RCs: 21 to 30 Questions for CAT with Answers PDF

Directions: Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:
From the late Middle Ages and beyond, a network of foreign correspondents has existed across the majority of Europe, spreading news from far-flung places across a chain of set routes. However, there was news from abroad before there were correspondents, and, similarly, we are now entering another age where these reporters, like many employed in journalism, risk inexistence.
Partially responsible are economic cuts that see foreign desks shrink, the accumulating risk to journalists abroad and the appreciation of diversity that is increasing dependence upon foreign nationals instead. Also, the invasion of technology, including social media, mobile phones and new models of low-cost online news, feeds fruitful change as well as faults. In addition to these influences, this essay seeks to deliberate ethical considerations, like the representation of marginalised communities, race and distant suffering, in order to conclude the importance of the foreign correspondents now.
Information about international matters will forever be important. Thus, to appreciate what relevance foreign correspondents still have within its distribution, it is necessary to pinpoint the scope of the competition. In general, this is the Internet and all it prompts. For example, the innovative online resources reporting separately to the skeleton of traditional news; like blog aggregator Global Voices, well-known archive Wikileaks, mapping service Ushahid, or even Facebook’s empire to name a few.
In spite of this digital revolution though, the way in which the Internet affects the representation of faraway countries remains in its infancy. It enables people to obtain additional sources of news, but the average consumer does not bother. To demonstrate, 95% of those who consume news online do so through domestic newscast websites and, even in this day and age, just 53.6% of the population is online. Plus, for those paying attention to these pioneering applications custom-built for ‘citizen journalists’, they must tread through infinite clutter because ensuring these moderns newscasts are thoroughly verified is a tough task.
Furthermore, the statistics cited are in line with the theory of Imaginary Cosmopolitanism, whereby we think we have an extensive viewpoint because of the possibility of worldwide connectivity, but we disregard that the majority of our social network consumption is in fact local. With this in mind, the public remain dependent on traditional media, including foreign correspondents, for that vital international perspective.
However, the other edge to technical innovation, specifically how it can be exploited by traditional news agencies, is also a threat to foreign correspondence, particularly after today’s tendency for rooftop journalism. This expression was coined to describe the countless journalists based abroad, habitually amongst conflict, who still hardly get the chance to see what is taking place in that location. This is intended to safeguard foreign correspondents, partly due to facts like the death toll of journalists rising to an alarming total of 80 during 2018.
However, this step concerning protection does hamper them in the process. In fact, it is frequently critiqued that though foreign correspondents occasionally break big news, and occasionally deliver detailed breakdowns, for the most part they just compose inconsequential feature after feature within the fortifications of a guesthouse.
Nonetheless, novel communication technology does not make up for the fact that “someone stuck next to a dish for hours on end is the last creature on earth to have learned anything,”. Additionally, even though foreign correspondents are a part of conventional journalism, the established media are increasingly favouring yet another contender: everyday people.
For example, Britain’s BBC has its universal UGC Hub that files material sent in by the general public and, in terms of acquiring more remote information, BBC World Service provided mobile phones to Northern Nigerian villages, with a designated attendant per community, to effortlessly learn about potential governmental confrontation concerning land rights with the villages. Now, considering that it can cost between $200,000 and $300,000 a year to uphold a foreign bureau, the preference for citizen journalism is fathomable.
However, the advantage of a foreign correspondent over a local civilian is that they are competent in first aid, functioning efficiently in hostile environments and equipped should they be taken hostage. In theory, this is likely to assure fewer threats and faster dispatches. In addition to safety, which is recognisably a priority, journalists adhere to ethical codes and professional principles that the average person would not contemplate, they are also trained in multimedia, which is cost-effective as agencies are can then employ less people.
So, in spite of a digital revolution, along with civilian reporters and their potential to dispense international information, foreign correspondents remain imperative.
Q1: Based on the passage, what is the current status of foreign correspondents in the journalism industry?
(a) Foreign correspondents are becoming obsolete and losing their significance.
(b) Foreign correspondents are becoming increasingly important in the journalism industry.
(c) Foreign correspondents are becoming obsolete, but their significance is being replaced by civilian reporters.
(d) Foreign correspondents are losing their significance, but the average consumer remains dependent on them.

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Q2: Which one of the following proclamations most cogently encapsulates the quintessential crux of the discourse articulated in the passage?
(a) The rise of internet and citizen journalism has rendered foreign correspondents obsolete.
(b) Despite multiple challenges and technological advancements, foreign correspondents remain critical in providing reliable international news.
(c) Foreign correspondents are threatened by the dangers of being stationed abroad and economic cuts.
(d) Rooftop journalism is the new face of foreign correspondence in today's digital age.

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Q3: What assumption can be made about the role of foreign correspondents in journalism?
(a) Foreign correspondents are becoming increasingly irrelevant due to advancements in technology and the rise of citizen journalism.
(b) The Internet has limited effect on the representation of foreign countries in the news.
(c) Traditional media and foreign correspondents still play a crucial role in providing international news to the public.
(d) The use of technology by traditional news agencies is both a threat and an opportunity for foreign correspondents.

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Q4: Which of the following, if true, would undermine the importance of foreign correspondents in journalism?
(a) The majority of people who consume news online do so through domestic newscast websites.
(b) The average person is not trained in multimedia.
(c) The cost of upholding a foreign bureau can range between $200,000 to $300,000 per year.
(d) Foreign correspondents are equipped to handle hostile environments and are trained in first aid.

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