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IELTS Reading B2 • 18 Minutes ★ Academic Reading & Skimming Focus

Three Moments in the History of Fame

Master skimming for gist, scanning for specific factual details, and separating historical facts from an author's hedged point of view.

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How to use this lesson

Teacher Guidance

Use this 18-minute session to practice skimming for gist and scanning for detail. Check student answers against the provided key to discuss inference.

Learner Guidance

Read the passage first to understand the main points. Then, attempt the questions without looking back until necessary.

Reading Passage

Passage Length: ~230 words

A close-up of the Hollywood Walk of Fame stars on a sidewalk, iconic A black and white photo of a 1960s television studio with vintage cameras and stage lighting

On February 8, 1960, official work began on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along the public sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The initiative aimed to maintain the community's glory by honoring artists across the entertainment industry. By the spring of 1961, more than 1,500 permanent brass and terrazzo stars had been installed into the concrete pavements.

A defining breakthrough in broadcast media occurred on Sunday, February 9, 1964, when the British music quartet The Beatles made their live debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. The audience research firm Nielsen estimated that roughly 73 million viewers tuned in, which accounted for almost 40% of the entire United States population at that time.

Commercial partnerships transformed celebrity branding in 1984 when athletic corporation Nike signed a five-year sponsorship contract with rookie basketball player Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls. Crucially, the agreement included a specific clause permitting Nike to cancel the deal prematurely if retail footwear sales remained inadequate. The first signature Air Jordan sneakers were subsequently released to the general public in 1985.

Looking at these developments, it seems that modern fame is not purely organic; it can be strategically manufactured through commercial enterprise and the media. Furthermore, I think ordinary fans develop intense emotional reactions primarily because continuous media exposure creates a powerful illusion of personal familiarity. Ultimately, however, existing data does not definitively prove whether fame delivers more personal benefit or harm to the celebrities themselves.

Practice Exercises (Questions 1–10)

Answer the questions below strictly based on the text provided above.

Questions 1–3: Yes / No / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the claims or facts in the text? Choose Yes if the statement agrees, No if it contradicts, or Not Given if there is no information on this.

1. More than 1,500 stars had been put into the pavement of the Walk of Fame by the spring of 1961.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

2. Nike's 1984 agreement with Michael Jordan guaranteed financial support for five full years regardless of shoe sales.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

3. The majority of Americans who watched The Beatles on television in 1964 were teenagers.

____ Yes ____ No ____ Not Given

Questions 4–5: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

4. What fact is highlighted about The Beatles' 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show?

____ A. It attracted an audience comprising nearly four-tenths of the American populace. ____ B. It was viewed solely by dedicated British rock and pop followers. ____ C. It set a television broadcast record that remained unchallenged for decades. ____ D. It represented the inaugural use of modern commercial audience measurement.

5. In Paragraph D, what hedged view does the writer express regarding celebrity fame?

____ A. It invariably damages private relationships as a result of intense public scrutiny. ____ B. The commercial profits derived from branding outweigh any mental stress. ____ C. Available evidence is insufficient to prove whether it brings greater overall advantage or disadvantage. ____ D. Fans develop deep attachments purely based on genuine artistic merit.

Questions 6–7: Matching Information

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

6. A business stipulation allowing the termination of a legal contract before its scheduled end.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

7. A live television broadcast featuring an overseas musical act.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Questions 8–10: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from Paragraph D for each answer.

According to the author, modern fame is not solely a natural phenomenon; it can be strategically engineered through commercial enterprise and the [Question 8].

8. ____ (Write ONE word here)

Strong emotional bonds commonly emerge because ordinary [Question 9] perceive an artificial sense of closeness from continuous public exposure.

9. ____ (Write ONE word here)

Finally, research does not definitely confirm whether being famous yields greater personal benefit or [Question 10] for the stars themselves.

10. ____ (Write ONE word here)

Three Moments in the History of Fame

Three Moments in the History of Fame

How to use this lesson

Reading Passage

Practice Exercises (Questions 1–10)

Questions 1–3: Yes / No / Not Given

Questions 4–5: Multiple Choice

Questions 6–7: Matching Information

Questions 8–10: Summary Completion

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