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NEWS ITEMS

1. What is news item text?

News item is a text that informs the reader about newsworthy or important event of the
day
2. What is the purpose of the text?
The purpose of news item text is to inform the reader about newsworthy or important
events of the day
3. Generic structure of the text news item are :
a. Main event
b. Background event
c. Source
Example

Flooding in Jakarta
The flooding, caused by days of heavy rain at Jakarta, has blocked roads and forced businesses in
the capital to close. The governor of Jakarta has declared a state of emergency. He also said he
was committed to making a "breakthrough" in efforts to tackle the flooding. Jakarta resident,
Wildan, urged the government to do more to stop floods in the future. "The dams are no longer
sufficient to hold the water," he said.
Yayat Supriatna, an urban planning expert, told the BBC that Jakarta's drainage system "is still
the same as it was in the Dutch colonial era" and should be rebuilt. "The floods are caused by the
failure to manage and sustain the rivers as water reservoirs. I suggest the governor dredge the
rivers because if the rivers are deeper the better [the system] will function."
The Jakarta Post said two of the people killed in the capital were children, aged 13 and two. State
funds are available to help those affected by the flooding following the declaration of a state of
emergency, which will remain in effect until 27 January.
- Generic Structure News Item Text
Newsworthy events: Jakarta hit by deadly flooding.
Background events: The flooding kill two people and destroy public facilities.
Sources: The Jakarta Post Survey and reporter report.

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Practice 1
Australian universities to allow AI in assessments
The increasing ubiquity of artificial intelligence in our lives is creating waves in academia. Three
universities in Australia have adopted what seems like a landmark policy. The three institutions are
allowing students to use AI when taking assessments, albeit under strict conditions. Professor Romy
Lawson said: "Instead of banning students from using such programs, we aim to assist academic staff and
students to use digital tools to support learning." The Internet abounds with AI text generators. These can
be used to create essays that look authentic enough to fool examiners. The content created by these AI
tools evade detection by even the smartest of anti-plagiarism tools.
Artificial Intelligence is posing huge challenges to exam integrity. It is the biggest disruptor since
calculators were allowed into maths tests. The latest quandary for educators comes from a language
processing chat box called ChatGPT. This can produce highly authentic human-like content on any
subject in seconds. It has sparked fears that students will use it to write essays. The University of South
Australia's Dr Vitomir Kovanovic said teachers needed to embrace AI. He said: "You cannot stop it. The
alternative is the Middle Ages – going to pen and paper." He added that universities needed to change
with the times. He said: "It's like having a driving school, but teaching people how to ride horses."

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/21/south-australian-universities-to-allow-use-of-
artificial-intelligence-in-assignments-if-disclosed

a. Vocabulary
Match the word with the definition
    Paragraph 1
      1 ubiquity a. Doing something big and different to make people think,
. wonder, worry...
      2 creating waves b. Exist in large numbers or amounts.
.
      3 landmark c. The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and
. passing them off as one's own.
      4 abound d. An event or discovery marking an important stage or turning
. point in something.
      5 authentic e. Escape or avoid someone or something.
.
      6 evade f. The fact of appearing everywhere or of being very common.
.
      7 plagiarism g. Of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine.

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.

      8. posing h. The condition of being honest and incorruptible.

      9. integrity i. A company or technology that causes huge change in an
industry or market by means of innovation.
      10 disruptor j. Of one or more things available as another possibility or
. choice.
      11 quandary k. Provided the stimulus for an event or process.
.
      12 sparked l. A state of confusion or uncertainty over what to do in a
. difficult situation.
      13 embrace m. Presenting or being a problem or danger.
.
      14 alternative n. Accept a belief, theory, or change willingly and
. enthusiastically.

b. Multiple choice quiz

1. What does the article say A.I. is creating c) fools

in academia? d) examiners
a) articles
b) a mess 5) What does the article say AI tools can
c) waves outsmart?
d) milestones a) super-computers
b) geniuses
2) How many universities are allowing AI is c) anti-plagiarism tools
assessments? d) top professors
a) three
b) eight
c) 20
d) dozens
6) What is artificial intelligence posing huge
3) Under what kind of conditions will exams challenges for?
be taken using AI? a) the Internet
a) fair conditions b) exam integrity
b) strict conditions c) education
c) supervised conditions d) grades
d) good conditions
7) What was the last big disruptor in
4) Who does the article say AI text exams?
generators can fool? a) digital clocks
a) anyone and everyone b) the pen
b) students

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c) bubble sheets a) the dark ages
d) calculators b) the Middle Ages
c) the Stone Age
8) How long does it take ChatGPT to create d) prehistoric times
authentic-looking texts?
a) nanoseconds 10) Who did a professor say needed to
b) seconds change with the times?
c) milliseconds a) universities
d) minutes b) students
c) professors
9) Where did a professor say we would
d) web designers
return to if we didn't accept AI?

Practice 2
Car fumes can change the brain in 2 hours   (2nd February 2023)
Breathing in air pollution could change our brain. A new study shows that car fumes can
change how our brain is wired – how parts of the brain connect with other parts. The research is
from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Researchers found that car fumes can change
our brain's connectivity in just two hours. A researcher, Professor Chris Carlsten, was surprised
at what he found. He said: "For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected
from the harmful effects of air pollution." He added: "This study, which is the first of its kind in
the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and
[thinking]."

The traffic pollution study was on 25 adults. The researchers asked the adults to breathe
in car fumes in a laboratory. The research team took brain scans of the adults for two hours. The
scans showed that networks in the brain that we use for thinking and remembering changed.
There were fewer connections between the networks. Another professor said the research was
worrying. She said: "It's concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these networks." The
researchers said there needed to be more research to see how car fumes change our brain. They
also advised people to close car windows when in traffic. The brains of the 25 people returned to
normal after they breathed clean air.
Sources https://www.sciencealert.com/inhaling-car-fumes-can-change-a-brains-connectivity-in-
just-2-hours-study-finds

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a. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. Car fumes can help to wire our brain.     T / F

2. The research is from a university in Colombia.     T / F
3. A researcher said the findings in his research weren't surprising.     T / F
4. The article in the study is the first of its kind.     T / F
5. Over 250 adults had brain scans as part of the research.     T / F
6. Researchers scanned the brains of adults for two hours.     T / F
7. A researcher advised people to close car windows in traffic.     T / F
8. The brains of people who breathed car fumes returned to normal.    T / F

b. SYNONYM MATCH:  Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. Change a. different
2. Wired b. concerning
3. Other c. proof
4. Harmful d. shut
5. evidence e. damaging
6. laboratory f. connected
7. showed g. fresh
8. worrying h. revealed
9. close i. transform
10. clean j. lab

c. Comprehension Question
1. What does the article say car fumes can do to the wiring of our brain?
Answer:

2. In which country was the research done?

Answer:

3. How did a researcher feel about his research?

Answer:

4. For how long have scientists thought air pollution doesn't harm the brain?

Answer:

5. How many other studies of this kind have there been?

Answer:

6. How many adults participated in this research?

Answer:

7. What are the affected areas of the brain used for?

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 Answer:

8. What did a researcher say was needed?

Answer:

9. What did a researcher advise people to close?

Answer:

10. What happened to the participants' brains after they breathed clean air?

Answer: