 Free Airwaves? The Music Industry Confronts Copyright Infringement
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Idiomatic Expression |
Definition |
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a) to relax, take it easy |
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b) to go out and celebrate |
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c) someone who enjoys reading |
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d) amazing, very high quality |
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e) to be popular or fashionable |
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f) to wish someone good luck before a play or a performance |
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g) used to describe something very delicious, flavorful |
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h) slang expression meaning “movie” |
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i) to be accountable, to experience the consequences of your actions |
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j) someone who is very well-read, intelligent |
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k) to audition for a role in a play/drama or a place in an orchestra/band |
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l) a basic summary, the main idea |
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m) a very suspenseful novel |
Part Two:
Instructions: Complete the sentence using the appropriate idiom.
1. I got to bed really late last night because I was reading a _________________.
2. If you’re not doing anything this weekend, maybe we can catch that new _________________ that’s playing at the Cineplex.
3. Carla you look exhausted. You’d better stay home tonight and try to get some much needed _________________.
4. That new Turkish restaurant on the corner is _________________. Just thinking about their baklava _________________.
5. Candice has been studying her lines for days. I think she’s planning to _________________ the role of Cordelia in King Lear.
6. [Write your own sentence using one of the remaining idioms.]
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Instructions: Interview a classmate and have him/her answer the following questions. When you have finished, your instructor will ask you to share your responses with the rest of the class.
1. What type of music do you enjoy listening to? __________________
2. What type of music are you not fond of? __________________
3. Have you purchased a CD in the past month? yes/no If “yes”, what was it? __________________ If “no”, when was the last time you purchased a CD? ______________
4. Who is your favorite author? __________________
5. What is your favorite radio station? __________________
6. Do you ever listen to music on your computer (or on the Internet)? __________________
7. Do you watch television news? yes/no If “yes”, what station do you watch? __________________
8. Who is your favorite “English-speaking” singer/performer/group? __________________
9. Have you ever downloaded music from the Internet? __________________
10. If you were trapped on a deserted island and you could only have one book with you (for the rest of your life!), what book would you choose? ____________________________________________
Why? ________________________________________________________________________
Instructions: Read the following text and indicate the correct article usage. When you have finished reading the article, complete the comprehension questions that follow.
Even as little as a decade ago, if you wanted to get a hold of the latest recording, you needed to head out to your local music store and purchase the cassette or compact disc. Today with a/an/the/Æ help of the right computer equipment, you can download a/an/the/Æ latest song free from a/an/the/Æ Internet. Just as FM radio transformed the music industry in a/an/the/Æ 1960s, so to is the Internet changing the way consumers satisfy their music needs. The thought of countless users downloading the latest recordings has mobilized many of the larger record labels to shut down sites such as Napster and KaZaA for fears that the recording industry is losing millions of dollars in potential profits. According to a/an/the/Æ most recent statistics, global CD sales have declined 5.1% in 2001 and analysts predict a similar loss in a/an/the/Æ 2002, which would translate into annual losses of $10.7 billion dollars (US). Stating that it is an obvious infringement of copyright laws, artists such as Sting and Madonna are campaigning to prohibit the free downloading of their songs. The real question is how do you limit the exchange of data or enforce copyright laws in a/an/the/Æ borderless world of cyberspace
Software such as KaZaA, enables users to swap files over the Internet free of charge. The user copies either a song or a video on his/her hard drive. Another user who has this file-sharing software is now able to access these files and copy them on his/her personal computer. It is estimated that over 40 million people in a/an/the/Æ United States alone have downloaded music using one of these programs. All of this is just like money down the drain for a/an/the/Æ recording industry.
So will this free exchange of entertainment eventually destroy the recording industry? Most analysts predict that just as a/an/the/Æ VCR initially impacted video sales in a/an/the/Æ 1980s, so too will music downloading affect the modern recording industry. Optimists argue that change in any industry is healthy and that downloading may ultimately lead to increased profits. It has been noted that it is expensive to produce compact discs and even more expensive to ship and stock them. Therefore, if the music industry can somehow find a way to successfully charge a minimal fee to the consumer for the downloading of a song, it might prove to be a cheaper delivery of the entertainment. The recording industry would like to shut down illegal file swapping sites and offer their own version of pay-per-use file downloading. They argue that this would eliminate a/an/the/Æ chronic viruses that are spread through the current exchange system. Furthermore, it has been suggested that in the age of heightened security, Internet users must become more vigilant by limiting access to their personal files and information. Only one thing is for certain, rock and roll is here(hear) to stay!
