Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most governments, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise has brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines “our scientists” have invented, the new drugs to relieve old disorders, and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously unmanageable conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to “economics needs”, and that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are “near the market” and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.
In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people may still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some of his research funding.
This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing them as corruptible. This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as “experts”. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer, and a nuclear engineer is most likely to be employed by the nuclear industry. If a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.
1.What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?
A. The reduction of public expenditure. B. Quick economic returns.
C. The budget for a research project. D. Support from the voters.
2.Why won’t scientists complain about the government’s policy concerning scientific research?
A. They know it takes patience to win support from the public.
B. They realize they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge.
C. They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public.
D. They are accustomed to keeping their opinions to themselves.
3.According to the author, people are suspicious of the professional judgment of scientists because ______.
A. some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty
B. sometimes they hide the source of their research funding
C. they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned
D. their pronouncements often turn out to be wrong
4.Why does the author say that public distrust of scientists can have damaging effects?
A. Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings.
B. People will not believe scientists even when they tell the truth.
C. It makes things difficult for scientists to seek research funds.
D. It may wear out the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most governments, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise has brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines “our scientists” have invented, the new drugs to relieve old disorders, and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously unmanageable conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to “economics needs”, and that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are “near the market” and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.
In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people may still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some of his research funding.
This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing them as corruptible. This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as “experts”. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer, and a nuclear engineer is most likely to be employed by the nuclear industry. If a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.
1.What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?
A. The reduction of public expenditure. B. Quick economic returns.
C. The budget for a research project. D. Support from the voters.
2.Why won’t scientists complain about the government’s policy concerning scientific research?
A. They know it takes patience to win support from the public.
B. They realize they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge.
C. They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public.
D. They are accustomed to keeping their opinions to themselves.
3.According to the author, people are suspicious of the professional judgment of scientists because ______.
A. some of them do not give priority to intellectual honesty
B. sometimes they hide the source of their research funding
C. they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned
D. their pronouncements often turn out to be wrong
4.Why does the author say that public distrust of scientists can have damaging effects?
A. Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings.
B. People will not believe scientists even when they tell the truth.
C. It makes things difficult for scientists to seek research funds.
D. It may wear out the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Health and climate scientists have mapped how climate change affects different parts of the world in different ways. The scientists point to the fact that changes in the past thirty years may, have been affecting human health. Possible effects include more deaths from extreme(极度的) heat or cold, more storms and more crop failures in dry periods.
The health and climate scientists recently estimated(估计) that climate changes caused by human activity lead to more than one hundred and fifty thousand deaths each year. Cases of sickness are estimated at five million. And the W.H.O. says the numbers could rise quickly by the year of 2003.
Jonathan Patz of an environmental institute led the study. Professor Patz points out that climate scientists connected global warming with the heat that killed thousands in Europe in August, 2003. But he says poor countries least responsible(对……负责) for the warming are most in danger from the health effects of higher temperatures.
Professor Patz says areas in greatest danger include southern and eastern Africa and coastlines along the Pacific and Indian oceans. Also, large cities experience what scientists call a "heat island"effect that can make conditions worse.
Representatives(代表) from about two hundred countries hold a meeting in Canada, to discuss climate change. The ten-day meeting ends on December 9th. It is the first such United Nations meeting since the Kyoto Protocol(京都议定书) took effect earlier this year. The agreement aims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) and other heat-trapping(吸热的) gases sent off into the air.
1.Who is Jonathan Patz?
A.A scientist responsible for the climate change. |
B.A scientist in charge of the study of the climate change. |
C.A professor interested in the climate change. |
D.A professor who is a representative from an African country. |
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Climate changes affect different parts of the world in the same way. |
B.The ten-day meeting is the first United Nations meeting on climate change. |
C.The Kyoto Protocol aims to make smaller the amount of heat-trapping gases into the air. |
D.Poor countries are responsible for the global warming. |
3.Possible effects from the climate changes include the following EXCEPT ______.
A.crop failures | B.storms | C.more deaths from overheat | D.air pollution |
4.According to the health and climate scientists, climate changes have been caused by ______.
A.dry weather | B.cold weather | C.human activities | D.storms |
5.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.climate changes are having a bad effect on human’s health |
B.Professor Patz leads the study of climate changes |
C.a "heat island"effect large cities experience makes the matter worse |
D.rich countries are most responsible for climate changes |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists have long wondered parts of the brain are involved in musical tasks.
A. that B. which C. whose D. where
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Today, the biggest killers stem as much from our lifestyles as from bacteria and viruses. One of the worst of these is heart disease, and specifically high blood pressure. It’s a slow, but efficient killer that robs many people of what should be the last 10, 20 or 30 years of their lives.
