Page 97 - Full Solutions 2nd Advanced Student Book_Neat

g il,ffiffi.-{{,]|i$ Worl< in pairs. Discuss the conspiracy theories.
Have you heard any ofthem before? Do you betieve any of
w:wwrcffiffieKKtu&ffi:w
them?
1 The US military has l<nown foryears that UFOs exist but is
hiding the truth from the public.
mtp" Yk?&q
2 lhe 1,969 Apotlo moon [anding did not really happen - it #H V Ee #Lef
was filmed in a TV studio on earth.
3 Elvis Prestey did not really die - he fal<ed his own death B
because he was tired of being famous.
r ln 2003, a former government minister in the UK called
4 The HIV/AIDS virus was created by scientists.
Michael Meacher claimed that the US Government had
5 The US government were behind the bombing of the
known all about the September 1l attacks but let them
Wortd Trade Center on 11 September 2001.
happen to jusiify grabb,ing control of the world's oil
6 Princess Diana, who died in Paris in 1997,was murdered
on the orders of the British royal famity. s supplies. That such abizarre conspiracy theory broke out
from Internet chatrooms, grabbed the mind of a former
2 Read the article, ignoring the gaps. Which of the conspiracy minister and was splashed across the media reflects the
theories in exercise 1 are mentioned? growing popularity of conspiracy theories. r l--l
Although Mr Meacher admitted that he got much
ro of his information from websites, he made his claim in
the respected British newspaper The Guardran.The
newspaper later published letters from readers relieved
that the truth had come out. David Aaronovitch, a
Guardian columnist, expressed alarm that his newspaper
rs had given credibility to such 'rubbish',
According to David Alexander, author of Conspiracies
and Cover-Ups - What the Government lsn't Telling
You, 'There's been a tremendous increase in conspiracy
theories ab,out September 11.' ln 1998, Rich Buhler, an
:o American radio show host, set up Truthorfiction.com Io
track and prove or disprove hoaxes, urban myths and
conspiracy theories. 'E Vr. Buhler said: 'The lnternet
has proven a valuable tool for conspiracy theorists - they
exchange ideas and fuel the stories. They have a much
:s larger canvas than be{ore. There's an impression that
whatever is written is more reliable than what is said.
When it is written down, as it is on the lnternet, it comes
packaged as truth.'
Yet there are other reasons why conspiracy theories
s0 are gaining currency - in particular the complexity of our
rapidly changing world. 'A conspiracy theory becomes
more compelling when reality makes less sense, when
liie is beset by problems, when the established order
suddenly changes - even something as simple as losing
:s a job. lf people can't absorb what's going on, conspiracy
theories help us to make sense,' Mr Alexander said. 3 !
'lf people just knew a little more, they would l<now the
thing is false,' he said.
People are becoming furlher removed from seats
+o of political and industrial power. Patrick Leman, a

96 Unit 9 Secrets