YOU CAN WATCH MANY TYPES OF PROGRAMMES ON TELEVISION.

MATCH THEM WITH THE

CORRESPONDING PICTURES.

cartoons series soap opera

documentary
commercials news quiz show action
film
sports programme chat show stand-up comedy reality show
police drama horror film western weather

1 4

2 5

6 9
7 8 1
0

1
1

1 1
1 3 5
2 1
4

1
8 2
0

1
9

1 1
6 7

1
I. VOCABULARY

2
 II. SPEAKING

1. A funny TV series about the lives of fictional 2. A TV programme that documents real life events is
characters is known as _____ known as __________
a) A soap a) A documentary
b) Reality show b) A sitcom
c) A sitcom c) A drama
3. A programme that helps people change their 4. Which of these programmes is not a reality TV
lifestyle or image is known as_______ show ?
a) A sitcom a) Game of Thrones
b) A makeover show b) Celebrity Big Brother
c) A soap c) American Idol
5. Which of these programmes is not a cookery 6. A show that reports world events as they unfold
show? is known as ______,
a) Jaime´s Ministry Food a) Reality show
b) Ready, Steady cook b) News

3
 c) You are what you eat c) documentary

7. Which of these programmes is not a cartoon 8. True or false. An amusing TV series about
show? fictional characters is called a romcom.
a) American Idol a) True
b) The Simpsons b) false
c) American Dad
9. Which of these programmes is not a TV drama? 10. Which of these programmes is a soap opera?
a) Homeland a) Meercat Manor
b) QVC b) House Doctor
c) The Walking Dead c) Coronation Street

Some people responded on an online forum to the question: “How much TV do you
watch?” The answers are handed out to you and your classmates. Ask them to find
at least one of each sort of person listed below.
1. Find someone who used to watch TV, but does no more.
…………………………………………………………………………
2. Find someone who prefers the computer and/or the net to watching TV.
………………………………………….
3. Find someone who doesn’t watch anything besides their favorite TV shows.
……………………………………
4. Find someone who watches the news.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Find someone who doesn’t watch TV on a regular basis.
…………………………………………………………………........
6. Find someone who doesn’t watch TV during weekdays. Also find out why. …………………….
…………………..
7. Find someone who watches TV in the morning.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. Find someone who sits down in front of the TV every second day.
……………………………………………………..
9. Find someone who watches only one hour of TV a day.
…………………………………………………………………………..
10.Find someone who is a TV addict.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
11.Find someone who watches TV less often in the spring.
…………………………………………………………………………
12.Find someone whose TV is sometimes on, but only to listen to it.
…………………………………………………..…..

III. VOCABULARY
They are some popular types of television, read and find the correct answer for each definition.

4
 IV. READING

1- Complete the text below, using the words/expressions in the box. Do not use the same
word/expression more than once. Four of them do not apply. Write only the numbers and the words.

Collect It!
Most kids plug into the world of television long before they
enter school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF):
two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of
2 hours a day; kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2
hours of ...1... a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs; kids
and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of
a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer
(outside of schoolwork) and playing ...2....
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends that
kids under 2 years old not to watch any TV and that those
older than 2 to watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of
...3....
The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain
development. TV and other ...4... can get in the way of
exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others,
which encourages learning and healthy physical and social
development. As kids get older, too much ...5... can interfere
with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing
homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family.
Of course, TV in moderation can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public
television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current
events on the ...6.... No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and ...7.... But despite its
advantages, too much television can be detrimental: Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours
per day ...8... are more likely to be overweight; Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show
aggressive behaviour but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them;
...9... often depict risky behaviours, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial
stereotypes.
Children's advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week
of educational programming, others assert that zero TV is the best solution. And some say it's better for
parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it's for occasional ...10..., not for constant escapism.
That's why it's so important for you ...11... the content of TV programming and set ...12... to ensure that
your kids don't spend too much time parked in front of the TV.
http://www.education.com, October 2011

V. GRAMMAR

5
 VI. PRACTICE

Choose the correct adjective to complete the sentences.

