“Which” in the sentence “(…) the great bell, which
has rung every hour for most of the past 157 years, would
cease its bongs (…)” refers to:
August 16, 2017 / 10:00 AM
Four years without Big Ben’s bongs? It can’t be right, says UK PM May
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said
on Wednesday it could not be right for “Big Ben”, the bell in
the British parliament’s clock tower whose bongs
(1)_______, to fall silent for four years during renovations.
May joined other politicians who have protested at the
news that the great bell, which has rung every hour for
most of the past 157 years, would cease its bongs to ensure
the safety of workers carrying out renovations on the tower.
“Of course we want to ensure that people are safe at
work, but it can’t be right for Big Ben to be silent for four
years,” May told reporters.
“I hope that the Speaker (of the House of Commons)
... will urgently look into this and ensure that we can hear
Big Ben through those four years.”
Big Ben’s bongs, which are heard marking the start of
some of the BBC’s flagship news bulletins, are part of the
soundtrack of daily life in the British capital and beyond.
Officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, the clock tower
that houses Big Ben is believed to be the most photographed
building in the United Kingdom. May’s comments were
more restrained than those of her Brexit minister, David
Davis, who said on Tuesday that (2)_____.
Another Conservative politician, member of parliament
Nigel Evans, suggested earlier on Wednesday that the bongs
could be switched back on every evening when the workers
carrying out the renovations of the clock tower finished for
the day.
Steve Jaggs, parliament’s Keeper of the Great Clock,
had announced this week that Big Ben would stop its regular chimes at midday (1100 GMT) on Monday, Aug. 21,
inviting members of the public to gather nearby to hear the
final bongs.
The bell will still toll for important (3)_____ but will
otherwise remain silent until 2021.
Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Michael
Holden
(Adaptado de Acesso em
16/08/2017)
August 16, 2017 / 10:00 AM
Four years without Big Ben’s bongs? It can’t be right, says UK PM May
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday it could not be right for “Big Ben”, the bell in the British parliament’s clock tower whose bongs (1)_______, to fall silent for four years during renovations. May joined other politicians who have protested at the news that the great bell, which has rung every hour for most of the past 157 years, would cease its bongs to ensure the safety of workers carrying out renovations on the tower.
“Of course we want to ensure that people are safe at work, but it can’t be right for Big Ben to be silent for four years,” May told reporters.
“I hope that the Speaker (of the House of Commons) ... will urgently look into this and ensure that we can hear Big Ben through those four years.”
Big Ben’s bongs, which are heard marking the start of some of the BBC’s flagship news bulletins, are part of the soundtrack of daily life in the British capital and beyond.
Officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, the clock tower that houses Big Ben is believed to be the most photographed building in the United Kingdom. May’s comments were more restrained than those of her Brexit minister, David Davis, who said on Tuesday that (2)_____.
Another Conservative politician, member of parliament Nigel Evans, suggested earlier on Wednesday that the bongs could be switched back on every evening when the workers carrying out the renovations of the clock tower finished for the day.
Steve Jaggs, parliament’s Keeper of the Great Clock, had announced this week that Big Ben would stop its regular chimes at midday (1100 GMT) on Monday, Aug. 21, inviting members of the public to gather nearby to hear the final bongs.
The bell will still toll for important (3)_____ but will otherwise remain silent until 2021.
Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; editing by Michael
Holden
(Adaptado de
Gabarito comentado
Tema central da questão:
A questão aborda interpretação de texto em inglês, exigindo do candidato o entendimento do uso dos pronomes relativos, com foco especial no pronome “which”.
Conceito abordado:
Na gramática inglesa, pronomes relativos como “which” introduzem informações adicionais sobre um termo anterior (o antecedente). “Which” é usado para coisas e animais, quase nunca para pessoas, e muitas vezes aparece em orações explicativas separadas por vírgulas – as chamadas non-defining relative clauses.
Como resolver a questão:
Na frase: “the great bell, which has rung every hour for most of the past 157 years, would cease its bongs”, o termo entre vírgulas “which has rung every hour for most of the past 157 years” adiciona uma informação sobre “the great bell”. Portanto, "which" refere-se a the great bell.
Análise das alternativas:
A) May: Incorreta. “May” é pessoa; para pessoas usa-se who.
B) Other politicians: Incorreta. Também refere-se a pessoas, exigindo o uso de who.
C) Bongs: Incorreta. “Bongs” são os sons do sino, mas o trecho dá informações históricas do objeto “the great bell”, não dos sons.
D) The great bell: Certa! O pronome “which” na frase esclarece algo sobre o sino propriamente dito. Assim, essa alternativa está de acordo com o uso adequado dos pronomes relativos em inglês.
Dica de interpretação:
Sempre procure antes da vírgula o termo ao qual o pronome relativo se refere. Cuidado com pegadinhas: “which” nunca é usado para pessoas, e a informação adicional não precisa ser essencial – apenas complementar. Esta análise é reforçada em gramáticas como “English Grammar in Use” (Murphy), essencial para consolidar este entendimento em provas de concurso!
Conclusão:
Observe sempre a função dos pronomes relativos e as informações suplementares trazidas por orações explicativas. Isso evita confusões entre elementos do texto e garante a escolha da alternativa correta.
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