Dr. Heinrich Applebaum recently completed a studyon the effects of television on children. In his case,though, he wasn’t concerned1 with violence , buthow television gives children a false sense of reality.
Dr. Applebaum told me,The greatest danger oftelevision is that it presents a world to children thatdoesn’t exist, and raises expectations that can neverbe fulfilled. I don’t understand, Doctor, I said. Well, let me cite one example. Have youever seen a television show where a person in an automobile doesn’t immediately find aparking2 place on the very first try? Come to think of it, I said,I haven’t.
Not only is there always a parking spot available3 but the driver doesn’t even have to backinto it. There are two parking spaces available whenever someone in a TV show needs one .Children are being led to believe that when they grow up they will always be able to find aparking place when and where they want it. Can you imagine the trauma when they discoverthat in real life you can drive around a block for three hours and still not find a place to putyour car?
I never thought of it but it’s true . What else do they show on television which gives adistorted4 picture of the real world? Have you noticed that whenever a character walks out ofa restaurant or office building or apartment and says to the doorman,‘Get me a taxi, ’the taxiimmediately arrives? Millions of children are under the impression5 that all a doorman has to dois blow his whistle and a taxi will be there. I have never seen a show where the doorman hassaid, ‘ I’m sorry. I can’t get you a taxi. You better take the bus. ’ Of course , I said.I neverknew before what bothered me about those TV action programs, but now I do. There is alwaysa yellow taxi waiting off screen. Now, said Applebaum, have you ever said to a taxi driver,‘Follow that car and don’t lose him’?
Not really. Well, if you had, the driver would have told you to blow it out your ear. No taxidriver is in a mood to follow another car because that means he ’s going to get involved.
But on TV every cabdriver looks as if he ’d like nothing better to do than to drive 90 miles anhour through a rain-swept street trying to keep up with a carful of hoods. And the worst thingis that the kids believe it.
阅读自测
Ⅰ. Fill in the blanks with the following phrases : ( be concerned with, as far as . . . concerned,parking lot, on the first try, under the impression)
1. Driving around for almost an hour, I finally found a_________ .
2. The study _________the effect of financial crisis on international trade .
3._________ ,jazz is a kind of classic music.
4. I find the place_________ .
5. Many of us are _________that a man with an ugly face is a bad guy.
Ⅱ. Question : List two examples to illustrate the unreality of TV.
【参考答案】
Ⅰ. 1. parking lot 2. is concerned with 3 . As far as Iam concerned 4. on the first try 5. under theimpression
Ⅱ. 1. Whenever and wherever you want a parkingplace , you can find it. 2. Whenever you walk out of arestaurant, the doorman could find you a taxi.
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