Theme 2

Mass media

Text 1.

Tv in britain

The first television in Britain appeared more than 50 years ago and nowadays is very popular. Every family has at least one TV set, the number of colour sets in use is very large, though they are not cheap.

The BBC was the first to provide a public television service in 1936. During the Second World War the transmissions were stopped, but were resumed in 1946. In 1952, the ceremony of Elizabeth’s II coronation was transmitted all over the country.

The BBC provides two channels. Besides BBC-I and BBC-II there are two Independent Channels. The viewers now have four channels at their disposal, and are able to watch television for many hours a day. They can watch plays, live transmissions of important events, sports games and competitions, interviews with prominent people, musical performances and many other items. News is broadcast regularly by all the channels and watched by most people. Films are often televised, and many of them are made especially for television.

A lot of people prefer staying home and watching TV rather than going out to cinemas, and many cinemas have closed. Most of the programmers present serious and instructive matters, such as family and children problems, problems of social work and employment as well as religious programmes .

Part of the time on Independent television is devoted to advertising, but its amount is small and strictly limited by the special Act that allowed commercial television. One of the features of TV programmes is that they often show violence, murder, crimes and gunplay, which is frequently criticized by the viewers. On the whole television plays as important role in the life of the British people as newspapers.

Vocabulary:

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) – Британская корпорация

радио- и телевещания

to appear– появляться

at least– по крайней мере

TV set– телевизор

in use– в пользовании

cheap– дешевый

to provide – обеспечивать

service – служба

transmission – передача

to transmit – передавать

to resume – возобновить

channel – канал

besides – кроме того

independent– независимый

viewers–телезрители

at their disposal– в их распоряжении

to watch TV– смотреть телепрограмму

play– пьеса

live transmission – прямая передача

important – важный

prominent – выдающийся

to broadcast- передавать (по радио, телевидению)

to prefer – предпочитать

to stay home – сидеть дома

rather than– а не, вместо

to present– представлять

matter– проблема, вопрос, тема

employment – занятость

as well as – а также

to devote – уделять внимание

to advertise – рекламировать

amount – объем

strictly – строго

commercial television – коммерческое телевидение

feature– черта

violence– насилие

murder– убийство

crime– преступление

event – событие

competition – соревнование

performance – представление

Questions:

1. When did the first television in Britain appear?

2. Yow many families have a color TV set?

3. What television company in Britain was the first to provide a public service?

4. When were the TV programmes resumed?

5. What TV programmes can the British people see?

6. Why do many people prefer staying home to going out?

7. What role does TV advertising play?

8. What do many viewers criticize?

Give possible beginnings of the sentences:

1. … has at least one TV set, the number of colour sets in use is very large, though they are not cheap.

2. … provides two channels.

3. … now have four channels at their disposal, and are able to watch television for many hours a day.

4. … prefer staying home and watching TV rather than going out to cinemas, and many cinemas have closed.

5. … present serious and instructive matters, such as family and children problems, problems of social work and employment as well as religious programmes .

6. … is devoted to advertising, but its amount is small and strictly limited by the special Act that allowed commercial television.

Put the words in the following sentences in order:

1. The 1936 provide television the public in service to a first was BBC.

2. Elizabeth’s II of coronation ceremony all country over the transmitted In 1952,

the was transmitted.

3. BBC-I and BBC-II two there are Independent Besides Channels.

4. watched by and most people regularly broadcast News is all the by channels.

5. especially for television televised, and are often many of them are Films made.

6. British people important as role television On the whole life of the as newspapers plays in

the.