貳、非選擇題：
1. Please design four different kinds of reading comprehension questions, including multiple-choice, matching, ordering, fill-in-the-blank, table/chart/organizer completion, short answer questions, true-false questions, and so on. They should be suitable for the new General Scholastic Ability Test (新型學測混合題型). Answer keys need to be provided.
Fake news can be defined as news containing false or misleading information that appears truthful. Although fake news has long been in existence and this issue is as old as the news industry itself, the Internet and social media have made creating and sharing fake news easier and faster than ever. Consequently, people may be deceived by fake news, believing the content to be genuine without questioning the sources. With so much fake news being spread every day, it is now more important than ever to understand where such news comes from and to question the news stories we read.
Although fake news comes in many forms, two are the most common. First, fake news can come from sloppy journalism, which means that journalists write stories based on unreliable information or without fact-checking their sources prior to publication. Second, some news contains deliberately false information to achieve social or political results; examples include attempts to influence people to vote for a certain candidate or support a particular cause.
The following two examples illustrate the harm fake news can cause. The first highlights the potential long-lasting consequences of false information. In 1998, a British researcher published a small-scale study in a respected medical journal, and it linked the MMR vaccine to autism.
The media provided extensive coverage of this flawed study. As a result, the belief that the MMR vaccine could cause autism became widespread. Some people’s confidence in the vaccine was shattered, and vaccination rates dropped. However, subsequent studies with larger samples revealed different results, and the original study was eventually proved inaccurate. Even so, years after, parents were still exposed to large numbers of negative reports, and some refused to vaccinate their children for fear that it might do more harm than good. More than two decades have now passed since the original study was published, but its effects can still be observed worldwide.
In the second example, flawed reporting might even contribute to tragic consequences. In 2018, Typhoon Jebi left many tourists stranded inside an airport in Japan. Media platforms in China circulated exaggerated reports praising their government’s efforts to evacuate its citizens from the airport. After seeing these reports, some Taiwanese people, claiming to be trapped at the airport, criticized their government on social media for not acting with the same level of diligence. Several mainstream media outlets in Taiwan reported the story without verification, further stirring up public anger. Because of these and other factors, the director of Taiwan’s representative office in Osaka tragically took his own life in the end.
With such horrible events in mind, we are reminded that we must resist fake news. Whenever we come across new information, it is important to evaluate its validity lest we be tricked into mistaking it for truth. One notable feature of authentic news is the inclusion of the writer’s name, which enables readers to view that writer’s biography and verify his or her credibility. Another characteristic of real news is the citing of multiple primary sources, which demonstrates a high level of authenticity. Still another feature to look for is where the article has been published, which can indicate its reliability. If it has been published by a respected media platform, such as the BBC or CNN, it is likely reliable. Last but not least, a clear sign of a factual report is objective writing that does not appeal to readers’ emotions or use deliberately provocative language. These features can help us avoid falling for fake news so that we can see the world accurately.
In the current age of news overload, we must all watch out for fake news lest we fall victim to it. Useful strategies are to think critically about what we are reading and to conduct further research on news stories to check their content before accepting them as truth. With due diligence, we can win the war against fake news and help improve society.
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