Dialogues

1.

— Mike, how many channels are there on the British TV?

— Well, we have four main channels: BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4. And what about Russian television?

— Oh, we've got over ten channels on our TV, so everyone can choose whatever he likes to watch. As for me, my favourite channel is STS. It shows a lot of entertainment programmes and helps me to relax after a hard working day. And what about you?

— My favourite channels are BBC1 and ITV, because they offer a lot of sports programmes. I'd like to get satellite TV, because it has a channel devoted to sports and also the music channel, MTV. But my parents say the subscription is too expensive.

— We've got satellite TV in Russia too, and it is also very expensive. But we have special channels, devoted to sports and music, which are free of charge.

— How lucky you are!

 

2.

 

— What TV programmes do you like to watch most of all, Kate?

— There are quite a lot of brilliant programmes on Russian TV: talk and game shows, comedies and cartoons, police series and soap operas. I can't say exactly which programme I like best of all. Well, perhaps it's " Anshlag".

— " Anshlag"? What is it about?

— Oh, it's a very funny programme which consists of humorous stories and songs presented by Russian humorists. This programme is now hosted by Regina Dubovitskaya.

— I like humour programmes too. Does Russian TV show British humour programmes?

— Of course, it does. We always watch with pleasure such British programmes as " Mister Bin" and " Benny Hill's show". And what is your favourite programme, Gloria?

— I am fond of soap operas. British TV broadcasts a lot of different soaps, but my favourite one is " Neighbours".

— Why do you like it?

— Well, it is about the life of Australian teenagers. I like to watch it after school. It is very exciting and helps me to relax. Besides I like to discuss with my friends what will happen to characters.

— We have a lot of soaps on Russian TV too. My Mum really enjoys watching soaps. As for me, I prefer detective series. In my opinion, they are more fascinating.

— Tastes differ.

—

3.

 

— Do you like to read newspapers?

— No, not really. They usually have long boring articles. The only thing to read in the newspapers is TV programme.

— I completely agree with you. Newspapers are for adults. My father says that newspapers help him to be in the know of everything. But I prefer to read magazines. They are more interesting.

— You are quite right! Whatever your interest, you can find a magazine about it. As for me, I am keen on computers and computer games. That's why I like to read such magazines as Chip and Game.exe. They are packed with the latest information about computers and computer games.

— I am with you there, but I wish there were more magazines for boys. If you don't like football magazines or computer games magazines, there is nothing for you to read.

— That's because boys are usually interested in sports and computers. But I am sure new magazines will appear soon.

4.

— Television is much spoken about these days. Are you for or against watching TV?

— I can't say that I am a telly addict, but I watch TV two or three hours a day. In my opinion, there are a lot of brilliant programmes on TV.

— I don't watch TV as much as you do. My parents say that watching TV hurts eyes and is harmful to our health. Besides, I don't usually have much free time on weekdays. But on Sundays I like to watch TV.

— What programmes do you especially like watching?

— Most of all I enjoy detective series like " X-files" or Kamenskaya". It's exciting to follow the story line and to conduct

investigations together with the characters. I particularly enjoy watching films about mysterious and supernatural events. And what about you?

— It would be rather difficult for me to choose my favourite programme because there are lots of good things on TV. You just have to look for them. Well, I like old films, cartoons, comedies and thrillers, pop concerts and humour programmes. I even enjoy soaps!

— Soaps? They are long and boring! I can never understand people who rush home to watch their favourite soap. I never watch soaps.

— Well, 1 agree that soaps show life unrealistically, but they are not harmful really. The acting is pretty good there. They help me to escape from boring everyday life. I just use them to relax.

— But there are a lot of other interesting programmes on TV that broaden our minds and expand our outlook: documentaries and wildlife programmes, talk shows and quizzes. They are clever and informative, aren't they?

