[originaltext]W: Welcome to Book Club. Today we are honored to have invited a d

W: Welcome to Book Club. Today we are honored to have invited a distinguished guest from Ohio University—Professor Smith. He is working on his new book, New Perspectives on Benjamin Franklin. We would like him to share some of his innovative thoughts on this great man.
M: Thank you, Sarah. As we all know, Benjamin Franklin was a renowned statesman, a successful proprietor, an avid philosopher, and a prolific inventor.
W: I guess among his inventions the most famous one is the lightning rod.
M: You are right, (1) but today, I want to argue the case that Franklin’s greatest legacy was not in any of those roles, or as a founding father of the United States, but as a writer.
W: That is what your new book is mainly about, am I right?
M: Yes. Do you happen to know any book written by Franklin?
W: Er, sorry. I couldn’t recall any name at all.
M: Well, (2) that’s because Franklin didn’t write any great novels like the later US greats such as Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Mark Twain. But I think an analysis of Franklin’s writing style, his instincts, his sensibilities and his accomplishments reveals that he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those literary giants.
W: Such a ranking of Franklin is a new idea in the literary sense, I guess.
M: Indeed. Like Hemingway, (3) Franklin began as a newspaper reporter, then he moved on to publish essays, journals and books. His most famous books are Autobiography, Way to Wealth and Poor Richard’s Almanac.
W: What is this almanac?
M: It is an annual publication that he founded and authored from 1732 to 1748. But (4-1) Franklin’s first literary contributions were essays printed in 1722 in the New England Courant, a newspaper published by his brother, James.
W: What was his writing style like at that time?
M: (4-2) His writing style at that time was modeled principally on that of The Spectator, a British paper edited by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele. Early on, though, Franklin displayed an innate ability to write concise, clear news stories.
W: Did he do anything else in the field of literature besides writing essays and books?
M: Yes. (4-3) In 1729, he became the publisher and editor of The Pennsylvania Gazette, which he developed into a newspaper universally acclaimed as the best in the American colonies.
W: (4-4) It sounds so shocking since Franklin did not receive much formal education.
M: True. We can say that Franklin is a self-taught man, and he made three great contributions to American literature.
W: Three? Um, I bet his first achievement must have something to do with his innovative newspaper.
M: Er, yes. (5) His first contribution was his preference to share his opinions about popular topics, instead of simply reporting on current events—um, much in the vein of a modern newspaper columnist.
W: Maybe we can say that modern columnists have learned a lot from him.
This is the end of Part One of the interview. Questions 1 to 5 are based on what you have just heard.
1. What case of Benjamin Franklin does the man want to argue?
2. Why couldn’t the woman recall any books written by Franklin?
3. How did Franklin begin his writing career?
4. Which of the following statements about Benjamin Franklin is INCORRECT?
5. What is Franklin’s first contribution to American literature?