live with accept (a difficult or unpleasant situation, esp. one that continues for a long period) 容忍，忍受（困
难或不快的局面）
e. g. 1. Urban inhabitants have to live with the noise of traffic.
2. Although I never really liked it, at least I learned to live with the heat after a few months.
plot out
1. make a plan of action 制定出行动计划 e. g. All our activities for the next month are plotted out in advance.
2. make a plan or map of sth. 绘制图
e. g. We plotted out a graph to show the increase in sales figures this year.
nothing but only 只有；只不过
e. g. 1. Genius is nothing but labor and diligence.
2. The government?s latest promises are nothing but a further attempt to deceive the public.
tire of become bored with; be tired of 对……厌烦
e. g. 1. They never tire of hearing that story again and again about their daddy?s childhood. 2. He never tires of talking about the good old days.
for good for ever 永远
e. g. 1. That sweet day will be for good cherished in his memory.
2. We've separated from each other before, but I think it?s for good this time.
pass into enter (a place or state) 进入（地方或状态）
e. g. 1. If your stomach is empty, the alcohol will pass into your bloodstream more quickly. 2. Many foreign words have passed into the English language.
set out begin a usu. long or difficult course of action with a clear purpose （目的明确地）开始（一个通常是长期的或困难的行动过程）
e. g. 1. Months before the art festival, they set out to compose music, rehearse dances and design costumes. 2. They set out with the aim of becoming the number one team in the league. Usage:
set out to do sth. 开始做……
set out with the idea / purpose / intention etc. of doing sth. 带着……的目的开始做
what if (esp. in making suggestions) what will happen if…? （尤用于提出建议）如果……怎么样？ e. g. 1. What if you were to run out of money? What would you do? 2. I sat till lunchtime thinking, “What if he doesn?t come back?”
set sb. up
1. establish, arrange or organize 确立，安排，为……做好准备
e. g. Recently he has been doing a lot of homework and setting himself up for the coming job interview.
2. make sb. healthier, stronger, more lively, etc 使某人更健康、强壮、活跃等 e. g. A week in the country will set her up nicely after her operation.
3. provide sb. with the money to start a business, buy a house, etc. 使某人有钱创业、买房子等 e. g. Her father set her up in business.
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4. arrange for two people to meet, because you think they might start a romantic relationship 安排两人见面 e. g. “How did you meet Nick?” “A friend set us up.”
5. trick someone in order to achieve what you want 设陷阱欺骗某人 e. g. Cox claimed that the police had tried to set him up.
Section B Difficult Sentences
1. It didn?t take long after the tragedies, though, for celebrities to find their way back into the spotlight.
(Para. 12)
1) What does “the tragedies” refer to? Answers for reference:
The tragedies are the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, as the author mentioned in Paragraph 9. 2) What does “though” mean in this sentence? Answers for reference: It means “however”.
3) Translate the following Chinese into English by imitating the above English sentence from the text. 然而，很多年后政府才意识到以环境为代价来换取经济发展是得不偿失的。 Answers for reference:
It took many years, though, for the government to realize that they lost more than they gained from sacrificing the environment for the economic development.
2. But what if by setting certain kinds of goals, young people really are setting themselves up for future
unhappiness? (Para. 16)
1) Please translate the sentence into Chinese. Answers for reference:
然而，年轻人在树立目标时，要是给自己树立的是未来的不幸，那该怎么办呢？
2) To your understanding, what “kinds of goals” will set young people up for “future unhappiness”? Answers for reference:
As stated in Paragraphs 14 and 15, those who set extrinsic goals like fame, wealth, or public image will
be less happy than those “who set intrinsic goals”, such as “to achieve personal growth or to build better relationships with friends or family”.
Section C Comprehension questions
▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 1-2)
Q: What is the most sought-after goal among many Americans? A: The most sought-after goal among many Americans is fame. Q: What did the survey conducted by Girls' life magazine reveal?
A: It revealed that fame was the most popular goal among American teenagers, with 35 percent of the
respondents saying they wanted to be famous.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 3)
Q: What were the findings of the survey conducted by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?
A: The survey showed that after wealth, fame was the dream most pursued by many American teens and
that qualities like beauty and singing talent also ranked high.
Q: What is the suggested reason for the high ranking of beauty and singing talent?
A: The suggested reason is that beauty and singing talent are the very qualities that help young people
speed up their journey to fame.
Q: What can we learn from Paras.2 and 3?
A: We can learn that many Americans, especially American teenagers, are obsessed with fame. This
assertion is supported by the findings of the surveys conducted by Girls' life magazine and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 4)
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Q: What are the dangers of fame according to the author?
A: According to the author, fame may 1) induce one to spend money senselessly; 2) louse up one?s
normal relationships with one?s family members; 3) mess up one?s life with drugs or alcohol; 4) burden one with pressures from work and life; 5) seduce one into undergoing dangerous plastic surgeries so as to meet the public?s expectations; and 6) deprive one of the right to privacy. Q: Is it beneficial to spend a lot of money on plastic surgery?
