СПИСОК СЛОВ ДЛЯ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ТЕМЫ “MASS 

MEDIA”
I. Kinds of the Media & and General Words:
1. TV (television) — телевидение
2. the Radio — радио
3. the Internet — интернет
4. the Press (e.g.newspapers &magazines) — пресса (газеты и журналы)
5. the Advertisement — реклама
6. Cinema — кинематограф
7. Pop Music Industry — поп-индустрия
8. channel — канал
9. cable TV — кабельное телевидение
10. TV guide — телепрограмма
11. watch TV — смотреть по телевизор
12. be on TV — идти по телевизору
13. turn on/off — включить/ выключить
14. switch to another channel — переключить на другой канал
15. listen to the radio — слушать радио
16. appear in the papers — появиться в прессе
17. title of a programme — название передачи
18. news programme — программа новостей
19. breaking news — экстренное сообщение
20. weather forecasts — прогноз погоды
21. current affairs — текущие события
22. broadcast — транслировать
23. inform — информировать
24. entertain — развлекать
25. broaden our mind — расширять кругозор
26. ruin our eye-sight — портить зрение
27. show violence — показывать насилие
28. intrude opinions upon — навязывать мнение
29. gossips — сплетни
30. about celebrities — о знаменитостях
II. Kinds of TV Programmes:
1. feature film — художественный фильм
2. documentary — документальный фильм
3. educational programme — познавательная передача
4. soap opera — многосерийный сериал
 5. serial [‘sɪərɪəl] / series is [`siəri:z] — сериал
6. documentary series about — документальный сериал о …
7. episode — серия
8. cartoon — мультфильм
9. game show — игровое шоу
10. reality show — реалити шоу
11. chat/ talk show — чат- шоу / ток-шоу
12. the news — новости
13. commercial — рекламный ролик
III. Kinds of Newspapers & the Press:
1. local paper — местная
2. popular paper — массовая газета (рассчитана на невзыскательного читателя
3. quality paper — «солидная» газета (рассчитана на осведомлёного читателя;
4. newspaper article — газетная статья
5. headline [`hedlain] — заголовок
IV. The Internet:
use as source of information — использовать как источник информации
for communication — для общения
for entertainment — для развлечения
chat on line — болтать он-лайн
send emails / txt messages — отправлять имейл / сообщения
look for information — искать информацию
find info… for studies — находить … для занятий
download info… onto — загрузить … на
addiction — зависимость
computer addict — человек, зависимый от компьютера
Other expressions
- have both advantages and disadvantages — иметь как преимущества, так и недостатки
provide great opportunities for education — предоставлять большие возможности для
образования
find info on the Internet — находить информацию в интернете
have a bad effect on — оказывать плохое воздействие на
have less dangerous influence for health than — менее опасно для здоровья, чем…
while doing something — пока я что-то делаю
prefer to listen …. rather than — предпочитать слушать, а не …
the most useful and convenient source — самый полезный и удобный источник информации
the most ancient mass media — самое древнее средство массовой информации
full of wisdom — полный мудрости
The importance of Mass Media
There are many different ways to get knowledge about our big world. It is travelling and going
sightseeing, meeting interesting people, reading books, etc. But one of the best ways of getting new
information is mass media. We live today in what has been characterized as a mass-mediated
culture, a culture in which the mass media play a key role in both shaping and creating cultural
perceptions. The mass media do not simply mirror society. They help to create the very world they
purport to cover.
The mass media have done and continue doing much to excite an interest in every aspect of the
country’s life. The mass media are the various ways by which information and news is given to large
numbers of people , especially television, radio, Internet, newspapers and magazines. The mass
media now play an important role in shaping our opinion. As a result of these developments mass
media eventually emerged and led to the creation of a mass audience, a large collection of people
who receive messages that are directed at them not as individuals but rather as a group.
I think it is impossible to imagine our life without newspapers. Millions of copies of them appear
every day. Many people subscribe to two or more newspapers: others buy newspapers at the
newsstands.
Most newspapers contain news, detailed articles on home and international affairs, reviews of
books, art and TV shows. Many of them also cover sports events, give personal advertisements and
pieces of advice, and publish horoscopes, weather forecasts, jokes, anecdotes and crossword
puzzles.
Most national newspapers express a political opinion, and people choose them according to their
political beliefs.
Vocabulary
News-stand -- газетный киоск
To entertain -- развлекать
To express -- выражать
To suit -- подходить
Broadsheets -- газета на развернутом листе
Tabloids – малоформатная газета, «бульварное издание»
Local newspapers -- местная газета
Post-box -- почтовый ящик
Advertisement -- реклама
To subscribe -- подписываться
Weekly -- еженедельник, еженедельный
Issue -- выпуск, вопрос
Social issues -- общественные проблемы
Trend -- тенденция
Comment -- комментарий
Daily -- ежедневный
Аdvantage -- преимущество
Substitute -- заменять
Supplement -- приложение
 Newspapers

In the past people learnt about news from newspapers. Nowadays people usually learn what is
happening in the country and in the world from TV or radio news programmes or from the Internet.
We cannot imagine our life without newspapers. There are dozens of them on every news-stand.
There are newspapers for professionals, for businessmen, for children and teenagers, for men, for
women, for sports fans, for those who are interested in gardening and for those who keep pets.
Some newspapers publish serious articles on politics, economy and finance, some aim to entertain
their readers. Many newspapers express certain political opinion and people choose them according
to their own political beliefs. In short, you can always find a paper which suits your interests.
There are two main types of newspaper: “broadsheets” and “tabloids”. Broadsheets are often larger
than tabloids, and are “serious” newspapers. They present the news
in detail, and do not have many stories about the private lives of famous people. Tabloids, on the
other hand, are much more interested in news and scandals involving stars than they are in serious
news. They often have very big headlines, particularly on the front page, and have lots more
photographs.
Besides, there are many free local newspapers which are put into your postbox whether you ask for
it or not. Probably they are not interesting, because they consist mainly of advertisements, but you
can find a lot of useful telephone numbers and addresses there.
TV, radio and the Internet have their advantages but nothing can substitute newspapers.

AFTER QUESTIONS:
1. Do you read newspapers regularly?
2. What kind of newspapers do you prefer?
3. Does your family subscribe to any newspaper?
4. What are two main types of newspapers?
5. Do you prefer to read broadsheets or tabloids?
6. What “quality”, “broadsheet” newspapers do you
know?
7. What does a “tabloid” mean?
8. Is tabloid press much more popular than the quality
press?
9. Do you follow sports news in newspapers?
10. Do you read reviews of new films and books?
11. Do you like to read articles on politics and finance?
12. Do you read any newspaper in English?
13. Do you look through your local newspaper?
14. Do some newspapers include “colour supplements”?
Задания:
1. Match the English words with their Russian equivalents.
1.documentary а) бульварная газета
2. to subscribe b) книга в бумажной обложке
3. subscription c) подписываться (на газету и др.)
4. tabloid d) документальный фильм
5. choice e) подписка
6. paperbacks f) колонка (в газете)
7. column g) выбор
8. channel h) трансляция, радиовещание
9. broadcast i) жестокий
10. current j) спутник
11. TV listings k) зрители
12. satellite l) доступный
13. violent m) развлечение
14. viewers n) реклама
15. available о) текущие события
16. weekly p) канал (на ТВ)
17. entertainment q) программа (передач)
18. commercial r) еженедельный
2. Choose the right word from the given above.
1) The ……… said that there had been an earthquake in Chile.
2) According to the TV ……… there’s a thrilling film on Channel five at ten o’clock.
3) Have you seen the new …….. for soap with that funny dog?
4) Some people pay for …….. TV and they have a kind of dish on their roof to receive the signal
from space.
5) You can receive hundreds of TV ……… if you have a …….. dish.
6) Journalists can make mistakes, so don’t believe everything you read in the …….
7) TV companies …….. their programmes across the country or even across the world.
8) Books printed with soft covers are called …….. .
9) I’m quite interested in ……. affairs and watch the news every day.
10) Could you pass me the …….. so I can see what time the film starts?

