Part 7
You are going to read an article about what five young people think about fame. For questions 43 – 52, choose from the sections (A – E). The people may be chosen more than once.
Which person…
43. admits he finds certain aspects of fame attractive?
44. believes that fame makes those who get it focus too much on themselves?
45. describes some common beliefs about fame that he feels are untrue?
46. is critical of the way that famous people are treated?
47. says he is uninterested in the details of famous people’s lives?
48. thinks being famous makes people distrust the motives of people they are close to?
49. outlines how fame can benefit society?
50. explains why he has some respect for everyone who is famous?
51. lists some of the ways that people might attract an audience?
52. suggests childhood experiences may cause some people to seek fame?
Fame and fortune
A Stefan
Fame will bring you all the money, attention and love you could ever want! It will solve all your problems and make you feel fantastic! You’ll never feel lonely ever again! These are the kind of lies about being famous the media feeds society through various channels. We are taught to highly value public attention, which celebrity-chasing individuals can get by eating insects in online videos, living in a crowded TV house, or being cruel or offensive on social media – it seems how we get it does not matter.
B Leo
One thing I’ve noticed about famous people is that they’ve often been through a negative event during their early lives – like the loss of a parent, or being rejected by a key figure in their lives. This has left them with a lack of self-confidence, which drives them to seek success on stage or screen to give them a sense of self-worth. The problem is that when they achieve fame, they begin to wonder if people love them for who they really are, or simply for the fact that they are famous. This makes it challenging for famous people to form secure relationships. Partly as a result of that, they end up socialising with other celebrities who have similar emotional problems, and this makes their situation worse.
C Franz
To be honest, the idea of being on a stage and having everyone focus on you is quite appealing to me, but I know that there’s no way I’d enjoy the reality of being famous. When everyone knows who you are, it’s as if you’re not human anymore. Fame means endless requests for pictures, autographs and stories for the tabloid press. Every mistake is exaggerated and nothing in your family life remains private. How could you not get fed up with that? I think that’s why some stars become arrogant or unhappy, and unable to act like normal people, especially if they become famous at a young age and have to grow up with the public watching their every move.
D Mahomet
There is nothing wrong with being famous if it’s because you are very skilled at something, whether you’ve written a bestseller, you’re a brilliant surgeon or a great entertainer. Fame based on earning the respect or admiration of your readers, patients or audience can inspire people. It also provides a link between people – common ground that helps us feel part of a community. However, when fame is used merely as self-promotion to gain money or more attention for its own sake, then it adds very little to the world.
E Johann
I try to avoid reading about so-called ‘stars’ – they’re just people like everyone else, and I really don’t care if they’re getting married, divorced or buying a new pet cat! On the whole, people who are famous seem to live in another world, where they are the only thing of importance. They are obsessed with their own lives, and the longer they stay in the headlines, the worse they get. One thing I do admire, though, is the ability they all share to recover time after time, when the media turns against them or their latest project has failed.
For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary