As he walked out of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, he looked like a normal repairman. But what he carried was very unusual. Under his jacket, Vincenzo Perugia was carrying Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world. And he was stealing it!

It sounds difficult to believe, but it's a true story. On August 20, 1911, Perugia went into the museum and hid. He waited 15 hours until the next morning. On the day of the crime, the museum was closed for repairs. Perugia walked out into the museum wearing the same kind of clothes as the other repairmen. No one paid attention to him as he walked out the door.

    Police looked all over the world—Russia, Japan, and Brazil. They even interviewed Perugia, but they let him go! Police continued to look for the painting. Two years passed before Perugia brought Mona Lisa to a man in Florence, Italy, who dealt in art. Florence is the city where Leonardo da Vinci painted Mona Lisa. Unfortunately for Perugia, the art dealer called the police, who arrested(逮捕) him.

    Perugia said he wanted to return Mona Lisa to its "real" home. The police believed he wanted to sell copies of the painting and keep the original for himself. To this day, nobody really knows why he did it.

Does Fame Drive You Crazy

    Although being famous might sound like a dream comes true, today s stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature (签名)!

    According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly (不断地) about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. "Over time," Villarreal says, "they feel separated and alone."

    The phenomenon (现象) of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B. C, painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his works attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s ran articles about film—stars in much the same way that modern websites do.

    Being famous people today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever.

    If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

    Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

Give Directions in Different Places

If you ask people of different countries "Could you tell me the way to the post office?", you will get different answers.

In Japan, people use landmarks(路标) instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The post office is across from the bus stop.

In Kansas, America, there are no towns or buildings within miles. So instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. For example, people will say,"Go north two miles. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} "

People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions. They will often say, "Follow me." {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Sometimes if a person doesn't know the answer to your question, he or she,like a New Yorker,might say,"Sorry,I have no idea."But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know." {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. A visitor can often get lost in Yucatan!

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You might not understand a person's words, but maybe you can understand his or her body language. He or she will usually point to the right direction, Go on in that direction and you may find the post office!

 Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, and then the farmer said, "Let's do something to pass the time."

"What do you want to do?" the businessman asked.

"We can ask each other riddles(谜语)," the farmer said.

"OK. Let's make rules first," the businessman said. "If you don't know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $ 100. And if I don't know the answer, I' ll pay you$100."

"That's not fair(公平). You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer," the farmer said.

"That's true," the businessman said. "What do you want us to do?"

"If you don't know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $ 100. And if I don't know the answer, I' ll pay you $50," the farmer said. The businessman thought about this, and then he said, "OK. That's fair. Who will go first?"

"I will," the farmer said. "Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?"

 The businessman thought for a long time and said, "Mm, that's a good one. I'm afraid I don't know the answer." He gave the farmer $ 100, and then he said, "Tell me the answer."

"I don't know," the farmer said. Then he gave the businessman $50.