I.Listen
Listentothetextwiththehelpofthefollowingnotes.
1.itismoreconvenient...insearchofamusementelsewhere:(对四口之家来说)舒服地坐在家里,有着包罗万象的娱乐节目供选择,当然比外出到别的地方寻找娱乐活动更为方便,更合算了。
2.onlytodiscover...disappointing:最终发现演出是那样令人失望。此处only表示出乎意料。
3.takesnoinitiative:没有任何主动性。
4.Themostdistantcountries...intoonessitting-room:最遥远的国度、最奇异的风俗了情被直接送到人们起居室。
5.flickeringpictures:闪烁为定的图像。
II.Read
Readthefollowingpassages.Underlinetheimportantviewpointswhilereading.
1.WhyWatchTelevision?
Matthew:Televisionisundoubtedlyagreatinvention,butoneofthemaincriticismsofitisthatpeoplejustarentselectiveenough.Lesley,youvegotatelevision;howdoyoupickoutthesortsofprogrammesyouwanttowatch?
Lesley:Itryandlookattheprogrammesthatareontodecidewhichparticularonesinterestme,ratherthanyouturningitonatsevenoclockandyouleavingitonuntilhalf-pastelevenwhentheprogrammesfinish.
Matthew:Doyouthinkoftelevisionthoughasagreattime-waster?
Lesley:Un...Ithinkitcanbeatime-wasteranditdependsonhowparticularpeopleareaboutwhattheywanttosee...Mm,itcanjustbeasortoftotalamusementforsomeoneandtotallyconsumingwithoutreallyconsideringwhatitistheyrewatching.
Matthew:Aha,buthowdoyoupreventitcomingintoyourlifeandtakingoveryoureveningsandatthesametimeperhapsget...getoutofthetelevisionsomeofthesortofbestthings...bestprogrammesthat...thatundoubtedlyareontelevision?
Lesley:Well,Isupposeoneoftheproblemsis...willdependonwhatapersonslifestyleis,andthatifhehasotheroutsideinterestswhichareequallyimportanttohimastelevision,hewillthen,youknow,mm...bemorecarefulaboutwhichprogrammeshewantstowatchbecausehehastimewhichhewantstouseforotherthings.
Matthew:Doyouthinkthoughthat...thatin...inasensetelevisionhaskilledpeoplesowner...sortof,creativityortheirabilitytoentertainthemselvesbecauseiftheyreboredalltheydoisjustturnonthetelevision?
Lesley:Yes,Ithinkthatisadanger,andIthinkthat...infactiswhatishappeningtoalotofpeoplewhouseitastheir...theirmain...umfieldofamusementand...becausetheydonthaveotheroutsideinterestsandevenwhenpeoplecomeroundtheyllleavethetelevisiononandnotbe,youknow,particularlyinterestedintalkingtothem,youknowthetelevisionwillbethemainthingintheroom.
Matthew:Peter,haveyouatelevision?
Peter:Ihave,infactIvegottwotelevisions.
Matthew:Doyouwatchthemalot?
Peter:Er...noI...Iwatchveryseldomer...Infact,IfindthatIwatchtelevisionmostwhenImworkingwhichrequiresnothingofme,thenIwatchtelevisionalot.WhenIvegotmoreenergyleft...um...inmyownprivatetime,thenIfindIdomoredifferentthings.Idothingslikeumreading,orgoingout,orworkingonanything...myhobbies.
Matthew:Doyouthinkthoughthatpeoplecanliveaperfectlyhappylifeiftheyhaventgotatelevision?
Peter:Ohyes,Ithinkpeoplewhodonthaveatelevisionorpeoplewhodontwatchtelevisioncanbeexpectedtobemorehappy.YoucanassumeIthinkiftheyneverwatchtelevisiontheyarehappierpeoplethanthepeoplewhowatchalotoftelevision,becauseIthinkthattelevisiongoeswiththekindoflifewhichleavesyouwithnothingtospare,nothingleft,youhavetobegivenpotted,passiveentertainment.
Matthew:Butinthatcaseyou...youseemasthoughyourecompletelyagainsttelevision,isthattrue?
