1. New words and phrases

1) worthwhile: adv. worthy of time, efforts, etc.

¨       Can you recommend me some worthwhile books to read.

Worthwhile and worthy can be used as an attributive

Worth 后接名词主动形式表示被动意义。不接动词不定式。

¨       Structure: It is worthwhile doing/ to do sth.

2) program: n. list of items for TV or radio broadcasting, concert, etc.

¨       What is the next item on the theatre program?

n. plan or strategy

¨       According to the government report, the reemployment program is going on well.

n. set of instrument that a computer follows in order to perform

¨       Billgates built his company by designing software program.

     v. give (a computer) a set of instrument to make it able to perform

¨       The robot is programmed to do dangerous jobs in place of men.

3) current : adj. of the present time 

¨        The woman in blue over there is the current chairman of our department.

n. generally accepted or in fashion

¨       The current belief is that human being evolved from monkeys.

n. stream of flowing water, air, etc. tendency

¨       Newspapers influence the current of public opinion.

¨       go with/ against the current 顺应/ 违背历史潮流

4) social: adj. of or in society

¨       Single-parent families bring about many social problems.

Adj. for companionship

¨       Young ladies over interested in social gatherings are called social butterflies.

5) propose: v. suggest, put forward

¨        He proposed that we (should) go there on foot.

propose后接从句时应该是以should加动词原形的虚拟语气结构。同时如果是它的名词也适用这样的句型。

¨       His proposal was that we should make an early start.

proposal: n. suggestion, offer of marriage 

¨       The princess has had a number of proposals this year.

6) prohibit: v. forbid (prohibit sb. from doing sth.)bi

¨       In some countries women are prohibited from walking out without a veil.

prohibit, a formal word, indicating sth. is not allowed to do by rules and regulations, even law.

ban, order with authorities that sth. not be done (ban sb. from doing sth.)

forbid, general term for minor things, order not to do sth., order that sth. shall not be done (forbid sb. to do sth.)

¨       The father forbids his son to smoke.

7) communicate: vi. share or exchange opinions, ideas, etc. (communicate with sb. )

¨       We can communicate with people in most parts of the world by telephone.

v. be connected

¨       My garden communicates with the garden next door by means of a gate.

¨       He immediately communicated the news to all the classmates.

8) disturb: vt. make sb. worried, upset

         break the quiet, calm, peace of order of

¨       She opened the door quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping child.

¨       I am disturbed by the bad news that he died last night.

¨       disturb the peace (扰乱治安)

9) emotional: adj. of, directed to the emotion

               having emotions that are easily excited, etc.

¨       He displayed an emotional appeal to his girlfriend.

¨       She is an emotional girl and cannot help crying when seeing this scene.

10) involve: vt. have as a part or result (be involved in)

¨       To apply to a university studies involves taking the College Entrance Examinations.

v. cause to be mixed up in sth.

¨       It is said that many politicians were involved in the drug traffic.

11) invent: vt. produce sth. for the first time

      make up

¨       Thomas Edison invented the first light.

¨       He invented a story to explain why his watch was missing.

¨       Rumor is invented by ill-intentioned people.

12) in part: in some degree, partly

¨       My success in part is owing to his help.

¨       We planted the garden in part with flowers.

13) come up with: think of, produce an idea, etc.

¨       Scientists will have to come up with the method of increasing the world’s food supply.

14) at first glance: seeing at the first time

¨       He believes that love at first glance is for kids only.

¨       I do not believe that someone can fall in love with someone at first glance.

15) have a ball: enjoy oneself, have a good time

¨       Last night we all had a ball at her home.

¨       After their parents left, they had a ball.

Structure: absolute structure (Ss do Structure Exercise VI-2 on P. 81.)   

 

2. Text organization:

¨       Part I (Para 1)

The author proposes that every evening, for 60 to 90 minutes, all television broadcasting in the U.S. be prohibited by law.

¨       Part II (Para 2-5)

The author mentions some problems caused by watching too much TV and suggests some activities to fill the time when turning off TV.

¨       Part III (Para 6)

People could have more fun if they turned off TV for one or two hours every day as they did in the past

3. Explain difficult sentences.

1) “Families might use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of TV, they might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another. ”

¨       What does “a real family hour” refer to?

It refers to an hour when family members might sit around together, doing sth. meaningful like talking to each other and reading novels, etc.

¨       Without the distraction of TV, they might sit around together after dinner and really talk to one another.

Paraphrase: If there had not been for the distraction of TV, they might sit around together after dinner and really talk to one another.

¨       介词短语without…相当于一个以if 引导的条件从句，常用虚拟语气。

Without his pension, he would have starved.

