R e a d í n g a n d U s e o f E n g l i s l i : Part 6 - G a p p e d text

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Look at the photos A - C and d i s c u s s t h e questions in groups. C h o o s e f r o m the s e n t e n c e s A - G the

1 What do you think the people in the photos are doing? W h y ? one which fits e a c h gap (1-6). T h e r e is
one e x t r a s e n t e n c e w h i c h y o u do not
2 Do you ever watch shows like t h e s e ? W h y ? / Why not?
need to u s e .
3 Which show would you most like to appear on? Why?
A Y o u could say they're just trying to
teach wannabes how to be more
realistic about themselves and their
abilities.
B They take from them a message that
becoming famous is quick and easy.
C J u s t because someone hasn't got
the celebrity factor, it doesn't mean
that they haven't got other, more
impressive qualities.
D Shows like these mislead people
about the reality of fame.
E However, most of them are pretty
clueless about how we're meant to
achieve this.
F These distinctive personality traits
are what keep the media interested.
G In order for US to promote someone
effectively, we have to be convinced
that they genuinely have something
original and exciting to offer.

Vocabuiary i n context:
personality.
Find w o r d s in t h e a r t i c l e w h i c h
m e a n the opposite of t h e following
adjectives:
R e a d the introductory s e n t e n c e to the a r t i c l e on page 19. In groups,
Paragraphs 2 - 5
d i s c u s s w h a t kind of w a r n i n g s or a d v i c e y o u think S a s k i a will give.
1 talented
Quickiy re ad t h e whole a r t i c l e . Were y o u r i g h t ? 2 hard-working
3 calm
4 sociable
E x a m practice 5 ordinary, conventional

Paragraphs 6-7
R e a d i n g a n d Use of E n g l i s h Exam tip 6 serious
P a r t 6: understanding text fíow 7 modest
Try to understand how the t ex t is organised before you complete the gaps. 8 polite
t h e whole t e x t first for gist and work out w h a t the main ideas 9 kind
n each paragraph. 10 sensible
Look at the e x t r a c t e d s e n t e n c e s . Do any of t h e m h a vie similar
similar tof
topics
to the p a r a g r a p h s in the t e x t ? With a partner, d i s c u s s who y o u r
f a v o u r i t e and l e a s t f a v o u r i t e
Look for íinks between t h e g r a m m a r and v o c a b u i a r y inn the e xxttrraacc t e d
c e l e b r i t i e s a r e , giving r e a s o n s . Write
s e n t e n c e s and in the t e x t . Think c a r e f u l l y about any pronouns (he, ¡t,
s e n t e n c e s describing how y o u r
this) or linkers (however, although, e t c . ) .
p a r t n e r f e e i s about two c e l e b r i t i e s .

ffWWPWHfü • Personality
' R e a d t h e a r t i c l e again c a r e f u l l y . With a partner, w r i t e one s e n t e n c e
• W o r k b o o k p . 10
about e a c h p a r a g r a p h , s u m m a r i s i n g t h e main ideas.

Peimgmph i: TVcaio help people ft> become si^ccessfíil verij cji^ictíij.

W h e n will I b e f a m o u s ?
Unfortunately we do have to re)ect the majority of
So you want to be a star? applicants. O f course, this can be devastating for some, and

Saskia Young, the co-founder of The I can't say that I enjoy this part of m y job. But I always
try to offer positive feedback too. 5 T h e y might
Star Maker Agency, taIks about the be a very funny or smart person, or maybe they're really
dream and the reality of the f ame game. Creative. It would be a shame to waste these skills on
reality TV.
Televisión can t u m yesterday's nobody into a millionaire One thing that's a bit different about my agency is that we
overnight. T h i n k about Leona Lewis. Befo re The X-Factor consider each applicant very carefully on their o w n unique
she was just another pretty singer. After her w i n , she released merits. We try not to be arrogant like the judges on Pop Idol
a best-selling debut álbum and became an international or The X-Factor\ However, I can't stand watching
celebrity people like Simón Cowell being rude to contestants. It's
Young people watch reality shows like these and think, cruel to mock someone for their dreams, however silly they
'that could be me'. 1 A n d it certainly seems that way, might seem. The sad truth though, is that not everyone can
when even talentless Big Brother stars can become rich and be 'the next big thing'. For every success story, there are
famous, apparently overnight. Slogging your way through tens of thousands w h o never become stars. Show business is
a long degree or dealing with the stress of job applications probably the most competitive business i n the world. To
lack the appeal of becoming an 'instant' celebrity make it to the top, you've usually got to have exceptional
talent, w o r k extremely hard, and stay utterly focused. But
Since founding The Star Maker Agency i n 2004, we've
most of all, you've got to be very, very lucky!
seen the number of applicants rocket from a few hundred a
year to almost fifty times that. E a c h young hopeful expects
US to transform their Uves. 2 A depressingly large
number of would-be stars don't seem to have any real skills,
apart from their o w n amazing powers of self-deception. One
boy who told us ' I want to be as famous as Brad Pitt', later
confessed he hated acting. What's more, he quite cheerfully
admitted to being lazy refusing to take on any job w h i c h
involved getting up before midday!
As a talent agency, we're not looking for 'wannabes', i.e.
people who just want to copy their favourite celebrities.
A n d y o u don't necessarily need to be good-
looking to catch our eye. I n fact, we often prefer to take on
people who aren't conventionally attractive, because they're
more likely to stand out and be remembered.
If you look carefully you'll see that many A-list stars are
striking rather than stunning. They're often slightly eccentric
too. F o r example, Angelina Jolie has the reputation for being
rather fiery, while Michael Jackson was notoriously shy.
4 Bland people eventually just fade away ^ Would you like t o be f a m o u s ? Why? / Why not?
Tell y o u r partner.

Work in groups. You are going t o plan y o u r own r e a l i t y

TV show! Decide t o g e t h e r :
1 what the show is called.
2 what the people on the show will do.
3 what kind of contestants will take part.
4 what the prize will be.

4^ Present your idea t o t h e rest of t h e class. When all t h e

groups have finished, t h e class should v o t e for t h e idea
t h e y would m o s t like t o w a t c h on TV!