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TV Vocabulary & Reality Shows Guide

This document provides a vocabulary lesson about different types of television programs and related words. It includes a series of short passages, word definitions, fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice questions about reality shows, modifiers, word families, and TV-related vocabulary.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
435 views8 pages

TV Vocabulary & Reality Shows Guide

This document provides a vocabulary lesson about different types of television programs and related words. It includes a series of short passages, word definitions, fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice questions about reality shows, modifiers, word families, and TV-related vocabulary.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

7.

1 Vocabulary
07 In the spotlight

TV • reality shows • modifiers with base and extreme adjectives • word families

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW 2 Reality shows. Complete the text with the correct
forms of one of the words in brackets.
1 Match the types of TV programmes with the extracts
A–E. There are more programmes than extracts.

a sports programme F 6 a chat show


1 a talent show 7 the weather Talented Britain
2 a soap opera 8 a reality show
3 a music programme 9 a sitcom Talented Britain is coming to a city near you soon!
4 the news or current affairs 10 a series/serial Channel 7 is beginning its search for contestants
5 a quiz or game show 11 a documentary
(view/contest) to appear on the next series of
Talented Britain, which will be 1
A Later in the programme, the very talented Pharrel
Williams will be singing live in the studio, but first (broadcast/perform) next year. Do you have what
the UK’s top ten album downloads this week. At it takes to perform in front of a 2
number 10 … (panels/audience) of judges and millions of
B Ladies and gentlemen, the lovely Jennifer
3
(act/view) watching at home?
Lawrence! Jennifer, welcome to the show. Let’s
start by talking about your latest film … This summer, we will be holding 4
(rehearse/audition) in towns and cities across
C The time is six o’clock, and here are today’s the country, so come and prove that you are
headlines. The European Union is considering …
good enough to be on the show. Start your
D Question 3 for £2,000. In which country are Christmas
5
(broadcast/rehearse) now so you
gifts given on 24 December rather than 25? A the UK, are ready to perform at your best when Talented
B Spain, C France or D Australia?
Britain comes to your city.
E After the tiger, the African lion is the second
largest of the four big cats, with some males Click here for a list of cities and dates
weighing up to 250 kilos.

F If you’ve just joined us, the score is three-two to Italy and


this is turning out to be a fantastic game. 3 Word families. Complete the table with the missing
forms.

Noun Noun (person) Verb


competition competitor compete

1 editor edit

entertainment 2 entertain

performance 3 perform

presentation presenter 4

5 producer produce

60
4 Complete the sentences. The number of letters is given 6 Choose the correct modifier.
in brackets.
Here’s Jill, the first of our six competitors (11) on today’s
show. Telly-Addicts: last night on the box
1 Nicholas, you (7) on stage regularly, but this
Here at Telly-Addicts we thought last night’s television highlight
is your first film.
was definitely the 1absolutely / rather fascinating BBC2
2 Here at Granada Studios we (7) two sitcoms
documentary Icemen about the lives of Iceland’s fishermen.
and a soap opera.
Some of the fishermen’s stories were 2rather / absolutely
3 And now, (13) for all the family in
sad, but 3very / absolutely interesting, and the shots of the
our afternoon film Ice Age 4.
Icelandic coastline were 4very / absolutely gorgeous.
4 After filming has finished, the (6) begins the
complicated job of putting the various scenes together. Also worth watching was Channel 4’s new quiz What’s
5 Natalie desperately wants to become a TV (9) Up? which was presented by the 5 extremely / absolutely
one day. talented Rosie Perks and her 6very / absolutely funny
6 Last night’s X Factor saw a stunning (11) partner Richard Bond. Though many of the questions on the
from 20 year old Tom Olive who could well become the show are 7quite / absolutely impossible to answer, we still
Elvis of our time. found it 8 really / absolutely entertaining from start to finish.

