Text Interpretation: Message to Mr. 903

Text interpretation activity, for 2nd year high school students, with the text “Recado ao Senhor 903” by Rubem Braga. Six questions are asked about words and ideas in the text. Good job, teacher! 🙂 

It is possible to download this evaluation in Word (template that can be edited) and in PDF (print ready template), the answered activity is also available.

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• Word: Text Interpretation: Message to Mr. 903 – 2nd year of high school – Editable template
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SCHOOL: DATE:

PROF: CLASS:

NAME:

READ THE TEXT BELOW AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

Message to the Lord 903

"Neighbor,
The man from 1003 is speaking here. The other day I received, to my dismay, the visit of the caretaker, who showed me the letter in which you complained about the noise in my apartment. I then received his own personal visit – it must have been midnight – and his vehement verbal complaint. I must say that I am devastated by all this, and I fully agree with you. The building regulations are explicit and, if it weren't, you would still have the Law and the Police at your side. Those who work all day are entitled to rest at night and it is impossible to rest in the 903 when there are voices, steps and music in the 1003. Or better; it is impossible for the 903 to sleep when the 1003 is agitated; for as I do not know your name nor do you know mine, we are reduced to being two numbers, two numbers piled up among dozens of others. I, 1003, limit myself to the East by 1005, to the West by 1001, to the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by 1004, at the top by 1103 and at the bottom by 903 – which is you.

All these numbers are well-behaved and silent: just me and the Atlantic Ocean make some noise and operate outside of civil hours; the two of us just tossed and roared with the tide and the winds and the moon. I sincerely promise to adopt, after 10 pm, from now on, the behavior of a gentle blue lake. Promise. Anyone who comes to my house (pardon my number) will be asked to leave at 9:45 pm, and I'll explain: 903 needs to rest from 10 pm to 7 am because at 8:15 am he must leave the 783 to take the 109 which will take him to the 527 in another street, where he works in the room 305. Our life, neighbor, is all numbered: and I recognize that it can only be tolerable when a number does not bother another number, but respects it, staying within the limits of its digits. I apologize – and promise silence.
[…] But let me dream of another life and another world, in which a man knocks on another man's door and says: 'Neighbor, it's three o'clock in the morning and I've heard music in your house. Here I am'. And the other answered: 'Come in next door and eat my bread and drink my wine. Here we are all dancing and singing, as we discover that life is short and the moon is beautiful’. And the man would bring his wife, and the two would stay among the neighbor's friends singing songs to thank the God the glow of the stars and the murmur of the breeze in the trees, and the gift of life, and the friendship among humans, and the love and the peace."

Adapted from ( https://educacao.uol.com.br/disciplinas/portugues/cronica-genero-entre-jornalismo-e-literatura.htm)

Let's see how your text comprehension is?

1) Analyze the alternatives:
I- apartment 903 is very noisy.
II- apartment 1003 is very quiet.
III- apartment 1005 is empty.
IV- apartment 305 is a law firm.
V- apartment 1003 is not silent.
In relation to the text, which one(s) are incorrect?
a) I and II
b) I, II and III
c) I, II, III and IV
d) I, II, III and V
e) II and III

2) The resident of 1003 received, to his dismay, a visit from the caretaker who spoke about the noise complaint in this apartment. Regarding the word dismayed, we can substitute it, without prejudice to the contextual meaning, by:
a) moved
b) flattered
c) ignored
d) upset
and happy

3) “The building regulations are explicit”, says the resident of 1003. To say otherwise, depending on the context, the correct alternative would be:
a) The building regulations are clear.
b) The building regulations are good.
c) The building regulations are unambiguous.
d) The building regulations are evident.
e) The building regulations are unclear.

4) Mark C for AGREE WITH THE TEXT and D for DISAGREE WITH THE TEXT:
( ) The resident of 903 received a complaint from the resident of 1003.
( ) The resident of 903 received a complaint from the janitor of 1003.
( ) The resident of 903 received an apology from the resident of 1003.
a) D - D - C
b) C - C - C
c) D - D - D
d) D - C - C
e) D - C - D

5) According to the last paragraph of the text, it can be stated that:
a) the resident of 1003 believes he would need to live elsewhere.
b) the resident of 903 did not accept the apology.
c) the resident of 903 accepted the apology.
d) the resident of 1003 idealizes another way of living.
e) the caretaker lives in apartment 103, which is on the ground floor.

6) The words murmur and breeze, present at the end of the text, have the same meaning as:
a) low intensity.
b) too much intensity.
c) neutrality.
d) motivation.
e) ecological awareness.

By André Tarragô Martins – Middle and Middle School Teacher of Portuguese Language and Master in Letters in the area of Language, Interaction and Learning Processes. In addition, he is a musician and journalist. He works in pre-university entrance exams, pre-contests, private lessons, preparation of competition tests and is content creator for the Portal www.acessaber.com.br.

At answers are in the link above the header.

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