COLÉGIO TYTO ALBA – PROF. JAMIL 2013

9º ANO:

YOGA FOR CHILDREN

            Though it may just be a momentary mania, yoga for kids is a fast-expanding business. American parents who practice yoga themselves are steering their children away from competitive sports towards this non-stress alternative. And the numbers speak for themselves. In New York, classes that once catered to 50 children per week (at a cost of $20 per 45-minute session) are now reporting an enrolment of 150.videos and relaxation blankets. A line of children’s yoga clothing and a chain of kiddie yoga studios are in the works.

                                                                                                       (Speak Up)

1ºs COL.

ADVICE

            A doctor and a lawyer were talking at a party.

            Their conversation was constantly interrupted by people describing their ailments and asking the    doctor for free medical advice.

            After an hour of this, the exasperated doctor asked the lawyer, “What do you do to stop people from asking you for legal advice when you’re out of the office?”

            “I give it to them,” replied the lawyer, “and then I send them a bill.”

            The doctor was shocked, but agreed to give it a try. The next day, still feeling slightly guilty, the doctor prepared the bills. When he went to place them in his mailbox, he found a bill from the lawyer.

                                                                                              (Cool Quiz)

2º COL.

COUNTERFEIT GOODS

            Although counterfeit goods are costing companies around the world billions of dollars in lost sales, most people are only too happy to take advantage of the low-price, “imitation” goods on sale. Although they would never buy a fake Gucci handbag at home, people change their approach when they travel abroad. They go to street markets and anywhere else where they can seek out the counterfeit “designer label” clothes and “Rolex” watches which they know they can by for a fraction of the price they would have to pay back home.

            In fact, bringing home a selection of fake goods is part of the fun of traveling – “Do you like my ‘Rolex’? I got it for fifty dollars!” And the wearing of a “Lacoste” shirt, even if it is a hideous colour and the crocodile is coming unstuck, is a sign that this person has probably traveled far (although there are few countries now where they are not available).

            Many major international manufacturing companies are very concerned because the counterfeit industry now makes up eight to nine per cent off all international trade. No wonder companies and most governments in the world are making serious efforts to stop it. But there are certainly quite a lot of people who hope that won’t happen too soon, so that they can have a bit more fun buying their “exclusive” perfume, their “designer” clothes and their “Rolex” watches first.

                                               (Summertime, Mary Underwood – Book 4)

3ºCOL.

LET THEM IN: HOW BRAZILIANS COULD HELP THE U. S. ECONOMY

            Everyone should love Brazilian tourists. They spend more per capita than any other nationality. Worldwide, Brazilian tourists shell out an average of $43.3 million a day. In 2010, 1.2 million Brazilians visited the United States, injecting $5.9 billion into the U.S. economy. Even exclusive ski resorts in Vermont are scrambling to hire Portuguesespeaking ski instructors to meet the unexpected and rapidly growing demand from thousands of adventurous Brazilians who want to samba down the slopes. “Brazil is our fastest growing international market — up 20% from last season,” says Chris Belanger of Stowe Mountain Resort.

            Not that the U.S. has made it particularly easy for os turistas brasileiros to visit. Instead of rolling out the red carpet for the travelers from the increasingly wealthy South American nations, the U.S. makes Brazilians — and every other Latin American nationality — undergo a lengthy (overworked consular staff in SP) and expensive (just 4 consular offices in Brazil) visa-application process that takes months of planning and can cost thousands of dollars in travel, lodging, food and other expenses — all before leaving the country.

            Tourist industry officials say Brazil should be on the list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa

to enter the U.S. There are currently 36 countries on Washington's visa waiver list, but none of them are in Latin America.

            The most lucrative target is Brazil, Latin America's largest economy. In the past, most Brazilians used to come to the United States looking for work; now they come to spend money and create jobs. The spending would help the U.S. economy tremendously. The American tourism market has recovered slowly since 9-11, but it missed out on a decade of growth, according to Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association. “We call it the lost decade. If we had just stayed on pace with the rest of the world, we would have generated $606 billion more dollars and have 467,000 more jobs right now,” Dow said recently at the Pow Wow tourism trade show in San Francisco.

                                                                                             (adapted)