NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE

 

ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE PRE INTERMEDIATE UNIT 52 NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION

 

A Newspapers Most papers [newspapers] are daily, which means that they come out [appear in shops; syn are published] every day. Some are national [for the whole country], others are regional [for a part of the country]. Some newspapers are published online; these are called e-papers. You can also get mobile editions [you read a newspaper on your phone]. Magazines are usually weekly or monthly. B Contents of* newspapers Reports [pieces of writing about news items, written by reporters/ journalists, e.g. a report in The Times on/about a crime] Articles [pieces of writing about an important subject, e.g. an article on/ about drugs] Headlines [titles written in large letters above reports/articles, e.g. GOVERNMENT LOSES VOTE] Reviews [pieces of writing giving an opinion, e.g. a review of a new book] Advertisements or adverts [words and pictures about a product, to make people buy it, e.g. an advert for shampoo] *information in C Television If you broadcast something, you send it out on TV, radio or the Internet. There are now many broadcasting companies and many programmes. People watch: • the news [information about world events] • the weather forecast [a description of what the weather will be like in the next few days] • documentaries [programmes that give facts about real situations and real people] • chat shows [programmes where famous people are asked questions about themselves] • a series [a number of programmes that have the same characters or deal with the same subject] • soap operas [a regular series of programmes, often two or three times a week, about a group of characters who live in the same area] • reality TV shows [programmes which follow ordinary people or celebrities [famous people] through a number of situations or challenges. Well-known [famous] examples include: Pop Idol, The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing]. Language help   We usually use channel to talk about television broadcasting, e.g. The news is on Channel 4; and station to talk about radio broadcasting, e.g. A: What station are you listening to? B: Radio 1 – it’s mostly pop music. D Media reporting* Many newspapers also have online forums where people can leave messages and discuss topics. News is also reported online through podcasts [a radio programme that you download from the Internet and play on your computer or phone], e.g. Have you heard the latest business podcast on the CNN website? When we refer to something that someone has said or written, we do it in these ways: It said in The Times that the plane crashed in the sea. According to the news on TV last night, the plane crashed in the sea. *reporting in newspapers, on TV or the Internet Common mistakes   It says in the paper / According to the paper … (NOT It’s written in the paper … ) EXERCISES 52.1 Tick (✓) the words which describe a type of TV programme. 52.2 Complete the dialogues. 1 A: Have you heard of ‘Radio Five Live’? B: Yes, it’s a very popular _____station ______. 2 A: Is the magazine published every day? B: No, it ___________ monthly. 3 A: Is it a national paper? B: No, it’s a ___________ paper for the south-west. 4 A: Can we watch the news now? B: Yes, it’s on ___________ Four. 5 A: Are they mostly famous people? B: Yes, they’re all ___________. 52.3 Complete the crossword. What is the vertical word in grey? 1 a famous person 2 a number of programmes with the same characters 3 a piece of writing about a news item 4 programmes several times a week about the same people 5 happening every day 6 a factual programme about real people and situations 7 relating to the whole country 8 a programme that interviews famous people 9 a piece of writing about an important subject 52.4 Complete the sentences. 1 Did you read that ____article___ in the paper yesterday about space? 2 The manager was interviewed for the paper by one of their well-known _____________. 3 Do you understand this _____________? ‘200 WOMEN GIVEN WRONG DIAGNOSIS’ 4 Rock FM is the name of a radio _____________. 5 It _____________in the paper that the interest rate is likely to go up soon. 6 I read a _____________of his latest film. It doesn’t sound very good. 7 You often see _____________ in the paper which promise that you can learn a language in ten hours with this method. It isn’t true. 8 _____________ to the weather _____________last night, it’s going to rain today. 9 I never watch _____________ operas. 10 I love The X Factor; in fact, I love all _____________TV shows! 52.5

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