1. I enjoy watching soaps because I think they are really ______________   (interested/interesting).

2. I sometimes get a bit ______________ (bored/boring) when I watch the news.

3. I feel ____________ (frightened/frightening) when I watch horror films.

4. I missed Big Brother last night. I’m really _________________ (annoyed/annoying) because I was quite 

______________ (interested/interesting) in what was going to happen next.

5. I was really ______ (shocked/shocking) by the end of the film. It was very _______ (surprised/surprising).

6. The football match I watched last night was very ____________ (exciting/excited).

VII. LISTENING

Listen to Ann talking about the programmes she watches and answer the questions.

1. How many hours of TV does Anne watch?

2. What kind of programmes does she find boring?

3. What sort of programmes does she like?

4. What kind of programmes are a lot of people in the UK interested in?

6
 You are going to listen to the audio again. Before listening, try to fill the gaps below.

Hi. Do you watch much TV? I do. I watch quite a lot of TV, actually, 3 or 4 hours every evening. What
kind of programmes do you like? I'm quite ___________ in wildlife programmes but I find
programmes about antiques and family history quite _________ , although I know a lot of people are
__________ in them.
I like __________ crime thrillers with lots of action and a strong story line, but I don't like horror films
because I don't want to be ____________ just before I go to bed, because I'll just have bad dreams
all night.
What about you? What's your favourite TV programme?

VIII. VOCABULARY

Types of program
Using the definitions to help you, find the name of each programme in the grid. The words may go horizontally,
vertically or diagonally.

1. Film about animals, birds, etc. 
2. Story about people’s everyday lives. 
3. It tells you about life in our planet, 
history, geography, etc. 
4. It gives you the latest information about 
current events. 
5. It has characters and a story that make 
you laugh. 
6. It’s got drawings of animals and people 
that move and talk. 
7. People talk about very personal and 
private things in their lives. 
8. Football cup final. 
9. A number of programmes about the same 
situation or the same characters in 
different situations. 

7
 IX. SPEAKING.
Talking about likes and dislikes / giving reasons

*What do you
think of……?

*Do you
like……?

*Do you ever

watch……?

X. VOCABULARY

Complete the description below with the correct form of these words.

amaze annoy confuse disgust embarrass shock

I had a terrible time at the movies. First, my ticket cost $10. I was really ______________ by the price. By mistake,
I gave the cashier a $5 bill instead of a ten, I was a little ______________. Then there was trash all over the
theater. The mess was ______________. The people behind me talked during the movie, which was ______________.
The story was hard to follow. I always find thrillers too ______________. I liked the special effects, though. They
were really ______________.

8
 XI. GRAMMAR

XII. READING

One of my favourite tv program is Garfield,it is an American cartoon

television series based on the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. The show was
produced by Film Roman.It is programmed everyday at half past seven on
channel six.The series follows the life of a fat, lazy Orange cat who wants
nothing more out of life than to eat and sleep.He loves to lie ,eating lazagna
and watching tv .My mother also loves this program and normally watches it
with me,so we usually have something good to eat like popcorn,cheese ,biscuits
or pizza while we watch the show together.

 Answer the questions
 Match each TV programme with its definition
1. What type of tv programme is garfield ? ......................                                  
*Weather forecast     a prediction future weather
2. In which channel is it broadcast ?.................................. *Science fiction films  deals with the life of cowboy
 Say true or false *Comedy films  deals with things that don’t
exist.                        
1_Garfield is a   historical film._______
*Western film   in which the main emphasis is
fun
9
  2­The series follows the life of a funny cat.________
 3_The series is broadcasted only on Monday.__________

SpongeBob is an American animated television

series which shows the adventures of sponge Bob with his
various friends .The character is an energetic and
optimistic sea sponge . He looks like a kitchen sponge who
lives in a pineapple under the sea with his pet snail, Gary,
who meows like a cat. Gary doesn’t speak but understands
well sponge bob. His best friend, Patrick Star, is a stupid
friendly pink sea star who lives under a rock. Despite his
"Mental Setbacks" Patrick considers himself as intelligent
the series is programmed everyday at one o’clock on
spacestoon.
All my family loves this program and normally watches it
with me,so we usually have something good to eat like
chocolate,peanuts,tea and cakes.

