Тема: Средства массовой информации. Тексты для чтения с упражнениями

A Matter of Habit

I never used to go anywhere without the car. I regarded it as an essential part of myself. But when the price of petrol doubled in one year, i resolved not to use the car except when absolutely necessary.

For example, I always used to take the car when I went to fetch the papers on Sunday morning, although our newsagent's is only 10 minutes' walkaway; new I go on foot.

I tlli myself that I'm not only economising on petrol but keeping fit at the same time. Its all-a question of habit really. I'm sure you can get used to anything if you try and I already feel that I rely on the car less than ! used to.

Besides, now that we live in the suburbs_, I can walk down the road and catch a bus to the office or to any other part of the town. We used to live in the country about 15 miles from town and then I would frequently drive to and from twice in one day. That meant i would use 15 gallons of petrol and more in a week; now I need half that amount.

The trouble is that I am also getting used to the petrol prices. They don't seem so very high to me any more. Perhaps if easier to get accustomed to expensive petrol than it is to doing without the car.

The Press

More newspapers per person are sold in Britain than in any other country. Some believe that this proves that the British are more civilised and more interested in current affairs than other people; cynics lock for other explanations.

Certainly the geography of the country helps. Because Britain is such a relatively small country, it is possible to buy national newspapers published in London anywhere in the country on the same Day. In most parts of the country, papers are actually delivered to houses by the local newsagent before breakfast.

Daily papers are printed every morning in London and Important provincial centres. National papers, available every where in the country, cover a wide range of political views and journalistic styles. Quality papers include The Guardian, the Daily-Telegraph and The Times, while more popular papers include The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Sun and The Daily mail. .On the whole .papers in Britain are perhaps less extreme than in some countries; they are less obviously committed politically and less dramatic and sensational in content Nevertheless, the girls in same papers are quite sensational.

As well as national daily papers, there are Sunday papers, again divided between the serious (e.g. The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer) and the more popular (e.g. The Sunday Mirror, The Sunday People," News of the World).

Some large towns also have evening papers containing local as well as national and international news, and nearly every where in the country is served by a local weekly paper. This is devoted exclusively to local news and events, and is a very good source of information about what is happening in a particular town or village.

Of course the press means more than newspapers. A vast range of magazines are published, aimed at readers interested in all sorts of subjects. If you go into-a newsagent^/s shop in a large town you will find weekly and monthly magazines produced for people with interests from angling to zoos. However, if you judge from this evidence, most British women are interested mainly in cars and naked women. Can this be true?

Lexical Practice

I. Finish off the following:

1 . Events belonging to the present time ( date) are called ... .

2. ... papers are printed every morning in London.

3. Newspapers, published in Britain are ...and ....

4. ... papers include The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Times.

5. ... papers include The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Sun etc.

6. Sunday papers may be ... and more ... .

7. Magazines maybe ... and ... .

8. I don't think that most British women are interested only in ...and ....

9. British men can't be interested in ... and ... only.

10. Papers are delivered to houses by the local ... before breakfast

II. Make up nouns and verbs ( if possible ):
civilize(se) - civilised - civilization
interest - interested - interest

• sensational - sensation

• dramatic - drama

• journalistic - journalist

Structural Practice
III. Fill in the necessary prepositions:

1. More newspapers ... person are sold in Britain than in any other country:

2. None is interested ... current events nowadays,

3. it's useless to look ... explanations.

4. National newspapers are bought anywhere in the country ...the same day.

5. British papers are less dramatic and sensational ... content

6. These-articles 'is aimed ... Those who are still interested in the problem of curing
   AIDS.

7. Judging ... the opinion poll , the British never have porridge in the morning.

8. "The US News and World reports " is published .... Those who want to know
   more ... the US. politics.

III. Make up word-combinations from the following words:

1. country small relatively

2. provincial centres important

3. views range political of wide

4. information, good, sourse, very, of

5. politically committed obviously, less

Grammar Review

IV. Fill in the articles where necessary.

1 . ... Dutch are very friendly.

2. ... Russians are rather hospitable,

3. Don't ask the Scots about ... English traditions.
   4. When I have nothing to do I read ...Punch.

5. ... Cosmopolitan is one of the most interesting women's magazine.

6 .... Great Britain isn't a very big country.

V. Put the following underlined adjectives in the comparative forms.

1. The British are civilised and interested in current affairs than other

people.

2. Politically Bristol is important, than Oxford.

3. National papers cover a wide range of political views than popular ones .

4. Papers'in Britain are dramatic and sensational In context, than those in the US.

5. The British are interested in cars than in politics.

Translation Practice

1. Британцы очень заинтересованы в последних событиях.

2. Британия довольно-таки маленькая страна и центральные газеты можно купить в любом месте этой страны каждый день.

3. Газеты обычно доставляют местные почтальоны до завтрака.

4. В важных центрах печатаются ежедневные газеты.

5. В целом, в Британии менее экстремистские газеты, чем в других странах. Они менее драматичны и сенсационны.

6. Вечерние газеты печатают, как правило, местные новости. Они являются хорошим источником информации о том, что происходит в том или ином городе.

7. Конечно, пресса означает не только газеты, но ещё и журналы, которые печатаются для лиц, заинтересованных в разного рода темах.

8. Интересы читателей еженедельных и ежемесячных журналов могут варьироваться от рыбалки до зоопарков.

9. Сказать по правде , я не читаю газет. Они не выполняют своей роли и пишут только то, что выгодно правительству. - Я так не думаю. Сейчас много независимых газет.