Scientists are claiming that they have now separated unusual ingredients in a rare seaweed discovered by fishermen off the coast of Korea that offer incredible health benefits—including the ability to restore blood pressure to normal levels.
Dr. Haengwoo Lee, a famous biochemist conducted a clinical study on these two ingredients. The first is Seanol, an extremely rare seaweed extract(浓缩物) from Ecklonia Cava that's proven to be 100 times more powerful than any land-based antioxidant(抗氧化剂). That's because it stays working in your body for 12 hours, compared to land-based antioxidants that work for 30 minutes. "Its secret is its make-up of special chemicals that are a huge 40% fat soluble( 可溶的)," Dr. Lee explains. "Unlike nearly all land-based antioxidants that are water soluble, Seanol's protective compounds can get into things like the fatty tissues of your brain and penetrate(渗透) all three layers of your cells, including the outside, the oil-based cell membranes(细胞膜), and your DNA." Indeed, Seanol is so powerful, it's the only FDA-approved Ecklonia Cava marine-algae (海藻) extract in existence.
The second ingredient is Calamarine, a deep-sea omega-3 discovery that delivers 85% more DHA omega-3s to your heart, brain, joints, and eyes. It's known to reduce the problems from tiredness and poor memory, joint pain, mood swings and depression.
With that research in mind, Dr. Lee combined Seanol and Calamarine with a high dose of vitamin D to form Marine-D3, the newest supplement in the fight against age-related illnesses and high blood pressure.
Dr. Lee found that Calamarine delivers some of the greatest concentration of omega-3s known to science. Combined with Seanol's ability to reduce body inflammation(炎症), as well as help cells get the nutrients they need to thrive, stay healthy and protected, Marine-D3 is able to boost a body's entire well being.
The makers of Marine-D3 are so confident that you'll see fast dramatic results from this product, that if you aren't happy after two full months, simply return the unused portion and they'll buy it back. They'll even give you ten dollars extra just for giving it an honest try! That kind of faith, combined with Dr. Lee's exhaustive research, shows that Marine-D3 really is a one-of-a-kind product.
1.From the first paragraph we can infer that ________.
A. Our lifestyles result from the biggest killers
B. our lifestyles do less harm to our bodies than bacteria and viruses do.
C. High blood pressure left untreated may cause shorter life.
D. Heart disease is incurable.
2.What can we know from paragraph 2 ?
A. Fishermen off the coast of Korea have isolated unusual ingredients.
B. Scientists have purified ingredients that can lower blood pressure to normal standard.
C. Scientists discovered a rare seaweed.
D. Scientists have imagined a medicine that treat blood pressure.
3.Which is right about Seanol ?
A. According to FDA , Seanol reaches the agreed standard.
B. Seanol can be fat soluble entirely.
C. Seanol is a common seaweed extract from Ecklonia Cava .
D. Seanol's protective compounds can get into all things like the fatty tissues of your brain.
4.What do we know about Calamarine?
A. Calamarine is easy to find in the surface of the sea.
B. Calamarine 's ability to reduce body inflammation(炎症) alone.
C. Calamarine has a low dose of vitamin D and C.
D. Calamarine may relieve you if you feel blue.
5.What’s the makers’ attitude toward Marine-D3?
A. pessimistic B. indifferent C. doubtful D. Optimistic
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Archaeologists used DNA taken from a broken clay pipe stem found in Maryland to build a picture of an enslaved woman who died around 200 years ago and had origins in modern-day Sierra Leone. One researcher called the work “a mind-blower.”
“In this particular context, and from that time period, I think it’s a first,” team member Hannes Schroeder told The Washington Post. “To be able to get DNA from an object like a pipe stem is quite exciting. Also it is exciting for descendant(后裔) communities. Through this technology, they’re able to make a connection not only to the site but potentially back to Africa.”
The pipe stem was found at the Belvoir plantation in Crownsville, Maryland, where enslaved people lived until 1864 and where a likely slave cemetery was recently found. DNA taken from the pipe linked back to a woman either directly from or descended from the Mende people, who lived in west Africa, in an area now part of Sierra Leone.
Julie Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist with the Maryland state highway administration, told The Post the discovery, based on saliva(唾液) absorbed into the clay pipe, was a “mind-blower”. She also said records show the existence of a slave trade route Sierra Leone to Annapolis, plied(定期往来) by British and American ships. “As soon as people stepped on those slave ships in Africa,” she said, “whether they were from Benin or whether they were from Sierra Leone, wherever they were from, that identity was lost. Their humanity is robbed. Who they are as a people has gone.”
