The Magic of Television

Discussion:

1. What was the man talking about in the video clip?

2. Do you agree with the man's opinion that television does not represent a true image of
Americans?

3. What is happening in the photograph?

4. Discuss some of the pros and cons of televison?

5. In your own opinion is television a good thing?

Reading:

Has TV Become Too Powerful?

When goverments, businesses and the local community need to dissemenate information about their
products or services, they use mass media services to communicate their messages to the public.

The most effective tool for entertaining and communicating information is television. Local or free
t.v, allow viewers to tune in to five or six t.v channels. Paid or cable t.v on the other hand operate 24
hours. The advantage of cable t.v is that they are ad free, and they usually have about 60 or more
channels to choose from.

Nowadays, more and more people are concerned that television is being used to indoctrinate us and
control our lifestyle. Are news reports completely objective, and unbiased? Are families raising
their children by copying the lifestyles of their favorite actors from soap operas and reality t.v
shows? Do quiz shows that payout big cash prizes make us more greedy? These are some of the
questions that people in our society need to look into whenever we go to switch on the "box".

Vocabulary:
Disseminate - Cause to become widely known
Mass media - any form of communication such as t.v, radio, newspaper etc. that allows information
to be viewed by large numbers of people.
Viewers - the audience
Channels - television stations
Cable t.v - television shows that are transmitted through cable.
Indoctrinate - to teach someone to follow an idea without getting them to think or question that
idea.
Objective - to stick to the facts, to report what actually happened.
Unbiased - indifferent, without any favorites.
Soap operas - a series of t.v programs that deals with family life and relationships.
Reality t.v - a type of television show that captures everything as it happens.
Quiz shows - a type of t.v show with questions and prizes.
switch - to change to a different channel, setting or program.

Idiom:

At the Eleventh Hour

At the eleventh hour is a saying that means something will happen at the last minute before it would
be too late.

A compromise was settled at the eleventh hour between the union and management, averting a
strike that was able to take place.