When I first arrived in Brazil in 1992, it was never my intention to stay. My first months in Brazil were extremely difficult. Everything was different. Probably the thing that shocked me the most was the poverty, I lived in a rich neighborhoods surrounded by favelas. The owner of the house where I lived instructed me shortly after I arrived that when someone clapped their hands outside the fence to get attention and then asked for food, I was to ignore them. The first day I was alone I broke the rule. Who was I to deny a hungry person a cup of water and a slice of bread? On the second day, more people arrived asking for food. By the third day, lines had begun to form outside our gate. That night my host took me aside and wanted me to explain why I had disobeyed his instructions. The maid had informed him that there was a rumor circulating round the favela that a foreigner was living in his house giving away free food. Twenty years ago the communications system in Brazil was extremely bad. When a telegram arrived from New Zealand informing me the applications for the fishing inspector position I was seeking had opened, it was already past the date of inscription. I was very irritated, but things soon changed when I met a girl. After five years of commuting between Brazil and New Zealand, we married. When you marry a Brazilian, you do not just marry your spouse you marry the whole extended family. In some respects, this can be cool because you become a part of a large group, but at times it can be a little frustrating. You just need to sneeze and you can be sure that within a few hours some third cousin of my wife’s will be on the phone asking me if it is true that I am dying of pneumonia. It is extremely difficult to be alone here.
(Adapted from: Kiwi never alone in Brazil. Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/home-sweet-expat-home/ 9875411/Kiwi-never-alone-in-Brazil. Accessed on: March 29th 2014.)
Based on the author’s opinion about Brazil, consider the following statements.
I. In 1992, Brazil was developing a more effective means of communication.
II. The contrast between the slums and wealthy areas caused great impact.
III. Brazilian families include not only the couple and kids but also all relatives.
IV. Privacy is a different concept as Brazilians praise close social coexistence.
Choose the correct alternative.
