ARTICLES AND ADJECTIVE

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235PROMILITARES.COM.BR
ARTICLES AND ADJECTIVE 
DEGREE
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
A/AN – UM(A)
Usados apenas com substantivos contáveis e no singular.
A – Antes de sons consonantais e semivocálicos
AN – Antes de sons vocálicos
Exemplos:
AN elephant A horse A European girl
AN hour A house AN intelligent woman
AN honor A unit
A table A uniform
USOS
• Antes de pro� ssões:
A teacher; He is a student.
• Com ideia inde� nida ou representando o numeral 1:
I saw a girl before the class; a glass of water; a hundred.
• Antes da locução (adjetivo + substantivo):
It is a beautiful night. 
Bruna is an interested student.
• Com alguns quanti� cadores/expressões numéricas: a lot, a few, a 
little, a bit, a dozen, a couple, a great deal of…
• Nas expressões que indicam duração de velocidade, tempo ou 
preço: seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, sixty minutes 
an hour, 80km an hour, 5 reais a kilo
• Após o advérbio what indicando surpresa: What a surprise! What 
a nonsense!
• Em expressões como: It’s a pity! (É uma pena!), It’s a shame! (É 
uma vergonha!) It’s a tragedy! (É uma tragédia!)
DEFINITE ARTICLE – THE
USOS
• Ideia de� nida (retira da generalização e especi� ca o objeto em 
questão).
Exemplos:
Love is hard to de� ne but the love I feel is pure.
Water is a precious liquid but the water we consume in Brazil is 
not the purest.
• Ideia anafórica (retoma um termo que foi mencionado anteriormente):
Exemplos:
I bought a book. The book is a best-seller.
A student asked a good question. The question was about articles.
• Com títulos e sobrenomes no plural (representando a família inteira):
Exemplos:
The President, The Queen, The Emperor, The Congresswoman.
Cuidado: Queen Elizabeth, King Henrique VIII (não usamos o 
artigo quando o nome próprio aparece junto ao título).
The Simpsons, The Kardashians, The Smiths.
• Períodos históricos, décadas, séculos, eras e quando o dia vem 
antes do mês na data:
Exemplos:
The Renascence, the Middle Age, the 90s, the � rst of May, the 
tenth of April.
• Países com nomes compostos com ideia de união (Union, United 
or Republic) ou nome plural:
Exemplos:
The United Kingdom, The Republic of China, The Philippines, The 
United States, The Czech Republic.
• Objetos únicos na espécie (geralmente corpos celestiais) e 
números ordinais:
Exemplos:
The world, the moon, the sun, the planet, the Earth, the satellite.
The � rst, the last, the second, the third.
• Nomes de museus, bibliotecas e monumentos:
Exemplos:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery, the statue 
of liberty.
• Com nomes de aeronaves e embarcações:
Exemplos:
The Titanic, The Concorde, The May� ower
• Nomes de desertos, rios, mares, oceanos, canais, � orestas (exceto 
nomes de praia, lagoa e lago):
Exemplos:
The Amazon River, The Paci� c Ocean, The Black Sea, The Panama 
Canal, The Amazon rainforest.
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• Nomes de montanhas, lagos e ilhas no plural (no singular não se 
usa o artigo de� nido):
Exemplos:
The Andes, the Alps, the Bahamas, The Falkland Islands, The 
Taurus Mountains.
• Com adjetivos no grau superlativo ou substantivados:
Exemplos:
The most important, the best, the greatest.
The strong should help the weak.
• Com instrumentos musicais, nomes de jornal, organizações:
Exemplos:
The drums, the guitar, the bass.
The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The New York Times.
The United Nations, The International Monetary Fund, The World 
Health Organization.
Observação
OMISSÃO DO THE
Substantivos como church, hospital, school, prison, jail, sea, work 
etc, quando aparecem no contexto cumprindo o propósito óbvio, 
o artigo de� nido deve ser omitido.
Exemplos:
I go to church on Sundays.
Tourists went to the church yesterday to take some photos. (Não 
foram à igreja rezar/orar)
Students go to school every weekday.
My mother is coming to the school to bring my lunch because 
I forgot it at home this morning. (Minha mãe não está vindo à 
escola estudar.)
ADJETIVOS COMPARATIVOS E 
SUPERLATIVOS - ADJECTIVES 
COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE
COMPARATIVO
SUPERIORIDADE IGUALDADE INFERIORIDADE
-er ... than
(mais que...)
ou
more... than
(mais que...)
as...as...
(tão...como/
quanto)
ou
not as...as
not so...as
(não tão...como/
quanto)
less... than
(menos... que)
Os comparativos de superioridade com -er são usados com 
adjetivos e advérbios de até duas sílabas.
Exemplos:
Americans are taller than Indians. 
Today is colder than yesterday.
Os comparativos de superioridade formados com more ... than
são usados com adjetivos e advérbios com mais de duas sílabas.
Exemplos:
Joana is more beautiful than her neighbor Julia.
João is more intelligent than Roberto. 
Os comparativos de igualdade são usados com qualquer 
adjetivo ou advérbio, independente do número de sílabas. 
Exemplos:
Australia is as hot as Brazil. 
Pedro is not as tall as Felipe. 
We cannot run as fast as horses.
Martha is as beautiful as Daniela.
Os comparativos de inferioridade são usados com qualquer 
adjetivo ou advérbio, independente do número de sílabas.
Exemplos: 
Bruna is less beautiful than Carla.
This house is less valuable than that one. 
Bruno is less tall than Carlos.
SUPERLATIVO
SUPERIORIDADE INFERIORIDADE
the ... –est 
(o(a) mais, os(as) mais...)
ou
the most ... 
(o(a) mais, os(as) mais...)
the least... 
(o(a) menos, os(as) menos...)
Os superlativos com the ... –est são usados com adjetivos e 
advérbios de até duas sílabas.
Exemplos: 
That city is the coldest in the country. 
My garden is the liveliest in town. 
Os superlativos com the most ... são usados com adjetivos e 
advérbios com mais de duas sílabas. 
Exemplos: 
Pablo is the most foolish person of the of� ce. 
This exercise is the most dif� cult of the book. 
Os superlativos de inferioridade são usados com qualquer 
adjetivo ou advérbio, independente do número de sílabas.
Exemplos:
Rita is the least tall of all the girls I know.
Lisa is the least beautiful woman of the course.
Os adjetivos abaixo, que terminam em -y e –ly, podem 
formar o comparativo e superlativo de superioridade da 
seguinte forma. 
Exemplos:
heavy / heavier than / the heaviest 
handy / handier than / the handiest
lonely / lonelier than / the loneliest
happy / happier than / the happiest
lively / livelier than / the liveliest
funny / funnier than / the funniest
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Os adjetivos e advérbios abaixo, embora tenham duas 
sílabas, podem ser usados com o comparativo more ... than e 
superlativo com the most. São exceções à regra de até duas 
sílabas.
Exemplos:
afraid / more afraid than / the most afraid
frequent / more frequent than / the most frequent
certain / more certain / the most certain
correct / more correct / the most correct
exact / more exact / the most exact
often / more often / the most often
seldom / more seldom / the most seldom
modern / more modern / the most modern
normal / more normal / the most normal
recent / more recent / the most recent 
Os adjetivos quiet, simple, clever, common, gentle, narrow, 
pleasant e polite aceitam as duas formas comparativas de 
superioridade.
Exemplos:
clever / cleverer than / more clever than / the cleverest / the most 
clever 
narrow / narrower than / more narrow than / the narrowest / the 
most narrow
shallow / shallower than / more shallow than / the shallowest / 
the most shallow
Alguns adjetivos e advérbios apresentam formas irregulares 
para o comparativo e para o superlativo de superioridade.
Exemplos:
good / well / better than / the best
bad / badly / worse than / the worst
little / less than / the least
many / much / more than / the most
far / farther than / the farthest (para indicar distância) 
further than / the furthest (para indicar tempo)
old / older than / the oldest (para pessoas, animais, coisas e eventos) 
elder / the eldest (somente para pessoas, e da mesma família) 
elder nunca é seguidode than. É usado em estruturas como “my elder 
brother ...”
Utilizamos as estruturas comparativas de superioridade 
referindo-se a quantidades ou a um extremo na quantidade 
(muitas vezes essa regra vale para qualidades):
Exemplos:
She spent less on clothes than Anna did.
The Hotel Copacabana has the most rooms.
The most gracious was Bahia.
A estrutura de gradual increase, ou crescimento gradual 
(= cada vez mais, mais e mais), é formada através de be getting/
becoming + uma forma comparativa de superioridade (com -er 
ou more) repetida ou não.
Exemplos:
Those teachers are getting / becoming fatter. 
Those students are getting / becoming fatter and fatter. 
Those policemen are getting / becoming more and more fat.
Those girls are getting / becoming more beautiful.
Those women are getting / becoming more and more beautiful.
A estrutura de “parallel” increase, ou crescimento em 
paralelo (= quanto mais..., mais/menos... / quanto menos..., 
mais/menos...), é formada por the + comparativo de superioridade 
(com -er ou more) e ... the + comparativo de superioridade (com 
-er ou more).
Exemplos:
The hotter the weather is, the better for all of us. 
The more careful you are with your child, the less worried
you’ll be. 
The better the computer, the more expensive it is. 
Adjetivos com duas consoantes e apenas uma vogal entre 
essas consoantes dobram a última consoante. 
Exemplos:
sad / sadder / the saddest
thin / thinner / the thinnest
fat / fatter / the fattest
EXERCÍCIOS DE
FIXAÇÃO
01. (PUC-CAMP) Assinale a alternativa em que os artigos, a ou an
foram incorretamente empregados.
a) The General was wearing a uniform whose buttons were all 
made of gold.
b) Thank you, Sir, it’s an honor to me having worked with you.
c) Please, hand me a dozen eggs.
d) What will you have, a coffee, a tea or water?
e) A lot of people consider you a hero.
02. (EPCAR/AFA 2015)
JOBS AT HIGH RISK
It is an invisible force that goes by many names. Computerization. 
Automation. Arti� cial intelligence. Technology. Innovation. And, 
everyone's favorite, ROBOTS. Whatever name you prefer, some form 
of it has been stimulating progress and killing jobs - from tailors to 
paralegals - for centuries. But this time is different: nearly half of 
American jobs today could be automated in "a decade or two". The 
question is: which half?
Another way of posing the same question is: Where do machines 
work better than people? Tractors are more powerful than farmers. 
Robotic arms are stronger and more tireless than assembly-line 
workers. But in the past 30 years, software and robots have succeeded 
replacing a particular kind of occupation: the average-wage, middle-
skill, routine- heavy worker, especially in manufacturing and of� ce 
administration.
Indeed, it's projected that the next wave of computer progress will 
continue to endanger human work where it already has: manufacturing, 
administrative support, retail, and transportation. Most remaining 
factory jobs are "likely to diminish over the next decades". Cashiers, 
counter clerks, and telemarketers are similarly endangered. On the 
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other hand, health care workers, people responsible for our safety, 
and management positions are the least likely to be automated.
