In today’s society, one of the biggest influences in life is television. Considering that most people have an average of 2.5 television sets in their homes and watch three or four hours of programming a day, television has made its way into our everyday life. So, can television change our lives? Many researches show that television viewing has a negative impact on people’s culture, especially children.
First of all, it is widely believed that each year children read less and less and watch television increasingly. Of course, they spend more time watching TV than they spend talking to parents, attending school or reading books. What is more, children wait impatiently for their favourite programme to start and most of them try to waste their time until it begins. On the other hand, as times are changing, television is also changing. It is producing shows with fewer moral values than before, therefore, with children watching tv more than we did as we were growing up, it is more important now than ever to see how they are reacting to what is being shown to them on TV.
Secondly, as I have said before, not only does TV influence children but it also causes adverse effects in the whole family. 60 % of families watch television during meals and a recent survey shows that 78% of the respondents indicated no conversation taking place while they eat. As a result, TV time takes over family time, play time and the reading time that could promote language development. Nevertheless, I have to admit that people even the most educated people in modern society like professors, need to watch TV as a way of relaxing, despite the fact that we live in the era of "reality TV programmes" such as "Big Brother" and so on.
In conclusion, TV keeps people occupied from more important things. Children, if not guided or monitored properly, may experience some adverse effect of watching TV and fail to keep up their academic work. I am convinced daily TV watching needs to be reduced so that people spend more time reading or enriching their minds in a more educational way. (A.G)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
This is the first book of a series of novels written by Alexander McCall Smith which are also adapted to television and have an enormous acceptance in the UK.
Mma Precious Ramostswe was an African woman with an especial talent to discover mysteries who decided to set up a detective agency in Botswana with the money she inherited from her death father. Her detective agency was the first one run by a woman in that country and she had to find her own place in a world of men. Fortunately, she had the unconditional support of her best friend Mr JLB Maketoni.
Reading through the book not only can you enjoy the way she dealt with the mysteries, but also you can discover the African culture. The stories in which Mma Ramostswe was involved in, do not have a very thrilling plot, they were based in more normal human aptitudes. However, I really like the way that she tried to solve them, sometimes by chance.
I recommend reading this funny book, or at least to browse the web and have a look at some episodes of the TV series.(E.A)
Mma Precious Ramostswe was an African woman with an especial talent to discover mysteries who decided to set up a detective agency in Botswana with the money she inherited from her death father. Her detective agency was the first one run by a woman in that country and she had to find her own place in a world of men. Fortunately, she had the unconditional support of her best friend Mr JLB Maketoni.
Reading through the book not only can you enjoy the way she dealt with the mysteries, but also you can discover the African culture. The stories in which Mma Ramostswe was involved in, do not have a very thrilling plot, they were based in more normal human aptitudes. However, I really like the way that she tried to solve them, sometimes by chance.
I recommend reading this funny book, or at least to browse the web and have a look at some episodes of the TV series.(E.A)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS – JOHN BOYNE
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a thrilling story but at the same time it is about the friendship and the innocence of two young boys.
The novel begins when Bruno and his family have to move from Berlin to a cold place called “Out-with” because Bruno’s father starts a new job. Bruno feels very sad because of this change and because he is always alone and bored. In his new house there are certain places that are “Out of Bounds at all Times and no Exceptions”, but one day he found another young boy sitting on the other side of a fence. This boy (Shmuel) is different, he is wearing striped pyjamas and has no shoes. Bruno and Shmuel become close friends and spend time talking everyday about many different things. Bruno asks why there are so many people in that side of the fence and what they are doing there, and brings food and things to his new friend.
One day, Shmuel tells Bruno that his father is missing and asks him for help to find him. Then, Bruno passes through the fence and both Bruno and Shmuel look for Shmuel’s father, beginning a final adventure that …
And if you want to know more about this fantastic story, you should read this book I am recommending because the end of this tale is really unexpected… Are you going to miss it?
Oh! And if you are so lazy to read the book, it’s a good thing that there is a movie based on this book so you only have to sit down on your sofa with some popcorn and switch on the television! (A.M)
The novel begins when Bruno and his family have to move from Berlin to a cold place called “Out-with” because Bruno’s father starts a new job. Bruno feels very sad because of this change and because he is always alone and bored. In his new house there are certain places that are “Out of Bounds at all Times and no Exceptions”, but one day he found another young boy sitting on the other side of a fence. This boy (Shmuel) is different, he is wearing striped pyjamas and has no shoes. Bruno and Shmuel become close friends and spend time talking everyday about many different things. Bruno asks why there are so many people in that side of the fence and what they are doing there, and brings food and things to his new friend.
One day, Shmuel tells Bruno that his father is missing and asks him for help to find him. Then, Bruno passes through the fence and both Bruno and Shmuel look for Shmuel’s father, beginning a final adventure that …
And if you want to know more about this fantastic story, you should read this book I am recommending because the end of this tale is really unexpected… Are you going to miss it?
Oh! And if you are so lazy to read the book, it’s a good thing that there is a movie based on this book so you only have to sit down on your sofa with some popcorn and switch on the television! (A.M)
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