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Unit1_passage_english_aAnartistwhoseeksfameislikeadogchasinghisowntailwho,whenhecapturesit,doesnotknowwhatelsetodobuttocontinuechasingit.Thecrueltyofsuccessisthatitoftenleadsthosewhoseeksuchsuccesstoparticipateintheirowndestruction.Don'tquityourdayjob!isadvicefrequentlygivenbyunderstandablypessimisticfamilymembersandfriendstoabuddingartistwhoistryinghardtosucceed.Theconquestoffameisdifficultatbest,andmanyendupemotionallyifnotfinanciallybankrupt/.Still,impuremotivessuchasthedesireforworshippingfansandpraisefrompeersmayspurtheartiston.Thelureofdrowninginfame'simperialgloryisnoteasilyresisted.Thosewhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofexploitingtheirtalentforsinging,dancing,painting,orwriting,etc.Theydevelopastylethatagentsmarketaggressivelytohastenpopularity,andtheirrideontheexpresselevatortothetopisablur/.Mostwouldbehard-pressedtotellyouhowtheyevengotthere.Artistscannotremainidle/,though.Whentheperformer,painterorwriterbecomesbored/,theirworkbeginstoshowalackofcontinuityinitsappealanditbecomesdifficulttosustaintheattentionofthepublic.Aftertheirenthusiasmhasdissolved,thepublicsimplymovesontothenextflavorofthemonth.Artistswhodoattempttoremaincurrentbymakingevenminutechangestotheirstyleofwriting,dancingorsinging,runasignificantriskoflosingtheaudience'sfavor.Thepublicsimplydiscountsstylesotherthanthoseforwhichtheartisthasbecomefamous.Famousauthors'styles—aTennesseeWilliamsplayoraplotbyErnestHemingwayorapoembyRobertFrostorT.S.Eliot—areeasilyrecognizable.ThesameistrueofpainterslikeMonet,Renoir,orDaliandmoviemakerslikeHitchcock,Fellini,Spielberg,ChenKaigeorZhangYimou.Theirdistinctstylesmarkedasignificantchangeinformfromothersandgainedthemfameandfortune.However,theypaidforitbygivingupthefreedomtoexpressthemselveswithotherstylesorforms.Fame'sspotlightcanbehotterthanatropicaljungle/—afraudisquicklyexposed,andthepressureofsomuchattentionistoomuchformosttoendure.Ittakesyououtofyourself:Youmustbewhatthepublicthinksyouare,notwhatyoureallyareorcouldbe.Theperformer,likethepolitician,mustoftenpleasehisorheraudiencesbysayingthingsheorshedoesnotmeanorfullybelieve.Onedropoffamewilllikelycontaminatetheentirewellofaman'ssoul,andsoanartistwhoremainstruetohimselforherselfisparticularlyamazing.Youwouldbehard-pressedtounderlinemanynamesofthosewhohavenotcompromisedandstillsucceededinthefamegame.Anexample,thefamousIrishwriterOscarWilde,knownforhisuncompromisingbehavior,bothsocialandsexual,towhichthepublicobjected/,paidheavilyforremainingtruetohimself.ThemotherofayoungmanOscarwasintimatewithaccusedhimatabanquetinfrontofhisfriendsandfansofsexuallyinfluencingherson.Extremelyangeredbyherremarks,hesuedtheyoungman'smother,assertingthatshehaddamagedhisgoodname.Heshouldhavehiredabetterattorney/,though.ThejudgedidnotsecondWilde'scalltohavethewomanpayfordamaginghisname,andinsteadfinedWilde.Heendedupinjailafterrefusingtopay,andevenworse,waspermanentlyexpelledfromthewidercircleofpublicfavor.Whenthingswereattheirworst,hefoundthatnoonewaswillingtoriskhisorhernameinhisdefense.Hispriceforremainingtruetohimselfwastobeleftalonewhenheneededhisfansthemost.Curiouslyenough,itisthosewhofailthatreapthegreatestreward:freedom!Theyenjoythefreedomtoexpressthemselvesinuniqueandoriginalwayswithoutfearoflosingthesupportoffans.Failedartistsmayfindcomfortinknowingthatmanygreatartistsneverfoundfameuntilwellaftertheyhadpassedawayorinknowingthattheydidnotsellout.Theymayjustifytheirfailurebyconvincingthemselvestheirgeniusistoosophisticatedforcontemporaryaudiences.Single-mindedartistswhocontinuetheirquestforfameevenafterfailuremightalsoliketoknowthatfailurehasmotivatedsomefamouspeopletoworkevenhardertosucceed.ThomasWolfe,theAmericannovelist/,hadhisfirstnovelLookHomeward,Angelrejectedtimesbeforeitwasfinallypublished.Beethovenovercamehisfather,whodidnotbelievethathehadanypotentialasamusician,tobecomethegreatestmusicianintheworld.AndPestalozzi,thefamousSwisseducatorinthethcentury,failedateveryjobheeverhaduntilhecameupontheideaofteachingchildrenanddevelopingthefundamentaltheoriestoproduceanewformofeducation.ThomasEdisonwasthrownoutofschoolinthefourthgrade,becauseheseemedtohisteachertobequitedull.Unfortunatelyformostpeople,however,failureistheendoftheirstruggle,notthebeginning.Isaytothosewhodesperatelyseekfameandfortune:goodluck.Butalas/,youmayfindthatitwasnotwhatyouwanted.Thedogwhocatcheshistaildiscoversthatitisonlyatail.Thepersonwhoachievessuccessoftendiscoversthatitdoesmoreharmthangood.Soinsteadoftryingsohardtoachievesuccess,trytobehappywithwhoyouareandwhatyoudo.Trytodoworkthatyoucanbeproudof.Maybeyouwon'tbefamousinyourownlifetime,butyoumaycreatebetterart.Unit_passage_english_bOnesummerdaymyfathersentmetobuysomewireandfencingtoputaroundourbarntopenupthebull/.At,Ilikednothingbetterthangettingbehindthewheelofourtruckanddrivingintotownontheoldmillroad.Waterfromthemill'swheelsprayedinthesunshinemakingarainbowoverthecanalandIoftenstoppedthereonmywaytobatheandcooloffforaspell—naturalairconditioning/.Thesunwassohot,IdidnotneedatowelasIwasdrybythetimeIclimbedthe