Question

    Before the 1830s, most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America, usually $8 to $10 a year. Today $8 or $10 seems a small amount of money, but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most citizens. Accordingly, newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades. In addition, most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience. They were dull and visually forbidding. But the revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that.

The trend, then, was toward the “penny paper”—a term referring to papers made widely available to the public. It meant any inexpensive newspaper; perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single copies on the street.

This development did not take place overnight. It had been possible(but not easy) to buy single copies of newspapers before 1830, but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer’s office to purchase a copy. Street sales were almost unknown. However, within a few years, street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities. At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny—usually two or three cents was charged—and some of the older well-known papers charged five or six cents. But the phrase “penny paper” caught the public’s fancy, and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny.

This new trend of newspapers for “the man on the street” did not begin well. Some of the early ventures(企业) were immediate failures. Publishers already in business, people who were owners of successful papers, had little desire to change the tradition. It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling.

1.Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s?

A.Academic. B.Unattractive. C.Inexpensive. D.Confidential.

2.What did street sales mean to newspapers?

A.They would be priced higher. B.They would disappear from cities.

C.They could have more readers. D.They could regain public trust.

3.Who were the newspapers of the new trend targeted at?

A.Local politicians. B.Common people.

C.Young publishers. D.Rich businessmen.

4.What can we say about the birth of the penny paper?

A.It was a difficult process. B.It was a temporary success.

C.It was a robbery of the poor. D.It was a disaster for printers.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.B

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了面向大众的“便士报纸”的诞生历史。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中的In addition, most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience. They were dull and visually forbidding.可知，在19世纪30年代之前，只有大多数报纸中几乎没有能吸引大众的内容，让人感觉无聊，视觉上令人望而却步。故那时的报纸没有什么吸引力。分析选项，A. Academic学术的；B. Unattractive没有吸引力，无魅力的；C. Inexpensive廉价的，不贵的；D. Confidential机密的，保密的。故A、C和D是错误的，只有B符合对19世纪30年代之前的报纸的描述，故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段提到“便士报纸”针对大众，很便宜，更重要的是，在街上可以买的到报纸；再结合第三段中间的within a few years, street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities.可知，报纸的街头销售随处可见，而且很便宜，大家都负担得起，所以街头销售意味着读报纸的人多了。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据第二段中的The trend, then, was toward the “penny paper”—a term referring to papers made widely available to the public.可知，这种“便士报纸”针对大众，在街上就可以买得到。故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中The new trend of newspapers for ‘the man on the street’ did not begin well. Some of the early ventures were immediately failures. Publishers already in business, people who owners of successful papers, had little desires to change the tradition. It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling.可知，“便士报纸”一开始并不好，一些早期的尝试立即失败了。已经进入商业领域的成功的出版商，并不想改变这一传统。后来一些年轻而大胆的商人才推动了这件事。由此可推断出“便士报纸”的诞生是一个困难而曲折的过程。故选A。