Mass media (Дополнительное чтение), страница 4

We are also fascinated by how the contestants cope indifferent situations, and to some extent measure their reactions against our own.To conclude, it’s probably true to say that reality shows are third-rateentertainment when compared with classical films or award-winning13documentaries. However, as audience figures prove, they are strangely compellingbecause we are able to empathize with ordinary people in extraordinary situations.This ultimately is what makes TV reality shows worth watching.Answer the following questions.1.What is meant by TV reality shows?2.Why do people like watching them?3.What’s your personal attitude towards such shows? How often do you preferto watch them?4.What pros and cons can you name?TV or not TV?Television has become an everyday part of our lives.

It’s omnipresent, always on…But is this a good thing or a bad one? Don’t we spend too much of our precioustime in front of the “box”? Haven’t we become lazier because of it? Is TVdangerous? Here’s what different people say about television. Who do you agreewith?1. Some people say that television is1. Television is a terrible waste ofdangerous. I don’t think so.

Aftertime. I know a lot of people whoall, it keeps you informed aboutjust sit down in front of the “box”what’s happening in the world.and watch whatever’s on. TheyYou can also see films and plays,spend hours watching silly soapand be entertained…or you canoperas and second-rate Americanwatch documentaries and learnfilms when perhaps they ought tosomething new.be doing something else.2. In spite of all its defects,2. In my opinion, television makestelevision can teach us a lot ofus lazier. We stay at home insteadthings. The trick is to learn toof going out.

We read less. Wecontrol it and use it intelligently.think less. We even talk less. ItThe ideal is to turn on the TVcuts us off from reality. But isn’tonly when there is a programreal life better than this passivewhich is really amusing andenjoyment?interesting.3. There’s too much violence on TV.3. A lot of rubbish has been writtenWe begin to believe that theabout television. I think it’s aworld is an unfriendly place,wonderful invention. It’s a cheapfilled with cruel people and riskyform of entertainment, whichcircumstances.Theviolent,gives pleasure to millions ofcrime-filled world shown on TVpeople, especially those who livemay turn people into criminals.alone. It’s also a wonderful way4. Television is like a drug: we getof escaping from our dull reality.addicted to certain TV series and144.

TV’s just part of life really. Itinvolves us in strong emotions:love, hate, passion. Even thesilliest of “soaps” help me tosolve my own problems byshowing me what might happen ifI do certain things. Sometimesthey show me what not to do.simply can’t switch it off. Mostprograms are filled with sillycommercials. What I hate mostabout TV is that it often usesstrong language. It has a terribleinfluence on children and youngpeople.*From: “Speak out” (magazine)1.2.3.4.5.Answer the following questions.How many hours do you spend in front of the TV?Do you believe that violence on TV may turn people into criminals?In what way does TV influence our language?Some people say that television kills conversation.

Do you agree?Do you know how to protect yourself from the bad influences of television?Word listartificialto assembleto cope withto defineto be fascinated byto involveto proveultimatelyto escape fromto compare withsuccessfulto have influence onискусственныйсобиратьсправляться сдавать определениебыть очарованным чем-топодразумевать, быть связаннымдоказыватьв конце концовубегать от чего-тосравнивать с чем-тоуспешныйоказывать влияние на что либоPart 4New Age MediaHow is the Internet changing lives forever?These days with inexpensive air travel, mobile phones, email and theInternet, teenagers see the world as a smaller place than it appeared to theirgrandparents.

Of these innovations, the Internet appears to be the one with themost potential for global influence, and which will change lives the most.For example, up until recently friendships developed over a lifetime but thathas now changed. People often made friends locally at school and continued thosefriendships into adulthood, but many young people today find the majority of their15friendships over the Internet. This is not restricted to teenagers.

Paula Sen, who hasjust turned 30, says: “I’ve met most of my best friends over the Internet, throughcommon interest forums. I couldn’t live without the Internet. It’s my lifeline.”The Internet has also greatly influenced how people buy and sell goods.International Internet shopping is now common, with people buying all sorts ofgoods, from sites such as amazon, the most successful online retail site. Theinternational auction site eBay allows millions of participants to buy from and sellto strangers, setting their own prices.

But beware – there are so many unscrupuloussalespeople online as on the high street.One of the Internet’s greatest success stories is Wikipedia, the free onlineencyclopedia, which is compiled and updated by its users. It carries far morecontent than any other encyclopedia and it is a great starting point for research, butremember to double-check important facts as it does contain errors. If you don’thave time to check your facts, consider purchasing a reliable online encyclopediasuch as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The other major information resource on theInternet is Google, a search engine which finds and ranks web pages according tothe number of links made to them.Probably the biggest impact that the Internet has had is the way in which ithas influenced social networking. The most frequently “googled” word in theworld recently was Bebo - the social networking site- followed by MySpace.People can meet new friends through sites like these, the can renew oldacquaintances through different sites and they can also play games with each otherin virtual worlds. This Internet-based, three-dimensional virtual world is“inhabited” by more than 6.6 million residents from around the world, and globalcompanies even have outlets there.It’s now much easier to share experiences with others too.

Sites such asYouTube allow people to upload and share videos, with unlikely clips becominghuge hits and a number of figures becoming Internet phenomena.Much of the power of the Internet lies in the fact that people are developingnew ways to be creative and innovative, combining ideas and skills without anorganization or hierarchy. No one is in overall control. Collective creativity andcollaboration are the key ideas. But even more powerful than this is its power tosolve crimes, help change the world through giving to charities on sites likejustgiving.com or find missing individuals.*From: “Language Leader” (upper-intermediate)Answer the following questions.1.2.3.What positive characteristics of the Internet can you name?How has the Internet changed our minds?What kind of search engine is the most popular?164.Does the Internet have negative sides? Could you think about them? Try tomake the list of advantages and disadvantages.Work with a partner to discuss the following.1.Do people indulge in fantasy virtual life because of the disappointments oftheir real lives?2.What are the advantages and disadvantages of:a)Buying and selling over the Internet?b)Social networking with people you have never met face-to-face?3.Should teenagers’ use of the Internet be limited?Email - a good thing or a bad thing?In recent years email has become an increasingly important means ofcommunication.

However, like most things it has both advantages anddisadvantages.On the plus side:On the minus side:•First of all, email is easy. All you need •Firstly, email is impersonal. You can’tis the appropriate software on your see a person, face to face; it’s difficult tocomputer. There are no stamps to stick get across subtle meanings in emailand no trips in the freezing cold to prose with no visual or voice clues.postboxes.•Secondly, it can be argued that email is•The second point is that email is fast. in fact too easy. You can write aNo matter where you’re sending your message in a few seconds and send it offmessage, whether it’s to the next street with one click.

And once sent, you can’tor to the other side of the planet it takes get back a message that may have beenonly seconds to reach its destination. written in a fit of irritation or anger.Nowadays, whenever I send regular •Another point is that email security ismail (or snail mail as email users call it), lax. As your email message makes itsI can’t believe that it’s actually going to way to its destination, it has to passtake days to reach its destination. How through other, public, systems.