Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
The End of Print
简体
The End of Print
印刷的终结

Learn English with this media English lesson

Date: Feb 27 2013

Themes: News

Grammar: Simple Future Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

It seems as if every day another newspaper or magazine is going under. The news magazine Newsweek just released its final print edition, after 80 years in print. And it doesn’t end with periodicals. Ebooks are threatening the existence of traditional book publishing, too.

But if these publications are still available digitally, does it matter? Does it matter whether you get your content online or in a hard copy version? Are we truly nearing the end of print? Find out what Greta and Jeff think in this English lesson.

似乎每天都有报纸或杂志在经历这一过程。新闻杂志《新闻周刊》(Newsweek) 刚刚发行了最后一期印刷版,从而结束了长达 80 年的印刷出版历程。它不会以期刊的退出而结束。电子书也在威胁传统出版书籍的存在。

但是如果这些出版物仍然提供电子版,有没有关系呢?你是否在意拿到的是在线内容还是纸质版本?我们是否真的在逐渐靠近印刷终结的时代?在本节英语课上,看看格里塔和杰夫做何感想。

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Greta

Greta

Jeff

Jeff

Greta:  Jeff, did you read Newsweek magazine?

Jeff:  No I didn’t, but I did just hear that it published its final print edition.

Greta:  It’s sort of the end of an era I think. And you see it a lot with books, as well, that more and more publishers are going digital and not producing as many hard copies, tangible, actual hardbacks of books that they’re publishing.

Jeff:  So I don’t know, do you think the end of print is near?

Greta:  I kind of do. I think that things are going to go digital in a huge way. And I’m kind of sad about that.

Jeff:  I feel like there’s still a market for, like you said, tangible, just the smell of the ink printed, the smell of the paper. There are all these details which are why people enjoy an actual book, an actual magazine. So I feel like maybe certain publications will become more specific, maybe a little more expensive.

Greta:  It might be for the sentimental groups among us who like the hands-on experience of holding a book or a newspaper in their hand.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Simple Future Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

The last print edition of Newsweek has caused Jeff and Greta to start thinking about print publications. It feels to both of them that it might be the end of an era. Both books and magazines are appearing digitally more and more, and there are fewer and fewer hard copies being produced.

Both Jeff and Greta feel kind of sad about that. Jeff thinks there’s something valuable about really getting to hold a book or magazine in your hands and experience it with your five senses. He thinks that there are others who feel this way, too, and that these people will save print from disappearing completely. Books might get more expensive or rare, but they’ll still be around.

Do you think the end of print is near? Are you sad or sentimental about the fact that more publications are going digital? What do you think are the advantages of print vs. digital?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

mohamedsaadrate

Egypt

I prefer to read the news online

04:42 PM Oct 23 2013 |

Alisson62

Brazil

I don’t think that printed versions of books will become rare, because nothing can replace the feeling of holding a book in your hands and, like Jeff said, the smell of the paper and the ink is really good. I mean, I’d rather have a hard copy of a book than a digital one, but Ebooks are not all bad, because if you have a iPad, for example, you can have more than a hundred books with you. Digital books can give us the possibility, specially for people who need to travel and like to read.

07:59 PM Mar 07 2013 |

1 person likes this

Rashida567

Rashida567

United Arab Emirates

I like reading real and tangible books, its more enjoying 


but when you can’t to find some book, and you find it in internet of course then you read through the internet

06:39 PM Mar 03 2013 |

Khashei

Khashei

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

It’s very interesting

07:58 PM Mar 01 2013 |

Nikkis

Nikkis

India

It’s very interesting to learn English by listening to and by watching videos.I usually refer http://www.youtube.com/user/twominenglish to learn and practice speaking English.

06:15 AM Feb 28 2013 |

masoudhsn

masoudhsn

Canada

With technological enhancement, many old things have gone under. However, value of hard copy materials hasn’t become less than before. Young generation are get used to use digital publications, but old generation would rather with periodicals because they are tangible and old people have sentimental views about them. I believe that it is almost end of era for magazines and newspapers which is very sad situation. I hope their contribution will continue for long time. 

01:55 AM Feb 28 2013 |

Masbarar

MasbararSuper Member!

Turkey

I like print editions than digital publications.I can understand better what I read.All my invoices of mobile,electric,natural gaz come by printed.I know it’s good to saving the nature,trees,but I can control better when I see on the paper.Even at the work,I print all important things.Because when I read from computer I miss so many important points.But printed editions to be finished soon or late.Because printed editions take place at home.Me and my friends we have problems with the books,magazines taking huge place at home.

07:50 PM Feb 27 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Over the past years publishers of newspapers and magazines had seen a steady decline in the numbers of copies sold  and subscriptions received from  the public. I think that  the demise of them  is not only  to be blamed  to the digital era ,also to the internet and Iphones that  are attracting  the interest  of people in general. Our fast-paced society  leaves  few time free to concentrate on a book. I might be wrong but this is what I think.

