Is critical thinking life’s key skill? An inquest has ruled that a high-profile conspiracy theorist exerted influence on her bright, happy daughter to reject chemotherapy, leading to her early death.
‘Conspiracy theories killed my sister’
Tragedy: "If approached with an open mind, Paloma would have chosen the chance to survive" declared the coroner at the inquest into her death. Comprehension quiz
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The word “eschew” in this context means:
A: To chew something slowly
B: To question something sceptically
C: To deliberately avoid or abstain from something
D: To embrace an idea enthusiastically
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Which word is the closest synonym for “outlandish”?
A: Foreign
B: Normal
C: Intelligent
D: Bizarre
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According to the text, why was Kate Shemirani struck off from her job as a nurse?
A: For her anti-vaccination views
B: For spreading misinformation
C: For practising alternative medicine
D: For encouraging her daughter to have Gerson therapy
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The article mentions that Kate Shemirani’s social media account was banned and then reinstated. On which platform did this happen, and who was responsible for reinstating her account?
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According to the article, what was Paloma’s initial prognosis from doctors after her cancer diagnosis, and what treatment did they recommend?
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In your own words, summarise the findings of the inquest into Paloma’s death.
Answers
Tap to reveal
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. Her account was on Twitter (now known as X), and it was reinstated when Elon Musk took control of the platform. 5. Doctors were optimistic, giving her an 80% chance of recovery and recommending chemotherapy. 6. The inquest found that Kate Shemirani influenced her daughter to use alternative treatments that were not supported by medical evidence, which likely led to her death.
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. Her account was on Twitter (now known as X), and it was reinstated when Elon Musk took control of the platform. 5. Doctors were optimistic, giving her an 80% chance of recovery and recommending chemotherapy. 6. The inquest found that Kate Shemirani influenced her daughter to use alternative treatments that were not supported by medical evidence, which likely led to her death.
Glossary
Lymphoma - A type of blood cancer that affects the immune system.
chemotherapy - A treatment for cancer that uses powerful drugs to kill cells.
NHS - The National Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare system in the UK. The NHS was founded in 1948.
Conspiracy theorist - A person who believes that some secret but influential organisation is responsible for a particular event or phenomenon.
9/11 - A series of terrorist attacks that took place in the USA on 11 September 2001. It is known as 9/11 as Americans write the month first, and then the date. The attacks killed 2,996 people. Many of them died when two planes were hijacked and hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, causing them to collapse.
Struck off - Being officially removed from a list of register. The term is often used when a medical professional such as a doctor or nurse is removed from a list of registered professionals who are allowed to work with patients due to wrongdoing.
Misinformation - Incorrect or misleading information unintentionally presented as fact. It can be contrasted with disinformation or deliberate lies.
Eschew - To avoid something on purpose.
Enemas - A procedure in which liquid is inserted into the rectum to clear the bowels.
Inquest - An official inquiry into a person’s death.
Elon Musk - A South African-born entrepreneur whose companies have included the online payment service PayPal. He now controls Twitter, renamed 'X'.
Autism - A condition characterised by difficulty in social interaction and communication. According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 160 children has an autism disorder.
Tylenol - The brand name in the USA for a drug known as acetaminophen in the USA or paracetamol in the UK.