If a piece of online news tells you not to use your cellphone in the kitchen because the phone will explode, will you believe it? What about a message like this one: "Don't give money. Just share this message, and you will help a sick child"? We receive, read, and share all kinds of news stories from social media every day. However, some of them aren't true.
"Fake news" is a hot topic today, but it has been around for a long time. In the past, people spread fake news by word of mouth. Today, it is mostly shared online. It can be untrue articles, photos, or even videos. Though most fake news stories don't cause any serious problems, some can affect people's lives. During the COVID-19 crisis, lemon juice in warm water was believed to help against the disease. For a while, this claim was spreading quickly on Facebook pages in five languages. However, the claim was later proven to be wrong.
How can we tell if a news story is true? We can check the source of the story. Is the writer an expert on the topic? Can we trust the website? For instance, the lemon water story was posted on a social media site, not on a news site by a reporter or scientist. Moreover, we can go to fact-checking websites to find out the truth of a story.
Checking the truth of every piece of information sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? To save a little time, it is a good idea to think critically about social media sites. Social media companies know your interests and use computer programs to suggest posts to you. Sometimes, shocking posts are just trying to catch your attention. Staying curious can help you find fake news before it spreads further.
Fake news has always been part of our world, and it is not going away. In the Internet era, developing the ability to understand and make good use of digital media is important. In the long term, it will be the best solution to the fake news crisis.
如果網上的一則新聞告訴你不要在廚房裡使用手機,因為手機會爆炸,你相信嗎?如果是像這樣的訊息呢:「不用捐款。只要分享這個訊息,你就能幫助一個生病的孩子」?我們每天從社群媒體接收、閱讀和分享各種新聞故事。然而,其中一些不是真的。
「假新聞」是現今的熱門話題,但它已經存在了很長時間。過去,人們通過口耳相傳來傳播假新聞。今天,主要是在網路上分享。它可以是不實的文章、照片,甚至是影片。儘管大多數假新聞報導不會造成任何嚴重問題,但有些可能會影響人們的生活。在新冠病毒危機期間,溫檸檬汁被認為有助於對抗這種疾病。有一段時間,這種說法以五種語言在臉書頁面上迅速傳播。然而,這種說法後來被證明是錯誤的。
我們如何判斷一則新聞報導是否屬實?我們可以查看新聞的來源。作者是該主題的專家嗎?我們可以信任該網站嗎?例如,檸檬水的說法是在社群媒體網站上發布,而不是由記者或科學家在新聞網站上發布的。此外,我們可以去事實查核網站找出整起報導的真相。
檢查每條訊息的真實性聽起來好像很費工,不是嗎?為了節省一點時間,最好對社群媒體網站進行批判性思考。社群媒體公司了解你的喜好,因而會使用電腦程式向你推薦貼文。有時,令人震驚的貼文只是想引起你的注意。保持好奇可以幫助你在進一步傳播之前就識破假新聞。
假新聞一直是我們世界的一部分,而且不會消失。在網際網路的時代,培養理解和善用數位媒體的能力很重要。從長遠來看,這將是假新聞危機的最佳解決方案。
- custom [ˋkʌstəm] n.
習俗,慣例;習慣
It is a custom in Taiwan to have a family dinner on New Year's Eve.
It's Aunt Mary's custom to send hand-written letters instead of emails. - light [laɪt] v.
點燃;照亮
When you light the fireworks, make sure you stand back to be safe.
The lamp was bright enough to light the whole room. - light [laɪt] n.
光;燈
There are large windows in the apartment so it gets plenty of light.
I pressed the switch but the light didn't come on. - candle [ˋkænd!] n.
蠟燭
During the power cut I had to light candles to do my homework. - celebrate [ˋsɛlə͵bret] v.
慶祝
I plan to celebrate my next birthday with a dinner party. - celebration [͵sɛləˋbreʃən] n.
慶祝;慶祝活動
We took Mom to dinner in celebration of Mother's Day.
In this city, there is a huge and noisy celebration at New Year. - amusing [əˋmjuzɪŋ] adj.
有趣的,好笑的
The picnic was a success, with amusing activities. - amused [əˋmjuzd] adj.
愉快的
The hotel has plenty of activities to keep guests amused. - amuse [əˋmjuz] v.
提供娛樂,使愉快
If the rides at Disneyland don't amuse you, it has some great shows. - amusement [əˋmjuzmənt] n.
樂趣;消遣娛樂
John isn't serious about golf. He only plays the sport for amusement.
The hotel often arranges special events and amusements for its guests. - prefer [prɪˋfɝ] v.
寧可,偏好
I hate hot weather, and I actually prefer winter to summer. - preference [ˋprɛfərəns] n.
偏好,偏愛;偏愛的事物
Julie's preference for bright colors makes her clothes stand out.