5 Modifiers with base and extreme adjectives. Complete


the dialogues with extreme adjectives. First letters are SHOW WHAT YOU’VE LEARNT
given.
1 M: Well, that was really awful (very unpleasant)! What 7 Choose the correct answer A–C.
a terrible programme and a complete waste of an 1 Hello everyone. I’m Serge Dupont. Today Channel 8
hour of my life. News is live from outside the European Parliament.
R:  Well, Madeleine, it’s 1r (very silly) to A  broadcasting B rehearsing C auditioning
complain now after you’ve watched the whole
2 Next, a of experts discuss the results of today’s
show. Why didn’t you switch off after five minutes?
election in our Election Special.
M: Well, I ... er … hmm.
A  contestant B  panel C  viewer
2 E: 
Did you see Dr House last night? Oh, I love it. I think 3 Katy, you’re a world-famous . You sing, you dance,
that English guy, the main actor, is absolutely you act and now you’ve written a book. Is there
2
h (very funny). anything you can’t do?
F: Dr House? Er … hello? Dr House is, like, so old now, A performer B  editor C  producer
and anyway if you ask me, every episode is
4 I’ve always wanted to people. At school I used to
3
i (very similar).
tell jokes and sing songs in front of the class.
E: Yeah, well, whatever. I like it.
A  compete B  present C  entertain
3 D: Kyle, TV off! Homework! Now! 5 And now a special celebrity Christmas of Who
K: Dad, I’m watching a documentary about World wants to be a Millionaire?
War II, which is not only 4f (very A  entertainment B  edition C competition
interesting) but also 5e (very important)
6 Big Don is an extremely character. He’s certainly
for my history project.
not popular with viewers.
D: Er … oh. Very good. Er … carry on.
A impossible B  brilliant C  unpleasant
4 T: 
Dad, are you watching the news again? Nothing 7 If you ask me, the story has become ridiculous.
new has happened since an hour ago. I think I’m going to stop watching this series.
D: Toby, new things happen all the time. There’s just A very B  extremely C  absolutely
been an 6a (very good) report about
8 The news is very on all the channels. It doesn’t
a skateboarding dog.
make much difference which one you watch.
T: Er … sounds great.
A identical B  similar C  awful
M: Toby, don’t listen to your dad. He’s only
9 We finally watched One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
watching because he thinks the newsreader is
last night. What an absolutely film!
7
g (very beautiful).
A amazing B  important C  interesting
D: That’s not true! Well, I mean she’s quite pretty,
yes, but she’s also a 8b (very talented) 10 Remember the where the monkey suddenly jumped
journalist ... out of the trees? I jumped a metre out of my seat.
T: … who reports on skateboarding dogs … A  series B  scene C  serial
D: Don’t you have some homework to do, Toby? /10

61
7.2 Grammar
Reported Speech • statements

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW gave a reason for something explained


1 said that something was true 
1 Put the words in order to complete the conversation 2 said more about something 
between Mum, Dad and Kristy. 3 told someone something that they
D: Kristy, please tell me we are not watching The X Factor. didn’t know or hadn’t thought of 
K: You 1watch / said / could / I  4 said something in an indirect way 
it tonight.
D: No, I 2could / you / watch / said  4 Read the Direct Speech. Choose the correct
it upstairs. reporting verb and complete the gaps with the correct
forms of the verbs in brackets.
K: Dad!
D: What? The other day I 3I / television / said / was / ‘Honestly, please believe me, I really didn’t know she
taking back / my  was a drug dealer.’
on Saturday nights. The TV presenter asuggested / claimed he bhadn’t
I want to watch the Grand Prix. known (not/know) that the woman had been a drug
K: (shouting) Mum! The X Factor has started! dealer. He begged the court to believe chim.
D: Kristy! Last Saturday night, I 4told / you / bought / I / had 1 ‘We don’t think the programme is suitable for children.’
 When a journalist asked why the programme had been
a second television for exactly this kind of situation. banned, the members of the panel aadded / replied that,
M: (enters room) Oh. Did you 5The X Factor / that / say / in b opinion, they c
started / had  ? (not/think) the programme was suitable for children.
D: But … the Grand Prix. 2 ‘Don’t tell everyone, but maybe you should wait until
M: There’s another television upstairs, Walter. next week. There’s probably going to be a sale here.’
I was in the electrical store a few weeks ago and the
assistant winked at me and areplied / suggested that
2 Rewrite the underlined Direct Speech as Reported the b week there c
Speech. (probably/be) a sale d .
Charles Sykes: ‘Television is not real life. In real life
people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go
to real jobs.’
Charles Sykes said that television was not real life.
SHOW WHAT YOU’VE LEARNT
1 Ann Landers: ‘Television has proved that people will 5 Rewrite the Direct Speech as Reported Speech.
look at anything rather than each other.’
‘I’ll miss the last part of my favourite TV series tomorrow.’
Ann Landers said that 
It was a long time ago, but I remember she said she
 rather than each other.
would miss the last part of her favourite TV series the
2 Kevin O’Leary: ‘Television is the most interesting hobby
following day.
I have ever had.’
1 ‘We’re going to be on television next week.’
Kevin O’Leary said 
Two months ago, they said 

