issue38

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TOPIC: ISSUE38 - "In the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books."
WORDS: 353          TIME: 0:45:00          DATE: 2007-2-8

During the last decade, the discussion of the high controversial issue whether we can learn what we need only through watching television has come into vogue among people all over the world. What's dangerous among the speaker's claim? Judgment should be dispensed. Plausible as it may seems, further reflection tells me that books applies a external thought and a vivid universe though television is so popular but it’s blunt and temporary.

To begin with, it's only the book which can provide the eternal description of the world. Without the Homer's famous great work--Iliad and Odyssey, portraying the great wars in the ancient Greek empire, we would not comprehensive realize the high advanced science, the democratic society and the flourishing culture; without the Shakespeare's famous epics-Macabre, we would not realize the unordinary ambition is pernicious; without A Tale of The Stone, we would not be satisfied with the blooming culture in Qing dynasty of the China. Only the word can burden corroding of the time while television only applies contemporary stories.

In addition, reading books can lead us into a vivid world while television only barely supplies a Sargasso Sea of the sense of blunt society. In television, what we can get hold of are the movies reflecting violence in status in quo, the news about the political principle which maybe potential inauthentic to some extend, and the advertisement which is brainwashed and agitated nevertheless a brand of coffee, a candidate fore office, or a particularly political viewpoint. But we can taste the beautiful world through the Romantic World, the sorrow of the grave through the Les Miserable, recognize the ancestor of sundry animals through the Origin of Species, the origin of the universe through A Brief History of Time, and apprehend the ending of life through Hero and the greatness of love through Jane. Depending on the book, the whole world is on the front of us.

Admittedly, in the age of the television, we can learn multitudes of knowledge from television. The significant potential aspect of the television is the contribution to comprehending and realizing the contemporary society not only in our local city, but all over the world. Political become un-mysterious and we all can take part in making the significant decision and become the real homer of the country. Thomas Jefferson once said (I paraphrase):” people may safely be trusted to hear everything true or false, and to form correct judgment. ” This cogently expresses the wise of the citizen in making decisions. The television is the most considerable method for the people to participate the activities of society.

All in all, in the accelerating changing society, the technology improves day by day. Television and books may undermine each other sometimes to some extend, but they can complement themselves if handle properly. Though the television is important in status in quo, we cannot neglect the significant potential contribution to cultivating our ideals and faiths.