English For Today chapter 8: News News News

Unit Eight

News! News! News!

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• ask and answer questions
• participate in short dialogues and conversations on familiar topics
• read aloud texts with proper sounds, stress and intonation
• read and understand text materials
• write answers to questions
• write simple formal/informal letters
• write simple CVs
• write short paragraphs

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Lesson 1: What is News?

Keywords: bunk off, mass people, objective, bias, broadcast, refer editorial, informative, educative

A. Look at the following pictures. Discuss with your partner what you see in them:

Figure

Labels: NEWS, NEWS, DAILY NEWS, THE NEWS, BANG[unclear]NEWS Description: Three illustrations. On the left, a TV screen shows a woman in a saree with a flag and a boat behind her. In the centre, a man in a suit reads a newspaper at a desk. On the right, a stack of several newspapers.

B. Read the text and answer the following questions:

'I eat rice every day. I play cricket. I don't bunk off school, blah…blah…blah….' These are common events. They happen every day or on some occasions. Are these events news? Should they be published in newspapers? The answer is a big 'NO'. Then what is news anyway? What do we want to know from the media? 'When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a man bites a dog that is news,' says Charles Anderson Dana.

The first thing is that the news should be a piece of information. Secondly, the information should be recent or new, and hence it is ‘news’. Thirdly, people should take interest in it. Fourthly, it should be self-explained. That is, it should answer all the questions with who,which,what,where,when, why and how. Finally, it should be objective. Recently, another aspect has been added: news is either printed or broadcast or on the internet.

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There are opinions that the term ‘news’ comes from ‘new’. Others say it is news because it comes from all directions: North, East, West and South.

Questions:

1. What features should news have?
2. What is the difference between news and an event?
3. ‘……it should be self-explained ...’. What does ‘it’ mean here?
4. What are the opinions about the term ‘news’?
5. What must there be in the information in a newspaper?

C. Pairwork. Find the following words/phrases in italics in the text in B. Discuss with your partner and try to guess their meaning from the context. Then look at the table below and match the words with their meanings in the right column. First one is done for you:

D. What is fake news?

"Fake news" means news that isn't true or is misleading. This can happen when stories don’t have real facts or trustworthy sources. There are two main types of fake news:

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1. Misinformation: This is when wrong information is shared by mistake, without meaning to mislead anyone.

2. Disinformation: This is when wrong information is shared on purpose to trick people. It's important to always check facts to avoid spreading fake news!

E. Look at the news and the post below and discuss the questions in pairs:

Figure

Labels: WEEKLY WORLD NEWS; Space creature survived UFO crash in Arkansas!; HILLARY CLINTON ADOPTS ALIEN BABY; OFFICIAL PHOTO!; Secret Service building special nursery in the White House! Description: A tabloid-style news cover. A woman holds a baby; a starburst label reads "OFFICIAL PHOTO!".

A news card falsely claims that Hillary Clinton has adopted an alien baby discovered at a UFO crash site.

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Figure

Labels: Bd Ansar shared a link. · December 14 at 8:00 AM · আজ ফেসবুকে ঢুকতেই ১ বড় আপু মেসেজ দিয়ে বললো বিজয়ের মাস উপলক্ষে দেশের সবাইকে ১৬০০ টাকা করে বিকাশে উপহার দিচ্ছে সোনালী ব্যাংক। · প্রথমে বিশ্বাস করিনি। পরে যখন নিজে ১৬০০ টাকা পেলাম তখন বিশ্বাস হলো। · আমার মত আপনিও খুব সহজেই এই টাকা নিতে পারবেন। টাকা পেতে আপনাকে নিচের লিংকে ঢুকতে হবে, অতঃপর আপনার নাম, ঠিকানা এবং বিকাশ নম্বর দিয়ে আবেদন করতে হবে। আবেদন করার ২ মিনিটের ভেতর আপনার বিকাশ নম্বরে ১৬০০ টাকা চলে যাবে। · অবিশ্বাস করার আগে ১ বার চেষ্টা করে দেখুন। · লিংক: · Sohel Rana · 7,034.67 · সেন্ড মানি, মোবাইল রিচার্জ, ক্যাশ আউট, পেমেন্ট · 1600-7883011 INGRESS-BARONN.EASYWP.COM · ১৬০০ টাকা বিজয় উপহার পেতে এখানে ক্লিক করুন · 43 Comments 339 Shares Description: A screenshot of a Facebook post shared by "Bd Ansar", with a pink mobile banking app panel below it showing the balance 7,034.67 and four icons (Send Money, Mobile Recharge, Cash Out, Payment). The post text claims that Sonali Bank is giving Tk 1600 to everyone, and a link is shown in red at the bottom of the post.

A Facebook page falsely claims that Sonali Bank is giving away money to people in celebration of the month of victory.

Questions:

1. Do you think this news and the post are true? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think people are spreading this fake news?

F. Look at the following comment:

The advertisement is the most truthful part of a newspaper. ---Thomas Jefferson. Now, make similar sentences from the following substitution table:

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G. Ask and answer with your partner:

1. Do you read any newspaper/magazine?
2. When do you usually read it?
3. Which newspaper/magazine do you read?
4. What makes it different from other newspapers/magazines?
5. Which news items do you like most ---- international affairs, sports, movie, culture, politics, etc?
6. Do you share your favourite news item/s with your friend/s?