.
3 Margaret Mead: ‘Thanks to television, for the first time
2 ‘I’m meeting your sister here later today.’
the young are seeing history before it is censored by
We were in the café and Dad told me 
their elders.’
 .
Margaret Mead said that thanks to television, for the
3 ‘We saw you both last month.’
first time 
It was back in January when they told us 
 by their elders.
 .
3 Match the reporting verbs to the definitions. 4 ‘I can’t give you her phone number now.’
Jason said  .
5 ‘Your audition is cancelled.’
Minister Embarrassed in Television Interview
We waited all day, then at 6 o’clock in the evening the
Last night on Channel 10 News, the Minister for Culture claimed that organiser told us that  .
young people were happier these days than when he had been young. The
journalist Mandy Striker pointed out that there was no real proof of that, /5
and politely suggested that happiness was very difficult to measure. The
minister explained that his statement was based on meetings he had
had with young people and parents in local schools in his area. He added
that his own teenage children were also living full and happy lives.

62
7.3  Grammar
Reported Speech • questions and imperatives

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW she 3 grow up and 4 stupid,


and on Wednesday she 5
go away and
1 Complete the dialogue between Lori and Grandma asked me 6 lists.
with questions.
Poppy: Oh, Rosie. Poor you.
G: What are you going to wear to the end-of-term party? Rosie: She’s got her exams coming up soon, so I have
L: I’m going to wear a black dress and high heels. decided to forgive her.
G: 1
L: I’m going with my friends and my boyfriend. 4 Complete the reported questions and answers
G: 2 from Exercise 1. Use short forms.
L: Yes, I have got a boyfriend, Grandma. Grandma asked Lori what she was going to wear to the
G: 3 end-of-term party.
L: I started seeing him last month. Lori said she was going to wear a black dress and high
heels.
2 Katy is talking to her friend about a boy she met 1 She also asked her a
in a café yesterday. Choose the correct option to to the end-of-term party with.
complete the sentences and match them with the Lori said she b
reported answers A–E.  with her friends and boyfriend.
Yesterday, the boy said … 2 Then she asked her a
1 Do you come here often? a boyfriend.
2 Can I buy you a coffee? Lori said she b
3 What is your name? a boyfriend.
4 Have you got a boyfriend? 3 Next, she asked her a
5 Where did you meet him? him.
6 What is he like? Lori said she b
Today, Katy is telling her friend … him the month before.
4 After that, she wanted to know a
1 He asked me did I go there / if I went there often.
good to her.
2 He asked whether he can / could buy me a coffee.
Lori said her boyfriend b 
3 He asked me what my name was / was my name.
good to her.
4 He asked me did I have a boyfriend / if I had a boyfriend.
5 Finally, she asked a
5 He asked me where I had met / did I meet him.
meet him.
6 He asked me what was my boyfriend like / what my
Lori told her grandma b
boyfriend was like.
meet him the following month at
A I said I had met my boyfriend at a friend’s party. her birthday party.
B I told him it was Katy.
C I said he could buy me a coffee and also a cookie
if he liked.
SHOW WHAT YOU’VE LEARNT
D I told him my boyfriend was fantastic and I loved him.
5 Report the questions and instructions. Use short forms.
E I said yes, I had a boyfriend, so he was wasting his time.
Have you arrived safely?
F I said I went there most lunchtimes. 1
Mum called as soon as the plane landed and asked me
3 Look at Rosie’s list and complete her conversation if I had arrived safely.
with her friend Poppy. What was the flight like?
1 She 
Record of horrible things Have you been through passport control yet?
my big sister has said to me 2 Then she 
Did you remember to collect your luggage?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday 3 She even 
1 shut up 3 grow up 5 go away Don’t forget to change some money.
2 don’t annoy me 4 don’t be stupid 6 stop writing lists 4 Next, she 
How are you getting to your aunt and uncle’s house?
5 Still more questions! She 
Poppy: H ow are things with your sister, Rosie? Are you 
still writing your list? Say hello to everyone from me.
Rosie: Yes, I am. I’ll tell you. On Monday she 1told me to
/6
shut up and 2 annoy her. On Tuesday
63
7.4  Reading
TV technology through the ages

