TASK 4. (0-8)
Read two texts about photography. Do tasks 4.1.-4.8.
Text 1
CAN PHOTOGRAPHY BE A THREAT TO NATURE?
Nature photography is a wonderful way to share the beauty of the natural world with others
who don’t have the opportunity to see a given subject first-hand. An obvious benefit of the
genre is that it raises awareness about and generates empathy for endangered flora and
fauna. But too much love can be a bad thing if landscapes are trampled and wildlife is
frightened - and all because of the compulsion that many people feel to leave their footprint
on the world.
The use of photography as a conservation tool dates back as far as photography itself.
William Henry Jackson’s photos from his travels to survey the American West convinced the
United States Congress to create Yellowstone National Park in 1872. This, in turn, sparked
a movement to set aside a number of particularly scenic places as national parks. Ansel
Adams carried the torch forward a century later by opening the eyes of millions to the
splendour of many western landscapes. More recently, wildlife photographers have got up
close and personal with wild animals so that the rest of us can appreciate their beauty while
staying out of harm’s way.
But some say there is a dark side to all this exposure of the wild and the natural.
In a provocative essay, the activist Bill McKibben argues that the world has enough wildlife
photography and that continuing to invade the lives of animal subjects, given the vast
superfluity of images already available, is counterproductive in terms of preserving
biodiversity. He also decries the distorted view of the world that wildlife photographers
portray. “How can whooping cranes be endangered when you’ve seen a thousand images of
them - ten times more images than there are actually whooping cranes left in the wild?” he
asks.
Most wildlife photographers, myself included, take issue with McKibben’s view, feeling that it
is not the number of photographs that matters the most, but rather the fact that wildlife
photographers fail to reflect the natural diversity, and instead draw people’s attention to
selected “celebrity” species.
And in today’s world, when the average holidaymaker with a digital camera is able to capture
their own version of that iconic photo they have seen so many times in magazines, it might
be folly to hope people won’t love a spot or a species to death. In the U.S., some national
parks have begun to limit the number of visitors at specific photo-friendly spots to make sure
that trails don’t get inadvertently widened and native vegetation trampled. Take, for example,
the sad plight of the highly elusive nocturnal primates called lorises which live in southern
India. The local people cut down trees and use bright lights and scare tactics to capture the
animals and enable well-heeled visiting photographers to take the perfect photos of the cute
wide-eyed creature. Animals are brought into the village where they are held in captivity for
days. Once the shoot is completed, they are usually released far from capture sites and
away from their natural habitat, which means that not all of them manage to make it home.
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What the nature photographers of the world, amateurs and pros alike, agree on is that they
want their subject matter to live on. Being respectful of landscapes and wildlife in the quest to
“get the ideal shot” is all that’s needed to keep nature photography from becoming a scourge
on the environment.
Adapted from: www.scientificamerican.com
For questions 4.1.-4.4., choose the answer that best matches the text and circle
the appropriate letter (A, B, C or D).
4.1. In the second paragraph, the author claims that wildlife photography
A. allowed many scenic places to be protected from the excessive number of tourists.
B. raised awareness that tourists are a threat to animal habitats.
C. contributed to spreading the legend of the American West.
D. gave birth to the idea of protecting places of natural beauty.
4.2. Bill McKibben criticizes wildlife photography on the grounds that
A. photographers underestimate the scientific importance of some species.
B. it ignores biodiversity while presenting solely the “celebrity” species.
C. an overabundance of photographs might give a misleading impression.
D. it disregards restrictions imposed on access to wildlife sanctuaries.
4.3. The example of lorises is used in the text to show that
A. national parks’ infrastructure is often inadequate for photographers.
B. taking photos in human-created settings can pose a threat to animals’ well-being.
C. wealthy amateurs may force professionals out of business.
D. wildlife habitats can be effectively protected from being invaded by humans.
4.4. What is the central claim put forward by the author of the article?
A. The welfare of wildlife should be of primary concern to photographers.
B. Professional photographers should strive for excellence in their art form.
C. Amateur photographers should focus on species which are on the brink of extinction.
D. Wildlife photographers shouldn’t resolve their disputes in public.
TRANSFER YOUR ANSWERS TO THE ANSWER SHEET!
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Text 2
A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
“Your work sounds interesting,” Francesca looked across the table at Robert Kincaid.
“It is. I like it a lot,” he said. “I like the road, and I like making pictures.”
She noticed he’d said “making” pictures. “You make pictures, not take them?” she asked.
“Yes. At least that’s how I think of it. That’s the difference between Sunday snapshooters and
someone who does it for a living. When I’m finished with that bridge we saw today, it won’t
look quite like you expect. I’ll have made it into something of my own, by my choice of lens,
or camera angle, or general composition, and most likely by some combination of all of
those.
National Geographic which I’m currently working for has its own style and demands, but I
don’t always conform to the editors’ tastes; in fact, quite often I don’t. And that bothers them,
even though they still decide what goes in and what gets left out. I guess they know their
readership, but I wish they’d take a few more chances now and then.
That’s the problem with earning a living through an art form. You’re always dealing with
markets, which are designed to suit average tastes. That’s where the numbers are. That’s
the reality, I guess. But, as I said, it can become pretty confining. They let me keep the shots
they don’t use, so at least I have my own private files of stuff that I like. And, once in a while
I get the chance to write an article for another magazine on a place I’ve been to, and add
some pictures which are too daring for the standards of National Geographic.
One day, I’m going to write an essay called “The Virtues of Amateurism” for all of those
people who wish they earned their living in the arts. The market kills more artistic passion
than anything else does. Readers want safety, and the magazines and manufacturers
provide them with what they want: they give them homogeneity, give them the familiar and
comfortable, and they don’t challenge readers in any way. Profit and subscriptions and the
rest of that stuff dominate art. Whenever I hear the words ‘market’ or ‘consumers’, I get this
grotesque image in my mind of a fat little man in baggy Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt,
and a straw hat with beer-can openers dangling from it, clutching fistfuls of dollars.”
Adapted from The Bridges Of Madison County by Robert James Waller
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Based on the text, complete sentences 4.5.-4.8.
4.5. When referring to his work, Robert Kincaid deliberately uses the phrase “making
pictures” to draw attention to
4.6. Robert Kincaid thinks that the editors of National Geographic are
in their choice of pictures to be published.
4.7. Some of Kincaid’s photos which do not make it into National Geographic end up
illustrating
4.8. The image of the fat little man with cash in his hands serves Robert Kincaid to exemplify
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dopuszczalne są błędy językowe i/lub ortograficzne, o ile nie zakłócają komunikacji,
a odpowiedź wskazuje, że zdający zrozumiał tekst.