【文章內容簡介】 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 readymade narrative structure for otherwise confusions 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 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 munities were phoned at random and asked the same questions. Replies show that pared 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 munity. 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 plaining 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. 29. What is the passage mainly about? [A] needs of the readers all over the world. [B] causes of the public disappointment about newspapers. 上海航宇裝飾： [C] origins of the declining newspaper industry. [D] aims of a journalism credibility project. 30. The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be ______. [A] quite trustworthy [B] somewhat contradictory [C] very illuminating [D] rather superficial 31. 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 32. 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 Passage 4 The world is going through the biggest wave of mergers and acquisitions ever witnessed. The process sweeps from hyperactive America to Europe and reaches the emerging countries with unsurpassed might. Many in these countries are looking at this process and worrying: Won39。t the wave of business concentration turn into an uncontrollable antipetitive force? There39。s no question that the big are getting bigger and more powerful. Multinational corporations accounted for less than 20% of international trade in 1982. Today the figure is more than 25% and growing rapidly. International affiliates account for a fastgrowing segment of production in economies that open up and wele foreign investment. In Argentina, for instance, after the reforms of the early 1990s, multinationals went from 43% to almost 70% of the industrial production of the 200 largest firms. This phenomenon has created serious concerns over the role of smaller economic firms, of national businessmen and over the ultimate stability of the world economy. I believe that the most important forces behind the massive Mamp。A wave are the same that underlie the globalization process: falling transportation and munication costs, lower trade and investment barriers and enlarged markets that require enlarged operations capable of meeting customers39。 demands. All these are beneficial, not detrimental, to consumers. As productivity grows, the world39。s wealth increases. Examples of benefits or costs of the current concentration wave are scanty. Yet it is hard to imagine that the merger of a few oil firms today could recreate the same threats to petition that were feared nearly a century ago in the ., when the Standard Oil trust was broken up. The mergers of tele panies, such as WorldCom, hardly seem to bring higher prices for consumers or a reduction in the 上海航宇裝飾： pace of technical progress. On the contrary, the price of munications is ing down fast. In cars, too, concentration is increasingwitness Daimler and Chrysler, Renault and Nissanbut it does not appear that consumers are being hurt. Yet the fact remains that the merger movement must be watched. A few weeks ago, Alan Greenspan warned against the megamergers in the banking industry. Who is going to supervise, regulate and operate as lender of last resort with the gigantic banks that are being created? Won39。t multinationals shift production from one place to another when a nation gets too strict about infringements to fair petition? And should one country take upon itself the role of “ defending petition” on issues that affect many other nations, as in the U S. vs. Microsoft case ? 33. What is the typical trend of businesses today? [A] to take in more foreign funds. [B] to invest more abroad. [C] to bine and bee bigger. [D] to trade with more countries. 34. According to the author, one of the driving forces behind Mamp。A wave is ______ [A] the greater customer demands. [B] a surplus supply for the market. [C] a growing productivity. [D] the increase of the world39。s wealt