Questões de Concurso

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Hero boy swims for four hours to save his family (9th February 2026)

A 13-year-old Australian boy has been hailed a hero after an epic swim that saved his family. The boy, Austin Appelbee, and his family were on a beach holiday in Western Australia. They were kayaking and paddleboarding in shallow water when strong winds pushed them farther offshore. They ended up over four kilometres away from land, and the daylight was fading. Austin decided to kayak to shore to get help. However, the waves had damaged his kayak, which had taken in water and flipped over. He said he then lost an oar and knew he was in trouble. He decided he had no alternative but to swim back to land. He swam through shark-frequented waters to raise the alarm.

Austin made it to the beach and phoned for help. This sparked a huge rescue operation, which resulted in coastguards finding the teenager's mother and two younger sisters. The boy said: "I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then, after that, I had to “ sprint two kilometres to get to the phone." Rescuers called his efforts "superhuman". One rescuer said Austin's actions could not "be praised highly enough." He added that the teenager's "determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings." Austin's mother Joanne,47, told reporters: "The wind picked up. We lost oars, and we drifted out further. It was an absolute nightmare."

Text for question

Hero boy swims for four hours to save his family (9th February 2026)

A 13-year-old Australian boy has been hailed a hero after an epic swim that saved his family. The boy, Austin Appelbee, and his family were on a beach holiday in Western Australia. They were kayaking and paddleboarding in shallow water when strong winds pushed them farther offshore. They ended up over four kilometres away from land, and the daylight was fading. Austin decided to kayak to shore to get help. However, the waves had damaged his kayak, which had taken in water and flipped over. He said he then lost an oar and knew he was in trouble. He decided he had no alternative but to swim back to land. He swam through shark-frequented waters to raise the alarm.

Austin made it to the beach and phoned for help. This sparked a huge rescue operation, which resulted in coastguards finding the teenager's mother and two younger sisters. The boy said: "I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed, and then, after that, I had to “ sprint two kilometres to get to the phone." Rescuers called his efforts "superhuman". One rescuer said Austin's actions could not "be praised highly enough." He added that the teenager's "determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings." Austin's mother Joanne,47, told reporters: "The wind picked up. We lost oars, and we drifted out further. It was an absolute nightmare."

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Students using A.I. over humans to learn English (23rd December 2024)

More and more students in Japan are using artificial intelligence (AI) to learn English and other languages. The language learning app Duolingo conducted a survey on how students study languages. More than 4,700 Japanese students answered questions about their language-learning habits. The survey found that the number of people using ChatGPT and other AI tools increased by more than 80 per cent in 2024. AI was particularly popular with younger people. The researchers said more young people used AI than took face-to-face lessons. However, some people in their 20s were not totally happy with AI lessons. They said AI lacked natural responses and was a little boring.

Duolingo said: "We're in the midst of an AI revolution.…Technology has long had an impact on language learning." It found that apps were the most popular method in Japan to learn languages. English was the most studied language, followed by Korean. People are studying Korean "to understand the language as spoken by…favourite artists and celebrities." Duolingo said around 58 per cent of people who took the survey used language-learning apps. This was followed by video streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix (37%), textbooks (36%) and online lessons (16%). The number of people going to a language school is decreasing. Just 13.8 per cent of people went to classes with a teacher.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/19/japan/chatgpt-english-lessons/

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241218/p2a/00m/0li/017000c

https://blog.duolingo.com/2024-duolingo-language-report/