Text:
Beware of those who use the truth to deceive. When
someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information
that should be included, he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars
on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and
turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe yes, maybe not. We
then discover that he bought two hundred tickets, and only one was a winner. He
is really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he
deliberately omitted important information. That’s called a half-truth.
Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Untrustworthy candidates in political campaigns often
use this tactic. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s term, her state lost
one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term.
One of her opponents runs an ad saying, “During Governor Simth’s term, the
state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However an honest statement would
have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two
million jobs”.
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s
against the low to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the truth.
An ad might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose
pimples.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them
work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad
fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
I.
Reading comprehension
A.
Find in the text:
1. The synonym of “left out”
2. The opposite of “truths”
B.
Choose the best answer:
1. The author clearly wants people to:
a. think carefully about what they read and hear.
b. wear mismatched socks during political campaigns.
c. never trust anyone.
d. vote for female candidate
2. In political campaigns,
a. dishonest candidates tell the truth.
b. advertisers use half-truths.
c. dishonest candidates use half-truths.
d. dishonest candidates don’t tell the truth.
C.
Choose the best title for the text:
a. Half-truths
b. The truth
c. False impression
d. Advertisers
D.
Say if these statements are True, False or ING (Information Not Given).
Justify:
1. False claims are lawful.
2. The truth can be used in dishonest ways.
E.
Answer the following questions:
1. How much money did the gambler on the lottery get
or lose?
2. Do you think it’s right to tell half-truths in
order to get some benefits? Explain your point of view.
II.
Language test:
A.
Grammar in use:
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate grammatical
items.
Ms. Brown is leaving New York at 5:30 p.m. (1)
destination is London, England. She (2) arrive there at 3:30 a.m. local time. She’s
going on short business trip, (3) she isn’t taking a lot of baggage. She bought
her ticket (4) New York. Its total cost (5) $629.00. The tax was $3.00 (6) the
fare was $626.00.. Her suitcase is not full (7) she wants to buy some small
gifts (8) her friends and family.
B.
Indirect test of speaking
I. Express the following sentences in a less formal
way:
1. I wonder if you could help me with this math
problem.
2. I’d like you to meet my friend Clark.
II.
Build up a dialogue based on the following situation:
You’re a tourist in a town and are looking for the
post office. You see a man in the street and ask for directions. The man gives
you directions. You then thank him.
III.
Writing
Most schools usually
have a day dedicated to teachers. “This is called “Teacher’s day”. Tell about a
“Teacher’s day you once attended or, heard of. (About 120 words)