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. "
According to the passage, today’s celebrities are those who

选项 A、are notable thanks to the publicity of the media.
B、are distinguished by enduring contributions.
C、have big name for what they had achieved.
D、are well-known because of the company image they present.

答案A

解析 根据本文内容,今天的名人都是[A]由于媒体的宣传而出名的人。[B]因其持久的成就而闻名。[C]由于他们的成就而拥有很大的名气。[D]因为公司形象而闻名的人。文章第一段主要讲述了以前的英雄和今天的名人的区别。本题的设计就是考查考生是否能把各自的特点分类,考生可采取排除法解题。[A]的意思是今天的名人就是那些由于媒体的宣传而闻名的人,正符合第一段的论述。[B]、[C]都是英雄的特点.[D]中company image(公司形象)原文并未提及。
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