彭蒙惠英语 Barbara Walters： on the record 2

Has Walters helped blur the lines between journalism and entertainment？ She doesn't answer directly， but says that when she began doing interview shows for ABC， she would interview politicians and celebrities， "and the ratings went down whenever a politician came on，" the book deals with the unapologetic sexism Walters faced earlier in her career， "We've come a long ways， but questions persist： How tough？ Serious？ How feminine？

　　As for provoking tears， Walters says she asked about her subjects' childhoods "because that's revealing， and they'd remember a parent or someone who'd died. She says that for [a TV] special about herself， [the host] asked her what he could ask about that would make her cry. Her answer： her mentally disabled sister， Jacqueline， who died in 1985.

　　"In a good place"

　　In what's titled "The Hardest Chapter to Write，" Walters' book deals with the turbulent adolescence of her daughter， Jacqueline， who was involved with drugs， gangs and ran away from home. "That was such a terrible time，" Walters says， "but we make it." Her daughter， now in her 30sm runs an outdoor therapy program for girls in Maine.

　　She says The View， the morning TV gabfest she started in 1999， has survived dust-ups with two of the sow's hosts， one of whom complained that Walters was too old to stay on the show.

　　She has on plans to retire： "When the time comes， I'll know. I hope people will say， 'I wish you [had] stayed longer.' Others will say 'Enough already. Go！] but for now， I'm in a good place in my life. I've stopped auditioning. I don't need to climb any more mountains."

　　Word

　　Ratings （pl n） a list of television programs showing how popular they are

　　Sexism （n） actions based on a belied that particular jobs and activities are suitable only for women and others are suitable only for men.

　　Provoke （v） to cause a reaction， especially a negative one

　　Gabfest （n） a gathering at which there is a great deal of conversation or informal discussion.