1. KaZaA and Napster are: (a) recording artists (b) file-simulation software (c) file-sharing software (d) names of songs
2. The word “exchange” (in paragraph one) is: (a) a noun (b) a verb (c) an adverb (d) an adjective
3. The word “heightened” (in paragraph three) is: (a) a noun (b) an adjective (c) a verb (d) an adverb
4. The expression “money down the drain” (in paragraph two) means:
(a) The KaZaA software is expensive.
(b) The United States is losing a lot of money.
(c) The music industry is not making as much money as it could.
(d) The music industry wants to invest in file-swapping software.
5. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT:
(a) Your personal files are at risk if you use file-swapping software.
(b) 40 million people in the United States have upgraded their computers.
(c) Sting and Madonna do not support Napster and KaZaA.
(d) Not all analysts believe that downloading music will harm the recording industry.
6. Find a word in the text that means “ten years”. ________________
7. Find a word in the text that means “constant/continual”. ________________
8. In two or three sentences, summarize the main idea of the last paragraph.
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Article Usage
There are two types of articles: definite (the) and indefinite (a/an)
ONE
An indefinite article is used:
(a) to mean “one” {example} You should eat an apple a day.
(b) to mean “per” {example} She earns $50 an hour.
(c) in a general statement {example} A lion is dangerous.
(d) to introduce the subject for the first time {example} Carlos has a car.
(e) We use “an” before a vowel sound. {example} a university an hour
TWO
The definite article is used:
(a) when the noun has an antecedent {example} The car is red.
(b) with superlatives {example} The fastest car in the race.
(c) when there is only one example of something, or it is clear what the writer/speaker is referring to {example} Carlos could you please close the door.
(d) before species {example} The maple is ofte n associated with Canada.
(e) before ordinal numbers {example} Angela was the first to complete the test.
(f) with quantity expressions using “of” {example} some of the most of the much of the
(g) before a nationality or culture {example} The French are known for their fine cuisine.
(h) before decades and centuries {example} The 1980s was a period of significant economic growth.
(i) before uncountable nouns followed by a modifier {example} The rice on the counter is basmati rice.
(j) combined with an adjective to create a collective noun {example} The poor are unhappy with the government’s position on affordable housing.
(k) before inventions {example} The computer has dramatically affected the way we conduct business.
(l) before most plural geographic terms {example} The Himalayas have attracted mountaineers for decades.
(m) before acronyms in which each letter is pronounced individually {example} The UN has approved the humanitarian endeavor .
THREE
We do not use an article:
(a) with most singular geographic terms {example} Mount Everest attracts many professional and amateur climbers.
(b) with cardinal numbers {example} Please read chapter one tonight.
(c) with abstract and uncountable nouns which are not followed by a modifier {example} Life in Canada can be both rewarding and frustrating.
(d) before a language {example} Spanish is spoken in many Latin American countries.
Exercise One top
Complete the sentence using the appropriate article (if any).
1. My uncle just got back from a ten-day excursion through a/an/the/Æ Rockies.
2. a/an/the/Æ instructor informed us that she was giving us a pop quiz on a/an/the/Æ Chapter 3. I couldn’t believe it; I hadn’t even finished reading a/an/the/Æ second chapter.
3. a/an/the/Æ life of a/an/the/Æ adult ESL student is usually very hectic.
4. a/an/the/Æ most students love to study idioms.
5. It was a/an/the/Æ honor to finally meet a/an/the/Æ Queen on her recent visit to a/an/the/Æ Toronto.
6. Urbanites are not as dependent on a/an/the/Æ automobile as suburbanites are.
7. During periods of extreme cold, the municipal government sets up emergency shelters for a/an/the/Æ homeless.
8. Could you please pass me a/an/the/Æ milk on the counter.
9. Often a/an/the/Æ English is a difficult language to understand, especially when it is spoken by a/an/the/Æ French.
10. a/an/the/Æ NASA submitted a proposal to a/an/the/Æ UN.
Exercise Two top
Indicate which article rule(s) applies for each sentence above.
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