H. Write a paragraph on your habit of reading newspapers. You can take your cues from the questions in section G:

Lesson 2: The First Newspaper

A. Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions:

• Do you read newspaper?
• What newspaper do you read and how often?
• What pages interest you the most?
• What do you know about the history of the newspapers?

B. Read the text below silently and fast. Then tell what the text is about:

Figure: Acta Diurna: the first newspaper

Description: A photograph of a round relief carving of a man holding a book or scroll, set against a background of carved Latin inscription letters. The caption below reads "Acta Diurna: the first newspaper".

Humans have a natural curiosity to know the unknown, to see the unseen and to conquer the unconquered. Every day so many things are happening around and human beings are eager to know them all. They not only like to know happenings in their own and other countries, but also what is happening in Antarctica or Mars, or Siberia. This curiosity to know and understand situations is not a contemporary phenomenon. It is true, the World Wide Web (www) has made our life easier and

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now we know anything that takes place at the farthest corners of the world with a single click. However, it was not that easy a few hundred years ago. Through a process of evolution, the newspaper has now become a part and parcel of human life. Modern people cannot think of a day when they don't have a newspaper passed through the doors in the early morning. A fresh newspaper with a hot cup of tea or coffee has been the symbol of modern urban life. We peep at a newspaper for national, local, international or sports news. Is there a show of Nuruldiner Sarajibon, or Chitrangoda or Hamlet? Is there a suitable job offer? Are there any sales? Let us have a look at the newspaper. The newspaper is the ultimate destination for advertisements of products, classified advertisements for finding brides and bridegrooms, houses to-let, sales, and what not? It is said, in the modern world, information is power and a newspaper is an information hub. But how were the initial days of the newspapers? The first newspaper, Acta Diurna, was published in ancient Rome in 59 BC. Acta Diurna meaning 'daily acts' posted different types of announcements and social events. However, Acta Diurna was not a paper-based newspaper. It was a message board displayed in public places. Just imagine how old the history of the newspaper in human civilization is! Acta Diurna was published just 59 years before the birth of Jesus Christ!

Much later, at the beginning of the 16th century, printed 'news books' were published in England and they were based on stories such as battles, disasters or public celebrations. The London Gazette claims to be England's oldest newspaper published in 1665. The 17th century also marks the regular publication of newspapers in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Johann Carolus published the first weekly newspaper, Account of All Distinguished and Commemorable News, from Germany in 1605. The newspapers that are delivered to your house each day started its journey from the 18th Century. The Pennsylvania Packet and The Daily Advertiser were the first daily newspapers from the US, which came out in 1784. Many independent newspapers ran before that on a weekly or monthly basis.

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The first newspaper printed in India was Hickey's Bengal Gazette in 1780 under the British Raj. It was published by James Augustus Hickey. In this process, the first Bangla weekly newspaper, the Samachar Darpan, came out in 1818. The missionaries ran this newspaper. The Azad became Dhaka's first daily newspaper. The Azad played an important role during our Language Movement as the daily Ittefaq played glorious role in our struggle for independence.

In the 21^st century, there is a change in the form and presentation of newspapers. They are no more confined to tabloid and broadsheet sizes. Nearly all the world's major newspapers have begun publishing online editions of their newspapers and although some newspapers charge their readers for access, many have made their web editions free. Yet, having a printed newspaper is still an obsession for many people in the world.

C. Read the text above again and fill in the flow chart with relevant information. Why are these dates important in the history of newspapers?

D. Group work:

1. Do you agree with the statement in the text that newspaper with a cup of tea has been an urban trend? Why/Why not?

2. From your reading of the text in Section B, what difference do you find in the newspapers of the present time compared to those of the early days? Justify your arguments.

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Language Point

Look at the sentence below. Is there a show of Nuruldiner Sarajibon, or Chitrangoda or Hamlet?

There at the beginning of this sentence is called introductory there. For example, There is a new movie at Cineplex.

There is sometimes used in the beginning of a sentence immediately before/after a form of verb 'to be' when the subject noun is an uncertain person or a thing. Here 'there' is not an actual subject, but enables the subject to follow the verb. This is called 'Introductory There'.

E . Make a list of sentences that use 'Introductory There' in the text in Section B and then make five sentences using 'Introductory There':

F. Read the following sentences. Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false and then provide correct answer:

1. It annoys people when the newspaper delivery person passes a newspaper through the door.
2. Newspapers more or less provide all sorts of information we need.
3. The first newspaper was published in England.
4. The history of newspaper dates back to recent time.
5. The Americans first introduced daily newspapers.
6. The Samachar Darpan came out once in seven days.
7. Online newspapers are common all over the world

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G. Here is a small story but the sequence of the sentences is jumbled. Work in groups to rearrange the sentences so that the text comes as a cohesive paragraph:

1. Rumki is very emotional and can't bear it.
2. Putting it on the dining table, she quickly makes her tea and comes back to it.
3. Then she takes some light freehand exercise, get freshened, puts some water in the kettle and waits for a soft sound.
4. Rumki gets up early in the morning every day.
5. She enjoys the page for entertainment, but she is sometimes upset with the death-news.
6. Within half an hour, she hears the sound of the passing the newspaper through the door.
7. Before she takes her first sip of tea, she skims the headlines.
8. Collecting it, she takes a long sniff. She loves it.