06:25 PM Feb 27 2013 |

SÉRGIO

SÉRGIO

Brazil

it’s occurring to music too! Most are prefering to keep them in mp3 format!


but about books, i don’t change my printed books for digital ones!

05:50 PM Feb 27 2013 |

1 person likes this

kareem_10

kareem_10

Egypt

The point of reading a book..is not just to get the info it contains..that’s too shallow..the point is that you enjoy reading it..flipping the pages..touching its words feeling that you contain them between your hands..smelling that old ink..that really makes the book more meaningful to you than just an info holder!!!..I remember reading about that blind auther who marked his books with their smells..that’s what hard books are about..besides, you risk losing you sight reading e-books..!!!

04:43 PM Feb 27 2013 |

Ya Nina

Kazakhstan

I suppose that decreasing of print editions is quite probably. Time is going and new times give new rules. Certainly, in our century of hi-technologies and spreading of Internet, we couldn’t notice that changes and stay in the past century. Therefore we develop, use new gadgets and read e-books and e-newspaper. However I am not sure that it leads to entire absence of a real book. Let’s recall when TV became to spread in our countries. Most people worried that fact led to disappearance of theatre. But theatre is alive. Or recall other example when cinema spread by the world and all people were sure that it killed theatre definitely. But theatre is alive again. 


Therefore I am sure that if we have something really valuable and useful, that value will live. The print editions are the really value for more people. It means that it will live. So their smell stay not only in our memory but in our present life too. 

01:36 PM Feb 27 2013 |

DAMAVAND

DAMAVAND

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

One of my favorite places is bookstore! Where all of books sit next to each other in silence and peace!
I enjoy watching those hours and hours…they look at me and smile to persuade me to buy, behind the shop window ….
I love them as a gift to my dearest friends with a short note in the beginning… also date and signature…
Sometimes a book calls me, I hug it, put my face on it to hear what wants to say me… whether old or new, smells nice…has a unique personality,full of emotions in each pages … and it is alive…
I can’t stand a day without books; I’ll really be alone in such a world…

12:18 PM Feb 27 2013 |

Al-issawi

Al-issawi

Iraq

In the scientific issues (e.g. Phd students) it is better to read electronically as you can find any related information to the topic you usually read about, or if you read in other language you can translate any word easily. But for the other general reading I would personally like hard copies rather than digital ones, since I enjoy them as I can read them even when I m trying to sleep, also if you read such books or magazines digitally, a lots of thing will interrupt you, like Ads, or if you open your VOIP softwares (skype, yahoo, QQ….etc) so you would not enjoy!!  


pratik_patel, thank you for your comment. But I think Piracy is not that common; as valuable information are highly protected and no one can have excess to them. I found some important papers in the net and I could not have excess to them, so I had to buy them from the author. Of course there are very professional hackers but I do not think that would affect scientific articles or other general books but not to the limit that we should fear as people who deal with banks (e.g.).

07:56 AM Feb 27 2013 |

I M P E R I V M

United States

Yes very sad… writing with pens or pecils is disappearing have you seen how most teenages have very bad handwriting?

06:33 AM Feb 27 2013 |

1 person likes this

seungmanlee68

South Korea

In my opinion, It was predicted that a hard copy will not be used in near future. However, I prefer printing materials than digital publications. Because it is more convenient to use hard copy to avoid fatigue. Actually, I don’t know which method is not good for health. If we are not able to use any printing publishing, it will be bad news for me.

05:18 AM Feb 27 2013 |

julywidiawati

Indonesia

It’s a huge fear of thinking that the end of print is near, what if we can’t hold any books anymore, touch the paper, feel the thickness of the book. Maybe I’m one of the sentimental group here. There are pro and cons about print and digital. But print publications are more giving sweet memories..for me :):)

04:13 AM Feb 27 2013 |

pratik_patel

India

I personally like the hard copy version of the books as I can touch and feel it.


But both online as well as hard copy version of books have their pros and cons. Some of them are,


Online Version


- Keeps the cost really low


- Not bounded to a geographical location and can be reach to the people faster. e.g. english baby lessons are practised by members from many countries on the same day :)


- You dont need to carry a whole lot of tengible copies as you can save the digital books on your device or download as required.


- Search/Index – Searching or finding in a book or in a store is really important feature which you cant do in a hardcopy version.


- More importantly it saves trees :)


But


- It increases the chances of piracy. When people cannot efford the price, they start looking for pirated versions on torrent which is really not good and the publisher has to suffer.


- Internet facility is still a bit costly in many developing countries and not everyone can efford it. Many people in these countries dont know even how to use internet.


would someone like to add/modify?


02:26 AM Feb 27 2013 |

sheitooonak

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

we were exactly talking about this today…next generation will be unfalmillier with all kind of books and newspapers coz every thing is digital now


I really like to read book not ebooks,its so nice when you hold book and tern over the papers.

01:19 AM Feb 27 2013 |

Likes (22):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast