Unit Goals

CHAPTER 7
Learn about current trends in media use

Listening Strategy
• Recognize lecture language that signals important
information

Note-Taking Strategy
• Highlight important ideas in your notes

Academic Discussion Strategy

• Connect your ideas to other students' ideas during
the discussion

Presentation Strategy
• Refer to a chart or a graph during a presentation

CHAPTER 8
Learn about media literacy and stereotyping on
television

Listening Strategy
• Recognize non-verbal signals for important information

Note-Taking Strategy
• Annotate your lecture notes during and after a lecture

Academic Discussion Strategy

• Remain focused during the classroom discussion

Presentation Strategy
• Use hand gestures to clarify words and ideas in a
presentation
 [STEP 1 - I I I

~ Listen an.d Apply New. Strategies .i ,:. i

Think about the topic A. Look at the picture of a person reading the news. Then discuss the
questions below with a partner.

1. What are some traditional ways that people get the news every day?

2. What are some new ways that people get the news?

3. How do you get the news?

4. Imagine that you hear about a natural disaster such as a hurricane or

an earthquake. What would you do to get news about it?

5. How would you compare the quality of the news today versus news
in the past?

80 CHAPTER 7 Getting the News in the High-Tech Age

 Read to build B. Read this article about some of the ways that news has changed.
background knowledge
See page 2

R22

The Nature of News

What do people mean by the going to rain tomorrow. "News soon as that news is transmitted,
term "news"? An editor once you can use" means accurate people can find information
explained it this way: "If a dog information that people can act on about who has been affected
bites a man, it's not news. If a man directly by taking a different route and ways people can help. For
bites a dog, that's news." That to work, knowing when to submit example, within hours of the 20 I0
statement suggests that unusual a job application, or by changing earthquake in Haiti and the 2011
things make the news. Conflicts their weekend plans. tsunami in Japan, people all over
and events that are very recent are the world knew about the events.
also news. When famous people Another feature of today's Almost as quickly, you could read
do something, that's news, too. news is its focus on analysis. In about international organizations
the past, the news gave people that were helping, and how to
The news media is undergoing information about individual contribute goods or money to
tremendous change. For example, events. Today, people depend on help. This kind of news analysis
more and more people today have the news to get informed about helps people keep up with world
access to the Internet, where they how individual events happen events and better understand how
can choose what type of news to together to affect the world, their to adapt to them or assist other
look at. These days, people are work, or their lives. As much people.
choosing "news you can use." This as they want to know what's
means that rather than looking happening, they also want to know The new emphasis on practical
for in-depth news stories about what it means for their lives. News news applies to every type of news
events in the world, people want reporters are constantly searching medium-TV, print media, radio,
news about their own needs and for groups of events that signal and especially the Internet. With
concerns. People want reliable new trends. For example, through so many media choices, there is
information about the traffic on online news, word of major almost no limit to the amount of
the roads near their home, jobs disasters spreads around the world "news you can use."
they can apply for, or whether it's within minutes of an event. As

Check your c. Answer the questions about the article. Then discuss your answers with
comprehension a partner.

1. What does the term news you can use mean?

2. What is the benefit of today's focus on news analysis?

3. What kind of news do reporters search for now? What is one example?

UNIT 4 Media Studies 81

 Expand your D. Match the words in the reading with their definitions. Look back at the
vocabulary article on page 81 to check your answers.

1. media a. can be trusted

2. access b. find out about
3. in-depth c. TV, radio, newspapers, the Internet,
as a group
4. reliable d. a way of entering or reaching
5. accurate e. with a lot of details
6. feature f. writing that is in books, magazines,
and newspapers
_ 7. get informed g. an important or noticeable part of
something
_ 8. print h. careful and exact

E. Circle the phrase with a similar meaning to the underlined idiom.

Reading the newspaper every day helps people keep up with international,
national, and local events.

a. write down b. continue to learn about C. talk to people about

Discuss the reading F. Discuss these questions in a group. Share your answers with the class.

1. When you pick up a newspaper or visit a news Web site, are you more
interested in news about world events or "news you can use"? Why?
2. Which is more reliable, news in a newspaper or news on the Internet?
Why do you think so?

