THE MEDIA Check your vocabulary for TOEFL

Check your vocabulary for TOEFL

THE MEDIA

Exercise 1

Complete sentences and definitions 1 – 12 with words and expressions from the box. You will not need all of the words and expressions.

airtime       audience      broadcast      broadsheet      censor     censorship     channel      check book journalism          circulation       current affairs       coverage       documentary       download       dumbing down        editor     entertainment        exploit       feature        freedom of the press       gutter press          honest          information        informed         Internet             invasion of privacy          journalism          journalist        libel         libelous         log on     mass media          media circus          media event         media tycoon            news            online          paparazzi                 the press       program          read between the lines         readership        reality TV          reporter        restriction         slander         slanderous         tabloid           tabloid TV           the Internet            unscrupulous           website

1	_____________ is the crime of saying something about someone that is not true and is likely to damage their reputation (the adjective is _____________). _____________ is the illegal act of writing things about someone that are not true (the adjective is _____________).
2	If you _____________, you guess something that is not expressed directly (for example, if a newspaper reports a story, it might not tell you the truth or give you all the information you want, so you try to guess what that information is).
3	_____________ is an occasion when someone finds out or uses information about your private life, especially illegally.
4	A _____________ is a newspaper that is printed on large sheets of paper, and usually contains serious news. A _____________ is a newspaper that is printed on smaller sheets of paper and generally contains stories about famous people (papers like these are sometimes referred to as the _____________, because many of the stories and either untrue, or are about sex and crime). _____________ refers to television programs that are intended to be shocking or exciting.
5	If a media company is accused of _____________ its stories or programs, it means that it presents these stories or programs in a simple and attractive way without giving many details.
6	A _____________ is someone who writes news reports for newspapers, television, etc. A _____________ often does the same thing, and then tells people the news himself / herself (for example, by appearing on a television program).
7	The process of removing parts of books, films, letters, etc., that are considered unsuitable for moral, religious, or political reasons is called _____________.
8	A _____________ is someone who owns and controls several different newspapers, television stations, etc., and is very rich as a result.
9	_____________ programs are television programs in which ordinary people are put into artificially created environments and situations in order to entertain people (the most famous example is “Big Brother”).
10	A _____________ is a radio or television program that deals with real people, events, places, etc., and is designed to inform people about different things. A _____________ program is one that deals mainly with political, social, and economic events that are happening now.
11	_____________ is the practice of paying people a lot of money for information that can be used in newspaper stories, especially stories about crime or famous people.
12	_____________ refers to the amount of time given to someone or something in a radio or television broadcast. _____________ refers to the amount of attention that television, radio, and newspapers give to something, or to the way in which something is reported. A newspaper's _____________ is the group or number of people who read that newspaper.

Exercise 2

Use your dictionary to check the meanings of the other words and expressions in the box.

Exercise 3

Complete this essay with appropriate words and expressions from the box in Exercise 1. You may need to change the form of some of the words.

“The media plays a valuable role in keeping us informed and entertained. However, many people believe it has too much power and freedom”. Do you agree?' Barely a hundred years ago, if we wanted to stay (1) _____________ about what was going on in the world, we had to rely on word of mouth or, at best, newspapers. But because communication technology was very basic, the news we received was often days or weeks old. We still have newspapers, of course, but they have changed almost beyond recognition. Whether we choose to read the (2) _____________, with their quality (3) _____________ of news and other (4) _____________ by top (5) _____________ and acclaimed (6) _____________ or if we prefer the popular (7) _____________, with their lively gossip and colorful stories, we are exposed to a wealth of information barely conceivable at the beginning of the last century. We also have television and radio. News (8) _____________ let us know about world events practically as they happen, while sitcoms, chat shows, and (9) _____________, etc., keep us entertained and informed. And there is also the (10) _____________, where we can access information from millions of (11) _____________ around the world which we can then (12) _____________ onto our own computers. However, these forms of (13) _____________ and (14) _____________ (or “infotainment” as they are now sometimes collectively called) have their negative side. Famous personalities frequently accuse the (15) _____________ (and sometimes even respectable papers) of (16) _____________by camera-wielding (17) _____________ who are determined to get a picture or a story regardless of who they upset. Newspapers are often accused of (18)__________ by angry politicians who dislike reading lies about themselves, and there are frequent accusations of (19) _____________, with (20) _____________ newspapers paying people lots of money for stories about crime and famous people. Of course, it is not just the papers which are to blame. Sex and violence are increasing on the television, and many complain that there is increased (21) _____________ of news and current affairs programs, with major stories being presented in a simple and attractive way, but with very little detail. Others argue that too much time is being given to (22) _____________ shows, in which ordinary people are put into artificially created environments and situations for our entertainment. Meanwhile, anyone with a computer can go (23) _____________ to find undesirable material placed there by equally undesirable people. Some people argue that the government should impose stricter (24) _____________ to prevent such things happening. But others argue that (25) _____________ and media is the keystone of a free country. Personally, I take the view that while the media may occasionally abuse its position of power, the benefits greatly outweigh the disadvantages. Our lives would be much emptier without the wealth of information available to us today, and perhaps we are better people as a result.

Exercise 4

Now try this essay. Use words and expressions from the vocabulary box in Exercise 1, and any other words or expressions that you think would be relevant.

What are the qualities or features of a good newspaper, current affairs television program, or news website? Use specific details and examples to explain your answer.

ANSWER KEY