My new school

The Media: TV or not TV?
Level: 1º de Bachilllerato .
Grammar: Expressing future time: Be going to, Future Simple,
Future Continuous, Future Perfect, Present Continuous and
Present Simple.
Functions: Talking about plans and future events. Making
appointments and predictions.
Vocabulary: The media. People’s addictions. Phrasal verb: get
Phonetics: / i / and / i: /.
The lesson is divided into five parts:
1. Couch potatoes
2. I can’t do without it
3. Newspaper Story
4. Famous lives
5. Out there!
Each chapter has got an introductory page in which all the different exercises included
are displayed, so that the students can navigate throughout the unit either in a linear or
in a complex way. It is considered essential that the students become familiar with all
the structures. The lesson is designed to be completed in about two or three sessions.
PART 1 – Couch potatoes
1. You are hopeless!: In this exercise, students must listen to the conversation
between the two characters, they can listen by clicking on the audio button.
2. For and against: Next, students must listen to the conversation again and click on
the sentences which Sophia uses.
3. What does it mean?: In this exercise, students must listen again and match the
words with their meaning joining both with arrows.
4. The right tense: This is a gap filling exercise based on the same listening. They
will revise the use of future tenses by using the appropriate tense in each case.
5. Explore the future: Here, students must read about the form and use of different
tenses used to talk about the future. There are six screens with information and
examples.
6. The gaps: This is a fill in the gaps exercise where students rewrite the verbs given in
brackets into the correct form.

7. The Studio: In this recording exercise, students will read the situations and record a
correct response as in the example. Once they have finished, they can listen to
themselves by clicking on the CD button.
PART 2 – I can’t do without it
1. The man and the media: In this exercise, students must read the newspaper article.
2. True or False?: Next, students must decide if the statements given are true or false
by clicking on the correct one in each case.
3. Which is rhe right one?: In this exercise, students must click on the correct verb
tense out of the ones given. There are five screens with exercises.
4. What does it mean?: This is a drag and drop exercise where students must match
the words to their definitions. This exercise is self-correcting.
5. The box: Here, students must match the words given on the left to their descriptions
on the right. This is also a self-corrected exercise.
PART 3 – Newspaper story
1. The notebook: In this exercise, students must read the notes about a mysterious
event.
2. Write a story: Next, students must use the notes from the previous exercise to write,
print and hand their teachers a story based upon them. Remind them they can print their
composition by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page.
3. The real one: In this exercise, students will be able to listen to the complete article
while reading it.
4. Write your story: Here, students will write a similar story based on the notes given.
5. Is your story like this one?: Then, as in the previous exercise, students will be able
to listen to the complete story and read it at the same time and compare it with what
they wrote.
PART 4 – Famous lives
1. Tom Cross: Here, students must simply read the diary of a famous artist.
2. Melanie flags: Next, students must do the same with another diary.
3. Roleplay: In this exercise, students must record a dialogue in pairs in which the
person who plays the part of Tom must ask the other person (Melanie) questions about

the things she is doing following the model in the first screen. They must click on the
microphone to record themselves and then on the CD icon to listen to their recording.
4. The appointment: In this second roleplay activity the objective is that Tom and
Melanie make an appointment. To do that they must make questions and answer with
the information in the diaries. The first sentences are already shown on the screen as
models, and in the rests of the screens they must follow the hints they are given.
PART 5 – Out there!
1. The adventure: Here, students must listen to a radio interview with a famous actor
2. Phrasal verbs: Next, students must listen to the interview again, as they do so, they
must pay attention to the words highlighted in red and concentrate on the meaning and
use of phrasal verbs.
3. What does it mean?: In this exercise, students must match the phrasal verbs with
their meaning by joining both things with an arrow. They can read and listen to the
interview again by clicking on the buttons.
4. Using phrasals: Here students will use the phrasal verbs given in the sentences,
deciding also on the appropriate tense.
5. Idioms: Here, students must join the expressions with their meaning with arrows.
6. Sounds well: In this exercise students will decide how to complete the words with the
missing letters so that they sound /i:/ or /i/.

PART 1 – Couch potatoes
The Media: TV or not TV? - Answer key
2. For and against:
It’s a passive activity / It’s addictive / It causes behaviour problems /
The programmes are rubbish
3. What does it mean?:
Coach potato: Lazy person / Bringing people together: Getting them closer /
Keeps them off the street: Prevents street violence / Damage: Hurt /
Nonsense: Rubbish / Stuff: Things / Soap opera: TV comedy
4. The right tense:
is going to kill / will be feeling lonely / will have lost / will damage / is starting
6. The gaps:
Screen one: 1. are going to do 2. will ... bring / will have
Screen two: 3. am going / will see 4. won’t forget / am taking
Screen three: 5. will have risen 6. will be waiting 7. will be lying
Screen four: 8. will have finished 9. are ... retiring
PART 2 – I can’t do without it
2. True or False?: False / True / False / False / True
3. Which is the right one?:
1. will have been addicted 2. will / go 3. is discovering 4. will not pick up 5. will become
4. What does it mean?:
documentary / cartoons / cable TV / strips / soap operas / to surf / to be hooked
5. The box:
children’s programmes – cartoons / drama series – a serial in chapters /
quiz shows – contests / wildlife programmes – about nature / sit-com – situation comedy /
chat shows – interviews / current affairs – debates
PART 5 – Out there!
3. What does it mean?:
get up: rise out of bed / get at: imply, suggest / get off: land / get to: arrive
4. Using phrasals:
1. will get off 2. will have got along with 3. will be getting up
4. will get to 5. are ... getting at
5. Idioms:
out of the blue: all of a sudden / on the spur of the moment: spontaneously /
green with envy: jealous / I’m keeping my fingers crossed: I’m hoping
6. Sound well:
scenes / green / believe / keeping / mean
will / difficult / even / funny / envy / fingers

PART 1 – Couch potatoes
The Media: TV or not TV? - Audio Scripts
1. You are hopeless!:
S: Oh, Mark, you're a couch potato! TV is going to kill your imagination; I mean, you are
sitting there, like a vegetable, in front of the box.
M: I disagree, I do other things. And, anyway, what are people going to do on a Saturday
afternoon?
S: For goodness sake, Mark! Probably, sport, activities, I don't know, but it's addictive; in
ten years' time you will be feeling lonely, you will have lost your friends.
M: Oh, come on! There're no statistics to prove that. On the contrary, it's a way of
bringing people together. Families sit together round the TV.
S: How is TV bringing families together? They don't talk while watching TV, they just look
robotized.
M: And it keeps children entertained, and it keeps them off the street as well.
S: But Mark, TV is just a load of rubbish; it will hurt their eyes and it will damage their
brains, it will make kids aggressive.
M: That's absolute nonsense, there's a lot of stuff they can learn from TV, they will become
quick learners and in a while they will be using the remote control as masters and that
will help them use computers better and when they grow up they will have learned all
about the mysteries of the media.
S: Oh, this is pathetic! Look, why don't you switch off your TV? Let's go for a walk!
M: Sorry, but my favourite soap opera is starting in ten minutes. I can't miss it! They will
find out who the killer is tonight.
S: You are hopeless, Mark!
PART 3 – Newspaper story
3. The real one:
Police are still looking for a 22-year-old film actress who vanished while she was on her
way to the studio two days ago.
Police all over the country will be carrying out an investigation next week but they
haven’t got any information yet which will help them with their inquiries.
They think they are wasting lots of time because they can’t find the actress’s boyfriend
or her flat mate. If anyone has any information, please phone 091 332765
5. Is your story like this one?:
TV star Janet Robson will be celebrating a romantic wedding in the South of Wales next
Sunday.
So far, this will be her fifth marriage.
Apparently she is marrying her fifth husband because he shows lots of affection for her
snake.
Robson is soon going to make a new film in Hollywood with her third husband, who is
the rock star Rod Sting.
Now, she is too busy to talk to the press.

PART 5 – Out there!
1. The adventure:
Michael: It's going to be an interesting journey. We're taking a crew of cameramen and I
myself am going to shoot some scenes as well.
Interviewer: When will you be getting along with it?
Michael: Some time next year, I believe, but it's difficult to say.
Interviewer: I don't understand. What are you getting at?
Michael: What I mean is that there's nothing planned. We won't even know where we'll
be getting up the following day. As soon as we get off the plane in Britain, that's
when the adventure starts.
Interviewer: I see, a bit funny, isn’t it?
Michael: I like to get to places out of the blue, and to make decisions on the spur of the
moment, so I do not really mind!
Interviewer: OK, we will be following you! I'm sure you'll make us green with envy with
your adventure!
Michael: I'm keeping my fingers crossed anyway , and I just hope it'll be a great
success.
Interviewer: Sure it will be. Thank you very much for being here.