The Reading / Listening - Deepfake - Level 2

An online technique called deepfake is worrying people. There could be more fake news and things that can trick people. The word "deepfake" is a combination of "deep learning" and "fake" (which means not real). The software means you can put your face over the face of a talking president or movie star. This process will make you speak in the voice of that president or movie star. The result is a fake video. Many people are worried the technology will be used during national elections. Deepfake videos could be used to trick people in elections.

A new deepfake app called Zao has gone viral in China. It went to number one on China's iOS App Store chart in just a few days. The app lets users put their face over the top of actors in scenes from movies or TV shows in just eight seconds. A Twitter user posted many Zao videos of himself in famous TV and movie scenes. He really looks like the main actor in the movies The Hulk, Titanic, and in the TV fantasy drama Game of Thrones. The Zao app is only available for people with a Chinese phone number. It cannot be downloaded from app stores in the USA or Europe.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Deepfake - Level 0 Deepfake - Level 1   or  Deepfake - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/disturbing-deepfake-app-lets-you-convincingly-superimpose-your-face-onto-celebrities
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/9850586/deepfake-app-tv-scenes-face/
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/deepfake-app-puts-your-face-19171373


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. An online
  2. There could be more fake
  3. things that can
  4. a combination of "deep learning"
  5. the voice of that
  6. Many people are
  7. national
  8. videos could be used to trick
  1. worried
  2. and "fake"
  3. people in elections
  4. technique
  5. trick people
  6. elections
  7. president
  8. news

Paragraph 2

  1. Zao has gone
  2. scenes from movies
  3. in just
  4. posted many Zao videos of
  5. the main actor
  6. in the TV fantasy
  7. people with a Chinese
  8. It cannot be downloaded
  1. drama
  2. himself
  3. from app stores
  4. or TV shows
  5. phone number
  6. viral in China
  7. in the movies
  8. eight seconds

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An online technique called deepfake (1) ___________________. There could be more fake (2) ___________________ that can trick people. The word "deepfake" is (3) ___________________ "deep learning" and "fake" (which means not real). The software means you can put your face (4) ___________________ of a talking president or movie star. This process will make you speak in the (5) ___________________ president or movie star. The result is a fake video. Many people are worried the technology will be used during national elections. Deepfake videos could be (6) ___________________ people in elections.

A new deepfake app called Zao (7) ___________________ in China. It went to number one on China's iOS App Store chart in just a few days. The app (8) ___________________ their face over the top of actors in scenes from movies or TV shows (9) ___________________ seconds. A Twitter user posted many Zao videos of himself in famous TV and movie scenes. He really looks like (10) ___________________ in the movies The Hulk, Titanic, and in the (11) ___________________ Game of Thrones. The Zao app is only available for people with a Chinese phone number. It cannot (12) ___________________ app stores in the USA or Europe.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anonlinetechniquecalleddeepfakeisworryingpeople.Therecouldbem
orefakenewsandthingsthatcantrickpeople.Theword"deepfake"isaco
mbinationof"deeplearning"and"fake"(whichmeansnotreal).Thesoft
waremeansyoucanputyourfaceoverthefaceofatalkingpresidentorm
oviestar.Thisprocesswillmakeyouspeakinthevoiceofthatpresidentor
moviestar.Theresultisafakevideo.Manypeopleareworriedthetechnol
ogywillbeusedduringnationalelections.Deepfakevideoscouldbeused
totrickpeopleinelections.AnewdeepfakeappcalledZaohasgonevirali
nChina.ItwenttonumberoneonChina'siOSAppStorechartinjustafewd
ays.Theappletsusersputtheirfaceoverthetopofactorsinscenesfromm
oviesorTVshowsinjusteightseconds.ATwitteruserpostedmanyZaovi
deosofhimselfinfamousTVandmoviescenes.Hereallylookslikethemai
nactorinthemoviesTheHulk,Titanic,andintheTVfantasydramaGame
ofThrones.TheZaoappisonlyavailableforpeoplewithaChinesephonen
umber.ItcannotbedownloadedfromappstoresintheUSAorEurope.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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