dial (n) = the wheel-like part of a radio or old-


1 Read the text and match headings A–F with parts 1–5.
Glossary

There is one extra heading.


fashioned television that you turn to find a different
station or channel A Getting a clearer picture
adjust (v) = to change or move something slightly to B Television goes mobile
improve it or make it work better C Hi-tech becomes old-tech
D What day? What time? What channel?
E Television on-demand
F Stay in your seat, stay in control

1  3 
If your mum or dad were lucky When your parents were young, ‘channel surfing’ actually
enough to have a television in required physical effort because to change the channel you
their bedroom when they were had to stand up, walk across the room and press a button on
your age, they probably felt pretty the television. C Eventually, remote controls were invented,
cool, even if it was black and but the first ones actually had a wire that stretched across
white, weighed about 20kg and the room from the remote to the television. Later more boxes
had an antenna that looked like appeared – video recorders, satellite tuners and so on – and
a metal coat hanger. A The with those came additional remote controls. Eventually, when
technology of televisions has it became impossible to open the living room door because
changed so quickly that it’s not of all the different remotes, universal controllers became
surprising some of the most sophisticated features of the TV popular and one small device could finally control all the
sets of the past seem rather silly these days. In this week’s different boxes in your living room! Now, with the help of the
article, check out these old TV technologies, but while you are right app, it is becoming more and more common to use a
laughing, remember that mobile phone or tablet to control all the various
many modern gadgets will media devices in your house, though some homes
seem just as ridiculous to still have more remote controls than hands to
the youngsters of tomorrow. operate them.

2  4 
Stay tuned! is something Not so many years ago, viewers had no choice but
you still occasionally hear to wait a week for the next episode of their favourite
people on television say TV programmes to be shown. D It was not
when they are really asking unusual for people to plan their week around the
you not to switch off or TV schedule and, if they were busy at the time of
change the channel. The their favourite show, they either missed it or found
phrase has lost its original space on a video tape, set the video recorder for
meaning, which referred to ‘tuning’ early analogue televisions the right time and hoped the tape didn’t run out before the
(adjusting them to get the best quality picture) by turning a programme had finished. These days, TV schedules are still
big dial, or wheel, on the front. Later televisions had individual printed in magazines and some newspapers. However, they
channel buttons, but for each button there was still a tuning are much less significant because of ‘catch-up’ TV channels,
dial located behind a little plastic door on the front of the on-demand Internet TV services such as Netflix or I-player,
set. These dials were often tiny and tricky to turn, so some and of course legal and illegal downloading.
manufacturers used to sell their sets with a little plastic stick
that you would put into a hole and turn until the picture was 5 
clear enough to watch. B Nowadays, thank goodness, Television and the technology associated with it are changing
televisions ‘tune’ themselves automatically. constantly and if you have children, by the time they are your
age, flat screen, HD and 3D will probably seem as silly and
old-fashioned as black and white, two channels only, and a
coat hanger for an aerial.

