第六大类：媒体类

1. 媒体对人们的影响

段落大意：媒体对人们的影响包括对人们观念、信仰、态度等的影响。

Media are devices used for delivering information through time or space. They link the sender to the receiver. When a message is sent to a certain receiver or audience, this receiver will eventually interpret its meaning. Therefore, the audience will be influenced and will change in a certain way. In fact, influence refers to the way in which the mass media, in all their forms (television, books, films, etc.), affect the way we, as audience, behave and act in our society and in our daily lives. Depending on the circumstances, mass media can influence people’s beliefs, opinions, and attitudes, and change their thinking about public and political issues. Media can have both positive and negative effects on us.

2. 媒体的重要性

段落大意：媒体的重要性不仅仅体现在信息传播上，还体现在其强大的影响力。

Today, more than ever the media plays a pivotal (关键的) role in influencing the ways in which Americans think and behave. Media can influence the masses in a number of ways. Without the media it would be virtually impossible for the typical American citizens to be informed of today’s events. However, spreading information is not always the media’s goal. In fact, it rarely is. Many Americans feel that they can form opinions on their own. In fact, opinions are formed unknowingly (不知不觉地) by what paper or television channel tells them. The views of the president are greatly affected by the media due to the overwhelming amount of coverage by every form of media.

3. 媒体的目的

段落大意：媒体的目的是为了传播信息、娱乐、广告。

The three main purposes of mass media are to provide information, entertain, and advertise. Media does not only provide information, but also decide which information is important. What we see on television and Internet and what we hear on the radio have all been selected and modified by the media.

4. 媒体对人们的正面影响

段落大意：媒体对人们有着教育等方面的正面影响。
There are many things in our surroundings that influence our behaviors. Among other things (除了别的以外), the education system, family values and the media have shaped our views in life. Whether they are right or wrong, they define to a large extent what we are. The media are where we gather our information. They provide us with education, bring us worldwide information and give us access to global communication. Through the media, viewers enjoy a wealth of knowledge and entertainment. For instance, discovery and history channels on TV provide scientific and cultural information for viewers. It is beneficial for those who cannot go to school to learn these things or those who are still at school. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television also help people to enhance their understanding about the world.

5. 媒体暴力

段落大意：媒体是不是暴力的主要源泉引起各方激烈争论。

Does violence in the media influence the behavior of society? It is the question that has been asked by authorities, educational institutes (协会) and parents. Some say yes, others say no. To fully comprehend this question we must first understand what violence in the media means, and whom it affects, if there is any. Also, did violence in the media come first, or was it derived from violence in the “real world”? Both sides have their own arguments. Some say that the escalation of violence in society is a symptom of deteriorated value systems and poor parental instruction and that it has nothing to do with violence in the media. Others say, and this is backed with factual evidence, that violence that is seen on television, in the movies or video games is directly linked to the violence in society.

6. 媒体暴力对孩子的影响 Ⅰ

段落大意：媒体暴力对于很多成长在不重视教育的家庭的孩子来说，对他们有着不利影响。

The media is a part of everyday life for American kids. Children are surrounded by newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet that are full of violence. It has influence on kids, but does it really mean that kids would act it out even though they know violence is wrong? We must admit that mass media and its components are very powerful and can influence one’s mind, as well as their behavior. Characters in the media use violence and display aggressive behaviors, which makes children believe that violence can happen without consequences. For children who grow up with poor adult examples or don’t have a clear idea about what’s right or wrong, media violence can have a greater negative effect.

7. 媒体暴力对孩子的影响 Ⅱ

段落大意：媒体中的暴力内容影响着青少年的发展。有人认为该对他们观看的内容进行审查，还有些人认为父母应该承担起相应的审查责任。

In today’s society, the media is becoming more lenient (宽大的) with censoring（审查）the violence portrayed in music lyrics or television programs. The question we need to ask is whether the material shown to young audiences need to be monitored more closely. Some believe that it is having a negative impact on our youth, influencing them to be more violent towards each other. On the other hand, some argue that it is the responsibility of the parents to look after their children and decide what material they can and cannot watch or listen to.

8. 对媒体的控制

段落大意：媒体有自由的权利，但是这种权利也需要被规制。

No nation in the world guarantees absolute freedom of press and speech. They are all under certain kinds of restriction. Free media should strengthen the national unity, uphold the laws of the land and contribute towards the spiritual integration of the country. The media should also not be afraid of supporting a just and righteous (正义的) cause. It has to be eternally vigilant（警惕的）to protect the right of public and give balanced views of events. The public can be helped by media in the formation of a healthy public opinion. Otherwise media can cause havoc (大破坏) by suppressing any news or giving it an importance out of proportion.

