Text 3
The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts, pure, unprejudiced, objectively selected facts. But in these days of complex news it must provide more; it must supply interpretation, the meaning of the facts. This is the most important assignment confronting American journalism － to make clear to the reader the problems of the day, to make international news understandable as community news, to recognize that there is no longer any such thing (with the possible exception of society news) as “local” news, because any event in the international area has local reaction in the financial market, political circles, in terms, indeed, of our very way of life.
There is in journalism a widespread view that when you consider giving an interpretation, you are entering dangerous waters, the swirling tides of opinion. This is nonsense.
The opponents of interpretation insist that the writer and the editor shall confine himself to the “facts”. This insistence raises two questions. What are the facts? And: Are the bare facts enough?
As for the first question, consider how a so-called “factual” story comes about. The reporter collects, say, fifty facts; out of these fifty, his space being necessarily restricted, he selects the ten which he considers most important. This is Judgment Number One. Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall constitute the beginning of the article. (This is an important decision because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph.) This is Judgment Number Two. Then the night editor determines whether the article shall be presented on page one, where it has a large influence, or on page twenty-four, where it has little. Judgment Number Three.
Thus in the presentation of a so-called “factual” or “objective” story, at least three judments are involved. And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved in interpretation, in which reporter and editor, calling upon their research resources, their general background, and their “news neutralism”, arrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news.
The two areas of judgment, presentation of the news and its interpretation, are both objective rather than subjective processes － as objective, that is, as any human being can be. (Note in passing: even though complete objectivity can never be achieved, nevertheless the ideal must always be the light in the murky news channels.) If an editor is intent on giving a prejudiced view of the news, he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by interpretation. He can do it by the selection of those facts that support his particular viewpoint. Or he can do it by the play he gives a story － promoting it to page one or putting it on page thirty.(455 words)
Notes: waters 领域；swirl 旋转；presentation 刊登，报导；confine … to …把…限止到…；come about 发生；call upon 访问，号召，参照；in passing 顺便，随便；be intent on 打算。
1. The main idea which the text intends to express is “___________”.
A. Functions of Newspapers B. Interpreting the News
C. Choosing Objective Facts D. Subjective versus Objective Processes
2. The author implies that ___________.
A. in writing a factual story, the writer must use judgment B. the writer is supposed to limit himself to the facts
C. reporters tend to give a prejudiced view of the facts D. editors have the right to control what the reporters write
3. The beginning sentence should present the most important fact because ______________.
A. it will affect the reader to continue
B. it details the general attitude of the writer
C. most readers often scan just the first paragraph
D. it is the best way to write according to the rules of journalism
4. Readers are justified in thinking that the most important aspect of the news reported in the newspaper is that it should be _____________.
A. true and impartial B. edited properly C. objectively reported D. interpreted in detail
5. The word “murky” in line 3 Paragraph 6 most probably means ___________.
A. exciting B. perplexing C. different D. gloomy
II. Writing
Directions: In this section, you are to write an essay of 160—200 words on the title “Job-hopping(工作跳槽)”. Your essay should be based on the following outline:
1) Present situation,
2) Reasons against job-hopping,
3) Reasons for job-hopping,
4) Your own opinion.
