Students Book

3 Write
a Read the composition. What arguments
does the writer give for/against politicians
becoming media stars?
For your portfolio
Should politicians
become media stars?
1
In the nobody would have known
what the British prime minister had for breakfast,
or what the name of the American president’s
dog was. Many politicians 2 these ,
however, are trying to become media stars, and we
learn details of their private lives from chat shows
and glossy magazines. Is this a development we
should be happy with?
3
Of , there are people who think it
is perfectly acceptable that politicians are media
stars. They might argue that society has changed,
and entertainment is part of our daily lives. If
politicians want to be accepted by a large number
of people, they need to adapt to our lifestyles
and appear on chat shows, and not just on news
programmes. They could also argue that the
better we get to know our politicians as humans,
and not just as representatives of a political party,
the easier it is to decide who to vote for.
4
In , politics is about gaining power,
and, in a democracy, a politician’s ambition must
be to gain as much power as possible so that they
can have a greater influence on how society is run.
If a good politician gets more public support by
turning up on chat shows, so be it!
5
On the other , there are lots of
arguments against politicians becoming media
stars. Although entertainment is certainly part of
our daily lives, politics should not be about fun.
Politicians need to be serious and professional, and
they should focus on their important work, and not
be distracted by seeking fame and celebrity status.
6
In the way, one might argue that
people switch on the TV because they want to get
away from politics and the problems of their daily
lives, and they don’t want to see politicians spoiling
their favourite TV shows. And 7 last
not least, it can be harmful for the development
of a political system if politics becomes mixed up
with entertainment. Politics should be about truth
and reality, not entertainment, and so there should
be strict rules to keep them apart.
8
All considered, I personally am not
really against politicians becoming media stars
because I am not affected by their celebrity
personas. In order to decide who to vote for, I try
to be well informed by reading newspapers and
through discussions with friends who are also
seriously interested in politics. I will definitely
never be influenced in my decisions by superficial
TV programmes!
b Read the composition again. Complete it
with the words in the box.
days same addition things past
hand course but
c Replace expressions 1–8 in the text with
the expressions below.
a Then again b At the end of the day
c Years ago d obviously e nowadays
f Moreover g Equally h finally
d Work in pairs. Discuss the writer’s opinions.
Which do you agree/disagree with? Why?
What is your view about the writer’s
conclusion?
e Write your own composition about the topic,
Should pop stars become political? Follow
these steps:
Think of one or two examples of pop stars
who have become political.
List three arguments in favour of pop stars
becoming political, and three arguments
against. Make notes.
Decide what your own opinion is.
Organise your notes into paragraphs:
1) introduction; 2) arguments for;
3) arguments against; 4) your opinion
and conclusion.
Write a first draft. Try to include some of the
linking expressions from Exercise 13c.
Take a short break, then check your writing.
80
UNIT 10