2015同等学力英语阅读练习(18)

　　Between 1833 and 1837, the publishers of a "penny press’" proved that a low-priced paper, edited to interest ordinary people, could win what amounted to a mass circulation for the times and thereby attract an advertising volume that would make it independent. These were papers for the common citizen and were not tied to the interests of the business community, like the mercantile press, or dependent for financial support upon political party allegiance (~,~,). It did not necessarily follow that all the penny papers would be superior in their handing of the news and opinion functions. But the door was open for some to make important journalistic advances.

　　The first offerings of a penny paper tended to be highly sensational; human interest stories overshadowed important news, and crime and sex stories were written in full detail. But as the penny paper attracted readers from various social and economic　brackets, its sensationalism was modified. The ordinary reader came to want a better product, too. A popularized style of writing and presentation of news remained, but the penny paper became a respectable publication that offered significant information and editorial leadership. Once the first of the successful penny papers had shown the way, later ventures could enter the competition at the higher level of journalistic responsibility the pioneering papers had reached.

　　This was the pattern of American newspapers in the years following the founding of the New York Sun in 1833. The Sun, published by Benjamin Day, entered the lists against 11 other dailies. It was tiny in comparison; but it was bright and readable,　and it preferred human interest features to important but dull political speech reports. It had a police reporter writing squibs(刺性随笔 ) of crime news in the style already proved successful by some other papers. And, most important, it sold for a penny, whereas its competitors sold for six cents. By 1837 the Sun was printing 30,000 copies a day, which was more than the total of all 11 New York daily newspapers combined when the Sun first appeared. In those same four years James Gordon Bennett brought out his New York Herald ( 1835 ), and a trio of New York printers who were imitating Day’s success founded the Philadelphia Public Ledger (1836) and the Baltimore Sun ( t837).The four penny sheets all became famed newspapers.

　　1. What does the first paragraph say about the "penny press?"

　　[A] It was known for its in-depth news reporting.

　　[B] It had an involvement with some political parties.

　　[C] It depended on the business community for survival.

　　[D] It aimed at pleasing the general public.

　　2. As the readership was growing more diverse, the penny paper

　　[A] improved its content

　　[B] changed its writing style

　　[C] developed a more sensational style

　　[D] became a tool for political parties

　　3. The underlined word "ventures" in Paragraph 2 can best be replaced by

　　[A] editors

　　[B] reporters

　　[C] newspapers

　　[D] companies

　　4. What is true about the Philadelphia Public Ledger and the Baltimore Sun?

　　[A] They turned out to be failures.

　　[B] They were later purchased by James Gordon Bennett.

　　[C] They were also founded by Benjamin Day.

　　[D] They became well-known newspapers in the U.S.

　　5. This passage is probably taken from a book on __

　　[A] the work ethics of the American media

　　[B] the techniques in news reporting

　　[C] the history of sensationalism in American media

　　[D] the impact of mass media on American society

　　参考答案：

　　1.D 信息明示题。文章第一段提到，1833至1837年间，“大众报”的出版商证明了价格低的报纸能吸引大众，可以赢得大量的发行，从而吸引了大量广告，使它自己可以独立，故选D。第一段倒数第二句提到，没有必要使所有的廉价报刊都发布最好的新闻，故排除A。

　　2.C 信息明示题。文章第二段第二句中提到：但是，随着大众报吸引来自社会各界和金融机构的读者，它的轰动效应需要改进，故选C。文章中提到：大众化的写作风格和表达方式仍然保留，故排除B。

　　3.D 综合推断题。文章第二段末句提到，一旦大众报的首次出版为成功指出了一条路，之后的投资者就会进入更高层次上的新闻报道和达到开拓新闻责任的竞争中，可见ventures指的是“投资者，经营者”，放选D。

　　4.D 信息明示题。文章最后一段提到：在这四年中，James Gordon Bennett创办了New York Herald(1835)，三名纽约印刷工仿效Day’s成功创办了Philadelphia Public Ledger(1836)和the Baltimore Sun(1837)，这几份大众报都成为了著名的报纸，故选D。

　　5.C 综合推断题。根据全文大意，文章主要讲述的是大众报的发展，由此可以推断这篇文章可能发表在介绍美国媒体历史的书上，故选C。