78. Reading Skills Comprehension: Gospel Truth

Gospel Truth

Gospel Truth

Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow them:

1. The newspapers have taken the place of the Bhagavad Gila, the Bible and the Quran with the people. For them, the printed sheet is gospel truth. The fact throws a great responsibility on the editors and the news writers.

2. Newspapers are a powerful influence. It is the duty of the editors to see that no false report or report likely to excite the public is published in their newspapers. The editors and their assistants have to be extra careful about the news they give and the manner in which they dress it. In a state of independence, it is practically impossible for Governments to control the Press. It is the duty of the public to keep a strict watch on the newspapers and keep them on the right path. An enlightened public would refuse to patronize inflammatory or indecent newspapers.

 3. Newspapers which indulge in untruth or exaggeration harm the cause they profess to espouse. I admit that there is enough untruth in enough newspapers to warrant action. But my experience is that no amount of public criticism will affect the policy of newspapers which make their livelihood by such policy… But I write this in no way to condone untruths in newspapers. I am quite clear that if newspapers weighed every word that is printed therein, we should have a speedier removal of abuses whether in the states or elsewhere.

4. The superficiality, the one-sidedness, the inaccuracy and often even dishonesty that have crept into modern journalism, continuously mislead honest men who want to see nothing but justice done.

5. The sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power, but just as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countrysides and devastates crops, even so, an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy. If the control is from without, it proves more poisonous than want of control. It can be profitable only when exercised from within. If this line of reasoning is correct, how many of the journals in the world would stand the test? But who would stop those that are useless? And who should be the judge? The useful and the useless must, like good and evil, go on together, and man must make his choice.

Word-Meaning: Gospel truth— (here) ultimate truth, Enlightened—knowledgeable, Patronise—give patronage to, Inflammatory—that rouses passions, Indecent— not civilized, Profess—promise, Espouse—support, Condone—ignore, Superficiality- artificiality, Crept into—entered, Sole—only, Submerges—to sink/immerse, Devastates—destroys, Exercised—used, Reasoning—way of thinking rationally,

Attempt any eight of the following questions on the basis of the passage you have read.

1.What is the gospel truth for the people?

2. What is the duty of the editors?

3. What is the duty of the public?

4. How do newspapers harm the cause they profess to espouse?

5. What are the ills that have crept into modern journalism?

6. What destruction can an uncontrolled pen cause?

7. How can the control prove profitable?

8. Who should judge the journals?

9. Find a phrase in paragraph 1 that means ‘ultimate truth’.

Answers 

1. The printed sheet, i.e., the newspaper is the gospel truth for the people.

2. It is the duty of the editors to see that no false, inciting or explosive news is published in the newspapers.

3. The duty of the public is to keep a strict watch on the newspapers and keep them on the right path.

4. By indulging in untruth or exaggeration, newspapers harm the cause they profess to espouse.

5. The superficiality, the one-sidedness, the inaccuracy and dishonesty are the ills that have crept into modern journalism.

6. An uncontrolled pen can not only bring devastation but also destroy society.

7. The control over the journals and newspapers can prove profitable only if it comes from within and not from outside.

8. Only the people and their wisdom should judge between useful and useless journals.

9. Gospel truth.

Download the above Passage Worksheet in PDF (Printable)

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