14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 Reading the News 1 about:blank 1/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 about:blank 2/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1
Nguyễn Thị Cát Ngọc - Đỗ Thị Thu Phượng (Đồng chủ biên)
Trịnh Minh Phương - Nguyễn Hồng Thúy - Trần Thị Thu Thương READING THE NEWS 1
NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI about:blank 3/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 about:blank 4/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................7
PREFACE TO THE READING THE NEWS SERIES ..........................................................8
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................9
NOTES TO USERS .................................................................................................................12
MEDIA LITERACY ................................................................................................................14
SECTION 1. NEWS AND FEATURES...............................................................................20
UNIT 1. Influencer Marketing ..........................................................................................22
UNIT 2. Climate Change....................................................................................................31
UNIT 3. Social Media and National Security ..................................................................38
UNIT 4. Higher Education and Finance ..........................................................................46
UNIT 5. Environmentalism ...............................................................................................53
UNIT 6. Pursuit of Music Career ......................................................................................61
SECTION 2. OPINION .........................................................................................................69
UNIT 7. Exploring the World ............................................................................................70
UNIT 8. E-Commerce ........................................................................................................79
UNIT 9. The Future of Foods ............................................................................................87
UNIT 10. Freedom of Information ...................................................................................94
UNIT 11. Vaccination .......................................................................................................103
UNIT 12. Public Opinions ...............................................................................................111
LIST OF REFERENCES ......................................................................................................119 about:blank 5/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 about:blank 6/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are appreciative of assorted sources of information and authors of the articles cited
in Reading the News 1 coursebook. Without all of them, we would not have been able to
compile the materials for this book.
We are grateful to our English Faculty, Board of Education and Training, Board of
Directors for facilitating the compilation of this coursebook.
Our sincere thanks go to our English Faculty members, coordinators and students who
have made substantive contribution to the meticulous compilation process. We also
thank the editorial personnel, who was a great help for us in getting the manuscript in publishable form.
Despite all the help we had, many errors and shortcomings may remain in the following
pages; for these we alone are responsible. about:blank 7/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1
PREFACE TO THE READING THE NEWS SERIES
As many language teachers and learners now realize, reading is not simply an important
skill. It is also a critical basis for progress in language learning. Effective reading skill
enhances students’ abilities to pay attention, remember new grammar and vocabulary,
process ideas, and respond appropriately. As students develop their reading abilities, they
feel more capable and confident in all aspects of language use.
Students at different levels need different kinds of reading skills and strategies, but most
eventually encounter the need for academic reading. More than merely enabling them to
succeed in college lectures and discussions, effective academic reading allows students
to build, synthesize and use knowledge in the target language. As a result, they can fully
participate in the exchange of authentic ideas about relevant topics.
Recent progress in language teaching and testing has provided many new instructional
approaches and strategies that help students develop good academic reading skills.
Reading the News incorporates these new ideas into a coherent, carefully sequenced
approach that works well in classrooms.
Authentic Language and Active Reading
Each level of the series Reading the News comprises twelve units on specific topics
which are accessible to students of all backgrounds. The articles selected are written in
an interactive style that models the natural, authentic language as well as active reading.
Key points are reinforced so that students can remember easier.
The activities that accompany each unit are designed to guide the reading process. Students
are encouraged to preview vocabulary, read with a clear purpose, extract main ideas,
understand text organization, check comprehension, deal with unfamiliar words, link
ideas, understand writer’s style, evaluate the text, react to the text, and write summary.
