Questões de Concurso

American fast food has certainly affected Korea. You can find American fast food restaurants everywhere and many young people don’t appreciate traditional Korean food anymore. Koreans are now using western ingredients such as ketchup, mayonnaise and butter to cook regular meals. Salad dressing, something we never used before, is also popular now.

The problem is that American companies sell their food along with American culture. Manners in restaurants are not the same before. I can give you two examples of this. Traditionally Koreans don’t use individual plates for eating main dishes. We have always eaten from one bowl, but now some people think that this habit is unsanitary.

Tipping is also new for us. Before, we had never rewarded good service with money, but now we are supposed to give a tip to waiter in some restaurants. I fear our traditional way of doing things will soon be forgotten.

By Jeong Kim, from Korea.

(PLATERO, Luciana & DONNINI, Lívia. All Set, vol.2, student book. Boston, USA: Thompson Heinle,2008. Adaptado.)

Answers the question according to the text below.

There are a number of reasons why animals are important to human beings. The main reason is that animals benefit us personally, socially and economically.

Since the time of our cavemen ancestors, there have been interactions between humans and animals. Animals can be our friends, companions, protectors, benefactors and comforters. Research studies indicate that people who own pets and have close bond with them have higher self-esteem. They are also generally happier and healthier. There are many reported cases in which pets protected their owners and family members. In the United States, a pet dog alerted its owners that their babysitter was abusive. A couple who hired a babysitter to take care of their baby noticed that their pet dog was aggressive to the babysitter. Upon investigation, they discovered that their child was abused by the babysitter.

Animals provide many other benefits to humans. Insulin, a hormone in our body which controls the amount of sugar absorbed by our blood, could not be artificially produced previously. It had to be derived from cows and pigs. Nowadays, even though animal insulin has largely been replaced by artificial human insulin, the former is still available on prescription. Trained guide dogs are available to serve as loyal companions and ‘pairs of eyes’ for the blind. In the past, hunters took along hunting dogs to track, sniff out and catch wild game. When night fell, the canines were the hunters’ companions and protectors. In rehabilitation centers, animals are used to help the sick recover. For instance, petting a pony helps to lift a sick child’s spirit.

Throughout history, animals have helped humans. We use animals to work for us. In the agricultural sector, oxen pull ploughs before seeds are planted in the soil. We use horses for transportation purposes. They pull carriages and covered wagons for us. Even though oxen and horses are rarely used for farming and travelling purposes respectively today, the horses are still being used for riding and racing. They are also used to participate in contests in order to win awards. Farmers depend on animals such as cattle, poultry, sheep, goats, among others, for their horses are rarely used for farming and travelling purposes respectively today, the horses are still being used for riding and racing. They sell the animals’ meat, milk and eggs to earn money. In the fishing industry, although the use of modern equipment and technology have replaced the use of animals to catch fish, fishermen in some parts of the world still use animals like dolphins, otters and cormorants for the purpose.

Another indirectly way in which animals help us is that they assist in the reproduction of a variety of fruit and vegetable crops, which are an important part of our healthy diet. Without animals to help disperse seeds and pollinate plants, many of them would have become extinct.

In conclusion, animals are important to human beings because they benefit us socially, personally as well as economically. Since they are of great benefit to us, we should treat them well.

https://english312.com/why-are-animals-important-to-human-beings.html

(Adapted from Teaching English Today: context

and objectives, Holden & Nobre,2018, p.03)

All languages reflect the culture of the countries and regions where they have developed and are used. However, some languages are also used as a means of communication between a wide range of non-native speakers and contexts. In this way, the communication develops new priorities to reflect those contexts.

Today, English is probably the prime example of a global language. It is used to communicate in areas such as the workplace, science and technology, the arts and in the world of business. This is why so many parents are keen of their children to start learning it at an ever-earlier age. Students, too, realize that English in more than just a school subject: it is important for their own future success. This realization can be used to your advantage as a teacher:

Your students should be aware that English is widely used among non-native speakers in a variety of contexts in their own environments. It is no longer just linked with going to the US or Britain.

They are more likely to be motivated if they feel they are being given appropriate materials and practice for their own needs, which is easier to do nowadays, since English is present almost everywhere.

In fact, you are part of this world where English is used, however imperfectly, in real life, as well as being part of that other, classroom world. This gives your role even more importance.

There are, then, clear practical and economic reasons why it is important for as many of your students as possible to feel positive about learning English, and ultimately, to feel confident about using it. However, there is also an equally important reason, which applies to all languages: their social function.

Learning and using another language can put people into contact, directly or indirectly, with others from different societies and cultures. It exposes them to different ways of thinking, different ways of communicating, different values. This, in turn, encourages them to think about their own culture, values and way of life. They realize there is not just one way of doing something, but many different ones.

In other words, as well as equipping learners with practical skills, learning a foreign language extends their horizons, which is one of the important aims of education in most countries.