Peter:No,itsnot.I...Ihaveatelevisioninfact,IhavetwoasIsaid,buterI...I...Ithinktheresadilemma,adifficultsituation.Televisioninitselfisverygood;a...alotoftheinformationandalotoftheprogrammesareveryinstructive,theyintroduceyoutothingsyoumayneverhavethoughofbeforeorneverhavehardaboutbefore.Butinwatching,itmakesyouverypassive;yousitforhourafterhourandyougetveryreceptiveandveryunquestioninganditseemstometheimportantthinginlifeistobeactive,to...todothings,tothinkthingsandtobeascreativeaspossible,andtelevisionpreventsthis.2.ChildrenandTelevision
Housewife:WhatdoIthinkoftelevision?Um,um,well,um,itkeepsthefamilyathome,thekidsdontgooutatnightsomuchnow,theycomestraightinfromschoolmostofthem,theyruninandstraight,wellthetelevisionsonwhentheycomein,Iwatchitmyselfduringtheafternoon.Er,wellitscompanyreallyand,er,well,thenthekidscomehome,theyeattheirtea,Ihavenotroublewiththemeatingtheirteabecausetheyjust...well,theydontevenlookatwhattheyeat,theyeat,theyjustsitdownand,erm,theyeatitandtheyliketheprogrammesand,anditkeepsthemquietwhileImcookingtheteafortheirdadwhenhecomesin,and,erandthenewsisonorperhapsthefootballmatchorsomething,er,theyhavetobequietthen,theyrenotveryinterestedinthatthemselves,theylikethecartoonsandthingsbut,em,yeah,well,Ithinktelevisionsgreat,er,wegetonmuchbetterinthehousenow,um,well,wevegotthingstotalkabout,erm,youknow,ifImissaprogramme,erifImcookingorsomethinginthekitchen,Imissabitofwhatsgoingon,ImeanIhavethedooropensoIcanhear,butifImissabitthentheywilltellme,andthenperhapslaterorperhapsthenextdaywellhaveachatabutit,youknow.Itgivesussomethingtotalkaboutreally.Um,Idontthinkithurtsthekids,Idontthinkitsaproblem,youknow,like,er,itstopsthem,makestheireyesgofunnyorsomething,Idontthinkitsaproblemlikethat.Idontthinkitsaproblematall.Theyve...theyvelearnedalotfromtelevision,Ithink,theyrealwayspipingupwithquestionsandlearningalotfromthetelevision.3.TelevisionIsDoingIrreparableHarm
Yes,butwhatdidweusetodobeforetherewastelevision?Howoftenwehearstatementslikethis!Televisionhasntbeenwithusallthatlong,butwearealreadybeginningtoforgetwhattheworldwaslikewithoutit.Beforeweadmittedtheone-eyedmonsterintoourhomes,weneverfounditdifficulttooccupyoursparetime.Weusedtoenjoycivilizedpleasures.Forinstance,weusedtohavehobbies,weusedtoentertainourfriendsandbeentertainedbythem,weusedtogooutsideforouramusementstotheatres,cinemas,restaurantsandsportingevents.Weevenusedtoreadbooksandlistentomusicandbroadcasttalksoccasionally.Allthatbelongstothepast.Nowallourfreetimeisregulatedbythegogglebox.Werushhomeorgulpdownourmealstobeintimeforthisorthatprogramme.Wehaveevengiveupsittingattableandhavingaleisurelyeveningmeal,exchangingthenewsoftheday.Asandwichandaglassofbeerwilldo-anything,providingitdoesntinterferewiththeprogramme.Themonsterdemandsandobtainsabsolutesilenceandattention.Ifanymemberofthefamilydarestoopenhismouthduringaprogramme,heisquicklysilenced.
Wholegenerationsaregrowingupaddictedtothetelly.Foodisleftuneaten,homeworkundoneandsleepislost.Thetellyisauniversalpacifier.Itisnowstandardpracticeformothertokeepthechildrenquietbyputtingthemintheliving-roomandturningontheset.Itdoesntmatterthatthechildrenwillwatchrubbishycommercialsorspectaclesofsadismandviolence-solongastheyarequiet.
Thereisalimittotheamountofcreativetalentavailableintheworld.Everyday,televisionconsumesvastquantitiesofcreativework.Thatiswhymostoftheprogrammesaresobad:itisimpossibletokeeppacewiththedemandandmaintainhighstandardsaswell.Whenmillionswatchthesameprogrammes,thewholeworldbecomesavillage,andsocietyisreducedtotheconditionswhichobtaininpre-literatecommunities.Webecomeutterlydependentonthetwomostprimitivemediaofcommunication:picturesandthespokenword.
Televisionencouragepassiveenjoyment.Webecomecontentwithsecond-handexperiences.Itissoeasytositinourarmchairswatchingothersworking.Littlebylittle,televisioncutsusofffromtherealworld.Wegetsolazy,wechoosetospendafinedayinsemi-darkness,gluedtooursets,ratherthangooutintotheworlditself.Televisionmaybeasplendidmediumorcommunication,butitpreventsusfromcommunicatingwitheachother.Weonlybecomeawarehowtotallyirrelevanttelevisionistoreallivingwhenwespendaholidaybytheseaorinthemountains,farawayfromcivilization.Inquiet,naturalsurroundings,wequicklydiscoverhowlittlewemissthehypnotictyrannyofKingTelly.
4.TelevisionIsGoodforPeople
TVmaybeavitalfactorinholdingafamilytogetherwherethereare,forexample,economicproblemsandhusbandandwifeseematbreakingpoint.Thedangerousinfluenceissurelynomorethanwhatallofusareexposedtoeveryday...inadvertising,inthepress.
PrimaryandsecondaryeducationhaveimprovedoutofallrecognitionsincethearrivalofTVinthehomeandthisisnotonlybecauseofprogrammesdesignedforschools.ThroughTVachildcanextendhisknowledgeanditprovidesvitalfoodforhisimagination.
5.TelevisionIstoBlame
TVpassesontochildrenthecorruptingvaluesofacorruptsociety.ItsonlyamatteroftimebeforewecangivestatisticalevidenceofhowmanycriminalssocietyhasgivenbirthtoinfrontoftheTVonSaturdaynight.
YoucanblameTVforthefactthatchildrentakelongertolearntoreadthesedaysandbarelyseethepointanymoreofacquiringtheskill.InmyopinionwatchingTVshouldbestrictlyconfinedtotreats