B2 – Upper Intermediate
Facebook has been under a lot of criticism for being a portal for posting and spreading fake news particularly on the altered results of the recently concluded US elections.
Read the article on Facebook’s plans on fighting against fake news on their website.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38039506
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “arbiter” mean? “He noted Facebook did not want to discourage the sharing of opinions or become ‘arbiters of truth’.” Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
- What does “uncharted territory” mean? “What Facebook’s challenges over fake news reveal, I think, is that we’re in completely uncharted territory.” Use the phrase in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
- What does “astute” mean? “Zuckerberg’s global ambitions will live or die on his ability to be an astute political operator.” Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym or similar expression.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the measures that Facebook is taking in order to stop the spread of fake news on their site?
- What do you think Dave Lee meant when he said, “we’re in completely uncharted territory”?
- Why is addressing this issue crucial?
- How can we spot fake news?
- Tell us about fake news you read or heard of recently.