【明報專訊】Sales of George Orwell's (喬治奧威爾) famed novel 1984 surged after Counsellor to the President Kellyanne Conway (總統高級顧問康韋) defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's (白宮發言人斯派塞) statement by saying that his claims were "alternative facts" (另類事實).

Spicer provoked controversy when he stated in a press conference that Donald Trump's inauguration drew the largest audience ever, which was proved false by the American media. In a subsequent TV interview, Conway said that Spicer did not lie, but "gave alternative facts". Her remarks immediately generated heated discussion on the Internet. Many compared her comments to the "Ministry of Truth" in 1984, which creates truths from lies, changes history records and controls public opinion. Sales of the book shot up, and at one point, it topped Amazon's bestseller list. Its publisher had to print 75,000 more copies to meet the demand.

(sources: Ming Pao, Associated Press, CNN)

■Photo Story

Conway said on a TV interview that Spicer (top right) did not lie but gave "alternative facts".

“ Eason: I am unbeatable! ”

“ Eason: The Smarties are no match for me! ”

■Quiz

Answer the following questions.

(Answers on next text)

1. Find in paragraph 1 a word that means "very well known".

____________________________________

2. Is the following sentence true or false?

Donald Trump's inauguration did not attract the largest audience ever. (True / False)

3. What does the "Ministry of Truth" in 1984 do?

____________________________________

4. What was the highest position 1984 attain on Amazon's bestseller list?

a. number 1

b. number 2

c. number 3

d. number 4

■English highway﹕the media

The media is the Internet, newspapers, television, radio, etc., considered as a group. It can be followed by a singular or plural verb.

e.g. The media has/have great effects on the public opinion.

■Glossary

surge (v) 激增

provoke (v) 激起(爭議等)

inauguration (n) 就職禮

public opinion (n) 輿論