閱讀技巧---Distinguishing-Fact-From-Opinion閱讀技巧---Distinguishing-Fact-FroQuestionsWhatfactswerepresentedinthearticle?Whatevidencedidtheauthorincludetosupportstatementsoffact?Whathypothesesdidtheauthorpresentintheselection?Whatopinionswererevealedintheselection?Can(thisstatement)beproventrueorfalse?Howdidtheauthorconveythevalidityoftheinformation?Whatwordsandphrasesdidtheauthorusetoletreadersknowthatanideawasafactoranopinion?QuestionsWhatfactswerepreseWhatisfact?Factsarestatementsthattellwhatreallyhappensorwhatthecaseis,andtheyareusuallybasedondirectevidences.Therefore,afactcanbeprovedordisprovedwithdirectevidence.Facts,onceverifiedortakenfromareputablesource,canbeacceptedandregardedasreliableinformation.Youcanfindfactsinlegalrecords,scientificfindings,encyclopedias,atlases（地圖集）,etc.Whatisfact?FactsarestatemeWhatisfact?Examples:1.Hermother,Deborah,allalonghadbeensupportiveofourrelationship,andevenjokedaboutwhenweweregoingtogetmarriedsoshecouldhavegrandchildren.---apaststateofaffairs2.Inthethirdandfinalstage,peopleoftenfellweak,tired,andoutofbreath---andexerciseperformanceisseverelycompromised.---thesentencereportshowpeoplefeelinthefinalstage.Whatisfact?Examples:Whatisopinion?Opinionsarenotreliablesourcesofinformationbutstatementsofbelief,judgmentorfeelingandshouldbequestionedandcarefullyevaluated.Opinionsinvolvesomeone’stasteandpreferenceandshowwhatsomeonethinksorfeelsaboutasubject.Opinionscan’tbeproventoeveryone’ssatisfaction.Whatisopinion?OpinionsarenWhatisopinion?Somewordscanserveascluestostatementsofsomekindsofopinion.1.Ibelieve,Ithink,Ifeel,Isuggest,inmyopinion,inmyview,itislikelythat,seemingly,presumably,oneexplanationisapparently,maymean,itwouldseem,estimates,claims,itisapparentthat,isconsideredtobe,itappears,calculates,areconvincedthat,(experts)believe,likelyto,predictsE.g.:I’msurethattimewillonlyconfirmwhatwefeeldeeplyabouteachother.Whatisopinion?SomewordscanWhatisopinion?2.probably,perhaps,possibly,usually,often,sometimes,onoccasion(areusedtolimitastatementoffactandtoindicatethepossibilityofotheropinions)Examples:Maybeourchildrenwillhavesomeproblems,butwhosechildrendon’t?Ithasoftenbeenremarkedthatthesaddestthingaboutyouthisthatitiswastedontheyoung.Whatisopinion?2.probably,pWhatisopinion?3.“qualifierwords”,emotivewordslike:best,disgusting,good,great,nice,terrible,thebest,beautiful,ugly,thelowest,pretty,theworst,themost…Examples:WhenwemetIsawhimasmybeloved,intelligent,charmingandcaring.CapeTownisthebestcitytolivein,orDurbanisthebestcity.Whatisopinion?3.“qualifierWhatisopinion?4.emotiveresponse(theuseofexaggerated,emotionalwordstodescribethewriter’sresponsetosomethingmaysignalthatopinion,notfact,willfollow):horrified,shocked,humiliated,enraged…Example:No,itisn’treallymusic.It’sweird.Itisdefinitelyhorriblestuff.Whatisopinion?4.emotiveresWhatisopinion?5.Confidentassertions(soundslikeprovenfactsbutmayactuallybeopinion):theproblemis,thesolutionis,it’s…’sfault,certainly,frankly,obviously.Example:That’sthewayitshouldbe.OscarWildehaditrightwhenhesaidweoughttogiveourabilitytoourworkbutourgeniustoourlives.Whatisopinion?5.ConfidentaMoreExamples1.Ifironlevelsarelow,talkwithaphysiciantoseeifthedeficiencyshouldbecorrectedbymodifyingyourdietorbytakingsupplements.---imperativesentences2.Ingeneral,it’sbettertoundotheproblembyaddingmoreiron-richfoodstothediet,becauseironsupplementscanhaveseriousshortcomings.MoreExamples1.IfironlevelsThedifficultiesinseparatingfactfromopinionMixtureoffactandopinionWhenwearereadingforinformation,thefirststepistomakesurewhetherthearticlehaspresentedusfactsoropinionsandtowhatextenttheyarereliable.Examples:Theywerepeeredat

