READING COMPREHENSION

Where have all the heroes gone?

What is a celebrity? A celebrity is basically a famous person. Many young people talk about
celebrities like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus or Rihanna as their heroes.

Yet, in the past, heroes were different. They were people we admired for noble
achievements.. They were people who sacrificed themselves for a higher purpose, to save
other people or to support an ideal.

Martin Luther King is an American hero because of his

contribution to the civil right movements. But what have
Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus done for humanity?

Real heroes have inspired people to make sacrifices in

order to achieve something worthwhile, or to benefit
society. Do celebrities inspire us to do great things? Some
people who have no special talent have become celebrities
and achieved fame with no sacrifice at all. Yet they inspire
respect in teenagers.
Other celebrities like Janet
Jackson or Paris Hilton are famous because they are
related to famous people. What about models like Naomi
Campbell or Kate Moss? What contribution to society have
they made to deserve the attention and adulation they
receive? Perhaps we actually care more about fame than
creative talent or noble achievement. People seem to be
terribly interested in the lives of the celebrities. Some say
this is because it’s human nature to gossip. Are our lives
so obscure and uninteresting that we need glamorous
celebrities to brighten them up? Maybe we simply need
someone to look up to. Do we admire these people
because they have achieved success that we haven`t? Do we admire the fame, health and
status that we don’t have? Are these the things we should admire a person for?

Why do we admire celebrities so? Perhaps it is because they are not real traditional heroes
anymore and celebrities are the next best thing.

1. In your own words and based on the ideas from the text, answer these questions:

a. What is a hero, according to the text?

b. What kind of people become celebrities (modern-day heroes) nowadays?

2. Are the following statements true or false? Write evidence from the text.

1
 a. Justin Bieber is considered to be a hero.

b. Sean Lennon and Janet Jackson are famous for their talent and sacrifice.

3. Give three reasons from the text why people might be so interested in the lives of
celebrities.

4. Find words in the text that match the meaning of:

a. aim, objective d. really, in truth

b. merit, be worthy of e. casual talk, rumour

c. beneficial, of use f. esteem, honour