In the fall of 2009, as the theater reporter for The Times, I called Angela Lansbury to confirm a sensitive piece of information. I was writing a story revealing the kinds of special assistance that some actors used to remember their lines.
I had heard that Ms. Lansbury, who was then 84, had used an earpiece earlier that year while playing on Broadway. I remember being nervous as I dialed her number. Nervous about whether I could persuade her to open up to me. Most nervous about interviewing a star who meant something to me and my father. However, Angela Lansbury, filling me with great admiration, was game to talk, quick with a laugh, frank and honest. I’d assumed that aging and memory were vulnerabilities (弱点); she saw them as facts and addressed them confidently.
Of using an earpiece on Broadway, she told me: “If we’re going to play important roles at our age, we’re going to ask for some support if we need it.”
Ms. Lansbury brought a combination of dignity and frankness to her life and work. She may have lacked the classic good looks and voice of her era, as she openly acknowledged, but being who she was, she found stardom and a large number of fans through raw talent and risk-taking.
By the time I interviewed Ms. Lansbury, my father was in his 70s and showing signs of dementia (痴呆). I was overly sensitive to the facts of aging and tended to see it as a vulnerability better kept private, as my father did. After interviewing her, I mentioned her earpiece story to my father as I persuaded him to wear the hearing aids that he had refused several times. When it came to persuading him to accept a caregiver — a measure of special assistance, no doubt— star-powered inspiration did also help me win the argument, which gave me an even deeper appreciation for Ms. Lansbury.
【小题1】Why did the author call Ms. Lansbury?| A．To interview her for an article. |
| B．To invite her to perform on Broadway. |
| C．To learn from her how to remember lines. |
| D．To inform her of new kinds of special assistance. |
| A．She was rather nervous. |
| B．She talked freely and openly. |
| C．She took her vulnerabilities seriously. |
| D．She had a good memory despite her age. |
| A．Her unique voice. |
| B．Her classic good looks. |
| C．Her attractive personality. |
| D．Her abilities to balance life and work. |
| A．To prove Ms. Lansbury’s opinion on aging. |
| B．To show Ms. Lansbury’s impact on him and his father. |
| C．To explain the relationship between him and his father. |
| D．To call on more people to show respect for Ms. Lansbury. |