The new analysis is part of ongoing research around Belvoir that has given descendants of the people enslaved there new insight into the lives of their ancestors. Speaking to The Post, Nancy Daniels, a genealogist from Laurel, Maryland, who thinks she is a descendant of enslaved families from Belvoir but was not linked to the research on the pipe, called the discovery “overwhelming.” “I’m sitting here about ready to cry,” she said. “I’m sorry. I'm so happy ... Thank God for the DNA.”
This year, events and ceremonies are being held to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved people in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619.
1.What does the phrase “a mind-blower” in paragraphs 1 and 4 refer to?
A.A surprise. B.A confusion.
C.An excitement. D.A fascination.
2.According to Hannes Schroeder, the pipe stem was of great significance because________.
A.it was the first direct evidence that slaves living in Maryland were originally from Africa
B.it helped the archaeologists to draw a portrait of the enslaved woman
C.it might contribute to identifying the birthplace of the descendant communities
D.it contained genetic clues to the ancestral background of its owner
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The owner of the pipe once lived in what is now an area in west Africa.
B.The history of slavery in America is an ongoing topic of concern.
C.African slaves lost their identities when they arrived at the Belvoir plantation.
D.Nancy Daniels, a genealogist was sorry for not being involved in the research.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.DNA from an old pipe throws lights on the origins of the enslaved
B.A new research reveals the origins of enslaved African woman
C.The descendants of enslaved people seek their identities
D.DNA contributes to the breakthrough of a new research
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Archaeologists used DNA taken from a broken clay pipe stem found in Maryland to build a picture of an enslaved woman who died around 200 years ago and had origins in modern-day Sierra Leone. One researcher called the work “a mind-blower.”
“In this particular context, and from that time period, I think it's a first,” team member Hannes Schroeder told The Washington Post. “To be able to get DNA from an object like a pipe stem is quite exciting. Also it is exciting for descendant(后裔) communities... Through this technology, they're able to make a connection not only to the site but potentially back to Africa.”
The pipe stem was found at the Belvoir plantation in Crownsville, Maryland, where enslaved people lived until 1864 and where a likely slave cemetery was recently found. DNA taken from the pipe linked back to a woman either directly from or descended from the Mende people, who lived in west Africa, in an area now part of Sierra.
Julie Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist with the Maryland state highway administration, told The Post the discovery, based on saliva(唾液) absorbed into the clay pipe, was a “mind-blower”. She also said records show the existence of a slave trade route Sierra Leone to Annapolis, plied(定期往来) by British and American ships. "As soon as people stepped on those slave ships in Africa," she said, “whether they were from Benin or whether they were from Sierra Leone, wherever they were from, that identity was lost. Their humanity is stripped from. Who they are as a people has gone.”
The new analysis is part of ongoing research around Belvoir that has given descendants of the people enslaved there new insight into the lives of their ancestors. Speaking to The Post, Nancy Daniels, a genealogist from Laurel, Maryland, who thinks she is a descendant of enslaved families from Belvoir but was not linked to the research on the pipe, called the discovery “overwhelming.” “I'm sitting here about ready to cry,” she said. “I'm sorry. I'm so happy ... Thank God for the DNA.”
This year, events and ceremonies are being held to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved people in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. Slavery was effectively abandoned in the US on 1 January 1863, with the issue by Abraham Lincoln of the Emancipation Proclamation. It formally ended in December 1865, after the civil war, with the approval of the 13th amendment(修正案).
1.What does the phrase “a mind-blower” in paragraphs 1 and 4 refer to?
A.A surprise B.A confusion
C.An excitement D.A fascination
2.According to Hannes Schroeder, the pipe stem was of great significance because________.
A.it was the first direct evidence that slaves living in Maryland were originally from Africa.
B.it helped the archaeologists to draw a portrait of the enslaved woman.
C.it might contribute to identifying the birthplace of the descendant communities.
D.it contained genic clues to the ancestral background of its owner.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The owner of the pipe once lived in what is now an area in west Africa.
B.The history of slavery in America is an ongoing topic of concern.
C.African slaves lost their identities when they arrived at the Belvoir plantation.
D.Nancy Daniels, a genealogist was sorry for not being involved in the research.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.DNA from an old pipe throws lights on the origins of the enslaved
B.A new research reveals the origins of enslaved African woman
C.The descendants of enslaved people seek their identities
D.DNA contributes to the breakthrough of a new research
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Scientists in Canada say big fish have almost disappeared from the world since the start of industrial(产业的) fishing in the 1950s. The scientists found the numbers of some kinds of large fish have dropped by ninety percent in the past fifty years.
The study took ten years. The researchers gathered records from fishing businesses and governments around the world. The magazine Nature published the findings.
