Tuning Out Television
Marcus has been reading about a national program that encourages people to turn off the television for a full week. He was intrigued by the idea and wrote the following letter to his school newspaper.
Dear Editor,
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of the student body, the nation, and—even more widely—the world.
There is an insidious enemy in our midst. It lurks right in our very homes. In fact, it lives in multiple rooms in our households. Even worse, we've invited the enemy in. We've even paid money to bring it into our lives.
The enemy is television. Sure, it's fun. It's entertaining. And it's hard to imagine our lives without it.
But its very charm is part of the problem. We're entranced by it. There it sits, warmly lit and beckoning with its moving images and inviting voices and music.
The minute we succumb to its wiles, it attacks our motivation and our creativity. It gobbles and swallows up our time and energy in enormous gulps.
Did you know that according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average time per year that each American spends watching television is more than 4 hours per day? That translates into 28 hours per week, which is more than many part-time jobs. In larger terms, that means 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year. In a 65-year life span, that is 9 years under the enemy's spell. As a collective, the number of hours of television watched annually by Americans equals 250 billion. Astounding, the effect the enemy has on us. We don't ever get that time back.
Sure, television can certainly be educational and informative. However, there are so many other options now for news—from the old-school, trusty newspapers (like this one), to the high- tech, instant access to the internet. Besides, are those 4+ hours per day spent in front of PBS and CNN? I don't think so.
But we can fight the enemy—especially if we band together. I'm not proposing to abolish television altogether. That's not really realistic.
As an avid addict to all kinds of action-packed dramas like 24 and CSI, it would be hypocritical of me to say it's acceptable for me to watch but not you or anyone else.
So I propose to banish the enemy for just a week. As a student body, let's take a stand. Let's organize and commit to trying to fight the enemy with the rest of the nation by observing "Turn Off Television Week."
Perhaps we could organize activities to help stoke people's imaginations with alternatives to television. Remember books—glorious books? Such a wealth of information at our fingertips, ready to pick up and take with us anywhere. No electricity needed no plugs or glazed-over eyes as a side effect. Maybe a book exchange, field trips to museums, or talking to one another instead of flipping the channels. What if we tuned in to each other and our community instead of the enemy box?
I hope you, as the newspaper editor, will help join the fight against the enemy that is TV— even if it's only for one week. That's a start.
Sincerely,
Marcus Bradsha
Answers
The reader can conclude that A. Marcus thinks the television has a negative effect on people.
Let us analyse the other options:
B. Marcus does not see or understand any other perspectives.
This is an incorrect option because Marcus understands other perspectives. He agrees that watching TV can be 'fun', 'entertaining', 'informative' and 'educational'.
C. Marcus wishes many more people would watch television.
This is incorrect because Marcus wishes people would talk to each other and be active members of the community instead of spending their time watching TV.
D. Marcus is shy and nervous about making his voice heard.
No, Marcus is not shy at all. Instead, he is specifically making his voice heard through the letter to the editor.
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.
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Answer:
what can the reader conclude about marcus