Television Part 1. Television as a means of mass communication Unit I. Defining Television

READING

A. Pre-reading task. Answer the questions:

1. What do you know about television? When and how was it invented? Who invented it?

2. How do you understand the word “television”? Give your definition.

B. The following is a collection of things that people said about the television. Read and translate the quotes using the Active Vocabulary.

award награда, приз

educating обучающий, просветительский

turn on включить

set (TV set) телевизор

murder убийство

invention изобретение

permit позволять, разрешать

entertain развлекать

channel канал

1. “People will soon get tired of looking at a wooden box every night.” (Film producer Darryl F. Zanuck)

2. “Getting an award from TV is like getting kissed by someone with bad breath.” (Mason Williams)

3. “Television is chewing gum for the eyes.” (Frank Lloys Wright)

4. “I find the television very educating. Every time someone turns on the set I go into the other room and read a book.”(Groucho Marx)

5. “Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other.” (Ann Landers)

6. “Television has brought murder into the home – where it belongs.” (Alfred Hitchcock)

7. “Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn’t have in your home.” (Sir David Frost)

8. “Why should people pay good money to go out and see bad films when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing?” (Sam Goldwyn)

9. “We were so poor that out TV only had two channels – ‘on’ and ‘off’.” (Anonymous)

10. “When television is good, nothing is better. But when television is bad, nothing is worse.” (Newton Minow)

С. Discussion. Answer the following questions.

1. Are the people who said these words familiar to you? Do you share their opinion? If not, explain why.

2. How do you understand the following quote: “Television is chewing gum for the eyes”?

3. Do you prefer going to the cinema or watching TV at home? How often do you watch TV?

4. Why do people get tired of watching TV?

5. Can TV be educating? What role does TV play in modern life?

D. Read the article from Wikipedia and translate it using the Active Vocabulary

telecommunication medium средство телекоммуникации

transmit передавать

moving images динамическое изображение, изображение движущегося объекта

monochrome (black-and-white) монохромный (черно-белый)

television transmission телепередача

available доступный, имеющийся в наличии

advertising реклама

mold формировать

public opinion общественное мнение

Blu-Ray Disc формат диска высокого разрешения,

работающего на основе сине-фиолетового лазера (Блю-Рей диск)

broadcast транслировать

closed-circuit television or телевизионная система с замкнутым каналом или

(CCTV) кабельное телевидение (КТВ)

radio broadcasting радиовещание

radio-frequency transmitters радиопередатчик

frequency band диапазон частот

stereo or surround sound стерео или объемный звук

analog television signal сигнал аналогового телевидения

electronic circuits электронная цепь, радиосхема

decode преобразовывать, расшифровывать

tuner механизм настройки

digital television (DTV) цифровое телевидение

high-definition television (HDTV) телевидение высокой четкости

ADHD or синдром дефицита внимания при гиперактивности

(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome (black-and-white) or colored, with or without accompanying sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television program, or television transmission.

The etymology of the word has a mixed Latin and Greek origin, meaning "far sight": Greek tele (τῆλε), far, and Latin visio, sight (from video, vis- to see, or to view in the first person).

Commercially available since the late 1920s, the television set has become commonplace in homes, businesses and institutions, particularly as a vehicle for advertising, a source of entertainment, and news. Since the 1950s, television has been the main medium for molding public opinion. Since the 1970s, the availability of video cassettes, laserdiscs, DVDs and now Blu-ray Discs have resulted in the television set frequently being used for viewing recorded as well as broadcast material. In recent years, Internet television has seen the rise of television available via the Internet through services such as iPlayer and Hulu.

In 2009 78 percent of the world's households owned at least one television set, an increase of 5% over 2003.

Although other forms such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) are in use, the most common usage of the medium is for broadcast television, which was modeled on the existing radio broadcasting systems developed in the 1920s, and uses high-powered radio-frequency transmitters to broadcast the television signal to individual TV receivers.

The broadcast television system is typically disseminated via radio transmissions on designated channels in the 54–890 MHz frequency band. Signals are now often transmitted with stereo or surround sound in many countries. Until the 2000s, broadcast TV programs were generally transmitted as an analog television signal but during the decade several countries went almost exclusively digital.

A standard television set comprises multiple internal electronic circuits, including those for receiving and decoding broadcast signals. A visual display device which lacks a tuner is properly called a video monitor, rather than a television. A television system may use different technical standards such as digital television (DTV) and high-definition television (HDTV). Television systems are also used for surveillance, industrial process control, and guiding of weapons, in places where direct observation is difficult or dangerous. Some studies have found a link between infancy exposure to television and ADHD.