Read about the support then try to name 3 mentioned  characters.
1. ………………………….    2­ …………………………………   3­ ………………………………
Reread the support again then try to answer the questions :                                         
  1­What does Sponge Bob look like ?.....................................................                    
2­Who is his best friend?.............................................               
3­Is the series broadcasted on spacetoon? ..........................................

………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………… Write an
……………………………………………………………………… e-mail
……………………………………………………………………… speaking
……………………………………………………………………… about your
likes and
……………………………………………………………………… dislikes
……………………………………………………………………… about tv
……………………………………………………………………… program.
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………

10
 XIII. GRAMMAR

Complete the sentences with so, too, either or neither.

1. I really enjoyed that meal. ______________ did I.

2. I haven’t done the homework. I haven’t ________________.

3. We live in the centre of town. We do _____________

4. I don’t like football. ___________ do I.
5. I haven’t been to America. ____________ have I.
6. My father works in an office. __________ does mine.
7. I haven’t read a newspaper today. __________ have I.
8. I play a lot of different sports. I do _________.
9. Ann will be at the party and _________ will Janet.
10.Kathy didn’t go to the concert and ______________ did I.

XIV. LISTENING

TV guide
1. When is the reality showing on TV? What channel is
showing the program?
A. at 7:00 on channel 5
B. at 7:30 on channel 7
C. at 8:00 on channel 11
2. Why does the man not want to watch the reality show?
A. He watched the same program last week.
B. He isn't interested in show's theme.
C. He wants to go swimming instead.
3. How does the man feel about watching Star Wars on TV?
A. He wouldn't mind seeing it again.
B. He'd like to watch it if he had more time.
C. He'd prefer to watch something else.
4. Which statement best describes the man's feelings about watching the home improvement show?
A. He doesn't want to watch because his wife will expect him to fix things around the house.
B. He thinks that he will be able to get a better job by learning from the show.
C. He thinks it is easier to get someone else to repair their problems around the house.
5. What does the couple decide to watch?
A. a TV drama
B. a sports event
C. a talk show
11
 XV. GRAMMAR

Put in the replies using so or neither and the words in brackets.

1. I’ve got a cold. (I) _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. I haven’t got much money. (I) _ _ _ __  __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. We’re going to the concert. (We) _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _
4. My pen doesn’t work. (mine) __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
5. My meal was excellent. (mine) __ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ _  _
6. Ruth passed the exam. (John) _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __  _ __ _ _  _
7. I can’t understand this game. (I) _ _ _  _ __ _ _ _  _ _ _ __ __  _
8. My car is very old. (mine) _ __  __ _ _ _ _ _ __  __ _ _ _  _

XVI. LISTENING & VOCABULARY

What kind of TV shows do you hear? Write the number next to the type of show.

Talk show
Cartoon
Soup opera

Game show

Reality show
Documentary
TheSitcom
news

12
 XVII. READING

What’s ON?
First read the following questions and then use the TV Schedule to find the answers.
1. Jack has a video ­ can he watch both documentaries without having to make a video?
2. Is there a show about making good investments?
3. You are thinking about traveling to the USA for a vacation. Which show should you watch?
4. Your friend doesn't have a TV, but would like to watch a film starring Tom Cruise. Which film should you 
record on your video?
5. Peter is interested in wild animals which show should he watch?
6. Which sport can you watch that takes place outside?
7. Which sport can you watch that takes place inside?
8. You like modern art. Which documentary should you watch?
9. How often can you watch the news?
10. Is there a horror film on this evening?

