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1、Lesson 1 Does Television Play a Positive orNegative Role in the Modern Society?Text Do the Advantages of Television Outweigh the Disadvantages?Television is now playing a very important part in our life. But television, like other things, has both advantages and disadvantages. Do the former outweigh
2、 the latter?In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a comparatively cheap one. For a family of four, for example, it is more convenient as well as cheaper to sit comfortably at home, with almost unlimited entertainment available, than to go out in se
3、arch of amusement elsewhere. They do not have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema, or the opera, only to discover, perhaps, that the show is disappointing. All they have to do is press a button, and they can see plays, films, operas, and shows of every kind, not to mention politica
4、l discussions and the latest exciting. football match. Some people, however, maintain that this is precisely where the danger lies. The television viewer takes no initiative. He makes no choice and exercises no judgment. He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort
5、 on his part.Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events, allows one to follow the latest developments in science and politics, and offers an endless series of programmes which are hoth instructive and entertaining. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are b
6、rought right into ones stitting-room. It could be argued that the radio performs this service just as well; but on television everything is much more living, much more real. Yet here again there is a danger. We get so used to looking at it, so dependent on its flickering pictures, that it begins to
7、dominate our lives.There are many other arguments for and against television. The poor quality of its programmes i.s often criticized. But it is undoubtedly a great comfort to many lonely elderly people. And does it corrupt or instruct our children? I think we must realize that television in itself
8、is neither good nor bad. It is the uses to which it is put that determine its value to society. II . ReadRead the following passages. Underline the important viewpoir while reading. 1. Why Watch Television? Matthew: Television is undoubtedly a great invention, but one of the mainyouve criticisms of
9、it is that people just arent selectiveenough. I.esley,got a television; how do you pick out the sorts ofprogrammes you want to watch?Lesley: I t.ry and look at the prograxnmes that are on to decide whichparticular ones interest me, rather than you turning it on a sevenoclock and you leaving it on un
10、til half-past eleven when theprogrammes finish.Matthew: Do you think of television though as a great time-waster?Lesley: Un .I think it can be a time-waster and it depends on how particularpeople are about what they want to see.Mm, it can just be a sort oftotal amusement for someone and totallve con
11、suming without reallyconsidering what it is theyre watching.Matthew: Aha, but how do you prevent it coming into your life and taking overyour evenings and at the same time perhaps get . . . get out of thetelevision some of the sort of best things.best programmes that.that undoubtedly are on televisi
12、on?Lesley: Well,I suppose one of the problems is .will depend on what a personslife style is, and that if he has other outside interestswhich are equally important to him as television, he will then, youknow, mm . . . be more careful about which programmeshe wants to watch because he has time which
13、he wants to use forother things.Matthew: Do you think though that. that in . . . in a sense television haskilled peoples own er.sort of , creativity or their abilityto entertain themselves because if theyre bored all they do is justturn on the television?Lesley: Yes, I think that is a danger, and I
14、think that. .in fact is what ishappening to a lot of people who use it as their . their main.umfield of amusement and . because they dont have other outsideinterests and even when people come round theyll leave the televisionon and not be, you know, particularly interested in talking to them,you Kno
15、w the television will be the main thing in the room.Matthew: Peter, have you got a television?Peter: I have, in fact Ive got two televisions.Matthew: Do you watch them a lot?Peter: Er . no I.I watch very seldom er . In fact, I find that I watchtelevision most when Im most busy, when Im working harde
16、st and Ineed some sort of passive way of relaxing, something which requiresnothing of me, then I watch television a lot. When Ive got more energyleft.um .in my own private time, in my free time, then I find I domoredifferent things. I do things like um reading, or going out, orworking on anything . . . my hobbies.