3. Choose the right word from the given above.

1) My grandmother always gets all the news over the …….. .
2) My favourite radio ……. plays non-stop dance music.
3) Where a sport match has spectators, and radio has listeners, television has…….
4) I don’t agree on having ……. films on in the early evening.
5) The ……. sent his two best reporters out to get the story.
6) You have to have a good voice and look serious to be a …… . Most of them are also trained
journalists.
7) Wasn’t that actress in a ……. for a bank a year ago?
8) We are thinking of getting ……. TV to receive more programmes.
9) He has made his own ……. for people interested in collecting stamps.
10) There are many free local ……. which are put into your post-box whether you ask for it or not.
4. Choose the right word from the given above.
1) News is _____ at regular intervals and there is discussion of _____ both national and
international.
2) The channels of British television keep people informed about current events, the latest
achievements in science and culture and offer some programmes which are both informative and
______.
3) Our family ______ to some newspapers and the “Book review” magazine.
4) There is also serious concern about the negative effects of some TV shows in which scenes of
________ are presented.
5) In London people have a choice between a few TV ______: BBC1 , BBC2 and some commercial
_______.
6) There is a principal difference between the living theatre and the mass ______ of films, radio and
TV.
7) In future there will be some new kinds of _______ much more interesting than TV, radio and
newspapers.
8) The companies just “buy time” to advertise their products and the ____ have to watch
advertisements for soap, washing machines, petrol and many other items during the programmes.
9) He doesn’t like ____ newspapers because they’re full of gossip and scandal. He prefers more
serious papers.
10) Books printed with soft covers are called _______ .

THE UK MASS MEDIA

BRITISH PRESS
 In Britain there are 12 national daily newspapers and most people read one of them every day.
Daily newspapers are published every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers are
larger than daily newspapers. All the Sunday newspapers are national. Most national newspapers in
Britain express a political opinion, most of them are right-wing, and people choose the newspaper
that they read according to their own political beliefs.
Fleet Street in London used to be the home of most national daily and Sunday newspapers and that
is why people often say “Fleet Street” to mean “the press” even now.
British newspapers can be divided into 2 groups: quality and popular. Quality newspapers are more
serious and cover home and foreign news while popular newspapers like shocking, personal stories.
These two groups of papers can be distinguished easily because he quality newspapers are twice
he size of the popular newspapers.
The quality daily papers are :The Times”, “The Guardian”, “The Daily Telegraph”, and “The Financial
Times”. “The Times”, founded in 1785, is considered to be the most authoritative newspaper voice in
the country and is said to be the paper of the Establishment (истаблишмент, власть имущие,
правящие круги). The “Guardian” appeals to well-educated readers interested in in intellectual and
social affairs. “The Daily Telegraph” is bought by educated upper middle and middle-class readers.
The “Financial Times”, printed on pink papers, is read by businessmen.
The “popular” press consists of the “Daily Mail”, the “Daily Express”, the “Daily Star” and the “Sun”/
In all newspapers there is a desperate fight to maintain or improve their circulations but it is worst
among the “popular” papers whose main weapons are sex, scandal and sport.
Apart from London-based papers, there are many newspapers. Most of these are evening papers
(there is only one London evening paper) and many appear quickly.

NEWSPAPERS
Title and foundation date:
National dailies National Sundays
“Populars” “Populars”
Daily Express (1900) News of the World (1843)
Daily Mail (1896) Sunday Express (1918)
Daily Mirror (1903) Sunday Mirror (1963)
Daily Star (1966) Sunday Sport (1986)
The Sun (1964) The Mail on Sunday (1982)
Today (1986) The People (1881)

“Qualities” “Qualities”
Financial Times (1886) Sunday Telegraph (1961)
The Daily Telegraph (1885) The Observer (1791)
The Guardian (1821) The Sunday Times (1822)
The Independent (1986) The Sunday Correspondent (1989)
The Times (1785)

