TEXT 2
THE BEGINNING OF THE NEWSPAPER
The English newspaper began when Englishmen began to understand the world around them, beyond the boundaries of their own villages or towns. In England some hundred years ago, outside London, there were only small communities, where people were interested only in the daily life of their own countryside.
From early times three methods of circulation of news had been known: the proclamation, issued by the king or the government, to inform the people about laws and posted up on the church door the sermon, preached by the clergy and various kinds of popular ballads, poems, songs and rhymes sold in the streets or sung in taverns to celebrate events such as the birth or marriage of a prince or princess, victory in a battle and so on. In the country villages too the traveling packman would bring news of what was happening in the world outside. These were the only real popular news in England until the second half of the 19th century, when the printed press for the first time began to appeal to the mass of the ordinary people.
The first written news service was supplied to the great and wealthy people in Elizabethian England (1558—1603). They had to spend part of the year in London in attendance on the Queen in Parliament, or in the Law Courts. There they would hear news of important events. They also exchanged daily gossip with the crowds in the streets of London. During the summer the rich went to their country houses. To keep in touch with the news they often employed private news-writers called Intelligencers, to send them regular bulletins of the gossip of the town. These reports were not printed, they were private letters addressed to a particular client.
Before the invention of printing in the 15th century Germany no good means existed for copying several letters or documents. The printing press was introduced into England by William Caxton in 1476. And to this day it is common to refer to newspapers generally and to the journalists who work for them and write them as, simply, «the press».
EXERCISES
Ex. 1. Match English and Russianequivalents.
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1. small communities 2. celebrate events 3. exchange gossipне 4. employ private writers 5. invention of printing 6. printing press |
a. праздновать события b. нанимать частных писателей c. большие общины d. изобретение печатания e. печатный станок f. обмениваться сплетнями |
Ex. 2. Choose the right word:
1. In England many years ago, outside London, there were only small ... .
a) communities b) churches c) taverns
2. Three methods of ... news were known.
a) printing b) circulation of c) copying
3. They spent part of the year in London in ... on the Queen.
a) gossiping b) celebrating c) attendance
Ex. 3. Complete the sentences.
1. The English newspaper began ... . 2. The people in small communities were interested only in ... . 3. In the second half of the 19th century the printed press began to appeal to .... 4. The people exchanged daily gossip with .... 5. The rich often employed private news-writers called ....
Ex. 4. Insert the right word:
Invented, refer, issued, circulate, «gazetta».
The printing press was ... in Germany in the 15th century. Today we often ... to newspapers and to journalists as «the press». But the earliest attempts to ... news were made in Rome. The first official newspaper was ... in Venice. In that time it was called ... a name which we use today.
Ex.5. Mark the statements that are true.
1. The first English newspaper began in Elizabethian times. 2. Three methods of circulation of news were known: the proclamation, the sermon and popular ballads. 3. The first written news service was supplied to the ordinary people of England. 4. The rich often employed private news-writers called intelligencers to send them regular bulletins of the gossip of the town. 5. To this day it is common to refer to newspapers and to the journalists who work for them as «the press».
Ex. 6. Answer the questions on the text.
1.When did the first English newspapers begin? 2. What three methods of circulation of news had been known in England from early times? 3. Who brought news to the villages? 4. How did the great and wealthy people get the news? 5. Whom did the rich employ in summer to keep in touch with the news? 6. Why is it common to refer to newspapers and to the journalists who work for them as «the press»?
Ex. 7. Make a short summary of the text.