Текст, страница 86 - гдз по английскому языку 8 класс учебник Вербицкая, Маккинли

Unit 10. The media. Grammar and Speaking - страница 86.

Условие.

ANTENNA

TV or not TV?

Anti-TV groups are organising another Screen-Free Week. Helen Clark asks if TV is really such a bad thing.

A The average family spends 4–5 hours every day watching TV, but only 35 minutes having a meaningful conversation. Screen-Free Week started in 1994 in the USA (it was then called TV Turn-Off Week) after concerns about the health, social and educational impact television viewing was having on young people. Since then, every year during the last week in April people are invited to turn off their TVs for a week and to ‘turn on life’ – to do something useful instead of just sitting and passively watching TV. Organisers in the USA, UK, France, Brazil and Spanish-speaking countries believe that over 300 million people have taken part in the turn-off, with millions participating each year.

USA: INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TV

• Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
• Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5
• Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680
• Percentage of children ages 6–17 who have TV’s in their bedrooms: 50
• Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70
• Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
• Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
• Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66

B But is TV really such a bad thing? Can’t TV educate people? Doesn’t TV news tell us more about what is happening in the world than any other type of media? Anti-TV groups don’t agree. ‘Television is hopeless at explaining the reasons behind the news,’ they argue. ‘We often watch shocking TV pictures of wars, social problems or famine, but we often don’t understand why these problems started.’ Campaigners also say that watching TV is a passive activity. The average person spends two months of the year in front of the television. This means that many people don’t get enough exercise – or use their brains. There are other negative effects too – families spend less time talking to each other and TVs are often used as babysitters. Campaigners are also worried about the influence that TV has on children and young adults – for example, the average 19-year-old American has watched 350,000 commercials and 18,000 murders on television.

C There are serious arguments for turning off TV. But what do anti-TV campaigners recommend instead of TV entertainment? Have a look at their websites, read their leaflets and you will find lots of ideas: go to the library, learn to play a musical instrument, play with your pets or start a diary. Or you could learn about your family history, do some charity work, or go to a museum. Read a newspaper or listen to the radio. So, there are plenty of things to do, but are they as much fun as watching TV?

D Annie Davidson, a lecturer in Media Studies from North London, doesn’t think that watching TV is a passive activity. ‘On the contrary, it gives you something to talk about. For example, when we watch a soap opera, we form opinions about characters or stories. And if you don’t watch it too much, TV isn’t necessarily harmful for your health. Life is busier and more stressful than ever before. We need a simple way to relax in the evenings and television is perfect.’ So will Annie Davidson take part in Screen-Free Week? ‘I’m certainly going to watch less. There’s a great drama on the radio this evening.’

The dates for Screen-Free Week are May 4–10, 2015 and May 2–8, 2016. Will you take part in it and find out the wide range of possibilities open to you when television is not a part of your life?

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Решение 2.

Примете ли вы в этом участие и откроете ли для себя широкий спектр возможностей, которые открываются, когда телевидение не является частью вашей жизни?

Ответ: I'm not sure. I like watching my favorite shows after school. But maybe it would be cool to try for a week. I could probably get my homework done faster and play outside more. I guess I could try it.

Я не уверен. Мне нравится смотреть любимые передачи после школы. Но, может быть, было бы здорово попробовать на неделю. Я бы, наверное, смог быстрее делать домашнее задание и больше играть на улице. Думаю, я мог бы попробовать.