Lula Speaks on Exam Day: Diploma Brings 'Respect'
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On the day Brazil held its national Enem exam, President Lula spoke about the value of education. Millions of students across the country took the test.
Lula said a university diploma is important because it helps people gain respect. He stressed that studying gives people a stronger place in society.
The president also mentioned his Education Minister. According to the summary, the exam strengthens the minister's chances of staying in Lula's government, known as Lula 4 because it is his fourth term as president.
Lula described the Enem as an "operation of war" against what he called retrocesso, meaning a step backward in education policy. He suggested that keeping the exam strong helps protect progress already made.
Enem is one of Brazil's most important exams. Students use their scores to apply for university places, including some public universities and scholarship programs.
Lula has repeatedly linked education to social mobility, arguing that a diploma can change how a person is treated in society. His comments came as attention turned to the exam's role in students' futures.
The government has not given further details about the minister's exact situation, but the summary suggests the exam's smooth running may support his position politically.
Vocabulary7 words
- Enem
- a major national exam Brazilian students take for university entry
- Lula
- Brazil's president, now in his fourth term
- diploma
- an official document showing someone finished a course of study
- Education Minister
- the government official in charge of schools and education policy
- government
- the leaders and officials who run the country
- retrocesso
- a backward step or loss of previous progress
- social mobility
- the ability to improve one's position in society
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Quiz
Answer key
1. It helps people gain respect 2. An operation against a backward step in education 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
On the day Brazil held its national _____ exam, President Lula spoke about education.
Millions of _____ across the country took the test.
Lula said a university _____ is important because it helps people gain respect.
He stressed that studying gives people a stronger place in _____.
The president also mentioned his Education _____.
The exam strengthens the minister's chances of staying in Lula's _____.
This is Lula's fourth _____ as president, called Lula 4.
Lula described the Enem as an "operation of _____" against retrocesso.
Students use their Enem scores to apply for _____ places.
Lula has linked education to social _____.
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