TV AND RADIO
Broadcasting in the United Kingdom is controlled by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and
the Independent Television Commission (ITC). The BBC receives its income from the government,
but the private companies are controlled by the ITC which replaced in 1991 the IBA.
National radio is controlled by the BBC, and listeners can choose between four stations. Radio 1 is a
pop-music station with news and magazine-style programmes. Radio 2 plays light music and reports
on sport. Radio 3 plays classical music, and Radio 4 has news programmes, drama and general
interest programmes. There are many local stations, some private and some run by the BBC. Their
programmes consist mainly of music and local news.
The BBC has two TV channels. BBC 2 has more serious programmes and news features. There is a
break for advertisements about every 15-20 minutes. The IBA is responsible for looking after the
regional independent TV companies who broadcast their own programmes and those they have
bought from other regions. The most recent independent channel is Channel 4, and it has more
specialized programmes than the main channels. In general, people think the programmes offered
on British television are of a very high standard. Some people, however, are becoming worried about
the amount of violence on TV, and the effect this may have on young people.
TV and radio are also two of the main teaching channels used by the Open University. This
'university of the air' allows many thousands of students to study at home for degrees they never
would have obtained in the main educational system. They also have to do without sleep as most of
their programmes are broadcast early in the morning or late at night.
'Top of the Pops' is a programme that has been shown every week on BBC TV for many years. Each
week computers in a number of record – shops throughout the United Kingdom show how many
copies of a record have been sold that week. The new chart, issued each Tuesday evening, shows
which singles have sold the most copies during the previous week. With this information, the show's
producers decide which songs will be played. Usually it will be those moving up the charts, or the
new releases which the disc jockeys (usually called DJs) think will be 'hits'. Of course, each week
the show finishes with the number one single. Bands either appear live in the studio, or in a video
recording made especially to sell the record. These videos have become so important in the last few
years that they can help to make a record a hit.

THE US MASS MEDIA

AMERICAN PRESS

There is no real national press in the USA as there are more than 85 newspapers published in 34
languages. There exist two main groups of newspapers: qualities and populars. Only 2 or 3
newspapers with the largest circulation tell their readers about some rumors or crimes.
Quality newspapers contain only reliable serious information. They may also publish cartoons. “The
Wall Street Journal”, “The New York Daily News”, “The USA Today”, “The New York Times” have
the largest circulation among the daily newspapers. The main function of press in America is to give
objective information. The materials should be given in full volume and newspapers should give floor
to all possible facts and opinions. There is also no secret information for the press.
The information is usually taken from the News Agencies. The largest and most famous of them are:
Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI). There also exist about 122 domestic
and foreign news bureaus in the USA.
There are over 4000 monthly and 1300 weekly magazines in the USA. Among them are: “National
Geographic”, “Reader’s Digest”, “Cosmopolitan”, “Time”, “Vogue” and others. Women’s magazines
publish all sorts of recipes, stories about local or outstanding women, furnishing questions and other
items. 
As we know the USA is a big country and that is why local newspapers are more important than
national ones. A greater part of the country reads «The New York Times», «The Chicago Tribune»,
and «The Wall Street Journal». But such newspapers as «The Washington Post», «Daily News»,
«The Baltimore Sun», «The Philadelphia Inquirer», «The St Louis Post Dispatch» and «The San
Francisco Examiner» are also very popular. Large monopolists control the most of US newspapers.
It's a well-known fact that in the 20th century newspapers have ranged from tabloids featuring
pictures and sensational news to «responsible journals». Their pages include columns devoted to
news, editorials, letters to the editor, business and finance, sports, entertainment, art, music, books,
comics, fashion, food, society, television and radio. As the great number of news agencies grew,
America's press lost its individualistic character.
Although there are no separate Sunday papers in America as there are in Great Britain, US daily
papers have Sunday special editions. Many of them are remarkable in size: «The New York Times
Sunday edition regularly has over 200 pages. «The New York Times» sells more than two million
copies each day.
Aside from a few notable exceptions like «The New York Times», «The St Louis Post Dispatch»,
«The Washington Post» are daily filled with violence. This press contains murders, divorces and
gang fights. It also has gossip columns, horoscopes, comics, crossword puzzles.
Almost every American newspaper carries comic strips, usually at least a page of them.
Publishing books in America is rather a prosperous business. America is on the 9th place in the
world by the books, published and read. Public libraries always organize book sales. Most
newspapers and magazines publish chapters from the books of young authors.