The Next Big Thing
We might be on the edge of an innovating moment in robotics 
and arti� cial intelligence. Although the past 30 years have reduced the 
middle, high- and low-skill jobs have actually increased, as if protected 
from the invading armies of robots by their own moats. Higher-skill 
workers have been protected by a kind of social-intelligence moat. 
Computers are historically good at executing routines, but they're 
bad at � nding patterns, communicating with people, and making 
decisions, which is what managers are paid to do. This is why some 
people think managers are, for the moment, one of the largest 
categories immune to the fast wave of AI. Meanwhile, lower-skill 
workers have been protected by the Moravec moat. Hans Moravec 
was a futurist who pointed out that machine technology copied a 
savant infant: Machines could do long math equations instantly and 
beat anybody in chess, but they can't answer a simple question or 
walk up a � ight of stairs. As a result, not skilled work done by people 
without much education (like home health care workers, or fast-food 
attendants) have been saved, too.
The Human Half 
In the 19th century, new manufacturing technology replaced what 
was then skilled labor. In the second half of the 20th century, however, 
software technology took the place of median-salaried of� ce work. 
The � rst wave showed that machines are better at assembling things. 
The second showed that machines are better at organizing things. 
Now data analytics and self-driving cars suggest they might be better 
at pattern-recognition and driving. So what are we better at?
The safest industries and jobs are dominated by managers, health-
care workers, and a super-category that includes education, media, 
and community service. One conclusion to draw from this is that 
humans are, and will always be, superior at working with, and caring 
for other humans. In this light, automation doesn't make the world 
worse. Far from it: it creates new opportunities for human creativity.
But robots are already creeping into diagnostics and surgeries. 
Schools are already experimenting with software that replaces 
teaching hours. The fact that some industries have been safe from 
automation for the last three decades doesn't guarantee that they'll 
be safe for the next one.
It would be anxious enough if we knew exactly which jobs are next 
in line for automation. The truth is scarier. We don't really have a clue.
(Adapted from http://www.businessinsider.com/
robots-overtakingamerican- jobs-2014-1)
Glossary:
savant infant – a child with great knowledge and ability 
to assemble – to make something by joining separate parts 
to creep – to move slowly, quietly and carefully
Mark the option that contains an adjective in the same form as in “The 
safest industries and jobs are dominated by managers [...]”.
a) “The truth is scarier.”
b) “[...] the least likely to be automated.”
c) “Where do machines work better than people?”
d) “Tractors are more powerful than farmers.”
03. (UFRGS 2014) “Fan is 1__________ abbreviated form of fanatic, 
which has 2__________ roots in 3__________ Latin word fanaticus, 
which simply meant belonging to the temple, a devotee”. […]
(Adapted from: JENKINS, Henry. Textual Poachers: Television Fans and
Participatory Culture. New York / London: Routledge, 1992. p. 12-16.)
Select the alternative which correctly � lls in the gaps in references 1, 2 
and 3, in the order they appear.
a) the – the – a
b) the – its – a
c) the – it’s – the
d) an – it’s – the
e) an – its – the
04. (UPE 2015)
SLEEPING ON STILTS IN THE AMAZON
As 75-year-old villager Antônio Gomes told us stories of growing 
up in Boca do Mamirauá, a tiny settlement in the northern Amazon 
rainforest, I tried to ignore the tiny blue � ies biting through my trousers. 
Despite my interest in hearing how locals survive in this remote part 
of the Brazilian rainforest, now a part of the Mamirauá Sustainable 
Development Reserve, I was grateful to escape when he � nished, 
� nding refuge in one of the tall wooden houses. The houses hover 
some 3m above the ground. They are not unusual: almost everything 
in the Mamirauá reserve is on stilts, even the chicken coop. It has to 
be. Although much of Brazil is currently suffering one of the worst 
droughts in decades, this part of the Amazon is almost completely 
� ooded for the six-month wet season. By April, the end of the rainy 
season, the river rises up to 10m high and over� ows its banks. As a 
result, all living things in the forest, including locals, must adopt an 
amphibious lifestyle. Even the jaguars have learned to adapt by living 
in tree branches when the � oods arrive.Only 1,000 tourists per year are allowed to visit Mamirauá, which, 
at 57,000sqkm, is the largest wildlife reserve in the country. Created in 
1984 to save the once-endangered uakari monkey, the reserve is the 
most carefully managed and protected part of the Amazon – and is 
also home to what many consider Brazil’s most successful sustainable 
tourist resort, the Uakari Floating Lodge. “If [the reserve] had not been 
created,” guide Francisco Nogeuira said, “the rivers and lakes would be 
empty of � sh, and who knows how many trees would remain today?”
(Disponível em: http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature
/20140626-sleeping-on- stilts-in-the-amazon)
In the last paragraph, it is possible to � nd sentences in:
a) comparative of equality.
b) comparative of superiority.
c) superlative of superiority.
d) superlative of inferiority.
e) comparative of inferiority.
05. (ITA 2014) Substituindo os adjetivos long e comprehensive, 
respectivamente, por easy e rich na oração “Harvard conducted 
one of the longest and most comprehensive studies of human 
development”, teremos:
a) the most easy - the richest
b) the easiest - the most rich
c) the more easy - the richer
d) the easiest - the richest
e) the most easy - the most rich
06. (CN 2017) Complete the sentences using an article when necessary.
