Questões de Inglês

- Read the text below and answer the question.


The Five Generations of Computers


Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices.
The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today.

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/FiveGenerations.asp (consultado em 11/04/12)



Why was the transistor important for this generation? Because it

a) allowed the computer become bigger and bigger.
b) wasn"t so important for computer development.
c) helped computers to waste much more energy.
d) wasn"t a revolution for the technology used in the new computers.
e) made the computers become much more reliable than the old ones.

A resposta correta é:

Rio+20: reasons to be cheerful



Read the commentaries from Rio+20, and you"d think a global
disaster had taken place. The UN multilateral system is said
to be in crisis. Pundits and NGOs complain that it was "the
greatest failure of collective leadership since the first world
war", "a bleak day, a disastrous meeting" and "a massive
waste of time and money".
Perspective, please. Reaction after the 1992 Rio summit was
uncannily similar. Countries passed then what now seem
far-sighted treaties and embedded a slew of aspirations and
commitments into international documents – but NGOs and
journalists were still distraught. In short, just like Rio 2012,
the meeting was said to be a dismal failure of governments
to co-operate.
I was pretty downhearted then, too. So when I returned I
went to see Richard Sandbrook, a legendary environmental
activist who co-founded Friends of the Earth, and profoundly
infl uenced a generation of governments, business leaders and
NGOs before he died in 2005. Sandbrook made the point that
NGOs always scream blue murder because it is their job to
push governments and that UN conferences must disappoint
because all views have to be accommodated. Change, he
said, does not happen in a few days" intense negotiation. It
is a long, muddled, cultural process that cannot come from a
UN meeting.. Real change comes from stronger institutions,
better public information, promises being kept, the exchange
of views, pressure from below, and events that make people
see the world differently.
Vast growth in global environmental awareness has taken
place in the past 20 years, and is bound to grow in the next
20.

[From The Guardian PovertyMatters blog- adapted]



The expression "scream blue murder" in paragraph 3 line 7 means

a) feel severely threatened.
b) call out for protection.
c) commit environnemental crimes.
d) shout about their mistreatment.
e) raise an indignant outcry.

A resposta correta é:

- Read the text below and answer the question.


The Five Generations of Computers


Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices.
The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today.

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/FiveGenerations.asp (consultado em 11/04/12)



According to the context the best translation for "hallmark" to Portuguese is

a) ideia central.
b) marca registrada.
c) primordialmente.
d) empenho principal.
e) ponto fixo.

A resposta correta é:

The Microbial Puppet-Master

by Valerie Ross

from Discover Magazine:

Mind & Brain / Memory, Emotions & Decisions



When Timothy Lu was in medical school, he
treated a veteran whose multiple sclerosis was so
severe that she had to use a urinary catheter. As often
happens with invasive medical devices, the catheters
became infected with biofilms: gooey, antibioticresistant
layers of bacteria. Now the 30-year-old MIT
professor, who first trained as an engineer, designs
viruses that destroy biofilms, which cause everything
from staph infections to cholera outbreaks and that
account for 65 percent of human infections overall.



Discover: You started as an electrical
engineer. Was it a difficult transition becoming a
biologist?

Lu: I came into the lab not really understanding
how to do biology experiments and deal with
chemicals. I’m not a great experimentalist with my
hands, and one night I set the lab on fire.

Discover: How does a biofilm work, from an
engineering perspective?
Lu: A biofilm is essentially a three-dimensional
community of bacteria that live together, kind of like a
bacterial apartment building or city. Biofilms are made
up of the bacterial cells as well as all sorts of other
material — carbohydrates, proteins, and so on — that
the bacteria build to protect themselves.

Discover: And those communities make
bacteria especially dangerous?

Lu: Before I started medical school, I didn’t
think bacterial infections were a big deal, because
I assumed antibiotics had taken care of them, but
then I started seeing patients with significant biofilm
infections that couldn’t be cured.

Discover: What is your strategy to destroy
biofilms?
Lu: We use viruses called phages that infect
bacteria but not human cells. We cut the phages’ DNA
and insert a synthetic gene into the phage genome.
That gene produces enzymes that can go out into the
biofilm and chew it up.
Discover: If you had just $10 for entertainment,
how would you spend your day?

Lu: What can you even buy with $10? Maybe I
would buy a magnifying glass and just peer around
in the soil to see what other life was going on down
there. That would actually be fun.

Available at: . Retrieved on: 11 Sep. 2011. Adapted.



In Text, we understand that Lu

a) went to war when he was 30.
b) became a veteran before he started teaching at MIT.
c) has first trained people to be engineers and will soon get a medical degree.
d) is both an engineer and a medical doctor and now works as an MIT professor.
e) started medical school at MIT at 30.

A resposta correta é:

- Read the text below and answer the question.


The Five Generations of Computers


Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices.
The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today.

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/FiveGenerations.asp (consultado em 11/04/12)



Why did computer become accessible? Because

a) it became smaller and cheaper to the mass audience.
b) punched cards and printouts were replaced by keaboards and monitors.
c) users could interface with an operating system.
d) the device could run many different applications at one time.
e) it was much more expensive than the last generation.

