Topic 22 儿时偶像 

1. What kinds of famous people do children like?
I suppose that children are interested in famous people who act and sing. Those talents are easy to see and admire. For example, my cousin loves Taylor Swift. She’s young but she likes that kind of music. So she really admires Taylor Swift. Other than191 actors and singers, I think famous magicians impact children. Their performances are always appealing to children.

2. What are the changes to children’s lives compared with before? Are they positive or negative?
I suppose that children’s lives are better than they used to be. The past was more difficult for basically everyone. People didn’t have the same luxuries as they do nowadays. My parents said that children didn’t have any toys when they were young. They had to help parents do a lot of chores. They even had to wash clothes and make meals. Nowadays, kids have tons of entertainment available192. So I think it’s mostly a positive change193 from the past.

3. Should celebrities be role models to children?
Yeah, celebrities should set a good example for kids. Celebrities are very famous, so they have a huge influence on people. It doesn’t matter what their age is194. But children are very impressionable195.They tend to copy people they admire. So celebrities should act responsibly196. They should be good role models. I wouldn’t want my child to admire someone who acted badly.

4. What are the responsibilities of celebrities to society? Why?
It’s weird, but I do think197 celebrities have responsibilities to society. For one, just like everyone else,they should be good citizens. They should help contribute positively to the community198 . But celebrities also have a big influence on the public. They should use their fame to199 support important social movements. They can also bring awareness to public issues200. It’s a way of using their status to help society.

5. Is it a good thing to be famous as a child?
I don’t think it’s good to be famous as a child. Growing up is hard already. It would be more stressful if you were famous. You know, children might have more anxiety201. Since they get so much attention,they may feel stressed. Fame could add too much pressure to their daily lives202. Plus, when children are famous, they can become very spoiled because they feel they are always the center of attention and they can get everything they want. That would be harmful for their development in the long run203.

6. Do you think advertisements aimed at children should be endorsed by famous people?
Well… actually I don’t think there should be any advertisements aimed at children. Advertisers shouldn’t target kids. They’re too young and impressionable. They shouldn’t be thinking about that kind of stuff. So celebrities shouldn’t endorse those advertisements. When companies use popular actors or singers to sponsor their products204, they take advantage of205 kids easily. They might even scam them into wasting money on products206.

191 Other than：除了…
192 tons of entertainment available：有很多可以玩的娱乐项目
193 mostly a positive change：和过去相比绝大部分情况下是积极的变化
194 It doesn’t matter what their age is：不管他们年龄多大，无关年龄
195 impressionable：易受影响的
196 act responsibly: 行为要谨慎
197 It’s weird, but I do think：这么说可能有点奇怪，但是我觉得…
198 contribute positively to the community：积极为社会做贡献
199 should use their fame to：利用自己的名气做…
200 bring awareness to public issues：让公众对一些社会问题引起注意
201 have more anxiety: 很焦虑
202 add too much pressure to their daily lives：日常生活增添了很多压力
203 in the long run：长期来看
204 sponsor their products：（不应该使用明星）代言商品
205 take advantage of：利用
206 scam them into wasting money on products：欺骗孩子浪费钱买东西