I. Is Mario __________ honest man?
II. The students wear __________ uniform here.
III. __________ Smiths live next to the supermarket.
IV. __________ Brasilia was made the capital in 1960.
Choose the correct option:
a) a / an / - / -
b) a / an / The / The
c) an / a / The / The
d) a / an / - / The
e) an / a / The / -
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07. (EEAR 2016) Select the alternative that best completes the 
extract below.
WORKPLACE ACCIDENT STATISTICS
Every year, millions of people in _____ United States are hurt on 
the job. Each day 16 workers die from injuries at work and more than 
17,000 are injured. Accidents also cause the companies to spend 
more. Last year, _____ total cost was more than $121 billion. 
a) the – a
b) a – the
c) the – an
d) the – the
08. (UFSM 2004) Leia.
EUROPE IS BORN
In spring 1950 Europe was on the edge of the abyss. With the 
onset of the Cold War, the threat of con� ict between its eastern 
and western halves loomed over the continent. Five years after the 
end of World War Two, the old enemies were still 11a long way from 
2reconciliation.
What could be done to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past 
and to create the right conditions for a 1lasting peace between such 
recent enemies? The nub of the problem was the relationship between 
France and Germany. 10A link had to be forged between the two and 
all the 5free countries in Europe had to be 3united around them so that 
they could work together on building a community with 9a shared 
destiny. It was Jean Monnet, with his unique wealth of experience as 
a negotiator and man of peace, who 4suggested to the French Foreign 
Minister, Robert Schuman, and the German Chancellor, Konrad 
Adenauer, that 8a community of interest be established between their 
countries, in the shape of a jointly managed market in coal and steel 
under the control of an independent authority. The proposal was 
of� cially tabled by France on 9 May 1950, and was warmly received 
by Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The treaty establishing the � rst European Community. the 
European Coal and Steel Community or ECSC, was eventually 
signed in April 1951, opening up the door to 12a Europe of 6practical 
achievements. Further achievements were to follow until we � nally 
reached the European Union as it is today, 7a Union now opening up 
to the eastern half of the continent from which it has too long been 
separated.
(http://europa.eu.int/abc/obj/chrono/40years/7days/en.htm 06/06/03)
No fragmento "a Union", há uma eufonia. O mesmo processo ocorre em:
a) “a community” (ref. 8).
b) “a shared destiny” (ref. 9).
c) “A link” (ref. 10).
d) “a long way” (ref. 11).
e) “a Europe” (ref. 12).
09. (UNESP 2017)
QUESTION: IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO
 TRAIN MY BODY TO NEED LESS SLEEP?
Karen Weintraub June 17, 2016
Many people think they can teach themselves to need less sleep, 
but they’re wrong, said Dr. Sigrid Veasey, a professor at the Center for 
Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s 
Perelman School of Medicine. We might feel that we’re getting by � ne 
on less sleep, but we’re deluding ourselves, Dr. Veasey said, largely 
because lack of sleep skews our self-awareness. “The more you 
deprive yourself of sleep over long periods of time, the less accurate 
you are of judging your own sleep perception,” she said.
Multiple studies have shown that people don’t functionally 
adapt to less sleep than their bodies need. There is a range of 
normal sleep times, with most healthy adults naturally needing 
seven to nine hours of sleep per night, according to the National 
Sleep Foundation. Those over 65 need about seven to eight 
hours, on average, while teenagers need eight to 10 hours, 
and school-age children nine to 11 hours. People’s performance 
continues to be poor while they are sleep deprived, Dr. Veasey said.
Health issues like pain, sleep apnea or autoimmune disease can increase 
people’s need for sleep, said Andrea Meredith, a neuroscientist at the 
University of Maryland School of Medicine. A misalignment of the 
clock that governs our sleep-wake cycle can also drive up the need for 
sleep, Dr. Meredith said. The brain’s clock can get misaligned by being 
stimulated at the wrong time of day, she said, such as from caffeine 
in the afternoon or evening, digital screen use too close to bedtime, 
or even exercise at a time of day when the body wants to be winding 
down.
(http://well.blogs.nytimes.com. Adaptado.)
No trecho do primeiro parágrafo “The more you deprive yourself of 
sleep over long periods of time, the less accurate you are of judging 
your own sleep perception”, os termos em destaque indicam:
a) � nalidade.
b) preferência.
c) proporcionalidade.
d) exclusão.
e) substituição.
10. (EN 2016) Which is the correct way to complete the paragraph 
below?
No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are 
related to our � rst language are __________. Learning a completely 
different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not 
necessarily make a language __________ another. In the end, it 
is impossible to say that there is one language that is __________ 
language in the world.
(Adapted from www.usingenglish.com)
a) easier – more dif� cult – harder
b) the easiest – more dif� cult – harder
c) as easy as – the most dif� cult – the hardest
d) easier – more dif� cult than – the hardest
e) the easiest – more dif� cult than – the harder
EXERCÍCIOS DE
TREINAMENTO
01. 
WHY BILINGUALS ARE SMARTER
Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical 
bene� ts in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists 
have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more 
fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. 
Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound 
effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language 
and even protecting from dementia in old age.
This view of bilingualism is remarkably different from the 
understanding of bilingualism through much of the 20th century. 
