1. Read these two quotations and then note down your own views on whether it's best to get your news from television or a newspaper.
"The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed on one page of a newspaper. And the world cannot be understood in one page. Of course there is a compensation: television offers pictures, and the pictures move.
Neil Postman (American writer)
A newspaper can easily afford to print an item of possible interest to only a fraction of its readers. A television news programme must be put together with the assumption that each item will be of some interest to everyone that watches. Every time a newspaper includes a feature which will attract a specialised group it can assume it is adding at least a little bit to its circulation. If a television news programme includes an item of this sort, it must assume that its audience will diminish.
Reuven Frank (NBC News Executive)
2. Work in pairs. Compare your notes. Have you got enough material to write about 150 words on the topic? If you have too much, what would you leave out?
3. When you're writing a composition that asks you to give your opinion about a topic, you'll probably need to explain what you mean and give your reasons. Choose four of these opening lines and write two more sentences for each, adding an explanation or reason.
1. I hardly ever read a newspaper because . . .
I find that I get a much better picture of what is going on in the world by watching the news on television. Television news is also much more up-to-date than a newspaper and only the most important items of news are reported.
2. People like reading human interest stories in the paper, not politics, because . . .
3. Nuclear power stations are a good/bad thing because . . .
4. The reasons why the government should change/not change the law on drugs are . .
5. If a criminal has committed a very serious crime . . .
6. The only solution to terrorism is ...
7. Exams are a good/bad thing because . . .
8. Parents can be really annoying because . . .
III. Work in pairs. Look at these typical exam questions. Make notes of the points you could make if you wrote each of these articles.
1. An international magazine for young people is planning a special issue on pollution in different countries. Write a short article for this magazine, describing the situation in your country and what can be done to improve it.
2. An English-language newspaper in your country recently published a report about how few women take part in politics. Write an article for the newspaper, explaining why this so and how the situation could be improved.
3. A college magazine recently published a report that marriage is out-of-date. Write an article for the magazine, giving your views on this topic, based on your own experience.
IV. Write an article for a young people's magazine (120-180 words) beginning like this:
One of the most serious problems facing the world today is ...
or One of the most serious problems facing my country today is ...
Time yourself while you make notes and then write the article.
2 Work in pairs. Read each other's articles.