Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 2...

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 21 to 28.

        “Woman Adopts Alien Baby in Texas!” sounds shocking, doesn't it? Stories like this grab our attention immediately. While it might seem ridiculous, headlines like this are examples of fake news, and they are spreading faster than ever in today's digital world. Fake news is false or misleading information created to trick people, often for political, financial, or personal reasons. Unfortunately, many people believe and share fake news without checking if they are true.

        The rise of the internet and social media has made fake news more powerful. Unlike traditional newspapers, social media platforms allow anyone to post anything, whether it is true or not. Some fake news is entirely made up to entertain or mislead, while others take a real event and twist the details to create confusion. For instance, a photo might be edited or a video taken out of context to tell a false story. Fake news spreads quickly because it appeals to our emotions. Sensational headlines - known as "clickbait" - make us curious, angry, or excited, encouraging us to share the story without thinking. Some websites even make money from the number of clicks they receive, so their main goal is to create content that grabs attention, not to tell the truth.

        Fake news can cause serious harm. It has influenced elections by spreading lies about political candidates. It has also caused public health scares, such as false information about vaccines leading to fear and mistrust. In some cases, fake news has even caused people to act dangerously, such as believing false rumors that lead to violence or panic.

        Combating fake news is a difficult process, requiring the ability to critically evaluate information. Always check the source of the information. Ask yourself: Is the author trustworthy? Is the story reported by other reliable websites? Use fact-checking websites to confirm whether a story is true. By being careful, we can help stop the spread of fake news and make the internet a better place for everyone.

(Adapted from The Guardian, TechCrunch, and Social Media Today)

Question 21. The word “ridiculous” in paragraph 1 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ____________.

        A. boring                B. popular                        C. reasonable                        D. pleasant