Reality Television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents

unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary
people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or
"heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the
early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.

Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz
shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the
1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism-
focused productions such as Big Brother.

Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows
frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in
exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-
screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-
production techniques.

Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary
situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen
women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television
also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and
performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother
participants also reach some degree of celebrity.

Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description
for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as
Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World,
the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the
environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out.
Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios,
challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark
Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and
avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not
reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."

Questions
Q1 - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because
they agree with the statement.
everyone agrees with the statement.
no one agrees with the statement.
they want to distance themselves from the statement.
Q2 - Reality television has
always been this popular.
has been popular since well before 2000.
has only been popular since 2000.
has been popular since approximately 2000.
Q3 - Japan
is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.
has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.
produced Big Brother.
invented surveillance focused productions.
Q4 - People have criticised reality television because
it is demeaning.
it uses exotic locations.
the name is inaccurate.
it shows reality.
Q5 - Reality TV appeals to some because
it shows eligible males dating women.
it uses exotic locations.
it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.
it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.
Q6 - Pop Idol
turns all its participants into celebrities.
is more likely to turn its participants into celebrities than Big Brother.
is less likely to turn its participants into celebrities than Big Brother.
is a dating show.
Q7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccurate
for all programs.
just for Big Brother and Survivor.
for talent and performance programs.
for special-living-environment programs.
Q8 - Producers choose the participants
on the ground of talent.
only for special-living-environment shows.
to create conflict among other things.
to make a fabricated world.
Q9 - Paul Burnett
was a participant on Survivor.
is a critic of reality TV.
thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.
writes the script for Survivor.
Q10 - Shows like Survivor
are definitely reality TV.
are scripted.
have good narratives.
are theatre.

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Guessing Meaning from the Context

Match the bold words in the text with their meanings.

1. _____ unscripted a. an incorrect or unsuitable name
2. _____ covers b. attraction
3. _____ frantic c. changed
4. _____ demeaning d. not written
5. _____ misnomer e. not correct
6. _____ modified f. humiliating, degrading
7. _____ abnormal g. to discuss thoroughly
8. _____ coached h. made up, fake
9. _____ appeal i. serious disagreement
10. ____ eligible j. mad, furious, violent
11. ____ inaccurate k. to instruct
12. ____ fabricated l. odd, strange
13. ____ conflicts m. suitable, worthy of being chosen
Which is the hardest language?
People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer
because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the
differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of
how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language.

A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a
native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while
Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater
the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most
people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly
influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of
Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese
speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be
less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.

Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and
the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each
learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it
professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use
in their day to day life.

Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest
language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that
they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of nouns
according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc.). This does not mean that Hungarian is
the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are
generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian
language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it.

Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more
difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing
system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native
speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the
British find relatively easy.

No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language are
easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not
necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say
that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.
Questions
Q1 - The question of how hard a language is to learn is relevant to both first and second
language acquisition.
True False
Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese.
True False
Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of a
European language.
True False
Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers.
True False
Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest language in the world.
True False
Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran.
True False
Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran.
True False
Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy.
True False

Referring Expressions
Find what the following words refer to.

1. it (line 1)_________________ 11. that (line 32) ____________

2. their (line 3) ______________ 12. it (line 33) ______________

3. their (line 12) ______________

4. it (line 14) ________________

5. it (line 17) _________________

6. they (line 21) _______________

7. this (line 22) ________________

8. it (line 23) __________________

9. it( line 25) __________________

10. it (line 29) _________________

ANSWER KEY

REALITY TELEVISION

Comprehension Questions

1. D 5. C

2. D 6. B

3. B 7. D

4. C 8. C

Guessing Meaning from the Context

1. d 8. k

2. g 9. b

3. j 10. m

4. f 11. e

5. a 12. h

6. c 13. i

7. l

WHICH IS THE HARDEST LANGUAGE?

True/ False Questions

1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. F 7. F 8. F

Referring Expressions

1. it (line 1) to answer

2. their (line 3) people’s

3. their (line 12) Japanese speakers’

4. it (line 14) to learn languages readily

5. it (line 17) language

6. they (line 21) British diplomats and other embassy staff

7. this (line 22) having 35 cases in Hungarian language

8. it (line 23) Hungarian language

9. it( line 25) Caucasian

10. it (line 29) grammatical complexity

11. that (line 32) learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge

12. it (line 33) to say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the
world