《考研英语阅读理解100篇 高分版》 Unit 19 - TEXT TWO

News reports suggested that the result was in doubt right up to the end, but Rupert Murdoch's admirers were certain that he would prevail. So when Mr. Murdoch's News Corporation offered in April to buy Dow Jones, the owner of the Wall Street Journal, he was already pretty sure that the reply, which eventually came in the early hours of August 1st, would be yes—and it was.
Mr. Murdoch has played a difficult hand brilliantly. He read the internal politics of the sprawling Bancroft clan, which owns a controlling stake in Dow Jones, perfectly—perhaps better than he reads his own family. His $5 billion offer was just high enough to swing the intergenerational politics of the Bancrofts his way, by enticing enough of the younger members of the clan to put money before the continuation of the family's long stewardship of the company. And when some members of the family tried to get Mr. Murdoch to raise his offer, his refusal to do so and his threat to walk away were convincing enough to get them to agree to his original offer. He also agreed to various measures to safeguard the Wall Street Journal's editorial independence that were just sufficient to salve enough Bancroft consciences, without meaningfully inhibiting his ability to do as he pleases.
The timing of the offer was equally astute, coming after the family had realised that the company faced huge strategic problems, but before the new chief executive they appointed last year had had time to show he could solve them, and so enable Dow Jones to prosper as an independent business. Arguably, Mr. Murdoch's eventual triumph was guaranteed from the moment Dow Jones' board admitted that a merger might be the best strategy for the firm, and started to negotiate.
The biggest risk to Mr. Murdoch was that another buyer, more acceptable to the family, would appear. But his generous offer scared off potential private-equity bidders. Mr. Murdoch's only real worry was that there might be a serious counterbid from the two firms with most to lose from his acquisition of Dow Jones: Pearson, which owns the Financial Times, and General Electric (GE), which owns CNBC, a business-news channel. With Mr. Murdoch's backing the Wall Street Journal will surely prove a much tougher rival to the Financial Times, and Dow Jones' resources might enable News Corporation's new business-TV channel, due to be launched in October, to do serious damage to CNBC. Yet despite rumours of a joint Pearson-GE bid, no such offer materialised.
Mr. Murdoch has, however, paid a high price for Dow Jones—at least $1 billion, and perhaps $2 billion, more than appears justified by the fundamentals of the business—so News Corporation's shareholders may come to regard his victory as pyrrhic. No doubt Mr. Murdoch's tougher management will squeeze out some cost savings. But his plans to generate strong growth, by expanding the Wall Street Journal and linking it with his other online and broadcast properties, do not seem terribly convincing. Which is why some News Corporation shareholders suspect that they are just excuses, and that Mr. Murdoch has put his long-standing desire to own one of the world's great newspapers before any serious consideration of value for money.
1. Mr. Murdoch could successfully purchase Dow Jones at his offer because of the following reasons except _____.
[A] he had the situations of the Bancroft family conflicts at his fingertips
[B] his $5 billion offer far exceeded other bidders and was difficult to be refused
[C] he promised that the editors would be entitled to a large degree of freedom
[D] he would not interfere with the internal issues as he pleases
2. The word “inhibiting” (Line 8, Paragraph 2) most probably means _____.
[A] giving full swing to
[B] reducing
[C] restraining
[D] depriving
3. The problems Dow Jones were facing when Mr. Murdoch decided to buy it were the following ones except _____.
[A] there was divergence between different generations of the Bancroft family
[B] the board had some difficulties in making strategic decisions
[C] the new chief executive was not allowed sufficient time to demonstrate his capability of managing the company
[D] the Bancroft came to the awareness that the company was already trapped into severe problems
4. Pearson and General Electric will probably impede Mr. Murdoch's purchase of Dow Jones because _____.
[A] acquisition of Dow Jones would bring any bidder great profit in the future
[B] Dow Jones would be more competitive after the purchase to threat their business
[C] their joint bid would turn out to be more acceptable to the Bancroft family than Mr. Murdoch
[D] they were the most powerful rivals of Mr. Murdoch's media corporation
5. Which one of the following statements is TRUE of Mr. Murdoch's offer for Dow Jones?
[A] News Corporation's shareholders think Mr Murdoch's offer was not so reasonable.
[B] News Corporation's shareholders suspect that his offer was only a start of an ambitious plan.
[C] Mr. Murdoch will make up his loss in the offer by reducing the cost of running Dow Jones.
[D] Mr. Murdoch's offer was higher than what the business had expected.