节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-04-17
难易度:Medium
关键字:screen time, reminder, table computer, face it, behavior
Hello and welcome back.
Today we are listening to a conversation between Sean and Tim about the use of
technology and how much screen time is appropriate for children.
So far we know that Sean's son, Jeff, has a cellphone and a tablet computer.
He is also allowed to use those devices as much as he wants each day.
Let's continue with our next section and see if there are any limitations to
Jeff's screen time.
(Music).
How Much Screen Time?
No. We just tell him when to turn everything off and go to bed.
What about your daughter Alice?
We limit her screen time to two hours a day.
We discourage too much media use.
Why?
Face it, Tim.
Kids today need to know how to use computers.
But they need to do other things, too.
The more time kids spend with screens, the more likely they are to get fat or
have behavior problems.
Come on!
You've seen Jeff, and he is certainly not fat.
He gets plenty of exercise.
That's true.
But believe it or not, most kids his age spend more than seven hours a day with
screens.
(Music).
All right.
(Chinese).
And now let's go to our teachers.
Thank you, Michelle.
Wow, Jeff is a very lucky kid.
He can use his tablet and cellphone as much as he wants.
Well, you might think he's lucky, but Tim doesn't think so.
He thinks that it isn't good for kids to spend too much time in front of a
screen.
And we learn that Tim's daughter, Alice, has her screen time limited to two
hours a day.
And let's take a look at that expression of time.
If you want to say how much time someone spends doing something, you can say
they do it for so many hours a day.
For example, he studies three hours a day after school.
Or she writes on her blog two hours a day.
But you could also change hours and day for other time words.
OK. For example, you could say she goes to school five days a week, or he goes
to the gym 10 hours a week.
Try making your own example with these words.
Well, Alice's screen time is limited to two hours a day while Jeff's screen time
is practically unlimited.
He just needs to turn everything off when it's time for bed.
Yes. These two parents have very different ideas of how much screen time is OK
for their children.
One limits media use while the other does not.
Sean's logic is that kids today need to know how to use computers.
And that's something we should talk about, the word "today."
If you say a noun and then the word "today," you don't actually mean today,
April 17.
You mean the modern time or the way that something is in the present society.
So you could say cars today are much safer than cars 50 years ago.
So that means that modern cars are safer than ones that were made 50 years ago.
Or you could say education today is much more expensive than it used to be, but
more people are able to go to school today than in the past.
So we use this word to show that something is currently true and that may not
have always been the case.
So children didn't always need to know how to use computers because the way that
computers are used on a daily basis is fairly new.
But now computers have become a very important part of modern life.
So computers are very important today.
But Tim isn't convinced.
He is worried that if kids spend too much time in front of a screen, they will
become fat or have behavior problems.
But where does this idea come from?
If someone spends all or most of their time in front of... of a computer screen,
that means that they're probably sitting down and not moving.
That means that they aren't using their bodies and getting exercise, which could
cause them to gain weight.
This is especially true if the person eats a lot of unhealthy food while they
are in front of the screen.
And this could be any type of screen: a computer screen, a TV screen, a movie
screen or even a cellphone screen.
And Tim's other point is that kids could develop behavior problems.
Some studies have shown that children that spend too much time in front of
screens are more likely to have a tension, social or emotional problems, which
prevent them from connecting with other people.
And that is certainly not a good thing.
It's important to be able to interact with others and carry on a conversation.
It's also important to be able to focus on the things that are in front of you
rather than on a screen.
Having a lot of screen time before bed has also been linked to sleep problems.
Many people like to use their tablet, laptop, cellphone or watch some TV before
bed to help them relax.
But this can actually cause a person to stay up later.
They become too interested in the screen and don't want to sleep.
Or even after they turn off the screen, they continue to think about what they
were just playing or watching, so they can't sleep.
And of course that's not good at all.
Sleep is very important.
And it's definitely more important than playing video games or watching movies.
Some people even link screen use to educational problems and an increase in
violent behavior.
But it's still a fact that screens play an important part in our lives.
They are everywhere and almost unavoidable in our modern technology-driven
society.
But the amount of time we spend in front of screens is pretty unbelievable.
Well, believe it or not, but many kids around Jeff's age spend more than seven
hours a day with screens.
And that's a sentence that Liz wants to tell us about more in the Grammar Gym.
Hi there, friends.
I hope you're all doing well today.
My name is Liz.
And thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym.
Here's our Grammar Tip sentence from today's article:
But believe it or not, most kids his age spend more than seven hours a day with
screens.
Notice how the sentence begins with the phrase "believe it or not."
It just means that something is true and it doesn't matter whether the listener
agrees with it or not.
This is a great phrase to use when you are in a discussion, and you want to
share some information to support a viewpoint that someone else might disagree
with.
For example: You might think it's important to be number one in class, but
believe it or not, it does not matter ten years down the road.
You can also use this phrase to introduce some interesting fact that many people
may not realize, like:
Many people think bats are blind, but believe it or not, these animals can
actually see.
So give this phrase a try.
And if you want to see some more examples, they're available in today's Grammar
Tip section in your Studio Classroom magazine.
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym.
I'll see you next time.
(Music).
Today, two fathers, Tim and Sean, are discussing how much time a child should
spend on a computer, or how much screen time a child should have.
Sean's son, who is 8 years old, has a cellphone and a tablet computer of his
own.
And he is allowed to spend as much time as he wants on these electronic gadgets.
But Tim is not so sure that's a good idea.
They limit their daughter's screen time to two hours per day because he and his
wife feel that kids should get involved in other activities as well.
Tim argues that kids get fat from lack of exercise, or have behavior problems
because they see too much.
But Sean counters with his child is not fat and gets lots of exercise.
Thank you, Linda.
Well, today we've had a great lesson discussing the challenging topic of how
much screen time children should be allowed to have.
Well, this is no easy question to answer.
Sean and Tim certainly aren't done discussing this issue.
And you know, I think a lot of people are talking about this right now because
many parents don't know how much screen time their children should have.
That's right.
Carolyn, have you ever seen kids who just play on their tablet or phone all day
long?
It's a very easy way for parents to keep their kids distracted but maybe not the
best way.
I think I agree with you there.
Well, we have more to learn next time, so do join us right here at Studio
Classroom.
(Music).