Review what you know G. With a partner, discuss three things that you have learned from the
reading and from your discussions about the news.

1. _

2. _
3. _

82 CHAPTER 7 Getting the Newsin the High-TechAge

 Prepare for the H. To help you understand the listening strategy, discuss the situation
listening strategy below with a partner, and answer the question.

During a lecture, the professor says, "Now, let me repeat that." What
should you do?
a. Stop listening because you heard it already.
b. Listen carefully because the information must be important.

LISTENING Recognize Lecture Language That Signals Important Information

STRATEGY
During a lecture, a professor will often communicate that he or she is
making an important point and that you should pay special attention
to it. When this happens, be sure to write the information down.
Listen for the words and expressions that professors use to signal
important information.

Expressions That Signal Important Information

• Listen to this: . . . • It's important to note that ...
• This is important. • Pay attention to this: ...
• You should write this down. • I want you to notice that ...
• Let me repeat that. . . . • The bottom line is ...
• I'll say that again. . . . • Here's the bottom line: ...
• I want to point out that. . . • This will be on the test.

List more examples I. Work with a partner to think of other expressions that signal important
information. Write your examples in your notebook.

Recognize lecture J. Read the two excerpts from a lecture about news media. Underline and
language for important label the lecture language that signals an important piece of information
information and also the information.

Excerpt 1
All right. So far, we've been saying that people depend on the news to
get informed about how events happen. I want to point out that the kind
of news they look for is news that affects their lives directly. They want
to know what's happening, but they also want to know what it meansfor
their lives.

Excerpt 2
So, earlier I mentioned the role of reporters in gathering the news. And
we said this discussion can apply to print, television, radio, and even
Internet news. It's important to note that reporters are now looking for
trends to report as news in all kinds of places-in stores, in the workplace,
and even in schools.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 83

 Listen to the lecture K. Listen to an excerpt from a lecture about the news. Match the first part
of each sentence with the correct second part.
G)..oNLINE
1. The number of hours people a. to get information about big
are online is events.
2. Getting the news on the b. 12Y2 hours per week.
Internet is
3. More people are using the c. the third most popular Internet
Internet activity.

Listen for important L. Listen to the excerpt again. Write down the lecture language that
information signals important information. Then listen again, and write down the
important information.
G)..oNLINE
1. Important information lecture language: _
Important information: _

2. Important information lecture language: _

Important information: _

3. Important information lecture language: _

Important information: _

4. Important information lecture language: _

Important information: _

5. Important information lecture language: _

Important information: _

6. Important information lecture language: _

Important information: _

84 CHAPTER 7 Getting the News in the High-Tech Age

 STEP 2 Take Notes

NOTE-TAKING Highlight Important Ideas

STRATEGY
Some ideas in a lecture are very important. These can be facts,
research results, examples, or definitions. As you listen, highlight the
important points in your notes by marking them.

Excerpt from a Lecture and Student Notes

There have been a number of recent studies on Internet use. The most
recent study, from the University of Southern California, has the most
accurate finding on Internet use. One important point they found is
that people go online an average of 12and a half hours per week.
Another important finding was that getting the news was the third
most popular activity on the Internet. I'd like to point out a significant
but more recent finding-there was a large increase in the number
of people going to the Internet for big event news ... that means
news about war, or deaths of important people. So the point I want to
stress the most is that the Internet is now the preferred source for big,
current news stories for many people.

Recent studies on Internet use

most recent-mos~a.9cura~e -findings

Univ S. CA Int. us~ s~~~y iounl::i

•.people go online avg 1 2.5 hr/week

•.getting news=3rd most popular activity

increase in # of Int. users for BIG EVENT news

war, deaths of impo~tant people, etc.

-'> Internet = preferred source for big, current news

Analyze the notes A. Read the lecture excerpt and notes in the strategy box above. Then
answer these questions.

1. What ways did the student use to highlight information? Give examples.

2. What is the most important point in the lecture?

UNIT 4 MediaStudies 85
 Highlight important B. Read this excerpt from a lecture on the changing nature of news. Take
ideas notes in your notebook. Highlight important information.