TV Schedule

13
 CBC
6.00 p.m.: National News -
join Jack Parsons for your daily
news roundup.
6.30: The Tiddles- Peter joins
Mary for a wild adventure in
the park.
7.00: Golf Review- Watch
highlights from today's final
round of the Grand Master's.
8.30: Shock from the Past-
This entertaining film by
Arthur Schmidt takes a poke
at the wild side of gambling.
10.30: Nightly News- A
review of the day's most
important events.
11.00: MOMA: Art for
Everyone- A fascinating
documentary that helps you
enjoy the difference between
pointilism and video
installations.
12:00: Hard Day's Night-
Reflections after a long, hard
day.
 Do you watch TV in English?
 How much time do you spend watching TV?
 What types of programs do you watch? Why?
Listen to the conversation between Paul and Brenda and complete it with the missing words .
Paul: So, what do you want to watch on TV tonight?
FNB
6.00 p.m.: In-Depth News - In-
depth coverage of the most
important national and
international news stories.
7.00: Nature Revealed-
Interesting documentary taking a
look at the microscopic universe in
your average speck of dust.
7.30: Ping - Pong Masters- Live
coverage from Peking.
9.30: It's Your Money- That's
right and this favorite game show
could make or break you
depending on how you place your
bets.
10.30: Green Park- Stephen
King's latest monster madness.
0.30: Late Night News- Get the
news you need to get a hard start
on the upcoming day.
XVIII. SPEAKING
XIX.LISTENING
TV guide
Brenda: Well, what's on?
14
ABN
6.00 p.m.: Travel Abroad - This
week we
Talktravel
with to sunny
your California!
group
6.30: about television. Use
The Flintstones- Fred and
some of these questions
Barney are at it again.
below and add more.
7.00: Pretty Boy- Tom Cruise, the
prettiest boy of them all, in an
action packed thriller about Internet
espionage.
9.00: Tracking the Beast- The little
understood wildebeest filmed in its
natural surroundings with
commentary by Dick Signit.
10.00: Pump Those Weights- A
guide to successfully using weights
to develop your physique while
getting fit.
11.30: The Three Idiots- A fun
farce based on those three tenors
who don't know when to call it
quits.
1.00: National Anthem- Close the
day with this salute to our country.
 Brenda: Well, hmm. There is a _________________ on at 7:00 on channel 5.

Paul: Nah, you know I don't like reality shows. I mean, they usually ___________________________things like,
you know, eating live fish or swimming in a pool full of snakes. I don't get into that.

Brenda: Okay. Well, how about watching a ____________________ on the life of panda bears in the wild?

Paul: Personally, I'd rather watch something with a little bit more action and suspense.

Brenda: Well, then. Ah, here's something. Do you want to watch a rerun of Star Wars?

Paul: Nah, I've seen it a zillion times. I'd like to see something different.

Brenda: Okay, let's see here. Oh, how about this? On channel 2 at 9:00, there's a___________________ show
about fixing anything around the house. We do have a few things that you could repair in the bathroom . . .

Paul: Fixing things? Uh, boy, I'm beat. I think I'm going to hit the sack.

Brenda: You're going to bed?

Paul: Yeah. I have to get up early tomorrow . . .

Brenda: . . . and then you're going to fix the bathroom?

Paul: Good night.

Brenda: Okay. Too bad, though. There's a ____________________ on right now, but . . . but I guess you can
catch the score in tomorrow's newspaper.

Paul: Oh, okay. I'll stay up and keep you company while I . . . I mean, you . . . I mean, WE watch the game.

Brenda: I thought you'd change your mind. I'll get the ___________________ .

VOCABULARY

15
 XX. RUNNING DICTATION

Television

Exercise 1

Decide for which of the three people (Mary, Stuart or Patricia) the following statements are true.

1. They never watch TV. 

2. They like a lot of TV programmes. 

3. They like reality shows.

4. They watch the news on TV.

Exercise 2

Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F), or if the text doesn’t say (D).

1. Mary watches TV at the weekend. 

2. Patricia thinks there are a lot of bad programmes on TV. 

3. Stuart says there are always celebrities in Big Brother. 

4. Stuart doesn’t have a job.

5. Mary never watches TV with her husband.

6. Patricia hasn’t spent much time watching reality shows. 

Exercise 3

Answer the questions below.

1. What does Mary’s husband like watching on TV?

2. What does Stuart love about Big Brother? 

3. What reasons does Patricia give for not watching much TV?

4. What does Mary like about the soap opera she’s watching at the moment? 

16
5. What reasons does Patricia give for not liking the kind of reality show she talk   about?

