真题训练

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 templates (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 templates" 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 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, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The astonishing 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.

59. 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.

60. The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ________.
[A] quite trustworthy
[B] somewhat contradictory
[C] very illuminating
[D] rather superficial

61. 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

62. 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
难句解析

难句解析：
①Sad 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.
▲本句主语是this project，谓语是has turned out to be，findings为宾语，mostly low-level是宾语的定语修饰成分，about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes是宾语的补语成分。combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want是过去分词引导的伴随状语，其中about what in the world those readers really want是puzzlement的补语。
△要正确理解本句，一定要注意lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want这一部分并不包含在findings里面，而应该是与findings属于同一层次上的东西，换言之，可以把turned out to be后面的表语看成是由两个并列的意思构成的。
②In 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.
▲本句的主干是there is a conventional story line...，后面的that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news是定语从句修饰conventional story line。
△本句的理解重点在单词的意思：a story line一种写新闻报道的故事主线；newsroom culture报社文化；backbone本义为“脊柱”，此处是“主干”；otherwise否则。
③There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the "standard templates" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers.
▲此句的结构和上句非常类似，主句也是一个there加系动词的用法。而表语后都有一个定语从句。本句的定语从句是which helps explain why the "standard templates" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers。
△alien本义为“异国的”，此处是“相差甚远，背道而驰”。如果考生不了解standard templates的意思，可以从上下文中找与其有相同作用和功能的词组，如上句中的a story line和backbone，那么就应该知道它们指的都是记者们在写新闻和评论时固定的套路和思维。
④The astonishing 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.
▲本句的主干是一个not... but结构。注意这个结构引导的是两个方式状语。其核心词分别是inaccuracy和the daily clash。
△to be rooted in...根源在于……；另外注意not... but结构中，but后面的部分总是阅读的重点。
⑤If 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.
▲it代表上文提到的a troubled business，即“问题重重的新闻界”。now focused narrowly on race and gender是插入语，也是修饰program的定语。本句在would后面有两个并列宾语open up和look for。
△此句中含有一个虚拟语气：If it did, it would open up...。另外注意前两个逗号之间是对diversity program（多样化项目）的修饰成分。
试题解析

试题解析：
59. [B] 意为：造成公众对报纸失望的原因。
文章的第一句开门见山地提出了本文旨在说明的问题：为什么那么多的美国人不相信自己在报纸上读到的内容呢？第二段驳斥了一种解释。第三段指出人们怀疑心理的产生有更深刻的原因。第三段以后具体分析了这个原因：记者和报纸的大多数读者生活在两个世界里，具有不同的社会价值观。这造成了二者的分歧和冲突。
C意为：造成报业衰败的根源。该选择项不如选择项A表达的内容确切，注意选择项A中的disappointment对应于原文的distrust（见第一段第一句和第三段第一句）。
D意为：一个新闻界信誉项目的目的。作者仅在第二段提到了这个项目的内容和发现，并驳斥了这些发现。
60. [D] 意为：相当表面。
在第二段作者指出，遗憾的是，该项目最终所发现的原因大都是诸如报道失实、文章中有拼写和语法错误，以及对读者究竞想读什么的许多莫名其妙的困惑，在作者看来，这些发现大都是低级的(low-level)，而真正的原因没有这么表面（go way deeper，见第三段第一句）。
C意为：很有启发。
61. [C] 意为：世界观。
在第三段作者指出，多数记者通过一套标准的范式来看世界，将每天报道的消息嵌入这些范式，换言之，在新闻界存在着一个写报道的传统路数，这一路数提供了一个框框和一种现成的叙事结构，将纷杂的事件顺理成章。第四段又指出，由于在记者和读者之间存在着一个社会和文化上的分歧，这就解释了为什么新闻报道的“标准范式”似乎不为许多读者所接受。第四、五段提到了一项调查，在解释这项调查结果的第六段作者指出，从广义的角度讲，记者似乎居于社会和文化名流的一分子，所以他们的工作倾向反映这部分人的传统价值现，因此，公众对新闻媒体的不信任，与其说根源于报道失实或报道技能的欠缺，不如说根源于记者和读者之间世界观的日常冲突。
可见，A、B、D是不确切的。
62. [A]
最后一段指出，这（指上一段提到的世界观的冲突）对任何产业——特别是一个衰落的产业——来说都是一种危险的状况，报业目前就是处于这样一种麻烦的局面，但是，他们还在雇用那些自身态度与读者大大相悖的雇员（当指记者）。尔后又举办许多研讨会，搞什么信誊项目，企图了解顾客（当指读者）为什么对他们不满意，他们为什么大量失去读者。但是，对于那么多原来的顾客所不满的文化和阶级偏见，他们似乎就是视而不见，置若罔闻。如果他们看到了这一方面的问题，他们就会深化自己的多样化项目（diversity program本来指公司雇用不同种族、性别等的雇员以满足不同群体的顾客的需要的做法），而不是像现在这样将这一项目狭隘地局限于种族和性别：他们就会去雇用在世界观、价值观、教育背景、社会阶层上迥异的记者。
可见，在这段中，作者对报界进行了批评，认为他们还没有找到问题的根源，无法对症下药解决问题。另请参阅对以上三题的题解。
全文翻译

全文翻译：
为什么那么多美国人不相信自己在报纸上看到的东西？美国新闻编辑协会正试图回答这个痛苦的问题。该组织正深深陷入一个长期的自我剖析过程，即新闻可信度调查项目。
遗憾的是，这次新闻机构可信度调查计划结果只获得了一些肤浅的发现，诸如新闻报道中的事实错误，拼写或语法错误，和这些低层次发现交织在一起的还有许多令人挠头的困惑，譬如读者到底想读些什么。
但这种对媒体的不信任有更深刻的根源。多数新闻记者都学着用一套标准的模式去看待世界，并把每天发生的事件纳入这种模式。换言之，在媒介机构的新闻采编室文化中存在着一套约定俗成的写作模式，为纷繁复杂的新闻报道提供了一个主干框架和一个现成的故事叙述结构。
新闻记者和读者之间存在着社会和文化方面的脱节，这就是为什么新闻编辑室的“标准模式”与众多读者的意趣相差甚远的原因。在最近一次调查中，问卷被送到了全国五座中等城市及一座大都市的记者手中，然后随机地给这些城市的居民打电话，问他们同样的问题。
结果表明，与其他美国人相比，新闻记者更有可能居住在富人区，有女佣，有奔驰车，炒股，而他们去教堂，参加支援服务，扎根社区的可能性却很小。
记者们往往属于广义的社会文化精英的一个部分，因此他们的工作往往反映了这些精英传统的价值观。读者对新闻媒介令人震惊的不信任的根源并非是报道失实或低下的报道技巧，而是记者与读者的世界观每天都发生着碰撞。
这对任何一个工业产业来说都算是爆炸性的形势，对于一个正在衰落的行业来说尤其如此。这是一个棘手的行业，却不断地雇用观点总体上使客户恼怒的雇员。然后它又出资组织研讨会和可信度调查项目，去探究为什么顾客们恼火了，为什么会有那么多人逃避新闻。但它似乎从来就没回过头来去注意那么多以前的顾客所抱怨的文化和阶级偏见。如果它能注意这个问题的话，它就应该进一步开放其多样化项目（这个项目现在还只单纯考虑招收不同种族和性别的员工），进一步寻找那些世界观、价值观、教育水平和社会阶层各不相同的各种记者。