9. 媒体的简介

段落大意：媒体有着多种类型和模式。

There are different forms of media, for example, verbal (言语的) or written media, visual（视觉的）and aural（听觉的）media. Examples of media would include newspapers, magazines, film, radio, television, billboard advertisements as well as the Internet. Media studies came about because of the developments in mass communication, and it provokes the generation into questioning about what we think we know as well as how we get to know. The term “media studies” means different theories concerning different forms of media and different learning outcomes.

10. 媒体暴力[m1] 

段落大意：媒体带给人们的暴力影响只占很小一部分，人们不应该把所有的罪过都归结于媒体。

People are quick to blame violence in our society on television, movies or video games because they are believable targets. We have to look beyond this disinformation (假情报) and attack the real causes for the violence in our society. People watch violent images all the time, and only a very small percent of them actually commit violent crimes. Research on the subject does not necessarily support the argument, but they do not counteract it either. The research is too often inconclusive (不确定的). We wrongfully blame these media sources for violent crimes, rather than put the blame where it rightfully belongs. If we can do away with all the disinformation on this topic, we can stop fooling ourselves into thinking that censoring media could prevent the occurrence of violent behaviors.

11. 媒体的竞争力

段落大意：现今，媒体之间的竞争相当激烈。

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press…” (United States Constitution,1789) Throughout the history of the United States of America, the Constitution has always been put to test. The founders of this great country originally created the first amendment to allow colonists to speak out against the British. In the 17th century, there was little competition among journalists, and the information the press provided was usually accurate. However, today in the 21st century, the circumstances are different and the stakes (赌注) are higher. Due to incredibly high amount of competition among journalists today, the information is usually exaggerated in order to capture the audience.

12. 媒体的作用

段落大意：媒体对人们的态度、生活方式都有着很大的影响。

Media technologies are becoming an important aspect of today’s society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different forms. Media are commonly defined as a channel of communication. Radio, newspapers, and television are all examples of media. It is impossible to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased (没有偏见的) information and that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the information supplied to media users. Since many people use media very frequently, it has a great effect on people. According to Media Now, “media effects are changes in knowledge, attitude, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass media”. Media has effects on people’s opinions towards violence, prejudice, and sexual behavior.

13. 媒体和政治

段落大意：媒体对政治的发展产生着影响。

The mass media is now a global phenomenon and has revolutionized (改革) the way individuals communicate with each other and receive information. The term “mass media” embraces（包含）all kinds of information sources, such as books, pamphlets（小册子）, mail circulars（公告）and films. The three principal sources of political information are television, radio and newspapers. The mass media is a recent innovation (革新), which has reformed the way politics and governments operate. Without newspapers, radio and pre-eminently (显著地) television, the present political system could not work.

14. 媒体和大众的政治观点

段落大意：媒体对大众和他们的政治观点都产生了深远影响。

The media is an intricate part of American government, intertwined（纠缠）with the practice of democracy, but to what extent does the media influence public opinion? To answer this question, several aspects of media coverage have to be explored. The first is the fact that the media is American’s basic source for all the news concerning American politics. The second aspect is that the opinion expressed by the press influences the public. Lastly, the issues the media deem (认为) important often set the national agenda. The most basic way the media influences public opinion is by offering knowledge and information about government decisions. The daily press delivers raw information to the public, who in turn form their own opinions. Without the media it would take the public longer to become informed about governmental proceedings.

15. 媒体和商业

段落大意：媒体和商业道德的关系一直以来被人们关注。

In this world, there is concern about the connection between the media and ethics. The press and the media are responsible for reporting news, issues and events as clearly as possible. Any distortions（扭曲）can cause the message to be misinterpreted or completely wrong. News organizations are given a responsibility to represent the public interest. In order to gain the public’s trust, such broadcasters are required to work within the parameters (界限) of ethics. No matter what issue, company or news are being reported on, every media organization must work with a Code of Ethics. This is a sort of safeguard to the honesty of the organization. It demands that the media should tell the truth, protect privacy of individuals, and avoid the many conflicts that could possibly arise as a result of misinforming the public.