~ I want to stress that the news people want today is practical news. For
: example, ... and this is important, ... they want information about
the weather and they want reliable traffic information. These are both
practical kinds of news. The Internet is particularly important here for
two reasons,... now write this down: it's often easier for people to
accessthe Internet than a newspaper,and there is so much more of this
kind of practical news available on the Internet.

Make predictions c. Before the lecture, think about everything you have learned and
See page 8 discussed on the topic of getting the news. What do you expect to
learn from the lecture? Write three predictions below. Compare your
predictions with a partner.

1. _
2. _
3. _

Watch the lecture D. Watch the lecture, and take notes in your notebook. Remember to listen
for the lecture language that signals important information. Highlight
, ~NLlNE
important information as well.

86 CHAPTER7 Getting the News in the High-Tech Age

J
 Assess your E. Check the statement that best describes how well you were able to
comprehension recognize the lecture language.

I was able to recognize important information _.

a. all of the time b. most of the time c. sometimes d. not often

F. Use your notes to answer these questions.

1. What trends do experts see in the way people get the news?

2. Why did the professor mention the importance of young people?

3. Why are people choosing to get news from the Internet?

4. What are three negative aspects of getting news from the Internet?

Assess and revise G. Were you able to answer the questions in Exercise F using the
your notes information in your notes? Compare and discuss your notes with a few
See page 9 other students. Help each other fill in any missing information. Revise
your notes.

Summarize the H. Work with a partner, and take turns. Review your notes from the lecture.
lecture Then summarize the main points of the lecture for your partner. Talk for
See page 21 2-3 minutes only.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 87

 ~STEP 3
•
ACADEMIC Connect Your Ideas to Other Students' Ideas
DISCUSSION
During a discussion, you may have an idea that is related to something
STRATEGY
that someone else said. Use expressions to show that you understand
how these ideas are connected and that you want to add your idea to
the discussion.

Expressions for Connecting Your Ideas to Others' in a Discussion

o My idea is similar to Sam's.
o I disagree with what Sam said.
o As Sam already pointed out, ...
o Going back to what Sam said before, I ...

• Sam said ... , and I'd like to add ...

List more examples A. Work with a partner to think of other expressions you can use to
connect your ideas to others' in a discussion. Write your examples here.

88 CHAPTER 7 Getting the News in the High-Tech Age

Practice connecting B. In a group, read and discuss the questions below. Keep the conversation
ideas going until every student has had a chance to practice using the
language for connecting ideas. Use your own ideas or the ones given
below.

1. What kind of information can you get on the Internet?

Possible Ideas
news health information
shopping weather
sports advice
stock quotes local activities

2. Why is it important to get the news?

Possible Ideas
to help make decisions
to be prepared for changes
to know about the world
to have something to talk about with friends

Discuss the ideas c. Discuss these ideas with your classmates. Remember to use the phrases
in the lecture for connecting your ideas to other ideas.

1. The lecture points out that Internet news is current, complete, and
interactive. When have you found this not to be true? Give examples.

2. What is one other positive or negative aspect of Internet news that you
have noticed?

3. In your experience, do you feel young people know enough about

current world events? How is the media involved in this?

4. Look back at your notes. What was another idea in the lecture that
you found important or interesting? Tell the class why you think it is
important or interesting, and ask for your classmates' opinions.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 89

 PRESENTATION Refer to a Chart or a Graph
STRATEGY
Sometimes a speaker needs to help the audience understand complex
information with numerical data and statistics. A speaker can show
this information in a visual such as a chart or graph. The visual will
help the audience understand the complex information. However,
a speaker should not assume that the audience will immediately
understand the visual and how it relates to the presentation. To speak
effectively about visual images, the speaker can guide the audience
by doing the following .
• Tell the audience what they will see before you show the visual.
• Help the audience understand how the information is organized .
• Focus the audience's attention on a specific point.
• Stand next to but not in front of the visual, so it is easy for the
audience to see it.
Speak effectively about visual images to guide your audience.

Check your A. Watch a student give a presentation about getting the news. Then
comprehension answer these two questions.

~NLlNE 1. What survey question did the student ask?

