Focus 2 Semester II. Reading

Read the text.

The filming and photography in news programmes is very important in bringing the stories to life and making us realise how events affect people. But the traditional techniques of filming are slowly changing and not everyone is happy with this.

Viewers have recently complained that camerawork on news programmes, while very artistic and clever, is more suited to feature films and documentaries. Apparently many of us are distracted by clever camerawork and our attention is taken away from the real focus, which is the story.

Several techniques have been criticised. One of these is the ‘circling camera’. This is when the cameraman goes round the person who is talking so that at one point we see the back of his head. Another technique is when the camera is not held steadily and shakes. It gives the impression of slight panic and is often used in films today.

The BBC insists that camerawork like this is a sign of artistic and technological progress and is interesting and attractive, particularly to a younger audience. But how appropriate is it to have a circling camera when reporting on something as ordinary as interest rates?

Choose the best answers.

1 Pictures are important in the news because   [a, b, c]

A they show us important places.

B it’s traditional to have them.

C they help us understand the story.

2 Some people today complain that   [a, b, c]

A the filming is boring.

B the filming is distracting.

C the filming isn’t very good.

3 One modern filming technique is   [a, b, c]

A when people stand in a circle.

B there is a circle of cameras.

C the camera moves in a circle.

4 The television company   [a, b, c]

A has apologised.

B promises to change the way news is filmed.

C thinks it’s okay to film this way.

5 What is the writer’s attitude?   [a, b, c]

A He thinks the filming should suit the subject.

B He likes artistic camerawork.

C He thinks there should be more filming with news stories.

Read the text.

The workplace is changing. Gone is the traditional office and gone too are the traditional office hours. We are no longer tied to a desk from 9.00 a.m. until 5.00 p.m. with a couple of coffee breaks and an hour for lunch. Technology has revolutionised our working lives in many different ways.

One of the greatest changes that we can see happening today is related to where we do our work. The daily commute to and from the office will soon be a thing of the past for many of us. Technology allows us to work wherever we wish because of the increased ability to communicate via the Internet and send our work round the world in seconds. More and more people are taking advantage of this freedom and working from home.

One significant effect of this trend is that people are having to develop their self-discipline and time management skills. And perhaps the greatest danger is that the workforce will become increasingly isolated, and some people will see no one from one day to the other. From a practical point of view, however, the way we organise our days is becoming more flexible and companies can cut office expenditure. Only time will tell whether the benefits of working from home make it worthwhile or not.

Are the sentences true or false?

1. No one will work in offices in the future.       [true, false]

2. Changes are happening because of technology.       [true, false]

3. People talk to each other more these days.       [true, false]

4. We have to control our working time carefully.       [true, false]

5. Working from home can be lonely.       [true, false]

Complete the text with the words in the box.

I picked up some great           [appetite, bargains, complaint, diet, website, identity, refund] in the sales last week.

Complete the text with the words in the box.

This           [appetite, bargains, complaint, diet, website, identity, refund] has all the information you need about pets.

Complete the text with the words in the box.

My new phone was faulty, so the shop gave me a ____________           [appetite, bargains, complaint, diet, website, identity, refund]

Complete the text with the words in the box.

Jack went on a           [appetite, bargains, complaint, diet, website, identity, refund]

and lost a lot of weight.