The scientists say the common method called long line fishing ravages the populations of large fish. This method involves many fishing lines connected to one boat. These wires can be nearly one hundred kilometers long. They hold thousands of sharp metal hooks to catch fish.
Long line fishing is especially common in the Japanese fishing industry. Records showed that Japanese boats used to catch about ten fish for every one hundred hooks. But long line fishing boats now might only catch one fish per hundred hooks.
The scientists say industrial fishing can destroy groups of fish much faster than in the past. The study suggests that whole populations can disappear almost completely from new fishing areas within ten to fifteen years.
Ransom Myers and Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia led the study with the University of Kiel in Germany. Worm says the destruction could lead to a complete reorganization of ocean life systems. Meyers says the decreased numbers of large fish are not the only worry. He says even populations that are able to reproduce do not get the chance to live long enough to grow as big as their ancestors. He says not only are there fewer big fish, but also they are smaller than those of the past.
It’s the end of this program ,Thank you for your listening.
1.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Big fish are disappearing B. Long—line fishing in Japan
C. The harm of industrial fishing D. Stop killing big fish
2.Which of the following DOESN’T show that the populations of big fish are smaller than before?
A. Fish can disappear almost completely from new fishing areas.
B. Now long—line fishing boats might catch one fish per hundred hooks.
C. Fish now don’t have the chance to grow big enough.
D. Scientists spent ten years studying the populations of large fish.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. The number of big fish started to drop greatly about fifty years ago.
B. The study was started by Boris Worm of Dalhousie alone.
C. There will be no big fish left in fifty years .
D. Japaneses people have stopped catching big fish.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In cooperation with German experts, Several scientists from the University of Bradford believe that they finally solved a mystery that has been confusing millions of people: why our hair turns gray with age.
The researchers came up with their results by examining native hair and cells from human hair follicles(毛囊). They say the secret turns out to be hidden in catalase(过氧化氢酶), which is causing hair to turn gray.
Catalase production goes down with age and stress, allowing hydrogen peroxide(过氧化氢) in the hair to do its favorite job—making hair gray, and then white, by blocking the normal production of melanin(黑色素). Melanin is our hair's natural pigment that is responsible for the color of hair. It also determines the color of our eyes and skin.
Dr. Gerald Weizmann, an editor of a journal, says," All of our hair cells make a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide, but as we get older, this little bit becomes quite a lot, and our hair turns gray and then white."
The new study brings hope for millions of people who have to color their hair: to finally obtain some shampoo that will decrease levels of hydrogen peroxide and therefore restore gray or white hair to its natural color or even prevent it from turning gray.
The researchers are already conducting an experiment with such a drug on a few volunteers with gray hair and expect to get the results in the next two to three months. If everything works out, millions of people will choose between this drug and other previously used expensive dyes. However, even if the drug works, it will take at least several years before it can be brought to the market.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The effect that gray hair has on people.
B. The chemical elements of people's hair.
C. The reason why people's hair turns gray.
D. New drugs to prevent people's hair from turning gray.
2.According to the passage, people's hair turns gray because of______.
A. a decrease in catalase B. the death of hair cells
C. the production of melanin D. a decrease in hydrogen peroxide
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The new study shows it's harmful to color our hair with dyes.
B. Dr. Gerald Weizmann is in charge of the new drug experiment.
C. Our hair cells make lots of hydrogen peroxide when we are young.
D. We may restore our gray or white hair to its natural color with shampoo.
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Only a small number of people can use the new drug.
B. Most of the volunteers in the experiment are old people.
C. The drug cannot be brought to the market soon even if it works.
D. The researchers have already known the results of the experiment.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.
Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.
But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they plug each day's events. In other words, there is a conventional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.
There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the "standard patterns" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.
Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedes, and trade stocks, and they're less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.
Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The surprising distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.
This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and a credibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.
1.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
2.The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be______.
A. quite trustworthy B. somewhat contradictory
C. very instructive D. rather superficial(肤浅的)
3.The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their _________.
A. working attitude B. conventional lifestyle
C. world outlook D. educational background
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.
Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.
But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they report each day’s events. In other words, there is a traditional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.
There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the “standard patterns” of the newsroom seem foreign to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.
Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedeses, and trade stocks, and they’re less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.
Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite (精英), so their work tends to reflect the traditional values of this elite. The alarming distrust of the news media isn’t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily conflict of world views between reporters and their readers.
This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums (讨论会) and a credibility project devoted to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class prejudices that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.
1.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.
2.The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ______.
A. quite trustworthy B. somewhat conflicting
C. very informative D. rather shallow
3.The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their ______.
A. working attitude B. traditional lifestyle
C. world outlook D. educational background
4.Despite its efforts, the newspaper industry still cannot satisfy 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
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析