2. What are two important findings of the survey?

Notice how the speaker B. Watch the video again. Think about the information in the strategy box
talks about a graph above. In your notebook. list two problems with the way the speaker
~NLlNE spoke about a chart.

~NLlNE c. The student received some suggestions about her presentation and
delivered it again. Watch the new presentation. In your notebook, list
two improvements the student made to how she referred to the chart.

PRESENTATION
Expressions for Speaking Effectively About a Chart or a Graph
STRATEGY
• Now I'm going to show you a graph that shows ...
• Along the left side, you can see ...
• As you can see here ...
• If you look across the top of the graph, ...

List more examples D. Work with a partner to think of other ways to refer to a visual. Write
your examples in your notebook.

90 CHAPTER 7 Getting the News in the High-Tech Age

1--------- --
Practice speaking about E. Work in a group. Below is a graph related to media use in the United
a chart or a graph States. The graph shows results of a survey about where people get
their news.

Where Do You Get Your News?

80 _ Recently
_ Usually
60
Q)
C)
.E
a; 40
~
Q)
a.
20

TV Radio Newspaper Internet

Stand in front of your group, and use the strategies to speak about the
information in the graph.

After you finish, have your classmates give you feedback on how you refer
to a graph. Ask them these two questions:

1. What are two ways I effectively speak about a graph?

2. What is one way to improve how I speak about a graph?

Give a presentation F. Prepare and deliver a presentation about how people get their news.

Interview at least ten people from two of these age groups: 18-29, 30-57,
or 58 and up. Choose one of the following questions. Then make a graph of
your results to show during your presentation.
1. How much time do you spend getting the news every day?

2. What sources do you go to for news?

3. How do you get the news about your local community?

4. Do you consider yourself well-informed about your local community?

In your presentation, give the topic and age groups you interviewed, tell
the questions, show your graph, describe your findings, and give a possible
explanation.

Before you prepare your presentation, review the ideas and vocabulary
from this chapter.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 91

ft~ -------- ..-. :
(,r "CHAPTER 8 Who's on TV?
, .-

~1-'. Listen and Apply New/Strategies '

I -=. ••• _ '"
.&-I""'.r.>'-. ~_.. _ •• II z.. I

Think about the topic A. Look at this picture of the cast of a TV show. Then discuss the questions
below with a partner.

1. What type of TV show do you think these actors are on? Why do
you think so?

2. Do you think you would like this TV program? Why or why not?

3. Why do people like to watch TV? What do TV programs offer

them?

4. What types of TV shows do you enJoy watching?

5. Do you find TV to be a good representation of a culture and its

values? Why or why not?

92 CHAPTER 8 Who's on TV?

 Read to build B. Read this article about common themes used in television programs.
background knowledge
See page 2
Themes in Television
Entertainment
elevision gives viewers a on TV.In program after program,

T wide range of entertainment

choices. Or does it? When
we look at the broad pattern of
businesspeople cheat, lie, or use
other people.
Fantasy. TV programs reflect
characters and plots, we can see a strong desire in viewers for
that most television entertainment fantasy. People like to forget
includes the same few favorite reality for an hour and imagine
themes and messages. These can worlds that do not exist, life on
be summarized as follows: other planets, and life after death.
Money. In the TV world, people Even shows that are not fantasy
usually have a lot of nice things: often try to include some piece of
houses, cars, clothes. This sends a fantasy because they know it will
message that having a lot of nice attract viewers. An interesting
things is normal and desirable. In aspect of fantasy programs is the
advertising, we take this message way that they use people's natural
for granted. Advertisers want to fear of the unknown. Things that
attract buyers to their product. people cannot explain are usually
Television programs are now presented as bad, dangerous, or
delivering a similar message for evil.
similar reasons: They want to Self-interest. People in the
attract viewers to their shows. We television world are extraordinarily
see this in the number of programs interested in themselves. Many
featuring rich, beautiful characters characters on TV think only about
living in homes and driving cars getting what they want. They are
that a real person in their situation not conscious of other people's
could not possibly afford. desires or needs. For example, one
Danger. The world, according to man tricks another man in order to
television, is a risky and dangerous take his job. He doesn't consider
place. Television programs such the other man's feelings or needs,
as police dramas show us a or those of their coworkers. He
tremendous amount of violence wants that job, so he does
and crime. anything to get it.
Respect. In TV life, people with These common themes from
professional jobs get more respect television are seldom true in real
than people with service or manual life and usually involve stereotypes
jobs such as waitresses or factory of people: the lazy janitor, the
workers. This is true in all kinds lying businessperson, the troubled
of programs, especially comedy teenager. These stereotypes can
shows. be funny, but they can also be
Business. Businesspeople insulting and untrue.
cannot be trusted, at least not

