Focus on vocabulary. Transcribe and read out the following words.

Transcribe and read out the following words.

average, addict (v, n), irreplaceable, highbrow, priority, discredit, voracity, ultimately

Study the definitions and work out what the word is.

1. full of excitement or hurried activity

2. a book or play that has been made into a film, TV programme, etc.

3. a strong need that one feels to spend as much time as possible doing a particular activity

4. too special, unusual, or valuable for anything else to take its place

5. a television-watcher

6. an interest having prior claim to consideration

7. tendency to seek distraction or relief from reality

8. to vary between limits

9. to be brave enough to accept or deal with

10. very keen to learn or do sth

3. Give synonyms.

1. disgrace, n

2. usual, ordinary

3. to relax

4. nearsighted

5. to consider, regard

6. to come under

Give the opposites.

1. addictive

2. flexible

3. highbrow

4. shortsighted

5. replaceable

6. above average

Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions.

1. It is a new adaptation of her book … television.

2. Radio was the medium … family entertainment before television.

3. Their marriage took priority … everything else.

4. The products range … televisions to computer software.

5. My kids are hopelessly addicted … the net.

6. It’s difficult to choose what DVD player to buy, but ultimately it boils down … cost.

7. … average, women live between 5 and 10 years longer than men.

8. The Internet is viewed by many … a revolutionary educational tool.

6. The words on the left can be used as attributes. Match them with the nouns on the right to make as many phrases as you can. Careful! Some words may have no match.

1. communication a. adaptation

2. broadcasting

3. voracious b. life

4. highbrow

5. electronic c. environment

6. television

7. average d. media

8. visual

9. hectic e. viewer

10. flexible

11. mass f. day

12. computer

13. internet g. reader

14. film

15. print h. addict

Explain how you understand the following.

1. Perhaps it’s my reliance on film that has led me to keep reading as such a low priority task.

2. Ultimately it’s down to personal choice which format and which genres and styles we prefer.

3. The accusations against TV usually stem from garbage programming.

4. It is a question of priorities.

5. One of the reasons that I love reading so much is its flexibility.

6. Readers in America seem to be a dying breed.

7. Most people view literature through Hollywood’s eyes.

8. You don’t find time to read, you make time.

9. Films and video games are very often discredited by people who favour books.

10. I object to those who use books as a kind of snobbery.

Reading and Television.