cautiouslyfrombehindcurtainsbythetimid.---Tostatethefactthatthepersonswerebeingpeeredatfrombehindcurtains.---thusthesentenceisbasicallyfactual.ThedifficultiesinseparatingMixtureoffactandopinion

Whenwehaveamixtureoffactandopinioninasinglestatement,wemustdecidewhetherthemainpointofthesentenceisessentiallyfactoropinion.Sometimesanopinionispresentedasifitwereafact:Example:Butonethingthey’llalwayshave:ourloveanddevotion.---Onthesurfaceitisastatementoffact,butactuallyitisonlyapromise,somethingyettoberealizedinthefuture.Mixtureoffactandopinion

WhMakesuretorememberthatfactsareverifiablebysomeoneotherthanthereaderandthatopinionsexpressfeelings,unsupportedbeliefsandpreferences.Sometimesfactslooklikeopinionsandviceversa.MakesuretorememberthatfacYouropinionandthewriter’sWhenyouagreewiththewriter’sopinion:Whenwebelievesomethingverystrongly,it’seasytomistakeouropinionsforfacts.1.Sportsmedicineexpertshaveobservedforyearsthatenduranceathletes,particularlyfemales,frequentlyhaveirondeficiencies.---Thisisafactasitisasentencesimplyaboutsportmedicineexperts’observation.Youropinionandthewriter’sWYouropinionandthewriter’s2.Exercisecanresultinironlossthroughavarietyofmechanisms.---AnopinionThewriter’sattitudetowardsthematterbeingtalkedabout.Youropinionandthewriter’s2Guidelines1.Statementsdealingwithpersons,places,objects,oroccurrencesthatexistordidexist,andthatcanhavetheirtruthorfalsityproved,arefacts.Example:Inlastnight’sclass,Dr.JohnspokeonmethodsofteachingEnglish.Guidelines1.StatementsdealinGuidelines2.Statementswhosetruthorfalsitycanbeprovedordisprovedarestatementsoffactevenwhentheycouldbeinerrorandprovedfalse.Infact,then,isnotalwaysaccurateorcorrect.Examples:Threehundredandtwenty-seventeachersfromforty-nineschoolsattendedtheschool-boardingmeeting.Itissunnyoutside.---Iftruthorfalsitycanbeproved,itisastatementoffact.Guidelines2.StatementswhoseGuidelines3.Statementsthatdealwithevaluations,attitudesorprobabilitiesarestatementsofopinionbecausetheycannotbeprovedtrueorfalse.Example:Notenoughpeoplecareaboutthepoliticalsituationtoensureanychange.---Itisopinionbecauseitcan’tbeprovedbyobjectivemeans.---Statementsofopinionareoftenpresentedinanauthoritativevoice---don’tbeconfused.Ifitcan’tbeproved,itisstillopinionnomatterhowdefiniteitsounds.Guidelines3.StatementsthatdGuidelines4.Statementsaboutfutureeventsareopinions

evenwhenthoseeventsseemveryprobable.Example:Eventually,consumptionofwaterwillbestrictlyregulatedbythefederalgovernment.---Perhapsonedayt