1 In groups, say which social media sites you use and what you use them for.
Students’ own answers
2 Read the article. Which text shows how social media can play a positive role and which shows how it can have a negative side?
Answers
The first text shows how social media can play a positive role and the second text shows how it can be negative.
3 Look at these sentences from the first part of the article. Which one is a fact and which an opinion? Study Active Reading and check your answer.
1 The message was simple. fact
2 After three days, the message was fully revealed. opinion
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ACTIVE READING| Telling facts from opinions • A fact is something that you can check and prove to be true. • Facts often include numbers, but not every statement with a number is a fact. • An opinion is what someone believes or feels about something. You can agree with it or not. • To give opinions, we often use adjectives like great, terrible , simple , etc., adverbs like probably and possibly , and verbs like feel , think , seem , etc. |
4 Decide if these sentences are facts or opinions. Use Active Reading to help you. Then find more facts and opinions in the article.
1 A quarter of people who saw the message checked their water stores. fact
2 People often worry they are missing out on things. opinion
3 Some people spend up to nine hours a day on social sites. fact
5 Use the highlighted words for social media from the article to complete the statements below. Then in pairs, say if the statements are true for you.
1 I would like to make an environmental video that goes viral but it isn't as easy as it seems.
2 Lots of people follow me on social media.
3 My friend often turns up late for class because she checks her phone for social media updates at break time.
6 Find these phrasal verbs in the article. Then use their correct forms to complete the sentences below.
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carry out go on join in miss out stand for turn into |
1 What do the letters UK stand for?
2 My sister always wants to know the latest gossip because she doesn’t want to miss out!
3 We’re carrying out an experiment on social media.
4 I don’t know what’s going on. I’m confused. Could you help me, please?
5 It started as a discussion but quickly turned into a big argument.
6 Our class started a project and then all the other classes joined in.
7 SPEAKING Do you think FOMO is a serious problem? Discuss in groups. Use the prompts below to help you.
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easy/difficult to stop normal for people today people you know sign of the times will get worse |
Students’ own answers
8 REFLECT | Society Do you know any other cases where social media played a positive social role, e.g. through crowd funding for a good cause? Discuss in pairs.
Students’ own answers
