How Did She Conquer the Americans? ) q. d, p; w1 B5 s, v, E- L
African-American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful celebrity, according to Forbes magazine. (1)' [/ z6 e. M! q8 B$ ^- O/ E. y9 K# e
Winfrey, 51, draws 30 million viewers weekly in the United States. Her talk show reaches 112 countries. She earned US$225 million over the past 12 months to rank second in celebrity riches.
' p3 P1 j- [- v7 d5 r* X0 G The annual Forbes list gives most weight to annual earnings. (2)* L6 Z) ~1 ?; U5 {
"After 21 years, her exciting chat show still rules the airwaves. It created new celebrities and hundreds of millions of dollars in profits," the magazine said.+ K' R2 i9 {. C# N
Winfrey is most popular with her popular talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show". She can always attract the superstars and let them open up to her intimate interviewing style., e. w$ N% q- N4 @+ W0 l9 ]
Last month, American actor Tom Cruise, 42, surprised fans when he celebrated his new romance with 26-year-old actress Katie Holmes. He jumped up and down, shouting "I'm in love." Only a few years ago, Cruise and his ex-wife Nicole Kidman appeared separately on the same show telling the news of their divorce. (3)5 Q C9 O5 a% t6 V1 k+ H. e
Winfrey's approach appears to be simple. She is in pursuit of self-improvement and self-empowerment (自强). This has proved to be just what people, especially women, want.% c# C0 A4 y: @6 @
Winfrey often talks about her personal secrets on her show. That pulls in viewers. For example, she revealed that she had been sexually abused as a child, and has spoken freely of her struggle with her weight.
9 @4 t0 A, t& G& a Winfrey was born to a poor family in Mississippi in 1954. (4) At the age of 19, she became the youngest person and the first African-American woman to anchor (主持) a news programme.) a$ z2 _7 e. z
Her success has not just been on the screen. Her media group includes a women's TV network and websites for women.
6 R1 a! v. }; e" D Winfrey's work has extended to social change. (5): i% w" X- ?. M8 E- s2 j# U6 D
She testified before the US Senate to establish a national database of dangerous child abusers. President Bill Clinton later signed "Oprah Bill" into law.* h* R f8 Z$ D' y% f. T
A But it also looks at the celebrity's presence on the Internet and in the media.
7 ~& S6 r! R) S B In 1991, she did a lot of work for the National Child Protection Act.
' i7 c1 O% \/ A5 b. \5 h% o6 r C She was not a very successful woman.
^8 g) h! a) R4 p2 G: [! k" i: ~2 N D She began broadcasting while still at high school.
9 z9 v8 l- q2 s* n E It placed Winfrey at the top of its annual ranking of the 100 people last week.- K# X+ E* B+ t5 ?, Q9 W3 Z* f
F The couple had been tight-lipped about their break-up.% r0 Q7 \. B- t3 Q3 Y
【参考答案】1. E 2. A 3. F 4. D 5. B |