64
2 Find words in the text to match these definitions and 5 Match the underlined adjectives in the text to these
synonyms. synonyms. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1 something you hang clothes on (paragraph 1) fortunate = lucky
1 important =
2 stupid, ridiculous, absurd (paragraph 1) 2 advanced =
3 more =
3 fortunately (paragraph 2) 4 single =
5 instant =
4 fashionable (paragraph 3) 6 contemporary =
7 difficult =
5 used up or finished (paragraph 4)
6 Complete each group of three sentences with an
6 happening all the time or repeatedly (paragraph 5) underlined adjective from the text.
And the alucky winner of tonight’s lottery is ticket
number 459!
3 Read the text again and complete gaps A–D with these That was a blucky escape. If we hadn’t been late, we
missing sentences. There is one extra sentence. would’ve been on the train that crashed.
1 If you lost this little tool, the entire set became Did you really know the answer or was it a clucky
useless. guess?
2 These first colour television sets were extremely 1 Jolanta thought number 7 was a particularly a
expensive. question.
3 People would check the weekly TV schedule It’s a bit of a b situation. If I go to the party,
in a magazine or newspaper and highlight I’ll have to talk to my ex-boyfriend, but if I don’t go,
the shows they really wanted to watch. I won’t see any of my friends.
4 Now, just a decade or two later most of us carry For many young people, love can be a very c
small, powerful, high-definition, full-colour, subject to discuss with parents.
multi media devices in our bags and pockets. 2 There has been a a increase in the price of
5 Actually, this wasn't such a big problem, because tropical fruit recently.
for a long time there were only two or three Obviously, there is a b difference in the quality
channels to choose from. of the picture on a television which costs €1,000 and
one which costs €100.
4 Say whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). Environmentalists have noted c changes in the
Quote from the text to support your answers. temperature of sea water in this area.
1 Fortunate adolescents used to have TV set in their 3 In the a world most people have access to
wardrobes. television.
 Computers are an essential part of b life.
 Have you been to the Museum of c Art in
2 Modern TVs will seem absurd to the youth of future Cuenca?
generations.
 7 Write a summary of the last paragraph of the article.
 Write no more than 50 words.
3 People had to adjust analogue TVs in order to get 
a good picture. 
 
 
4 Until the invention of the remote control you had to 
use more physical energy to manage your TV. 
 
 
5 Magazine and newspaper TV listings are more 
important in an age where there is a lot of different 
technology. 
 
 

65
7.5 Writing
An reviewing an event

1 Complete the puzzle with the following words. The


letters in the grey boxes spell the missing word from
1
b l l t
the title of this lesson. 2
t i b e
• two adjectives which mean very bad
• one adjective to describe nice tasting food 3
a b y
• one modifier for base adjectives
• one modifier for extreme adjectives
4
a z g
• four adjectives which mean very good 5
f t a s
2 Read the article and number the paragraphs in the
correct order. Then choose the most interesting title.
6
l v y

1 The village anniversary 7


e x r l y
2 Last weekend was nice
3 A bright, beautiful and busy 400th birthday 8
d l c

9
a f

Abbeydalevillagenews.com 3 Replace the underlined words in the article with more


descriptive alternatives from Exercise 1. Use each
word only once. Sometimes more than one answer is
possible.
A   Saturday began with an early morning fun run.
It was nice lovely weather and when the sun rose, SHOW WHAT YOU’VE LEARNT
the sky turned a(n) 1very pretty orangey-
blue colour. When the runners reached the finish 4 A television production company recently spent a day
filming part of a reality TV show called Our School’s
next to the abbey, the sun was already high in the
Got Talent at your school. Students showed artwork,
sky, the music had started and the smell of 2nice
put on plays and sang, danced and performed in front
tasting food was everywhere. of the cameras. The production company organised
food and a party at the end of the day to say thank
B   Unfortunately, the traffic in the village was you. They also said they would come back next year to
3
bad . Trying to drive through the village film again.
was almost impossible and the sound and smell Write an article of at least 200 words reviewing the
of the cars was 4bad . Maybe next year one event and:
of the farmer’s fields outside the village can be • describe and give your opinion on the various events
used as a car park. of the day.
• make some suggestions for next year’s event.
C   It is not often you get to say happy 400th
birthday!, but last weekend in our village that’s
exactly what we did. 400 years ago, a group of SHOW THAT YOU’VE CHECKED
monks decided to build an abbey, or church next
to the river, and our village grew up around it. In my article reviewing an event:
The ruins of the abbey are still standing today and • I have begun with an interesting, funny or unusual
that’s where the anniversary celebrations were held. title to attract the reader’s attention.
• I have held the reader’s attention with an
D   Except for the traffic it was a 5nice day. introduction that asks a question or gives interesting
I think every town and village should have a day facts.
when they celebrate their community and its • I have described the event using a variety of
history. adjectives and modifiers.

