TheMostPopularProgrammesonUKTVWatchingTVisaverypopularpastimeintheUKbutwhatkindofprogrammesdoBritishpeopleliketowatch?Well,themost-watchedTVprogrammeseveryweekareverypopulardramasthatareusuallyonatleastfourtimeseveryweek.TheyaredramasbasedinoneneighbourhoodthattrytodepictordinarylifeintheUK-wecallthesedramas‘soapoperas’or‘soaps’.IntheearlydaysofTV,therewereoftendramasonduringtheday.Backinthosedays,itwastraditionalforthehusbandtogoouttoworkandforthewifetostayathomeandlookafterthehouseandthechildren.Mostofthesedaytimedramaswereaimedatentertainingthehousewiveswhowouldtraditionallybeathome,probablydoingthewashing.Companiessellingwashingpowderwouldadvertisetheirproductsattimeswhenthesedramaswereon,andsometimesthosecompanieswouldevensponsorthedrama.Hencetheword‘soap’.Sowhataboutthewordopera?Well,that’sbecausethesedramasareoftenanexaggerationofreallife.Theyaresupposedtorepresentordinarylivesbuttomakethementertaining,lotsofdramaticeventslikemurders,divorces,affairsetc.allhappenprobablymuchmoreregularlythantheywouldinanormalneighbourhood.Mostsoapoperasthesedaysareshownintheevening.Eachshowwillhaveseveraldifferentstorylineshappeningatoncethatcontinueoverseveralshows.Thesamecastmemberswillappearineveryshowtoo.TherearelotsofdifferentsoapsonintheUKondifferentchannelsbuttherearethreemainpopularones.‘CoronationStreet’hasbeenonsince1960.ItissetinasuburbofManchesterandit’ssupposedtorepresentworkingclasslifeinthenorthofEngland.Thenthere’s‘Eastenders’whichstartedin1985,setintheEastEndofLondonand‘Emmerdale’,whichissetonafarminYorkshire,inthenorthofEngland.Glossary词汇表pastime-消遣,娱乐most-watched–收视率最高的todepict–描述,描写neighbourhood–邻里关系aimedat-瞄准,针对housewives–家庭主妇doingthewashing–洗衣服washingpowder–洗衣粉advertise–做广告sponsor–赞助hence–因此anexaggeration-夸张,夸大affairs-风流韵事storylines-故事情节castmembers–演员班底,演员阵容workingclass–工人阶层murders-谋杀divorces–离婚