The activities also help students develop critical thinking skills, including: • Activating prior knowledge
• Guessing meaning from context • Predicting information • Organizing ideas
• Discriminating between main ideas and details
• Reconstructing and summarizing main ideas
• Transferring knowledge from each topic to other areas about:blank 8/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 INTRODUCTION READING THE NEWS 1
Reading the News 1 is the first coursebook in the series of Reading the News. The book
is suitable for those who possess level B1-B2 in Vietnamese Standardized Test of English
Proficiency, i.e. they can use the language independently and communicate without effort
with native speakers. In English curriculum, the coursebook is primarily designed for
sophomores who begin their ESP course at Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. It consists
of 12 units based on topics of common interest in international studies. This book features
authentic texts reflecting the recent trends of the world. The book is expected to help
students enhance their ability to read the news in English effectively. READING EFFECTIVELY
Everyone reads with some purposes in mind: for instance, to keep up with the news, to
obtain specific information, or simply for pleasure. A reader’s purpose may also include
the need to reproduce the content of the text in some way or other: in a discussion of the
ideas it contains, for example; or in summarizing the text for a report or an examination.
Effective reading means being able to read accurately and efficiently, understanding as
much of a text as one needs in order to achieve one’s purpose. Not everybody can do this
even in his or her own language. In a foreign language, the problems are of course greater,
and comprehension failure is common. This may be a simple matter of not knowing a
word, but it is equally likely to be due to a deficiency in one or more of a number of
specific reading techniques. The exercises in this book can also help students develop these specific techniques. Extracting main ideas
Sometimes it is difficult for a student to see what the main ideas of a passage are, or
to distinguish between important and unimportant information. Students should be
encouraged to read for the general sense rather than for the meaning of every word.
Reading for specific information
It is not always necessary to read the whole of a text, especially if one is looking for
information which is needed for a specific purpose.
Understanding text organization
Students may sometimes have trouble in seeing how a passage is organized. They should
have practice in recognizing how sentences are joined together to make paragraphs, how
paragraphs are combined into text, and how this organization is signaled. Predicting
Before reading a text, we usually subconsciously ask ourselves what we know about the
subject matter. This makes it easier to see what information is new to us and what we about:blank 9/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 10 Reading the News 1
already know, as we read the passage. If we can transfer this skill to a foreign language,
we can ensure that as we read we are not overloaded with too much new information. Checking comprehension
Under certain circumstances (such as examinations) students may need to study a passage
very closely in order to answer a question correctly, and exact understanding of points of
detail may be crucial. Comprehension questions in each unit could train students in this kind of careful reading. Inferring
A writer may decide to suggest something indirectly rather than state it directly. The reader
is required to infer this information – which may be essential for correct understanding.
Some students may need practice in seeing such implications.
Dealing with unfamiliar words
One of the commonest problems facing a student is simply not being able to understand a
word or expression. But it is often possible to guess its general sense by looking for clues,
whether in the context or in the form of the word itself. The exercise of explaining words
and expressions as used in the article will help develop the techniques needed to make
reasoned guesses about the meaning of new vocabulary. Linking ideas
In any passage an idea may be expressed by a number of different words or expressions.
It is necessary for students to see how different words are related to the same idea.
Understanding complex sentences
Some writers, consciously or unconsciously, use a complicated style in which it may be
difficult, for example, to distinguish main clauses from subordinate clauses. Struggling
with complex syntax can make it easy to lose sight of the general sense of the text. Students
should learn how to “decode” long and complicated sentences.
Understanding writer’s style
An important part of the pleasure in reading is being able to appreciate why a writer
chooses a certain word or expression and how he/she uses it. A number of stylistic devices
and features are presented in this book. Evaluating the text
A full understanding of a passage may depend on appreciating why it was written, or what
purpose particular parts of the text serve. It may, for instance, be important to distinguish
between a statement of fact and an expression of the writer’s opinion. Students are
expected to develop the students’ more critical faculties. about:blank 10/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 Reading the News 1 11 Reacting to the text
Sometimes a reader’s interpretation of a passage may be colored by his or her own views
on the subject being dealt with. Students should learn how to separate what the writer says from what the reader thinks. Writing summaries
The ability to write an accurate summary requires accurate comprehension of a passage,
the ability to distinguish between essential and secondary information, and skill in
composing clear, economical text. For students who need this technique (which is
required, for instance, for the examination) special training is provided. ORGANIZATION OF UNITS
There are 12 units in the coursebook, each devoted to one article. The articles are graded
in the order from News and Features to Opinion in different themes. Pre-reading tasks
Students are offered a variety of interesting activities in which they discuss the topic of
the unit and exchange ideas about it. Reading focus
Students are provided with a particular style of giving information in each article. They will
learn how to recognize different types of information or different ways to present ideas.