TV AND RADIO
The problem of describing American radio and television lies in the simple fact: there’s so much of it,
so many different types and so much variety. At the end of the 20th century there were over 9.000
individual radio stations operating in the United States. By this time their number has grown
dramatically.
There are public and educational radio stations. They are owned and operated primarily by colleges
and universities, by local schools and boards of education, and by various religious groups. At the
same time in the late 90-s there were close to 1,200 individual television stations. Of these TV
stations, just 300 were noncommercial. Like the non-commercial radio stations, the non-commercial
television stations are supported by individual donations, grants from foundations and private
organizations, funds from the city, state and federal sources.
Laws prohibit any state or the federal government from owning or operating radio and television
stations (stations such as Voice of America may only broadcast oversea There is no also
governmental censorship or "reviewing" of programs and content. There are no governmental
boards or appointed groups which control any radio or television broadcasting. However, all
commercial stations are required to devote a certain percentage of the broadcasting time to "public
service" announcements and advertising. These range from advertisements for the Red Cross blood
drives and for dental care to programs on Alcoholics Anonymous and car safety. This broadcasting
time given to public service messages is free of charge.
There is a great variety among radio and television stations. The big cities are served by large
number of local radio stations. People who live in cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago
have choice up to 100 AM and FM stations. The same may be told about television stations. Smaller
cities have one or two local stations and larger cities ten or more. In Los Angeles, for example, there
are over 18 different local television stations.
Among the great variety of local, private, non-commercial radio stations in America, there exists the
National Public Radio Network (NPR). It is an association of public radio stations. NPR is known for
its quality news and discussion pro-rams. Another public radio network, American Public Radio
(APR) created a commentary and entertainment program for all ages called The Prairie Home
Companion. The largest television networks are CBS, NBC ABC, CNN, ESPN (the all-sports cable
network), MTV and PBS. The level of quality, whether in national and international news,
entertainment, or education that these networks offer is excellent. Children and parents in many
parts of the USA and even the world are familiar with Sesame Street, The Muppet Show or Reading
a Rainbow.
Student card 1
Ask your partner questions for the missing information about the US media in Card No.1. Fill in the
gaps. Answer your partner's questions.
Student card 2.
Ask your partner questions for the missing information about the US media in Card No.2. Fill in the
gaps. Answer your partner's questions.

Card No 1
………… is America's most popular entertainment. About 99 per cent of homes have a TV set in the
USA. More than …….. per cent of homes have three or more television sets. About 65 per cent of
US teens have TV sets in their own bedrooms. On average, Americans watch television about
……… hours a day. The biggest TV networks are: ABC, CBS, NBS, Fox. There are about ……..
television stations and hundreds of channels. But most people usually watch 15 TV channels. ……..
watch about 40 000 commercials a year.
There are about 11 000 commercial radio stations in the USA. There are also radio stations free
from commercials. They are ……… . They transmit their programmes to Eastern Europe. There are
about ……… daily newspapers and 11 000 magazines in the USA. The US is the home of the
Internet. More than 85 per cent of US teens go online every day.
Card No 2
TV viewing is America's most popular entertainment. …….. of homes have a TV set in the USA.
More than 50 per cent of homes have three or more television sets. About 65 per cent of US teens
have TV sets ………. On average, Americans watch television about four hours a day. The biggest
TV networks are: ……… . There are about 2 000 television stations and hundreds of channels. But
most people usually watch ……. .American children watch about 40 000 commercials a year.
There are about ……. commercial radio stations in the USA. There are also radio stations free from
commercials. They are the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty . They transmit
their programmes to ……... There are about 1 800 daily newspapers and 11 000 magazines in the
USA. The US is the home of the Internet. More than 85 per cent of US teens go online …….. .

