April Fool – step 3 – exercise 2

1. [Multiple choice]

The April Fool about some gold and jewels having been found was ‘reported’

Answers for Quiz [1].

• 1. in ‘the Guardian’.
• 2. in ‘the Daily Telegraph’.
• 3. in ‘the Washington Post’.
• 4. in ‘the Boston Post’. (correct)

2. [Multiple choice]

The April Fool about some gold and jewels having been found was ‘reported’

Answers for Quiz [2].

• 1. in the 1830s.
• 2. in the 1840s. (correct)
• 3. in the 1850s.
• 4. in the 1920s.
• 5. in the 1940s.
• 6. in the 1950s.

3. [Multiple choice]

The April Fool about a spaghetti harvest was ‘reported’

Answers for Quiz [3].

• 1. on the radio.
• 2. on TV. (correct)
• 3. in the press.

4. [Multiple choice]

Charles de Jaeger was

Answers for Quiz [4].

• 1. a TV cameraman. (correct)
• 2. a BBC TV producer.
• 3. a sound engineer for the BBC.

5. [Multiple choice]

Panorama goes out (= is broadcast)

Answers for Quiz [5].

• 1. on Monday evenings. (correct)
• 2. on Wednesday evenings.
• 3. on Friday evenings.

6. [Multiple choice]

David Wheeler was

Answers for Quiz [6].

• 1. the editor for the programme ‘Panorama’.
• 2. a BBC cameraman.
• 3. a BBC sound engineer.
• 4. a TV producer. (correct)

7. [Multiple choice]

Michael Peacock, the editor for the programme Panorama, obviously found it

(He must have found it amusing, as he ‘just couldn’t say no’.)

Answers for Quiz [7].

• 1. an irresistible idea. (correct)
• 2. a silly idea.
• 3. an expensive idea.

8. [Multiple choice]

Richard Dimbleby was the sort of TV presenter you would normally choose for

Answers for Quiz [8].

• 1. children’s TV programmes.
• 2. sports programmes.
• 3. serious news reporting. (correct)

9. [Multiple choice]

What is the significance of the words “Many of you, I am sure, will have seen pictures of ….”?

(What is hilarious about this particular phrase is that of course, ‘many’ people have seen no such thing! It sounds convincing, because it sounds as if what is being shown is a common sight, whereas, of course, it is nothing of the kind. The ‘I am sure’ adds to this impression. He is totally certain people cannot have seen any such thing!)

Answers for Quiz [9].

• 1. They remind the audience they have been on holiday to Switzerland themselves.
• 2. They show evidence of something people have seen many times in their own country.
• 3. They give the impression that something is widely known and seen. (correct)

10. [Multiple choice]

BBC staff

(To come clean on / about sth – to admit sth
To go along with a story – to continue to maintain the same stance about a story as before.
)

Answers for Quiz [10].

• 1. ‘came clean’ about the prank straight after the ‘report’ went out.
• 2. stayed silent about the prank straight after the ‘report’ was broadcast.
• 3. continued to go along with the prank after the ‘report’ was broadcast. (correct)