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  3. One hundred years ago, people became famous for what they had achieved. Men like J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman and Jay Gould were

One hundred years ago, people became famous for what they had achieved. Men like J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman and Jay Gould were

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问题     One hundred years ago, people became famous for what they had achieved. Men like J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman and Jay Gould were all notable achievers. Their accomplishments are still evident in our own day. Today’s celebrities, however, often do not become known for any enduring achievement. The people we most admire today are usually those who are most highly publicized by the media. In 1981, a Gallup poll revealed that Nancy Reagan was the nation’s "most admired woman". The year before, that distinction went to President Carter’s wife, Rosalynn. In fact, the wife of the current president is always one of the nation’s most admired women. Today’s celebrities, as the writer Daniel Boorstin says, are "people well-known for their well-knownness. " To become such a celebrity, one needs luck, not accomplishment. As Boorstin says, "The hero was distinguished by his accomplishment; the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name. "
    There is another distinction: heroes inspire respect; celebrities inspire envy. Few of us believe we could be another Jonas Salk or Eleanor Roosevelt, but we could be another TV star like Telly Savalas or Suzanne Somers. Except for the attention they get from the media, these people are exactly like us.
    Today an appearance on a television talk show is the ultimate proof of "making it" in America. Actually, the term "talk show" is misleading. Celebrities do not appear on such a program because of an actual desire—or ability—to talk, but simply to gain recognition, and prove, merely by showing up, that they are "somebody. " Being a guest on a talk show does not require qualities of wit, eloquence, brilliance, insight, or intelligence. Most hosts are grateful just to get someone who will fill the room with sound. One talk show coordinator comments, "We look for the guest who is sure to talk no matter what. Ten seconds of silence appears very awkward on television; thirty seconds is disastrous. A guest who’s got to stop to think about everything he says before he opens his mouth is a ratings nightmare. " This kind of attitude rewards smooth, insincere talk, and makes hesitancy look like stupidity. "We wouldn’t have used George Washington on our show," says one talent coordinator. "He might have been first in the hearts of his countrymen, but today he’d be dragging his bottom in the ratings. "
The author uses the result of Gallup poll to argue that
选项 A、the first ladies in America are respected by the whole nation.
B、Rosalynn is not as good as Nancy Reagan in the 1980s.
C、Gallup poll is an effective organization to collect public opinions.
D、today’s famous people are created for their well-knowness.
答案D
解析 作者使用盖洛普民意调查的结果是为了说明[A]美国的第一夫人们受到全国的尊敬。[B]在20世纪80年代，罗莎琳不如南希·里根那么好。[C]盖洛普民意调查是搜集公众观点的一个有效组织。[D]今天的名人是因为出名而成名。根据题干中的关键词Gallup poll，可以把解答此题的相关信息定位到第一段中部。原文讲到：今天的名人不因其所取得的成就出名，而靠媒体的宣传而出名。然后作者举例：美国的第一夫人们总是全国最受钦佩的人，作者随后总结：今天的名人因为出名而成名，也就是这个例子要说明的问题，正是[D]的内容。此题的最大干扰项是[C]，因为此项的确阐述了一个事实：盖洛普调查是做民意调查的，然而这与文章的上下文内容并无多大的联系，不是该例证旨在揭示的问题。
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