Before reading Cultural background

1. Before reading Cultural background Year 1939 saw the introduction of television system to the public." The receiver cost $600, a new car could be $1000! World War II stopped the production of television sets. By 1946, with the post-war boom, there were 6,000 TV sets, 3 million in 1948, and 12 million in 1951. Over the last fifty years television has had an enormous impact on American society. Television historian and critic Jeff Greenfield places television with the automobile as one of the two "transforming devices of American life." In Television: The First Fifty Years, he defines how Americans use television: With the single exception of the workplace, television is the dominant force in American life today. It is our marketplace, our political forum, our playground, and our school; it is our theater, our recreation, our link to reality, and our escape from it. It is the device through which our assumptions are reflected and a means of assaulting those assumptions. It is the single binding thread of this country, the one experience that touches young and old, rich and poor, learned and illiterate (Cole, 1981). In fact TV has become the American’s eyes and ears.

2. Here are some facts and figures about our TV habit (Source: RealVision, TV-turn off Network) I. TV Undermines Family Life 1) Amount of television that the average American watches per day: over 4 hours2) Percentage of US households with at least one television: 983) Percentage of US households with exactly two TV sets: 354) Percentage of US households with three or more TV sets: 415) Time per day that TV is on in an average US home: 7 hours, 40 minutes6) Percentage of Americans who always or often watch television while eating dinner: 407) Chance that an American falls asleep with the TV on at least three nights a week: 1 in 48) Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 499) Percentage of US households with at least one VCR: 8510) Number of videos rented daily in the US: 6 million11) Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million12) Number of hours of media consumed daily by the average American in 1998: 11.8

3. II. TV Harms Children and Hampers Education 1) Average number of hours per week that American one year-old children watch television: 62) Number of hours recommended by the American Pediatric Association for children two and under: 03) Average time per week that the American child ages 2-17 spends watching television: 19 hours, 40 minutes4) Time per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5 minutes5) Hours of TV watching per week shown to negatively affect academic achievement: 10 or more6) Percentage of children ages 8-16 who have a TV in their bedroom: 567) Percentage of those children who usually watch television in their bedroom: 308) Percentage of television-time that children ages 2-7 spend watching alone and unsupervised: 819) Percent of total television-time that children older than 7 spend without their parents: 9510) Percentage of children ages 8 and up who have no rules about watching TV: 61

4. 11) Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children’s TV watching: 7312) Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 7013) Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 90014) Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1,02315) Percentage of self-professed educational TV that has little or no educational value: 2116) Chance that an American parent requires children to do their homework before watching TV: 1 in 1217) Percentage of teenagers 13-17 who can name the city where the US Constitution was written (Philadelphia): 2518) Percentage of teenagers 13-17 who know where you find the zip code 90210 (Beverly Hills): 7519) Average time per day American children spend in front of a screen of some kind: 4 hours, 41 minutes20) Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked, would rather watch TV than spend time with their fathers: 5421) Percentage of young adults who admit to postponing their bedtime for the internet or TV: 55

5. The excessive viewing results in the negative consequences described byB.D. SBchmitt, M.D., author of "Your Child's Health," Bantam Books. TV displaces active types of recreation It decreases time spent playing with peers. A child has less time for self-directed daydreaming and thinking. It takes away time for participating in sports, music, art, or other activities that require practice to achieve competence. TV interferes with conversation and discussion time. It reduces social interactions with family and friends. TV discourages reading. Reading requires much more thinking than television. Reading improves a youngster's vocabulary. A decrease in reading scores may be related to too much time in front of the TV.

6. About the author: Marie Winn is aPrague Czechoslovakia born U.S. citizen. She was educated in N.Y.C Public Schools, Bronx H.S. of Science, Radcliffe College, Columbia University. Her books includes: Red-Tails in Love 10th Anniversary edition – :with updates [Vintage, April 2005] The Plug in Drug: Television, Computers & Family Life :25th Anniversary Edition, [Penguin, 2002]Red-Tails in Love [Pantheon, April 1998, Vintage, 1999][New York Times Notable Book, 1998]Unplugging the Plug-In Drug [Viking Penguin, 1987]The Plug-In Drug: Television, Children & the Family [Viking Penguin, 1985,1977, Bantam, 1978]Children Without Childhood [Penguin, 1984, Pantheon 1983][winner of Grand Prix, International Janusz Korczak Competition - 1985]The Sick Book [Four Winds Press, 1976]The Baby Reader [Simon & Schuster, 1973]The Playgroup Book [Macmillan, 1967 Penguin '69] The selection in the text is taken from :The plug-in Drug: Television, Children and the Family.