UNIT 4 Media Studies 93

 Check your c. Fill in the chart with examples or supporting points from the reading.
comprehension Then discuss your answers with a partner.

Common Themes on Television Examples or Details

Many programs with rich people/people living

1. Having a lot of nice things.
in homes/driving cars they can't pay for

2. The world is dangerous.

3. Professional people deserve

more respect than workers.

4. Businesspeople are not honest.

5. People have a strong desire

for fantasy.

6. People are only interested in

themselves.

Expand your D. Circle the answer that correctly completes the definition of the word.
vocabulary Look back at the article on page 93 to check your answers.

1. Characters are the _ in a book, movie, or television show.

a. people b. locations
2. Dramas are movies or television programs that are _'
a. funny b. serious
3. A comedy is a _ kind of television program or movie.
a. serious b. funny
4. Fantasy is a situation that is _'
a. true b. from the imagination
5. Reality is the way _ really is.
a. television b. life
6. An aspect is one _ of an idea, situation, or problem.
a. part b. example
7. To be conscious of something means to be _ of something.
a. a part b. aware
8. Stereotypes are _ and often untrue ideas about people or things.
a. common b. strange

94 CHAPTER 8 Who's on TV?

 E. Choose a phrase with a similar meaning to the underlined idiom.

Viewers take for granted that people in TV ads are not like real people.

a. accept without thinking about it c. don't understand

b. prefer without really caring

Discuss the reading F. Discuss these questions in a group. Share your answers with the class.

1. Do you agree with the writer that people watch television to forget
about the reality of their lives? If you agree, is this a good thing or a bad
thing? If you disagree, explain why you think people watch television.

2. Many of the ideas in the article talk about how television does not
represent reality well. Do you think this is true? How do you feel
about this?

Review what you know G. With a partner, discuss three things that you have learned from the
reading and from your discussions about themes in television.

Prepare for the H. To help you understand the listening strategy, discuss the situation
listening strategy below with a partner, and answer the question.

Imagine you are listening to a lecture and the professor stops talking and
writes a word on the board. What should you do?

a. Review your notes. b. Write the word down.

LISTENING Recognize Non-Verbal Signals for Important Information

STRATEGY In addition to using words to tell you that a piece of information
is important, professors use non-verbal signals-gestures and
movement-to signal that something is important.
Watch for non-verbal signals about the importance of a point or idea,
and write the information down.

Non-verbal Signals for Indicating That Something Is Important

• The professor writes down a piece of information .
• The professor projects the information on a slide.
• The professor uses gestures: uses hands, counts on fingers, pounds
on the podium .
• The professor leans forward or moves toward the students .
• The professor pauses and looks at all the students.

List more examples I. Work with a partner to think of other non-verbal signals that
indicate an important point in a presentation. Write your examples in
your notebook.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 95

 Recognize non-verbal J. Look at the photos of a professor giving a lecture. Then read the three
signals quotes from the lecture. Match the non-verbal signal with the idea the
professor is talking about.

The professor says:

a. "Today we'll discuss three common stereotypes on TV.

First, let's talk about gender stereotypes."
b. "Images of powerful men doing powerful jobs are in many
programs on TV."
c. "The selection of TV programs seems extremely wide to
average watchers, but not to the experts."

Watch the lecture K. Watch an excerpt from a lecture about television characters. Match the
G)..oHLlHE first part of each sentence with the correct second part.

