Whether we realise it or not, TV plays a very important part in our lives. It's the main source of information and a cheap form of entertainment for millions of people. It's the window on the world which gives us an opportunity to "travel" all over the world, to "meet" different people and learn about their customs and traditions . It has the power to educate and broaden our minds. It helps us to relax after a hard day's work and escape from reality. There's always a great variety of programmes on TV: news and sports programmes, talk shows and TV games, documentaries and feature films, concerts and theatre performances... Of course, not all programmes are good. But many are made in good taste and with great professional skill. Some people argue that television is a terrible waste of time. It makes us lazier. We stay at home instead of going out. We read less. We think less. We even talk less. It's true that some TV addicts spend hours in front of the "box" watching whatever's on — from second-rate Mexican soap operas to silly commercials. The trick is to learn to control television and use it intelligently. The ideal is to turn on the TV-set only when there's a really interesting programme. Violence on TV is another problem that worries people. As George Mikes once said, TV teaches us "how to kill, to rob, to shoot and to poison." But the same can be said about computer games and many films and books. And if you don't like a certain programme, why watch it?
Names George Mikes ['mikej] Джордж Микеш (английский писатель-юморист венгерского происхождения)
Vocabulary source [so:s] источник to educate ['edjukeit] обучать, развивать entertainment [.enta'teinment] развлечение broaden ['bro:dn] one's mind расширять кругозор opportunity [ppa'tjir.niti] возможность to relax [ttlaeks] расслабляться power ['раиэ] сила, способность hard day's work тяжелый трудовой день to escape [i'skeip] from reality уходить от реальности variety [ve'raiati] разнообразие documentary [,dokju'menteri] документальный фильм feature film ['fhtja ,film] художественный фильм in good taste со вкусом professional [prefejnl] skill профессиональное мастерство to argue ['aigju:] спорить, возражать waste of time бесполезная трата времени addict f'aedikt] наркоман, зд. человек, которого не оторвешь от телевизора box разг. "ящик", телевизор whatever's on что бы ни показывали (по теле- визору) second-rate [,sekend'reit] низкосортный, посредст- венный Mexican ['meksiken] мексиканский soap opera f'saup ppere] "мыльная опера" commercial [ke'maifl] телереклама the trick is зд. секрет в том (что) intelligently [in'telid3entli] с умом ideal [ai'diel] идеал violence [vaielens] насилие to rob грабить to shoot [Ju:t] (shot) стрелять to poison f'poizn] отравлять, отравить
Questions 1. How often do you watch TV? 2. What are your favourite programmes? 3. Which is your favourite channel? 4. The average Russian teenager spends about 20 hours a week in front of the TV-set. What about you? 5. Why is TV often called "the window on the world"? 6. Do you agree that television has the power to educate? 7. What do you think of commercials? Do they annoy you? 8. Do you enjoy watching "soaps"? 9. Do you think that there's too much violence on TV? 10. Do you believe that violence on TV may turn people into criminals? 11. Some people say that television kills conversation. Do you agree? 12. Do you use TV intelligently?