单选题 he American newspaper has been around for about three hundred years. In 1721, the printer James Franklin, Benjamin's older brother, started the New England Courant, and that was what we might recognize today as a real newspaper. He filled his paper with stories of adventure, articles on art, on famous people, and on all sorts of political subjects.
Three centuries after the appearance of Franklin's Courant, few believe that newspapers in their present printed form will remain alive for long. Newspaper compiles are losing advertisers (广告商), readers, market value, and in some cases, their sense of purpose at a speed that would not have been imaginable just several years ago. The chief editor (主编) of the Times said recently, "At places where they gather, editors ask one another, 'How are you?', as if they have just come out of the hospital or a lost law came." An article about the newspaper appeared on the website of the Guardian, under the headline "NOT DEAD YET."
Perhaps not, but the rise of the Internet which has made the daily newspaper look slow and out of step with the world, has brought about a real sense of death. Some American newspapers have lost 42% of their market value in the past three years. The New York Times Company has seen its stock (股票) drop by 54% since the end of 2004, with much of the loss coming in the past year. A manager at Deutsche Bank suggested that stock-holders sell off their Times stock. The Washington Post Company has prevented the trouble only by changing part of its business to education, its testing and test-preparation service now brings in at least half the company's income.
单选题 What can we infer about the newspaper editors?
  • A.They often accept readers' suggestions.
  • B.They care a lot about each other's health.
  • C.They stop doing business with advertisers.
  • D.They face great difficulties in their business.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] “At places where they gather, editors ask one another, 'How are you?', as if they have just come out of the hospital or a lost law came.”意思是“当editors见面时都会互相问‘你还好吗?’，好像每个人都刚从医院出来或输了一场官司似的”。从这句话可以判断出editors的情况很差，所以答案为D。
单选题 How does the author seem to feel about the future of newspapers?
  • A.Satisfied
  • B.Hopeful
  • C.Worried
  • D.Surprised
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 从最后一段可知，传统杂志虽然还未消亡，但面对互联网的冲击，很多公司都出现了收入下降或是不得不改版才能维持生计的现象，举了New York Times股价下跌和Washington Post不得不改版来增加收入的例子，可见作者对传统报纸的前途还是比较担忧的(Worried)。