1. Almost all characters on TV a. get hurt or injured.

2. TV characters rarely b. are healthy.
3. Very few TV characters c. are fat or unhealthy.

Notice non-verbal L. Watch the excerpt again. Write down four of the non-verbal signals that
signals the speaker uses to indicate important ideas. Then watch again, and
G)..oHLlHE write down the important idea.

1. Non-verbal importance signal:

Important idea: _
2. Non-verbal importance signal:
Important idea: _

3. Non-verbal importance signal:

Important idea: _
4. Non-verbal importance signal:
Important idea: _

96 CHAPTER 8 Who's on TV?

 STEP 2 Take Notes

NOTE-TAKING Annotate Your Notes During a Lecture

STRATEGY
Professors present a lot of information in one lecture, and you might
not understand everything they say. It's important to write down the
questions or difficulties you have in your notes and refer to these after
the lecture.
Annotate your notes with questions or reminders to yourself of
something you need to study after the lecture.

Annotated Notes

TV Themes

Health of chars on TV=-~seful for understanding_power of TV

media (Ioo\( IAf' ,._""_ed_itl._"_) _

Almost all TV characters = healthy

Rarely ge~ h_u_rt . _

even w/o seat belts

Eating=unhealthy
--- -----
Too much food, candy, coffee

••Very few fat/unhealthy people 'Why is' -thiS' f'0S'S'ible '?

- -- -------

Analyze the notes A. Read the sample notes in the strategy box above. List the types of
annotation used.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 97

 Make predictions B. Before the lecture, think about everything you have learned and
See page 8 discussed on the topic of television themes. What do you expect to
learn from the lecture? Write three predictions below. Compare your
predictions with a partner.

1. _
2. _
3. _

Watch the lecture c. Watch the lecture,and take notes in your notebook using annotation.
Remember to pay attention to non-verbal signals for important
~NLlNE
information.

Assess your D. Check the statement that best describes how well you were able to
comprehension recognize the lecture language.

I was able to recognize when an idea was important _.

most of the time sometimes not often

E. Use your notes to answer these questions.

1. What are three ways that the characters on TV differ from people in the
real world?

98 CHAPTER8 Who's on TV?

 2. What are some television stereotypes of men? Describe them.

3. What is one television stereotype of women? Describe it.

4. What are some concerns about the way TV presents the world
and people?

Assess and revise F. Were you able to answer the questions in Exercise E using the
your notes information in your notes? Compare and discuss your notes with a few
See page 9 other students. Help each other fill in any missing information. Revise
your notes.

Summarize the G. Work with a partner, and take turns. Review your notes from the lecture.
lecture Then summarize the main points of the lecture for your partner. Talk for
See page 21 2-3 minutes only.

- -
UNIT 4 Media Studies 99
 .._,--
-.
[If EP 3 Discuss the
., -
Lecture
, "I

• '"- I •• It.!~. _ J. 1.
• ••... _, I I I

ACADEMIC Keep the Discussion Focused

DISCUSSION
During a discussion, students sometimes bring up ideas that are
STRATEGY
not closely related to the topic. In this situation, the other students
should politely try to bring the discussion back to the original topic.
Use expressions to keep the discussion focused.

Expressions for Keeping a Discussion Focused

• Could we go back to ... ?
• I think we're getting off track .
• Maybe we should get back to the question .
• Let's get back on track .
• Maybe we could talk about that later.
• Let's stay focused .
• That's a good point, but for now let's stay with ...

List more examples A. Work with a partner to think of other expressions for keeping a
discussion focused. Write your examples here.

Practice keeping the B. In a group. read and discuss the questions below. Keep the conversation
discussion focused going until every student has had a chance to practice using the
language for keeping the discussion focused. Use your own ideas or the
ones given below.

1. When do you watch TV?

Possible Ideas
after waking up during meals
before going to bed when there is nothing to do
after work when there is an important event

2. What do you like and dislike about television?

Possible Ideas
Like Dislike
TV is a no-brainer. TV has too many ads.
It's fun to look at beautiful people. It has too many stupid characters.
It's a good way to learn languages. It hurts my eyes.

100 CHAPTER 8 Who's on TV?

Discuss the ideas in C. Discuss these ideas with your classmates. Remember to use the phrases
the lecture for keeping the discussion focused.

