Unit II. Characteristics of tv as a Medium

READING

A. Pre-reading task. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the key features of the television as a medium?

2. What are its strengths and weaknesses?

3. Do you have a favourite TV programme?

4. Have you ever thought of what makes your favourite TV programme so interesting?

5. How do you feel while watching a football match on television?

6. Isn’t it almost like being there in the stadium? What makes the football match on television more (less) interesting?

7. How is watching television different from going for a movie?

8. Have you noticed that a newspaper report has an impersonal tone, whereas the television anchor addresses you, the viewer?

9. Have you ever visited a television station?

10. Have you or your friends ever tried to bring out a hand written magazine?

B. Read the text and translate it using the Active Vocabulary:

emotional involvement эмоциональная включенность, вовлеченность, участие

vivid яркий, живой

integral part неотъемлемая часть

adjust приспособить, подстраивать

anchor ведущий

live (broadcast live) в прямом эфире (передавать в прямом эфире)

switch on включать

characteristic признак, особенность, характерная черта, свойство

visuals зрительный ряд, изображение

capacity возможность, способность, производительность

instantly немедленно, мгновенно

due to из-за, благодаря

output мощность, производительность

experienced опытный

run управлять

television station телевизионная станция

in particular в частности

bring out выпускать, производить

require требовать

While radio has sound, television content includes both sound and visuals. This audio visual character of television makes it a magic medium which allows us to watch the world from our drawing rooms.

For most of us, “seeing is believing”. This powerful visual nature helps television to create vivid impressions in our minds which in turn leads to emotional involvement. The audio visual quality also makes television images more memorable.

T o watch television, you need not leave your drawing room. No need of going to the movie theatre or buying tickets. You can watch television in the comfort of your home with your family. This is why television is generally regarded as a domestic medium. It provides entertainment and information right inside our homes and has become an integral part of our everyday lives. It can actually pattern our daily activities.

Does your family make it a point to watch their favourite serial at a particular time and adjust dinner timings accordingly? This domestic nature of television influences the content also. The domestic nature of television makes it an intimate medium. This makes the viewer’s experience a sense of closeness to the anchors of a show or with the characters in a serial.

What will you do if you hear that there is a bomb blast in a neighbouring city? You may switch on your television set for more information. This is because the live nature of television allows it to transmit visuals and information almost instantly. So, another important characteristic of television is that it is capable of being a live medium. The visuals of an earthquake in Indonesia can reach your television set in almost no time. This capacity of the medium makes it ideal for transmitting live visuals of news and sports events. If you are watching a football match in a television channel, you can almost instantly see the goal hit by your favourite team. On the other hand, you can read about the football match only in the next day’s newspaper. Television allows you to witness events which happen thousands of miles away.

A ll of us know that there are a large number of people who cannot read or write. Such people may not be able to read a newspaper, but they can watch television. Anyone with a television receiver can access the information shown on television. This makes it an ideal medium to transmit messages to a large audience. Television also has a very wide output, range and reach. It is truly a mass medium.

Due to the large output and lack of permanence, television programmes are not easy to be recorded by viewers. It may be practically impossible to record every programme which appears on your television. Therefore, television is generally identified as a transitory medium.

Have you ever visited a television station? You will be amazed at the amount of machinery and expertise needed to run a television station. Have you or your friends ever tried to bring out a hand written magazine? You can write articles and stories and draw your own pictures. All you need will be paper, pen, drawing instruments and time. However, a television programme can never be made this easily. It requires lots of money, machinery and experienced people. Broadcast media in general and television in particular involves complex technology and organization.

C. Discussion. After reading the text, answer the questions:

1. What makes television images more memorable?

2. Mention three characteristics of television.

3. Name two characteristics of television which makes it an ideal medium for the telecast of sports events.

4. Tick mark (√) the appropriate answer:

1) Which character of television makes it an intimate medium?

1. live nature

2. domestic nature

3. audio visual character

4. transitory nature

2) Which of the following mediums transmits messages faster?

1. newspaper

2. manuscript magazine

3. television

4. cinema

3) Name a drawback of television

1. expensive medium

2. mass medium

3. domestic medium

4. live medium

4) Which characteristic of television makes it an ideal medium for delivering news?

1. audio visual character

2. live nature

3. domestic character

4. transitory nature

5) Which of the following is a relatively permanent medium?

1. television

2. radio

3. television newscast

4. newspaper

D. Retelling. 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:

audio, characteristic, anchor, bomb, neighbouring, to access, to record, to identify

B. Translate the following word combinations into Russian:

1. to regard as a domestic medium

2. to provide entertainment

3. to pattern daily activities

4. television content

5. dinner timings

6. an intimate medium

7. to witness events

8. to access the information

9. lack of permanence

10. a sense of closeness

11. to bring out a hand written magazine

Now reproduce the situations in the text in which they are given

C. Match the words. Use them in sentences of your own.

1. complex 1. newspaper

2. television 2. technology

3. visual 3.people

4. drawing 4. events

5. powerful 5. content

6. vivid 6. activity

7. emotional 7.room

8. memorable 8. life

9. everyday 9.character

10. daily 10.images

11. sports 11.nature

12. the next day’s 12.involvement

13. experienced 13.impressions

D. Match the words which are close in their meaning:

require impossible witness allow characteristic

feature permit unacceptable demand testify

E. Match the words having the opposite meaning:

vivid complex capable wide adjust

incompetent narrow disarrange colourless easy

F. Think of your own sentences with the following expressions:

1. live broadcast – прямая трансляция

2. live reporting – прямой репортаж

3. to do a live report – вести репортаж с места события

4. live coverage – прямая телепередача

5. live recording – запись по трансляции

6. live interview – интервью в прямом эфире

7. to be on the air - 1) транслировать по радио или телевидению

2) выступать по радио или телевидению

8. to be off the air – 1) не передаваемый в эфир

2) закончиться (о радио- или телепередаче)

9. to go off the air – закончить передачу

G. Insert the proposition where it is necessary:

1. This powerful visual nature helps television to create vivid impressions in our minds which in turn leads ____ emotional involvement.

2. No need ___ going to the movie theatre or buying tickets.

3. This is why television is generally regarded ____ a domestic medium.

4. This domestic nature of television influences ______the content also.

5. This capacity of the medium makes it ideal ____ transmitting live visuals of news and sports events.

6. If you are watching a football match in a television channel, you can almost instantly see the goal hit ____ your favourite team.

7. _____ the large output and lack of permanence, television programmes are not easy to be recorded ____viewers.

8. Television is generally identified ____ a transitory medium.

9. You will be amazed ____ the amount of machinery and expertise needed to run a television station.

10. Broadcast media ____ general and television ____ particular involves complex technology and organization.

GRAMMAR STUDY