Television As It Is

“Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?” How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn’t been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eye monster into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends, and be entertained by them, and we used to go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the “goggle box”. We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that programme.We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do – anything, providing it doesn’t interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dears to open his mouth during programme, he is quickly silenced.

Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is the universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them into the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn’t matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials or spectacles of sadism or violence – so long as they are quiet.

There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day television consumes vas quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programmes are so bad: it is impossible to keep the pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programmes, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in pre-literate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media if communication: pictures and the spoken word.

Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world itself. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King Telly.

19. Переведите следующие слова и словосочетания на русский язык:

Statements like this, to occupy our spare time, to enjoy pleasures, to entertain our friends, to listen to broadcast talks occasionally, to gulp down our meals, to be in time, exchanging the news, a leisurely evening meal, absolute silence and attention, addicted to the telly, rubbishy commercials, so long as, creative talent available in the world, vast quantities, to keep pace with, maintain high standards, to become dependent on, encourage passive enjoyment, to become content with, little by little, prevent from communicating, a holiday by the sea, far away from.

20. Переведите следующие слова и словосочетания на английский язык:

Творческая работа, быть вовремя, обмениваться новостями, неспешная вечерняя трапеза, слушать радиопередачи от случая к случаю, поддерживать высокие стандарты, занять своё свободное время, быстро проглотить свою еду, далеко от, развлекать своих друзей, подобные утверждения, глупые рекламные ролики, идти в ногу с, зависимый от, отпуск у моря, абсолютная тишина и внимание, наслаждаться удовольствием, огромное количество, сгодится бутерброд и стакан пива, стимулировать пассивные развлечения, «прилипнуть» к своим телевизорам, в горах, в полутьме, отрезать от реального мира, не даёт нам общаться друг с другом.

21. Найдите в тексте предложения с данными словосочетаниями:

All that long; listen to music; sitting at table; it doesn’t interfere; demands and obtains; to open his mouth; addicted to the telly; to keep the children quiet; vast quantities; primitive media of communication; second-hand experiences; to spend a fine day; become aware;

22. Объясните по-английски значение данных слов и выражений:

To occupy spare time; civilized pleasures; occasionally; to rush home; a leisurely evening meal; to be quickly silenced; addicted to the telly; a universal pacifier; standard practice; a pre-literate community; passive enjoyment; second-hand experience; semi-darkness; natural surroundings.

23. Заполните пропуски подходящими по смыслу словами:

А) to forget – to leave – to loose

1. She …. the children with a friend for the afternoon yesterday.

2. He always ….where his car is parked.

3. They must realize that they have ….their outstanding opportunity.

4. I ….to return your book to you.

5. John ….his homework on the bus.

6. You can easily ….a child in a busy street.

Б) to listen to – to hear

1…..carefully to the instructions!

2. Don’t …. her – she knows nothing about it.

3. I haven’t ….him offering to help.

4. I’ve ….very interesting news today

5. Do you like ….music?

6. I ….he’s got a new job.

В) to give up – to stop – to finish

1. Suddenly everyone ….talking.

2. I wish you’d let me ….my sentence!

3. He had ….the idea of marring altogether.

4. It was a difficult time but we never …. hope.

5. The game ….with the score 1-1.

6. There is nothing ….you from asking him. He might agree.

Г) food – meal – dish

1. Dinner is usually our main ….

2. Prices of ….and clothing have risen dramatically in recent years.

3. Her favourite ….is fried chiken.

4. ….of dried fruit and nuts were put on the counter.

5. All the ….is cooked and served by the volunteer helpers.

6. We could see a film or go out for a ….

24. Заполните пропуски соответствующими предлогами, где это необходимо:

1. Television hasn't been ….us all that long.

2. We admitted the one-eyed monster ….our homes.

3. We used to be entertained ….our friends.

4. All that belongs ….the past.

5. We gulp ….our meals to be ….time …the programme.

6. Meals shouldn’t inerfer ….the programmes.

7. Television consumes vast quantities ….creative work.

8. We became utterly dependent ….the two most primitive media ….communication.

9. Television cuts us ….the real world.

10. We spend a fine day glued ….our sets rather than go … …the world itself.

11. Television prevents us ….communicating ….each other.

12. She keeps the children quiet ….turning ….the set.

25. Поставьте вопросы к выделенным словам:

1. We are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it.

2. We used to go outside for our amusements.

3. We rush home to be in time for this or that programme.

4. The telly is the universal pacifier.

5. The children will watch rubbishy commercials.

6. Every day television consumes vast quantities of creative work.

7. Millions watch the same programmes.

8. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication.