7. Global Reading Comprehension questions 1. What is a drug? 2. What does the writer mean by plug –in drug? 3. Why is TV compared to a drug? 4. What is the relationship between TV and the American family ,according to the writer? 5. Why does the writer accuse the early observers of myopia? 6. In what way does TV affect children today? 7. What examples does the writer cite to show the loss of social interaction in families dominated by television?

8. Organization of the text Opening part The introduction of television into American society Body part A. Positive effects 1. A wonderful improvement in the change of children’s habits 2. A good means to bring the family together B. Negative effects 1. Too much time devoted by children to TV-watching 2. A general lack of communication within peer groups 3. A widening gap in the relations between children and their parents 4. Traditional family concept being challenged and culture change

9. Closing part A. Impact on children: A drastic change in their life and personality; the process that transforms children into people being hindered B. Impact on family and family life: Ever-loosening family ties Analysis of the organization This is a cause and effect essay in which the writer bases her analysis upon an existing case to find out its related effects. She brings out the cause in her opening paragraph and then quickly proceeds to her analysis of the consequences it has cast upon the American society. In planning the effects, the writer has placed the negative effects in the strong last position, which clearly shows that the writer intends to emphasize the negative effects.

10. Detailed Reading • Explanation • deeply ingrained---deep-fixed, firmly connected • 2. repossession---having the ownership again • 3. myopia---short-sightedness, because they only saw the advantages of TV, and did not predict the negative effects in the future. • 4. real asset---valuable object • 5. cozily---warmly and comfortably • 6. splintering---splitting, breaking up • 7. the advent of television---the appearance of television • 8. assign to---give, arrange • 9. subsidiary role---secondary role, not very important role • 10. apologist---people engaged in apologetics • 11. equivocal---ambiguous • 12. dispersing---scattering • 13.rituals---rite and ceremony • 14.fixes dinner---prepared dinner

11. 15.counterbalances---us equal to; balances 16..regimented---organized, arranged precisely 17.amiss---wrong; improper 18.conjuring up memories---bringing into the mind 19.on the spur of the moment---on a sudden impulse 20.mediating between---settle the dispute between by finding things that can be both agreed 21.shunted away---moved away 22.accede to---agree with 23.caretaking institution---social welfare organization 24…that has seen the medium become so deeply ingrained in American life…--- TV has become an indispensable part of American life, so much so that it cannot be done away with 25.the television set has attained the rank of a legal necessity---The television set has by law been placed in the class of goods which are necessary to life.

12. 26.television emerges as the important influence…---television comes forth as the most important influence 27. TV’s contribution to family life has been an equivocal one---It is questionable whether TV has made a positive or negative influence on family life. It is difficult to evaluate the contribution TV makes to family life. 28. We were in the midst of a full-scale War….a new battle…a major skirmish…diplomatic negotiations…---The mother of two boys was describing the differences of opinions and differences in interests among her family members. 29. The children’s evening is regimented with an almost military precision.--- the children’s activities in the evening are arranged in such an exact way that they were almost like military actions.

13. Vocabulary Medium 1.TV is a medium for giving information as well as for entertainment. 2. In our English classes, English is the medium of instruction. Attain 1. He attained his objectives after much hard work. 2. A man of attainments（有造诣的人） is one who has accomplished a great deal. Afflict 1. My mom is afflicted with a chronic headache. 2. Environmental pollution is afflicting many countries. Invariably 1.Cartoons on TV remain invariably children’s favourite. 2. He is invariably late for school.

