The National Endowment for the Arts recently released the
the results of its “Reading at Risk” survey, which described
movement of the American public away from books and
literature and toward television and electronic media.
According to the survey. “reading is on the decline on every　　　　62.__________
region, within every ethnic group, and at every educational level.”
The day the NEA report released, the U.S. House, in a tie 　　　　　 63.___________
vote, upheld the government’s right to obtain bookstore and
library records under a provision of the USA Patriot Act. The
House proposal would have barred the federal government
from demand library records, reading lists, book customer 　　　　　 64.___________
lists and other material in terrorism and intelligence investigations.
These two events are completely unrelated to, yet they 　　　　　　　65.___________
echo each other in the message they send about the place of
books and reading in American culture. At the heart
of the NEA survey is the belief in our democratic　　　　　　　　　  66.__________
system depends on leaders who can think critically, analyze
texts and writing clearly. All of these are skills promoted by 　　　67.__________
reading and discussing books and literature. At the same time,
through a provision of the Patriot Act, the leaders of our
country are unconsciously sending the message that reading
may be connected to desirable activities that might　　　　　　　　　68._________
undermine our system of government rather than helping
democracy flourish.
Our culture’s decline in reading begin well before the 　　　　　　 69._________
existence of the Patriot Act. During the 1980s’ culture wars,
school systems across the country pulled some books from
library shelves because its content was deemed by parents 　　　　　 70.__________
and teachers to be inappropriate. Now what started in schools
across the country is playing itself out on a nation stage and 　　　71.________
is possibly having an impact on the reading habits of the
American public.