Dear Language Enthusiast,
Greetings from Transparent Language! Every so often we send out this free newsletter
with topics of interest to Portuguese language enthusiasts. Since the introduction of the
newsletter last year, we have received dozens of letters from readers with positive
feedback and suggestions. We are delighted that the newsletter has been so well received,
and are grateful for your insightful comments.
Of all the suggestions readers have sent, perhaps the most common one is to offer our
newsletter in both English and Portuguese. So, in response to your feedback, from this
issue on we are proud to offer newsletters in both languages. We have first presented the
following newsletter in Portuguese, followed immediately by the English version. This will
be a good tool for practicing your Portuguese skills.
The topic for this month's newsletter is the destruction of the Amazon River basin and
Brazil's plan to save the rainforests.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
Em Português:
Salvando as Florestas Tropicais: Recentemente, o Brasil relatou que a destruição da
Bacia do Rio Amazonas aumentou 30 por cento no ano passado. Como resultado, o Brasil
anunciou que todas as novas licenças para derrubada da mata serão suspendidas. Todas as
licenças existentes serão revisadas, os violadores serão processados e uma lista será
feita com todas as áreas que tem sido desmatadas até o presente momento. É estimado que
as áreas derrubadas totalizam-se em cerca de 5.000 acres de terra. Todavia, prévios
dados sugerem que 6.500 milhas quadradas foram totalmente derrubadas em 1998. É uma área
proporcional a metade do tamanho da Bélgica. Esses valores representam um aumento de 27
por cento desde o ano anterior. Foi estimado que em 1997, o equivalente a 5.000 campos de
futebol foram destruídos diariamente. E os números foram levemente mais baixos em 1996.
Se essas medidas forem bem sucedidas, poderiam ajudar a diminuir a medida proporcional
do desmatamento. Infelizmente, tentativas anteriores para que isso fosse feito, tiveram um
pequeno resultado. Muitas regras têm sido somente parcialmente implementadas, ou não
têm sido implementadas de forma alguma. Uma coisa é bem clara: o Governo Brasileiro
ainda tem que fazer com que o meio-ambiente seja a maior prioridade em suas leis, ou
regras. Talvez esse recente esforço produzirá melhores resultados.
In English:
Saving the Rainforests: Brazil recently reported that the destruction of the Amazon
River basin increased by 30 percent last year. As a result, Brazil has announced that all
new permits for clearing land in the rainforest will be suspended. All existing permits
will be reviewed, violators will be prosecuted, and a list will be compiled of all the
areas that have been cleared to date. It is estimated that these cleared areas total about
5,000 acres of land. However, preliminary data suggests that 6,500 square miles was
totally cleared in 1998. That's an area half the size of Belgium. These figures represent
a 27 percent increase from the previous year. It was estimated that in 1997 the equivalent
of 5,000 soccer fields was destroyed every day. And the numbers were only slightly lower
in 1996.
If these measures are successful, it could help to slow down the rate of deforestation.
Unfortunately, past efforts to do this have had little effect. Many policies have been
only partially implemented, or not implemented at all. One thing is clear: the Brazilian
government has yet to make the environment a major priority in its policies. Perhaps this
recent effort will yield better results.
PortugueseNow! is the premier learning tool in which to teach yourself a foreign
language. We have included some tips to help you get the full use out of your language
software.
Tips for PortugueseNow!
1. To play the video for an entire Title, select any word in the first Segment of the
Title, then choose "Video / Segments". To stop the video at any time, choose
"Video / Stop." 2. To practice vocabulary, look at an illustration in an
Illustrated Title and try to name as many objects as you can in the foreign language. Type
your answers in the Notes tab. To go to the previous or next Illustration, click the
previous and next buttons below the illustration. To order PortugueseNow! or other
language learning products visit
www.transparent.com.
