CELEBRITY NEWS:

In her quest to meet the rich and famous, Emma has bribed security guards,
worn disguises, and even climbed through windows!. But she does not think of
herself as a criminal. Im just doing my job. I only get paid for the very best
articles, so I have to act fast and think creatively if I want to earn a decent
income!.
Emma Worth writes for a well-known gossip magazine. Shes one of the
growing number of journalists who are using their professional skills to hunt the
so called gliteratti unawares, each hoping to get an exclusive, and preferably
shocking, story.
Gossip-mongering is nothing new. Indeed, sensationalist stories about the
Royal Family ( the A-list of their time) were published only a century after the
invention of the printing press- in 1453!
However, in recent years, our celebrity obsession seems to have escalated.
Last year, Heat and Closer, the two best selling UK gossip magazines sold over
a million copies every week, and new celebrity websites and TV programmes
appear every year. Even the traditionally more serious press are turning to
celebrities to boost sales.
But many people are critical of celebrity gossip hunters like Emma, not least
the celebrities themselves, who complain that they are being denied a basic
right to privacy. Some also object to its cruelty. Gossip articles usually focus on
embarrassing mistakes and bad news stories. It seems we love to hear about
the football stars who cheat on their girlgriends or the Hollywood babes with
eating disorders.
Fortunately, for the celebrities, it seems that a backlash is beginning. Sales of
gossip publications are starting to slow, and industry analysts predict that the
public will soon become fed up with celebrity news.
For many journalists, this change of heart cannot come quickly enough.
According to a representative from the National Union of Journalists, the
demand for gossip means that more significant issues, such as politics and the
environment, are being neglected. Its time we got back to writing about the
real world. Its much more interesting!

1. Are the following statements True or False? Justify your answers with the
precise words from the text.
- Some reporters believe that there arent enough serious articles in the news.

- The job of gliteratti unawares is to achieve the best gossip article.

2. Answer the questions according to the information given in the text, use
your own words.
- Why do some famous people complain about celebrity gossip?

- What do publishing experts think will happen to celebrity gossip in the

future?

3. Find the following synonyms in the text:

- Increment
- Rose
- Oppose
- Annoyed

4. Rephasing:
- Lets take some photographs now!
He suggested .
- Although Emma was having problems, she kept on working.
Despite
- The doctors think that these celebrities wont survive.
These
- Tina couldnt come to the party, it was horrible.
I wish

5. Writing: The dangers of becoming a celebrity.