全新版大学英语听说教程第四册 unit13

Unit 13

Part B

Reality TV Around the Globe

 

     Reality TV shows have taken the world by storm. 'Survivor¹', 'Big Brother' and other shows have drawn² hundreds of millions of viewers to the screen.

     It was in Europe that all this started. The first series of this kind of show was called 'Expedition: Robinson'. It was shown in Sweden in 1997, and was soon a hit. That show placed young people in faraway places to compete against each other. The finale of the show was watched by half the Swedish population, making it one of the most popular programs in the country's history. Its success alerted TV bosses around the world to the potential of watching ordinary people try hard to survive in the wilderness⁴.

     Officials at the Columbia Broadcasting System in the United States decided⁵ to produce their own version of the show. This is how 'Survivor' came into existence. They chose 16 Americans of different ages and races to live on a South Pacific island in May 2000. The contestants⁶ on the island had some real problems to tackle. One of them was food, as they had to find and cook their own food. Sometimes, they were even forced to catch and eat rats and worms.

     Experts say that 'Survivor' is popular because television viewers like to watch people in real situations where the final result is unknown. Viewers also like to watch other people's struggles and problems because it makes them feel better about their own lives.

     'Big Brother' started in Holland. Nine volunteers took part in the show and were filmed 24 hours a day for 100 days. It became one of Holland's top-rated shows within a month, and drew 15 million viewers for its climax⁷ on New Year's Eve 1999. And its success prompted TV stations around the world to buy the idea.

     Two months after the appearance of 'Survivor', the American version of 'Big Brother' was aired in the United States, involving ten participants who were filmed inside a house built on a California soundstage.

     Winners of the two shows can walk away with a lot of money. 'Survivor's' prize was $1 million, whereas 'Big Brother' contestants could win $500,000, and 'Survivor' triumphed in the ratings.

     Reality TV shows are also causing a big stir in France, Britain and many other countries. The French answer to 'Big Brother' is 'Loft⁸ Story', in which 11 contestants are locked up in an apartment in Paris. Protesters surrounded the apartment three times in one week. They complained that the show is sinking to new broadcasting lows. The protests, however, have fuelled public interest. And the show remains⁹ high in the ratings.

     Britain started its reality shows later than some of its European and American counterparts. In fact, 'Survivor' was dreamed up by a Briton named Charlie Parsons, but the idea was not picked up in his home country until it had been a success in Scandinavia and America.

 

 

 

Questions:

1. Which of the following reality TV shows are mentioned in the passage?

2. Who are the performers in reality TV shows?

3. What is the essence of a reality TV show?

4. Which of the following is true about 'Survivor' and 'Big Brother' when shown in different countries?

5. What nationality is Charlie Parsons, who first got the idea of the reality TV show 'Survivor'?

6. What occurred to TV bosses around the globe after the success of the first series of 'Survivor'?

 

 

Part C

A Reality TV Show

 

     Beginning February 28, 2002, on CBS, the world will watch the new series of the reality TV show 'Survivor'. Sixteen contestants will be stranded¹⁰ on the remote island of Nuku Hiva, a distant neighbor of Tahiti in the South Pacific. They will be forced to band together and carve out a new existence, using their collective wits to make surviving in their rugged¹¹ and primitive¹² environment a little easier. Day by day, the harsh elements and threatening indigenous¹³ animals will test the endurance of the Survivors¹⁴. Each three days of life on the island will result in a one-hour 'Survivor' episode. The Survivors must form their own cooperative society, building shelter, gathering¹⁵ and cooking food, and participating in contests for rewards. Those who succeed in the day-to-day challenges will be rewarded with things to make life on the island more bearable. Those who fail must do without.

     The contestants are divided into two tribes, which will compete with each other to get food, supply or immunity¹⁶. On the last day of each three-day cycle, the Survivors must attend a Tribal¹⁷ Council. At this meeting, each person votes secretly to send one fellow Survivor home. The person with the most votes must leave their tribe immediately. Week by week, one by one, people are voted off, until at the end of the final episode, only two Survivors remain. At that point, the seven most recently eliminated Survivors will return to form the final Tribal Council and decide who will be the Sole Survivor -- and win one million dollars!

