Unit Four
Text
Many people in the United States spend most of their free time watching television. Certainly, there are many worthwhile programs on television, includ- ing news, educational programs for children, pro- grams on current social problems, plays, oziies, con- erts, and so on. Nevrtheless, perhaps people should not be spending so much of their time in front of the TV. Mr Mayer imagines what we might do if we were forced to find other activities. MMKEY文摘 TURNING OFF TV : A QUIET HOUR
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英语文摘
I would like to propose that for sixty to ninety minutes each evening, right after the early evening news, all television broadcasting in the United States be prohibited by law. Let us take a serious, reasonable look at what the results might be if 5 such a proposal were accepted. Families might use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of TV, they might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another. It is well known that many of our problems -- everything, in fact, from the generation gap to the high di- vorce rate to some forms of mental illness - are caused at least in part by 10 failure to communicate. We do not tell each other what is disturbirig us. The result is emotional difficulty of one kind or another. By using the quiet family hour to discuss our problems, we might get to know each other bet- ter, and to like each other better. On evenings when such talk is unnecessary , families could rediscover 15 more active pastimes. Freed form TV, forced to find their own ctivities, they might take a ride together to watch the sunset. Or they might take a walk together (remember feet? ) and see the neighborhood with fresh , new eyes. With free time and no TV, children and adults might rediscover read- 20 ing. There is more entertainment in a good book than in a month of typical TV programming. Educators report that the generation growing up with television can barely write an English ntence, even at the college level. Writing is often learned from reading. A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour. 25 A different form of reading might also be done, as it was in the past: reading aloud. Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story. The quiet hour could become the story hour.When the quiet hour ends, the TV networks might even be forced to come up with better shows in order to get us back 30 frorn our newly diseovered activities. At first glance, the idea of an hour without TV seems radical. What will parents do without the electroriic baby-sitter? How will we spend the time? But it is not radical at all. It has been only twenty--five years since television came to control American free time. Those of us thirty--five and 35 older can remember childhoods without television, spent partly with ra- dio -- which at least involved the listener's imagination -- but also with reading , learning , talking , playing games , inventing new activities. It wasn't that difficult. Honest. The truth is we had a ball.
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New Words 英语文摘
worthwhile /'wa:6'wail/ a. good enough for the time or effort needed;valu-
able 值得花时间（或精力）的；有价值的
program(me) /'prau~aem/ n. performance on radio or television 节目