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阅读模拟题（2）
The Wall Street Journal has continued as the world’s most credible news
source and one that refused to conform to the passing prejudice and error of the
journalistic herd. Naturally the Journal receives ongoing abuse from the herd
for its distressing independence. Yet, rarely is the criticism straightforward
but rather an assault on the conservatism of the Journal's editorial page, which
strikes conformist journalists as an insult and is the real cause of the herd's
distress. Rather the criticism focuses on the Journal's bottom line, its
sluggish share price, and rumors that the family controlling the paper, the
Bancroft family, is unhappy and about to sell it.
The rumors of the Bancrofts' unhappiness are all highly exaggerated and
quickly refuted. For this proud family whose ancestor, Clarence W. Barron,
purchased the Journal and with it the Dow Jones news service in 1902 conceives
of its ownership as a "public trust". That is how Roy A. Hammer, a lawyer and
trustee for the entities through which the Bancrofts control the paper,
described their sense of ownership. This is not so unusual. Great newspapers
have always played a major role in American civic life. I said "great
newspapers", serious newspapers, the kind that put gathering news ahead of
sensationalism.
Most of the truly profitable newspapers in the country today are
essentially shopping circulars with some cheap journalism printed on those pages
not devoted to shopping mall sales. The great newspaper chains take over local
papers, fire journalists, and set out to fill their pages with still more
advertisements. Well, they supply a service. They let readers know about the
price, say, of chicken at the Giant or snow tires at the CVS. But fewer and
fewer local newspapers supply much news and analysis. Great newspapers do, and
not one that I know of makes a vast amount of money.
Great newspapers do help to set the agenda for the nation. They break
stories of corruption or on other vital matters. One of the few things I find
admirable about the New York Times is that its controlling family, the
Sulzberger family, is not intent on squeezing every penny of profit out of its
flagship paper. Thus last week when I read a long critique in the Times of the
Wall Street Journal's management for its sluggish financial performance, I
discovered hypocrisy.
The hypocrisy is all the greater coming from liberals who are criticizing
conservatives for their alleged devotion the "Almighty Dollar". Profits are
essential to all businesses. For one thing they are a very accurate poll of the
populace's tastes, but there are other services some corporations supply to
society. Both the Journal and the Times supply—at too high a cost—information
that enlightens the citizenry.
1. The journalistic herd's distress is caused by the Wall Street Journal's
_____.
[A] credibility [B] prejudice [C] conformism [D] professionalism
2. The Bancroft family purchased the Wall Street Journal to _____.
[A] sell it for a higher price [B] promote the Dow Jones news service
[C] dominate the great newspapers chains [D] influence American civic
life
3. It can be inferred from the passage that great newspapers _____ .
[A] have to engage in a form of sensationalism [B] make a bigger profit
than local papers
[C] supply much news and analysis [D] refuse to accept the error of the
journalistic herd
4. The author says "I discovered hypocrisy" (Last line, Paragraph 4),
because _____ .
[A] the Times was involved in corruption [B] the Times was becoming
profit-driven
[C] the Times was attacking the Journal [D] the Journal was in financial
difficulty
5. The author seems to believe that all the newspapers should _____.
[A] maxmize the profit [B] satisfy the public’s tastes [C] provide social
services [D] inform the readers at a high cost
参考答案：1.C 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C |
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发表于 2018-8-18 14:25:37