Researchers, educators and policy makers long considered a second 
language to be an interference, cognitively speaking, that delayed a 
child’s academic and intellectual development. They were not wrong 
about the interference: there is ample evidence that in a bilingual’s 
brain both language systems are active even when he is using only 
one language, thus creating situations in which one system obstructs 
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the other. But this interference, researchers are � ndingout, isn’t 
so much a handicap as a blessing in disguise. It forces the brain to 
resolve internal con� ict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens 
its cognitive muscles. Bilinguals, for instance, seem to be more adept 
than monolinguals at solving certain kinds of mental puzzles. In a 
2004 study by the psychologists Ellen Bialystok and Michelle Martin-
Rhee, bilingual and monolingual preschoolers were asked to sort blue 
circles and red squares presented on a computer screen into two 
digital bins — one marked with a blue square and the other marked 
with a red circle. In the � rst task, the children had to sort the shapes by 
color, placing blue circles in the bin marked with the blue square and 
red squares in the bin marked with the red circle. Both groups did this 
with comparable ease. Next, the children were asked to sort by shape, 
which was more challenging because it required placing the images in 
a bin marked with a con� icting color. The bilinguals were quicker at 
performing this task. The collective evidence from a number of such 
studies suggests that the bilingual experience improves the brain’s 
so-called executive function — a command system that directs the 
attention processes that we use for planning, solving problems and 
performing various other mentally demanding tasks. These processes 
include ignoring distractions to stay focused, switching attention 
willfully from one thing to another and holding information in mind 
— like remembering a sequence of directions while driving.
Why does the � ght between two simultaneously active language 
systems improve these aspects of cognition? Until recently, researchers 
thought the bilingual advantage was centered primarily in an ability 
for inhibition that was improved by the exercise of suppressing one 
language system: this suppression, it was thought, would help train 
the bilingual mind to ignore distractions in other contexts. But that 
explanation increasingly appears to be inadequate, since studies have 
shown that bilinguals perform better than monolinguals even at 
tasks that do not require inhibition, like threading a line through an 
ascending series of numbers scattered randomly on a page.
The bilingual experience appears to in� uence the brain from 
infancy to old age (and there is reason to believe that it may also apply 
to those who learn a second language later in life). In a 2009 study led 
by Agnes Kovacs of the International School for Advanced Studies in 
Trieste, Italy, 7-month-old babies exposed to two languages from birth 
were compared with peers raised with one language. In an initial set 
of tests, the infants were presented with an audio stimulus and then 
shown a puppet on one side of a screen. Both infant groups learned 
to look at that side of the screen in anticipation of the puppet. But in 
a later set of tests, when the puppet began appearing on the opposite 
side of the screen, the babies exposed to a bilingual environment 
quickly learned to switch their anticipatory gaze in the new direction 
while the other babies did not.
Bilingualism’s effects also extend into the twilight years. In a 
recent study of 44 elderly Spanish-English bilinguals, scientists led by 
the neuropsychologist Tamar Gollan of the University of California, 
San Diego, found that individuals with a higher degree of bilingualism 
— measured through a comparative evaluation of pro� ciency in each 
language — were more resistant than others to the beginning of 
dementia and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: the higher the 
degree of bilingualism, the later the age of occurrence.
Nobody ever doubted the power of language. But who would 
have imagined that the words we hear and the sentences we speak 
might be leaving such a deep imprint?
(Adapted from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/
opinion/sunday/the- bene� tsof-bilingualism.html)
Mark the incorrect option:
a) […] the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental 
than being able to converse […]
b) […] with a wider range of people.
c) […] the understanding of bilingualism through much of the 
20th century.
d) The Bilinguals were quicker at performing this task.
02. (UNIOESTE 2012)
BRAZIL POLICE OCCUPY RIO FAVELA IN WORLD CUP OPERATION
Brazilian security forces have occupied one of Rio de Janeiro's 
biggest slums as part of a major crackdown ahead of the 2014 World 
Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Some 800 police and special forces moved into the Mangueira 
shantytown, without needing to � re a shot, having announced the 
raid in advance.
The slum – or favela – is close to Rio's famous Maracana stadium, 
where the World Cup � nal will be played.
The pre-dawn operation involved armoured vehicles and helicopters.
According to the newspaper, O Globo, lea� ets were thrown out 
of the helicopters, some with photos of wanted criminals. Others 
were printed with the police special forces' telephone number so 
that residents could pass on information about drugs traf� ckers or 
weapons.
BBC Brazil correspondent Paulo Cabral says most of Mangueira's 
residents co-operated with the operation, as they want to rid the area 
of drug dealers.
He says that Rio's authorities are making an effort to gain the 
trust of those living in the slums, who – after decades of abuse – have 
got used to seeing the police as their enemy. Mangueira – home to 
one of Rio's most famous samba schools – is the 18th favela that the 
authorities have occupied recently.
(Adapted from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13833037)
The only option that does not contain an adjective used in the 
superlative form is:
a) Mangueira is one of Rio de Janeiro's biggest slums.
b) Mangueira is close to Rio's famous Maracanã stadium.
c) Mangueira is the home to one of Rio's most famous samba 
schools.
d) The oldest public park of Brazil is located in Rio de Janeiro.
e) Maracanã is known as one of the largest football stadiums in the 
world.
03. (PUC-MG 2010)
GETTING REAL ABOUT THE HIGH PRICE OF CHEAP FOOD
By Bryan Walsh Friday, Aug. 21, 2009.
Horror stories about the food industry have been with us since 
1906, when Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle told ugly truths about 
how America produces its meat. Nowadays, things have got much 
better, and in some ways much worse. The U.S. agricultural industry 
can now produce unlimited quantities of meat and grains at remarkably 
cheap prices. But it does so at a high cost to the environment, animals 
and humans. Some of those hidden prices are the erosion of fertile 
farmland and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among farm 
animals.
