问答题 1.  Are the news media a negative development?. This has been intensely discussed for years. The following are the proponents' and opponents' opinions. Read carefully the opinions from both sides and write your response in about 200 words, in which you should first summarize briefly the opinions from both sides and give your view on the issue.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
YES NO
　　It is a convention that the news media exagger-
ate the seriousness of the real threat ( for example,
the potential of a terrorist attack ), in order to
draw attention of the desired audience and pursue
high audience ratings.
　The news media tend to focus on some issues or e-
vents that virtually have little relevance to people's
daily life, such as soap operas, a celebrity's love
affairs, and so on.
　　With the increasingly fierce competition, the
news media try every means to collect information in
order to catch people's eyes. Thus, it is inevitable
that the news media may invade citizens' rights
such as privacy. The conflict between privacy right
and the freedom of press is getting obvious. 		　　The news media provide people with much in-
formation they need on a timely basis. Anecdotal
evidence shows that people from all walks of life
have the habit of collecting information regularly
from the news media, including print, broadcast
and Internet-based media.
　　The news media can sometimes save lives and
reduce casualties. There is a lot of uncertainty a-
bout the surroundings, and people are susceptible
to the damage caused by accidents, crimes and
natural calamities. The news media convey the first-
hand information to the audience and enable them
to take corresponding actions right away.
　　The news media keep us informed of what is
happening in the world.
【正确答案】[范文]
   
Are the News Media a Negative Development?

   It is widely believed that the news media always misinterpret or exaggerate their findings. And even worse, when it comes to personal privacy, the news media have frequently come under fire. However, since the development of modern technology has provided the news media with more quick channels to transmit information, many people regard the news media not only as an information provider but also as a lifesaver, which contribute a lot to the development of society.
   In my point of view, the news media can bring positive impacts if they are used wisely and appropriately. To begin with, the news media are one of the major forces to expose political scandals. They propel the related departments to establish the open complaint channels. What's more, public welfare under-takings are thriving because of the energetic publicity and direct promotion of the media. Lastly, nowadays people can get information via various channels, such as newspaper, magazines, television and the Internet. The news media can timely provide information about events happening around us or in other countries, which can help us in decision making.
   In brief, the news media have become more influential in our daily life. They can be a positive development if the relationship between their regulation and freedom is balanced.
【答案解析】 本题讨论新闻媒体目前是否是在消极发展。在具体行文方面，考生首先要总结材料，概述正反双方的观点。然后给出自己的观点：如果使用得当的话，新闻媒体将带来积极的影响，并详述理由。最后总结全文。