参考译文

在民主国家里，任何限制新闻自由的企图都理所当然地受到谴责。然而，这种自由很容易被滥用。常人轶事往往比政治事件更能引起公众注意。我们都喜欢看关于别人生活的报道，但是否同样喜欢看关于自己生活的报道，就很难说了。记者按事实至上的论点行事，发表有关别人私生活的细节，有时会给当事人造成极大的痛苦。新闻具有巨大的威力。它们不仅可以给寻常人家的生活带来重大的变化，甚至还能推翻一个政府。

下面这户穷人一夜之间出名发财的故事戏剧性地说明了新闻报道的威力。这户人家住在南达科他州一个人口为23，000的小镇上，镇名为阿拜丁。家里已有5个孩子，全家人常年在贫困中挣扎。第6个孩子即将问世，他们面临着更为严峻的经济问题。如果他们只是添了1个孩子，这件事本来就不会引起任何人的注意。这家人会继续为克服经济上的拮据而奋斗，并默默无闻地活下去。但是他们出人意料地生了个五胞胎，4女1男。这事使他们的生活发生了根本的变化。五胞胎降生第二天，一架飞机飞抵阿拜丁，随机带来60名记者与摄影师。

这一家迅速出了名。电视摄像机和报纸把消息传送到全国。报纸、杂志出高价向他们购买文字、图片的独家报道权。不但素昧平生的人寄来了大量的礼物，而且婴儿食品、婴儿肥皂制造厂商为了替自己产品做广告也寄来了大量的礼物。这家人住的旧农舍将由一座价值50万美元的新住宅所取代。由于记者纷纷要求会见，他们不得不请了律师充当他们家的发言人举行记者招待会。眼下，五胞胎还静静地躺在医院婴儿室的氧气帐里，他们的父母却为这名声付出了代价，他们再也无法过正常的生活。他们成了商业化的受害者，因为他们的名字具有了市场价值。这些孩子立即成了商品，而不是5个新的家庭成员。

Comprehension

理解

Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possible. Use one complete sentence for each answer.

1How can newspapermen cause untold suffering to ordinary people?

2What event made the poor family in South Dakota famous?

3What happened the day after the birth of the children?

Vocabulary

词汇

Explain the meanings of the following words and phrases as they are used in the passage: restrict (1. 1); equally (1. 5); contention (1. 6); untold (1. 7); acquired (1. 10); perpetual struggle (1. 12); in obscurity (1. 15).

Summary writing

摘要写作

Describe in not more than 80 words how the birth of the five children affected the family and the town. Use your own words as far as possible. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph.

Composition

作文

Write a Composition in about 300 words on one of the following:

aWrite a ‘human interest’ story about a person who suddenly acquired fame because he won a lot of money from football pools.

BDescribe the newspaper you most enjoy reading.

Letter writing

书信写作

Write a letter of about 100 words to the Editor of a newspaper complaining about an article that was published recently. Begin ‘Dear Sir’ and end ‘Yours faithfully’.

Key structures and Special difficulties

关键句型和难点

Rewrite the following sentence without changing the meaning. Then refer to 11. 19-20.

The family were offered huge sums by newspapers and magazines.

Newspapers and magazines…



Multiple choice questions

多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1The Press will argue that they have the right to publish a story, although it may seriously affect the individual concerned, because ______ .

a．in a democracy, the individual deserves more attention than politics

b．facts in themselves, however unpleasant they may be, must be respected

c．people not only enjoy reading about others but about themselves as well

d．they only use their power to influence events of national importance

2News editors and reporters wanted to publish the story because ______ .

a．they always defend the freedom of the Press

b．they know that stories about people sell a lot of newspapers

c．they wanted to change the lives of these poor people

d．they believed it was the right thing to do

3The interest that was taken in the family was ______ .

a．of national importance because of the rise in the birth rate

b．charitable, for people of all kinds were concerned about their poverty

c．so overwhelming that even lawyers attended their press conferences

d．mainly from commercial organizations who wanted to promote their sales

Structure 结构

4The public are often far more interested ______ political events. (11. 3-4)

a．in people's stories than

b．in stories about people than in

c．with stories about people than

d．by people's stories than by

5The influence of newspapers is ______ bring about major changes in the lives of ordinary people but they can even overthrow a government. (11. 8-9)

a．such that not only can they

b．so that not only they can

c．such that they cannot only

d．so that not only can they

6A sixth child ______ expected so they were faced… (11. 12-13)

a．was

b．being

c．having

d．had been

7While the five babies ______ in oxygen tents… (11. 23-24)

a．were remaining quietly sleeping

b．remained quietly sleeping

c．remained to sleep quietly

d．remaining were quietly sleeping

Vocabulary

词汇

8Stories about people are often ______ (1. 3)



a．of great interest to everyone

b．in the public interest

c．a matter of publicity

d．publicly attended

9Newspapers ______ tremendous influence over the lives of ordinary people. (1. 8)

a．press

b．invoke

c．impose

d．wield

10Reporters ______ interviews… (1. 22)

a．went on strike for

b．went on printing

c．made repeated requests for

d．were continually hurrying to

11Lawyers were employed to act as spokesmen ______ the family. (11. 22-23)

a．on account of

b．instead of

c．on behalf of

d．for the sake of

12Instead of being five new family members, these children had become ______ (1. 26)

a．victims of commercialization

b．something to be bought and sold

c．a public convenience

d．a product of the market