The author went to the airport...
Text 1
When I got to the airport, I learnt that the plane from Cairo, on which my brother was travelling, had been
delayed at Paris with engine trouble and was expected to be about an hour late. As a rule I can pass the time quite
happily; watching the planes land and take off, but that evening I had a headache; which I thought that the noise of the
engines might make worse. I decided, therefore to walk around to make the time pass quickly.
First of all I went back to the place where I had left my car to make sure that all the doors were locked. The walk
in the fresh air did me good, for I felt slightly better as I entered the main airport building again. I made my way to the
restaurant, where I ordered a cup of black coffee. As I stood drinking this at the counter, I studied the faces of the
people around me. Some passengers were obviously anxious about the time, and kept looking at their watches; others
checked to see that they had tickets, passports and money. Where there was a group of people, it was easy to tell
which one was about to leave. He was the object of everyone’s attention and looked either very happy or very sad at
the thought of departure.
There was one woman who burst into tears as she said goodbye to the relatives or friends who had come to
see her off. When I had finished my coffee, I went along to the bookstall, where I bought a couple of magazines, both of
them about travel, which would help to make the time pass pleasantly. Then I went into one of the waiting-rooms and
made myself comfortable in a big armchair. I had hardly had time to open one of my magazines, when someone came
up and put his hand on my shoulder. It was an old friend; who was just about to leave on a business trip to South
America. Since we had not seen each other for a long time, we found plenty to talk about until the arrival of my brother’s
plane from Paris was announced.
Gabarito comentado
Tema central: A questão exige interpretação de texto (reading comprehension), focando em identificar o propósito da ida do autor ao aeroporto. A habilidade testada é compreender informações explícitas e inferir o objetivo do personagem, uma competência clássica em provas de vestibulares e concursos.
Justificativa da Alternativa Correta (A):
A opção A) in order to catch a relative of his está correta porque o texto diz claramente que o autor foi ao aeroporto encontrar seu irmão (“the plane from Cairo, on which my brother was travelling…”). A expressão “catch a relative” no contexto do inglês de concursos significa encontrar ou receber um parente na chegada. Essa compreensão exige atenção à ideia central do texto e às nuances da língua inglesa.
Análise das Alternativas Incorretas:
B) “because he had some business there” está errada pois em nenhum momento o texto cita negócios ou compromissos profissionais no aeroporto – todo o foco é o irmão e o atraso do voo.
C) “where he knew his brother’s plane had just taken off” é falsa. O texto afirma que o voo do irmão estava atrasado e não que já tinha partido. Atenção: pegadinha clássica envolvendo tempo verbal e sequência de eventos!
D) “although he was upset with his brother”. Não há qualquer menção a desentendimento ou sentimento negativo do autor em relação ao irmão. Sempre desconfie de opções que inventam sentimentos não citados no texto.
E) “I don’t know”. Alternativa descartável, já que a resposta está no texto.
Conceito-chave: Identificar o propósito do autor é essencial (autores como William Grabe destacam a importância dessa habilidade em livros como “Reading in a Second Language” – ótima referência para candidatos!).
Estratégias de Resolução: Ao ler textos, busque sempre:
- Palavras-chave que indiquem quem, quando e por que;
- Fique atento a pegadinhas de tempo e motivação;
- Descarte alternativas que exageram, distorcem ou trazem fatos não mencionados.
Resumo Final: O autor foi ao aeroporto para encontrar um parente (seu irmão). Pratique sempre a leitura atenta dos contextos e alternativas para garantir segurança em questões semelhantes.
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