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."
The title statement asserts that importance of reading books is lessened in the age of television, watching TV can provide people with the same knowledge as as reading books can. As far as I am concerned, these two ways of learning are valuable and significant in respective regards and should be used based on a case-by-case analysis.
On one hand, by telling pictures offered by TV, people can learn immediately and effectively not only what is the important and new around them but also what had happen or is happening around the world without stepping out of home. Ample television programs give a great deal of information and pleasure to people who lives in the modern society. Now almost every fields have be covered and transmitted to public through TV. Baskestball fan in China where is thousands miles away from US can appreciate and cheer up his favorite NBA teams through live report by watching TV. The discovery chanel in BBC offers a host of progams concerning the advanced ideas and cutting-edge findings in various domains, such as science, history, and art , etc. Even in classroom of formal education in some subjects the TV has been used for as an effective means of imparting the knowledge which book fails to afford a accurate and convincing description, such as the process of mutation of gene and the technique of making ceramics pots. Thus as an instant and convient but efficient tool to comprehend the world, TV plays a significant role in the person's life.
On the other hand, reading book also has its metits in several respects. One is that plenty imagination can be inspired by reading the elegant lines in books, especially the work of literature, such as novels, science fictions. Only by reading " gone with the wind" can one vision and taste the story of the Margret wants to tell in this great novel. Another is that reading can promote the formation of one's critical thinking by leaving more time to ponder independently. For example, the one watching TV news always receives passively what the TV hastily comments about an event without much time to think over, on the contrary, the reader will be able to reflect and judge what happens on earth by slowly and carefully reading the relevant materials afterwards.
On balance, both watching TV and reading books are two indispensable ways of leaning due to respective merits. Organic combination of these two ways will be of great benefit for the people according to concrete need of learning.
The title statement asserts that importance of reading books is lessened in the age of television, watching TV can provide people with the same knowledge as as reading books can. As far as I am concerned, these two ways of learning are valuable and significant in respective regards and should be used based on a case-by-case analysis.
On one hand, by telling pictures offered by TV, people can learn immediately and effectively not only what is the important and new around them but also what had happen or is happening around the world without stepping out of home. Ample television programs give a great deal of information and pleasure to people who lives in the modern society. Now almost every fields have be covered and transmitted to public through TV. Baskestball fan in China where is thousands miles away from US can appreciate and cheer up his favorite NBA teams through live report by watching TV. The discovery chanel in BBC offers a host of progams concerning the advanced ideas and cutting-edge findings in various domains, such as science, history, and art , etc. Even in classroom of formal education in some subjects the TV has been used for as an effective means of imparting the knowledge which book fails to afford a accurate and convincing description, such as the process of mutation of gene and the technique of making ceramics pots. Thus as an instant and convient but efficient tool to comprehend the world, TV plays a significant role in the person's life.
On the other hand, reading book also has its metits in several respects. One is that plenty imagination can be inspired by reading the elegant lines in books, especially the work of literature, such as novels, science fictions. Only by reading " gone with the wind" can one vision and taste the story of the Margret wants to tell in this great novel. Another is that reading can promote the formation of one's critical thinking by leaving more time to ponder independently. For example, the one watching TV news always receives passively what the TV hastily comments about an event without much time to think over, on the contrary, the reader will be able to reflect and judge what happens on earth by slowly and carefully reading the relevant materials afterwards.
On balance, both watching TV and reading books are two indispensable ways of leaning due to respective merits. Organic combination of these two ways will be of great benefit for the people according to concrete need of learning.