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Unit 12 A Case of
Key to the Exercises
Text comprehension
I.
II.
Judge, according to the text, whether
the following statements are true or false.
1.
T (Refer to Paragraph 3.
In American news media, black America is poor,
criminal,
addicted and dysfunctional.
Indeed, the media have covered only a small
segment of the
black community and
presented it as the norm.)
2.
T (Refer to Paragraph 3, where it is
said that
for its
blatancy,
obtrusive and offensive.)
3.
F
(Refer
to
Paragraph
4,
where
it
is
indicated
that
media
reports
on
crack
babies,
gang
warfare,
violent
youth,
poverty
and
homelessness
are
all
featured
as
black,
while
rarely is there any article about
blacks playing a positive role, or any role at
all.)
4.
F (Refer to
Paragraphs 6?, where it is shown that in numbers
there are more white
Americans
on
welfare,
but
among
the
urban
underclass
there
is
a
larger
proportion
of
blacks.)
5.
F
(Refer
to
Paragraph
12,
in
which
the
author
tells
us
that
she
has
not
seen
a
recognizable
violence.
6.
F
(Refer
to
Paragraphs
14?6,
which
show
that
blacks'
true
characteristics
and
contributions are the biggest secret in
America. Every black, even those with the
strongest
minds, craves affirmation of
their contributions to American society.)
III.
Answer the
following questions.
1.
Refer to Paragraph 3. It refers to the
small group of blacks who are poor, criminal,
addicted and dysfunctional.
2.
Refer to Paragraphs 3?,
and 11. The author especially focuses on the news
media, and
she also touches upon the
film industry.
3.
Refer to
Paragraph 7. As presented in the media, white
America is always whole and
lovely and
healthy, while black America is usually sick and
pathetic and deficient.
4.
Refer to Paragraph 9. By
America is very confusing because of
the discrepancy between its image in the media and
its real character.
5.
Refer
to
Paragraph
12.
According
to
the
author,
she
has
never
experienced
any
Decide which of the
following best states the author's purpose of
writing.
A
6.
Refer
to
Paragraphs
5?,
and
13.
Yes,
news
reports
and
journalism
are
always
supposed to be the
mirror on American reality.
IV.
Explain in your own
words the following sentences.
1.
The
media's
malicious
use
of
a
small
segment
to
represent
all
black
America
is
shameless and offensive.
2.
The
media
are
supposed
to
present
American
culture
and
American
experience
truthfully by reflecting American
reality, and people usually accept news reports as
truth
without any doubt. Unfortunately,
in many cases what they present is anything but
the
truth.
3.
The
distorted, inaccurate news coverage is worse than
covering nothing at all about
blacks.
4.
I am not suggesting we
close our eyes to the very real problems
associated with the
lower class in
cities, nor denying that blacks are
overrepresented in this class.
5.
Most black people work hard, obey the
law and pay their taxes. We have made our
contributions to American society, but
the media never notice and cover it. That makes
blacks resentful.
Structural analysis of the text
With a series of sentences beginning
with
image
of
blacks
established
by
the
media
is
from
reality.
And
using
again
the
same
sentence
structure in Paragraph 6, the author emphasizes
that she is not an exception but
one
of
the
majority
of
blacks.
With
this
structural
repetition,
the
author
is
comparing
herself with the
majority of blacks and contrasting the image of
blacks in the media with
that in real
life.
Rhetorical features of the text
Nor is it a matter of closing one's
eyes to the very real problems of the urban
underclass --
which undeniably is
disproportionately black. (Interrupting a
sentence)
And as self-reliant as most
black Americans are -- because we've had to be
self-reliant --
even the strongest
among us still crave affirmation. (Interrupting a
sentence)
I want America to know us --
all of us -- for who we really are. (Putting
special emphasis)
That
is
the
real
portrait
of
black
America
--
that
we're
strong
people,
surviving
people,
capable people.
(Introducing an explanation)
Vocabulary exercises
I.
1.
Explain the underlined
part in each sentence in your own words.
that's it
2.
supply
3.
people
in the lowest social position
4.
hazy area; marginalized area
5.
independent; self-
dependent
II.
Fill
in
the
blank
in
each
sentence
with
a
word
or
phrase
from
the
box
in
its
appropriate form.
1.
are guilty of
2.
have been screaming out
3.
contribution
4.
was featured
5.
being reminded of
6.
in the light of
7.
in the eyes of
8.
deserving the attention of
III.
Fill in the blanks with
the appropriate forms of the given words.
1.
victim
2.
blatant
6.
relegation
8.
addictive
3.
nutritional
4.
Vibrations
5.
denial
IV.
Choose
the
word
or
phrase
that
can
replace
the
underlined
part
in
each
sentence
without changing its original meaning.
1. C
2. D
3. D
4. A
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
V.
Give a synonym or an
antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in
the sense
it is used.
1.
Synonym: favour (support)
2.
Antonym: balanced (fair, objective)
3.
Antonym: honest
(straightforward, sincere)
4.
Synonym: impaired (harmed, incomplete)
5.
Synonym: serious
6.
Synonym: infer (derive,
conclude, reason)
7.
Synonym: inexact (faulty, mistaken,
erroneous)
8.
Antonym: elite
(gentry)
VI.
Explain the meaning of the underlined
part in each sentence.
7.
aberration