VOCABULARY dumbing down - obniżanie poziomu, upraszczanie, 'ogłupianie', uprzystępnianie masowemu odbiorcy kosztem jakości intelektualnej tabloids - prasa popularna, brukowce respectable - szanowany TV drama - sztuka telewizyjna pathetic - żałosny documentary - program dokumentalny tacky - szmirowaty soap (opera) - opera mydlana, telenowela entertaining - rozrywkowy educational - edukacyjny quality - jakość demanding - wymagający ambitious - ambitny to make sth simpler - upraszczać to treat - traktować dumb - głupi, nierozgarnięty

LESSON 11
Dumbing down

The tabloids dumbed down a long time ago. Now the respectable papers and broadcasters are dumbing down, too.

And so, instead of listening to the money programme, we're watching 'Who wants to be a millionaire'.

Instead of watching a good TV drama, we're watching pathetic little dramas in the Big Brother house.

Instead of watching an interesting documentary, we're watching tacky soaps.

Surely, you'd like to watch programmes which are less entertaining and more educational, wouldn't you?

Dumbing down also means that the quality of programmes has changed. It means that the programmes have become less demanding, less ambitious and less educational.

The language has been made simpler and easier to understand.

I think they're treating us as if we were dumb or something, don't you think?

Listen
	Lesson 11

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