BBC to Teach Students How to Identifyfake News

BBC to Teach Students How to IdentifyFake News

Experienced journalists from BBC will be teaching students in the UK how to filter out false information from March this year.

byTheodore Pigott, special correspondent

Can you tell if the news you are reading is true or fake?With easy access to the Internet, people receive vast amounts of information every day, and rumors spread like wildfire before they are confirmed. To tackle the problem of fake news, theBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)is launching an educational programthat aims to teach secondary students in the United Kingdom how to tell the differences between real and fake news.

BBC collaboratedwiththe University of Salford on a year-long project to see how well British children between the ages of 9 and 14 could identify fake news. Their research showed that many of these students had trouble distinguishing between real and fake when it came to news stories, even though most of themhad heard about fake news before. The program, which will launch in March this year, will include mentoring from BBCjournalists, and students both in schools and online in UK will be taught how to filter the news they receive. They want to ensure that teenagers can be equipped with the knowledge to avoid being deceived bymisinformation and fabricated news.Up to 1,000 schools will derive benefit from this scheme.

“There’s more information than ever before,” said James Harding, director of BBC News, “some of it is old news.Some of it is half truths. Some of it is just downright lies. And it’s harder than ever when you look at those information feedsto discern what’s true and what’s not.” This new initiative intends toenablepeople to make better choices not only about the news they consume, but also in their lives.

Reading Comprehension

( ) 1. What is this passage mainly about?

(A)The BBC’s new program to assist students in becoming international journalists.

(B) How fake newshas increased the popularity of the news industry.

(C)A program launched by the BBC to helpstudents identify fake news.

(D) A guide to improving the quality of news stories found on social media.

( ) 2. What caused the BBC to start its program to educate young students about fake news?

(A) It wanted to make sure that these young students would enter BBC in the future.

(B)The BBC wanted to do a news story about young students and the rise of “fake news.”

(D) Parents in the UK requested the government to launch this program.

( ) 3. According to the passage, which of the following about the BBC’s new program is true?

(A) The University of Salfordwill also attend the program.

(B) The program will start from March 2018.

(D) Students will have the chance to become interns.

Vocabulary and Phrases

1.identifyvt.分辨
2.spread like wildfirephr.(消息)迅速傳開
3.tacklevt.對付，處理
4.collaboratevi.合作
5.distinguishvi.vt.分辨
6.ensure vt.確保，保證
7.deceivevt.矇騙 / 8.misinformationn.[U]錯誤的資訊
9.fabricatevt.捏造，虛構
10.derivevt.從……中獲得
11.schemen.[C] 計劃
12.feedn.[C]動態，消息
13.enablevt.使能夠

Words for Recognition

1.theBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)n.英國廣播公司
2.the University of Salfordn.索爾福德大學
3.mentorvt.指導 / 4.downrightadj.完全的
5.discern vt.辨別出

The Secret Behind Sticking to Your Resolutions

A study has shown that making resolutions come true requires more than willpower and self-control.

byTheodore Pigott, special correspondent

People around the worldmake New Year’s resolutions and vow to stop doing something, such as smoking, overeating, or spending too much time on Facebook,__1__ others promise to start doing something, such as exercising, getting enough sleep, or reading more books. Unfortunately, most people’s resolutions fall by the waysidebefore the goal is attained. However, professorDavid DeSteno has claimed that he has found the tool to help people persevere with their resolutions—social emotions.

In the past, many people believed that resolutions were all about willpower. In other words, if people had enough willpower and self-discipline, they would be able to __2__ their goals. Desteno, however, expressed that this__3__ can actually be stressful, and it is not effective in the longterm since willpower diminishes over time. On the other hand, positive emotionssuch as gratitude, compassion, and a sense of pridenaturally incline people to be patient and have more perseverance. Instead of squashing the desire for pleasure, these emotions help people __4__ the future more, therebyenhancing their self-control. Research has shown that these emotions also reduce the feeling of depression and anxiety, and lower heart rate and blood pressure.

So, if you really want to stick to your resolutions in 2018, DeSteno__5__ that you start by being grateful for what you have, thinking about others, and taking pride in the things you can do well. By doing so, you have a better chance of being successful in your resolutions for the new year.