HOW DOES MASS MEDIA INFLUENCE A MODERN PERSON'S LIFE?

Vocabulary:
Mass media                                   -средства массовой информации
To meet eminent people                -встречаться с выдающимися людьми
To shape public opinion                -формировать общественное мнение
Means of communication               -средства связи
To influence a very large audience-оказывать влияние на очень большую аудиторию
Public relations                             -связи с общественностью
To play a crucial role in smth       -играть решающую роль в чем-либо
Forming public opinion                -формировать общественное мнение
To be made up of smth                 -состоять из чего-либо
Newsgathering                              -сбор новостей
To provide news output                -обеспечивать выпуск новостей
To force attention to smth            -привлекать внимание к чему-либо
To build up a public image          -создавать имидж
Capacity to act autonomously     -способность к самостоятельным действиям
Impartial                                       -объективный, беспристрастный

Mass Media
To live in the modern world is impossible without expanding your knowledge in all spheres. There
are several ways of communicating the world of individuals-mass media, books, travelling,
museums, meeting eminent people. Of all the existing ways, there are two which are the easiest,
those are mass media and travelling. It’s not a secret the different media are used to communicate
news and entertainment. They include print media and electronic media.
Mass media play an important role in our life. They are usually defined by encyclopedias as any of
the means of communication, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, etc. that reach and
influence a very large audience, at least as large as the whole population of a nation.I believe mass
media are so influential because they can be used for various purposes: popularization, education,
entertainment etc.
Mass media play a crucial role in forming public opinion. But how much do the media influence the
modern society? Early critiques suggested that the media destroys the individual’s  capacity to act
autonomously. Later studies, however, suggest a more complex interaction between the media and
society. People actively interprete and evaluate the media and the information it provides.
Задания:
1.Fill in the blanks. The first letter of each missing word has been given.
The mass media refers to the people and organizations that provide news and i……….(1) for the
public. Until recently these were mainly n………..(2), t…….(3), and r………(4). Today, computers
play a very big part. The I………..(5) is a computer system that allows millions of people around the
world to receive and exchange information about almost everything. Ordinary post has been taken
over by e……….(6) which stands for e……..(7) mail because it is sent m…………(8) to each other
quickly and cheaply. Ordinary p………..(9) is now referred to as “snail-mail” and one wonders if the
p……..(10) is a job in danger of extinction!
2.Translate into English.
a) Средства массовой информации-это средства коммуникации, такие как радио,
телевидение, газеты, журналы, которые создают очень большую аудиторию.
b) Средства массовой информации играют ведущую роль в формировании общественного
мнения, так как они, во-первых, доносят до людей информацию о мире, во-вторых,
воспроизводят созданный современным обществом его собственный имидж.
c) Они создают аудиторию, которая поддерживает их в финансовом отношении.
TV or not TV?
Vocabulary
Entertainment -- развлечение
Opportunity -- возможность
To educate -- обучать, развивать
Broaden one’s mind -- расширять кругозор
Hard day’s work -- тяжелый трудовой день
To escape from reality -- уходить от реальности
Documentary --документальный фильм
Feature film -- художественный фильм
Professional skill -- профессиональное мастерство
Waste of time -- бесполезная трата времени
Whatever’s on -- чтобы не показывали (по телевизору)
Second-rate -- посредственный, низкосортный
Commercial -- телереклама
Violence -- насилие
To rob -- грабить
To shoot -- стрелять
To poison – отравить, отравлять
Intelligently -- с умом
Whether we realize it or not, TV plays a very important part in our lives. It’s the main source of
information and a cheap form of entertainment for millions of people. It’s the window on the world
which gives us an opportunity to “travel” all over the world, to “meet” different people and learn about
their customs and traditions. It has the power to educate and broaden our minds.
It helps us to relax after a hard day’s work and escape from reality.
There’s always a great variety of programmes on TV: news and sports programmes, talk shows and
TV games, documentaries and feature films, concerts and theatre performances… Of course, not all
programmes are good. But many are made in good taste and with great professional skill.
Some people argue that television is a terrible waste of time. It makes us lazier. We stay at home
instead of going out. We read less. We think less. We even talk less. It’s true that some TV addicts
spend hours watching whatever’s on – from second-rate soap operas to silly commercials.
Violence on TV is another problem that worries people, as TV teaches us “how to kill, to rob, to
shoot and to poison”. The same can be said about computer games and many films and books. And
if you don’t like a certain programmme, why watch it?
Составление монологического высказывания по теме «TV ORNOT TV?» (опора:
вопросы к теме)
Questions:
1. How often do you watch TV?
2. What are your favourite programmes?
3. What is your favourite channel?
4. Why is TV often called “the window on the world”?
5. Do you agree that television has the power to educate?
6. What do you think of commercials? Do they annoy you?
7 . Do you think that there’s too much violence on TV?
8. Do you believe that violence on TV may turn people into criminals?
9. Do you use TV intelligently?
What kind of viewer are you?
Everyone has a different way of using television. Here are some types of television viewers.
The absent-minded
This type of viewer leaves the TV on all day. In the meantime, he eats, phones, reads or does his
homework. For him television is really just background noise for his day.
The addict
He won’t give up TV for anything in the world. He watches the programmes in silence, with great
concentration. Even during commercials, he won’t leave the screen for fear of losing a second of the
programme. He usually chooses the programmes he wants to watch very carefully.
The bored
He puts the TV on when he’s got nothing better to do.
For him TV is the last resort. He only watches it when it’s raining or when he’s ill.