Understanding the article
Students will read adapted articles on a variety of topics on specific themes from different
newspapers. They will develop their reading skills and learn essential vocabulary and
structures. They will also be able to discuss the ideas and issues in the articles. Vocabulary work
Students will learn important new words and phrases which they can use when carrying
out the tasks in the unit. A good dictionary will also help them to increase their vocabulary. Exam preparation tasks
Students are equipped with specific skills and strategies to deal with the tasks they will
encounter in their progress and final examinations of the course. Discussion prompts
Students will build up their confidence in using English and improve their fluency through discussion activities. Extra reading
Each unit has one extra reading with similar theme to offer students more sources to study. about:blank 11/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 12 Reading the News 1 NOTES TO USERS
TO STUDENTS AND SELF-STUDY LEARNERS
As you have read the introduction, the objective of this coursebook is to help students
read effectively through tasks. It is also important that you should follow these distinct
stages to make full use of this book.
Stage 1. Preparation
Before you come to each reading class, the following activities may help you approach the article better:
• Do research on the topic of the unit by reading related information about it. You can
also do the activities in Pre-reading tasks of each unit.
• Make notes or create a mind-map about the topic.
• Summarize your views/ feelings or findings by writing a review.
• Make a small talk or presentation on what you have researched in class or with your peer.
This process will help you to become familiar with the theme or the topic of the text.
The second part of this Stage concerns vocabulary. Write a list of words related to the
theme of the unit that you come across while you do research with their meaning in
English. You can even create your own glossary about the topic for your reference.
Stage 2. Task completion
You can do each task in the unit and try to find your answer in the article. You can discuss
your ideas, feelings and thoughts with your peer to get a proper answer for each question.
Use the highlight pen to mark the clues in the article to help you answer the question.
While you read the article, you should:
• Try not to depend much on the dictionary.
• Try to understand unfamiliar words using the context. You may also need to explain
the words/expressions using your own words.
• Read the article carefully to grasp the meaning the author wants to convey. about:blank 12/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 Reading the News 1 13
To do these, you need some reading skills that can only mastered through practice,
namely, scanning, skimming, reading through title, reading through sub-title, and reading for details. Stage 3. Reflection
In this stage, you can consolidate what you have learned by:
• Add more words you have learned from the article into your own word list or glossary
• Write a short note or give a small talk on your own or discussion with your peer
about what you have read from the article
• Read more articles of the similar topic in order to have a more thorough understanding about it TO THE TEACHER
In teaching with Reading the News 1, teachers should remember that the aims of this book
are to help students read effectively, express ideas about topics of the units and explore their
self-study capacity. In order to meet these aims, teachers should also follow these stages:
Stage 1: Preparation
At this first stage, teachers should help students prepare for the article they are going to
read by assigning them to do research at home, giving discussion questions beforehand or
even asking them to make a presentation about the topic of the article.
Stage 2: Task completion
Teachers can guide students to do each task in the unit by giving some tips or skills to
help them read faster and look for the information more efficiently. Some common skills
are scanning and skimming, key words search, paraphrasing, predicting, determining author’s view or facts…
Teachers should also facilitate students with ideas for the discussion or assign students to
lead the discussion about the topic of the unit. Teachers should let students be centered in
their discussion and encourage them to freely express their ideas. Stage 3: Reflection
Teachers should wrap up the class and guide students to the next lesson’s preparation by
assigning them with pre-reading or doing research tasks. More discussions or extra read- ing tasks can be given.
