每一个雅思8分的童鞋都置顶了以鹅
▼
主编：张智超 | ID：InsightintoIELTS
美编运营： 李雨若 | 图：网络
转载请在后台输入转载
以鹅推送说明
周一、四：良心干货
周二：Win-Win Show
周三、五、六：以鹅小课堂
周日：Uncle E's Cabin
这几天是清明放假，不知道你有没有利用这个假期出去散散心，如果你仍旧坚守在图书馆，为了自己的梦想打拼着，我希望能陪你一起续写难忘的奋斗史。
今天为大家带来的小课堂，是关于媒体类话题最基础的一个概念 mass media 大众媒体的概念定义性的一个小文章。
通过赏析里面的一些表达和句型，我们可以对于媒体类话题有一个基本的了解，很多词汇都可以直接用到我们的雅思写作中去。
不想看解析的同学，可以拖动下面的对话框，查看无解析的原文。
What is mass media?
Mass media is media that is intended for a large audience. It may take the form of broadcast media, as in the case of television and radio,or print media, like newspapers and magazines. Internet media can also attain mass media status, and many media outlets maintain a web presence to take advantage of the ready availability of Internet in many regions of the world. Some people also refer to it as the “mainstream media,” referencing the fact that it tends to stick to prominent stories which will be of interest to ageneral audience, sometimes ignoring controversial breaking news. Many people around the world rely on this form of media for news and entertainment, and globally, it is a huge industry.
Usually, mass media aims to reach a very large market, such as the entire population of a country. By contrast, local media covers a much smaller population and area, focusing on regional news of interest, while specialty media is provided for particular demographic groups. Some local media outlets that cover state or provincial news may rise to prominence thanks to their investigative journalism, and to the clout that their particular regions have in national politics. The Guardian, formerly known as the Manchester Guardian, for example, is a nationally-respected paper in England that started as a regional daily.
One of the biggest criticisms of the mass media is that it is too topical. When a media outlet is forced to cover national and international news, it cannot address numerous interesting local stories because these stories are not of interest to very many viewers. For example, the residents of a community might view their fight against development as critical, but the story would only attract the attention of a wider audience if the fight became controversial or if precedents of some form were set.
People often think of mass media as the news, but it also includes entertainment like television shows, books, and films. It may also be educational in nature, as in the instance of public broadcasting stations that provide educational programming to a national audience. Political communications including propaganda are also frequently distributed through the media, as are public service announcements and emergency alerts.
While elitists may be tempted to sneer at the mass media, referring to it as the “opiate of the masses,” it is a critical part of human societies. Understanding mass media is usually key to understanding a population and culture, which is why the field of media studies is so huge. Watching, reading, and interacting with a nation's media can provide clues into how people think, especially if a diverse assortment of sources are viewed.
详细地分段解析如下：
Mass media is media that is intended for a large audience. It may take the form of broadcast media, as in the case of television and radio, or print media, like newspapers and magazines. Internet media can also attain mass media status, and many media outlets maintain a web presence to take advantage of the ready availability of Internet in many regions of the world. Some people also refer to it as the “mainstream media,” referencing the fact that it tends to stick to prominent stories which will be of interest to a general audience, sometimes ignoring controversial breaking news. Many people around the world rely on this form of media for news and entertainment, and globally, it is a huge industry.
a large audience 大量观众。a live audience 现场观众。target audience 目标受众
broadcast media: television and radio 电视或者广播媒体
print media: newspapers and magazines 纸质媒体
attain … status 达到… 地位。attainable 可以达到的
web presence 传统媒体的网络版
take advantage of 利用
ready availability 现成的可用性。相关例句有: governments are trying to improve the availability of schooling for girls./ it noted barriers to availability and poor infrastructure as major problems.
mainstream 主流的。常见搭配有：mainstream education/ society/ parties 等。也可以作动词：使为大多数人所接受 Vegetarianism has been mainstreamed.
prominent 杰出的，显著的。 play a prominent part in 发挥重要作用。
breaking news 突发新闻
Usually, mass media aims to reach a very large market, such as the entire population of a country. By contrast, local media covers a much smaller population and area, focusing on regional news of interest, while specialty media is provided for particular demographic groups. Some local media outlets that cover state or provincial news may rise to prominence thanks to their investigative journalism, and to the clout that their particular regions have in national politics. The Guardian, formerly known as the Manchester Guardian, for example, is a nationally-respected paper in England that started as a regional daily.
