Questão 1728199

• Banca: ESAF
• Órgão: ESAF
• Ano: 2015
• Provas: ESAF - 2015 - ESAF - Analista de Planejamento e Orçamento - Conhecimentos Gerais
• Disciplina: Inglês
• Assuntos: Interpretação de texto | Reading comprehension

Text 1

                                                                                                                            The good oil boys club

      It should have been a day of high excitement. A public auction on July 15th marked the end of a 77-year monopoly on oil exploration and production by Pemex, Mexico`s state-owned oil company, and ushered in a new era of foreign investment in Mexican oil that until a few years ago was considered unimaginable.

      The Mexican government had hoped that its firstever auction of shallow-water exploration blocks in the Gulf of Mexico would successfully launch the modernisation of its energy industry. In the run-up to the bidding, Mexico had sought to be as accommodating as its historic dislike for foreign oil companies allowed it to be. Juan Carlos Zepeda, head of the National Hydrocarbons Commission, the regulator, had put a premium on transparency, saying there was “zero room” for favouritism.

      When prices of Mexican crude were above $100 a barrel last year (now they are around $50), the government had spoken optimistically of a bonanza. It had predicted that four to six blocks would be sold, based on international norms.

      It did not turn out that way. The results fell well short of the government’s hopes and underscore how residual resource nationalism continues to plague the Latin American oil industry. Only two of 14 exploration blocks were awarded, both going to the same Mexican-led trio of energy fi rms. Offi cials blamed the disappointing outcome on the sagging international oil market, but their own insecurity about appearing to sell the country’s oil too cheap may also have been to blame, according to industry experts. On the day of the auction, the fi nance ministry set minimum-bid requirements that some considered onerously high; bids for four blocks were disqualifi ed because they failed to reach the offi cial fl oor.

                                                                (Source: http://www.economist.com/news/business/21657827-

                                   latinamericas-oil-fi rms-need-more-foreign-capital-historic-auctionmexico-shows)

In the sentence “The results fell well short of the government`s hopes. The expression “fell well short of” means that

• A. at the auction only four to six exploration blocks were sold.
• B. the international oil market was to blame for that.
• C. ministry set bid requirements which were considered under the finance valued.
• D. the results underscore how resource nationalism plagues Mexican oil industry.
• E. the results were discouraging.

Gabarito: E

Comentários

• letra E - Os resultados foram bem abaixo das expectativas do governo, o que dá dizer que os resultados foram desencorajadores

  
  

• Fora da expectativa e desencorajador são coisas bens distintas. Mas tudo bem, letra E. 

• Na frase "Os resultados ficaram muito aquém das expectativas do governo”, a expressão "ficaram muito

  aquém das" significa que

  a) at the auction only four to six exploration blocks were sold.

  somente quatro a seis blocos de exploração foram vendidos no leilão.

  b) the international oil market was to blame for that.

  o mercado internacional do petróleo era o culpado por isso.

  c) ministry set bid requirements which were considered under the finance valued.

  o Ministério estabeleceu requisitos de lance que foram considerados abaixo do financiamento valorizado.

  d) the results underscore how resource nationalism plagues Mexican oil industry.

  os resultados ressaltam como nacionalismo de recursos assola a indústria petrolífera Mexicana.

  e) the results were discouraging.

  os resultados foram desanimadores.

  Comentários:

  Letra A - Errada. O governo falava com otimismo sobre prosperidade (the government had spoken optimistically of

  a bonanza), ao prever que de quatro a seis blocos seriam vendidos, baseados em normas internacionais (It had

  predicted that four to six blocks would be sold, based on international norms). Dessa forma, se a venda de quatro a

  seis blocos tivesse acontecido, os resultados não teriam ficado aquém das expectativas.

  Letra B - Errada. De acordo com o texto, os funcionários culparam o mercado internacional de petróleo, mas o

  texto não deixa claro que ele foi o responsável.

  Officials blamed the disappointing outcome on the sagging international oil market, but their own insecurity

  about appearing to sell the country’s oil too cheap may also have been to blame, according to industry experts.

  Funcionários atribuíram o resultado decepcionante à tendência de queda do mercado internacional de

  petróleo, mas a sua própria insegurança sobre aparecer para vender petróleo do país barato demais também pode

  ter sido responsável, de acordo com especialistas da indústria.

  Letra C - Errada. Na realidade, o texto cita: The finance ministry set minimum-bid requirements that some considered

  onerously high (O Ministério das Finanças definiu requisitos de lance mínimo que alguns consideraram

  onerosamente elevados), e não abaixo do financiamento valorizado (under the finance valued).

  Letra D - Errada. O texto dispõe: The results underscore how residual resource nationalism continues to plague the

  Latin American oil industry (Os resultados enfatizaram como o nacionalismo de recursos residuais continua a

  assolar a indústria de petróleo Latino Americana), e não a indústria petrolífera Mexicana.

  Letra E - Correta. A menção expressa no texto: The results fell well short of the government’s hopes (Os

  resultados ficaram muito aquém das expectativas do governo), significa que os resultados foram desanimadores

  (the results were discouraging).

  Gabarito: E