Acloserobserverofthesmallscreenoncecalledita“vastwastelandofviolence,sadismandmurder,privateeyes,gangstersandmoreviolence-andcartoons.”ThatishowNewtonMinow,aUStelevisionregulator,describeditin1961. Sincethantelevisionlanguagehasbecomemorecolourful,violencemoreexplicitandsexmoreprevalent.?LadyChatterley’sLoverhasmovedfromthebannedbookshelftoaclassicBBCserial. Concernoversuchchangingstandardshasshapedourviewoftelevision—andmaskeditsbroaderinfluenceindevelopingcountries. Toillustrateitseffects,KennycitesthecaseofBrazil.Whentelevisiontherebegantoshowasteadydietoflocalsoapsinthe1970s,Brazilianwomentypicallyhadfiveormorechildrenandweretrappedinpoverty.Asthepopularityofthesoapsgrew,birthratesfell Accordingtoresearchers,72%oftheleadingfemalecharactersinthemainsoapshadnochildrenandonly7%hadmorethanone.Onestudycalculatedthatsuchsoapshadthesameeffectonfertilityratesaskeepinggirlsinschoolforfiveyearsmorethannormal. Itisnotjustbirthratesthatareaffected.Kennynotes:“KidswhowatchTVoutofschool,accordingtoaWorldBanksurveyofyoungpeopleintheshantytownsofFortalezainBrazil,areconsiderablylesslikelytoconsumedrugs.” TelevisionappearstohavemorepowertoreduceyouthdrugusethanthestricturesofaneducatedmotherandBraziliansoapspresentingeducatedurbanwomanrunningtheirownbusinessesarethoughttobecompellingrolemodels. Televisioncanalsoimprovehealth,InGhanaasoapoperalinethatwarnedmotherstheywerefeedingtheirchildren“morethanjustrice”iftheydidnotwashtheirhandsafterdefecatingwasfollowedbyaseeminglypermanentimprovementinpersonalhygiene. Whydosuchchangeshappen?Simple,saysKenny:soapoperas,whetherlocalversionsofUglyBettyorvintageimportsofBaywatch,openupnewhorizons.“Somehourscouldhebetterspoutplantingtrees,helpingoldladiesacrosstheroadorplayingcricket,”hesaid.“ButwatchingTVexposespeopletonewideasanddifferentpeople.Withthatwillcomegreateropportunity,growingequalityandabetterunderstandingoftheworld.Notbad.” Whatdoes“it”refertointhefirstparagraph?
A.The small screen. B.A vast wasteland. C.Television language. D.Lady Chatterley’s Lover.正确答案A