demographic 人口学的。作名词 demographics 人口统计数据
rise to prominence 崭露头角
thanks to 由于，归功于
investigative journalism 调查研究报告
clout 影响力；势力。political/ financial clout 经济势力
nationally-respected 全国尊重的。类似副词 + 形容词 ed 的组合形式，比较常见：nationally-televised/ universally-accepted/ widely-used/ firmly-held
daily 作名词是日报的意思
最后一句话 The Guardian, formerly known as the Manchester Guardian, for example, is a nationally-respected paper in England that started as a regional daily. 中间出现了好几个逗号。
第一个逗号是为了分开过去分词后置的一个修饰，可以理解为 the Guardian which is formerly known as …
第二和第三个逗号是为了插入语 for example。以为这个连词词组完全和主句意思没有任何关联，放在句中插入语，前后都要加逗号。
One of the biggest criticisms of the mass media is that it is too topical. When a media outlet is forced to cover national and international news, it cannot address numerous interesting local stories because these stories are not of interest to very many viewers. For example, the residents of a community might view their fight against development as critical, but the story would only attract the attention of a wider audience if the fight became controversial or if precedents of some form were set.
criticisms of 批评、指责。可数名词。
其他的常见搭配有：attract criticism/ widespread criticism/ be open to criticism/ take criticism/ offer sb. constructive criticism/ criticism levelled at (= aimed at) journalists
topical 有关时事的
outlet 感情等的出路、经销店、排放口
cover national and international news 这里的 cover 是报道的意思，当然这个词还有很多其他的意思。coverage 则是名词，表示新闻报道，不可数。
address 这个词又是一个多义词，比如：地址、演讲、称呼某人，这里是处理、解决的意思，比如例句： these concerns were not adequately addressed in the report.
be of interest to sb. 其实就是说这个东西很有意思，但是没有用到比较老套的 interesting 罢了。
controversial 很有争议的。也可以尝试用名词形式 arouse controversy
precedents 先例。常见搭配就是 set a precedent。空前的 there is no precedent/ without precedent。前所未有的 unprecedented
People often think of mass media as the news, but it also includes entertainment like television shows, books, and films. It may also be educational in nature, as in the instance of public broadcasting stations that provide educational programming to a national audience. Political communications including propaganda are also frequently distributed through the media, as are public service announcements and emergency alerts.
think of sth. as 认为… 是/ 有
in nature 事实上，实质上
in the instance of 在…的情况下
public broadcasting stations 公共广播电台
programming 电视广播节目的编排
propaganda 宣传/ 鼓吹（贬义）
public service announcements 公益广告
emergency alerts 紧急情况警报
While elitists may be tempted to sneer at the mass media, referring to it as the “opiate of the masses,” it is a critical part of human societies. Understanding mass media is usually key to understanding a population and culture, which is why the field of media studies is so huge. Watching, reading,and interacting with a nation's media can provide clues into how people think, especially if a diverse assortment of sources are viewed.
elitists 杰出人物，精英人士
be tempted to 动了心
sneer at 讥笑
opiate of the masses 精神鸦片
critical 极重要的
provide clues into 提供线索
a diverse assortment of 各种各样的
媒体真的是一把双刃剑，特别是前几个月的那个 red yellow blue 事件，更让觉得，媒体对于社会舆论的操纵，能力之大，完全不是我这种吃瓜群众可以 hold 住的。
对于还是小老百姓的我，决定不去纠结很多的 trending news，还是好好学好英语，学好雅思，用知识武装自己的大脑，用语言让自己看到更远的方向。
雅思口语
澳洲本土人如何回答雅思口语
考官如何回答雅思口语（含全真模拟视频和解析）
海外生活使用技巧
Part 2高级答案养成记（解析+方法+示范）
口语中做笔记的实用方法
口语法宝：分类讨论
口语新题：app 手机软件
情人节到了，别人都在过节，我却很想分手...
雅思写作 | 大作文
最常考话题和16道最常考题目
靠谱范文来源
如何赏析范文
如何仿写范文
如何把文章写长
如何课下练作文
如何打开思路
如何加强正面论证
如何写反方观点
如何写段落总结句
如何替换题目里的关键词
雅思写作 | 小作文
小作文如何添加数据方法
小作文练习时写什么题目最好
小作文复杂变化：波动上升如何用一个句子描述清楚
小作文如何把简单的图写长，复杂的图写精炼
小作文数据描述复杂精准词
【复习汇总贴】小作文你需要知道的一切
G类小作文 | 书信
17年G类考情回顾 & 18年展望..
书信的基本框架和必备句型