Informing the Public

Public opinion has an important place in a democracy. The public, often lethargic, is susceptible* to a wide variety of influences. The most prevalent of these is the mass media. These communications media—the press, radio, and television —have a paramount position in initiating,* influencing, and shaping public opinion. Bearing this responsibility, the mass media are often accused of being remiss in their duty to inform the public. There has been a great deal of hostile comment leveled against these opinion molders.

Sample Sentences: Based upon your understanding of the new words as discov­ered from the context, place them in the spaces provided.

1. The audience became extremely ________ when the bigot* began to attack minority groups.

2. Long hair among boys is so ________ today, there is no longer a prohibition against it in most schools.

3. We are all susceptible* to a ________ feeling after a heavy meal.

4. A good politician seeks the ________ issue in his community.

5. Parents are often ________ in not warning their children of the dangers of

cigarette smoking.

Definitions: Matching words and definitions will prove you've learned them.

6. lethargic ___ a. prevailing, common, general

7. prevalent —— b. lazy, indifferent

8. paramount ___ c. antagonistic, angry

9. remiss ___ d. supreme, foremost

10. hostile ___ e. careless, negligent

Today's Idiom: to split hairs—to make fine distinctions

The mother and child spent a great deal of time arguing about the hair-splitting question of whether "going to bed" meant lights out or not.

26th Week / 2nd Day

New Words: rebuke aversion evince vogue superficial

The Lack ofForeign News

The critics rebuke the press for the fact that most newspapers devote somewhat less than 10 percent of their news space to foreign items. In many hundreds of papers this falls below two percent. Why is there this aversion to foreign news? News­men claim that readers evince no interest in foreign affairs. In order to increase reader interest in foreign news, the vogue among editors is to sensationalize it to the point of distortion. Many other papers do only the most superficial kind of report­ing in this area.

Sample Sentences: Insert the new words in these sentences.

1. The female ————————— to mice is considered absurd * by boys.

2. After a ————————— examination of the injured motorist, the doctor said that hospitalization was imperative.*

3. Many a husband has been given a _________ for having imbibed * too fully at an office party.

4. The teacher could not get the little boy to _________ any interest in their

project.

5. Good manners are always in _________.

Definitions: Match the new words with their definitions.

6. rebuke (v.) ___ a. on the surface, slight

7. aversion ___ b. criticize, reproach, reprimand

8. evince ____ c. strong dislike, opposition

9. vogue —— d. fashion

10. superficial — e. show plainly, exhibit

Today's Idiom: to strike while the iron is hot— to take an action at the right moment

As soon as John heard that his father had won in the lot­tery, he struck while the iron was hot and asked for an increase in his allowance

.

26th Week / 3rd Day

New Words: jettison inevitable lucrative tussle intrinsic

Playing It Safe

The average newspaper office receives many times the amount of foreign news than it has space to print. The editor must include or jettison items as he sees fit. It is inevitable that his ideas of what the reader wants to know, or should know, are decisive. Because the newspaper owners do not want to endanger a lucrative business, there is the constant tussle between personal opinion and the desire not to offend too many readers or advertisers. It is intrinsic to the operation of all mass media that they avoid being extremist in their news coverage or editorials.

Sample Sentences: Insert the new words in these sentences.

1. Our conscience must always _________ against our yearning* for what we

know is taboo.*

2. Man sets the price of gold; it has no _________ value.

3. The pilot decided it would be imprudent*to _________ his fuel over the pop­ulated area.

4. It is ————————— that children question what their elders accept as tradition*.

5. In New York one can build a _________ business selling the most bizarre* items.

Definitions: Match the new words with their definitions.

6. jettison ——— a. sure, certain, unavoidable

7. inevitable —— b. essential, natural, inborn

8. lucrative —— c. a rough struggle

9. tussle (n./v.) ———d. profitable

10. intrinsic —-— e. throw overboard, discard

Today's Idiom: once in a blue moon— on a very rare occasion

His wife complained that they go out to dinner and a show once in a blue moon.

26th Week / 4th Day

New Words: acute gist transient terse cogent

A FavoriteNews Source

The electronic media—television and radio—have more acute problems than does the press when it comes to news reporting. A normal broadcast can cover only a small part of a news day. The object is to transmit the gist of a story with­out supplying its background. Another difficulty of electronic news broadcasting is its transient nature; the viewer or listener may miss an important story if his attention wanders. On the other hand, because radio and television present news in a more terse and exciting way, they are accepted as the most cogent presentation of news and are preferred and believed above newspapers by most people.

Sample Sentences: A slow and thorough study is needed today.

1. After the catastrophe,* there was an _________ need for emergency housing.

2. The young lover was susceptible* to _________ feelings of jealousy when he saw his sweetheart dancing with his best friend.

3. He had to get the _________ of his message into a 25-word telegram.

4. The mayor made a _________ statement in which he rebuked* his election op­ponent for making a contemptuous* accusation.

5. The best debater makes the most _________ presentation.

Definitions: This day's work requires careful study.

6. acute ——— a, forceful, convincing, persuasive

7. gist ——— b. concise, brief, compact

8. transient _____ c. essence, main point

9. terse ______ d. passing, short-lived, fleeting 10. cogent ______ e. sharp, keen, severe

Today's Idiom: sleep on it— postpone a decision while giving it some thought

He didn't want to show his hand immediately, so he agreed to sleep on it for a few more days.

27^th Week / 1^st Day

New Words: pinnacle array obscure ardent culminate

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30