Teachers can also provide students with more sources for reading and ask them to write a
review or make notes on what they have read. about:blank 13/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 14 Reading the News 1 MEDIA LITERACY I. MEDIA
Media is the term used to refer to different types of methods that provide us with import-
ant information and knowledge. Media has always been part of our society, especially in the digital world.
As time passed, people experienced different modes to update news. Based on the type
of medium, their role may be different, but they all exist to communicate to the audience and affect their perceptions. Different Types of Media
In general, we can classify media in three main categories. Printed Media
This type of news media used to be the only way of delivering information to the public. For
the generations of the 80s and 90s, print media was the only media of entertainment. People
relied on newspapers and magazines to learn everything, from recipes and entertainment
news to important information about the country or the world. Print media includes:
Newspapers – printed and distributed on a daily or weekly basis. They include news
related to sports, politics, technology, science, local news, national news, international
news, as well as entertainment news related to fashion, celebrities, and movies. Today’s
parents grew up with this type of printed media.
Magazines – printed on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. It contains
information about finance, food, lifestyle, fashion, sports, etc.
Books – focused on a particular topic or subject, giving the reader a chance to spread their
knowledge about their favorite topic.
Banners – used to advertise a company’s services and products, hung on easily-noticed
sights to attract people’s attention.
Billboards – huge advertisements created with the help of computers. Their goal is to attract people passing by.
Brochures – a type of booklet that includes everything about one company – its products,
services, terms and conditions, contact details, address, etc.
Flyers – used mostly by small companies due to the low cost of advertising. They contain about:blank 14/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 Reading the News 1 15
the basic information about a company, their name, logo, service or product, and contact
information, and they are distributed in public areas.
Broadcasting Media
Broadcasting media includes videos, audios, or written content that provides important or
entertaining information shared by different methods:
Television – in the past, there were a few channels sharing various types of content,
whereas now we have hundreds of TV channels to choose from. Each channel delivers a
different type of content, so you have a separate channel for news, drama, movies, sports,
animation, nature, travel, politics, cartoon, and religion.
Radio – uses radio waves to transmit entertaining, informative, and educative content to
the public. Due to its high reach to the audience, radio is widely used for advertising prod-
ucts and services. Radio is one of the oldest means of entertainment, and today people
often hear it to find out the weather and traffic while commuting.
Movies – film, motion picture, screenplay, moving picture, or movie has world-wide
reachability. It’s the best type of mass media to promote cultures and spread social
awareness. Movies have always played a huge part in the entertainment world. Internet Media
Nowadays, we are relying on the Internet to get the news a lot more often than traditional
news sources. Websites provide information in the form of video, text, and audio. We can
even choose the way we want to receive the news. Types of Internet media include:
Social networks or websites – including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr,
LinkedIn, Snapchat, Quora, Reddit, Pinterest, etc. They are user-friendly and widely used
by people around the world. Although we can find any news here, they may be misleading
because of the lack of regulations on the content shared. Online newspaper sites are also
sources of news where people can find information just in one click.
Online forums – Virtual places where we can comment, message, or discuss a particular
topic. Forums allow us to share knowledge with other people with the same interest.
That’s why it’s regarded as the best platform to seek support and assistance.
Podcast – a series of audios focused on a particular topic or theme. We can listen to
them on a computer or a mobile phone. It’s a platform that allows anyone to share their
knowledge and communicate with the world.
To conclude, we use different types of media to find out news, learn new things, and
entertain ourselves. With the advance in technology, we can choose the type of media
we want to use, no matter the time or place. Thanks to the Internet, you can search for
whatever you want just in one second, but choosing a reliable and authentic source of about:blank 15/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 16 Reading the News 1
information to learn and update news is of great importance for students.
If you read news from the Internet, be skeptical and critical because who knows where
the Internet can lead you to. The following part will guide you how to be skeptical when you read online.
