From the beginning, there has been an effort to insulate the Voice of America from political pressures. Its news content and balance is carefully evaluated. It was felt that this was the only way that it could maintain credibility around the world. However, in 2004, after a number of rival government-sponsored international broadcast services were started that could bypass this scrutiny, VOA staff members threatened to strike. They felt that if pro-government bias was detected in government -sponsored international broadcast services that the credibility of all U.S. international broadcasting would suffer.

The BBC and the VOA have broken major stories that were embarrassing to Communist leaderships before their government agencies could prepare a version for their own broadcasts that was more acceptable to the leadership.

ТЕМА 3. Телевидение.

I. WARM-UP

«This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is nothing but wires and lights in a box». — Edward R. Morrow.

1. Read the following facts and give your comments on them:

Critics blame television for everything from obesity to the murder rate. While TV is easy to criticize, and much of the criticism is justified, we also need to keep in mind that television benefits society in many important ways. In this module we'll start our look at the effects - both good and bad - of this pervasive medium.

Just how pervasive?

Today, the average American watches close to four hours of TV each day. Based on this, by age 65, the average U.S. citizen will have spent nearly 9, nonstop, 24 hour-a-day years glued to the tube.

The following provides even more insight into the power of television--and suggests some sobering things to think about.

98. 5 percent of U.S. households have at least one television set.

90% of U.S. households have two or more TV sets.

87% of U.S. households have at least one VCR or DVD player.

The average U.S. home has the TV on more than 51 hours a week. (Obviously, the TV is on many more hours a week than each family member spends watching it).

TV and Children:

81 % of children ages 2-7 watch TV alone and unsupervised.

70% of day care centers use TV during a typical day.

54% of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, said they would prefer to watch television.

It has been shown that children who watch TV more than 10 hours a week suffer negative academic effects.

The average American child ages 2-11 watches television 20 hours a week.

TV and Violence:

By the age of 18, the average American child sees 200,000 violent acts on TV.

By the age of 18, children witnesses 16,000 murders on TV-most by handguns.

73% of the time the people in TV dramas who commit violent acts go unpunished.

47% percent of violent situations show no real harm to the victims, and 58 percent show no real pain.

80% of Hollywood executives think there is a link between TV violence and real-life violence. Only 4 percent of violent programs show nonviolent alternatives to solve programs.

TV and Obesity:

During Saturday morning cartoons there are typically more than 200 "junk-food" commercials.

At least 12 medical studies link excessive television watching to increasing rates of obesity.

In 1963, 4.5% of children ages 6 to 11 were seriously overweight; by 2001, this percentage had more than tripled.

II. WHY WE WATCH TV.

Read the following text and answer the questions:

1. What reasons for people’s watching TV are given in the text?

2. Do you agree that these are the reasons? Can you think of any other reasons?

3. Are the enumerated reasons positive rather than negative or vice versa? Explain your answer in not less than 4 sentences. In your answer use the following word combinations:

I think, I suppose, I believe, I’m sure that; to my mind, I may be wrong but….

4. How do you think TV influences people during some very important events happening in the world? Give some examples to support your ideas (the American war in Vietnam, the recent disaster in Indonesia, etc.)

5. How does TV help people learn? In what way does TV help you in learning?

We like to be entertained. We like excitement. We like to see handsome men and beautiful women. We like to vicariously (and safely) experience the experiences of other people. We like to be drawn into fantasy worlds that we will probably never be able to experience first hand. But, maybe most of all, we like to passively relax in front of "the tube," select our vicarious experiences, and let them flood over us without any real effort on our part.

What’s wrong with that? Nothing, in moderation. In fact, to stay mentally and physically healthy, it's important to spend some time relaxing each day. Plus, it's been proven that it's healthy to laugh and release our tensions. With TV we can enjoy the humorous escapades of our TV friends. And then there's the information we gain from TV. We first realized the impact of TV during the mid-1900s. U.S. citizens had been reading about the civil rights struggle for decades. But, it was only when TV came along in the 50s and 60s and viewers saw in TV news footage what was really happening, that the country amassed political pressure to take action to change things.

