OCABU

UNIT Lesson
2 2E
Autonomous work

A. VOCABULARY

1. Write one sentence for each term:

1. Gossip
The gossip about the new couple spread like wildfire.
……………………………………………………………………………

2. Bush telegram

In rural areas, communication often relies on a bush telegram.

…………………………………………………………………………….

3. Furphy

Don't believe everything you hear – it might just be a furphy.

…………………………………………………………………………….

4. Snippety

She was in a snippety mood and gave short, abrupt answers.

…………………………………………………………………………….

5. Announcement
The company made an announcement about the upcoming merger.
…………………………………………………………………………….

6. Focus

It's important to focus on the task at hand to achieve success.

…………………………………………………………………………….

7. Reporters

The reporters were on the scene, gathering information for the breaking news story.
…………………………………………………………………………….

8. News reporting

He pursued a career in news reporting because he wanted to inform the public about
…………………………………………………………………………….
important events.
9. Career
Her goal is to have a successful career in the fashion industry.
…………………………………………………………………………….

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 B. READING
1. Read the following text. Write the correct heading for each paragraph, one isn’t
needed:
a. Why fake news is hard to stop
b. How we can try and control fake news
c. Motives for creating fake news
d. The financial rewards of fake news
e. An example of a fake news story
f. How a fake news story can grow

The rise of fake news

…………………………..
1. The rise of fake news
In December 2016 Edgar M. Welch drove six hours from his home to Washington DC,
where he opened fire in a pizzeria with an assault rifle. He had previously read an online
news story about the restaurant being the headquarters of a group of child abusers run by
Hillary Clinton. He decided to investigate for himself; fortunately, no one was hurt.
2.An…………………………
example of a fake news story
The story about Hillary Clinton is one of the most famous examples of the growing
phenomenon dubbed ‘fake news’. The conspiracy theory about the pizzeria began to
appear on websites and social networks in late October, before the US election. This was
quickly denounced by publications such as The New York Times and The Washington
Post. However, many people thought that these papers were themselves lying for political
ends and instead of disappearing, the fake story snowballed. Tweets from ‘Representative
Steven Smith of the 15th District of Georgia’ claimed that the mainstream media were
telling falsehoods. Even though both this name and district were invented, the message
was re-tweeted many times. A YouTube refutation of the New York Times article got
250,000 hits.
…………………………
3. Why fake news is hard to stop
Fake news stories can be hard to control for several reasons. Many people mistrust
established news sources, and others just don’t read them, so debunking a fake story by a
serious newspaper or TV channel has limited effect. In addition, the internet is very hard
to police. When users are caught misusing one media platform, they simply go to another
one or start up a website themselves.
4. ………………………….
Motives for creating fake news
There are also various reasons why people create fake news. Some have political motives
to belittle or incriminate their opponents. Other websites, like The Onion, deliberately
publish fake news as satire – humorous comment on society and current affairs. Another
group is in it for the profit: many people clicking on entertaining fake news stories can
bring in a lot of advertising revenue. One man running fake news sites from Los Angeles
said he was making up to US$ 30,000 a month in this way. There are also those, like the
small-town teenagers in Macedonia who wrote fake news stories about Donald Trump,
who seem to be motivated partly by money and partly by boredom.
5. ………………………….
How we can try and control fake new
So, what can we do to stop fake news spreading? First, make sure that the websites you
read are legitimate, for example by looking carefully at the domain name and the About
Us section. Check the sources of any quotes or figures given in the story. Remember that
amazing stories about famous people will be covered by the mainstream media if they are
true. Only share stories you know are true and let your friends know, tactfully, when they
unknowingly share fake news. Together, we can turn around the post-truth world!

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2. Read again and choose the correct answer:

1. Why did Elgar Welch go to the pizzeria?

a. He was trying to commit robbery.

b. He hated all supporters of Hillary Clinton.
c. He was working as a private investigator and investigating a crime.
d. He had become concerned after reading an untrue news story.

2. Why did many people not believe The Washington Post and The New York Times
when they denounced the pizzeria story?

a. They checked the facts and found that the articles were incorrect.
b. They didn't trust anybody.
c. They thought the newspapers had a political agenda.
d. They thought the newspapers had not researched the story carefully enough.

