Welcome to Lesson 5 of New Concept English Book 3. In today's lesson, we will dive into an engaging story that explores themes of justice and moral decision-making. Our learning objectives include expanding your vocabulary with sophisticated words and phrases, analyzing complex grammatical structures, developing advanced reading comprehension skills, and applying new language knowledge in practical contexts. This lesson will challenge you to think critically about the text while improving your English proficiency across multiple language skills.
Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics. Last year a journalist had been instructed by a well-known magazine to write an article on the president's palace in a new African republic. When the article arrived, the editor read the first sentence and immediately telephoned the journalist. Where are the facts? he demanded. The article is supposed to be about facts!
Let's analyze the key vocabulary from this lesson. The word extremes means the furthest or most intense points of something. Statistics refers to numerical data and facts presented systematically. A journalist is a person who writes news articles for newspapers or magazines. When someone is instructed, they are given specific orders or directions. A republic is a form of government where power is held by elected representatives. To demand means to ask for something firmly and forcefully. Finally, supposed means expected or required to be something. Understanding these words will help you comprehend the text more deeply.
Let's examine the key grammar structures in this lesson. First, we see the past perfect tense in 'had been instructed', which shows an action completed before another past action. Second, the passive voice appears in 'article is supposed to be', shifting focus from the doer to the action itself. Third, we have reported speech where the editor's direct question 'Where are the facts?' is presented with the reporting verb 'demanded'. Finally, the text demonstrates complex sentence structures with multiple clauses and time references that create sophisticated narrative flow. These grammatical elements work together to create formal, journalistic writing style.
Now let's analyze the deeper meaning of this text. The main theme explores the relationship between media and facts, highlighting how editors often prioritize sensational content over substantial information. The story reveals a conflict between factual reporting and entertainment value in modern journalism. The author uses irony when describing 'unimportant facts and statistics', suggesting that what editors consider unimportant might actually be significant. Direct dialogue creates dramatic tension, especially in the editor's demanding question 'Where are the facts?'. The narrative structure builds suspense by showing the contrast between professional expectations and reality. The author's purpose appears to be a critique of contemporary journalism practices, highlighting how media often focuses on trivial matters rather than meaningful content. This story serves as a commentary on the state of modern news reporting and editorial priorities.