A: No, multiple plastic surgery operations do more harm than good, as is evident amongst the rich and
famous. The face of the deceased star, Michael Jackson, is a good example of what an obsession with plastic surgery can do.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 5)
Q: What is the reason given in Para. 5 for our desire to be famous today?
A: We all want to be famous today because today, more than ever before, reaching for fame is no longer
the privilege of the few; the mass media provides easy and fast access for ordinary people to become famous.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 6)
Q: What else paves the way to fame besides TV?
A: Recording and filming equipment, publishing software, and the Internet pave the way to fame
because these things are accessible to the public.
Q: How is it that fame has become an easy reach for everybody?
A: TV and other types of modern-day technology offer more chances for self-promotion and ordinary
people can show their talent at little cost.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 7)
Q: What is the reason given in Para.7 for the public?s yearning for fame?
A: According to the author, ours is a star-struck society and we live in a culture obsessed with the daily
lives of famous people. The public yearns for any details they can get about celebrities. This star-worship leads to the pursuit of fame.
Q: What can we usually find when walking through the checkout line at any local grocery store?
A: We can find the checkout line at any local store flooded with magazines reporting on the lives of
famous people. At least three out of four magazines feature a celebrity on the cover and promise some juicy bit of celebrity gossip inside.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 8)
Q: What is the role that TV plays in creating a star-struck society?
A: Just like magazines, TV also plays a key role in creating a star-struck society. TV is a big part of our
lives, and since TV shows are filled with celebrities, we are surrounded by famous people even in our own homes.
▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 9-10)
Q: How did the September 11 terrorist attacks affect Americans? celebrity frenzy for the first few days
after the tragedy?
A: For the first few days after the tragedy, people felt that reporting on celebrity gossip would be trivial
and that there were more important things to focus on. Q: How do you interpret the last sentence in Para. 10?
A: The last sentence in Para. 10 tells us that even a gossip columnist became sobre in the face of the
terrorist attacks. Rather than write celebrity gossips, he would prefer to do something more meaningful such as donating blood to those who got wounded during the terrorist attacks.
▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 11-12)
Q: How did celebrities manage to attract public attention again?
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A: Celebrities soon find their way back into the spotlight by giving charity performances or other forms
of donation to disaster relief.
Q: Did the September 11 tragedy change Americans? attitude towards fame and celebrities for good? A: No, addiction to celebrity is still the social norm, and even a tragedy like the September 11 terrorist
attacks could only capture society?s attention for a short period of time, failing to change Americans? priorities for good.
▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 13-14)
Q: What is meant by “extrinsic goals”?
A: Extrinsic goals refers to strong aspiration for something outside of yourself, such as fame, wealth,
power, social position and public image. Q: Is it advisable to strive for extrinsic goals?
A: No. According to the author, extrinsic goals have obvious disadvantages. First of all, when you are
motivated extrinsically, your sense of accomplishment depends on the acknowledgment of others, since extrinsic goals are motivated by factors that are outside of yourself. Secondly, extrinsic goals bring one less happiness and a lower sense of well-being than intrinsic goals do.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 15)
Q: What is meant by “intrinsic goals”?
A: Intrinsic goals are motivating factors that are inside you. They include goals such as health, personal
growth, better relationships with friends and family.
Q: Which type of goals makes people happier, extrinsic or intrinsic goals?
A: According to the text, it is intrinsic goals that are positively associated with well-being and happiness.
▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 16-17)
Q: What does the author think of fame?
A: The author thinks that fame, an extrinsic goal, may give people instant success but cannot bring
happiness and a lasting and strong sense of well-being.
Part IV Optional Classroom Activities
Take the following quiz and find out what potential you have to achieve success. Be honest with yourself when you make your choice.
Are You on Your Way to Success?
1) How often do you believe you can accomplish something if you put your mind to it? a) Rarely. b) Sometimes. c) All the time. d) Never.
Explanation: As long as you have confidence in yourself, and hold the belief that anything is possible, you are already on your way to success.
2) How often do you find yourself saying things like “I can?t”, “That?s impossible” or “Not in this lifetime”? a) Rarely. b) Sometimes. c) All the time. d) Never.
Explanation: If you always close your eyes to possibilities, you will attempt nothing and accomplish nothing. Such a pessimistic attitude can never make a successful person. 3) If you had 10 million dollars, what would you do with the money? a) I would spend the money as soon as possible.
b) I would pursue my dreams that I have not previously had the resources for. c) I would do pretty much the same as I do now. d) I would put the money in the bank.
Explanation: Successful people know their goals and would waste no time in pursuing them. If you believe what you are doing now would lead you to success, the 10 million dollars might speed you up on your way to success but would not change what you are doing now. 4) Do you think that education and talent are vital to success?
a) Not really. To me, persistence and determination are more important.
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