Reading comprehension...

[Spinney]

Pic posted on facebook...

and sooooo many of the comments are along the lines of 'I didn't think sharks killed that many people!'



(Link with comments etc: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...98921.367116489976035&type=1&relevant_count=1)

 

[Night Train]

Humans are generally stupid. Being intelligent is a rare thing, humans will may eventually catch up with the rest of the living world.

 

[Beebo]

bloody helmet cam'ers.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

and there was me looking for the grammar/spelling mistake!

 

[Paulus]

I am of the belief that there is a sizable minority of the population of this country that are now illiterate. They cannot string a proper sentence together, or, as in the title, understand a simple statement.

 

[Maz]

It is stating that the diver cameraman is the most dangerous animal in the world (not 'one of') and responsible for millions of deaths each year. Somehow, I doubt that...

It's all that shooting his does! Du-uh!

 

[robjh]

there is a sizable minority of the population of this country that are now illiterate. They cannot ......., as in the title, understand a simple statement.

If they can read the sentence then they are not illiterate. They may not be able to draw the right logical inferences from it but that is another issue, not illiteracy.

 

[Kestevan]

Rule 1 - People are stupid.

If you keep this in mind, so very many things are explained.

 

[Spinney]

I know that rule. It's just sad to see it demonstrated so often...

 

[gbb]

That said, what is written on the picture is somewhat vacuous and incorrect. It is stating that the diver cameraman is the most dangerous animal in the world (not 'one of') and responsible for millions of deaths each year. Somehow, I doubt that...

But then, its all down to interpretation. 'This is the most dangerous animal on earth'...to me means the species as a whole, generally, not that particular individual.
Interpretation...thats where it all goes wrong, everyone reads it differently..well not everyone, but you know what i mean.

TBF if the picturesaid 'the most dangerous species etc' it would be less ambiguous.

 

[robjh]

Literacy isn't just about the ability to read. UNESCO defines literacy as the "ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts."

So an inability to draw the right logical inferences from text is part of illiteracy.

Yes and no. Clearly there is a level of everyday understanding that you expect from being 'literate'.
However I can read passages from textbooks on aspects of economics or physics (for example) and understand very little. I still don't think I'm illiterate.

In this case the wording was designed to lead you up the garden path and suggest one meaning before revealing a twist that changes it, so it was a form of trick. Yes I think people who didn't spot that were being careless and hasty (but hey, we all skim-read from time to time), but illiterate...? That's not proof in my book.