In this TV programme you are going to hear the following words. Read and listen to them. Make sure you know what they mean.

Kindness: amabilitat
Achieve: aconseguir
Down to earth: amb els peus a terra, realista

Ready?
Now read the questions below. Read them carefully before listening to this interview.

INTERVIEWER: Welcome to Stairway to the Sky. One of our most popular television programs
these days is “Mission: Success”, a talent-search contest similar to “American Idol” in the US or to the British show “Pop Idol”. Young people perform on television every week trying to get the votes they need to stay in the music Academy. Only three of them will be the winners and represent our country in the next Eurovision contest.

Our guest tonight is Jimmy Stevens, one of the six semifinalists. He is very talented. He has thousands of young supporters, and many people think he could win.

INT.: Good evening, Jimmy. Thanks for visiting us tonight. We know how difficult it is for you to leave the Academy.
JIMMY: Yes. Producers are not very willing to allow contenders out of the Academy, but I’m delighted to be here.

[Now listen to the rest of the interview]

(....)          (....)

QUESTIONS

Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct. Look at number 0 as an example.
[0,25 points each correct answer]

0. Giving interviews to the media is very difficult for participants because…
q  The Academy is too far from the main Television production centres.
 Producers don’t want to let them leave the Academy too often.
q  Their families don’t want them to have interviews.

1. 1. Jimmy Stevens decided to take part in the contest because...
q  he had always wanted to work as a pop singer.
q  he didn’t have a job and he needed the money.
q  he had a lot of free time after finishing university.

2. How did his parents feel about the whole idea?
q  His father wasn’t happy at first, but later Jimmy’s mother convinced him.
q  Both believed he wouldn’t be able to see Jimmy until two weeks before the end of the
contest.
q  His father convinced his mother that she could only see him after two weeks.

3. What was it like when the selected contestants moved into the Academy?
q  They felt friendly and comfortable since the beginning.
q  They didn’t feel comfortable because not everybody was friendly.
q  They were friendly but they didn’t know each other very well.

4. When they know the name of the next person selected to leave…
q  They feel relieved because they are staying.
q  They feel sad because they can be the next one to leave.
q  They feel sad about their friends.

5. Contestants see one another as…
q  people who are fighting against each other fiercely.
q  people who have the same goal.
q  potential competitors.

6. Does Jimmy agree with the idea that participants are like runners competing in a single
race?
q  No, they run different races because their interests are different.
q  No, he thinks they help each other to win the contest.
q  No, they run together, but the finish line is to become a pop singer, not only to win the
contest.

7. Jimmy sees popularity as…
q  something difficult to understand at first, but he has got used to it in the end.
q  something necessary for promotion and success.
q  a constant surprise when people come to you and ask for an autograph.

8. Does Jimmy think he has a chance to win?
q  No, he thinks he will be the next contestant to leave.
q  Yes, but he wouldn’t like to lose at all.
q  Yes, he has the feeling he can get to the end of it.