Pop stars today enjoy a style of living which was once the prerogative only of Royalty. Wherever they go, people turn out in their thousands to greet them. The crowds go wild trying to catch a brief glimpse of their smiling, colorfully dressed idols. The stars are transported in their chauffeur driven Rolls-Royces, private helicopters or executive aeroplanes. They are surrounded by a permanent entourage of managers, press agents and bodyguards. Photographs of them appear regularly in the press and all their comings and goings are reported, for, like Royalty, pop stars are news. If they enjoy many of the privileges of Royalty, they certainly share many of the inconveniences as well. It is dangerous for them to make unscheduled appearances in public. They must be constantly shielded from the adoring crowds which idolize them. They are no longer private individuals, but public property. The financial rewards they receive for this sacrifice cannot be calculated, for their rates of pay are astronomical.
And why not? Society has always rewarded its top entertainers lavishly. The great days of Hollywood have become legendary: famous stars enjoyed fame, wealth and adulation on an unprecedented scale. By todays standards, the excesses of Hollywood do not seem quite so spectacular. A single gramophone record nowadays may earn much more in royalties than the films of the past ever did. The competition for the title Top of the Pops is fierce, but the rewards are truly colossal.
It is only right that the stars should be paid in this way. Dont the top men in industry earn enormous salaries for the services they perform to their companies and their countries? Pop stars earn vast sums in foreign currency often more than large industrial concerns and the taxman can only be grateful fro their massive annual contributions to the exchequer. So who would begrudge them their rewards?
Its all very well for people in humdrum jobs to moan about the successes and rewards of others. People who make envious remarks should remember that the most famous stars represent only the tip of the iceberg. For every famous star, there are hundreds of others struggling to earn a living. A man working in a steady job and looking forward to a pension at the end of it has no right to expect very high rewards. He has chosen security and peace of mind, so there will always be a limit to what he can earn. But a man who attempts to become a star is taking enormous risks. He knows at the outset that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top. He knows that years of concentrated effort may be rewarded with complete failure. But he knows, too, that the rewards for success are very high indeed: they are the recompense for the huge risks involved and if he achieves them, he has certainly earned them. Thats the essence of private enterprise.
1. The sentence Pop stars style of living was once the prerogative only of Royalty means
[A] their life was as luxurious as that of royalty.
[B] They enjoy what once only belonged to the royalty.
[C] They are rather rich.
[D] Their way of living was the same as that of the royalty.
2. What is the authors attitude toward top stars high income?
[A] Approval.
[B] Disapproval.
[C] Ironical.
[D] Critical.
3. It can be inferred from the passage
[A] there exists fierce competition in climbing to the top.
[B] People are blind in idolizing stars.
[C] Successful Pop stars give great entertainment.
[D] The tax they have paid are great.
4. What can we learn from the passage?
[A] Successful man should get high-income repayment.
[B] Pop stars made great contribution to a country.
[C] Pop stars can enjoy the life of royalty.
[D] Successful men represent the tip of the iceberg.
5. Which paragraph covers the main idea?
[A] The first.
[B] The second.
[C] The third.
[D] The fourth.
Vocabulary
1. prerogative 权力，(尤指)特权
2. chauffeur 受雇开车人，(尤指富人、要人的)司机
3. entourage 随行人员，伴随者，近侍;建筑物周围
4. astronomical 庞大的，天文的
5. adulation 奉承
6. gramophone 灌音
7. colossal 巨大的
8. exchequer 国库，财源
Exchequer Bond 国库债券
9. begrudge 感到不快/不满，忌妒
10. humdrum 平淡的，单调的
11. moan 呻吟声
moan about 发牢骚
难句译注
1. the prerogative of Royalty或the royal prerogative
皇家的特权(再英国指国王名义上享有不经议会认可而采取行动的权力)。
2. People turn out in their thousands to greet them.
【结构简析】turn out露面、集合、出席。EX: A vast crowd turned out to watch the match.大批观众到场观看比赛。
【参考译文】成千上万的人们出来欢迎他们。
3. The great days of Hollywood have become legendry.
【参考译文】好莱坞鼎盛时期成了神话。
4. By todays standards, the excesses of Hollywood do not seem quite so spectacular.
【参考译文】按今天的标准来看，好莱坞的奢华(过分的行为)似乎并不那么引人注目。
5. A single gramophone record nowadays may earn much more in royalties than the films of the past ever did.
【参考译文】今天单张录音唱片挣的版税要比过去一步电影还要多得多。
写作方法与文章大意
作者以对比、因果写作手法，写出歌星享受者贵族般生活方式，出门受千万人群欢迎，出入高级车、机，身后保镖、经纪人、资讯记者，来去都有报道，这一切是社会对高级演员的慷慨赠予。公司的高级人员享受高薪，歌星也应享受。再则顶尖歌星冒有很大风险。
答案详解
1. B 他们享受一度只属于贵族享用的一切。第一段集中谈了这些：他们走到哪里，成千上万人们出来欢迎，却中发疯地要看一眼穿着花哨的偶像的笑容。这些歌星坐着司机开动的Rolls-Royces汽车、私人直升飞机，高级长官飞机到处走，永远围着一批经纪人、报界记者和保镖随从人员。他们的照片定期登在报刊上，因为歌星象贵族一样是资讯人物。A.他们的生活和贵族一样奢侈。C.他们很富。D.他们的生活方式和贵族生活方式一个样。
2. A 赞成。在第一段最后一句：他们为他们的牺牲所获取的报酬难以计算，支付率惊人。第二段一开始就点明为什么不惊人?社会对高级表演者总是慷慨解囊。好莱坞的鼎盛时期名扬天下，著名歌星先手空前绝后的名、利、奉承。第三段更明确指出：应该这样支付星族，这完全正确。企业中的顶尖人物因为他们为公司和国家所作的一切不也挣得高额工资?税务员应感谢他们每年为国库做出了巨大的贡献。所以谁会忌妒他们的报酬呢?最后一段进一步说明：欲成为星族的人冒着很大的风险，谁都知道只有一小撮人能成为顶尖人物，也可能多年的努力以彻底失败而告终，而成功的报酬确实很高，这是对他们冒险的补偿。这些内容都说明作者赞成巨额报酬。A. 不同意。C. 讽刺的。D. 批评的。
3. A 在攀登顶峰中存在着激烈的竞争。这在第三段最后一句明确指出：获取顶尖的流行歌星的称号竞争激烈，但其报酬确实惊人。最后一段的风险说。还有最后一段第二句：说忌妒话的人应记住：最有名的星族代表的只是冰山之巅――人极少。每个成名的歌星身后就有成千上百个其他歌者为生存而奋斗。这都说明竞争激烈。B.人们盲目崇拜偶像歌星。C.成功的流行歌星演出给人极大的享受。D.他们支付的税收巨大。
4. D 成功者只是冰山的顶尖――少极了。A.成功的人应当获得高收入。B.流行歌星对国家做出巨大贡献。C.流行歌星能享受贵族生活。
5. D 第四段。主旨句是倒数第一、二句，成功的报酬确实很高，这是对其高度风险的还报补偿，如果他成功了，他肯定挣得多。那就是私人事业的根本/本质。A.第一段。这段之对比了贵族和歌星的生活方式。B.第二段。这段讲了挣得多，但竞争激烈。C.第三段。歌星和企业顶尖人物对比。
下一篇： 2012年英语四级考试阅读理解试题及答案