E   By midday, everyone from the area was there • I have made my descriptions interesting by
describing what I saw, heard, smelled and tasted.
enjoying the 6nice sunshine. All around the
ruins, there were colourful market stalls and people • I have included personal opinions and suggestions.
selling 7nice local food. There were some • I have finished with a recommendation for the
great live bands and a(n) 8really fabulous reader.
play which told the story of the village. • I have written at least 200 words.

66
7.6  Self check
1 Choose the correct word to complete the sentences. 3 Correct the mistakes in the Reported Speech statements.
We are proud to announce that the new judge on The TV presenter: ‘Your show is the best I’ve ever seen.’
X Factor viewer / panel / broadcast is … The TV presenter said the star that his show was the
1 Some of the scenes in that new Jim Carrey’s comedy best he’d ever seen. told
are absolutely / extremely / very hilarious. 1 Natalie: ‘I am watching a film, Caroline.’
2 Miley Cyrus’ new website received 4 million hits / Natalie told Caroline I was watching a film. 
shares / links in the first hour it was online. 2 Sophia: ‘I haven’t been to the cinema yet.’
3 The director tells the actors what to do and the editor / Sophia added she didn’t go the cinema yet.
performer / producer is responsible for actually getting 3 Tim: ‘I missed the show yesterday.’
the film made. Tim said he had missed the show yesterday.
4 Contestants in the new series will view / compete / 4 Mollie: ‘We’ll meet here at six o’clock.’
audition for the chance to go into space on a commercial Mollie said we’ll meet there at six o’clock. 
space flight. 5 Ben: ‘It can’t be the same actor.’
5 I thought the final episode was quite / absolutely / Ben pointed out that it can’t be the same actor.
extremely disappointing. Not terrible, but not as good
/5
as the rest of the series.
/5 4 Read the conversation between Phil, the head of
a drama school, and Ruby. Use Reported Speech.
2 Complete the sentences with the words in the box. P: Do you really want to be an actress?
There are two extra words.
He asked me if I really wanted to be an actress.
auditions edit link present R: Yes, I do.
post rehearsal share viral P: Are you sure? Most actresses don’t become successful.
He asked me whether 1 and said
Click on the link to find out more about next week’s
that most actresses didn’t become successful.
episode of Game of Thrones.
R: I’m sure.
1 If you would like to be in the school play, 
P: Have you ever studied drama?
will be held on Friday at 15:30 in the school hall.
He asked me if 2 .
2 OK, look into the camera and tell us what happened.
R: No, I haven’t.
Don’t worry if you go wrong. We can  the
I said no, I 3 .
film later.
P: Can you act?
3 Snoop Dogg and Steve Carell will both 
He asked me whether 4 .
awards at this year’s MTV Movie Awards.
R: Yes, I can.
4 viddyvue.com is the place to find all the latest 
P: Show me.
videos watched by millions across the web.
He asked me 5  .
5 Today’s  showed that there is still a lot of
work to do before we are ready to perform this play.  /5

/5

5 Complete the text. Choose the correct answer A–C.

I took Grandma to buy a new TV last weekend. The shop assistant asked us
what kind of TV we A interested in and Grandma 1 a black and white TV
that was square and had at least four channels. The assistant told Grandma
2
colour TVs these days and that they all 3 more than four channels.
She said she wanted an absolutely 4 one to the old one that broke.
In the end, we persuaded her to buy a little colour TV. Altogether it came
5
£79.99 which I thought was good value, but Grandma thought was
‘ridiculous!’. Now she loves her little TV and says it was worth every penny .

A  were B  are C  have been


1 A  told she wanted B  said she wanted C  said she wants
2 A  they only sold B  they only sell C  we only sell
3 A  have had B  had had C had
4 A same B identical C similar
/5
5 A  up to B into C  to
Total/25

67

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