Questões sobre Interpretação de Texto

Read the text below in order to answer questions 26 to 30.

STOCK OPTIONS

Twenty years ago, the biggest component of executive compensation was cash, in the form of salaries and bonuses. Stock options were just a footnote. Now the reverse is true. With astounding speed, stock option grants have come to dominate the pay - and often the wealth - of top executives throughout the United States. Last year, Jack Welch's unexercised GE options were valued at more than $260 million. Intel CEO Craig Barrett's were worth more than $100 million. Michael Eisner exercised 22 million options on Disney stock in 1988 alone, netting more than a half-billion dollars. In total, U.S. executives hold unexercised options worth tens of billions of dollars.

Which of the following statements reflects the content of the text?

• A.

  Stock option grants might dominate world top executives'pay.

• B.

  Stock options had always played a leading role in American top executives' career.

• C.

  Stock options will soon be the smallest component of international top executives' pay.

• D.

  Stock options may represent just a footnote in American top executives' pay.

• E.

  Stock options are already a significant part of American top executives' pay.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTIONS 17 TO 24:

The title implies that archaeologists:

• A. kept bones in their cupboard;
• B. were afraid of mummies;
• C. died in their expeditions;
• D. had an embarrassing past;
• E. hid treasures from scientists.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 31 to 35

REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The pluriannual Plan of the Federal Government for the years 2000-2003 has chosen regional integration as one of the main themes of Brazilian foreign policy due to its importance for the country's competitive insertion in the global economy. Regional integration, which comprises the deepening of the relations with other Mercosur Member States and the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), is necessary in order to attract productive investment, to create opportunities for employment and to facilitate access to new sources of technology. This growing interdependence has led to an increase in the international activities of different bodies at all levels, such as state and local governments, NGOs and private enterprises, thus requiring a greater effort of coordination by the Ministry of External Relations.

One of the aims of regional integration

• A. relates to productive investments
• B. is to forbid productive investments
• C. is to restrain productive investments.
• D. is to avoid the use of technology
• E. is to allow financial losses

Read the text below in order to answer questions 26 to 30.

STOCK OPTIONS

Twenty years ago, the biggest component of executive compensation was cash, in the form of salaries and bonuses. Stock options were just a footnote. Now the reverse is true. With astounding speed, stock option grants have come to dominate the pay - and often the wealth - of top executives throughout the United States. Last year, Jack Welch's unexercised GE options were valued at more than $260 million. Intel CEO Craig Barrett's were worth more than $100 million. Michael Eisner exercised 22 million options on Disney stock in 1988 alone, netting more than a half-billion dollars. In total, U.S. executives hold unexercised options worth tens of billions of dollars.

What is the complete definition for the noun wealth?

• A.

  The money, property and other valuable things that someone owns.

• B.

  The money invested in the stock market by a financial consultant.

• C.

  The shares and property which someone owns.

• D.

  The physical abilities developed by a disciplined person.

• E. The stock option grants owned by an investor.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTIONS 17 TO 24:

Before 1960, archaeologists were seen as little better than:

• A. thieves;
• B. scientists;
• C. sailors;
• D. antiquarians;
• E. gentlemen.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 31 to 35

REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The pluriannual Plan of the Federal Government for the years 2000-2003 has chosen regional integration as one of the main themes of Brazilian foreign policy due to its importance for the country's competitive insertion in the global economy. Regional integration, which comprises the deepening of the relations with other Mercosur Member States and the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), is necessary in order to attract productive investment, to create opportunities for employment and to facilitate access to new sources of technology. This growing interdependence has led to an increase in the international activities of different bodies at all levels, such as state and local governments, NGOs and private enterprises, thus requiring a greater effort of coordination by the Ministry of External Relations.

The length of the Pluriannual Plan of the Federal Government

• A. will be determined
• B. is clearly set
• C. is not clear
• D. was extended
• E. is yet to be defined.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 26 to 30.

STOCK OPTIONS

Twenty years ago, the biggest component of executive compensation was cash, in the form of salaries and bonuses. Stock options were just a footnote. Now the reverse is true. With astounding speed, stock option grants have come to dominate the pay - and often the wealth - of top executives throughout the United States. Last year, Jack Welch's unexercised GE options were valued at more than $260 million. Intel CEO Craig Barrett's were worth more than $100 million. Michael Eisner exercised 22 million options on Disney stock in 1988 alone, netting more than a half-billion dollars. In total, U.S. executives hold unexercised options worth tens of billions of dollars.

What does the verb net refer to in the following sentence:

"...netting more than a half - billion dollars".

• A. The gain when all expenses have been paid.
• B. An amount of money earned in total.
• C. The gain made before the expenses are paid.
• D. Total earnings, before deductions are made.
• E. Partial gain due to the market losses.

READ TEXT II AND ANSWER QUESTIONS 17 TO 24:

Archaeologists use methods that can:

• A. stop the robbers;
• B. set the period of time;
• C. increase the measures;
• D. deter the advances;
• E. eschew the facts.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 36 to 40:

WESTERN EUROPE

Important results grew out of the diplomatic action of Brazil vis-à-vis the Western European countries throughout the 1990s contributing in a significant way to the international insertion of the country. Diverse initiatives of a political, economic and cultural nature were implemented at the bilateral level with each country in the region and also at the multilateral level with the European Union – the most advanced experiment in regional integration ever made and whose success inspired the creation of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur). Relations with Western Europe, one of the priorities of Brazilian foreign policy, are characterized by an unusual combination of foundations: a common history (Portuguese discovery and colonization, 60 years of the Iberian Union, the Dutch presence in the Northeast); the role played by immigration and European culture in the formation of Brazil (numerous communities of descendants, language, religion and shared values), the dynamism of economic exchange (the European Union is our major trading partner and the primary source of direct investment in the country); and the intensity of the political dialogue (high level government contacts are constant and distinguished by a constructive spirit).

The text refers to Brazil's diplomatic action as

• A. restricted.
• B. reactionary.
• C. objectionable.
• D. effective.
• E. biased.

Read the text below in order to answer questions 31 to 35.

AN INTERVIEW WITH A FUND LEADER

Question: Do you invest in pure Internet companies only? Or, in other words, companies with a .com at the end of their name?

Chris Bell: No. We invest in three distinct market sectors and the percentage of the portfolio in each changes as our view alters. Currently, around 45% of the portfolio is in the shares of pure Internet companies. Last summer we had under 30% in this sector of the market. There was a big sell-off of pure Internet companies last summer because of concern about US interest rates. We saw the share prices of some of the bellwethers of the sector, such as Amazon.com, halving. Come September we thought the sell off had become too big and began to increase our weighting in this area of the market.

The second area we invest in is technology infrastructure. Our holdings include companies such as Cisco Systems, Intel and Oracle. These companies develop systems to speed up the functioning of the Internet and 45% of the portfolio is in this area of the market.

The other 10% of the portfolio is invested in Internet-related companies. This can be any company we feel will benefit from the growth of the Internet.

"The market is having to come to terms with valuation measures".

In other words, the market is having to

• A. establish their legal dispositions.
• B. accept them.
• C. predict them.
• D. compete against them.
• E. invest in them.