Reading a newspaper every day is a brilliant habit. Good newspapers tell us about the world in hundreds of ways. They make us more informed, they make us think and they entertain us. Newspapers are cool.
What is a newspaper?
A newspaper is a publication containing news, information and advertisements. It is printed on special, white, low-cost paper called 'newsprint'. Most newspapers are of general up-to-date interest, but a few (eg The Financial Times, Variety) focus on specialised topics (money, entertainment).
The first printed newspaper appeared in 1605. The world's most famous newspaper, The Times, first appeared on London news-stands in 1788. Most newspapers are printed every day and are called 'dailies'. Newspapers that only appear once a week on a certain day are 'weeklies'.
General interest newspapers contain current local and international news, political events and opinions, crime reports, business, culture and sports articles, light-hearted features and adverts. Newspaper editors use carefully chosen photographs and cartoons to illustrate their articles, and much thought goes into the headline article of the day which appears on the front page.
Pick out the words
Read the passage on the left again and circle the words with the following meanings.