A Game of Checkers

Words to know

• comfort (n.) = physically or mentally relaxed state• news commentator (n.) = a news broadcaster• terrorist (n.) = a person who kills, kidnaps, or bombs• certain (adj.) = particular• rude comments (n.ph.) = impolite sayings• apparently (adj.) = clearly; evidently• speller (n.) = someone who spells a name or word• spray-painted (v.) = painted with spray• property (n.) = wealth; belonging; possession• apologizing (v.) = expressing regret or sorrow

Words to know (2)

• errors (n.) = mistakes• preventable (adj.) = can be prevented• inserting (v.) = putting in• priceless (adj.) = very valuable• bypassing (v.) = avoiding dealing with• costly (adj.) = expensive• nervous (adj.) = worried• purchasing (v.) = buying• perceived (v.) = thought• alleged (adj.) = accused but not proven

Words to know (3)

• file (v.) = make something officially• lawsuit (n.) = a case in court of law• levy (v.) = demand• penalties (n.) = punishments• reluctant (adj.) = unwilling; hesitant• expose (v.) = involve• outlets (n.) = sources• employ (v.) = hire• relatively (adv.) = nearly; almost• script (n.) = written version; account; story

Words to know (4)

• manuscript (n.) = handwritten version• assigned (v.) = given; allotted• accuracy (n.) = correctness• sequence (n.) = series; order• quotations (n.) = words or phrases from a book• ignored (v.) = unaware; uninformed; not know• find out (v.) = learn; study; search• ethical (adj.) = moral; knowing what is right or wrong• accurate (adj.) = correct• involves (v.) = concerns

Words to know (5)

• copy (n.) = written material• submit (v.) = send; turn in; hand in• copy editor (n.) = a person whose job is to correct

written material before publishing• occasionally (adv.) = sometimes• severe (adj.) = serious; critical; undesirable• time restrictions (n.) = time limits• pressing (adj.) = needing immediate act• legendary (adj.) = old (story)• thoroughness (n.) = care and completeness

Words to know (6)

• reputation (n.) = high quality; fame• declined (v.) = worsen• emphasizing (v.) = focusing • restore (v.) = bring back• glory (n.) = fame; reputation; admiration• rumor (n.) = gossip• gestured (v.) = expressed emotions• eager (adj.) = anxious• granted (v.) = admitted; accepted• stepping-stone (n.) = a way to achieve something

Words to know (7)

• eliminated (v.) = removed; ridded• afford (v.) = let something happen• slipped through (v.) = dropped out; thrown away• account (n.) = story; written paper• sparked (v.) = started; caused• riots (n.) = disorders; mobs; violence• evidence (n.) = proof; support• statements (n.) = expressions; saying; utterances• verify (v.) = confirm• eventually (adv.) = finally

Words to know (8)

• retracted (v.) = withdrew; removed• indication (n.) = a sign• damage (n.) = drawback; deterioration• vital (adj.) = essential; necessary; important• amended (v.) = corrected• consequently (adv.) = so; as a result• circulated (v.) = spread; distributed• realm (n.) = radius; reach; range

Exercises

• Reading comprehension

1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5.F

6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10.T• Reading strategy

The Voricksa. –

b. The Voricks buy the house and the alleged “terrorist” moves elsewhere.

c. A news commentator says on TV that a terrorist lives at the Voricks’ address.

d. People harass (annoy) the Voricks

Exercises (2)

The New Yorkera. The magazine is known for good fact-checking.

b. The quality of fact-checking declines.

c. –

d. The fact-checking department becomes famous

once again.

Exercises (3)

The Newsweek storya. A single source tells the magazine about

misbehavior by soldiers.

b. Newsweek publishes a story about it.

c. Riots over the report kill more than a dozen

people.

d. Nobody can be found to confirm the story.

Exercises (4)

• Step I Vocabulary: Word level

1. clearly 2. expert

3. admit 4. unethically

5. hopes 6. amended

7. submitted to 8. accept

Explanation of words

• seemingly = apparently = evidently (adv.)seemingly = appear to be true or clear

apparently = seem clear and obvious

evidently = obviously true

• uninformed = ignorant = clueless (adj.)uninformed = having no knowledge

ignorant = having no knowledge; stupid; silly

clueless = showing no clue; stupid

Explanation of words (2)

• notice = perceive = see (v.) notice = see; be aware of

perceive = see; realize

see = notice

• hesitantly = reluctantly = unwillingly (adv.)hesitantly = uncertainly; unwillingly

reluctantly = unwillingly

unwillingly = hesitantly

Explanation of words (3)

• admits = grants = concedes (v.) admits = acknowledges; grants

grants = admits; acknowledges

concedes = grants; admits

• emphasized = stressed = highlighted (v.) emphasized = focused; stressed

stressed = emphasized

highlighted = focused; drew attention to

Explanation of words (4)

• showed up for = put up with= tolerated (v.)showed up for = tolerated

put up with = tolerated; accepted

tolerated = put up with

• assign = apply = attribute (v.) assign = attribute; allot; give; launch

apply = give; use

attribute = assign; ascribe

Exercises

• Step I Vocabulary: Word level (2)

B. Matching

1. d 2. e 3. g 4. a 5. h

6. f 7. c 8. b

Exercises

• Step II Vocabulary: Sentence level1. The driver was in a hurry, so he ignored the speed

limit.(ignored = decided not to follow)

2. The driver said he was ignorant of a change in the speed limit, but still got a ticket for speeding.

(was ignorant = didn’t know)3. The police officer told him that the ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking the law.

(the ignorance of = not knowing)

Exercises

4. While the reporter was in Malawi she embarrassed herself several times because she was ignorant of the local customs.

(was ignorant of = wasn’t familiar with)

5. The editor dropped the story because she felt the reporter had deliberately ignored information that didn’t support his point of view.

(deliberately ignored = purposefully left out)

6. The editor told him that ignoring a problem will not make it go away.

(ignoring = pretending not to notice)

Exercises

• Step II Vocabulary: Sentence level E. Replacing1. In 1981, a reporter for the Washington Post newspaper submitted a story, titled “Jimmy’s World,” about an 8-year-old drug addict living in the nation’s capital.

(submitted = turned in)2. The sad story created a stir, and the reporter, janet Cooke, became a kind of media superstar. A few months later, she was granted a Pulitzer Prize, the highest award in American journalism, for her work on the story.

(granted = given)

Exercises

3. Meanwhile, Washington’s mayor, Marion Barry, assigned a huge effort, involving dozens of city employees, to find Jimmy.

(assigned = launched)

4. Soon, it became apparent to city officials that the boy probably did not exist.

(apparent = clear)

5. Successive investigation found problems not only with the story but also with Cooke’s statements about her education and previous experience.

(successive = one after another)

Exercises

6. A few days after the prize was awarded, however, the Post confirmed that the story was a fake and submitted an apology to its readers.

(submitted = issued)

7. Cooke resigned from the Post and gave back her prize. She assigned the blame for the problem on her editors, who, she claims, put unbearable pressure on her to produce a big story.

(assigned = laid)

Exercises

8. At the Post, publisher Dan Graham – a successor, Katherine Graham – set up measures to better check the credentials of reporters it plans to hire.

(successor = someone who inherited a powerful position from his/her legendary mother/father)