Reading Newspapers and Specialist Literature

• a) Read (he text, b) Answer the comprehension questions to the text.

Text A What Do Newspapers Write about?

Despite competition from other media, circulation figures for newspapers go up. People read newspapers because they provide a vast amount of information, far more than can be reproduced in a news broadcast on radio or TV.

There are various newspapers: national, regional, local. Some newspapers come out daily, others are put out several times a week. There are monthly and bimonthly publications. Newspapers differ in style, language, readership, and issues they cover.

National papers carry articles about national, foreign and polit­ical issues. Their leading (editorial) articles deal with major events in the country and abroad. Regional and local papers serve the in­terests of the community. They provide information about local af­fairs and assess the current situation. They draw the attention of their readers to the local problems. Newspapers also contain such items as spoil, theatre and book reviews, crosswords and cartoons. Readers are also able to express their own views through the read­ers' letters page.

Readers appreciate it when the newspaper carries objective and undistorted information and gives a wide coverage of home and for­eign news.

Many people subscribe to their favourite newspapers and read them regularly.

Some newspapers (magazines) are addressed to specialists, A lot of space in such publications is devoted to specialist subjects such as business, financial markets, banking and insurance.

The press influences the thoughts and outlook of ordinary peo­ple.

Vocabulary List

regional adj - региональный

local adj — местный

serve the interests служить интересам

assess v - оценивать

current adj — текущий

contain v— содержать

express views — выражать мнение

objective atij— объективный

undistnrteda< #— неискаженный, прав­дивый

give a coverage of — освещать (в прессе, на ТВ)

subscribe v — подписываться

address v— обращаться (к кому-л.)

outlook n —.? rt. кругозор

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Unit 1