II. HOW TO BE SKEPTICAL ON THE INTERNET
It’s important for you to recognize that every time you click on something, you’re cre-
ating a trail that brings information to yourself. The question students always ask is that
should we trust everything we read online, especially the potential of the problems may
arise when almost everyone can publish a blog or web page? For example, the “Help Save
the Endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus from Extinction” site (https://zapatopi.
net/treeoctopus/) looks reliable and seems to provide trust-worthy information about an
endangered species of octopus dwells in the trees of the Pacific Northwest. However, you
must be surprised to learn that no such animal as a tree octopus exists and you had fallen for an Internet hoax.
These are three strategies to read critically on the Internet:
Examining initial markers or superficial characteristic of a website that can help us make
an initial judgment about its credibility.
Many students were convinced of the site’s validity because of the numerous images
(for example, the image that shows an octopus residing in the branches of pine tree in
the abovementioned site), the large amount of text (which included scientific names), the
professional-looking layout of the site, and numerous links to other sites about octopuses
and endangered species (many of which lead to legitimate sites). However, none of these
markers were guaranteed indicators of the validity of information on a site. These are
some of the features of a web page that would give it credibility.
First, students should look for information about the author or sponsoring organization
of a website. Sites that prominently displayed contact information can be more reliable
than those that do not. If can identify an author, we can learn through further research
about any credentials the author might have. Identifying the author of a site may also help
us in determining possible bias of that author or the author’s motive for publishing this information online.
Another marker that we can look for is the timeliness of the site. Students can look for a
note on the web page about when it was last updated, which will often appear near the top
or bottom of a web page. A site that is rarely updated or posts no information about when
it was last updated might be less trustworthy. More importantly, when we are looking for
relevant and timely information online, sites that haven’t been updated for a long time
might not be appropriate for our needs or may not even be correct anymore as more new
information that has come to light since the site’s publication. about:blank 16/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 Reading the News 1 17
The next marker that students can follow when examining a site is to examine the content
of the connected sites. A site seems more credible if the author provides links to source
materials for the information, not links to other sites of interest. To examine a website,
students can enter “link” into a Google search box. You can see other sites linked to the
doubtful site which are personal blogs but no other scientific sites that discussed the en-
dangered animal. This may make you to think twice before accepting the information.
Finally, students can look at the overall layout and at any additional content on a website.
The abundance of advertisements on a site could be a clue that the site’s author might
be more interested in commercial gains than in distributing accurate information. A site
with numerous grammatical errors or an amateurish appearance could also be suspected.
However, some personal blogs or forums are physically formatted in a recognizable way;
which may lure students to believe in the information founded in these sites. Students
should be careful with such sites since they tend to be forums for personal opinion or
supposition rather than sources of factual information.
Students should keep in mind that many sites can look professional and polished, offer a
lot of information and link to legitimate sites but still contain questionable information.
Corroborating information (or confirming information)
First, students can use their common sense to judge the information. For example, if
something we encounter on the Internet sounds too good or too odd to be true, then it most
likely is. If information we find online does not seem to match what we already know, it
is also likely to be suspected. When reading something on a website, we should pause and
think before accepting the information as the truth.
However, our common knowledge sometimes is not strong enough to make judgment
about what we are reading. In this case, the easy access to information provided by the
Internet is a wonderful tool. For example, a Google search for the key word “tree octo-
pus” allowed students to find other sites that exposed the truth about this fictional animal.
Another link that students prefer to visit for information is Wikipedia because it’s quick
and easy to read and understand. Given Wikipedia’s controversial history in academic
circles, we encourage students to check what they find with more trusted encyclopedic
sites such as Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com) or Encyclopedia Britannica Online (http://
www.britannica.com) to confirm the information.
Determining author bias
Along with helping students see the value of information, it’s also important to recognize
the author behind the information. People publish on the Internet for many reasons, and
not all of these are noble or unselfish. Recognizing whether authors have bias or a hidden
agenda can be particularly challenging for students. Below are a series of questions the
students could ask themselves about a site and its author: about:blank 17/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 18 Reading the News 1
• Who is the author? What do you learn from a Google search on him or her (or
organization that sponsors the site)?