3. Who is Steven Smith?

a. a local politician from Georgia

b. a journalist for The New York Times
c. a member of the US House of Representatives
d. a fictitious person, created to attack the media

4. Which reason for the difficulty of controlling fake news stories is not given in the
article?

a. Many people don’t read the mainstream media.

b. Online media platforms don’t check stories before publishing them.
c. People are skeptical of the mainstream media.
d. Fake news stories can easily switch to other websites and platforms if caught.

5. Which type of motivation for the creation of fake news is not given?

a. It’s a way of making money from people who pay to read the stories.
b. It’s a way of commenting on current affairs.
c. It’s a way of attacking your political opponents.
d. It’s a form of entertainment.

6. How does the author feel about stopping fake news spreading?

a. cautiously optimistic
b. doubtful
c. positive
d. pessimistic

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 C. GRAMMAR: REPORTED SPEECH - ALL TENSES

1. Complete the sentences with reported speech:

1. She told him, "Shut the door!"

She told him ……………………………………………………………..
to shut the door.

2. He said, "I am going home now."

he was going home now.
He said (that) …………………………………………………………….

3. Sam asked her, "Have you got 20 pounds?"

Sam asked her ……………………………………………………………
if she had 20 pounds.

4. He wanted to know, "Which picture is the most famous one?"

which picture was the most famous one.
He wanted to know ………………………………………………………

5. She said, "I was biking yesterday."

She said (that) …………………………………………………………….
she had been biking yesterday.

6. He was told, "Fill in the form!"

He was told ……………………………………………………………….
to fill in the form.

7. She said, "I am doing my homework.

She said (that) …………………………………………………………….
she was doing her homework.

8. They asked me, "Did Paul lose the match?"

They asked me ……………………………………………………………
if Paul had lost the match.

9. He told her, "Don't call me before 7 o'clock!”

He told her ………………………………………………………………..
not to call him before 7 o'clock.

10. Mother said to me, "I will buy that book for you."
Mother said to me (that) ………………………………………………….
she would buy that book for me

11. Cathy asked me, "Is the movie interesting or boring?"

Cathy asked me ……………………………………………………………
whether the movie was interesting or boring.

12. She said to him, "I have invited you to my party."

She said to him (that) ………………………………………………………
she had invited him to her party.

13. They wanted to know, "When is your birthday?"

They wanted to know ………………………………………………………
when my birthday was.

14. Susan said, "I like classical music."

Susan said (that) ……………………………………………………………
she liked classical music.

15. She asked me, "Where did you meet her?"

……………………………………………………………….
She asked me where I had met her.

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 D. LISTENING
1. Before watching the video, match some words and phrases with their
definitions:

Words / phrases Letter Definitions

1. Salacious a. A process or set of rules to be followed in
d calculations or other problem-solving operations,
especially by a computer.
2. Proliferated b b. Done consciously and intentionally; on purpose.
3. Intermediaries c. The process of verifying the accuracy and
h truthfulness of statements, claims, or news reports,
especially in journalism.
Backlash g
4. d. Events or actions that cause public outrage due to
their perceived immorality or wrongdoing.
5. Persuasive e. A humorous imitation of something, typically a
f film or a particular genre of film
Spoof e f. Capable of convincing or influencing someone's
beliefs or actions.
6. Scandals d
7. g. A strong negative reaction, especially in response
to a recent development or change.
8. Fact-checking c h. Individuals or entities that act as a link or go-
between in a transaction or process.

2. Watch the video and answer True or False:

https://youtu.be/frjITitjisY?si=WgYeWmq0ilfY4QeX

True
1. Boris made more money than his parents by building fake news sites. _____
2. The most popular stories on the fake news websites registered were predominantly
pro-Trump. _____
True
3. Advertisers directly placed ads on fake news sites like those created by Boris.____
False
4. Google AdSense and AppNexus act as intermediaries between advertisers and
publishers, managing ad placements and payments. _____
True
5. Every online search conducted by users is tracked and matched with advertisers
False
selling relevant products. _____

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