     There are two kinds of challenge facing the Survivors. One is a Reward Challenge, in which Survivors compete for luxuries, such as a phone call home or a hot shower. The second is an Immunity Challenge, in which Survivors compete for the most valuable prize: immunity from being voted off the island at a Tribal Council. The team winning an Immunity Challenge does not have to vote one of its own members out at the end of a three-day period, whereas the losing team does. Occasionally, the Reward and Immunity challenges are combined: winners receive both a reward and immunity.

     Usually when it comes down to 10 Survivors, the two teams merge¹⁸. The remaining Survivors will come to live together and compete as individuals, not as members of opposing teams. At that point, the challenges become person against person, and only the winning individual will receive a reward and / or immunity.

     After being voted out, the Survivor will make one final comment to the TV cameras. Even though the Survivor is no longer part of the show, he or she is at least able to take a shower and to get a hot meal right away.

 

 

Part D

Courtroom Reality TV

    A Texas judge presiding over a murder trial has ruled that a crew can film the jury's private deliberations for a reality television show. The defendant¹⁹, Cedric Harrison, is accused of killing²⁰ a man in a carjacking. He could be facing the death penalty at 17. In allowing the Public Broadcasting Service to film jurors determining his fate the judge has broken ground in the long history of American jurisprudence. And the shorter history of reality television, which has given the world 'Big Brother' and 'Survivor', has won a major issue.

     Judge Ted³ Poe's decision has met with fierce opposition²¹ from prosecutors²², who fear that public exposure might make jurors more reluctant to sentence the defendant to death. But the judge said that it was healthy for the public to know and see as much as possible about the legal process.

     Harrison and his mother signed waivers saying that they would not use the documentary on appeal, or seek a new trial. His lawyer said: "It can only help us. We want to make sure everything is done correctly. If the State of Texas wants to execute a 17-year-old, the world should be watching to make sure it is done right."

     However, he revealed the defense²³'s real motive²⁴ for welcoming in the cameras when he said that the film would help his case because jurors would be more reluctant to sentence a defendant to death under such scrutiny²⁵. Opponents of the death penalty agree. "When the sunshine is let in, government tends to work better," David Elliot, of the National Coalition²⁶ to Abolish the Death Penalty, said.

     Fourteen of the 110 jurors initially²⁷ called to serve were dismissed after they said that the camera might affect their decision-making.

     The district attorney responsible for prosecuting²⁸ Harrison has argued that the presence of cameras would violate Texas law requiring that jurors be "left alone, unobserved and unheard by others". In his appeal to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals he wrote: "The desire to serve on a Survivor-style reality series should not be added to the qualifications for jury service."

     Courts in Arizona and Wisconsin have allowed filming of deliberations in criminal cases for later broadcast, but never before have the cameras been allowed into a jury room in a capital case.

     Judge Poe believes that he has the law on his side. He said that the prosecutors "hadn't provided any legal authority" to convince him that cameras were out of place.

     If Judge Poe gets his wish, a new subject will be offered for the reality television shows that have become a standard part of American entertainment.

Statements:

1. The defendant has murdered a man, so he will be sentenced to death according to Texas law.

2. The judge decides to allow the jury's deliberations of the case to be filmed for a reality TV show out of sympathy for the young man.

3. The defendant and his mother signed an agreement stating that they would give up their right to appeal.

4. The defense lawyer said that his client would use the documentary on appeal because he believed public exposure of how members of the jury discuss the case would be favorable to him.

5. Fourteen jurors were dismissed because they did not agree to let their deliberations be shown on TV.

6. It can be learned from the passage that people who are against the death penalty strongly oppose the judge's decision.

7. The strongest opposition to the judge's decision came from the district attorney.

8. It can be inferred from the passage that TV cameras have been allowed to film jury's deliberations in non-criminal cases.

9. It can be concluded from the passage that the jury's deliberations will not be shown on TV as it is against Texas law.

10. If the judge's decision is approved, it will open a new field for reality TV shows.

1 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

4 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。

8 loft   

n.阁楼，顶楼

参考例句：

• We could see up into the loft from bottom of the stairs.我们能从楼梯脚边望到阁楼的内部。
• By converting the loft,they were able to have two extra bedrooms.把阁楼改造一下，他们就可以多出两间卧室。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

11 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

12 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

13 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

14 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

15 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

16 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

17 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

18 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

19 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

20 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

21 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

22 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

23 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

24 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

25 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

26 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

27 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

28 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。