Alfred: This party is such a great idea!
Gina: I agree. It's been three years since we last saw our primary school classmates.
Alfred: It's interesting to see how people have changed.
Gina: Billy has changed so much! He used to be so shy and quiet.
Alfred: Yeah, his face always turned red when he talked to girls!
Gina: I used to see him reading in the library every day.
Alfred: That's because he was a really good student. He studied hard and got good scores on his exams.
Gina: Did he use to wear glasses?
Alfred: Yes, and he used to be thin, too. But look how big and strong he is now!
Gina: He's so popular now. Look at all the girls around him!
For this month's Young World magazine, I interviewed 19-year-old Asian pop star Candy Wang. Candy told me that she used to be really shy and took up singing to deal with her shyness. As she got better, she dared to sing in front of her class, and then for the whole school. Now she's not shy anymore and loves singing in front of crowds.
interviewAsiandarebackgroundprivateguardrequiretake updeal within front of
used to be + adj.
She used to be really shy.（她以前真的很害羞。）used to be + 形容词表示过去状态。
I asked Candy how life was different after she became famous. She explained that there are many good things, like being able to travel and meet new people all the time. "I didn't use to be popular in school, but now I get tons of attention everywhere I go." However, too much attention can also be a bad thing. "I always have to worry about how I appear to others, and I have to be very careful about what I say or do. And I don't have much private time anymore. Hanging out with friends is almost impossible for me now because there are always guards around me."
I didn't use to be popular.（我以前不受欢迎。）used to的否定：didn't use to do。
What does Candy have to say to all those young people who want to become famous? "Well," she begins slowly, "you have to be prepared to give up your normal life. You can never imagine how difficult the road to success is. Many times I thought about giving up, but I fought on. You really require a lot of talent and hard work to succeed. Only a very small number of people make it to the top."
You can never imagine how difficult the road to success is.（你永远无法想象成功之路有多难。）how + 形容词 + 主谓。
要点摘要
第一段：Candy Wang从害羞女孩通过唱歌克服害羞，现在爱上舞台。
第二段：成名双重面——到处旅行见人但缺私人时间、言行需谨慎、无法和朋友出去玩。
第三段：忠告——放弃正常生活、成功路极难、需要天赋努力、极少数人能到顶峰。
Section B 2b (Reading)
He Studies Harder Than He Used to
他比过去学习更努力了
Li Wen is a normal 15-year-old boy from the countryside. He works very hard and does well in school. It is hard to believe that he used to have difficulties in school. When he was a little boy, he seldom caused any problems, and his family spent a lot of time together. However, things began to change a few years ago. His parents moved to the city to look for jobs, and his grandparents came to take care of him. But he missed his parents so much and he often felt lonely and unhappy.
Li Wen是一个来自农村的普通15岁男孩。他学习很努力，成绩不错。很难相信他以前在学校有困难。他小时候很少惹麻烦，家人经常在一起。然而，几年前事情开始变化。他的父母搬到城市找工作，爷爷奶奶来照顾他。但他非常想念父母，经常感到孤独和不快乐。
seldominfluenceabsentfailexaminationboardingexactlyproudtake care oflook for
Li Wen's unhappiness began to influence his schoolwork. He became less interested in studying. Sometimes he was absent from classes and failed his examinations. Finally, Li Wen's parents made the decision to send him to a boarding school. However, Li Wen was shy and was not able to make friends quickly in school. He found life there difficult. One day he told his teacher that he wanted to leave the school. His teacher was worried about him and she called his parents. She advised them to talk with their son in person. So his parents took a 24-hour train and a 5-hour bus ride to get to Li Wen's school.
Li Wen的不快乐开始影响他的学业。他对学习越来越不感兴趣。有时他旷课，考试不及格。最终，Li Wen的父母决定把他送到寄宿学校。然而Li Wen很害羞，在学校不能很快交到朋友。他觉得那里生活很难。有一天他告诉老师他想离开学校。老师很担心他，给他的父母打电话，建议他们亲自和儿子谈谈。于是他的父母坐了24小时火车加5小时汽车来到Li Wen的学校。
influenceabsentfailexaminationboardingexactlyin personmake a decision
less interested 比较级
He became less interested in studying.（他对学习越来越不感兴趣。）less + 形容词 = 不那么……。
"It was exactly what I needed," he said. "Now I understand that even though they are busy, they are always thinking of me. They take pride in everything good that I do." After that, Li Wen's parents had much more communication with their son than they used to. Now Li Wen has really changed. He became more outgoing and made some good friends in school. He has even joined the school basketball team and become active in many other activities. "I'm much happier now, and I work even harder than I used to. I know my parents love me and they're always proud of me," says Li Wen. "It's very important for parents to be there for their children."