The theme of our lesson is mass media. The object of the lesson is to develop speaking, listening and reading skills on the topic “Mass media”, to practice in using of English grammar as the first step of your preparing to the state exam.
We’ve already discussed the different mass media. Let’s remember some of them.
– Newspaper is a paper printed and sold usually daily or weekly with news,
advertisements etc. is newspaper;
– Radio is the process of sending and receiving messages through the air;
broadcasting programmes for people to listen to;
– Television is broadcasting programmes (the news, plays, advertisements, shows,
etc.) for people to watch on their television sets.
– Tabloid is a newspapers with rather small pages, many pictures and serious
news;
– The Internet is a way to communicate with you partner who might be a thousand
miles away using the computer.
T: What information can people get from different sources of mass media?
P1: Mass media are one of the most characteristic features of modern civilization. People are united one global community with the help of mass media.
P2: People can learn about what is happening in the world very fast using mass media. The mass media include newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
P1: People can learn about what is happening in the world very fast using mass media. The mass media include newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
P2: The earliest kind of mass media was newspaper. The first newspaper was Roman handwritten newssheet called. “Acta Diurna” started in 59 B.C. Magazines appeared in 1700’s.
P1: The most exciting and entertaining kind of mass media is television. It brings moving pictures and sounds directly to people’s homes. So one can see events in faraway places just sitting in his or her chairs.
P2: Radio is widespread for its portability. It means that radios can easily be carried around. People like listening to the radio on the beach or picnic, while driving a car or just walking down the street. The main kind of radio entertainment is music.
P1: Newspapers can present and comment on the news in much detail in comparison to the radio and TV newscasts. Newspapers can cover much more events and news. Magazines do not focus on daily, rapidly changing events. They provide more profound analysis of events of preceding week.
T: Which media is the most popular in your family? Which TV or radio programmes do you like best? What TV/radio broadcasting companys do you know? Which of the mass media is the cheapest (the most modern, the most expensive)? Do you video some TV programmes and watch them later?
At home you’ve read the text about magazines and newspapers in Great Britain. Let’s discuss it. (ex. 8, p. 92). Decide whether the following sentences true (T) or false (F).
There is an opinion that young people spend a lot of time watching TV and seldom read books. Let’s read the text about these problems.
| You are going to read a text. Four phrases have been removed from it. Choose from the phrases A-E the one which fits each gap (1–4). There is one extra phrase. Write your answers in the table. |
Parents and teachers often complain that teenagers do not read books and that it’s difficult to interest them in that activity. Children stick to computers and TV screens and ignore reading. Only one out of five does some reading for pleasure. The others read fiction only if they have to, if it’s part of their homework.
TV is _____________________________ (1), but it doesn’t mean that we should forget good books. When we watch a film, we don’t use our imagination very much. We get characters ready-made for us.
Scientists have proved that too much television affects speech and brain development. Children just watch and don’t talk and _______________________ (2). As the result, it’s difficult for them to take part in conversations, and sometimes they are not able to tell the story from the film ____________________________ (3).
However, at the same time, television can do a lot of good to young people. It provides lots of educational options _______________________ (4) and to get an idea of how people live there.
The main thing here is to keep balance. Use the advantages provided by the television, but don’t let it rule your life. Don’t become a TV addict.
A they’ve just seen
B one of the greatest inventions of the world
C because they can’t do without a TV set
D to see faraway places
E that’s why their vocabulary remains rather poor
Key: 1-B, 2-E, 3-A, 4-D.
T: Why do children ignore reading? What have scientists proved? How can people keep balance?
And what do you think about TV?
P3: Whether we realize it or not, TV plays a very important part in our life. 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 mind. 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, sports, talk shows and TV games, documentaries, films, concerts and theatre performance. 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 on, we read less, we think less, we talk less. Violence on TV is another problem that worries people. As George Mikes once said, TV teaches us “how 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 do you watch it?
P4: Television, also called TV is one of our most important means of communication. It brings moving pictures and sounds from around the world into millions of homes. The name “Television” comes from Greek word meaning “far” and a Latin word meaning “to see”, so the word “television” means “to see far”.
Commercial TV stations broadcast mostly entertainment programs because they must attract larger number of viewers in order to sell advertising time at high prices. Commercial TV broadcast also documentaries and talk shows.
Documentary is dramatic, but nonfiction presentation of information. It can be programs about people, animals in faraway places. On talk shows a host interviews politicians, TV and movie stars, athletes, authors.
There are also sport programs and brief summaries of local, national and international news. Public television focuses mainly on education and culture. There are programs on wide range of subjects-from physics and literature and yoga.
Public TV also broadcasts plays, ballets, symphonies as well as programs about art and history. Public TV attracts less viewer then commercial TV. The world day of TV is marked on November, 21st.
T: Who is your favourite TV commentator, actor? What is your favourite broadcasting company, programme, film? How often do you watch TV? Who in your family watches TV more than others?
But some people prefer reading books.
| Listen to the tape. On the tape you’ll hear a person talking about public libraries in Britain. Decide whether the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). |
Tapescript
Public libraries are an important part of British life. They are free, and
you are never far away from one. Even in the countryside there is often a
library bus which comes once a week.