U.S. citizens had also read about war for decades. But when they started seeing newsreel footage of dead, maimed, and wounded American soldiers every night on TV as a result of the Vietnam war the majority of the country soon turned against the war. All these things had been reported in great detail in newspapers for decades; but reading about them was one thing, seeing them was another. Before television, children had no idea what most foreign countries or their peoples looked like, or how they lived. Most exotic animals and fish were only names in books. Letters, numbers, and words were things that you started learning when you got to first grade. However, because of television, most children are now familiar with these things even before they start school.

III. Media Violence and Its Influence on Children (Text for discussion).

Read the text and express your attitude towards its ideas.

Do you think media violence really has positive effects as well as negative?

If it has positive effects, does it mean it’s worth while watching violence on TV?

Contrary to the common belief that media violence only brings about negative effects, some effects of media violence can also be beneficial. By having exposure to media violence, children will not grow up naive and ignorant of the harsh realities in life of which they must be aware and cautious. Most kids, after watching a violent or frightening movie, are usually afraid and slightly more cautious about their actions or what they say to strangers. In this way, media violence can be helpful, it gives kids an understanding that the world is not perfect, it never will be and that violence can be a reality. For example, just hearing about the dangers of giving away personal information to the wrong person, might not be enough to make a child fully aware of the consequences. Instead, a dramatization of a worst case scenario can provide visual picture in their mind, and thus instill a sense of fear in the child. In response, this may then help them to act in ways to avoid such dangerous situations that could bring about a recurrence of such fear.

For most kids, the effect of media violence is fairly small, so long as the examples they see on TV and in movies are balanced with good examples, values and morals, set and followed through by parents and peers. But for children who grow up with poor adult examples or an unclear idea of what's right and wrong, media violence can have a greater effect. When children grow up with few examples and morals set by others around them, they sometimes adopt a celebrity as a role model. If they see someone they look up to promoting violence either on TV or in movies, they may think that violence is the right or "cool" thing to do. This mind set is very often the cause of violent acts by children and teens. Also, according to the beliefs of Tina Pieracinni, a professor at Columbia University, the more violence children are exposed to, the less sensitive they become to real life issues, since they see them portrayed on TV as insignificant.

Тема 4.

Surf the Net!

LEAD-IN

1. Match the words/phrases (1-6) to the definitions (a-f).

1. the Internet a. moving from one document or web site to another to find information.

2. the Web b. copying information from a web site to your own computer

3. a web site c. a network of computers all over the world, joined by phone lines, satellite or cable

4. surfing the net d. a system linking millions of documents stored on Internet computers around the world

5. e-mail e. the place on the Internet where a company/ organization/ etc stores its documents

6. downloading f. electronic messages sent to someone over the Internet

2. a). Listen to the text and mark the statements as T (true) or F (false).

1. The Internet was started in 1990.

2. The Internet links computers.

3. To visit a web site, you simply enter the telephone number.

4. The main use of the Internet is to find mistakes.

5. Using the Internet is getting more expensive.

b). Listen again and correct the false statements, as in the example.

Example: The Internet wasn’t started in 1990. It was started in 1968.

READING

3. Read the information leaflet about the Internet, and match the questions (a-f) to the

numbered spaces (1-6), as in the example. Then, explain the words in bold.

The Internet: FAQs

(Frequently Asked Questions)

The Internet is without doubt one of the most important inventions in history. It was started in 1968 by the US government, but at first it was used mainly by scientists. Since 1990, when the World Wide Web was created, it has changed the world, and its uses are growing every day.

1 (a) … What exactly is the Internet?

The Internet is a network (several networks, in fact) of millions of computers around the world, connected by phone lines, satellite or cable, so that all the computers on the net can exchange information with each other.

2……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Not quite. The Internet links computers, and the World Wide Web is a system which links the information stored inside these computers.

3……………………………………………………………………………………………………

A company or organization stores its information in electronic in electronic documents on one of the Internet computers, somewhere in the world. This computer space – the company’s web site – has an address, in the same way that every telephone has a number. To visit a web site, you simply enter the address. Your computer is connected to the web site, a document is downloaded, and a page appears on your computer screen.

4…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

When you visit a web site looking for information, some words on the page may be underlined, showing that there is more information about the subject in another document. If you click on one of these words, the Web automatically connects your computer to a new document or web site, even if this is stored thousands of kilometers away. You’re surfing the net!

