Reading 2
Fill in the blanks
Read the text below and answer the questions:
LIVING WITHOUT TV
A few years ago a lone American campaigner wrote a book in which he set out the main points of his fascinating crusade-to abolish television. His manifesto Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television is an American cult bestseller, and after eight editions is still generating concern and savage debate in the USA.
A few years ago a lone American campaigner wrote a book in which he set out the main points of his fascinating crusade-to abolish television. His manifesto Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television is an American cult bestseller, and after eight editions is still generating concern and savage debate in the USA.
Jerry Mander, a former advertising expert is convinced that for the sake of our freedom, and mental and physical health, we should learn to live without TV. Through his advertising background Mander is aware of how much of television is concerned with advertising. He sees the planting of values for profit as 'a deep, profound and disturbing act by the few against the many, for a trivial purpose.'
And, even without commercials, he sees TV as disturbing because it crams people's heads with images which alter the way they feel and behave. Pictures formed by 300,000 tiny dancing dots altering 30 times per second, bombard their eyes as people scan the images 10 times a second. The brain registers and stores all 30 images, but the conscious mind registers far fewer. But, argues Mander, even if you reject or doubt what you see consciously, it is too late, the crucial messages have gone home.
He further argues that TV is a deadening experience as it is restricted to just two senses-sight and sound. Perception is dulled and flattened says Mander, when you can't feel and smell and totally experience an event. People are just sitting passively for up to four hours a night watching a flickering screen and listening to artificial sound. 'No culture in history has spent such an enormous amount of time looking at artificial light,' says Mander, 'and another worrying fact is that prolonged exposure to artificial light alters human cells, which is why it is being used for certain medical treatment.'
Researchers do not know if life-long TV exposure is a physical risk or not, but as Mander would argue, why run the risk? It is important that people get up now and switch off before the harm is done-they might also become brainwashed, or, who knows, even moribund.
1. Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television is a book which:
A caused distress to many Americans.
B achieved great success overseas.
C became the 'in-book' to read.
D expressed the views of a fascinating man.
2. Jerry Mander objects to TV advertising mainly because:
A the underlying principles concern money-making.
B it is ineffectual in getting its message across.
C a few people are deeply disturbed by it.
D the values it conveys are accepted by all.
3. Mander thinks people's feelings and behaviour are changed because:
A the brain is able to make conscious decisions.
B the conscious mind is incapable of filtering images to the brain.
C their eyes scan a TV screen 10 times a second.
D the conscious mind is unable to reject the images it sees.
4. By watching TV for several hours every night, Mander implies that:
A people would lose the use of their other senses.
B people's experience of life would become deadened.
C people's ability to respond to events would lessen.
D people would come to depend on only two senses.
5. Mander suggests that viewing TV over long periods of time:
A could lead to death.
B might cause brain damage.
C could endanger people's health.
D would make cells malignant.
FIND WORDS in the text MEANING:
1. Very strong with a lot of disagreement:
2. Very little:
3. Very relevant:
4. Quick movement of light as from a candle:
5. Not being to remember past experiences:
1. Very strong with a lot of disagreement:
2. Very little:
3. Very relevant:
4. Quick movement of light as from a candle:
5. Not being to remember past experiences: