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I have difficulty in understanding the sentences in bold. Could anyone do me a favor?
Although most of Bird's respondents consider the news stories to be well researched and verified, none of them accept everything presented on the pages of their tabloids as being true. That said, some find pleasure in assuming an 'as if' stance, playing along with the item's truth claims to see how far their own willingness to believe can be stretched.
'as if' stance 
Linear Mode