— Of course, they are. I can't but agree that many of the programmes are made in good taste and with great professional skill. The only thing that really irritates me is the amount of advertising on TV. When I sit down to watch the show and I am really enjoying the story, suddenly the film stops. I find it really annoying. What is more, advertisements are misleading because they don't talk about the products' defects.

— As for me, I don't take advertising seriously. Some adver­tisements are really funny. Besides, we shouldn't forget that commercial channels get most of their money from advertising. I think everything has its pros and cons.

— The same can be said about TV. Of course, TV has some disadvantages, but it is the main source of information and the best form of entertainment for millions of people.

 

5.

 

— What do you think is the best way of getting information about the world?

— It is a very difficult question. Perhaps, the best way to learn about the world is watching TV. It is a wonderful source of information. It allows everybody to follow the events in faraway countries without visiting them.

— I can't but agree with you. There are hundreds of various programmes that keep you informed about the rest of the world. What is your favourite programme?

— Most of all I enjoy watching " In the World of Animals". It is a very interesting educational programme. But for the television, I would not be able to watch extraordinary animals and to learn about their life and habits.

— I also enjoy watching TV, but I am fond of travelling too. While travelling we can meet different people and learn about their customs and traditions. We can see and learn a lot of things that we can never see and learn staying at home and watching TV.

— You are absolutely right! The best way to study geography is to travel. I enjoy visiting other countries and sightseeing. By the way, I always take a camera with me and take pictures of everything that interests me. Later I show them to my friends and relatives, But most of all I like visiting museums and galleries. They can tell us a lot about people's past and present.

— But we shouldn't forget about reading! Newspapers and magazines help us to be in the know of the latest news, fashions design and sports. Besides, they usually provide us with extra details and commentaries.

— Actually, I don't like reading very much. It takes so much time. Books themselves take up a lot of space at home. And newspapers... They make my hands dirty and the print is usually so small. I think we don't need to read books in order to learn. We live in a multi-media society. Let's take advantage of it and learn everything from TV, radio and computers.

— But how can we get information from computers?

— Haven't you heard about the Internet? It has become another important source of information. It's much easier to surf the Internet than to go to the library and find the necessary book or? magazine. You can also use the Internet to talk with people from different countries and to make new friends.

— Perhaps, you are right. Computers have changed our life for the better. So why shouldn't we make them work to our advantage?

— Hi! I've bought a new computer! It's the latest model, and it's working very fast.

— I hope you haven't bought this model to play the latest computer games, have you?

— Oh, no, I use my computer to find the latest information in the Internet. I think it's the best way to be in the know of everything.

— I agree with you. Everything becomes more complex today, so the ways we find solutions to our problems should become easier.

— Besides, I like to read books on-line. In my opinion, computers will soon replace traditional books because they can provide interesting pictures and additional information about the author. What is more, I don't have to go to the library in order to find the necessary book.

— Well, it's true that new technologies are capable of introducing changes in our daily lives, but I can say that books online can never compete with printed books.

— Why are you so sure?

— Because printed books are cheaper and easier to use. What is more, they don't need electricity. And one of the good things about a printed book is that you can take it to bed.

— Well, I can also take to bed my laptop computer. But of course, tastes differ and a lot of people will prefer personal relationship with printed books, so I think that books and computers will coexist.

— I completely agree with you. I am not against computers, but 1 think that they can be dangerous.

— Dangerous? What do you mean?

— I mean they can be addictive. New computer games create, virtual reality which some people find more attractive than everyday

reality.

— I see. These people don't realize that they have become hooked on playing computer games. In fact they've become computer addicts.

— Yes, they start spending large sums of money on computer magazines and software and neglect work, school or family obligations,

— Well, I am not a computer addict. I do my homework regularly.

— Don't you know that most sufferers compound the problem by denying it?

— I hope you don't want to ban computers.

— Oh, no, but I think it would be better to encourage parents to limit the amount of time their children spend in front of the computer. Besides, pupils must be taught not to totally rely on computers. They still need to jog their brains.

— I completely agree with you.