CURRICULUM EXTRA • Unit 4

Language and literature: Newspapers in the 21st century

1 Look at the newspaper extracts. In which part 2 The pictures show different ways of finding out
of a newspaper would you find them? Use six of news. Complete the sentences using the words
the words in the box. and phrases in the boxes.

articles  business section a news website  a text update  an article

cartoons classified section horoscopes the news (x2)
gardening section  letters page
review section  TV guide
in a newspaper  on his mobile phone
on the internet  on the radio  on TV

|
In tonight’s documentary, the
filmmaker looks at the problem
of violence in schools.

1
1 He’s reading
It doesn’t need too Give it plenty of water .
much sun, so it will do in the first few weeks.
well in a shady area.
CCCC CCCC
2

T he year started badly for high street 2 She’s looking at

shops, but in the last month there have .
been reports of an increase in spending.

Is the CD worth buying?

Out of eleven songs, only two are good –
! 3 They’re watching
the rest are terrible. I can only give it one star, .
I’m afraid.★
AND NOW, THE NEWS ...
4

Be prepared for a dinner invitation

G from somebody new this week. But

be careful of a colleague at work. This
person wants to make trouble for you!
4 She’s listening to
.
5

Wooden kitchen table and four chairs.

Excellent quality. Will look good in any
home. Only £250.
5 He’s reading
6   .

PHOTOCOPIABLE © Oxford University Press Curriculum Extra  Unit 4  ENGLISH PLUS 3 Second edition 1
 CURRICULUM EXTRA • Unit 4
3 Read the text and answer the questions with
newspaper or news website.
1 Where can you find the latest news?
2 Where can you find a new story which
has been carefully checked for accuracy?
Newspapers or internet
news: which is better?
Some people have stopped buying
newspapers. Why pay 90p a day when the
news is free on the internet? Online, you
can read all the things you usually find in a
newspaper: horoscopes, book reviews, the
business section, but there are also the extra
features of news websites to enjoy: videos,
podcasts, interactive guides and text updates
to your mobile phone with the latest reports.
News websites also have their own blogs,
where you can read people’s opinions on
current news stories. You can add your
comments, too, on message boards or below
articles. News websites are more up-to-date
than newspapers. Newspapers, after all, can
only give you yesterday’s news.
But other people love newspapers. They buy
them for their increasing variety: the extra
magazines, the free books, the DVDs and CDs.
On a newspaper page, there are a lot of articles
about different topics next to each other, and
people find that they learn about things that
they don’t normally read about. Newspapers
offer readers an opportunity to give their
opinions: they can send emails or letters to the
letters page. The newspaper prints the best
letters and they are often very interesting to
read. But people generally value newspapers
most for their accurate reporting. They believe
newspaper editors have time to check facts
more carefully before they print articles.
Newspapers and news websites both offer
readers the flexibility of reading when and
where they want to, something that TV and
radio can’t do. But while internet news costs
nothing, newspapers are losing readers and
therefore money. Some people feel you should
pay to get quality. In the 21st century, with its
rising prices, 90p is not a lot for journalism you
can trust.
PHOTOCOPIABLE © Oxford University Press
4 Read the text again. Write True or False for
sentences 1–6. Correct the false sentences.
1 It costs 90p to read the news on the internet.
2 You can write your own opinion on a news
website.
3 Newspapers are more up-to-date than news
websites.
4 Some people like all the extra things that come
with a newspaper.
5 Newspapers print articles about different
subjects on the same page.
6 Newspapers are losing money because internet
news is more accurate.
5 List the advantages and disadvantages of reading
newspapers or news websites. Use ideas from the
text and your own ideas.
Newspaper
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
News website
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
6 Research a current news story. Find information
about it from different sources: newspapers, the
internet, the radio and TV news. Write about 100
words to explain how you found the information.
Describe which source(s) you found most helpful.
Give reasons for your opinion. Think about the
following:
• clarity of information
• amount of detail
• additional features, e.g. photos, diagrams,
downloads
• variety of opinions from different people
Curriculum Extra  Unit 4  ENGLISH PLUS 3 Second edition 2