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10 Read the following text and discuss the questions after it. Why read?

If you can’t read this don’t worry! In Britain and probably many other coun­tries too, teachers and parents are worried about schoolchildren. They are worried because the children watch too much television. My advice is simple: don’t worry!

Let’s look at the TV problem first: a child watches TV because he finds it more interesting than anything else. So do a lot of adults. We must think about the quality of the TV programmes that he sees and help him learn through TV. What about reading and writing? Do children need to read and write any more? We get all information we need from radio and TV and so who needs to read newspapers? We speak to our friends on the telephone and do business on the telephone, so who needs to write letters?

In many ways, the move away from reading and writing has already start­ed. We no longer need to read road sings or information notices in the streets. There is usually some symbol that we can understand.

Most of all we don’t need to read books in order to learn. Not only is infor­mation given more effectively on TV, but more people benefit from it. Of course, it’s very nice to be able to read, but it is not a tragedy if we can’t.

We live in a multi-media society. Let’s take advantage of it and teach our children all they need to know on TV.

Questions to discuss

1. Were your parents worried that you watched too much TV when you were younger?

2. Did you find TV more interesting than anything else when you were in junior classes?

3. Programmes on what subjects did you like most of all?

4. Can you learn all you want on TV?

5. Do you think you get more information from books or TV?

6. Is it easier for you to memorize facts watching tv or reading books?

7. What do you like more to read books or to watch TV?

11 Share your opinions.

1. “Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read”. (F. Bacon.)