As a contestant on The X Factor, 13-year-old Rachel Crow seemed to have exactly what it took to win: strong praise from judges, a beautiful voice, and a lovable personality. Then she was voted off.

When the results were read, Rachel broke down, sobbing and screaming for her mom, who had to rush onstage to comfort her.

It was a humiliating moment for Rachel, but a great moment for The X Factor — just the kind of drama TV audiences love.

Some fans said Rachel’s breakdown proved she was too young to be on the show. And though there was nothing exceptional about someone Rachel’s age being on reality TV — children and teens appear in everything from Dance Moms to The Biggest Loser — Rachel’s meltdown did raise an important question: Should kids be on reality TV at all? Many psychologists are saying “No”.

It’s well known that early fame can be harmful and that many former child stars struggle as adults. Being followed by photographers 24/7 and having everything they do reported in newspapers and blogs can be hard for young people to deal with. It can make them feel as though their worth depends on what others say. Reality TV takes the pressure of early fame to a whole new level. Kids on reality TV don’t play characters. They play themselves. Cameras expose their most private moments for our entertainment.

Laws exist that protect child actors, making sure they go to school and limiting the hours they can work. In many states, though, these laws do not apply to kids on reality TV, because they are not considered actors.

Dangers aside, there’s no doubt that reality shows do offer exciting opportunities and the potential to make money. A 7-year-old girl who attends a TV show earns about $36,000 per season. After competing on The X Factor, One Direction went on to become international stars. Even Rachel made out OK. She released an album and voices a character in the movie Rio 2. And she showed resilience (适应力). “I’m not feeling great, but I’ll be fine,” she told reporters after breakdown. “I’m Rachel still.”

1.The underlined word “humiliating” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “ _______”.

A. exciting B. precious

C. important D. embarrassing

2. We can learn from Paragraph 4 that some of Rachel’s fans thought that she _______.

A. was not good enough

B. deserved better results

C. should have been much stronger

D. shouldn’t have been on the show

3.Paragraph 5 is mainly about _______.

A. how kids should deal with pressure

B. why early fame can be harmful to kids

C. the importance of kids being themselves

D. what some former child stars have achieved

4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. Kids should look for more challenges.

B. Reality shows may change a kid forever.

C. Reality shows can benefit kids in some ways.

D. Kids can earn little money from reality shows.

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

It was a terribly cold Christmas Eve with heavy snow outside. I stayed in bed, feeling upset because there wasn’t enough money to buy me the that I’d wanted that year.

Mum came back with some snow in her hair. “Come on, Matt!” she said. “Dress ! It’s freezing cold out tonight.”

, I went out in the cold with Mum and climbed up the sled beside her. She pulled it around the house and then stopped in front of the woodshed(柴房). She went in and with an armload of wood.

“I rode by Jensen’s today,” said Mum, “Little Jakey was out digging around in the snow. They’re out of wood, Matt.”

Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband died 3 months ago, three children, Jakey being only 8 years old.

We loaded the sled high with . Then we went to the store and my mother took down some meat, a sack of flour and a smaller sack of shoes.

We rode the two miles to Jensen’s in . All the way I wondered why Mum bought them some shoes and candy as we didn’t have much money. Jensen had closer neighbors than us. It shouldn’t have been our .

We got to Jensen’s house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible. Then we took the meat, flour and shoes to the door.

We . Jensen opened the door and let us in. “We brought you a few things, Jensen,” Mum said, the sack of flour and the meat on the table. Then Mum handed her the sack of shoes. Jensen bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, tears welling out and down her cheeks.

“We also a load of wood, Jensen,” Mum added. She turned to me and said: “Matt, go and bring some in.”

I wasn’t the same person when I went back out to get the wood. Just then the scarf didn’t seem . The look on Jensen’s face and the smiles of her three children was the best Christmas gift of my life.

1.A. scarf B. overcoat C. shoes D. handbag

2.A. fashionably B. casually C. comfortably D. warmly

3.A. Unsteadily B. Unhurriedly C. Unwillingly D. Uncomplainingly

4.A. stepped away B. came out C. broke down D. fell over

5.A. adopting B. taking C. overlooking D. leaving

6.A. wood B. meat C. flour D. grass

7.A. surprise B. danger C. silence D. harmony

8.A. custom B. concern C. comment D. courage

9.A. signed B. chased C. knocked D. hesitated

10.A. taking away B. getting back C. giving out D. putting down

11.A. prepared B. bought C. borrowed D. required

12.A. expensive B. important C. ordinary D. available

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