Why does fake news spread faster than the truth?

Answer and give a real example for each one.

1. How do you usually get your news?
2. Which news source do you trust most? Why?
3. Have you ever believed a story that turned out to be fake?
4. Do you read the full article or just the headlines?
5. Do you share news on social media or in group chats?
6. What was the last big news story that surprised you?

For each word or phrase, say one true sentence about how you follow the news.

Choose the word or phrase that fits.

1. I don't have time to read everything, so I just check the .
2. "Drinking hot water kills viruses" — that's .
3. Where did you read that? What's the ?
4. I trust this newspaper. It's very .
5. Before sharing anything, you should it.
6. "This one trick will make you rich!" is classic .
7. That channel only shows one side of the story. It's very .
8. Nobody knows if it's true. It's just a .

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

1. false info spread by mistake =
   misinformationdisinformation
2. false info spread on purpose =
   disinformationmisinformation
3. very new important news =
   breaking newsheadlinesa rumour
4. fair ↔
   biasedreliableviral
5. to not fully believe = to take it with a pinch of
   saltsugarpepper
6. to spread very fast online = to go
   viralfakebreaking

Use each phrase to talk about a news story you heard.

• According to...За даними..., Згідно з...According to the BBC, the strike will continue.
• I read somewhere that...Я десь читав(-ла), що...I read somewhere that coffee is good for your heart.
• They said that... / They told us that...Вони сказали, що...They said that the road was closed.
• It turned out that...Виявилося, що...It turned out that the photo was fake.
• I always check... before...Я завжди перевіряю..., перш ніж...I always check two sources before sharing.
• It sounds too good to be true.Звучить занадто добре, щоб бути правдою.Free iPhones for everyone? It sounds too good to be true.
• I take... with a pinch of salt.Я ставлюся до... з недовірою.I take news from TikTok with a pinch of salt.
• Where did you hear that?Де ти це почув(-ла)?Where did you hear that? Is it reliable?

Read the article. Hover over the dotted words for help.

1. Mark Twain definitely said the famous quote about lies.
   TrueFalse
2. The MIT study looked at about 126,000 stories.
   TrueFalse
3. True stories spread faster than false ones.
   TrueFalse
4. Fake news often causes strong emotions.
   TrueFalse
5. According to the study, bots were the main reason fake news spread.
   TrueFalse

1. Why do you think people share news without checking it?
2. Which emotions make you want to share a story?
3. Has anyone in your family shared fake news? What happened?
4. Which steps from the article do you already use?

Other changes: today → that day, tomorrow → the next day, yesterday → the day before, here → there, this → that. If the information is still true now, you can keep the present: He said that the Earth is round.

1. "I'm busy." → She said she
   wasis being
   busy.
2. He
   toldsaid
   me that the news was fake.
3. "I'll check it." → He said he
   wouldwill
   check it.
4. "Where do you work?" → She asked me where I
   workeddid work
   .
5. "Is it true?" → He asked
   if it waswas it
   true.
6. "I can't come." → She said she
   couldn'tcan't not
   come.
7. "I saw it yesterday." → He said he had seen it
   the day beforeyesterday before
   .
8. She
   saidtold
   that she would be late.

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

1. He said me that he was tired. →
2. She asked me where did I live. →
3. He said he will call tomorrow. →
4. They asked is it true. →
5. She told that she was busy. →
6. He said that he can swim. →

Answer in detail. Use reported speech.

1. Report a piece of news you heard this week: who said it, and what exactly did they say?
2. Report a conversation you had recently: what did they tell you, and what did you ask?
3. What did your parents always tell you when you were a child?
4. Report what a politician or famous person said recently. Did you believe it?
5. What did a teacher once tell you that you still remember?
6. Report a rumour you heard. Did it turn out to be true?

For each post: is it likely to be true, fake, or partly true? What clues do you notice? How would you check it? Would you share it, and what would you say to the person who sent it?

Practise reported speech in a real situation.

1. Your teacher will tell you a short piece of news. Report it back: "You told me that..."
2. Then imagine you heard it from three different people. How might the story change?
3. Report a real conversation from your week: "My colleague told me that... and asked me if..."
4. Report what someone said on the news this week.

1. How do you check if a story is true?
2. Which news stories make you angry?
3. Do you trust news more from TV, websites or social media?
4. Do you have any family group chats where fake news is shared?
5. How often do you read or watch the news?
6. Have you ever stopped following the news for a while? Why?
7. Which journalist or news source do you trust most?
8. What news would you like to see more of?

1. Why do older people sometimes share more fake news?
2. Should social media companies delete fake news?
3. Should schools teach how to spot fake news?
4. Are newspapers still important?
5. Do people want true news or news that agrees with them?
6. How has war changed the way people in Ukraine follow news?

1. Is it possible to be completely unbiased?
2. Should spreading fake news be a crime?
3. Will AI make fake news harder to spot?
4. Who is more responsible for fake news: the creators or the sharers?
5. Is it better to avoid the news for your mental health?
6. Can democracy survive without reliable news?

"Social media companies should delete fake news."

Round 1: give your real opinion for 1–2 minutes. Round 2: defend the opposite side for 1 minute. Use: According to... · Experts say that... · It turned out that... · I'd take that with a pinch of salt.