How is a hoax different from a prank or a joke?

Hey, can you guys keep awnsering my questions

Read the excerpt from a history of the world in 100 objects. power is usually not willingly given, but forcefully taken; and in both europe and america the nineteenth century was punctuated by political protest, with periodic revolutions on the continent, the civil war in america and, in britain, a steady struggle to widen the suffrage. what would be a benefit of reading this text rather than listening to an audio version of it? the reader could analyze the text features in the excerpt. the reader could visualize the description given. the reader could set his or her own pace and reread parts for clarity. the reader could hear the sounds of the political protest.

How does it change your understanding of the laws to read them as a primary source rather than just a summary of laws?