Unit Five Entertainment at Home

1. Unit Five Entertainment at Home

2. Warm-up Questions • Can you name some types of TV programs? • 2. What kind of TV program do you like? Why?

3. Objectives of This Unit • 1. Get acquainted with expressions of stating one's • preferences. • 2. Learn to ask about home entertainment. • 3. Learn to describe one's own leisure interests in • detail. • 4. Interpret a diagram, including interpreting • percentages, responding to survey results, and, • making comparisons. • 5. Get familiar with the types of TV programs. • 6. Learn to ask for and give information about TV • programs.

4. 7. Learn to describe TV programs. • 8. Get acquainted with expressions of gentle • persuasion. • 9. Identify paragraphs, historical background and • central characters. • 10. Read and understand the passage Romance of the • Three Kingdoms. (vocabulary) • 11. Learn to present ideas on a given topic.

5. Language Points • 1. a TV series / a TV serial (p212) --- • a TV series: a number of programs, each complete in itself, linked by cast, theme. • a TV serial: a TV program with a story appearing in parts. • 2. a documentary program / a docudrama (p212) - • a documentary: a program showing some aspect of human or social activity • a docudrama: a television film which is based on real events and put into the form of drama • 3. thriller (p215) --- novel, play or film in which excitement and emotional appeal are the essential element. • 4. sentimental (p220) --- tending to arouse (often excessive, inappropriate or false) feelings.

6. 5. grip (p220) --- seize firmly. e.g. a gripping story • 6. Boxing Day (p223) --- Named for 26 December of every year. It is a legal holiday in Britain and parts of British commonwealth. The name originated from the custom to give "Christmas boxes" to servants and tradesmen on the day. Nowadays, many people still observe this custom and give Christmas presents to regular callers such as dustmen and newspaper boys. • 7. a couch potato (p223) --- a person who does not like physical activity and prefers to sit down, usually to watch television. • 8. blockbuster (p227) -- (fig.) forceful person or thing bringing about a sudden effect. e.g. Hollywood blockbuster 好莱坞大片 • 9. chaotic (p227) -- in a state of complete absence of order; confused.

7. Words to Memorize • in This Unit (for reference only) • a variety show • TV series / serial • documentary • live • thriller • soap opera • couch potato • clash • soar • adapt • brutal • unprecedented • recoup

8. Please fill in the blanks with the give words. • live broadcast thriller couch potato • clash chaotic adapt • soar unprecedented recoup • 1. It takes a while to your initial costs when • you begin a new business. • 2. The army with rebels near the capital. • 3. The house is a little right now -- we’ re • in the middle of repainting. • You must yourself to new customs when • you go to a new place. • 5. This evening at seven there will be a telecast • of the debate. • 6. We have entered an age of pros- • perity. • 7. Oil prices to a new high.

9. Keys • 1. It takes a while to recoup your initial costs when • you begin a new business. • 2. The army clashed with rebels near the capital. • 3. The house is a little chaotic right now -- we’ re • in the middle of repainting. • 4. You must adapt yourself to new customs when • you go to a new place. • 5. This evening at seven there will be a live telecast • of the debate. • 6. We have entered an age of unprecedented pros- • perity. • 7. Oil prices soared to a new high.

10. Listening Playing Cards

11. Language for Specific Functions 1. Asking about leisure interests What are your hobbies, Mr. Wang? What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any special interests? How do you spend your free time? 2. Stating one's preferences I love playing tennis. He is crazy about rock music. I find gardening very interesting. I am very keen on attending a party.

12. 3. Making comparisons He is more learned than he was ten years ago. A car journey is as fast as a train journey. Your voice is more attractive than hers. On the whole, Jack is the cleverest. 4. Watching TV Shall we switch to another channel? Make it louder, please. What's on following the news? When's it on?

13. 5. Talking about TV programs What's the film series called? It's live television. I like Growing Pains. It's funny and relaxing. I have already seen it but it's fantastic. 6. Persuasion I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Come on, Louisa. You must come to the party. It won't be the same without you. You won't be disappointed, I promise you.

14. Activity 1 Role-play • on Leisure Interests • Please talk with your partner about your preferences for leisure activities by referring to page 201.

15. Activity 2 Dialogue • Comments on TV Programs • Please make comments on the different types • of TV programs by referring to p. 212. Besides, • which type is your favorite? And why?

16. Activity 3 Dialogue • on TV Series • Please choose one popular TV series, just like • Romance of Three Kingdoms, as a topic. Then • make comments on: • -- how much you know about it • -- the reasons for its popularity • -- its content and quality • -- your attitude

17. Reading Passage: Television Is Doing Irreparable Harm(1) "Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sports events. We ever used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the 'goggle box’(slang,TV set). We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that

18. program. We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do---anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the program. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a program, he is quickly silenced. Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is a universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter that the children will watch rubbish commercials or spectacles of sadism (excessive cruelty) and violence --- so long as they are quiet.

19. There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day, television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programs are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programs, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in pre-literate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pictures and the spoken word. Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than

20. go out into the world itself. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic(of the state like deep sleep in which a person’s acts may be controlled by another person) tyranny of King Telly.

21. Assignment Advantages and Disadvantages of Television