Does the media have a Western bias? Hundreds have died in a horrific natural disaster in central Asia. Yet critics say Western news sources could hardly seem less interested.
Hundreds feared dead in Afghan quake
Rescue mission: The magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit a remote part of eastern Afghanistan, making it challenging to rescue survivors. Comprehension quiz
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In the sentence, “They claim it lies in our biases about the rest of the world”, the word biases most nearly means:
A: Fair opinions
B: Interesting stories
C: Unfair feelings for or against something
D: Long distances
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Which word is the closest synonym for tragic?
A: Happy
B: Sad
C: Funny
D: Boring
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Which word is the closest synonym for resisted?
A: Opposed
B: Welcomed
C: Ignored
D: Visited
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According to the article, how many wars are currently ongoing around the world?
A: 18
B: 152,000
C: 5
D: 59
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Why do writers call Afghanistan the “graveyard of empires”?
A: It resisted being taken over by the British, Russians and Americans
B: Many people have died there in natural disasters
C: The Western world is disinterested in Afghan people’s lives
D: It has been part of several different major world empires
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The article gives two reasons why people in the West might know little about suffering in other countries. Give one reason from the text.
Answers
Tap to reveal
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. A 6. Any one of the following: Because of the distance (we cannot imagine the suffering of people in places we have never been). Because of biases (the West treats the non-Western world as a place where it is normal for people to die).
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. A 6. Any one of the following: Because of the distance (we cannot imagine the suffering of people in places we have never been). Because of biases (the West treats the non-Western world as a place where it is normal for people to die).
Glossary
Afghanistan - A mountainous Asian country, slightly larger than France, whose neighbours include Pakistan, Iran and China.
Empires - A political unit made up of multiple lands and peoples. Most empires have been built up through conquests and takeovers of land.
Earthquake - The shaking of the surface of the Earth after a sudden burst of energy at a tectonic plate boundary.
Queen Camilla - The second wife of Britain's King Charles III.
Equivalent - Equal in value to.
Civilians - People who are not in the army or the police.
Ethnic group - A community or group made up of people who share the same culture or ancestry.
Sudan - A country in northeast Africa with a population of 45 million.
Humanitarian - People or views that advocate for human welfare
Adam Smith - An 18th-Century Scottish economist often known as the "father of economics".
Biases - Beliefs that systematically and unfairly distort a person's decisions, in favour or against one group or another.