A resposta correta é:

TEXT I


Emerging markets: a bubble that has finally burst?

Patrick Collinson, guardian.co.uk, Friday 5 August 2011

One of Britain"s most successful fund managers has warned about an emerging market bubble and told small investors, who
have poured billions of pounds into emerging market funds, that returns could be sorely disappointing over the next few
years.
British investors now hold more than £40bn in emerging market funds – typically invested in China, Brazil and India – and
those who jumped in early have done well. The average fund invested in China has made a 112% gain since 2006 while the
very best fund, run by First State, has notched up a breathtaking 159% gain for its investors. Meanwhile, the average fund
invested in UK shares has limped in with a rise of 18% over the same period.
But last week the head of global emerging market equities at First State, Jonathan Asante, told investors that the good times
may be over. Asante wrote to investors saying that most stocks in emerging markets are "fully valued", which in fund
manager speak means he believes that they are not worth investing in and could be headed for a fall. A formal warning to
investors from their fund manager is extremely rare, as it could prompt investors to bolt for the exit – and shrink the funds
from which they are paid.
Asante takes a longer view than most of his rivals. Profit sharing and bonuses at First State are only paid out on the basis of
three-year numbers rather than quarterly or half-yearly figures. Managers are also required to put most of their personal
wealth into their funds. "It means that managers have to eat their own cooking," he says.
Asante, who used to teach at the London School of Economics before becoming a fund manager, is not forecasting an abrupt
halt to the Chinese economic miracle, or an end to India"s growth. But he says that so much money has flooded into the
shares of emerging market companies that even the best of them may now be overvalued. Many companies command share
price ratings which are a multiple of their equivalents in the west, he says, yet are trading in areas where corruption is rife,
inflation rising, where legal systems are immature and where back-door state control is common.
Overvaluations are perhaps most severe in Latin America, particularly Brazil, he says. Indeed, he was so concerned that last
December he wrote a separate warning note to clients in his Latin American portfolios. It was a good call – the São Paulo
Bovespa index was then around 70,000, and is now around 56,000. He continues to believe that the Brazilian currency, the
real, is the "most ridiculously over-valued currency in the world".
It is telling what First State managers are doing with their own cash tied up in First State funds. They now only have around
60% in equity funds, with 40% in cash (sterling, Hong Kong dollar and Singapore dollar) and gold.
"The world is a very risky place right now. I would have to be sceptical of the China story. The central planners have in some
senses been wonderful at balancing growth, inflation, banking and environmental concerns. I applaud them but wonder if
they can keep this going forever."
However, Asante"s views are not shared by the majority of emerging market fund managers. In contrast, the manager of
another giant emerging markets fund, Michael Konstantinov, of the £870m Allianz RCM Bric Stars fund, this week told
potential investors that valuations are currently "very cheap" (his italics) and that they offer an "outstanding entry point".
"I think it is important to remind ourselves that the Bric [Brazil, Russia, India, China] countries came through the global
economic crisis of 2008 and 2009 quite well. Brazil did not even go into recession in 2009 while India and China continued
to grow very strongly in the range of 8%-9%. Only Russia had a short-term setback, but has recovered well and is, again,
leading the global growth dynamic.
"As the demand side of these economies is mainly driven by domestic demand, not by exports, they are more resilient to a
global crisis."
Fidelity, which took more than £500m from UK investors into a China fund launched by its most high-profile manager,
Anthony Bolton, has struggled to make money for them yet. The trust is currently trading at 96p compared to its launch price
of 100p in April 2010, although Fidelity remains bullish on the region.
Nick Price, manager of Fidelity Emerging Markets fund and the Fidelity EMEA fund, says: "As an emerging market fund
manager you"d expect me to be bullish wouldn"t you? Clearly, many of the markets are facing headwinds right now and these
may last for some months. But having just come back from China where I spent a week visiting 30 companies, I remain
convinced that the China consumer story is as strong as ever.
"On a longer-term basis, emerging market stocks represent a fraction of their potential worth. It"s a strong statement I know,
but look at the facts. Emerging markets represent 90% of the world"s oil reserves, over 80% of the world"s population, over
60% of the world"s forex reserves, 30% of global GDP, but yet are only 13% of global stock market capitalisation. I am
convinced that the longer you look out, the more sure you can be that emerging markets offer great opportunities."
(source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/aug/05/emerging-markets-bubble-burst)


In Jonathan Asante"s opinion, the Brazilian currency is:

a) underrated.
b) inflated.
c) overbooked.
d) unpriced.
e) priceless.

A resposta correta é:

The Microbial Puppet-Master

by Valerie Ross

from Discover Magazine:

Mind & Brain / Memory, Emotions & Decisions



When Timothy Lu was in medical school, he
treated a veteran whose multiple sclerosis was so
severe that she had to use a urinary catheter. As often
happens with invasive medical devices, the catheters
became infected with biofilms: gooey, antibioticresistant
layers of bacteria. Now the 30-year-old MIT
professor, who first trained as an engineer, designs
viruses that destroy biofilms, which cause everything
from staph infections to cholera outbreaks and that
account for 65 percent of human infections overall.