XXI. VOCABULARY

XXII. WRITING

Netflix wants to improve the content it offers to its client, so it has decided to know about its clients'
preference. Netflix is offering a free month to clients who post their opinions on its web site. You have a
Netflix subscription and want to take advantage of the offer. Post your preferences by writing about the
series you like and the series you dislike and say why. (120 - 150 words).

17
FlickBox XXIII. READING

Strengths and Weaknesses – TV Show Analysis

18
 You are a project manager for the creative department at the online TV channel FlickBox. Your company
has just taken over a terrestrial TV station in the UK. You have been told to evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of the following 6 TV shows from that station that have become rather problematic.  For quick
reference for your computer files, you need to find 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses for each of the programs.
Write the 4 adjectives in the boxes describing the series.

Strengths Weaknesses
Admired Amusing Clever Droll Banal Cheesy Controlling Disrespectful
Educational Egalitarian Fast-moving Funny Distasteful Hammy Hypocritical Immoral
Gripping Light-hearted Moral Pithy Jaded Naïve Misunderstood Obvious
Principled Provocative Quirky Sardonic Old hat Out-of-touch Overprotective
Sharp Socially aware Stimulating Shrewd Patronising Politically correct Passé
Successful Tart Thought-provoking Prejudiced Routine Snobby Stereotypical
Tongue-in-cheek Up-to-date Vibrant Tacky Unfair Unfashionable Unscrupulous

What’s news? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Westsiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A satirical panel show comedy program that A British soap opera set in a suburb of Birmingham
has been on the TV for more than 20 years. that has commanded respectable viewing figures
Highly satirical and respected by many since the onset 15 years ago. This soap has also
politicians and viewers alike, it is famous for tackled many social issues faced by
its criticism of leading political people in the 21st century United Kingdom. However, despite its
figures when they appear as guests on the show. However, the viewing figures, the show has come under fire from many quarters for
public attitude to politics and satire has changed and viewing being too political. It has frequently joined the fray on issues from gay
figures have dropped. People seem to prefer satires on the marriage to political corruption by adding storylines based on these
media and big business nowadays. What is more, the main problems. The show’s writers have occasionally been called to task by
presenter of the program was implicated in a financial scandal leading politicians over their biased, political meddling.
which forced him to resign from the show. His place has been Much Ado About Everything . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
taken by different weekly “guest”. presenters. This often bizarre comedy about an aging couple
Sleaford Towers ............................
and their battle with everyday life in a North
This program has been on TV for 30 years and is
London suburb has won loads of awards and is
one of the first children’s soap operas. It has
constantly lauded as the
introduced actors to the public that have gone on
funniest sitcom on British TV. The catchphrase of Mary Mildew of
to become bigstars in Hollywood. It has tackled
“What is it now?” is perhaps the most famous catchphrase of all
social problems such as drug addiction, bullying
time in the UK. Each episode is just as funny as the one before and
and poverty and has been lauded by viewers, politicians and the
the series still attracts enormous audiences. However, the actors are
media, alike. However, young people’s tastes have changed.
unhappy and want to leave. Both of them say that 10 years is
Teenagers are much happier watching adult-themed programs on TV
enough and that they are not getting any younger. They would like
and have no problem with strong language or violence, unlike the
to do something else before it is too late for them both.
creators of the show that have to follow strict guidelines to avoid
“unsuitable” content while the viewing figures continue to fall.
The Uniform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A police series that isn’t all it seems to be.
Through the Doom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Although the stories are usually about solving
This modern day Western about life in a North
a serious crime and the show follows the
American town 50 years after a global nuclear
standard police series format, the program is
war used to be very popular and had some of the
in fact a comedy that uses
highest viewing figures in TV historY.
cliché and references to other well-known TV shows and films to
Unfortunately, those viewing figures are nothing more than a
get the laughs. However, just lately the viewing figures have
distant memory. The script has become predictable and many
been declining. This may be due to an episode that appeared to
people refer to the series as a byword for corny. It still has a loyal
make fun of the media coverage of a recent murder case.
fan base but that base is shrinking. The main stars of the show
Although the message was a kind of criticism of the media,
earn enormous salaries and are difficult to work with which has
many viewers didn’t see it that way and there were complaints
actually made production costs higher than they need to be.
that it was offensive.

19