备考指导#考研究生倒计时#阅读模拟练习[7]

TheWallStreetJournalhascontinuedastheworld’smostcrediblenewssourceandonethatrefusedtoconformtothepassingprejudiceanderrorofthejournalisticherd.NaturallytheJournalreceivesongoingabusefromtheherdforitsdistressingindependence.Yet,rarelyisthecriticismstraightforwardbutratheranassaultontheconservatismoftheJournal’seditorialpage,whichstrikesconformistjournalistsasaninsultandistherealcauseoftheherd’sdistress.RatherthecriticismfocusesontheJournal’sbottomline,itssluggishshareprice,andrumorsthatthefamilycontrollingthepaper,theBancroftfamily,isunhappyandabouttosellit.

TherumorsoftheBancrofts’unhappinessareallhighlyexaggeratedandquicklyrefuted.Forthisproudfamilywhoseancestor,ClarenceW.Barron,purchasedtheJournalandwithittheDowJonesnewsservicein1902conceivesofitsownershipasa“publictrust. ”ThatishowRoyA.Hammer,alawyerandtrusteefortheentitiesthroughwhichtheBancroftscontrolthepaper,describedtheirsenseofownership.Thisisnotsounusual.GreatnewspapershavealwaysplayedamajorroleinAmericanciviclife.Isaid“greatnewspapers,
”seriousnewspapers,thekindthatputgatheringnewsaheadofsensationalism.

Mostofthetrulyprofitablenewspapersinthecountrytodayareessentiallyshoppingcircularswithsomecheapjournalismprintedonthosepagesnotdevotedtoshoppingmallsales.Thegreatnewspaperchainstakeoverlocalpapers,firejournalists,andsetouttofilltheirpageswithstillmoreadvertisements.Well,theysupplyaservice.Theyletreadersknowabouttheprice,say,ofchickenattheGiantorsnowtiresattheCVS.Butfewerandfewerlocalnewspaperssupplymuchnewsandanalysis.Greatnewspapersdo,andnotonethatIknowofmakesavastamountofmoney.

Greatnewspapersdohelptosettheagendaforthenation.Theybreakstoriesofcorruptionoronothervitalmatters.OneofthefewthingsIfindadmirableabouttheNewYorkTimesisthatitscontrollingfamily,theSulzbergerfamily,isnotintentonsqueezingeverypennyofprofitoutofitsflagshippaper.ThuslastweekwhenIreadalongcritiqueintheTimesoftheWallStreetJournal’smanagementforitssluggishfinancialperformance,Idiscoveredhypocrisy.

Thehypocrisyisallthegreatercomingfromliberalswhoarecriticizingconservativesfortheirallegeddevotionthe“AlmightyDollar.”Profitsareessentialtoallbusinesses.Foronethingtheyareaveryaccuratepollofthepopulace’stastes,butthereareotherservicessomecorporationssupplytosociety.BoththeJournalandtheTimessupply—attoohighacost—informationthatenlightensthecitizenry.

1.Thejournalisticherd’sdistressiscausedbytheWallStreetJournal’s_____.

[A]credibility

[B]prejudice

[C]conformism

[D]professionalism

2.TheBancroftfamilypurchasedtheWallStreetJournalto_____.

[A]sellitforahigherprice

[B]promotetheDowJonesnewsservice

[C]dominatethegreatnewspaperschains

[D]influenceAmericanciviclife

3.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatgreatnewspapers_____.

[A]havetoengageinaformofsensationalism

[B]makeabiggerprofitthanlocalpapers

[C]supplymuchnewsandanalysis

[D]refusetoaccepttheerrorofthejournalisticherd

4.Theauthorsays“Idiscoveredhypocrisy ”(Lastline,Paragraph4),because_____.

[A]theTimeswasinvolvedincorruption[B]theTimeswasbecomingprofit-driven

[C]theTimeswasattackingtheJournal[D]theJournalwasinfinancialdifficulty

5.Theauthorseemstobelievethatallthenewspapersshould_____.

[A]maxmizetheprofit

[B]satisfythepublic’stastes

[C]providesocialservices

[D]informthereadersatahighcost

参考答案：1.C2.D3.C4.B5.C