## Project A: Reading

#### Project A Reading: Reality Television

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Reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000. Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother. Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques. Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity. Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama." Bron: www.UsingEnglish.com

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#### Reading Evaluation

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Indicate for each section how you thought it went.

Section | Good | Sufficient | Insufficient
Vocabulary | You master all the simple words to understand a note, e-mail or simple text. | You master the most necessary words to understand a note, e-mail or simple text. | You do not master enough words to understand a note, email or simple text.
Sentence structure and grammar | you can recognize and understand verb forms and sentences well. | you can recognize enough sentences and verb forms. you understand some sentences and verb forms. | You cannot properly recognize and understand verb tenses and sentence structure.
Text insight | You can clearly see the structure and outline. You can also easily deduce the meaning of unknown words from the context. | You can see the structure and outline of a text fairly well, but you can rarely infer the meaning of unfamiliar words from the context. | You do not fully see the structure and outline of the text and cannot deduce the meaning of unknown words from the context.
Pace of reading | You can read quickly and easily. You understand everything it says. You can read the entire text in all details. | You often have enough reading pace to understand quite a bit of what you are reading. You can read the entire text globally. | You need too much time to read everything completely. You do not fully understand what you read.
Reading strategy | You can look at the main outline of a text and then at the details. Beforehand, you use the layout, pictures and prior knowledge (what you already know about the subject). | Using the layout, pictures and prior knowledge (what you already know about the subject) you can hardly see the big picture in the text. You still translate too many sentences without seeing any connection. | You don't really understand how to handle the text and you start reading word for word. You make too little use of prior knowledge (what you already know about the subject).