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School, Work, and
Industry
CHAPTER
B
razil is an amazing economic success story, a Latin American giant in
mining, agriculture, and manufacturing. Its political system, once led by
military dictators, has stabilized in recent years. Brazil also provides the world
many
commodities
, including corn, coffee, and oranges, not to mention the
most amazing natural resource on the planet—the Amazon rain forest.
Brazil’s education system is divided into several categories: elementary
or primary school; secondary school called
ginásio
; senior high school called
colégio
; and colleges, trade schools, and universities. By law, elementary school
students must attend class for three years. They have to wear uniforms and
study English, Portuguese, science, math, and social studies.
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CHAPTER FOUR: SCHOOL, WORK, AND INDUSTRY