What is the function of "Alas" in Text ?
Text
"Many people do not wash their hands when the behavior in which they engage would warrant it," begins a recent study from
Michigan State University, and I'm sorry to say it only gets grosser from there. Researchers sneakily observed 3,749 people
in public restrooms and found that nearly all of them—95 percent—didn't wash their hands long enough to kill germs.
Even scarier, 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women did not wash their hands at all. When they did bother to turn on a
faucet, half of men and 22 percent of women neglected to use soap! (Or, as the researchers describe it: They "attempted to
wash their hands," but failed.)
The CDC says you need to wash your hands—with soap!—for at least 20 seconds in order to kill disease-causing germs.
Alas, the people in this study only washed their hands for an average of 6 seconds (...)
This extensive study founds lots of other interesting tidbits about hand-washing habits. Here are a few:
• People were more likely to wash their hands in the morning
• People were less likely to wash their hands if the sink was dirty
• People were more likely to wash their hands if there was sign to remind them
Other hand-washing research has found that college students are disgusting, people will wash their hands if they're being
watched, and antibacterial soap isn't much better than the regular kind.
The study appears in the Journal of Environmental Health.
(Source: adapted from https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/only-5-percent-people-wash-their-hands-correctly)
Text
"Many people do not wash their hands when the behavior in which they engage would warrant it," begins a recent study from Michigan State University, and I'm sorry to say it only gets grosser from there. Researchers sneakily observed 3,749 people in public restrooms and found that nearly all of them—95 percent—didn't wash their hands long enough to kill germs.
Even scarier, 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women did not wash their hands at all. When they did bother to turn on a faucet, half of men and 22 percent of women neglected to use soap! (Or, as the researchers describe it: They "attempted to wash their hands," but failed.)
The CDC says you need to wash your hands—with soap!—for at least 20 seconds in order to kill disease-causing germs.
Alas, the people in this study only washed their hands for an average of 6 seconds (...)
This extensive study founds lots of other interesting tidbits about hand-washing habits. Here are a few:
• People were more likely to wash their hands in the morning
• People were less likely to wash their hands if the sink was dirty
• People were more likely to wash their hands if there was sign to remind them
Other hand-washing research has found that college students are disgusting, people will wash their hands if they're being watched, and antibacterial soap isn't much better than the regular kind.
The study appears in the Journal of Environmental Health.
(Source: adapted from https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/only-5-percent-people-wash-their-hands-correctly)
Gabarito comentado
Resposta: B — It is an interjection used to express sorry about something.
Tema central: identificar a função de uma palavra no texto (função discursiva / classe gramatical). Aqui é preciso reconhecer que "Alas" funciona como marcador de sentimento (lamentação), não como palavra quantificadora ou determinante.
Resumo teórico (claro e progressivo):
Interjection (interjeição): palavra ou expressão que transmite emoção (surpresa, alegria, pena). Costuma aparecer isolada ou no início da frase e ir seguida de vírgula. Exemplos: "Oh,", "Wow,", "Alas,". Fontes: Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries; Cambridge Dictionary.
"Alas" é classicamente uma interjeição usada para expressar lamentação ou pesar — equivalente a “unfortunately” ou “sadly” em contexto. Ex.: "Alas, the plan failed." (Cambridge / Merriam-Webster).
Justificativa da alternativa correta (B):
No trecho, "Alas, the people in this study only washed their hands for an average of 6 seconds", o autor expressa desapontamento / pena pela informação que segue. Substituir "Alas" por "Unfortunately" mantém o sentido — comportamento típico de interjeição que expressa sentimento. Portanto é interjeição, ou seja, B está correta.
Análise das alternativas incorretas:
A — “an adverb used to mean 'everybody'”: incorreto. "Alas" não é advérbio nem significa "everybody". Advérbios modificam verbos/adjetivos; “alas” expressa emoção.
C — “a determiner used to express 'not all'”: incorreto. Determiners (the, some, every) quantificam/substituem substantivos; "alas" não tem essa função nem esse sentido.
D — “an expression used to mean 'all in all'”: incorreto. "All in all" resume/avaliam; "alas" demonstra lamento. São usos opostos (resumo neutro vs. emoção negativa).
Estrategia rápida para provas: observe posição (início da frase + vírgula), tente substituir por "sadly/unfortunately". Se a substituição mantiver o sentido, trate como interjeição/discurso emotivo. Evite confundir com palavras que quantificam.
Fontes sugeridas: Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Learner’s, Merriam-Webster — entradas sobre "alas" e sobre a categoria "interjection".
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