Some Americans are noticing such warnings and working 
to transform the way the country eats — farmers who are raising 
sustainable food in ways that don't ruin the earth. Documentaries 
and the work of journalists are reprising Sinclair's work, awakening a 
sleeping public to the realities of how we eat. Change is also coming 
from the very top. First Lady Michelle Obama's White House garden 
has so far raised a lot of organic produce — and tons of powerful 
symbolism. Nevertheless, despite increasing public awareness, 
sustainable agriculture, remains a tiny enterprise: according to 
recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, less than 1% 
of American cropland is farmed organically. Sustainable food is also 
pricier than conventional food and harder to � nd.
Unless Americans radically rethink the way they grow and consume 
food, they face a future of eroded farmland and high health costs. 
Sustainable food has an elitist reputation, but each of us depends on 
the soil, animals and plants. And as every farmer knows, if you don't 
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take care of your land, it can't take care of you.
(Adapted from: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917458,00.html.)
The problem with organic food is that it is _______________________ 
than conventional food.
a) more expensive and more dif� cult to � nd
b) unhealthier and extremelymore caloric
c) more fattening and harder to digest
d) more harmful and more dangerous
04. (ITA 2016) 
YOUR FACIAL BONE STRUCTURE HAS A BIG
INFLUENCE ON HOW PEOPLE SEE YOU
(…) Sel� es, headshots, mug shots – photos of oneself convey more 
these days than snapshots ever did back in the Kodak era. Most digitally 
minded people continually post and update pictures of themselves at 
professional, social media and dating sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, 
Match.com and Tinder. For better or worse, viewers then tend to 
make snap judgments about someone’s personality or character from 
a single shot. As such, it can be a stressful task to select the photo that 
conveys the best impression of ourselves. For those of us seeking to 
appear friendly and trustworthy to others, a new study underscores an 
old, chipper piece of advice: Put on a happy face.
A newly published series of experiments by cognitive 
neuroscientists at New York University is reinforcing the relevance 
of facial expressions to perceptions of characteristics such as 
trustworthiness and friendliness. More importantly, the research also 
revealed the unexpected � nding that perceptions of abilities such as 
physical strength are not dependent on facial expressions but rather 
on facial bone structure.
The team’s � rst experiment featured photographs of 10 different 
people presenting � ve different facial expressions each. Study subjects 
rated how friendly, trustworthy or strong the person in each photo 
appeared. A separate group of subjects scored each face on an 
emotional scale from “very angry” to “very happy.” And three experts 
not involved in either of the previous two ratings to avoid confounding 
results calculated the facial width-to-height ratio for each face. An 
analysis revealed that participants generally ranked people with a 
happy expression as friendly and trustworthy but not those with angry 
expressions. Surprisingly, participants did not rank faces as indicative 
of physical strength based on facial expression but graded faces that 
were very broad as that of a strong individual.
In a second survey facial expression and facial structure were 
manipulated in computer-generated faces. Participants rated each 
face for the same traits as in the � rst survey, with the addition of a 
rating for warmth. Again, people thought a happy expression, but 
not an angry one, indicated friendliness, trustworthiness — and in 
this case, warmth. The researchers then showed two additional sets 
of participants the same faces, this time either with areas relevant 
to facial expressions obscured or the width cropped. In the � rst 
variation, for faces lacking emotional cues, people could no longer 
perceive personality traits but could still perceive strength based on 
width. Similarly, for those faces lacking structural cues, people could 
no longer perceive strength but could still perceive personality traits 
based on facial expressions.
In a third iteration of the survey participants had to pick four faces 
out of a lineup of eight faces varied for expression and width that 
they might select either as their � nancial advisor or as the winner of a 
power-lifting competition. As might be expected, participants picked 
faces with happier expressions as � nancial advisors and selected 
broader faces as belonging to power-lifting champs.
In a � nal survey the researchers generated more than 100 
variations of one individual “base face” by varying facial features. 
Participants saw two faces at a time, and then picked one as either 
trustworthy or high in ability or as a good � nancial advisor or power-
lifting winner. Using these results, a computer then created an average 
face for each of these four categories, which were shown to a separate 
set of participants who had to pick which face appeared either more 
trustworthy or stronger. Most of the participants found the computer-
generated averages to be good representations of trustworthiness or 
strength – and generally saw the average “� nancial advisor” face as 
more trustworthy and the “powerlifter” face as stronger. The � ndings 
from all four surveys were published in the Personality and Social 
Psychology Bulletin on June 18.
(Adaptado de www.scienti� c.american.com/article/your-facial-bone-
strecture- has-a-big-in� uence-on-how-people-see-you. Acesso em 20/8/2015)
Todas as frases abaixo contêm adjetivo com � exão de grau, exceto:
a) […] photos of oneself convey more these days than snapshots 
ever did back in the Kodak era.
b) […] it can be a stressful task to select the photo that conveys the 
best impression of ourselves.
c) […] participants picked faces with happier expressions as 
� nancial advisors […]
d) […] and [participants] selected broader faces as belonging to 
power-lifting champs.
e) […] and generally saw the average “� nancial advisor” face as 
more trustworthy […]
05. (UPE 2012) Considere o texto.
Trying to predict what will happen as our planet warms up is not 
easy. We know that ice at the poles is melting and this is making sea 
levels rise. Warmer temperatures are likely to change other aspects 
of the weather. Some countries, such as those in North Africa, may 
become ____I___ , while other areas, such as Northern Europe, may 
become _______II________. There will probably be more storms, 
droughts, and � ooding.
