READING COMPREHENSION

Before Reading

1 Choose the items in the following box that stand for positive effects of the Internet on our lives. cyberbullying • easy access to information • effective means of communication • fake news • interaction in online communities • Internet addiction easy access to information; effective means of communication; interaction in online communities

2 Before reading the following text, take a look at its title, layout and source. What do you expect to read about in the text?

Personal answer. Suggested answer: Think before you share./Responsible online sharing.

Reading

3 Now read the text to check your predictions.

duty: dever, obrigação issue: assunto, questão https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/authenticating

Think Before You Share Authenticating Information

The internet is all about sharing – sharing news, sharing videos, sharing our thoughts and opinions with our friends.

The fundamental element that makes the internet different from other kinds of media that came before is the hyperlink, which can take you – or someone else you share a link with – to almost any kind of content imaginable. (…)

Social media doesn’t only make sharing easier, but actively encourages it as well. This is partly because of the nature of human relationships and communities: as social animals, we respond strongly to other people’s approval and disapproval, and sharing content is a good way to do either. (…)

When we share content on social media we have a duty to be responsible broadcasters of information. (…) Alan Jacobs, author of the book How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds, suggests four habits to follow for responsible online sharing[9]:

1 Wait five minutes before sharing something: (…) Making a conscious habit of waiting a few minutes can give you a chance to decide if it’s really worth sharing with everyone you know. (…)

2 Accentuate the positive. While sometimes it is important to share protest and criticism, in general it’s more useful to share positive content. (…)

3. Don’t look at interactions in terms of winning and losing. It’s easy to treat every conversation as a debate, especially if it’s about an issue you feel strongly about. (…)

Lembre aos/às estudantes que um texto pode ser lido com diferentes objetivos e com diferentes estratégias. Oriente-os/as a se apoiarem nas palavras transparentes e no vocabulário já conhecido.

4. Practice empathy. When you’re sharing with people who disagree with you, try to imagine how things look from their point of view. (…)

[9] We need a survival guide for thinking because we’re bad at it. CBC Radio. (December 31, 2017). Retrieved April 05, 2018, from www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/378-surge-toll-roads-how-to-think-and-more-1.4451013/we-need-a-survivalguide-for-thinking-because-we-re-bad-at-it-1.4458377 a. To provide tips on identifying fake news on the Internet. b. To offer recommendations on habits to follow for responsible online sharing. X a. hyperlink (1st paragraph) III b. social media (2nd paragraph) I c. broadcaster (3rd paragraph) II

MEDIA SMARTS. Think before you share. [2022?]. Disponível em: https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/ authenticating-information/ethics-sharing-information-online/think-you-share. Acesso em: 6 jul. 2022.

4 Choose the main objective of the text.

5 Some words and expressions are very common when we talk about the digital world. Try to infer the meaning (I-III) of the following terms (a-c) and match the columns.

I. forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content

II. someone who transmits (something, such as a program) by means of radio or television or by streaming over the Internet

III. a reference that allows you to move easily between two objects, such as documents, files or pages on the Internet a. What makes it easier for people to share content online? b. What is our duty when sharing content on social media? a. Share positive content. b. Wait a few minutes before sharing something. c. Take action when people share unverified or false information. X d. When sharing with people who don’t agree with you, try to consider their perspective. e. Share your thoughts with other people, but don’t treat every conversation as a debate.

6 Answer the following questions based on the ideas presented in the text.

Social media.

To be responsible (broadcasters of information).

7 The following recommendations on responsible online sharing are given in the text, except for one. Which one?

8 Choose the sentences that have an equivalent meaning to “Social media doesn’t only make sharing easier, but actively encourages it as well.” a. Social media makes sharing easier and actively encourages it. X b. Social media makes sharing easier, but doesn’t actively encourage it. c. Social media not only makes sharing easier, but also actively encourages it. X

No exercício 8, use seu conhecimento sobre conectores (linking words/ phrases). Lembre-se de que diferentes conectores podem expressar a mesma ideia.

Exercício 8

Para ampliar o exercício 8, pergunte aos/às estudantes qual é a explicação apontada no texto para o fato de as mídias sociais não só facilitarem, mas também encorajarem o compartilhamento. Espera-se que digam que, como animais sociais, respondemos fortemente à aprovação ou desaprovação de outras pessoas, o que é proporcionado pelo compartilhamento de conteúdo.