Question

Does Fame Drive You Crazy?

Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!

According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time，” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B．C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold­out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain(抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film­stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.

If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today ________.

A．are often misunderstood by the public

B．can no longer have their privacy protected

C．spend too much on their public appearance

D．care little about how they have come into fame

2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.

B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

C．Well­known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?

A．Availability of modern media.

B．Inadequate social recognition.

C．Lack of favorable chances.

D．Huge population of fans.

4.What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?

A．Sincere.  B．Sceptical.

C．Disapproving.  D．Sympathetic.

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】本文为议论文。作者主要对现在的名人没有隐私的问题发表了自己的看法。

1.

2.2】答案：B 主旨大意题。此段通过列举历史上的名人所遇到的麻烦来证明名人所遇到的问题由来已久，故选择B项。

3.3】答案：A 细节理解题。根据第四段所描述内容可知以Internet为代表的现代媒介令名人们的处境更加不易，故此题选择A项。

4.4】答案：D 观点态度题。通读全文可以发现，作者对现代名人没有批判、怀疑或是鼓励，倒是同情他们没有隐私、体谅他们难处的句子频繁出现，故此题应选择D项，sympathetic同情的。sincere真诚的；sceptical怀疑的；disapproving不赞同的。

疑难词汇解读

1．psychologist n．心理学家

psychology n．心理学

child psychology儿童心理学

2．celebrity n．名人

celebrities of stage and screen 舞台和影视界名人

长难句子分析

Although being famous might sound like a dream come true，today's stars，feeling like zoo animals，face pressures that few of us can imagine.尽管成名或许听起来就像梦想实现了一样，可如今的明星感觉就像动物园的动物，承受着很少有人能够想象的压力。

本句是复合句，although引导让步状语从句；feeling like zoo animals是现在分词短语作状语，主句为today's stars face pressures that few of us can imagine。