16. 广告与商业繁荣

段落大意：广告的发展给商业带来巨大的繁荣和发展。
With the increasing impact of media on our lives today, it has become easier for companies to manipulate (操控) people’s minds through advertisement. With the introduction of TVs in virtually every home, we are being constantly reached by mind-manipulating commercials (广告). This situation has become worse through the introduction of the Internet at people’s offices and homes. The fact is that it is impossible to go through a day without being bombarded (轰炸) with advertisements unless you live in the deepest part of the Amazon and even then it is still likely that an American Express Employee will find you to hand you a replacement for your recently lost American Express credit card.

17. 广告的作用

段落大意：广告的作用是吸引顾客，使他们相信自己的东西和服务是最好的。

Advertising is used in all aspects of everyday life, in magazines, newspapers, billboards, television and on radios. They aim to show that their products are bigger, brighter and better than any other ones on the market. Frequently, advertisers use color, text, images, language and layout (规划) to fight for viewers’ attention, so that they can influence audience’s opinion about this particular product and therefore persuade them to buy.

18. 广告的社会责任

段落大意：广告应该承担起相应的社会责任，不误导消费者。

Almost every time one turns on the television he will see some sort of advertisements. Shoes, cars, phones, and many other products are advertised every day. We see all sorts of commercials which are full of fine lines that are displayed so fast that one, who is not a speed reader, could never make them out before they disappear. There are also radio advertisements, billboards, and fliers (广告传单) containing false or misleading information. Is it fair to say that many of the advertisements today are misleading? No, this is not fair. Most businesses have ethical responsibilities to society to be honest, not misleading.

19. 对于广告的争议

段落大意：广告的快速发展也为其带来很大的争议。

Along with the rapid progress of society, the advertising industry has undergone a remarkable development. Everyday we are surrounded by all kinds of ads and commercials, which have a profound influence on our daily lives. As a result, there arouse a fierce debate concerning the proposal that we should ban all kinds of advertisements.

20. 媒体对选举的影响

段落大意：媒体对各个选举人和被选举人都有着深远的影响。

In our nation today, most of the American citizens cast their votes according to what they see on the news. It is safe to say that the media primarily controls people’s opinion on political issues. Unfortunately the world’s most developed nation doesn’t have time to carefully pick their leaders at any level. While vast opportunity of research is available for American citizens to carefully pick their candidates, they choose to go along with what the media tells them to do. It is the media that control the nation, set the agenda, and select the president. On the other hand, media gives vast amount of information to keep us up to date with the changing world. It is important to watch the news, because news allows us to be informed about current events.

21. 印刷的媒体

段落大意：印刷形式的广告可以给消费者更多、更全面的信息。

The purpose of media is to communicate news and information to the public via printed or visual forms. In contemporary society media is an essential way to advertise a product to its target audience, because it will be seen by a wide range of people. Printed media can be seen in leaflets and brochures since it is used to inform the audience of a certain product by using more detailed information than visual media. Furthermore, printed media can also be seen in newspapers such as broadsheets and tabloids (小报) where they provide readers with information and gossip (in tabloids) around the world.

22. 媒体暴力对孩子的影响

段落大意：媒体暴力对孩子的成长有着深远的负面影响。

The media clearly have an impact on our lives and especially the young, impressionable and weak-minded people in our society. Children become desensitized (使不敏感) to violence when they see it everyday on TV, in movies and even in video games. They are not properly aware of what is real and what is not. TV news deadens (麻木) people’s perception of reality. People of all ages, especially those who are at an impressionable period of their lives, need to know that murder, death and violence are real and that sadness comes with all of these.
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23. 媒体是交流工具

段落大意：媒体是用来进行交流、教育、娱乐等活动的强大工具。

If the media does not understand the cultural characteristics of a country, it would not be aware of the shared cultural values of the community and could easily offend the country. The media is a very powerful tool of communication, which is used to educate, inform and entertain people all over the world. The media uses sign systems through newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the Internet etc.

24. 广告的观念传播

段落大意：广告传播买卖、价值、成功、失败等诸多观念。

The media, which is somewhat reflective of society, has become a powerful tool in shaping our culture. Advertisements are the foundation of mass media. They sell images, values, success, normalcy (常态), and romance. Daily, we are exposed to advertisements no matter whether they are printed or on screen.

25. 广告与政治观念

段落大意：媒体影响着我们生活的各个方面，包括政治。

Media are all around us. We as a society absorb media from television, radio, magazines, billboards, and newspapers. Media has such a strong effect on our lives that we do not even notice its presence sometimes. Media is a powerful force in shaping our culture and democracy. Media reflects and sustains (支撑) the values and traditions of our society. We can use mass media to our advantage if we are cautious of the impact it has over us.