Fill the gaps in the expressions from the text using prepositions. 1. at the expense _______
2. based _______
3. to the accompaniment _______
4. focus _______
5. to commit _______
6. a rise _______ Internet use
7. concern _______
8. driven _______
Ex. 13. Read and discuss the following text:
Media Violence and its Influence on Children
Contrary to the common belief that media violence only brings about negative effects, some effects of media violence can also be beneficial. By having exposure to media violence, children will not grow up naive and ignorant of the harsh realities in life of which they must be aware and cautious. Most kids, after watching a violent or frightening movie, are usually afraid and slightly more cautious about their actions or what they say to strangers. In this way, media violence can be helpful, it gives kids an understanding that the world is not perfect, it never will be and that violence can be a reality. For example, just hearing about the dangers of giving away personal information to the wrong person, might not be enough to make a child fully aware of the consequences. Instead, a dramatization of a worst case scenario can provide visual picture in their mind, and thus instill a sense of fear in the child. In response, this may then help them to act in ways to avoid such dangerous situations that could bring about a recurrence of such fear.
For most kids, the effect of media violence is fairly small, so long as the examples they see on TV and in movies are balanced with good examples, values and morals, set and followed through by parents and peers. But for children who grow up with poor adult examples or an unclear idea of what's right and wrong, media violence can have a greater effect. When children grow up with few examples and morals set by others around them, they sometimes adopt a celebrity as a role model. If they see someone they look up to promoting violence either on TV or in movies, they may think that violence is the right or "cool" thing to do. This mind set is very often the cause of violent acts by children and teens. Also, according to the beliefs of Tina Pieracinni, a professor at Columbia University, the more violence children are exposed to, the less sensitive they become to real life issues, since they see them portrayed on TV as insignificant.
Ex. 14. How much time do you spend each day watching TV and using your computer? Should parents be worried by the amount of time their children spend watching TV and using computers? Is the decline in reading a worrying trend?
