Questions 3—4 are based on the following:
Magazine editor: I know that some of our regular advertisers have been pressuring us to give favorable mention to their products in our articles, but they should realize that for us to yield to their wishes would actually be against their interests. To remain an effective advertising vehicle we must have loyal readership, and we would soon lose that readership if our readers suspect that our editorial integrity has been compromised by pandering to advertisers.
Advertising-sales director: You underestimate the sophistication of our readers. They recognize that the advertisements we carry are not articles, so their response to the advertisements has never depended on their opinion of the editorial integrity of the magazine as a whole.
The magazine editor’s argument assumes which one of the following
A．A magazine editor should never be influenced in the performance of his or her professional duties by the wishes of the companies that regularly advertise in the magazine.
B．The magazine cannot give any favorable mention in its articles to its regular advertises without compromising its reputation for editorial integrity.
C．Favorable mention of their products in the magazine’s articles is of less value to the advertisers than is the continued effectiveness of the magazine as an advertising vehicle.
D．Giving favorable mention to a product in a magazine article is a more effective form of advertising than is an explicit advertisement for the product in the same magazine.
E．(E) Carrying paid advertisements can never pose any thread to the magazine’s reputation for editorial integrity nor to the loyalty of its readership.
参考答案：C
解析： 编辑的论述“迎合他们的意愿将实际上有损于他们的利益”的逆否命题是“要有益于他们的利益就不能迎合他们的愿望”。有益于他们的利益的前提是“杂志是一个持续有效的广告媒体”，不能迎合他们的愿望就是不能给他们的产品好评。由此可知杂志编辑论述的假设是“给他们的产品好评不如让杂志成为一个持续有效的广告媒体”，因此(C)是正确答案。