In a world of ever-increasing choice, do today’s children still

watch TV in the same way we did? Today’s young viewers are

the most media-savvy generation ever. They are more
demanding, better informed about how broadcasting works
and streets ahead in understanding the new technologies.
With so many cable and satellite channels dedicated to their
day-long entertainment, they have an incredible choice of
programmes. This has made them more critical than previous A. TRUE or FALSE? Quote from
generations. the text to support your answer. 30
“They are far less tolerant of poor programmes,” says Nigel
1) Nowadays children know a lot more
Pickard, the BBC’s controller of children’s programmes. about the media than previous
“They vote with their fingers very quickly if something is not generations.
engaging them. What they lack is brand loyalty. They follow 2) Children are loyal to one channel
individual programmes with no sense of what channel they where they watch their favourite shows.
3) TV can be blamed for making children
are on. Conducting a survey among my own children and
socialise less with others.
their friends, I found they would happily get rid of the BBC as 4) Children like watching pretty much the
long as they could download Blue Peter.” same TV programmes.
According to the Independent Television Commission’s latest 5) TV still represents children’s favourite
report, 52 percent of children have a television set in their pastime.
bedrooms. “That’s kind of scary, even for someone like me,
whose job is getting them to watch television,” says Pickard. B. Complete the sentences with
“It seems really difficult to convince them to put down their ideas from the text. 15
remote controls and pick up books instead,” he concludes. A
psychologist, Dr. Claire Halsey claims that if a child has a TV 1) There are so many TV channels that
young people can...
in his room parents may find that he becomes less involved 2) It’s harder for parents to supervise
with family life and spends more time on his own. Parents what their children are watching
will have less influence and control over what he watches especially when they...
and he may choose programmes adults deem unsuitable.
There is, however, a surprising difference between what
C. Answer these questions on the
children actually watch and what they think television should text in complete sentences. 30
be like, as Moira Messenger-Davies at Cardiff University has
found. When asked to name their favourite programme, 1) Why are young people today “far less
1,300 children in England and Wales, aged between 6 and 12, tolerant of poor programmes”?
2) According to a survey, what do young
gave dozens of different answers. While this might suggest a
people expect from TV?
breakdown of consensus viewing, she does not draw this 3) Why and how is TV adapting to appeal
conclusion. “The interesting thing is that they all have to a younger audience?
conventional expectations of what TV should be like. They all
want diversity, news and balance.” This generation, however, D. Explain these sentences in
is so lively that TV is not even their main entertainment your own words. 20
medium – it’s too passive. Boys prefer computer games, girls
the mobile phone. Either way, they are perfectly placed to 1) They vote with their fingers very
quickly if something is not engaging
deal with the increasingly interactive changes in TV that may them. (#2)
well baffle their elders over the next few years. 2) ...to put down their remote controls
Source: news.bbc.co.uk (freely adapted)
and pick up books... (#3)
E. IF-CLAUSES
35
1. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense.
a) I (know) what they were talking about if I had watched the film.
b) If he (not repair) the TV set soon, I won’t be able to watch Die Hard IV.
c) If Susan wasn’t so addicted to the Internet, she (go) out more with her friends.
d) Brian (be) very disappointed if he misses tonight’s talk show.
e) I’d watch this show with you if I (not have) to finish my homework.

2. Rephrase the sentences starting with But if...

a) I forgot to set the DVD recorder and so I didn’t record the Oscar awards.
b) Reality shows are cheap to make and very popular. That’s why TV produces them.
F. THE FUTURE Complete using either the Present Simple or Continuous, will or be going to. 20
1) “I think I’ve left the remote in the kitchen.” – “No problem, I (get) it for you.”
2) “Why are you selling your TV?” – “Well, I (buy) a new plasma TV.
3) I hope we (be) home on time to watch the movie.
4) What time (the film on BBC entertainment /start)?
5) “What (you/do) this evening?” - “I’m staying at home.”

G. Bearing in mind the cartoon and quotation below write an essay (150 to 180 words) on the
effects of TV. Express your personal opinion on the subject. 50

“Television is a medium of entertainment which permits millions of people to listen to the

same joke at the same time, and yet remain lonesome.
T.S. Eliot (1888 – 1965)
A playwright, literary critic, and an important English-language poet

KEY

A.
1. T - “Today’s young viewers are the most media-savvy generation ever. (They are more
demanding, better informed about how broadcasting works”...)
2. F – “They follow individual programmes with no sense of what channel they are on.”
3. T - ...”if a child has a TV in his room parents may find that he becomes less involved
with family life and spends more time on his own.”
4. F – “When asked to name their (...) gave dozens of different answers.”
5. F – “This generation, (...) that TV is not even their main entertainment medium”...
(“Boys prefer... mobile phone.”)
B.
1. ...choose from a variety of programmes / select the programmes they want to watch.
2. ...have a TV set in their rooms.
C.
1. Since there are a so many channels that offer an incredible choice of programmes,
young people have become much more demanding and critical towards the programmes
they want to watch. Also they are much better informed about how TV works.
2. According to a survey, children expect to get diversity, news and balance from TV.
3. Since children nowadays are more active and dynamic and understand the new
technologies better than previous generations, TV has become too passive for them. So
TV tries to appeal to a younger audience by introducing some interactive changes.
D.
1. This means that they change channels as soon as something they’re watching doesn’t
interest them anymore.
2. This means to stop watching TV and start reading books.
E.
1.
a). would have known b) doesn’t repair c) would go d) will be e) didn’t have
2.
a) But if I hadn’t forgotten to set the DVD recorder, I would have recorded the Oscar
awards.
b) But if reality shows weren’t so cheap to make and so popular, TV wouldn’t produce
them.
F.
1) “I think I’ve left the remote in the kitchen.” – “No problem, I will get it for you.”
2) “Why are you selling your TV?” – “Well, I am going to buy a new plasma TV.
3) I hope we will be home on time to watch the movie.
4) What time does the film on BBC entertainment start?
5) “What are you doing/are you going to do this evening?” - “I’m staying at home.”