Read the conversation between two friends, Maria and Ben, about being famous. Decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F). Maria: Hi Ben, did you hear about that actor yesterday who went… Ben: No, Maria:, I didn’t, and to be honest, I don’t want to. Maria: OK, OK. But why not? It’s only natural to be interested in other people’s lives. Ben: Maybe, but I don’t understand why everybody wants to talk about people they don’t even know. I think that’s strange! Maria: I really don’t agree. In my opinion, famous people are just like everybody else. I mean, a lot of the difficulties they have in life are different, but they’re still humans. They need to eat, sleep, they get bored sometimes, they need friends… Ben: Yeah, but that still doesn’t explain why some people seem to be as interested in celebrities they’ve never met as they are in their own friends! Maria: Well yes, maybe you’re right, it is a bit strange. But I suppose you can find out lots of things about them on the internet, so you can begin to feel that you actually know them. Ben: Yes, but all that information about them online doesn’t mean you know what they’re really like. It’s just an image. Maria: That’s true, but on social media you can find lots of conversations between stars and their fans. The stars answer questions and are often very honest, I think. Ben: I’m not sure… I think they’re very careful about what they say. Maria: But don’t you think that when we see all the great things they’ve done, it makes us want to do better ourselves? I really believe it makes people aim higher in life! Or even just do things they wouldn’t think of trying if they didn’t see celebrities doing them. Ben: Perhaps some people feel like that, but I think your friends, your family, your teachers are the people who should help you decide what to do in life, don’t you? Maria: Of course! But celebrities have an effect too. They need to behave well in public – I mean they have responsibilities because so many people watch what they do, especially young kids. They always need to think about that. Ben: Well if you have a lot of fans, yes, you do need to remember that there will always be someone watching you, wherever you are. That must be difficult. I’d hate not to be able to go out without people taking my photograph, or wanting to talk to me. Maria: But it’s not all bad, is it? I wouldn’t mind people knowing about me because I’d done something really special, or was really good at something. I’d feel proud. And I’d enjoy the good things about it, like meeting interesting people, travelling all over the world. It would be great to have so many opportunities. Ben: Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. But I still don’t understand why people are so interested in them. I love watching films, but I don’t need to know all about the actors’ personal lives… 1. Maria says that celebrities’ problems are the same as everybody else’s. T / F 2. Ben believes that there is too much information about celebrities online. T / F 3. Maria thinks that knowing about celebrities encourages people to achieve more. T / F 4. Ben says that celebrities should behave in a more professional way. T / F 5. Maria believes that there are advantages to being famous. T / F