Old ladies take out popular novels, young children get piles of books and
audio-cassettes, students find research materials and lonely people go there to
read newspapers;40 per cent of people use public libraries.
Libraries actually encourage people to buy books as well as borrow them.
These days, many libraries have videos, CD-ROMs and the Internet. There is often
discussion about computer technology replacing libraries and, indeed, books.
However, for most purposes, library is still quicker and more effective for
finding information than the Internet, and more pleasant to use; you can
actually ask a friendly knowledgeable assistant for help, and walk around a
little as you walk. As for reading novels – well, you can’t stay in bed
with a computer, can you?
- Public libraries are free.
- 50 per cent of people use public libraries.
- People living in the countryside can go to the nearest town to borrow a book in the library.
- Libraries encourage people to buy books as well as to borrow them.
- However, library is more effective for finding information than the Internet, and more pleasant to use.
- Libraries don’t have videos, CD-ROMs and the Internet.
T: Do you often go to the library?
What kind of books do you like to read?
Who is your favourite writer?
And what is the role of books in our life?
P5: Speaking about books I want to say that in my opinion we can’t live without them. Books are one of the greatest wonders in the world. They are with us during the whole life.
Reading books is a way of getting information, which can enrich people’s mind with knowledge. But as for me, a book is a mystery world of pleasure and delight. Books can stir people’s imagination and fill our life with great expectations of joy and happiness. No doubt, reading plays an important role in man’s life.
Books are the great teachers for every person. Reading the books we have a great chance to know about ancient times, politics, history, youth problems, ecological problems and so on. Books give us an insight not only into the past, but also into the future. So we should remember that reading is the best way of learning. What is more important, books help us in self-education.
One of my favourite books is “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain. When I first got acquainted with this wonderful novel I did not know how to read and my mother read it to me. The first thing I did when I started reading myself was reading “Tom Sawyer.” It was as if I met the old friend.
Later I was reading some episodes that I liked most of all and each time I discovered something new. For example, when I was a kid I thought that the adventures of Tom and Huck constituted the most important part of the book.
Then I started to understand the humour of Mark Twain. Since my first acquaintance with this author I have read many other novels and short stories by Mark Twain. Reading “Tom Sawyer” again and again enhanced my understanding of Mark Twain not only as a writer, but also as a personality.
Reading is a special world full of adventures and joy!
T: When did you begin to read? How often do you read books for pleasure? Have your read CD books?
People often use newspapers as a source of information. Why?
P6: Newspaper is a publication that presents and comments on the news.
Newspapers play an important role in shaping public opinion and informing people of current events. The first newspapers were probably handwritten newssheets posted in public places. The earliest daily newssheet was “Acta Diurna” (“События дня”) which started in Rome in 59 B.C.
Newspapers have certain advantages over other mass media – magazines, TV and radio. Newspapers can cover more news and in much detail than TV or radio newscast can do.
There are daily newspaper and weekly newspapers. Daily newspapers print world, national and local news. Many dailies are morning papers, others are afternoon papers.
Sunday issues of the dailies are usually larger than the weekday ones. They may include special sections on such topics as entertainment, finance and travel or a guide to TV programmes, colored comics.
There are about 1700 daily and 7500 weekly newspapers in the US. The circulation of some weeklies is more than a few hundred of copies per issue and the circulation of some dailies is over a million of copies.
T: Why are the newspapers important to people? What is the advantage of the newspaper? What daily or Sunday Russian newspaper, tabloid or magazine is popular in your family?
Now let’s practice in using of English grammar.
Task 1.
| The word in capitals above each of the following sentences can be used to form a new word that fits suitably into the blank space. Write new words in the table. |
- BROADCAST
BBC is a well-known ……….company. - CONCLUDE
In …………I’d like to thank my friends for their help. - NATION
………….. newspapers like the Times or the Daily Telegraph give information about events happening in London. - DANGER
Journalists often put themselves in…………. situations. - ENVIROMENT
We can read about the first…..…………organizations in this magazine.
Task 2.
| Read the text. Choose the right option below and fill in the gaps. |
When I say that life will be much ______1______ when I finish school, my elder brother laughs at me. He thinks that _____2_____ is a lifetime process and it will never be over. According to him, _____3_____ should study all the time if they don’t want to fall _____4____ the others. My brother graduated from the university last year. He works in the field of telecommunications and reads a lot in the evenings. He says that he _____5_____ do it because technologies develop very quickly.
| 1 2 3 4 5 |
a) easy a) to study a) someone a) apart a) has to |
b) easier b) studying b) somebody b) down b) may |
c) easiest c) study c) nobody c) behind c) can |
d) the easiest d) studies d) everyone d) in d) could |
T: Summarize your results in the blank of answers. Now you can understand your level of preparing to the state exam and your problems that we have to overcome all together.
At our lesson you’ve shown your interest to the mass media. We’ve heard a lot of information. And which media is the most important in your opinion? Why? I hope that the mass media will educate and broaden your mind. I’d like to thank you for our lesson.