Quiz: How gullible are you?

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Vivien Carson
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1 Quiz: How gullible are you? Decide whether the statements are facts (F), hoaxes (H) or unproven (U). 1. There is a city called Rome on every continent. 2. In 1998, the US state of Alabama voted to change the value of pi from to the Biblical value of Certain models of BMW allow you to change the tyre pressure while you re driving. 4. It s illegal to sneeze in a church in the US state of Nebraska. 5. Organic food is better for health and for the environment than food produced using pesticides. 6. Post-Renaissance painters discovered perspective by using optical aids such as mirrors. 7. In France in 1386, a pig was sentenced to death for murdering a child. 8. The capital of San Serriffe in the Indian Ocean is called Bodoni. 9. Migraines can be caused by food allergies. Read out the correct answers, choosing from the following expressions to introduce them: Facts It s absolutely true that Hard though it is to believe, It s no joke that Hoaxes The idea that is pure fiction. The idea that is totally unfounded. There s no truth in the suggestion that Unproven It has yet to be proven whether The jury is still out on whether Research on whether has so far been inconclusive. Keywords You are going to read a text containing the expressions below. If you don t know them, check in a dictionary. breeding environmental stewardship GMOs organic produce crops genetic traits nutrients, nutrition, nutritious pesticide residues Page 1 of 7

2 Summarising arguments Which paragraphs contain the arguments below? Which two arguments are not mentioned? 1. Organic farming is more in harmony with nature. 2. Farming has never been natural: we have bred crops to make them edible. 3. Organic farming helps us take care of the environment. 4. The fashion for organic food is not about protecting the environment: it s about businessmen making easy money. 5. Organic food does not contain as many pesticides as non-organic. 6. Pests become resistant to pesticides, leading us to use more and more. 7. We should welcome GMOs as we need them to feed the world. 8. GMOs are just a new way of making money from developing countries. 9. Organic farming is kinder to animals. Which of the arguments above do you find convincing? In more detail Use the context to work out the meanings of the expressions below. If you need help, look at the paraphrases in the box. Paragraph 1 fare woebegone craze in my neck of the woods flogging more fool you/him/her/anyone twaddle Paragraph 2 mock outrage solely a (whole) host of crush blitz cliché Page 2 of 7

3 Paragraph 3 tickety-boo tainted thrive spurn false/fake sad selling reject damaged/spoilt only/purely trend/fashion anger food attack a great many live very successfully rubbish where I come from in perfect order an overused idea/phrase damage/destroy it s your/his/her etc. fault for being stupid Rephrase it Explain the extracts in your own words. Paragraph 1 In my neck of the woods, flogging organic produce is the new career choice for thick ex-public schoolboys who never quite made it as estate agents or low-rent antique dealers. Good luck to them and more fool anyone who falls for their twaddle. Paragraph 2 Modern farming tries to crush, eradicate and blitz the natural environment Paragraph 3 The organic movement has a semi-religious belief that everything in nature is tickety-boo, while everything that comes from scientists or years of careful experiment is somehow tainted. Discuss it Discuss the following statement: We should use all the new technologies available in order to increase food production Page 3 of 7

4 Take it further What do you understand by the term ethical consumerism? What do the expressions below mean and how do they relate to ethical consumerism? charity shops Fair Trade boycotts sweatshops food miles eco-friendly Questionnaire: Are you an ethical consumer? Do you 1. buy Fair Trade products 2. buy clothes made of organic cotton 3. buy local produce to reduce food miles 4. buy recycled: a) paper for your printer/photocopier b) toilet paper / kitchen roll 5. use eco-friendly household items, e.g. a) eco-friendly cleaning products b) energy-saving lightbulbs c) biodegradable bin bags 6. buy any of the following second-hand: a) cars b) books c) clothes d) other (what?) 6. boycott companies with a poor ethical track record, e.g. using child labour or sweatshops, failing to prevent oil slicks, selling formula milk to mothers in developing countries 7. seek out products with less packaging 8. choose Christmas presents from a charity catalogue? Score one point for each yes Page 4 of 7

5 Quiz: How gullible are you? Teacher s notes This warmer is a bit of fun and introduces the terms gullible, organic and pesticides. In a large class, you could have students do it in pairs or teams. You will probably need to explain the concept of an April Fools Day hoax. Cut out the answer cards and hand each one to a different student to read out, e.g. It s absolutely true that there s a city called Rome on every continent. 1. There is a city called Rome on every continent. [FACT] 2. In 1998, the US state of Alabama voted to change the value of pi from to the Biblical value of 3.0. [HOAX] 3. Certain models of BMW allow you to change the tyre pressure while you are driving. [HOAX] 4. It s illegal to sneeze in a church in the US state of Nebraska. [FACT] 5. Organic food is better for health and for the environment than food produced using pesticides. [UNPROVEN] 6. Post-Renaissance painters discovered perspective by using optical aids such as mirrors. [UNPROVEN] 7. In France in 1386, a pig was sentenced to death for murdering a child. [FACT] 8. The capital of San Serriffe in the Indian Ocean is called Bodoni. [HOAX] 9. Migraines can be caused by food allergies. [UNPROVEN] For more amazing facts, you could try For more hoaxes, you could go to Keywords For a large class, have students share their knowledge in groups before they check in a dictionary Page 5 of 7

6 Summarising arguments A large class could do this as a split reading, in three groups, then swap their answers. paragraph 1: 4 paragraph 2: 1, 3, 5, 9 paragraph 3: 2, 7 not mentioned: 6, 8 In more detail Again, this could be done in three groups. Paragraph 1 fare woebegone craze in my neck of the woods flogging more fool you/him/her/anyone twaddle food sad trend/fashion where I come from selling it s your/his/her etc. fault for being stupid rubbish Paragraph 2 mock outrage solely a (whole) host of crush blitz cliché false/fake anger only/purely a great many damage/destroy attack an overused idea/phrase Paragraph 3 tickety-boo tainted thrive spurn in perfect order damaged/spoilt live very successfully reject Discuss it This would make a good topic for a whole-class debate Page 6 of 7

7 Questionnaire: Are you an ethical consumer? Give students the following analysis of their scores: 0-5 You are a typical shopper, but remember that what you buy can have an impact on the rest of the world You make a real effort to consider the impact of your purchases, but you aren t an eco-saint yet! You scarcely consider your own consumer needs you are out there to save the planet! Extra activity To revise the expressions from the beginning of the lesson, you could have students do the gapfill below then make their own gullibility quiz for their classmates. Facts It s true that Hard it is to believe, It s no that Hoaxes The idea that is fiction. The idea that is totally un. There s no in the suggestion that Unproven It has to be proven whether The is still out on whether Research on whether has so far been in Page 7 of 7

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