Question

Does Fame Drive You Crazy?

Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, 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 Villareal, 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,” Villareal 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 sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars 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. Well-known 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. Skeptical.

C. Disapproving.   D. Sympathetic.

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：出名会让人发疯吗？无论是现在还是过去，做名人的压力很大，主要是没有自己的隐私可言。有些人的得到了公正的待遇，还是表达了做名人生活很累的观点。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段可知，名人就像动物园里的动物一样，说明今天的明星没有个人隐私。他们是世界关注的中心，狗仔队在他们家周围拿着摄像机随时准备拍照。因此选B。

2.段落大意题。由第三段第一句可知，跟踪名人的事很早就有了。后面又以亚历山大大帝和狄更斯为例进一步说明，故选B。

3.文章第四段可知，当今的名人感觉更难的是现代的摄像机和网络无处不在。故选A。

4.推理判断题。由全文尤其是最后一段可知，本文的题目问作者对现代名人的态度是同情的。Sincere真诚的；Skeptical怀疑的；Disapproving不赞成的；Sympathetic同情的。故选D。

考点：社会科学类短文阅读。