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Society
Science | Citizenship | Theory of knowledge | PSHE | Relationships and health

‘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.

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.

Comprehension quiz

  1. 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

  2. Which word is the closest synonym for “outlandish”?

    A: Foreign

    B: Normal

    C: Intelligent

    D: Bizarre

  3. 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

  4. 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?

  5. According to the article, what was Paloma’s initial prognosis from doctors after her cancer diagnosis, and what treatment did they recommend?

  6. 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.