Question

    The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts, pure, unprejudiced, objectively selected facts. But in these days of complex news it must provide more: it must supply interpretation, the meaning of the facts. This is a very important assignment facing American journalists - to make clear to the reader the problems of the day, to make international news understandable as community news, to recognize that there is no longer any such thing as "local" news, because any event in the international area has a local reaction in the financial market, political circles, in terms, indeed, of our very way of life. There is in journalism a widespread view that when you start an interpretation, you are entering dangerous waters, the rushing tides of opinion. This is nonsense.

The opponents of interpretation insist that the writer and the editor shall limit themselves to the "facts". This insistence raises two questions: What are the facts? Are the bare facts enough?

As for the first question, consider how a so-called "factual" story comes about. The reporter collects, say, fifty facts; out of these fifty, his space being necessarily restricted, he selects the ten which he considers most important. This is Judgment Number One. Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall make up the beginning of the article, which is an important decision because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph. This is Judgment Number Two. Then the night editor determines whether the article shall be presented on page one, where it has a large influence, or on page twenty four, where it has little. Judgment Number Three.

Thus in the presentation of a so-called "factual" or"objective" story, at least three judgments are involved. And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved in interpretation, in which reporters and editors, calling upon their research resources, their general background, and heir "news neutralism", arrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news.

The two areas of judgment, presentation of the news and its interpretation, are both objective and subjective processes. If an editor is determined to give a prejudiced view of the news, he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by interpretation. He can do it by the selection of those facts that support his particular viewpoint. Or he can do it by the place he gives a story - promoting it to page one or dragging it to page thirty.

1.According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.If a reporter makes clear the facts he writes, he will no doubt get into trouble.

B.Journalists must select facts objectively to make current events clear to the readers.

C.The most important task of reporters is to provide unprejudiced facts for the readers.

D.For reporters, interpretation of facts is no less important than presentation of the facts.

2.The beginning of the article should present the most important fact because________.

A.it will influence the reader to continue

B.many readers read only the first paragraph

C.it details the general attitude of the writer

D.it's the best way to write according to the schools of journalism

3.Where a story is presented in a newspaper shows________.

A.the editor's prejudice

B.the reporter's background

C.the story's factual matter

D.the story's effect on the readers

4.Which of the following can best express the author's attitude toward objectiveness?

A.Objectiveness is controlled by editors rather than writers.

B.Properly choosing facts prepares a solid ground for objectiveness.

C.He doesn't think there exists complete objectiveness in news writing.

D.To make clear the news is a way to be objective and responsible for the readers.

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.D

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇议论文，作者提出了报刊提供“对新闻事实的解读”与提供“新闻事实”一样重要，并用大部分篇幅驳斥了提供解读就会有个人的观点与偏好杂糅进其中，而只提供新闻事实就可以做到绝对客观中立，因此报刊不能提供任何评论或观点这一论断。

1.推理判断题。根据原文第一段的论述“The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts, pure, unprejudiced, objectively selected facts. But in these days of complex news it must provide more: it must supply interpretation, the meaning of the facts. This is a very important assignment facing American journalists”可知此时作者的中心思想落在报刊更应提供新闻解读这一点上，而非强调新闻记者应客观公正报道新闻事实，结合全文内容也可佐证作者表达的这一侧重点，因而本题中应排除干扰项B、C（B项还有偷换概念的问题，make current events clear应该在原文中是指新闻解读所起的作用），而D项指出新闻解读并不比提供新闻事实的重要性低，契合原文，故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据原文第三段“which is an important decision because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph.”可知新闻首段的编排极其重要的原因是，很多读者除了第一段之外，就不会再读下去了，B选项最为契合原文的这一表述，故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据原文第三段结尾处“whether the article shall be presented on page one, where it has a large influence, or on page twenty four, where it has little.”可知文章如果刊登在首页，影响就大，相反的如果放到二十四版去（代指放到很后的版面），那它影响就很小（很多读者看不到）。因此，一篇新闻故事放在哪，表现出来的就是对读者的影响力不同，故选D。

4.推理判断题。本题要求判断作者对于“客观”（也即新闻客观中立）的态度，结合全文，作者多次强调哪怕只提供新闻事实，记者和编辑也有很多种方法来“夹带私货”——表达自己的个人态度、偏好、观点等，如文章结尾处“He can do it by the selection of those facts that support his particular viewpoint. Or he can do it by the place he gives a story - promoting it to page one or dragging it to page thirty.”提到记者和编辑可以选择报道某个事实而不报道另一个，可以把一篇新闻文章放在头版头条，亦或是把它扔到第三十版去。因此作者认为在新闻写作中根本不存在绝对的客观，故选C。