14. Effect 1. They tried to effect the rescue of the hostages held by he terrorists. 2. He is suffering from the effects of smoking and drinking. Equivocal 1. She took second place in the speech contest, but her success was equivocal.(不确定的） 2. She gave an equivocal（模棱两可的） answer to my question. Conjure up At the alumni meeting everyone present conjured up scenes at school in the past. --Oriented export-oriented industry（外向型工业） research-oriented medical institution（研究性医疗机构） examination-oriented education（应试教育）

15. Other than Holidays other than those in this brochure do not have free places for children. We missed the last bus so there was no choice other than to walk home. Claim Many women complained that their babies claim all their attention. No one claimed responsibility for the bombing. The war claimed many people’s life. Stint Every teacher will ho abroad for one year stint as lecturer. On the spur of the moment She gave a clever answer to the tricky question on the spur of the moment.

16. Further reading Supplementary reading Television's Positive Effects on Society Nichole VanSickle Richard Zlogar According to Marie Winn and her essay “The Plug-In Drug,” television hasvarious negative effects on our society today. In her essay Winn explores theways in which television has harmfully caused disruptions with the quality offamily life, rituals, and values. She recognizes there is a problem with oursociety and the way in which it is consistently influenced by television. I amable to agree with Winn on this point, but I do not feel that the totality ofthe influence is negative. Television today has a lot of positive effects andinfluences on our society and our American culture. Television gives us helpfulinformation, various forms of education, and entertainment which are all a partof the positive effects that television has on our society.

17. On a day to day basis, the television keeps us informed with plenty ofhelpful information. We are informed through the television of the latest news,weather, and information which are important in our daily lives. The televisionoften acts as an almanac, dictionary, and an eye into the world around us. Itinforms us of the most recent happenings around the world within seconds. Such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the wars taking place in the Middle East. Through TV we can be warned about almost anything from a hurricane approaching to the fact that the stock market is falling. The television in today's society has become one of our most basic resources for information. We use the TV as a convenient way to find out some of the simples information such as the date, time, and what is going to be on channel 11 at 9:30. Our American society has designed its lifestyle around the convenience of the TV and the fact that it is so easily accessible. The television has other purposes besides convenience. It is a great wayof educating the people throughout society with the important issues that affectour everyday lives. Be it social, political, economical, or medical, there isalways something new to be told, and the television is the quickest way to getit out to the people. Not only is the television fast, but it is also very accurate and in depth as well. The television takes the time to do the research that most

18. Americans are too lazy to do themselves. Through various news programs and documentaries, the television keeps us educated, and on the right track so that we as Americans are not left out in the dark when it comes to the current events around the nation. For example, being that it is an election year, we are constantly being informed about the candidates, their whereabouts, and the debates. The reason for this is because, this is an important piece of education when it comes to the American people. We need to know these things, or we along with our government will suffer.Along with informational and educational purposes, television serves asan entertainer as well. When television was first developed, entertainment wasnot one of its main purposes. As time went on people began to sit and watch thetelevision for that reason. Soon after came the development of sitcoms, andspecial programs which served as entertainment purposes. Throughout the years,entertainment on TV has become much more popular among Americans. Thetelevision has become an important part of our entertainment today. Not only isit more convenient than going to movies, plays, concerts, or sporting events butit is also a lot cheaper. With modern day television people do not have to leave their houses, and get dressed up to drive to see what they could bewatching on their own TV sets at home. This is why the television companies

19. have adapted to meet the needs of the American people by supplying access tomovies, plays, concerts, and the most popular sporting events. This past summerthe TV proved its convenience for entertainment. Many Americans were able tosit back and watch the Olympics in their own homes, and still be able to get thefeel of being there in Atlanta.Throughout the years, the American people have come to rely on thetelevision and all it has to offer. The television with its multi-purposes haspositively effected our society through its means of information, education, andentertainment. We as Americans have become a part of a society which is greatly influenced by the television. Although, this influence has been proven toaffect the quality of family life, as Winn mentions in “The Plug-In Drug.” Thepositive effects of television on our society as a whole, and the knowledge itprovides is far greater than this quality of life that she mentions. I mustadmit that there are both positive and negative aspects that come out of ourtelevisions today, but I feel that the positive effects definitely out weigh thenegatives when it comes to the importance of information, education, andentertainment for our society.

20. Interactive Activity • Group discussion: give your support to either Mary Winn or Nichole. • 2. Divide the class into two or three groups, illustrating the advantages and • disadvantages of TV and its desirable and undesirable effects on the • Chinese family nowadays. • 3. Divide the class into two parts, holding a debate on the following topic: • Is computer a pet or a pest in modern society?