Discover: You started as an electrical
engineer. Was it a difficult transition becoming a
biologist?

Lu: I came into the lab not really understanding
how to do biology experiments and deal with
chemicals. I’m not a great experimentalist with my
hands, and one night I set the lab on fire.

Discover: How does a biofilm work, from an
engineering perspective?
Lu: A biofilm is essentially a three-dimensional
community of bacteria that live together, kind of like a
bacterial apartment building or city. Biofilms are made
up of the bacterial cells as well as all sorts of other
material — carbohydrates, proteins, and so on — that
the bacteria build to protect themselves.

Discover: And those communities make
bacteria especially dangerous?

Lu: Before I started medical school, I didn’t
think bacterial infections were a big deal, because
I assumed antibiotics had taken care of them, but
then I started seeing patients with significant biofilm
infections that couldn’t be cured.

Discover: What is your strategy to destroy
biofilms?
Lu: We use viruses called phages that infect
bacteria but not human cells. We cut the phages’ DNA
and insert a synthetic gene into the phage genome.
That gene produces enzymes that can go out into the
biofilm and chew it up.
Discover: If you had just $10 for entertainment,
how would you spend your day?

Lu: What can you even buy with $10? Maybe I
would buy a magnifying glass and just peer around
in the soil to see what other life was going on down
there. That would actually be fun.

Available at: . Retrieved on: 11 Sep. 2011. Adapted.



In Text, Lu describes himself in a biology lab as

a) methodic
b) relaxed
c) clumsy
d) paranoid
e) unconscious

A resposta correta é:

- Read the text below and answer the question.


The Five Generations of Computers


Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices.
The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today.

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/FiveGenerations.asp (consultado em 11/04/12)



Important things happened during the fourth generation. For example:

a) Formation of networks and the Internet.
b) Computers that filled an entire room.
c) The foundation of the IBM in 1981.
d) The invention of the first IBM computer in 1981.
e) IBM and Apple became a single company.

A resposta correta é:

The Microbial Puppet-Master

by Valerie Ross

from Discover Magazine:

Mind & Brain / Memory, Emotions & Decisions



When Timothy Lu was in medical school, he
treated a veteran whose multiple sclerosis was so
severe that she had to use a urinary catheter. As often
happens with invasive medical devices, the catheters
became infected with biofilms: gooey, antibioticresistant
layers of bacteria. Now the 30-year-old MIT
professor, who first trained as an engineer, designs
viruses that destroy biofilms, which cause everything
from staph infections to cholera outbreaks and that
account for 65 percent of human infections overall.



Discover: You started as an electrical
engineer. Was it a difficult transition becoming a
biologist?

Lu: I came into the lab not really understanding
how to do biology experiments and deal with
chemicals. I’m not a great experimentalist with my
hands, and one night I set the lab on fire.

Discover: How does a biofilm work, from an
engineering perspective?
Lu: A biofilm is essentially a three-dimensional
community of bacteria that live together, kind of like a
bacterial apartment building or city. Biofilms are made
up of the bacterial cells as well as all sorts of other
material — carbohydrates, proteins, and so on — that
the bacteria build to protect themselves.

Discover: And those communities make
bacteria especially dangerous?

Lu: Before I started medical school, I didn’t
think bacterial infections were a big deal, because
I assumed antibiotics had taken care of them, but
then I started seeing patients with significant biofilm
infections that couldn’t be cured.

Discover: What is your strategy to destroy
biofilms?
Lu: We use viruses called phages that infect
bacteria but not human cells. We cut the phages’ DNA
and insert a synthetic gene into the phage genome.
That gene produces enzymes that can go out into the
biofilm and chew it up.
Discover: If you had just $10 for entertainment,
how would you spend your day?

Lu: What can you even buy with $10? Maybe I
would buy a magnifying glass and just peer around
in the soil to see what other life was going on down
there. That would actually be fun.

Available at: . Retrieved on: 11 Sep. 2011. Adapted.



In Text, Lu explains that a biofilm is a

a) mixture of different sorts of carbohydrates and proteins.
b) three-dimensional cell community that is recorded in film.
c) kind of environment that wraps up viruses so that they proliferate.
d) highly dense kind of viral community or village.
e) highly structured conglomerate of various types of cells that shelter bacteria.

A resposta correta é:

- Read the text below and answer the question.


The Five Generations of Computers


Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices.
The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. Read about each generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today.

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/FiveGenerations.asp (consultado em 11/04/12)



In the context of computer, what does Artificial Intelligence mean?

a) It means we are in the fifth generation computer devices.
b) It is not totally developed so far.
c) It is still in development by the researchers.
d) The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.
e) The study of how to produce machines to have some of the abilities the human mind has.

A resposta correta é: