Who Killed the Radio Star?

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Exercise 1

Vocabulary

statistics

Noun

stəˈtɪstɪks

facts shown in numbers, obtained from analyzing information

According to recent statistics, Japanese work longer hours than workers in other nations.

Statistics show that women live longer than men.

The insurance company uses statistics from the Center for Disease Control in order to assess health risks.

The best available statistics indicate that our brand is recognized by seventy-six percent of area residents.

According to the statistics released by the central bank, the economy has expanded by only 0.8 percent over the last two years.

The Minister of Finance claims that the economy is not as bad as statistics have shown.

The statistics show that the majority of people don't own a car.

plunge

Verb

pləndʒ

to decrease quickly

The stock price plunged after the arrest of the president.

When prices plunge, it can be a sign of deflation.

After the major demonstration against Japan, demand for Japanese automobiles plunged.

World oil prices have plunged to a record low.

Stock markets plunged in 2008, causing a financial crisis.

convince

Verb

kənˈvɪns

to persuade/encourage someone to do something

He had a hard time convincing his boss that he was correct.

They convinced us that there was sufficient advantage for us in this deal.

She tried to convince me to give up working abroad.

compete

Verb

kəmˈpiːt

to try to be more successful than someone/something

I had to compete with a lot of other applicants for the position.

My co-workers like to compete with each other.

We are competing against our closest rival.

Free economies compete against each other for a share of the market.

My two sons always compete with each other.

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogue aloud with your tutor.

David and Daisuke are talking about their jobs in TV and radio.
	David What's new, Daisuke?
	Daisuke Not much.
	David I was listening to your show on the way here. It was great, you always get a laugh out of me.
	Daisuke Thanks. I just wish that our listeners felt the same way.
	David What do you mean?
	Daisuke The statistics for how many people tune in every day have plunged. It's getting harder and harder to compete with all the other radio stations.
	David I wouldn't take it personally. There's more and more entertainment options every day. The viewer statistics for our TV show are the same as yours.
	Daisuke But you're a reporter. Surely people still watch the news?
	David Less and less every day, unfortunately. Everyone just goes on the internet for their news now.
	Daisuke Yeah. Radio has the same problem. More and more people listen to podcasts instead of us.
	David All we can do is keep trying to be as entertaining as possible. You make me laugh on the way to work every morning. I'm sure you're making other people laugh as well.
	Daisuke That's kind of you to say. I hope so.

Check your understanding:

What has happened to the statistics for Daisuke's radio show?

How is David's TV show doing compared to Daisuke's radio show?

What do they agree is the main source of competition for both TV and Radio?

Exercise 3

Discussion

Discuss the following issues related to social media with your teacher.

Social networking sites are becoming increasingly popular.
Very few people listen to the radio and watch TV.
Some people tend to believe in the opinions of others on social networking sites rather than the facts broadcast on TV.
Some people are addicted to social media.

Exercise 4

Further Discussion

What do you think about the internet and how it affects people these days?

Do you think that listening to the radio is no longer a trend today? Why/why not?

Do you still watch television? Why? Why not?

Which would you prefer, watching news on TV, or watching/reading it on the internet? Why?

What do you think are the best and worst things about the internet? Explain your answer.