Lesson 1 Does Television Play a Positive or Negative Role in the Modern Society？
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　　Do the Advantages of Television Outweigh¹ the Disadvantages？
　　Television is now playing a very important part in our life. But television, like other things, has both advantages and disadvantages. Do the former outweigh the latter？
　　In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a comparatively cheap one. For a family of four, for example, it is more convenient as well as cheaper to sit comfortably at home, with almost unlimited² entertainment available, than to go out in search of amusement elsewhere. They do not have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema, or the opera, only to discover, perhaps, that the show is disappointing.
　　All they have to do is press a button, and they can see plays, films, operas, and shows of every kind, not to mention political discussions and the latest exciting. football match. Some people, however, maintain that this is precisely³ where the danger lies. The television viewer takes no initiative⁴. He makes no choice and exercises no judgment⁵. He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort on his part.
　　Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events, allows one to follow the latest developments in science and politics, and offers an endless series of programmes which are hoth instructive and entertaining. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into one's stitting-room. It could be argued that the radio performs this service just as well； but on television everything is much more living, much more real. Yet here again there is a danger. We get so used to looking at it, so dependent on its flickering⁶ pictures, that it begins to dominate⁷ our lives.
　　There are many other arguments for and against television. The poor quality of its programmes i.s often criticized. But it is undoubtedly⁸ a great comfort to many lonely elderly people. And does it corrupt⁹ or instruct our children？ I think we must realize that television in itself is neither good nor bad. It is the uses to which it is put that determine its value to society.
　　II . Read Read the following passages. Underline the important viewpoir while reading.
　　1. Why Watch Television？ Matthew： Television is undoubtedly a great invention, but one of the main you've  criticisms of it is that people just aren't selective enough. I.esley,got a television； how do you pick out the sorts of programmes you want to watch？
　　Lesley： I t.ry and look at the prograxnmes that are on to decide which particular ones interest me, rather than you turning it on a seven o'clock and you leaving it on until half-past eleven when the programmes finish. Matthew： Do you think of television though as a great time-waster？
　　Lesley： Un ……I think it can be a time-waster and it depends on how particular people are about what they want to see……Mm, it can just be a sort of total amusement for someone and totallve consuming without really considering what it is they're watching. Matthew： Aha, but how do you prevent it coming into your life and taking over your evenings and at the same time perhaps get . . . get out of the television some of the sort of best things……best programmes that……
　　that undoubtedly are on television？
　　Lesley： Well,I suppose one of the problems is ……will depend on what a person's life style is, and that if he has other outside interests which are equally important to him as television, he will then, you know, mm . . . be more careful about which programmes he wants to watch because he has time which he wants to use for other things. Matthew： Do you think though that…… that in . . . in a sense television has killed people's own er……sort of , creativity or their ability to entertain themselves because if they're bored all they do is just turn on the television？
　　Lesley： Yes, I think that is a danger, and I think that. .in fact is what is happening to a lot of people who use it as their …… their main……um field of amusement and …… because they don't have other outside interests and even when people come round they'll leave the television on and not be, you know, particularly interested in talking to them, you Know the television will be the main thing in the room. Matthew： Peter, have you got a television？
　　Peter： I have, in fact I've got two televisions. Matthew： Do you watch them a lot？
　　Peter： Er …… no I……I watch very seldom er …… In fact, I find that I watch television most when I'm most busy, when I'm working hardest and I need some sort of passive way of relaxing, something which requires nothing of me, then I watch television a lot. When I've got more energy left……um ……in my own private time, in my free time, then I find I do moredifferent things. I do things like um reading, or going out, or working on anything . . . my hobbies. Matthew： Do you think though that people can live a perfectly¹⁰ happy life if they haven't got a television？
　　Peter： Oh yes, I think people who don't have a television or people who entertainment.don' t watch television can be expected to be more happy. You canassume I think if they never watch television they are happier people than the people who watch a lot of television, because I think that television goes with the kind of life which leaves you with nothing tospare, nothing left, you have to be given potted, passive entertainment. Matthew： Bot in that case you ……you seem as though you're completely against television, is that true？
　　Peter： No,it's not. I……I have a television in fact,I have two as I said, but er I …… I ……I think there's a dilemma¹¹, a difficult situation. Television in itself is very good； a . . . a lot of the information and a lot of the programmes are very instructive, they introduce you to things you may never have thought of before or never have heard about before. But in watching, it makes you very passive； you sit for hour after hour and you get very receptive and very unquestioning aud it seems to me the important thing in life is to be active, to . . . to do things, to think things and to be as creative as possible, and television prevents this.

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