IELTS Speaking Part 3: Being Famous

1.        How do people become famous?

Well I suppose people mainly become famous from being successful in what they do. For example, if you think of all the most famous film stars, popstars and sports stars around the world, then I think it’s true to say that they are all incredibly good at what they do, and that’s really the main thing that led to them becoming famous.

2.        What types of people become famous in your country?

It’s really kind of hard to generalize, because I’d say all kinds of people nowadays can become famous. For example, on one end of the scale, you’ve got people who are super talented and work extremely hard, and then on the other end of the scale, there are people who just do something unusual, you know, a bit out of the ordinary, and end up becoming famous because of it. And there are plenty of examples of such people here in China!

It’s hard to generalize – 很难概括

I’d say = I think

On one end of the scale,…and on the other end of the scale = 在一边……, 然后在另一边

End up becoming…… = 最终成为、最终变得……

3.        Are there any differences between the people who were famous in the past, and the people who are famous today?

That’s an interesting question, and to tell the truth, I’m not really all that sure. But thinking about it, I guess there might be a few differences. I mean, nowadays it’s relatively easier to become famous because of the Internet, which gives everyone the possibility of gaining exposure to a large number of people. So because of this, I’d say that nowadays there are a lot of people with normal backgrounds who have been able to become famous, whereas in the past, I imagine this wasn't so much the case, and that most people who became famous several decades ago probably received more professional training.

exposure – （here refers to ‘publicity’ 宣传）

In the past this wasn't so much the case = it wasn’t really like this 以前不太这样子

4.        What are the good points about being famous?

Well first of all, I imagine if you’re famous, you’re probably welcomed by people everywhere you go, which I’m sure must be nice to experience! So that’s one thing, and I guess another advantage of being famous is that you get a lot of companies sending you free stuff, like clothes and bags, in the hope that other people will see you with their product and then go and buy it themselves. And I remember once reading an interview with Will Smith, the actor, who said that he hardly needs to buy anything nowadays, because he gets most things for free!

5.        Are there any disadvantages to being famous?

Yeah I’d say there are. And the most obvious one would be a lack of privacy. Because as I’m sure you know, most celebrities get followed around everywhere by the paparazzi, even on holiday, which I’m sure they must get sick and tired of.

So this would be one disadvantage, and I guess another would be that it might be quite difficult to tell who your real friends are, because it’s very likely that a lot of people might want to be your friend purely because of your fame. And I guess that’s the reason why most celebrites mainly hang out and mingle with other celebrities.

Celebrity = famous person 名人

The paparazzi = 狗仔队

Get sick and tired of… = 对……感到十分厌烦

Difficult to tell = 很难看得出

Mingle = 交际

6.        Do you think famous people have much influence on young people?

Yeah I suppose they do. Because I mean, young people tend to look up to the celebrities they admire, and find inspiration from them. For example, when I listen to sports players being interviewed, a lot them will talk about a past champion who was their hero and gave them the inspiration to succeed. And I think this is also the case with other famous people, like popstars and film stars.