לומדים אנגלית / קוראים ספרי ילדים

The general subject of the unit that we are starting today is: The Media.

This unit will comprise three parts.

Today we will focus on the Radio.

Let's talk about it.

• Has the popularity of the radio gone down since television entered our homes? 
• Do you listen to the radio very often? On what occasions?
• What are your favorite programs?
• What is your favorite station?
• Are you a news addict? (Do you listen to the news every hour?)
• Is the radio important? Can you imagine life without it?
• Is the radio about to disappear? Discuss.
• Now imagine that all the questions above were addressed to your parents. How would they reply?

Helpful Vocabulary

means of communication   –   אמצעי תקשורת

replace   –   לבוא במקום

while driving – בשעת נהיגה

documentaries   –   סרטי תעודה

the News Magazine   –   יומן החדשות

interviews   –   ראיונות

broadcast   –   לשדר, שידור  

Getting ready to Read

• The passage you are about to read deals with the Israeli radio.
• Do you know anything about its history?
• When was the Voice of Israel founded?
• What was the first program on the air?
• Are all the broadcasts in Hebrew?
• Are the broadcasts intended  for the people in Israel only?

Reading Passage

Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.

1. On March 30, 1936 the Palestine Broadcasting Service was established under the British Mandate and began operating as the Voice of Jerusalem in English, Hebrew and Arabic. In 1947 a Hebrew underground station began to broadcast to the Jewish population of Palestine, but it was not until May 14, 1948 that the Voice of Israel was born. The first broadcast on the air was a live transmission of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel by David Ben-Gurion, directly from the Tel Aviv Municipal Museum.

2. The Voice of Israel has greatly changed and developed over the years. Today, the Israel Broadcasting Authority operates 24 hours a day, in various languages, both in Israel and abroad. The different stations offer a large variety of programs. The radio offers its audience regular news broadcasts, current event summaries, interviews, cultural and educational programs, music and entertainment. The main purpose of the radio is to provide reliable information and offer the various sectors of the Israeli population an opportunity to express themselves freely on a wide variety of topics. The radio addresses its programs to the Israeli population – Jews as well as Arabs – and to Jews in the Diaspora.

3. The news is obviously the most popular program in Israel. Israelis are considered "news addicts". Most of them tune in to the news on the radio several times a day and would never even dream of missing the news broadcast on T.V. or the headlines in the evening paper. Most Israelis are able to break the habit only when going abroad. Yet even then, they can't help feeling involved. When they spot another Israeli, they immediately bombard him with endless questions on the latest news from home, even when they have only been away for a couple of days. Moreover, if they find an Israeli paper, they devour it from beginning to end.

Thinking about what you have read:

Compare your answers to the questions preceding the text.

Was the information you had before the text correct?

What have you learned from the text?

Now move to the questions.

Questions

1. Complete the following sentence according to paragraph 1.

The Palestine Broadcasting Service, which …………………………………………….. on ………………………………………………………, used to broadcast not only in English, but ………………………………..

2.  The first station to broadcast in Hebrew began to operate (paragraph 1) 

a. in 1936.

b. in 1947.

c. in 1948.

d. a hundred years ago.

3. When does the Israeli radio broadcast (paragraph 2)?
…………………………………………………………………………………….

4. Give three examples of programs broadcast on the Israeli radio (paragraph 2).

a. ……………………………………………………………….

b. ……………………………………………………………….

c. ……………………………………………………………….

5.   What does the author mean by the various sectors of the Israeli population (paragraph 2)?
…………………………………………………………………………………….

6. Who are the radio programs directed to (paragraph 2)?

a. ……………………………………………………………….

b. ……………………………………………………………….

c. ……………………………………………………………….

7. a. What does the author mean by the expression news addicts (paragraph 3)?
     ………………………………………………………………………………..

     b. Does the addiction affect Israelis only when they are in Israel?
     ………………………………………………………………………………..

     c. Copy the words that justify your choice.
     ………………………………………………………………………………..

8. Most Israelis keep themselves informed by (paragraph 3)

a. reading papers and magazines.

b. listening to the news on the radio.

c. T.V. and radio programs

d. all the means of communication.

9. Copy the words that show that Israelis are eager readers of the daily paper (paragraph 3)

a. in Israel "………………………………………………………………………".

b. abroad "………………………………………………………………………..".

10. Match the following headings to the suitable paragraphs. There are two extra headings.

The variety of programs offered by the radio               paragraph…

Israeli papers as compared to foreign papers              paragraph…

Israelis' addiction to the news                                            paragraph…

Historical background of the Voice of Israel                  paragraph…

Doubtful reliability of certain  programs.                        paragraph……

Language and Vocabulary 

Fill in the blanks with suitable words. Write one word only in each blank.

Most Israelis are virtually …………………………. to the newspapers. They read at …………………………. one paper a day and sometimes two or three. First they look at the …………………………. and then they  go …………………………. to the section of the paper that they like ………………………….. Most people enjoy the middle section of the paper …………………………. all the "action" can be found. There they can read about …………………………. and corruption. They can also find "useful" information about the seventh divorce of a ………………………….actress or the ……………………. scandal involving an important public …………………….

And that's all for today. More texts and suggestions in my next post.