Fill in the Blanks

(A)approach / (B)achieve / (C) advises / (D) while / (E) value
(1)______/ (2)______/ (3)______/ (4)______/ (5)______

Vocabulary and Phrases

1.resolutionn.[C]決心，決定
2.vowvt.發誓
3.fall by the waysidephr.半途而廢
4.attainvt.實現，獲得
5.professorn.[C]教授
6.perseverevi.堅持
perseverancen.[U]堅持不懈
7.emotionn.[C]情感
8.self-disciplinen.[U]自律 / 9.in the longtermphr.長期看來
10.diminishvi.;vt.減少，降低
11.gratituden.[U]感激之情gratefuladj.感激的
12.compassionn.[U] 同情
13.inclinevi.;vt.使)傾向於
14.squashvt.制止，去除
15.therebyadv.因此，從而
16.depressionn.[U]憂鬱，抑鬱

Words for Recognition

1.willpowern.[U]意志力 / 2. David DeStenon.大衛·德斯特諾，美國西北大學心理學教授

Did You Know?

In Roman mythology, Cupid, the god of love, is often depicted as an attractive and slender young man with wings. He carries golden arrows and a bow, and whoever is shot by Cupid’s arrow will fall deeply in love. During the Renaissance (文藝復興), he was increasingly portrayed as a light-hearted and playful cherub (小天使). The depiction went on to become a popular symbol for Valentine’s Day when the image appeared on Valentine’s Day cards during the late 18th century.

閱讀測驗解答：1.C 2. C 3.B

文意選填解答：1.D 2. B 3. A 4. E 5.C

Translation

英國廣播公司將教學生如何區分假新聞

今年3月起，英國廣播公司的資深記者將教導英國學生如何過濾不實訊息。

你能分得出你看的新聞是真還是假嗎？網路資源隨手可得，人們每天都會收到大量訊息，而謠言在證實之前便已野火燎原般散布出去。為了應付假新聞的問題，英國廣播公司即將啟動教育課程，旨在教導英國的中學生如何分辨真假新聞。

英國廣播公司和索爾福德大學合作進行一年期的研究，以了解9-14歲的英國兒童辨識假新聞的能力。他們的研究顯示，面對新聞報導，這些學生中有許多不會分辨真假，即使大部分的人先前都聽說過假新聞。今年3月即將啟動的這項課程，內容包含來自英國廣播公司記者的指導。英國學生不管在校或線上，都能學著如何過濾他們接收到的新聞。他們想確保青少年能有見識，避免被錯誤訊息和捏造新聞所騙。多達1000所學校可自該計畫獲益。

英國廣播公司新聞部主任哈丁説：「現在的資訊量比過去多更多。有些是舊聞，有些半真半假，有些則是徹頭徹尾的謊言。當你檢視那些動態消息，想辨別哪些是真及哪些是假，比以往更加困難。」這項新計劃的用意是讓大家不僅對他們看的新聞、也在他們的生活裡，做出更好的抉擇。

貫徹決心的背後秘密

研究顯示：要實現決心，需要的不只是意志力和自我控制。

全世界的人都會許下新年新希望，誓言停止惡習，比方說吸煙、過度飲食、花太多時間滑臉書，其他人則信誓旦旦養成好習慣，例如運動、充足睡眠，或讀更多的書。不幸的是，在達成目標之前，大多數人已經半途而廢。然而，大衛·德斯特諾教授聲稱他找到了幫助人們貫徹決心的工具—社交情緒。

過去，很多人相信決心取決於意志力。換句話說，如果人們有足夠的意志力和自律，就能達成目標。然而，德斯特諾表示，這種做法其實可能造成壓力，而且長期來看效果並不好，因為意志力會隨著時間推移而減弱。另一方面，感恩、同情和自豪感等正面情緒，自然而然讓人有耐性，也更有毅力。這些情緒並未壓抑對快樂的渴望，而是幫助人們更重視未來，從而加強自我控制。研究顯示，這些情緒也減少了抑鬱和焦慮感受，並減慢心跳和降低血壓。

所以，如果你真的想在2018年貫徹決心，德斯特諾建議，先從感恩你擁有的東西、為他人著想、以及為你能做好的事感到自豪做起。這樣做的話，你的新年新希望比較可能會成功。

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