Section A Exploratory Reading
Example
Read the following sentences and decide whether the statements express a fact or an opinion．Try to identify words and phrases signaling opinions．
George Washington was the first president of the United States．
George Washington was the best president of the United States．
The first statement is a fact supported by evidences in historical documents．The second statement is an opinion since it just expresses a personal feeling or judgment．The superlative
forms（最高级）like the best usually signal an opinion．
1．It is snowing outside．
2．It is a nice day．
3．Daisies are the prettiest of all flowers．
4．Tiger Woods was the first African American to win the Masters Golf Tournament．
5．A pair of women stockings is made from one strand of nylon that is 4 miles long and knitted into 3 million loops．
6．Originality and independence are the most difficult qualities to achieve．
7．I believe it is harder to divide than multiple numbers．
8．Fridays come before Saturdays on the calendar．
9．He feels spinach tastes better than candy．
10．Teachers should allow students to use calculators during tests．
Explanations
1．It is a fact，because it can prove true or false under personal observation．
2．It is an opinion expressing a personal feeling or judgment．For example，if it is snowing，kids may consider it a nice day while street sweepers regard it a bad day．An adjective like“nice”usually signals an opinion．
3．It is an opinion since it just expresses a personal feeling or judgment．The superlative form“the prettiest”signals an opinion．
4．It is a fact supported by historical documents．
5．It is a fact supported by specific technological data．
6．It is an opinion expressing a personal feeling or judgment．The superlative form“the most difficult”signals an opinion．
7．It is an opinion expressing a personal feeling or judgment．The word“believe”and comparative form（比较级）“harder”signal an opinion．
8．It is a fact supported by evidences in calendars．
9．It is an opinion expressing a personal feeling or judgment．The word“feel”and comparative form“better”signals an opinion．
10．It is an opinion expressing a personal feeling or judgment．The word“should”usually signals an opinion．
Reading Skill：Distinguishing Between Facts and Opinions
As you read，you should ask yourself if the author is presenting you with an established fact or with a personal opinion．Facts，once verified or taken from a reputable source，can be accepted and regarded as reliable information．Opinion，however，are not reliable sources of information and should be questioned and carefully evaluated．
Defining a Fact
Generally speaking，a fact is something that has actually happened or that is empirically true and can be supported by evidences．They can be found in official documents，in legal records，in scientific research findings，in specific technological data，or in some other reliable sources．Facts are usually expressed by precise numbers or quantities，in weights and measures，and in objective language．
Determining an Opinion
An opinion，on the other hand，is a statement of personal feeling or a judgment；it reflects an interpretation rather than an accumulation of evidence．
Opinions are often based on facts，but they also involve the writer’s personal interpretation of the facts，which may or may not match your interpretation of them．Even experts who have studied the same issue carefully often have very different opinions about that issue．
Although opinions cannot be verified for accuracy，writers should，nevertheless，back their opinions with evidence，facts，and reasons—by whatever information supports the opinion and convince the reader that it is a valid opinion．
Some authors are careful to signal the reader when they are presenting an opinion．Here are some of the most common words signaling opinions．
Sometimes authors mix facts and opinions to win you over to a particular point of view．Persuasive tricks include quoting sources who voice opinions and hedging a statement with“it is a fact that”，followed by a disguised opinion．For example，the statement“The author believes that George Washington was the first president of the United States”is a fact，whereas the statement“It is a fact that George Washington was the best president of the United States”is just an opinion．