Speak on causes and consequences of industrial noise, the measures taken to eliminate it and the difficulties encountered. Use the words given.

CAUSES: traffic, noisy machinery, airports, jet-planes, a lot of cars, by-product of human activity, to neglect the problem.

CONSEQUENCES: unbearable noise, to disturb sleep, onslaught on ears, to reduce working efficiency, to suffer, to harm health, to become deaf

MEASURES: to arouse public concern, to demand control, to ban, to limit, to devise regulations, to move to distant locations

DIFFICULTIES: to neglect, to ignore the problem, a matter of economic conflict, costly.

UNIT XVIII

Key words and expressions: to play video games, to be addicted, computer games industry, profitable, boys and girls gaming profiles, psychologists, to attract older audience, to join forces with television and film industry.

Pre-reading tasks

Look through the key words and guess what the text is about.

The habits of those who constantly play video games are of great interest to people working in the video-game industry. If video games are going to be one of the most attractive features of future interactive television systems, it is important for manufacturers to know what types of games to produce, how best to present such games, and how to ensure that such games maintain fascination for people. Above all, it is essential to build up profiles of people who are addicted to video games.

Until recently, the chief market for video games has been boys aged eight to fifteen. The fascination for interactive video games is seen in its purest form in this group. Video games appeal to some deep instinct in boys, who find it impossible to tear themselves away from them. Schoolwork is neglected, health is damaged, and even eating habits are affected. Girls of the same age, however, are entirely different, demonstrating far greater freedom from the hold of video games. Quite simply, they can take video games in their stride, being able to play them when they want and then, leave them alone.

A few psychologists feel that video games may serve chiefly as a refuge for boys, who develop at a far slower rate than girls do in their early teens. As a result, young teenage boys often feel embarrassed and anxious in their dealing with girls of their age and tend to withdraw into sports, clubs, hobbies - and above all video gaming.

Aware of the reliance on boys of such a relatively narrow age group, some video-game manufacturers have tried to attract young boys while others have concentrated on providing an older audience, with an excuse to extend its game-playing habits into adulthood. These attempts have certainly had some success, though, it must be admitted, of a fairly limited nature in comparison with the huge success of the eight to fifteen age group.

No one has yet succeeded, however, in making video games attractive to the largest market of all: young adult women. These women buy more novels and watch more films and television dramas than any either single section of the population - but few show interest in video games. Since Hollywood has undoubtedly the best experience and expertise in bringing stories to life on the screen, several large video-game companies now feel it is time to join forces with the film industry. They feel that video games made by top-rate film directors and film stars must inevitably succeed in attracting women. Already well-known actors are being recruited to serve as models for the behavior and actions of the cartoon characters in video game: namely, that it is such fun to play that it is irresistible.

Post-reading tasks

Now that you have read the text think of a proper title to the text. Motivate your choice.

Choose the synonyms to the given words according to the context. Reproduce the sentence from the text with the synonym chosen.

fascination a) mystery            b) attractiveness           

                  c) simplicity       d) delight

inevitably a) unexpectedly    b) unavoidably   

                  c) uncommonly     d) unbearably

an excuse  a)pretext              b) pardon  

                  c) mercy                d) apology

to tear       a) to divide           b) to pull apart

                  c) to throw away  d) to remove by force   

Complete the following sentences choosing the best ending.

1. Producers of video games are keen on

a) developing computer techniques.

b) finding the best ways to attract people.

c) devising ways to change their games into TV programmes.

2. The people who are most addicted to video games are

a) girls between eight to fifteen.

b) boys aged from eight to fifteen.

c) young adult women.

3. The addiction can be so powerful that it can

a) make people physically ill.

b) destroy people's instincts.

c) make people seek protection.

4. Young teenage boys are reluctant to talk to girls of their age because

a) the girls are not interested in video games.

b) boys are interested only in video games.

c) boys are slower in their development than girls.

5. Games manufacturers

a) succeeded in attracting boys who are over fifteen.

b) failed in attracting adults.

c) provided an older audience with games suitable for their age.