A
Newspapers are not nearly as popular today as they were in the past.There are not very many people who seriously read a newspaper every day.Most people only read the sports pages，the advice or the gossip columns，the comics，and perhaps the classified advertisements.Most people don't take time to read real news.Newspapers attempt to catch the reader's interest with pictures and exciting headlines.These techniques are used on the front page because it is the first thing you see when you pick up the paper.The first page attracts attention and encourages the reader to look through the rest of the paper.This is why editors always look for a good first page story and a headline to make them stop and look.If the headline is horrible enough or frightening enough or wild enough，perhaps they will go on to read the front page.However，they may read the headlines，but that is all，then they turn to the sports page，or comics，or advertisements.
It seems that people do not want the news from a newspaper any more.They say they get the news on television now.More people watch television news because it is easier and more interesting than reading a newspaper.What about you？Do you read news from a newspaper？Do you think it is easier to get news from television？Or do you care about news at all？Would you mind if there were no news?
【语篇解读】 报纸越来越不能吸引人们的注意力了，本文作者呼吁大家更多地关注报纸。
1．According to the passage，newspapers are ________．
A．more popular today
B．less popular today
C．as popular as before
D．getting more and more popular
解析：细节理解题。关键是理解文章的第一句话，由此可知报纸的地位已不如从前。
答案：B
2．According to the author，which of the following newspapers will most probably attract the reader's attention?
A．The ones with interesting pictures and exciting headlines on the front page.
B．The ones with sports news on the front page.
C．The ones with classified ads on the front page.
D．The ones with gossip columns on the front page.
解析：推理判断题。由第一段第五句可知，新闻往往用一些图片和令人感兴趣的标题来吸引读者注意。
答案：A
3．According to the passage，most people read all of the following EXCEPT ________．
A．the sports page B．comics
C．advertisements D．real news
解析：细节理解题。根据文章第一段的第三、四句可以找到答案。
答案：D
4．The author's attitude towards newspapers is ________．
A．sympathetic B．critical
C．negative D．undetermined
解析：作者态度题。由文章的第一句话可知，作者对报纸今非昔比的状况有点感慨，作者认为报纸应该受到人们更多的关注。
答案：A
