阅读理解。
Newspapers in the United States earn most of their money from selling space for advertising. The
rates they charge are tied to the number of readers. But the number of people who buy newspapers has
been falling for years. And this traditional business model had not worked very well on the Internet,
especially in a bad economy.
Many newspaper companies have large debts from buying other papers. Some papers have recently
closed or declared bankruptcy or reduced their operations.
Newspapers are looking for new ways to reinvent themselves and new ways to earn money. That
includes giving new consideration to an old idea-charging for at least some of the material that most
papers now publish online for free.
Internet access to newspapers means that more people may read the news, which is good for society. But good reporting costs money. The question is how much people are willing to pay for news that they
have got used to receiving for free.
The look of American newspapers changed after USA Today arrived in 1982. Most of the stories
were short. There was heavy use of color and images. People who compared it to television did not
necessarily mean that as praise. But the new design succeeded and influenced many other papers.
Now newspapers are looking to redesign themselves for an increasingly online world. Millions of
people would rather read papers like USA Today and The New York Times for free on the Web than
pay for a printed version. Publishers who chose that business plan might regret it now, but they might
not have had much choice. Survival means changing as conditions change. Like any other business,
newspapers have to balance their needs with the need of their customers.
1. American newspapers earn most money from_______.
A. advertising products
B. selling newspapers
C. publishing stories
D. reporting news
2. Which of the following statements about USA Today is NOT true?
A. It had short stories.
B. There were many images.
C. There was heavy use of color.
D. It was published before 1982.
3. The main cause of the problems of American newspapers is that _______.
A. too many people read printed newspapers for free
B. the Internet and television have taken the place of newspapers
C. some newspapers have become non-profit organizations
D. more and more people read news on the Web
4. The underlined words "that business plan" in the last paragraph refer to _______.
A. declaring bankruptcy
B. changing the look of newspapers
C. publishing news on the Internet
D. Providing readers with printed versions for free
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Advertising industry in America is going through some changes.
B. Great changes have taken place in the American media.
C. American newspapers will have a bright future.
D. American newspapers are facing great difficulties.
