现代大学英语精读6第二版教师用书-Unit-3.pdf

现代大学英语精读6第二版教师
用书-Unit-3

LT

Unit3

WhatIsNews?
NeilPostmanandStevePowers

StructureoftheText
PartI(Para.1)
Inthisbeginningparagraph,theauthorsstate
thepurposeoftheessay.

PartII(Para.2)
Somepeoplemightdefinethenewsaswhat
televisiondirectorsandjournalistssayitis.The
authors,however,thinkthatthisdefinitionistoo
simplistic.

PartIII(Paras.3–5)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorsexplainwhy
thenewscannotbesimplydefinedas“what
happenedthatday〞or“whathappenedthat
daythatwasimportantandinteresting〞.

PartIV(Paras.6–11)

Intheseparagraphs,theauthorstellreaders
thatthenewsismoreoftenmaderatherthan
gathered,anditismadeonthebasisofwhatthe
journalistthinksimportantorwhatthe
journalistthinkstheaudiencethinksis
important.Therefore,everynewsstoryisa
reflectionofthereporterwhotellsthestory.

PartV(Paras.12–15)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorspointoutthat
tomakesenseofthenews,theviewerhasto
knowsomethingaboutthejournalist’spolitical
beliefsaswellashisprejudices,interests,and
quirkswhichare,inturn,influencedbyhis
financialstatus,thecompanieshehasworked
for,theschoolshewentto,thebookshehasread,
etc.

PartVI(Paras.16–17)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorspointoutthat
thejournalistcannotalwaysimposehis/her
viewsonthegeneralpublicbecausethe

televisionchannelornewspapercannotsurvive
unlessthenewstheyprovidesatisfiestheneeds
ofthegeneralpublic.Ontheotherhand,the
viewer/readermustalsotakeintoaccounthisor
herrelationshiptoalargeraudiencebecause
televisionandnewspapersaremassmediaand
theirnewsisnotintendedforanaudienceof
one.

PartVII(Paras.18–20)
Intheseparagraphs,theauthorsdiscusssome
otherpossibledefinitionsofnews:newsas
somethingtogivepeoplepleasure;newsas
somethinginstructivethatrevealsthemores,
values,andidealsofasociety;newsasliving
history;newsasasourceofliterature;newsasa
reflectionofhumanpain,suffering,tragedies
andconfusion;newsassomethingtoinspire
peopleandmakethemoptimistic;newsas
somethingtofrightenpeopleandmakethem
awareoftheseamysideofthereality;lastbut
notleast,newsasafillerbe