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Reading Comprehension: Where Have All The Heroes Gone?

The document discusses the difference between traditional heroes and modern celebrities. A hero is defined as someone who makes noble sacrifices for others or in support of an ideal, while celebrities today gain fame without sacrifice and for reasons other than talent, such as reality television shows or family relations. The text suggests that people admire celebrities because traditional heroes no longer exist and celebrities provide an alternative to admire, even if they have not made significant contributions to society.

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Stevens Iyanda Tomisin-Olu
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368 views2 pages

Reading Comprehension: Where Have All The Heroes Gone?

The document discusses the difference between traditional heroes and modern celebrities. A hero is defined as someone who makes noble sacrifices for others or in support of an ideal, while celebrities today gain fame without sacrifice and for reasons other than talent, such as reality television shows or family relations. The text suggests that people admire celebrities because traditional heroes no longer exist and celebrities provide an alternative to admire, even if they have not made significant contributions to society.

Uploaded by

Stevens Iyanda Tomisin-Olu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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 Funke Akindele, Bob Risky or Wiz Kid 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.

MKO Abiola is a Nigerian hero because of his contribution


to the growth of democracy in Nigeria. But what have
Odunlade Adekola or Bob Risky done for humanity? for
Nigeria?

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 Mrs Patience Jonathan or Senator
Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello are famous because they are related
to famous people. What about celebrities like Lekan
Agbelesebioba who was given 5 million naira and a house
for winning the BB Naija reality TV show? What
contribution to society has he made to deserve the
attention and adulation he receives? 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?

1
2. Are the following statements true or false? Write evidence from the text.

a. Funke Akindele is considered to be a hero (heroine).

b. Lekan Agbelesebioba and Iyabo Obasanjo Bello 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

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