5………………………………………………………………………………………………….....

The main use of the Internet is to find information – for your schoolbook or job, or just to find out more about your hobbies, sports or current events. You can also use the Internet to read newspapers and magazines, play games, plan your holiday or buy things from your favourite shop. E-mail makes it possible to send electronic messages anywhere in the world in seconds, and you can use the Internet to ‘chat’ with people and make new friends.

6…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

If you don’t already use the Internet, all you need to get started is a computer, a modem and a phone line. Using the Internet is getting cheaper and easier all the time.

Are you ready to surf the net? There’s a whole exciting Internet world out there waiting for you!

a What exactly is the Internet?

b What do I need in order to use the Internet?

c How do I “surf the Net”?

d That’s the same thing as the web?

e What can I use the Internet for?

f What is a web site, and how do I visit one?

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

4. Fill in the words from the list, then make sentences using the completed phrases.

web, surf, exchange, computer, change, get, electronic, enter, current, phone, important

11. to ………………… started

5. Fill in the correct prepositions, then make sentences using the completed phrases.

1. ……………. doubt; 2. exchange information ………… each other; 3. …………. the world; 4. appear …………… the screen; 5. …………. the page; 6. information ……….. sth; 7. to click …………. sth; 8. waiting …………. sb; 9. stored ……………. the computer; 10. find out ……………… sth.

SPEAKING

Read the text again, then use the notes below to talk about the Internet.

WRITING (a for-and-against essay)

6. Read the following instructions:

7. a) Should children use the Internet? Read the points (1-6) and mark them as P (pros) or C (cons). Then, listen and check your answers.

Children on the Net: yes or no?

1. The net is part of our world, so children need to use it. ……….

2. Many use it for playing games, not for learning. ……….

3. They learn about other countries and children. ……….

4. They can meet people from all over the world. ……….

5. Some web sites are not suitable for children. ……….

6. They can make friends in far away places. ……….

b). Read the topic sentences. Which:

states the topic and main viewpoints;

introduces points for;

introduces points against;

sums up the topic and gives an opinion?

1. On the other hand, some people are against letting children surf the net on their own.

2. The Internet is a great learning tool for children, but what about the problems and dangers if children are allowed to surf the net on their own?

3. Many people are in favour of children using the Internet.

4. The Internet offers many advantages, but children should be supervised when they are using it, and parents must teach them how to use it properly.

c). Use the points for and against, and the topic sentences above, to talk about the pros and cons of the Internet for children.

8. Use the information from Ex. 6 and the plan below to write a for-and-against essay (120-180 words) about whether children should use the Internet.

Plan

Introduction

1. state the topic

Main part

2. points for children using the Internet

3. points against children using the Internet

Conclusion

4. sum up the advantages and disadvantages

ЛИСТ РЕФЛЕКСИИ

(в начале курса)

1. Считаете ли вы тему курса актуальной?

да нет другое ______________________________

2. Считаете ли вы эффективным подведение итогов курса в форме проекта?

да нет другое _______________________________

3. Оцените ваши знания по темам курса по пятибалльной системе:

Разделы курса	Баллы
1. Пресса
2. Радио
3. Телевидение
4. Интернет
5. Профессия журналиста

4. Умеете ли вы:

- находить информацию в Интернете?

- отправлять и получать электронную корреспонденцию?

ЛИСТЫ РЕФЛЕКСИИ

(по окончании курса)

1. Считаете ли вы тему курса актуальной?

да нет другое ______________________________

2. Считаете ли вы эффективным подведение итогов курса в форме проекта?

да нет другое _______________________________

3. Оцените ваши знания по теме курса по пятибалльной системе:

Разделы курса	Баллы
Пресса
Радио
3. Телевидение
Интернет
Профессия журналиста

4. Отметьте состояние, которое вы испытывали в процессе работы над курсом:

интерес удовольствие раздражение

скука беспокойство эмоциональный подъем

6. Оцените по пятибалльной системе работу во время изучения курса следующих участников:

Evaluation Card

1 См., например, «Английский язык: Учебник для 9 класса общеобразовательных учреждений / В. П. Кузовлев, Н. М. Лапа, и др. – 7 изд. – М.: Просвещение, 2003.

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