Annie's musical preferences are very similar to mine. We both love jazz and rock music. - tradition [trəˋdɪʃən] n.
傳統,慣例
In this area there is an old tradition of singing and dancing during a wedding. - traditional [trəˋdɪʃən!] adj.
傳統的,慣例的
We celebrated Christmas in the traditional way, by giving each other presents. - strength [strɛŋθ] n.
力氣;強度
I don't have enough strength to move this heavy table by myself.
Jack found it difficult to express the strength of his feelings for Joanne. - strengthen [ˋstrɛŋθən] v.
增強;使鞏固
This exercise will help you strengthen your leg muscles.
Going on vacation together last year strengthened my friendship with Tom. - associate [əˋsoʃɪɪt] v.
聯想
I always associate this song with a trip I took to Japan. - association [ə͵sosɪˋeʃən] n.
聯想;關連
The popular association of Africa with poverty represents a narrow view.
Most scientists accept the association between carbon dioxide and climate change. - ideal [aɪˋdiəl] adj.
理想的,完美的
The island is an ideal place for a relaxing vacation. - ideal [aɪˋdiəl] n.
理想
Studying science at a top university is my ideal, and I'm sure I'll make it. - available [əˋveləb!] adj.
沒有交往對象的;有空的;可取得的
If your brother is still available, I know a nice girl that he may like.
Are you available for lunch on Thursday or Friday this week?
This item is only available through our website, and you can't find it in any other stores. - belief [bɪˋlif] n.
看法;信仰;信念
It's my belief that high school students are too young for romantic relationships.
The idea that pork is an unclean meat is part of certain religious beliefs.
To succeed in business, you must have strong belief in what you are doing. - memory [ˋmɛmərɪ] n.
記憶力;回憶
The boss has a good memory for the names of everyone in the office.
The terrible memories of the war stayed with Arthur for the rest of his life. - memorize [ˋmɛmə͵raɪz] v.
記住,熟背
We have to memorize this entire poem for Monday's class. - explanation [͵ɛkspləˋneʃən] n.
解釋,說明
There is no explanation for those strange lights in the sky last night.
Suddenly and without explanation, Jean stood up and left the room. - explain [ɪkˋsplen] v.
解釋,說明
The teacher asked John to explain why he was so late for the class. - apply [əˋplaɪ] v.
塗抹;應用,實施;申請
Apply a small amount of the cream to the wound.
The school has applied some new ways of teaching children.
That job would suit you, and you should apply for it. - application [͵æpləˋkeʃən] n.
應用;申請
The application of these methods can help you relax and deal with stress.
I'm expecting an email about my application to Yale University. - slippery [ˋslɪpərɪ] adj.
滑溜的
The fish was very slippery and fell out of my hands. - slip [slɪp] v.
滑跤;溜走
The path was very icy and I slipped several times.
Fiona slipped away before the party ended, and I didn't see her again that night. - consider [kənˋsɪdɚ] v.
認為;考慮
I know Lucas well, but I don't consider him to be a close friend.
Please consider my offer and give me an answer tomorrow. - consideration [kənsɪdəˋreʃən] n.
考慮
After serious consideration, Steven decided not to join the army. - practice [ˋpræktɪs] n.
慣例,習俗;施行
When I was in India, I found some of the religious practices very interesting.
Is Edward really going to put his crazy idea into practice? - unique [juˋnik] adj.
獨特的,獨一無二的
The band has won a lot of fans with its fun songs and unique style. - cultural [ˋkʌltʃərəl] adj.
文化上的
When you travel to another country, it is important to respect cultural differences. - culture [ˋkʌltʃɚ] n.
文化
The book is a study of South Pacific islanders and their culture. - worth [wɝθ] adj.
值得;有...價值的
The museum has a lot to see and is really worth visiting.
It's a nice jacket, but it isn't worth three thousand dollars. - worth [wɝθ] n.
價值
Nobody knows Mr. Price's exact worth, but he is a billionaire for sure. - worthy [ˋwɝðɪ] adj.
值得的
The young boy's bravery is worthy of a medal. - try out
試驗
Windsurfing looks fun, and I'd love to try it out this summer. - hold up
支撐住
That pole doesn't look strong enough to hold up such a big tent. - come across
偶然遇到
When we were hiking in the hills, we came across an old farmer with his sheep. - in that case
既然那樣,在那種情況下
John: My brother is picking me up later.
Janet: In that case, I won't wait for you. - make fun of
取笑,嘲弄
The first time she went to school in glasses, Dee's classmates made fun of her. - serve the purpose of
用於...目的
The mother bird's quick action served the purpose of protecting its young from a snake. - be supposed to
應該...的
I know cabbage is supposed to be good for me, but I hate its taste. - die out
過時;滅絕
Some languages in remote parts of the world are gradually dying out.
The dodo was a flightless bird that died out more than two centuries ago.