现代大学英语精读第二版教师用书 Unit 概要.docx
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现代大学英语精读第二版教师用书Unit概要
Unit3
WhatIsNews?
NeilPostmanandStevePowers
StructureoftheText
PartI(Para.1)
Inthisbeginningparagraph,theauthorsstatethepurposeoftheessay.
PartII(Para.2)
Somepeoplemightdefinethenewsaswhattelevisiondirectorsandjournalistssayitis.Theauthors,however,thinkthatthisdefinitionistoosimplistic.
PartIII(Paras.3–5)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorsexplainwhythenewscannotbesimplydefinedas“whathappenedthatday”or“whathappenedthatdaythatwasimportantandinteresting”.
PartIV(Paras.6–11)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorstellreadersthatthenewsismoreoftenmaderatherthangathered,anditismadeonthebasisofwhatthejournalistthinksimportantorwhatthejournalistthinkstheaudiencethinksisimportant.Therefore,everynewsstoryisareflectionofthereporterwhotellsthestory.
PartV(Paras.12–15)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorspointoutthattomakesenseofthenews,theviewerhastoknowsomethingaboutthejournalist’spoliticalbeliefsaswellashisprejudices,interests,andquirkswhichare,inturn,influencedbyhisfinancialstatus,thecompanieshehasworkedfor,theschoolshewentto,thebookshehasread,etc.
PartVI(Paras.16–17)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorspointoutthatthejournalistcannotalwaysimposehis/herviewsonthegeneralpublicbecausethetelevisionchannelornewspapercannotsurviveunlessthenewstheyprovidesatisfiestheneedsofthegeneralpublic.Ontheotherhand,theviewer/readermustalsotakeintoaccounthisorherrelationshiptoalargeraudiencebecausetelevisionandnewspapersaremassmediaandtheirnewsisnotintendedforanaudienceofone.
PartVII(Paras.18–20)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorsdiscusssomeotherpossibledefinitionsofnews:
newsassomethingtogivepeoplepleasure;newsassomethinginstructivethatrevealsthemores,values,andidealsofasociety;newsaslivinghistory;newsasasourceofliterature;newsasareflectionofhumanpain,suffering,tragediesandconfusion;newsassomethingtoinspirepeopleandmakethemoptimistic;newsassomethingtofrightenpeopleandmakethemawareoftheseamysideofthereality;lastbutnotleast,newsasafillerbetweencommercials.
PartVIII(Para.21)
Inthisparagraph,theauthorsconcludetheessaybyreiteratingtheirpurposeinraisingtheissue“Whatisnews?
”Itistoarouseourinterestandhelpusunderstandtheproblems,limitations,traditions,motivations,andeventhedelusionsofthetelevisionnewsindustry.
DetailedStudyoftheText
1.Weturntothisquestionbecauseunlessatelevisionviewerhasconsideredit,heorsheisindangeroftooeasilyacceptingsomeoneelse’sdefinition—forexample,adefinitionsuppliedbythenewsdirectorofatelevisionstation;orevenworse,adefinitionimposedbyimportantadvertisers.(Para.1)
newsdirector:
(电视台)新闻节目负责人
advertisers:
InmanycountriesintheWest,televisionstationslargelydependonsellingairtimetoadvertisersfortheirrevenue.Therefore,importantadvertiserscanoftenimposetheirviewsandinterestsonthenewssuppliedbytelevisionstations.
viewer:
Someonewhoiswatchingamovie,atelevisionprogram,oranexhibition
Compare:
audience:
agroupofpeoplewhowatch,read,orlistentosomething
spectator:
apersonwhowatchesanevent,show,game,oractivity
2.AsimplisticdefinitionofnewscanbedrawnbyparaphrasingJusticeOliverWendellHolmes’famousdefinitionofthelaw.Thelaw,Holmessaid,iswhatthecourtssayitis…wemightsaythatthenewsiswhattelevisiondirectorsandjournalistssayitis.(Para.2)
AmericansgenerallyacceptHolmes’famousdefinitionofthelawbecausetheyagreethatlawsmustallowforthenewinterpretationsnecessarytomeetthechallengesofachangingnationandachangingworld.ButtoproposeadefinitionofthenewsbyparaphrasingHolmes’definitionofthelawprobablycommitsthelogicalerroroffalseanalogy.Forexample,itwouldnotmakemuchsenseifweweretosaypoliticsiswhatpoliticianssayitis,oreducationiswhatteacherssayitis.
simplistic:
disapprovingtoosimple;notcompleteorsufficientlythorough
Nothingmore.Nothingless.:
Assimpleasthat;nomore,noless.
insimilarfashion:
inthesimilarway;likewise;bythesimilartoken
3.Butifweweretotakethatapproach,onwhatbasiswouldwesaythatwehaven’tbeentoldenough?
Orthatastorythatshouldhavebeencoveredwasn’t?
Orthattoomanystoriesofacertaintypewereincluded?
Orthatareportergaveaflagrantlybiasedaccount?
(Para.2)
Thefactthatpeopleareoftenunsatisfiedwithnewsreportingimpliesthatpeoplehavedifferentideasaboutwhatnewsshouldbe.
flagrantlybiased:
obviouslyandunquestionablybiased
4.Inmodifyingtheiranswer,mostwilladdthatthenewsis“importantandinterestingthingsthathappenedthatday.”Thishelpsalittlebutleavesopenthequestionofwhatis“importantandinteresting”andhowthatisdecided.(Para.3)
Itisallrighttosaythatnewsconsistsoftheimportantthingsthathappenedthatday.Butimportanttowhom?
