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42. Unreality Of TV
Dr. Heinrich Applebaum recently completed a study on the effects of television on children. In his case, though, he wasn’t concerned1 with violence , but how television gives children a false sense of reality.
Dr. Applebaum told me,“The greatest danger of television is that it presents a world to children that doesn’t exist, and raises expectations that can never be fulfilled. ” “ I don’t understand, Doctor, ”I said. “Well, let me cite one example. Have you ever seen a television show where a person in an automobile doesn’t immediately find a parking2 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 back into 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 a parking place when and where they want it. Can you imagine the trauma when they discover that in real life you can drive around a block for three hours and still not find a place to put your car?”
“ I never thought of it but it’s true . What else do they show on television which gives a distorted4 picture of the real world?” “Have you noticed that whenever a character walks out of a restaurant or office building or apartment and says to the doorman,‘Get me a taxi, ’the taxi immediately arrives? Millions of children are under the impression5 that all a doorman has to do is blow his whistle and a taxi will be there. I have never seen a show where the doorman has said, ‘ I’m sorry. I can’t get you a taxi. You better take the bus. ’” “Of course , ”I said.“I never knew before what bothered me about those TV action programs, but now I do. There is always a 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 taxi driver 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 an hour through a rain-swept street trying to keep up with a carful of hoods. And the worst thing is 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.