(Adaptado de Impact of climate change. In: The New Children’s
 Encyclopedia. London: 2009. p. 78)
As lacunas I e II no texto acima podem ser completadas, de forma 
correta e na mesma sequência, pela opção:
a) more hotter and drier — more colder and wetter
b) as hotter and drier — as colder and wetter
c) hotter and drier — colder and wetter
d) most hotter and dry — most colder and wet
e) the hotter and drier — the colder and wetter
06. (EPCAR/AFA 2012)
HOW TO BECOME A STUNT DOUBLE
A stunt double stands in for the actor when the action or � ght 
scene gets dangerous or goes beyond the capabilities of the actor. To 
become a stunt double, you must be in excellent physical condition 
and have special skills.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Exercise regularly if you want to become a stunt double. Eat 
nutritiously for optimal health and strength.
2. Take lots of lessons because the more skills you have, 
the better. Gymnastics is extremely important in becoming 
a stunt double. Get good at trampoline, skateboarding, 
swimming and high board diving. Take scuba diving lessons.
Practice rock climbing and horseback riding. Learn to water ski 
and snow ski.
3. Enroll in martial arts classes, especially judo. Judo is excellent for 
learning how to break falls.
4. Get training in CPR1 and First Aid. This training looks good on a 
résumé, especially for stunt double careers. Injuries happen.
5. Have valid driver's licenses for both car and motorcycle. Take 
advanced driving classes so you'll be quali� ed for dif� cult driving 
scenes.
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6. Move to Hollywood and plan to work your way up from the 
bottom. You must get into the Screen Actors Guild2 and have a 
union card3.
(Taken from Google)
1 - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
2 - Annual prize promoted by the American Syndicate of Actors.
3 - A card certifying membership in an organization.
Look at the bold comparative form (item 2). Choose the option that 
contains a similar construction.
a) The earlier we get there, the more likely we are to get good seats.
b) More and more people travel to England.
c) The smoothest Channel crossing you’ll ever have! Why not � y to 
France with British Airways? It’ll be the best decision you’ve ever 
made.
d) Our new jets are now far more luxurious.
07. (EFOMM 2018) Which alternative is correct?
a) I visited the United Kingdom and the Brazil two years ago.
b) The Bahamas is a group of islands in the West Indies.
c) Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world.
d) The coast of the country is bathed by Atlantic Ocean.
e) My brother likes seaside, but I prefer mountains.
08. (EN 2017)What is the correct option to complete the text below?
THE CURRENT SMARTPHONE MARKET
It’s __________ brand new year and already there have been 
__________ new smartphones released onto the market.
Upgrading from your current device can be __________ exciting 
time, but it can also be __________ little confusing with all of 
__________ options available.
(http://www.news.com.au)
a) a / - / the / - / -
b) the / a / an / the / an
c) a / - / an / a / the
d) an / the / - / the / an
e) the / - / a / a / the
09. (UNIFOR 2014) Leia as sentenças abaixo e marque a opção correta 
de acordo com o uso dos artigos de� nido e inde� nido:
I. Can you play a guitar?
II. I once played the guitar which had only � ve strings.
III. She started learning the piano at the age of � ve.
IV. I’ve always had a � ute, ever since I was a child.
V. I’m afraid the violin is an instrument I never mastered.
a) Todas estão corretas.
b) Todas estão incorretas.
c) Apenas os itens I e II estão errados.
d) Apenas os itens III, IV, e V estão errados. 
e) Apenas os itens I, III e V estão corretos.
10. (ITA 2018)
GOODBYE THINGS, HELLO MINIMALISM: 1CAN
LIVING WITH LESS MAKE YOU HAPPIER?
Fumio Sasaki owns a roll-up mattress, three shirts and four pairs of 
socks. After deciding to scorn possessions, he began feeling happier. 
He explains why.
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m 35 years old, male, single, 
never been married. I work as an editor at a publishing company. I 
recently moved from the Nakameguro neighbourhood in Tokyo, 
where I lived for a decade, to a neighbourhood called Fudomae in a 
different part of town. 2The rent is cheaper, but the move pretty much 
wiped out my savings.
Some of you may think that I’m a loser: an unmarried adult with 
not much money. The old me would have been way too embarrassed 
to admit all this. I was � lled with useless pride. But I honestly don’t 
care about things like that any more. The reason is very simple: I’m 
perfectly happy just as I am. The reason? I got rid of most of my 
material possessions.
Minimalism is a lifestyle in which 3you reduce your possessions 
to the least possible. Living with only the bare essentials has not only 
provided super� cial bene� ts such as the pleasure of a tidy room or the 
simple ease of cleaning, 4it has also led to a more fundamental shift. 
It’s given me a chance to think about what it really means to be happy.
We think that 5the more we have, the happier we will be. 6We 
never know what tomorrow might bring, so we collect and save as 
much as we can. This means we need a lot of money, so we gradually 
start judging people by how much money they have. You convince 
yourself that you need to make a lot of money so you don’t miss out 
on success. And for you to make money, you need everyone else to 
spend their money. And so it goes.
So I said goodbye to a lot of things, many of which I’d had for 
years. And yet now I live each day with a happier spirit. 7I feel more 
content now than I ever did in the past.
I wasn’t always a minimalist. I used to buy a lot of things, believing 
that all those possessions would increase my self-worth and lead to 
a happier life. I loved collecting a lot of useless stuff, and I couldn’t 
throw anything away. I was a natural hoarder of knick-knacks that I 
thought made me an interesting person.
At the same time, though, I was always comparing myself with 
other people who had more or better things, 8which often made 
me miserable. I couldn’t focus on anything, and I was always 
wasting time. Alcohol was my escape, and I didn’t treat women 
fairly. I didn’t try to change; I thought this was all just part of who 
I was, and I deserved to be unhappy.