Сопоставьте заголовки с абзацами.

1. Traditional delivery 5. Focus on different readers
2. Loss of popularity 6. The successful competitor
3. Money above privacy 7. Size make a difference
 4. The best-known newspapers 8. Weekend reader
A.  As in many other European countries, Britain’s main newspapers are losing their readers. Fewer and
fewer people are buying broadsheets and tabloids at the newsagent’s. In the last quarter of the
twentieth century people became richer and now they can choose other forms of leisure activity. Also,
there is the Internet which is a convenient and inexpensive alternative source of news.
B.  The ‘Sunday papers’ are so called because that is the only day on which they are published. Sunday
papers are usually thicker than the dailies and many of them have six or more sections. Some of
them are ‘sisters’ of the daily newspapers. It means they are published by the same company but not
on week days.
C.  Another proof of the importance of ‘the papers’ is the morning ‘paper round’. Most newsagents
organise these. It has become common that more than half of the country’s readers get their morning
paper brought to their door by a teenager. The boy or girl usually gets up at around 5:30 a.m. every
day including Sunday to earn a bit of pocket money.
D.  The quality papers or broadsheets are for the better educated readers. They devote much space to
politics and other ‘serious’ news. The popular papers, or tabloids, sell to a much larger readership.
They contain less text and a lot more pictures. They use bigger headlines and write in a simpler style
of English. They concentrate on ‘human interest stories’ which often means scandal. 
E.  Not so long ago in Britain if you saw someone reading a newspaper you could tell what kind it was
without even checking the name. It was because the quality papers were printed on very large pages
called ‘broadsheet’. You had to have expert turning skills to be able to read more than one page. The
tabloids were printed on much smaller pages which were much easier to turn. 
F.  The desire to attract more readers has meant that in the twentieth century sometimes even the
broadsheets in Britain look rather ‘popular’. They give a lot of coverage to scandal and details of
people’s private lives.  The reason is simple. What matters most for all newspaper publishers is
making a profit. They would do anything to sell more copies.
G.  If you go into any newsagent’s shop in Britain you will not find only newspapers. You will also see
rows and rows of magazines for almost every imaginable taste. There are specialist magazines for
many popular pastimes. There are around 3,000 of them published in the country and they are widely
read, especially by women. Magazines usually list all the TV and radio programmes for the coming
week and many British readers prefer them to newspapers.