E. Now referring back to the text, answer these questions:

1. What is the origin of the word “television”?

2. When did TV become commercially available? Where did it appear to be? What was it initially used for?

3. What was the function of TV in 1950s? What happened in 1970s? Has the function of TV changed today?

4. How is the TV signal transmitted to TV receivers?

5. What does a standard TV set comprise? What is television system used for?

6. What is the difference between technical standards of DTV and HDTV?

7. What do you think why there is a link between “infancy exposure to television” and ADHD?

8. Does TV have a great influence over our life? How do you feel about it?

F. Now retell the text using the words from the Active Vocabulary list.

WORD STUDY

A. Check the pronunciation in the dictionary and mark the stressed syllable in the following words: via, exposure, monochrome, vehicle, designated, increase, surveillance, process, circuit

B. Form adverbs from adjectives and find them in the text. Translate them into Russian:

Frequent –

Exclusive -

Proper –

Particular –

Specific –

Commercial –

General -

C. Translate the following words and word combinations into Russian:

1. telecommunication medium

2. accompanying sound

3. TV receivers

4. to disseminate

5. surveillance

6. industrial process control

7. guiding of weapon

8. infancy exposure to television

9. broadcast signal

10. industrial process control

11. vehicle for advertising

12. visual display device

13. designated channel

D. Match prepositions with the following words:

1. Exposure 1. between

2. Medium 2. in

3. Refer 3.of

4. Source 4. to

5. Result 5. for

6. Link 6. to

E. Now fill in the gaps with words from ex. D:

1. Prolonged ___________ the sun can cause skin cancer.

2. Music is a great ___________ of enjoyment!

3. English is still the main ________ instruction in Nigeria.

4. He gave the speech without ________ his notes.

5. It was an accident that _______ the death of two passengers.

6. There are a number of _______ between the two theories.

GRAMMAR STUDY

A. SO/SUCH

“So” is generally used before adjectives and participles:	“Such” is generally used before nouns:
I’m so tired. She’s so interested in this matter. He’s so stupid. This is so good.	He is such a fool. They are such idiots. Notice how such can also be used with nouns that have adjectives before them: They are such stupid people. It was such a good film. It is such a nice day.

Fill in the gaps with “so” or “such”:

1. This book is ___ interesting!

2. Sarah and Ed are ______ crazy people! I never know what they are going to do next.

3. The movie was __ good that I saw it five times.

4. Most students never discuss __________ topics in class, but I think it is important to teach our children to question the media.

5. That takes ___________little time and effort that you might as well do it yourself.

6. I really wish you wouldn’t smoke _____much!

7. Martha is _____ a good cook that she is writing her own book of family recipes.

8. How could she say _______horrible things to me?

9. There was ___ little interest in his talk on macroeconomics.

10. Jerry has never seen _____ high mountains!

B. AS/LIKE

as	like
1) We use as to talk about job or function.  I worked as a shop assistant for 2 years when I was a student. 2) The structure ‘as adjective as’ is often used in comparisons. She ran as fast as she could. 3) As is a conjunction – it’s followed by a clause with a subject and a verb. She’s a talented writer, as most of her family are.	1) Like is a preposition and it’s followed by a noun or a pronoun: I’ve been working like a dog all afternoon. None of my brothers are much like me. She looks just like her mother.

Fill in the gaps with “as” or “like”:

1. She sings ______ an angel.

2. I'm much better ______ you can see.

3. I'm attending the meeting ______ an observer.

4. I use one of the bedrooms ______ an office.

5. I hope to qualify ______ an engineer.

6. My friend Rob looks ______ John Travolta.

7. There is too much traffic in London ______ in New York.

8. I don't know you as well as he does but, ______ your friend, I advise you to think again.

9. We're late for the train. We'll have to run ______ the wind.

10. You don't like confrontations, ______ me.

SPEAKING

A. Work in groups. Discuss the pros and cons of invention of the television. Give arguments in favour or against it.

B. Use the following phrases:

• Personally, I think one of the benefits/drawbacks...

• That is why I think it is a crucial/vital/urgent/topical/controversial issue...

• I’m against/in favour of… since I believe that…

• The greatest aspect of the invention of TV is that …

• I am sure/certain/convinced that ...

• It may result in ….

• I’m not an expert in this field but I’d like to note that….

• I am not sure/certain, but ...

• I am not sure, because I don't know the situation exactly.

• I am not convinced that ...

• I have read that ...

• I am of mixed opinions (about / on) ...

• I am of mixed opinions about / on this.

• I have no opinion in this matter.

WRITING

Write down an entry to Wikipedia about the invention and definition of TV. Try to use as many words from the Active Vocabulary list as you can.