Reality TV and Society Think Questions

"Instead of improving with age, programming has degenerated into mindless reality TV." The best meaning for the word degenerated in this passage is...

• grown

• improved

• increased

• worsened

"Tom Green is a comedian and actor who benefited from reality TV. Yet he is one of the most vocal voices against the genre. The difference for him, he says, is that he was not exploited and was in charge of his program. The best meaning for the word exploited in this passage is...

• assisted

• taken advantage of

• used correctly

• made happy

"Which came first: the chicken or the egg? This age-old question can easily be applied to the controversy surrounding reality television." The best meaning for the word controversy in this passage is...

• agreement

• promise

• arrangement

• debate

"Have these shows corrupted our society? Or do they reflect the natural changes that have occurred in the way we see our world?" The best meaning for the word corrupted in this passage is...

• ruined

• purified

• cleaned

• angered

"The NAACP reported in 2008 that reality programs are the only segment of television that fairly represents nonwhite groups. At least the people viewers see reflect the wide diversity of people in our nation." The best meaning for the word diversity in this passage is...

• similarity

• variety

• sameness

• likeness

"Young viewers learn that those who treat others with pettiness and contempt become rich and famous." The best meaning for contempt is...

• disrespect

• meaningful

• meaningless

• altruistic

"Most people who claim that reality TV has had a negative effect on society are mainly referring to shows that focus on celebrities, such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians, or on contrived competitions such as Survivor. Survivor can be said to build teamwork, but the challenges the contestants face are admittedly not real." The best meaning for contrived is...

• disrespect

• create something unrealistic

• widespread

• a variety

"Reality TV shows are so prevalent because networks love a good reality show since they're less expensive to produce." The best meaning for the word prevalent is...

• widespread

• contempt

• degenerated

• disrespect

"Which came first: the chicken or the egg? This age-old question can easily be applied to the controversy surrounding reality television." The best meaning for the word controversy is...

• widespread

• variety

• disrespect

• disagreement

"They continue to nurture false expectations that they too could become rich and famous if only they could be selected to participate in reality TV." The best meaning for the word nurture is all of the following except...

• to encourage

• to help grow

• to discourage

• to care for