• What do you think the author’s purpose in publishing this information is? Does
the purpose seem legitimate or trustworthy?
• Is the author trying to sell something? Is there a product attached to the information or commentary on the site?
• Examine use of language in the website. Are any of the words used particularly
hateful or provocative? Does the author (through his or her words) seem to be trying
to incite you to a strong emotional reaction?
• Does the content of the site seem to be largely opinion or do you see a fair amount
of facts that you can corroborate?
With asking yourselves these questions, you can understand the author’s intent and possible
bias. Students should distinguish between facts and author’s bias to get exact information.
III. HOW TO IDENTIFY FAKE NEWS
With resources like Google at our fingertips, information isn’t hard to find. What is
challenging is determining whether that information is credible and can be trusted.
A Google search is often our first stop to gain a basic understanding of the main ideas
about a topic, but since anyone with access to a computer can publish anything online,
it is crucial that you evaluate the information you find, especially when completing a
research paper, or looking for important information (like health, election, or financial information).
There are some strategies that students can use to choose a reliable website to read and get information:
• CURRENCY: How recently was this information published/posted/updated?
Can you find a publication date?
• RELEVANCE: Does the information relate to your topic? Who is the intended
audience? How does this source compare to other sources you may have found on the topic?
• AUTHORITY: Who wrote the information - are they an expert or knowledgeable
in their field? (i.e. for health information, did a doctor or nurse write it? For science
information, did a scientist or researcher write it?)
• ACCURACY: Where does the information come from? Is it supported by
evidence? Has it been reviewed or refereed? Can you verify the information in one or more other sources? about:blank 18/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 Reading the News 1 19
• PURPOSE: Why was it written? To sell something? To sway opinion? To
educate? What is the point of view?
IV. HOW TO IDENTIFY RED FLAGS OR UNRELIABLE WEBSITES
Here are some tips to identify whether websites are credible enough to use for research or updating information.
• Website does not look professionally designed
• Lack of citations or links to verifiable information
• No author/sponsoring organization is listed, either on the main page or in an ‘About Us’ section
• The page’s purpose is to sell something (almost all .com)
• There is a lot of advertising on the page
• The publisher is promoting a specific point of view
V. SUGGESTED SITES TO READ NEWS
We suggest that you read news from the following sites in order to update information as
well as to enlarge your background knowledge in English:
• Encarta: http://encarta.msn.com
• Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com
• The Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/
• The Diplomat: https://thediplomat.com/
• The Economist: http://www.economist.com/
• The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/
• The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/
• The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/
• The Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/news
• The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/
• VN Express: https://e.vnexpress.net/ about:blank 19/30 14:56 29/7/24 R1-U1-unlocked - TACN 1 SECTION 1. NEWS AND FEATURES 1. NEWS
People primarily read the newspaper for … news! News can be a breaking story, where
the facts are changing moment by moment, or it can involve a recent event in a long-
running story, where it is important for the reader to know the background. With hard
news the most important factor is that it is read today – we rarely pick up yesterday’s
newspapers to read about current news.
Think about an article you have read in the newspaper recently. Why was it in the news?
Was it a breaking or long-running story? How important and significant was it? UNDERSTANDING NEWS ARTICLES
News stories answer the following questions: • What happened?
• When did it happen? • Who was involved?
• Where did it happen?
• Why/How did it happen?
Those questions are answered briefly in the first or second paragraph of the articles, as the
purpose of the article is to elaborate on the answers. 2. FEATURES
Feature articles are less “time-dependent”. In other words, they are not so tied to an exact
moment in time, but address contemporary areas of interest to the reader.
Before reading a feature, it is useful to ask yourself what you know about the subject. In
doing so, you will do the following:
• Predict vocabulary which may occur in the article; this can help reduce the “processing
load” – the amount of new information you need to cover in order to understand the text. about:blank 20/30