Inwhatsense?
Forwhatreason?
butleavesopenthequestion:
butdoesnotgiveananswertothequestion
5.Ofcourse,somepeoplewillsaythatthequestionofwhatisimportantandinterestingisnotintheleastproblematic.WhatthePresidentsaysordoesisimportant;warsareimportant,rebellions,employmentfigures,elections,appointmentstotheSupremeCourt.(Para.4)
Thisisaninterestingexampleofhastygeneralization.Itistruethatwhatimportantpeoplesayordoisoftenimportant,butwecan’tjumptotheconclusionthateverythingtheysayordoisalwaysimportant.Ontheotherhand,sometimesevenwhathappenstosomeonecompletelyunknowncanescalatetoaseriouscrisis.Peoplecallthat“theButterflyEffect.”
problematic:
causingaproblem;questionable;uncertain
6.Now,thereisagreatdealtobesaidforSaranWrap.(Para.4)
Now,it’struethatSaranWrapisveryuseful.
7.SaranWrapisnotnews.ThecolorofLizTaylor’swrapis.Orsosomepeoplebelieve.(Para.4)
Notethattheauthorsaremakingawordplayontheword“wrap,”whichhasdifferentmeanings.
8.Weshallneverlearnaboutthesepeopleeither,howeverinstructiveorinterestingtheirstoriesmayhavebeen.(Para.5)
Wewillneverhearanythingaboutthesepeopleeither,nomatterhowinstructiveorinterestingtheirstoriesmayhavebeen.
instructive:
providingknowledgeorinformation;educational
9.Ofcourse,therearesomeevents—theassassinationofapresident,anearthquake,etc.—thathavenearuniversalinterestandconsequences.Butmostnewsdoesnotinhereintheevent.(Para.6)
toinhereinsth.:
formaltobeanaturalpartofsth.;tobeinherentinsth.
10.Infact,thenewsismoreoftenmaderatherthangathered.(Para.6)
Infact,oftenthenewsisnotsomethingoutthereforyoutopickup;youhavetodecidewhatinformationisnewsworthyandmakeitintonews.
11.IsastoryaboutakillinginNorthernIrelandmoreimportantthanoneaboutakillinginMorocco?
(Para.6)
ForAmericansofIrishbackground,theanswerwillmostlikelybeyes.Itissaidthattherelativeimportanceofaneventisoftendeterminedbytherelativedistanceofitsoccurrencetothepersoninvolved.
12.…everynewsstoryisareflectionofthereporterwhotellsthestory.Thereporter’spreviousassumptionsaboutwhatis“outthere”editwhatheorshethinksisthere.(Para.6)
Ifnewsstorieswerejustfacts,andfactsspeakforthemselves,thenallnewsstories,thoughwrittenbydifferentpeople,wouldbethesame.Butnewsstoriesareactuallyalldifferentbecauseeverynewsstoryisareflectionofthereporterwhotellsthestory,andeveryreporterhaspreviousassumptions(beliefs,pointsofview,andbiases)whichaffectwhathe/shethinksisthere.
toedit:
todecidewhatwillbeincludedorleftout,aseditorsdoinpreparing,printing,broadcasting,etc.
13.Theanswerstoallofthesequestions,aswellastootherquestionsabouttheevent,dependentirelyonthepointofviewofthejournalist.Youmightthinkthisisanexaggeration,thatreporters,irrespectiveoftheirassumptions,canatleastgetthefactsstraight.(Para.7)
irrespectiveof:
regardlessof;withoutthinkingaboutorconsidering
Allgovernmentofficials,irrespectiveoftheirrank,mustdisclosetheirproperty.
Wepursuethediplomaticpolicyofthefiveprinciplesofpeacefulcoexistenceinourrelationshipwithallcountriesirrespectiveoftheirsizeorpoliticalsystem.
togetthefactsstraight:
tofindoutwhatthefactsarewithoutmakingmistakes
now-defunct:
now-dead;nownolongerexistingorfunctioning
tofeatureastory:
togiveastoryaprominentplaceinanewspaperortelevisionnewsshow
14.…whothusearntheir35rublesamonthinlieuof“relief”…(Para.8)
Insteadofreceivinggovernmentrelief,theyaregivenjobsbythegovernmentsothattheycanearntheirmoney.(这是以工代赈的政策)
inlieuof:
insteadof
(government)relief:
moneythatisgiventopoorpeoplebythegovernment(政府)救济
15.…itwasthepolicyoftheJournaltohighlightthecontrastbetweentheprimitiveRussianeconomyandthesophisticatedAmericaneconomy.(Para.11)
theJournal:
ThisreferstothenewspaperTheWallStreetJournal,mentionedabove.
tohighlight:
tomakepeoplenoticeorbeawareofsomething
sophisticated:
(theoppositeofprimitive)highlydevelopedandcomplex高级的,复杂的
16.Eachofoursensesisaremarkablyastutecensor.Weseewhatweexpecttosee;often,wefocusonwhatwearepaidtosee.Andthosewhopayustoseeusuallyexpectustoaccepttheirnotionsnotonl