Fact or Opinion 事實與意見
基礎事實可證明；意見是主觀。
- 事實可以查證：Hong Kong has seven million people.
- 意見是主觀感受：the best city、I think it is fun.
- 警號字眼：best、amazing、I think、should。
文體小知識：What can be proven.
§課文原文 Passage
1Hong Kong is a busy city with over seven million people. There are many tall buildings, and the harbour is a famous natural feature. Hong Kong Island is south of the harbour, and the Peak offers a great view of the city. The MTR carries about five million passengers every day. These are facts because we can check and prove them.
2But some sentences are opinions. 'Hong Kong is the best city in the world' is an opinion, not a fact. We cannot prove it because people have different ideas. It is fine to believe it, and many people agree with it, but some people disagree. The food in Hong Kong is delicious, especially dim sum — that is also an opinion.
3How can we tell the difference? Ask yourself: can I check this? If the answer is yes, the sentence is probably a fact. If the sentence tells us someone's feeling or judgement, it is an opinion. Remember that opinions are never true or false; they are just personal ideas. A good reader can spot both facts and opinions in a news report.
§逐句中文翻譯 Sentence-by-sentence translation
Hong Kong is a busy city with over seven million people.
香港是一個繁忙的城市，有七百多萬人口。
There are many tall buildings, and the harbour is a famous natural feature.
這裡有很多高樓大廈，而維多利亞港是著名的天然景觀。
Hong Kong Island is south of the harbour, and the Peak offers a great view of the city.
香港島在海港以南，山頂可以看到整個城市的美景。
The MTR carries about five million passengers every day.
港鐵每日接載大約五百萬名乘客。
These are facts because we can check and prove them.
這些都是事實，因為我們可以查證同證明。
But some sentences are opinions.
但是有些句子是意見。
'Hong Kong is the best city in the world' is an opinion, not a fact.
「香港是全世界最好的城市」是一種意見，不是事實。
We cannot prove it because people have different ideas.
我們沒有辦法證明，因為每個人都有不同看法。
It is fine to believe it, and many people agree with it, but some people disagree.
你信這句話沒有問題，很多人同意，但亦有人反對。
The food in Hong Kong is delicious, especially dim sum — that is also an opinion.
香港的食物很好吃，尤其是點心——不過這句也是意見。
How can we tell the difference?
怎樣分辨兩者？
Ask yourself: can I check this?
問一問自己：這句話我可不可以查證？
If the answer is yes, the sentence is probably a fact.
如果答案是「可以」，那句多數是事實。
If the sentence tells us someone's feeling or judgement, it is an opinion.
如果句子講的是某人的感受或者判斷，那就是意見。
Remember that opinions are never true or false; they are just personal ideas.
記住，意見沒有真假之分，只是個人的看法。
A good reader can spot both facts and opinions in a news report.
好的讀者可以在新聞報道裡面分辨出事實同意見。
1重點摘要 Summary
事實可證明；意見是主觀。
2生字卡 Vocabulary
事實。
意見。
證明。
相信。
同意。
反對。
真。
假。
3逐步講解 Steps
- 事實事實是可以查證的陳述，包括數據、歷史事件與科學知識。例句：Hong Kong has over seven million people. 提示：事實不論我們是否同意都成立，可以用書本、統計處資料或實驗加以核實。
- 意見意見表達個人的喜好與評價，常見字眼有 good、bad、like、think、believe。例句：I think this film is exciting. 提示：意見人人不同，無法證明對錯；同一部電影，有人覺得精彩，有人覺得沉悶。
- 辨別辨別的準則很簡單：可以證明的是事實，不能證明的是意見。例句：Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius 是事實；Summer is the best season 是意見。提示：best 一出現，多數是個人評價。
- 例子同一件事，用事實或意見說出來效果不同。例句：Today is Monday 是事實，查日曆便知；Today is a terrible day 是意見，terrible 是主觀感受。提示：把形容詞換成數字或日期，句子便變成事實。
- 測試方法測試方法是問自己一句：這句可以查證嗎？例句：Hong Kong has about seven million people 可以查證，是事實；Hong Kong is the most exciting city 不能查證，是意見。提示：留意 most、best 等最高級字眼。
- 字眼警號見到某些字眼，多數是意見：best、amazing、wonderful、I think、should。例句：You should visit the Peak. 提示：should 表達建議，I think 表達想法，這些詞一出現，句子便帶個人立場，閱讀時宜圈起來。
5例題示範 Example
問題：篇章介紹香港，怎樣判斷哪句是事實、哪句是意見？用查證測試與字眼警號逐步檢驗。
- 第一步：圈出數據句 — Hong Kong has over seven million people. 人口數字可以查證，所以是事實。
- 第二步：圈出評價句 — the harbour is a famous natural feature. famous 是評價字眼，所以是意見。
- 第三步：套用查證測試 — The Peak offers a great view. great 是主觀感受，無法證明，所以是意見。
- 第四步：留意 I think 與 should — 這些字眼一出現，句子便帶個人立場，多數是意見。
- 第五步：總結兩類句子的比例 — 介紹性文章以事實為主，評論或廣告則意見較多。
- 答案：示範答案：Hong Kong has over seven million people（事實，人口可查證）；the harbour is a famous natural feature（意見，famous 是評價）；The Peak offers a great view（意見，great 是主觀感受）。判斷關鍵：可查證為事實，帶評價字眼為意見。
6常見錯誤 Mistakes
79 題快測 Quick check
Q1事實還是意見？
Q2「Ice is cold」是？
Q3「Ice cream is delicious」是？
Q4怎麼分辨？
Q5I like red 是？
Q6Water boils at 100°C 是？
Q7「Dogs have four legs」是？
Q8「Dogs are the best pets」是？
Q9「Dogs can run fast」是？
8重點回顧 Recap
- 事實可以查證：Hong Kong has seven million people.
- 意見是主觀感受：the best city、I think it is fun.
- 警號字眼：best、amazing、I think、should。
- 測試口訣：可證明 = 事實；有得拗 = 意見。
- 讀說明文分清楚一邊句可信、一邊句是作者立場。