III. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту:

1. When does newspaper reading become a firm habit?

2. What can you say about the life of the young people in the 1960s and 1970s ?

3. How did morals change?

4. Why is it harder for the local paper to capture the interest of the young people?

5. What do young people prefer to read?

6. During what period of life does political awareness evolve?

Text 6.

I. Прежде чем прочитать текст, выучите следующие слова и выражения:

similar - похожий

recent - недавний

from day to day - изо дня в день

gap - разрыв, брешь

attention - внимание

elections - выборы

because of - из-за

conviction - убеждение

occasionally - время от времени, иногда

Royal family - королевская семья

seldom - редко

commercial information - реклама

commercials - реклама

classified advertisements - мелкая реклама, объявления, обычно на последних

страницах газеты, разбитая по разделам типа: births, marriages, deaths, help

wanted, second-hand goods for sale, etc.

overseas news - зарубежные новости

survey - опрос

thoroughly – тщательно

П. Прочитайте и переведите текст:

What is Read in Newspapers

The problem of what materials people from various social classes read in newspapers has not been studied. How much the readers remember has not been studied either*. No one has analyzed what different age groups read either.

Advertisers are interested in what pages are "noted". A recent survey of house-wife readers in an evening newspaper showed that their habits were similar from day to day. They "noted"** the front page. The following news-pages were "noted" less. The front page got about 98%, the third news-page about 78% and the 7th news-page about 58%. 48% and 38% of the housewives "noted" the first and second women's pages, 46% "noted" the comic strips, 33% - the editorial page. Financial news got 16%. In the first 10 pages, the right-hand pages got 77%, the left-hand pages only 38%. Then the gap narrowed. Full-page advertisements were "noted" by over 40%, the smaller advertisements got less attention.

Not much is known about the reading of news on politics. During election campaigns 77% of men and 52% of women said that they read election advertisements or political speeches in the Press. In the USA about 44% read election news, but only 19% read this news in France. It has been said that these figures are low because of the absence of Labour papers. There is an opinion that few people read the Press for political information. People who are active members of different political parties read their newspapers reinforcing their convictions.

The most popular articles in the Saturday magazine were those on the Royal family (read regularly by 57%, occasionally by 15% and never by 22%). Articles on religion and art are not popular. 42% wanted more sports and general news; 17% wanted less.

Women tended to read fewer editorials than men (49% as against 66%). Women were seldom interested in commercial information, but they preferred classified advertisements and crosswords.

One survey showed that only 1% want more letters to the editor, though it is one of the most highly read features by both men and women. Local news seemed to be more popular than the overseas news. Sports got second place, overseas news - third place.

Though many people criticize the newspaper, surveys show that not many know what they would like*** to change. 85% of men, 70% of women said that they read the newspaper thoroughly. Most readers could give no definite answer to the question what material attracted them most. When asked "Where do you get the facts on which you base your opinions?" people answered: newspapers, TV, radio, conversation, magazines, books, other sources. 3% did not know.

Henry Mayer.

Пояснения к тексту:

* has not been studied either... - не изучалось также

** "noted" - обращать внимание, читать

*** what they would like - что они хотели бы