My apartment wasn’t horribly messy; if my girlfriend was coming 
over for the weekend, I could do enough tidying up to make it look 
presentable. On a usual day, however, there were books stacked 
everywhere because there wasn’t enough room on my bookshelves. 
Most I had thumbed through once or twice, thinking that 9I would 
read them when I had the time.
The closet was crammed with what used to be my favorite 
clothes, most of which I’d only worn a few times. The room was � lled 
with all the things I’d taken up as hobbies and then gotten tired of. 
A guitar and ampli� er, covered with dust. Conversational English 
workbooks I’d planned to study once I had more free time. Even a 
fabulous antique camera, 10which of course I had never once put a 
roll of � lm in.
11It may sound as if I’m exaggerating when I say I started to 
become a new person. Someone said to me: “All you did is throw 
things away,” which is true. 12But by having fewer things around, I’ve 
started feeling happier each day. I’m slowly beginning to understand 
what happiness is.
If you are anything like I used to be – miserable, constantly 
comparing yourself with others, or just believing your life sucks – 13I 
think you should try saying goodbye to some of your things. […] 
Everyone wants to be happy. But trying to buy happiness only makes 
us happy for a little while.
(adaptado de <https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/12/goodbye-things-
hello-minimalism-can-living-with-lessmake-you-happier>. Acesso em: 21 mai. 2017.)
Todas as frases abaixo usam a forma comparativa do adjetivo, exceto: 
a) The rent is cheaper, (ref. 2)
b) […] you reduce your possessions to the least possible. (ref. 3)
c) […] the more we have, the happier we will be. (ref. 5)
d) I feel more content now than I ever did in the past. (ref. 7)
e) But by having fewer things around, (ref. 12)
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EXERCÍCIOS DE
COMBATE
01. (AFA) _____ man I don't know has called you but didn't leave any 
message. _____ man just told me he'd call again during _____ week.
a) An - A - an
b) A - The - the
c) The - A - the
d) The - The - a
02. (EFOMM) I think you drive ______________ than your husband.
a) careful
b) carefully
c) more carefully
d) more careful
e) most careful
03. (AFA) “Many adolescents act this way because they feel frustrated 
or angry […]”. The comparative form of the underlined word is:
a) more angry.
b) angrier than.
c) more angrier.
d) more angry than.
04. (ITA) Dadas as sentenças:
I. Would you like to go to the movies with me?
II. The Atlantic and The Paci� c are very big oceans.
III. I think she is the most beautiful girl in the neighborhood.
Constatamos que está(ão) correta(s), relativamente ao uso do artigo the:
a) apenas a I.
b) apenas a II.
c) apenas a III.
d) apenas a II e III.
e) todas as sentenças.
05. (EFOMM) Choose the alternative that correctly shows the 
comparative form of the adjectives below.
far - good – bad – easy – old
a) further – best – worst – easier – oldest
b) farther – better – worse – easiest – older
c) further – better – worse – easier – elder
d) farther – best – worse – easier – oldest
06. (AFA) “Michael played the piano ______ when he was _______. 
Now he stopped practicing”.
a) better / younger
b) very well / newest
c) well / more young
d) more right / more young
07. (AFA) Choose the option which shows the same kind of 
comparison in the underlined adjective in “friendship is considered to 
be closer than association”.
a) Americans have no best friends.
b) While less restricted in Russia.
c) Friendships are often more intense than relationships.
d) Everyone has at least one best friend.
08. (EFOMM) Choose the correct alternative to complete the 
sentences below.
I. Simon is in ______ prison because he didn’t pay his taxes. 
II. You have made ____ very good progress.
III. We didn’t have time to visit ____ Louvre when we were in Paris.
IV. I’ve always wanted to visit ____ Netherlands.
a) a / a / the / the
b) --- / --- / the / the
c) the / a / --- / ---
d) --- / a / --- / a
e) a / --- / --- / the
09. (EN) What is the correct option to complete the text below?
MOSQUITO SCREENS TO BE USED AT RIO GAMES
Even as athletes grow increasingly concerned about _______ 
outbreakof _______ Zika virus in Brazil, _______ organizing 
committee for the August Olympics in Rio de Janeiro said it would 
charge national delegations to have mosquito screens on athletes' 
rooms, _____ screens, one measure Brazilians are using to help 
ward off the mosquito that is the primary transmitter of Zika, will be 
installed in communal areas "where required," but af� xed to lodging 
only if national delegations decide to pay for it, said Philip Wilkinson, 
______ spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee.
a) an / - / the / - /an
b) the / the / the / the / a
c) the / a / the / the / a
d) an / the / - / the / a
e) the / the / the / the / an
10. (EN) Which sequence best completes the quotation below?
_____ Ebola outbreak in West Africa is already _______ global 
threat to _______public health and it's vital that ______ UK remains at 
_______ forefront of responding to ______epidemic.
Michael Fallon, Defense Secretary, 2014.
 (Adapted from http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk)
a) An / a / the / X / the / an
b) X / the / X / the / X / an
c) The / the / the / X / the / the
d) An / X / X / the / X / X
e) The / a / X / the / the / the
GABARITO
EXERCÍCIOS DE FIXAÇÃO
01. D
02. B
03. E
04. C
05. D
06. E
07. D
08. E
09. C
10. D
11. D
EXERCÍCIOS DE TREINAMENTO
01. C
02. B
03. A
04. A
05. C
06. A
07. B
08. C
09. C
10. B
EXERCÍCIOS DE COMBATE
01. B
02. C
03. B
04. E
05. C
06. A
07. C
08. B
09. B
10. E
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ANOTAÇÕES