes back to work on Tuesday, the plan to rescue its debt-ridden economy
on condition of tough austerity measures and structural reforms should be close to conclusion.
As well as tax increases, wage cuts and a pensions freeze, the package is expected to include
measures to liberalise the labour, rent and energy markets to tackle Portugal’s problems of
weak growth and low productivity.
For many Portuguese it is in fact the contrast between what they perceive as the strong work
ethic of the north European officials leading the bailout talks and Portugal’s more relaxed
approach that goes to the heart of the country’s economic woes.
The extra holiday this week was a “bad example”, conveying a lax approach to work, said
António Saraiva, head of the Portuguese Confederation of Industry. “The [EU and IMF] arrive in
Lisbon and we set off for the beach.”
Estela Barbot, a Portuguese economist who advises the IMF, said it portrayed an image of a
country that was “not prepared to face up to reality”.
(…)
PETER WISE in Lisbon
The Irish Times - Saturday, April 23, 2011
(Retrieved on June 9, 2011 – 2.45 pm,
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/0423/1224295310948.html)
Bearing what you have just read and the initial text presented in this examination in
mind, plus the fact that the 2011 calendar foresees 14 Public Holidays in Portugal,
WRITE AN EXPOSITORY TEXT (no more than 200 words) in which you express your
opinions about the subject matter.
Do not forget to illustrate your arguments.
[50 Points]
________________________________
200 Points
4
AVALIAÇÃO
A prova de Inglês compreende duas componentes: uma prova escrita, com a
duração de 90 minutos, e uma prova oral, com uma duração de 15 a 20 minutos.
Estas componentes têm igual peso na classificação final:
• PROVA ESCRITA – 50%
• PROVA ORAL – 50%
De acordo com o ponto 17 dos ‘Critérios Específicos de Avaliação das Provas de
Avaliação de Conhecimento e Competências’ para admissão ao Ensino Superior
de Maiores de 23 Anos, nos Cursos em se que exigem duas provas de avaliação
de conhecimentos e competências é necessária uma nota mínima de 9,5 valores
em cada uma delas.
A. PROVA ESCRITA
PARTE I – TEXTO E CONTEXO
[76 Pontos]
Pretende-se que o candidato interprete um texto escrito, no qual deve:
• Identificar ideias presentes no texto
• Seleccionar informação do texto
• Interpretar informação implícita e explícita no texto
• Interpretar a atitude, as emoções, o ponto de vista e as intenções do autor
do texto.
A produção escrita deve reflectir fluência e eficácia no uso da língua inglesa em
vários registos e domínios.
PARTE II – LÍNGUA EM USO
[74 Pontos]
Pretende-se que o candidato demonstre conhecimentos das regras do sistema e
do funcionamento da língua inglesa constantes do programa, a saber:
• Determinantes
• Nomes
• Pronomes
• Adjectivos
• Advérbios
• Preposições
• Verbos
• Tipos de frase
Inserimos as respostas correctas dos exercícios seguintes:
A – Complete the sentences using the words in the box below.
1 – gamble
2 – hazard
3 – opportunity
4 – chance
5 – lengthen
6 – reminisce
7 – remember
8 – remind
5
B – Add to the each sentence one of the words/phrases in the box in the correct
place and decide whether it is used as an adjective or adverb.
1 – LAST YEAR we went (...) or We went to Australia LAST YEAR. (...) - adverb
2 – We are VERY LIKELY (...) - adverb
3 – They live in a really BEAUTIFUL city (...) - adjective
C – Rewrite the sentences using the given word and performing the required
changes.
1 – While most of you spent YESTERDAY basking in the glory of a day off we were
stuck inside, producing today’s paper.
2 – WHEN I WAS YOUNG I loved sunny days. I lay in the sun, rubbed on my
sunscreen, and just thought about nothing besides how lucky I was.
OR
WHEN I WAS YOUNG I used to love sunny days. I would lie in the sun, rub on my
sunscreen, and just think about nothing besides how lucky I was.
D – Fill in the missing article and / or delete an unnecessary one in each
sentence.
1 – THE colour (…)
2 – (…) AN itchy jumper (…)
3 – (…) by THE Amy Tan (…)
4 – (…) quite AN intelligent (…).
E – Transform these sentences without changing their meaning using the word
in brackets.
1 – We HAD to learn irregular verbs (…).
2 – She SHOULDN’T have argued with her (…).
3 – I EXPECT you to find out who sent the invoices (…).
4 – You don’t HAVE to deliver a speech if (…).
F – Reorder and write the following sentences..
1 – She is a very very hardworking person.
2 – He is such a reasonable person that I’m sure he’ll work it out.
3 – I do wish they’d sort out their problems.
4 – It’s the essential things like milk and bread that I always seem to run out of.
PARTE III – PRODUÇÃO ESCRITA
[50 Pontos]
Pretende-se que o candidato produza um texto expositivo, num discurso fluído,
estruturado e adequado ao tema proposto, situação e destinatário. Os seguintes
requisitos devem, ainda, nortear a sua produção:
• Utilizar a língua inglesa de forma correcta e adequada
• Pontuação e ortografia
• Coesão
• Coerência
• Registo
• Síntese
TOTAL: 200 PONTOS
6
B. PROVA ORAL
Pretende-se que o candidato demonstre fluência e eficácia no uso da língua
inglesa, tendo em conta as competências seguintes:
•
•
•
•
•
Competência linguística
Competência discursiva
Competência estratégica
Competência sócio-linguística
Competência intercultural
O candidato deve revelar conhecimentos gerais sobre temas actuais das
culturas americana e britânica constantes do programa, a saber:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sociedade britânica contemporânea
Sociedade americana contemporânea
Música actual anglo-americana
Língua inglesa no mundo
Mundo actual e globalização
Media e comunicação social
Mundo tecnológico
TOTAL: 200 PONTOS
7