9. Television encourages passive enjoyment.

10. We spend a holiday by the sea.

26. Задайте альтернативный и разделительный вопрос к следующим предложениям:

1. We often hear statements like this.

2. Television hasn’t been with us all that long.

3. We never found it difficult to occupy our spare time.

4. All that belongs to the past.

5. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do.

6. They are exchanging the news of the day.

7. It is impossible to keep pace with the demand.

8. There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world.

9. The whole world becomes a village.

10. We quickly discover how little we miss telly.

27. Прочитайте данные высказывания и укажите, какие из них соответствуют тексту:

1. When there was no television people hardly found the ways to enjoy themselves.

2. Reading books and listening to broadcasts are the main occupations now.

3. Our spare time is regulated by the one-eyed monster.

4. People rush home to be in time for dinner.

5. People usually have a leisurely evening meal.

6. There should be silence and attention when the TV set is turned on.

7. Nobody dears to open his mouth during the programme.

8. Creative talent is unlimited resource available in our society.

9. The more programmes are on TV the higher is their quality.

10. The main media of communication now is pictures and spoken word.

11. Watching TV is an active enjoyment.

12. We live in unreal world watching TV.

28. Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What statements about TV do we often hear?

2. How long has the television been with us?

3. How did people occupy their spare time before admitting television into their homes?

4. What is our free time regulated by?

5. What have people given up doing because of television?

6. In what case is the member of the family quickly silenced?

7. What is the standard practice for mother now?

8. Why are most of the programmes so bad?

9. Why is the society reduced to the conditions which obtain in pre-literate communities?

10. How does television cut people off the real world?

11. How does television discourage us from communicating with each other?

12. When do we become aware how little we miss telly?

29. Закончите предложения в соответствие с содержанием текста:

1. We are already beginning to forget ….

2. We used to enjoy ….

3. People used to entertain their friends and ....

4. People rush home or gulp down their meals to be ….

5. If somebody dears to open his mouth during a programme ….

6. Anything will do for dinner if ….

7. The whole generation is growing up ….

8. Nowadays it’s common practice for mothers ….

9. It doesn’t matter that the children will watch ….

10. Every day television consumes ….

11. When millions watch the same programmes ….

12. Getting passive enjoyment we become content with ….

13. People prefer watching telly instead of….

14. Only in natural surroundings people realize ….

30. Переведите предложения на английский язык:

1. Было нетрудно найти себе занятие, когда телевидения не существовало.

2. Люди выходили развлечься в театры, кинотеатры и на спортивные мероприятия.

3. Они бывало слушали радиопередачи и обменивались новостями за обедом.

4. Трудно быстро добраться домой в часы пик.

5. Если они отважатся поехать туда, они получат большое удовольствие.

6. Когда он заговорил об этом, его быстро заставили замолчать.

7. Он очень много играет в компьютерные игры. У него зависимость от компьютерных игр.

8. Она сделала несколько шагов к окну.

9. Иногда трудно поддерживать правильное соотношение между работой и домом.

10. Вряд ли я отважусь пойти туда сегодня.

11. Это как раз тот случай, чтобы предпринять новую попытку.

12. Он всегда вдохновлял нас, чтобы обсудить наши проблемы.

31. Сформулируйте главную мысль каждого абзаца.

32. Составьте аннотацию текста.

33. Перескажите текст по ключевым словам:

Admit, used to enjoy, rush home, demands and obtains, addicted to the telly, creative work, maintain high standards, media of communication, passive enjoyment, glued to, become aware, miss.

34. Прочитайте диалог. Выучите и разыграйте диалог в паре со своим сокурсником.

A: I want to watch TV tonight.

B: So do I. Which programme do you want to watch?

A: I want to watch the football game on channel four.

B: What time is this programme on?

A: I think it’s on at eight o’clock.

B: You can’t watch this football game.

A: Why not?

B: Because my favourite quiz is on at that time.

A: Don’t be silly. A football game is more important than a quiz.

B: This isn’t true. Everyone knows that football games are boring and stupid.

A: I don’t want to argue.

B: Well, what are we going to do?

A: I’ve got an idea.

B: What is your idea?

A: Let’s go and buy another television. There are great discounts now.

B: That’s a great idea! When are we going to the store?

A: We need to go before eight o’clock.

B: It is seven forty-five right now.

A: Start the car. I’ll get the credit card.

35. Прокомментируйте следующие высказывания:

1. Rest is the good thing but boredom is his brother.

2. The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

3. Amusement is happiness of those who cannot think.

4. All work and no play makes Jack a full boy.

5. The only way to amuse some people is to slip and fall on an icy pavement.

6. Art is an effort to create beside the real world a more human world.

36. Составьте и разыграйте диалог со своим сокурсником:

А) Вы – журналист, берёте интервью у редактора канала МУЗ ТВ;

Б) Вы – социолог, проводите опрос о влиянии телевидения на воспитание детей.