The Scanning and Skimming Games
The Scanning Game
Task 1.Scan the information in “ Important Steps in the Development of Mass Communications.” Answer the questions as quickly as you can.
1) Which items are about newspapers?
2) Which items are about paper making?
3) How many items are about the movies?
4) Which items are about the radio?
5) When was the first television programme?
6) When was the first book printed?
7) How many times does the word “telephone” appear?
8) How many years passed between the first television programme and the beginning of colour television?
9)What was the name of the first English newspaper?
10)When did a person speak over the radio for the first time?
IMPORTANT STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS
N Date(AD) Information
1 105 The Chinese made paper and ink.
2. 900-1450 Book scribes became very skillful.
3. 1456 The first book, The Gutenberg Bible, was printed.
4. 1450-1550 Printing developed all over Europe.
5. 1621 First news sheet was printed in Amsterdam.
6. 1638 First printing press appeared in America.
7. 1665 First English newspaper, London Gazette, was printed.
8. 1690 First American newspaper Public Occurences, appeared in Britain.
9. 1702 First daily newspaper in English, The Daily Courant, was printed in London.
10. 1731 First magazine, the Gentleman’s Magazine, was printed in London.
11. 1833 First inexpensive newspaper, The New York Sun, appeared. It was popular.
12. 1844 Morse sent the first telegraph message.
13. 1853 Paper was made from wood.
14. 1867 First easy-to-use typewriter was invented.
15. 1876 Bell sent the first telephone message
16. 1877 Edison invented the phonograph.
17. 1894 First film was produced.
18. 1895 Marconi sent and received radio messages.
19. 1906 Human voice was heard on the radio.
20. 1923 First picture was televised in London by John Logie Baird.
21. 1928 First Walt Disney animated cartoon.
22. 1941 First commercial television programmes.
23. 1954 Beginning of colour television programmes.
24. 1972 First video recorder.
25. 1979 First fiber-optic cable.
Task 2. Write the answers to these questions.
1) What did people read before the first newspaper was printed?
2) Were the books scribes before the year 900?
3) What could people read earlier, newspapers or magazines?
4) Did the publishers of the first daily newspaper in English, The Daily Courant, print it on the paper made from wood
5 )Were the typewrites before 1867? If so, what was wrong with them?
6) Which came first: printing or writing?
7) Before 1933, were newspapers cheap or expensive?
8) Before 1833, did most people read newspapers?
9) Was it possible to buy a video recorder in the 1960’s?
10) Why couldn’t people watch cartoons in the first decade of 1900?
11) What invention was earlier, telegraph or telephone?
12) Could people watch TV programmes in 1930’s?
Task 3. Choose the most suitable answer according to the given information. There could be different opinions.
1)In 1853, paper was made from wood. All the following events happened. Which seem the most important to you? Explain.
a)More paper could be produced.
b) Paper became cheaper.
c) Mass communication became possible.
2) The first radio messages(1895) used
a) human voices.
b) animal voices.
c) Morse code signals.
3) The first television wasn’t perfect. Why wasn’t it perfect to your mind?
a) It couldn’t reach long distances.
b) It didn’t have colour.
c) It had bad graphics.
Skimming – to skim means to read through a passage quickly in order to learn what it is about; when you skim, you don’t read every word; you usually look at the beginning of each paragraph; it is useful when we need basic information about a subject.
Task 1. Skim the passage “Hobbies” quickly. Find the paragraph of the following sentences describes (write a letter).
1)--------- Hobbies that require time.
2)----------Hobbies that both children and adults have.
3)---------Hobbies that cost a lot of money.
4)---------- Hobbies in the past.
5)-----------Why hobbies are a good thing.
6)-----------Hobbies for one or more people.
7)-----------What hobbies are.
Task 2. Skim the same passage again and find:
1)A very old hobby:
2)A hobby that requires a lot of time:
3)A hobby that both children and adults like:
4)An expensive hobby:
5)Something people collect:
Hobbies.
A. During the Middle Ages, only the rich could have hobbies. The poor didn’t have any free time. Nowadays, it is possible for almost everyone to have hobby. In fact, hobbies are more popular in the 20th-21st centuries than they were in the past.
B. Hobbies are activities that people like to do in their leisure time. They take people away from every day routines. They help people relax. They entertain and give pleasure. Many hobbies are many centuries old – music, dance, poetry, drawing, painting, sculpture, doll-making, raising pets, making jewelry, and magic are some examples.
C. There are many kinds of hobbies. Some requires quite a lot of time. For example, if you collect stamps, you need time to organize them and put them in albums. If your hobby is dancing, you probably spend a lot of time practicing.
D. Some hobbies are favourites of children and adults alike. For instance, both children and adults like to collect things. They collect many kinds of things. Both young and old people collect coins, dolls, stamps, paper napkins, maps, buttons, bottles, records, posters, seashells, plane tickets, rocks, and butterflies.
E. Some hobbies are quite expensive. If your hobby is plane modelling, you will need to spend money on materials. If it is painting, you will have to buy paints, brushes, and special paper.
F. Some hobbies, such as reading, are for you when you are alone. Others, like sports, are social hobbies.
G. Hobbies provide entertainment and pleasure. For that reason, when you work at a hobby you don’t usually get very tired. You do something you enjoy doing, and time passes quickly.
Task 3. Check the sentences that are true according to the text.
1) If you collect something, you have a hobby.
2) Sports are hobbies.
3) People enjoy hobbies, because they like to be busy.
4) Things that people do at work may be their hobbies.
5) Hobbies are mostly for pleasure and relaxation.
6) Some hobbies may become very tiring.
7) Only children have real hobbies.
8) Airplane modelling is an example of an expensive hobby.
Task 4.Check the sentences that can be inferred from the text. Making inferences – reading behind the lines.
1)More people have time for hobbies now than in the past.
2)People spend more time on hobbies when they work less.
3)Many rich people have hobbies.
4)Singers and dancers have only one hobby.
5)Somme hobbies are dangerous.
6)Reading is not a hobby.
Task 5. Brainstorm unusual or interesting hobbies. Make a list of them.
Task 6. Find a definition of a hobby.
Compare two hobbies. Write what is different and alike.
Describe your hobby.