2014考研英語(yǔ)閱讀理解試題及名師解析(8)_跨考網(wǎng)

　　Why do so manyAmericans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society ofNewspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organizationis deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project。

　　Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-levelfindings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined withlots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers reallywant。

　　But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learnto see the world through a set of standard templates (patterns) into which theyplug each day's events. In other words, there is a conventional story line inthe newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrativestructure for otherwise confusing news。

　　There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalistsand their readers, which helps explain why the "standard templates"of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaireswere sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus onelarge metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned atrandom and asked the same questions。

　　Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists aremore likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedeses, andtrade stocks, and they're less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, orput down roots in a community。

　　Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and culturalelite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite.The astonishing distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poorreportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and theirreaders。

　　This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly adeclining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whoseattitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and acredibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed andfleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing thecultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. Ifit did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on raceand gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values,education, and class。

　　29. What is the passage mainly about?

　　[A]Needs of the readers all over the world

　　[B]Causes of the public disappointment about newspapers

　　[C]Origins of the declining newspaper industry

　　[D]Aims of a journalism credibility project

　　30. The results of the journalism credibility project turned out tobe 。

　　[A]quite trustworthy

　　[B]somewhat contradictory

　　[C]very illuminating

　　[D]rather superficial

　　31. The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writerlies in their _________。

　　[A]working attitude

　　[B]conventional lifestyle

　　[C]world outlook

　　[D]educational background

　　32. Despite its efforts, the newspaper industry still cannotsatisfy the readers owing to its_________。

　　[A]failure to realize its real problem

　　[B]tendency to hire annoying reporters

　　[C]likeliness to do inaccurate reporting

　　[D]prejudice in matters of race and gender