TEST 6
Variants 1, 2
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TV
Television is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. It is the most popular part of mass
media. Today every family has a TV set. TV has changed much since the time of its invention and
so has its role. There have been numerous debates concerning the advantages and disadvantages of
television. When TV first appeared its main purpose was to give official information to people. It was
supported by the government. Today television gives people a possibility to be well-informed and enjoy
civilised pleasures. The programmes are various and people have a chance to select what they want
to see. Television provides great opportunities for education. TV teaches the ideals of democracy and
political argument. Watching television can be compared with reading books. By the beginning of the
21st century TV became a coloured world network. The channels show programmes of various kinds
from documentaries, current events and sports to films and science fiction cartoons. It brought ballet,
opera, and theatre to big masses of people. Moreover, TV can keep children quiet. If they are noisy,
their mothers turn on the set. If people do not like TV, they do not buy it or switch it off.
At the same time there are a lot of arguments against TV. It is said that only three generations
have grown up with television, but they managed to forget how to spend their free time without
television. It is established that the biggest viewers are pensioners and housewives. Children watch
commercials, horror films or films of violence. TV prevents children from developing their abilities. They
get accustomed to TV to such an extent that they watch it all the time. To force their children away
from their favourite evening programmes to their homework has eventually become the main problem of
parents from different countries.
Moreover, TV is damaging for health. It has a bad effect on the eyes, particularly of children. But if
children do not watch TV, they find themselves without anything to talk about at school. The same
is true about some adults. Sometimes TV programmes become topics of common interest and without
them people have nothing to talk about.
Nowadays some people in our country watch television programmes from about six in the morning to
the early hours of the next day. It means that contemporary people, for various reasons, depend upon
television. They watch everything from news and sports reports to dramas, educational and entertainment
programmes. Today some people become TV addicts and feel unhappy if they fail to find another
way of passing leisure time. Free time is regulated by television. Instead of going to the theatre or
reading books people watch TV. Television cuts people from the real world. The virtual world becomes
more important. Only a few people today can live without television. It should be said that television
continues to play an important part in human life despite the increasing influence of the Internet, video
games and other high-technology sources of information.
Decide if these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1) The initial aim of TV was to provide official information to the
population.
2) Today people have opportunities to select the programmes they want
to watch.
3) Modern television doesn’t give people an opportunity for education.
4) People who have had TV sets most of their lives are not able to
spend their free time without it.
5) Television is especially popular with pensioners and housewives.
6) TV doesn’t have a negative impact on our health.
7) The development of the Internet and other high-technology sources
of information doesn’t influence the role of television in modern life.