The main disadvantage of 'person-on-the-street' interviews

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

     A survey is a study, generally in the form of an interview or a ques­tionnaire, which provides information concerning how people think and act. In the United States, the best-known surveys are the Gallup poll and the Harris poll. As anyone who watches the news during presiden­tial campaigns knows, these polls have become an important part of political life in the United States.

     North Americans are familiar with the many "person-on-the-street" interviews on local television news shows. While such interviews can be highly entertaining, they are not necessarily an accurate indication of public opinion. First, they reflect the opinions of only those people who appear at a certain location. Thus, such samples can be biased in favor of commuters, middle-class shoppers, or factory workers, depending on which area the new people select. Second, television interviews tend to attract outgoing people who are willing to appear on the air, while they frighten away others who may feel intimidated by a camera. A survey must be based on a precise, representative sampling if it is to genu­inely reflect a broad range of the population.

     In preparing to conduct a survey, sociologists must exercise great care in the wording of questions. An effective survey question must be simple and clear enough for people to understand it. It must also be specific enough so that there are no problems in interpreting the re­sults. Even questions that are less structured must be carefully phrased in order to elicit the type of information desired. Surveys can be indispensable sources of information, but only if the sampling is done properly and the questions are worded accurately.

     There are two main forms of surveys: the interview and the ques­tionnaire. Each of these forms of survey research has its advantages. An interviewer can obtain a high response rate because people find it more difficult to turn down a personal request for an interview than to throw away a written questionnaire. In addition, an interviewer can go beyond written questions and probe for a subject's underlying feelings and reasons. However, questionnaires have the advantage of being cheaper and more consistent.

According to the passage, the main disadvantage of "person-on-the-street" interviews is that they ________.

• A. are not based on a representative sampling
• B. reflect political opinions
• C. are not carefully worded
• D. are used only on television

• Câu 2: Mã câu hỏi: 17409

  According to the passage, one advantage of live interviews over questionnaires is that live interviews ________.

  • A. minimize the influence of the researcher
  • B. are easier to interpret
  • C. costless
  • D. can produce more information

• Câu 3: Mã câu hỏi: 17410

  The word "precise" is closest in meaning to ________.

  • A. accurate
  • B. rational
  • C. required
  • D. planned

• Câu 4: Mã câu hỏi: 17414

  According to the reading passage, there are ________ main categories of surveys.

  • A. four
  • B. five
  • C. two
  • D. three

• Câu 5: Mã câu hỏi: 17415

  Which word is given definition in the text?

  • A. sampling
  • B. poll
  • C. survey
  • D. interview

• Câu 6: Mã câu hỏi: 17416

  The word "they" refers to ________.

  • A. interviews
  • B. opinions 
  • C. news shows
  • D. North Americans

• Câu 7: Mã câu hỏi: 17417

  What does the passage mainly discuss?

  • A. The principles of conducting surveys
  • B. The importance of polls in American political life
  • C. Problems associated with interpreting surveys
  • D. The history of surveys in North America

• Câu 8: Mã câu hỏi: 17418

  According to paragraph 3, which of the following is most important for an effective survey?

  • A. A sociologist who is able to interpret the results
  • B. Carefully worded questions
  • C. An interviewer's ability to measure respondents' feelings
  • D. A high number of respondents

• Câu 9: Mã câu hỏi: 17419

  The word "indispensable"  is closest in meaning to ________.

  • A. necessary
  • B. complicated
  • C. expensive
  • D. simple

• Câu 10: Mã câu hỏi: 17421

  It can be inferred from the passage that one reason that sociologists may become frustrated with questionnaires is that ________.

  • A. respondents often do not complete and return questionnaires
  • B. questionnaires are expensive and difficult to distribute
  • C. respondents are too eager to supplement questions with their own opinions
  • D. questionnaires are often difficult to read

• Câu 11: Mã câu hỏi: 36286

  The word "elicit" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

  • A. compose
  • B. rule out 
  • C. predict
  • D. bring out

• Câu 12: Mã câu hỏi: 36290

  The word "exercise" is closest in meaning to ________.

  • A. utilize
  • B. consider
  • C. design
  • D. defend