Preparing for speaking test 7 mass media

A. NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

1. Do you read newspapers and magazines?

Which ones do you read?

How often do you buy them?

2. Fill in the blanks with the words below.

broadsheets supplement

comic journal

magazine tabloid

1. A……………newspaper contains a lot of sensational news and generally sells more copies than the larger and more serious newspapers.

2. «Cosmopolitan» is a monthly………………. aimed at young women and is full of glossy pictures and advertisements.

3. «The Beano» is a popular………….. for children containing cartoon characters like «Dennis the Menace» and «Desperate Dan».

4. A lot of Sunday newspapers now have a glossy magazine which is called a……………. .

5. The more «quality» newspapers are normally bigger than the popular ones and are called………………….because of their size.

6. A……………………is an academic magazine written on a specialist subject.

3. Here is a list of people who are involved with newspapers. Match each word to its definition.

1. printer	a. a person who is in charge of a newspaper and who decides what is published in it
2. editor	b. someone who takes photographs
3. agony aunt	c. someone who prints the newspaper
4. photographer	d. a person who draws cartoons
5. cartoonist	e. a person who gives advice to readers about their personal problems
6. reporter	f. a person who writes about a particular place or subject
7. correspondent 8. columnist	g. a person who writes a regular piece, often about personal experiences or opinions h. a person who finds out the news and writes about what’s happening

4. The list below shows some of the different sections a newspaper can have. Discuss with your partner what each section would cover.

home news obituaries agony aunt

world news local news business/economics

sport news advertisements family

arts letters notices/announcements

weather classified advertisements entertainment-TV/radio

eg. SA: I think that the home news section must obviously cover the national news of our own country, as opposed to the international news.

SB: Yes, and so world news covers international events, things happening outside our country.

5. Use the words below to fill in blanks.

articles classified listings

obituaries headlines editorials

1. As you pick up your daily paper your eyes are first drawn to the…………….on the front page announcing what the main stories are about.

2. Within a paper there is a wide range of………………on various subjects.

3. The newspaper’s official opinion on the events of the day is given in the ……………… .

4. To find out what’s on TV or on at the cinema, turn to the page with…………………… which will give you the showing times.

5. If you want to buy or sell something, you could make use of the……………advertisements which are usually found on the last few pages.

6. …………………….are notices that are written in newspapers when people die to tell the reader about their life and achievements.

Now discuss with your partner what your favourite section of a newspaper is.

6. Here is the cover of a magazine for people in their 20s. The cover is designed to attract reader’s interest. With your partner, decide a) what the reader might like to see in this magazine and b) what stories would attract such readers.

• Useful expressions

How about putting…? What do you think of…?

Why don’t we…? Do you think…is a good idea?

Would they find…interesting?

7. With your partner, discuss what qualities you look for in a magazine.

Can you describe your favourite/ ideal magazine?

8. This is the basic format for the front cover of a magazine for men and women in their 20s. Discuss what you would include in the magazine if you were its editors.

9. Discuss in pairs topics related to the theme.

• Do you read any magazines?

• Can you describe your favourite magazine?

• What reasons do people have for reading magazines?

• What factors influence people’s choice of magazines?

• Is there anything you don’t like about popular magazines?

• What do you prefer< books or magazines? Why?

B. NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION

1. Look at the pictures below and answer the questions.

Do you buy a daily newspaper? Why/ Why not?

How often do you watch the news on TV?

Which do you prefer, reading a newspaper or watching TV and why?

2. Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the list below.

televised top stories leading article mass media exclusive

1. Princess Margaret has given a(n)……………..interview to our reporter.

2. The match will be……………live on BBC Scotland.

3. The editor chose the story about the effects of the new tax reforms to be his………….. .

4. By the term…………..we mean television, radio and newspaper.

5. The tabloids concern themselves mostly with the activities of the Royal Family as their………………….. .