1. In your opinion, how do television programs show viewers a world that

is different from reality? How do you feel about this?

2. How important is media literacy? Do you think it can really affect

people's TV viewing habits and preferences? Why or why not?

3. If you could give advice to television writers on how to create a show

that you and your friends would like, what would you suggest? What
type of show would it be? What kinds of characters would it have?
Why would people watch this show?

4. Look back at your notes. What was another idea in the lecture that
you found important or interesting? Tell the class why you think it is
important or interesting, and ask for your classmates' opinions.

UNIT 4 Media Studies 101

 PRESENTATION Use Hand Gestures to Clarify Words and Ideas
STRATEGY The words a speaker uses in a presentation convey the most
meaning. However, effective hand gestures can enhance the
meaning of the words and ideas. Gestures can also help the
audience recognize when an idea is important.
Use your hands to enhance what you're saying and to emphasize
important ideas.

Check your A. Watch a student give a presentation about stereotypes on television.

comprehension Then answer these two questions.
~NlINE
1. What group of people does the student discuss?

2. What is the student's opinion of television's portrayal of this group?

Notice hand gestures B. Watch the video again. Think about the information in the strategy
box above. In your notebook, list two problems with the student's
~NlINE
hand gestures.

~NlINE c. The student received some suggestions about his presentation and
delivered it again. Watch the new presentation. In your notebook, list
two improvements the student made to his hand gestures.

102 CHAPTER 8 Who's on TV?

 PRESENTATION Effective Hand Gestures
STRATEGY • Use hand gestures that match the idea you are talking about. For
example, if you are saying, "There has been an increase:' then
move your hand upwards to represent an increase .
• When an idea is important, make a strong, intentional gesture.
For example, clench your hand as you say the idea .
• Avoid using too many gestures; carefully decide which ideas
need special emphasis or clarification. If you emphasize too many
ideas, none will seem to stand out or have particular importance.

List more examples D. Work with a partner to think of other effective hand gestures. Write your
examples in your notebook.

Practice effective E. Stand in front of your group, and tell your classmates about one of
hand gestures your favorite television programs. Describe one of the themes in this
program. Use the strategies for effective hand gestures.

After you finish, have your classmates give you feedback on your hand
gestures. Ask them these two questions:

1. What are two ways I effectively used hand gestures?

2. What is one way to improve my hand gestures?

Give a presentation F. Prepare and deliver a presentation about television portrayals of certain
groups of people.

Choose one of these groups of people:

teenagers students people who have a particular job
children men fathers
older people women mothers
Watch a variety of television programs, and take notes of the negative or
positive ways this group is portrayed.

In your presentation, describe the characteristics of the group you have

chosen, give information about the TV shows you watched, and explain
whether the TV shows use stereotypes or portray the people realistically.
Give examples to support your explanation.

Before you prepare your presentation, review the ideas and vocabulary
from this chapter.

UNIT 4 MediaStudies 103

 A. Learn about ways that people are getting the news from blogs and
micro-blogs such as Twitter and Weibo.

How does the news reported on these social networking sites differ from
the news on traditional media such as newspapers and television?

Debate the Issues

Debate the pros and cons of getting the news from social media versus
getting the news from traditional media.

B. The lecture compares the number and percentages of men and women,
rich people, and professional people that are on TV to the number and
percentages that exist in real life.

Listen and Take Notes

Interview people outside of class to see how closely they guess the
numbers in each of the categories. Take notes on their answers.

Discuss the Results

Discuss your results in a group. How great is the difference? What accounts
for the difference?

Present Your Conclusions

Share your results with the class, and present your conclusions for what
accounts for the difference.

c. Compare news coverage in different media. Cut out a major news story
from your local newspaper. Print out a story on the same topic from a
Web site. Compare the two stories, and answer the questions.

1. Does the issue seem equally serious and important in both articles? If
not, which medium makes the issue seem more important? What are
some reasons for this?

2. Which article is written better? Why do you think so?

3. Which article do you think covers the story better? Why?

Present Your Comparison

Share the answers to the questions with your class. How do your answers
compare with those of your classmates?

104 UNIT WRAP-UP