但是，without有时也不用虚拟语气。

I can’t do it without your help. 表示“希望你能帮我”。

I couldn’t do it without your help. 表示“事实上你会帮我的”。

¨       According to the sentence, what can we infer about the writer’s attitude?

     TV has taken people away too much so that the lack of communication has caused many social problems.

2) It is well known that many of our problems — everything, in fact, from the generation gap to the high divorce rate to some forms of mental illness — are caused at least in part by failure to communicate.

译：众所周知，我们的许多问题 —— 事实上是所有的问题，从代沟、高离婚率到某些精神疾病 —— 至少部分是由于缺乏交流而引起的。

3）On evenings when such talk is unnecessary, families could rediscover more active pastimes. Freed from TV, forced to find their own activities, they might take a ride together to watch the sunset. Or they might take a walk together (remember feet?) and see the neighborhood with fresh, new eyes.

¨       What can be inferred from the text?

It can be inferred that the author regards watching TV as a passive pastime.

¨       What do “active pastimes” mean?

Compared to watching TV, active pastimes refer to those activities that require physical or mental exercises. Reading, for instance, can be active. Exercising is physically active, too.

Can you suggest some active pastimes?

Aerobics / playing games /reading / sports / taking a riding

¨       Why does the author use the rhetorical question “remember feet?”

This rhetorical question implies that Americans are now so used to traveling by car or other vehicles that many people almost forget that they can walk to some place. This perhaps can also explain why America is sometimes nicknamed as “a country on wheels”.

¨       Why does the author encourage us to “to see the neighborhood with fresh, new eyes”?

We might pass the neighborhood everyday but have no time to enjoy it. When we are back from work, we prefer to stay at home, watching TV to kill time rather than going out. Seeing it with fresh, new eyes might help us to find something we haven’t noticed before and appreciate the neighborhood even more.

4）With free time and no TV, children and adults might rediscover reading. There is more entertainment in a good book than in a month of typical TV programming. Educators report that the generation growing up with television can barely write an English sentence, even at the college level. Writing is often learned from reading. A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour.

¨       What does the word “rediscover” mean?

    It means “to find again”. After TV appeared, people spend more time watching and less time reading, and to some extent, reading has almost been forgotten. Now with no TV to watch, people might pick up reading again.

¨       Do you think reading can improve writing? In what way?

    It is generally accepted that reading can help us learn writing. When we read, we can actually enjoy the writing. Besides, we can develop our sense of language, and observe writing skills. Therefore, reading a lot of good books can help to improve our writing ability.

¨       What was the special occasion? How old was the old lady?

    “Writing is often learned from reading. A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour. ” What does the author imply in this sentence?

If children had formed the habit of reading worthwhile books instead of watching TV for at least one hour each day, they would certainly be more cultured than they are now.

5) When the quiet hour ends, the TV networks might even be forced to come up with better shows in order to get us back from our newly discovered activities.

¨       What can we infer from the writer’s attitude towards TV program?

It’s obvious that some TV programs are not worth watching. If people can obtain pleasure from their active pastimes, the TV networks will be challenged to produce better programs to draw their attention back.

7) What will parents do without the electronic baby-sitter?

¨       What does electronic baby-sitter refer to?

    It refers to TV. Since TV programs can attract and hold the attention of children, their parents can leave them unattended while the machine is on.

8)“Honest. The truth is we had a ball. ”

¨       Paraphrase the sentence:

    I’m telling you the truth: we Americans used to have a very good time before TV came into our life. 

4.Useful expressions

1) 当今社会问题                   current social problems

2) 关掉电视                       turn off TV

3) 我想建议…                     I would like to propose that

4) 晚间新闻                       evening news

5) 严肃而同情达理地看…           Let’s take a serious, reasonable look at

6) 依法禁止                       be prohibited by law

7) 采纳建议                       a proposal is accepted

8) 电视的干扰                     distraction of TV

9) 围坐一团                       sit around together

10) 代沟                          generation gap

11) 高离婚率                      high divorce rate

12) 精神病                        mental illness

13) 无法沟通                      fail to communicate

14) 情感障碍                      emotional difficulty

15) 看日出/日落                   watch sunrise/sunset

16) 带着新奇的眼光去看          see…with fresh, new eyes

17) 伴随电视成长的一代          the generation growing up with television

18) 制作好节目                  come up with good shows

19) 需发挥想象                  involve imagination

20) 过得开心                    have a ball

21) 电视台                      television broadcasting

22) 积极的消费                  active pastime

23) 大学水平                    at college level

24) 值得看的电视节目            worthwhile TV programs

25) 偏激的想法                  radical ideas