Q: You start singing when you were very young, right?
A: The first solo I did was when I was 5—singing “Amazing Grace” in church—and I've been performing since then.

Q: Did you have any rough1 times along the way?
A: When  I was 12, I tried out for the Mickey Mouse Club, but didn't make the final cut2. I was devastated3. I was crushed.

Q: That must have been really tough.
A: Yeah, but  my   mom   and  dad kept encouraging  me  to pursue4 my dreams 'cause they  knew  I  had  the talent to do it. So I started taking voice lessons, acting classes, and dancing.

Q: Do you find it hard to be a role model5 for girls?
A: I love being a role model! I want them to have somebody positive to look up to.

Q: Are your friends back home cool with your success?
A: They don't act weird6 about my success at all. They're all so proud. We're super close and still hang out when I go back home to Dallas. And when I'm on the road, my cell phone7 calls are always to them!

Q: Okay, so tell us about the first time you heard your song on the radio!
A: I was in New York with my dad when I first heard “I Wanna Love You Forever” on the radio. We were in the car, and it came on. It was the coolest thing ever. I rolled down the windows and stuck my head out to see if other cars were listening to it, too. It's weird knowing that they're hearing your song.

Q: Okay, now for beauty secrets. Got any you wanna8 share?
A: I  always  wash  my  face  at  night no matter how tired I am. And I drink gallons of9 water every day.

Q: Speaking of that 98o cutie...was it love at first sight?
A: The  sparks  were  definitely  flying. He  made  the first move. His mom said, “If you let that girl go you're crazy.” So when Nick called to ask me out on a date he said, “Jessica, I'm taking my mom's advice.”

Q: Any embarrassing11 stories to share?
A: I'm always embarrassing myself. The other day I was on the beach and a seagull swooped down and pooped12 all over my legs. It was hilarious!13 I screamed. Everyone was laughing.

Q: So, if you weren't singing, you'd want to be...
A: A therapist14! I love listening and talking to people.

Q: What are your wishes and hopes for the future?
A: I hope to always be singing. And I'd like also to make movies someday. I have this dream of doing Bodyguard—Whitney Houston type of thing. Of course I hope that I'm married and have some children. I just want a normal life.

Q: What's    the   best   advice you've ever gotten?
A: My mom told me that if a person is beautiful on the inside, then it doesn't matter about anything else. She always says, “Pretty is as pretty does15.” I try to live by that: Be real, kind, and treat people like the way I want to be treated.
 

1． rough [r?蘧f] adj．艰难的
2． didn＇t make the final cut  最后没有被剪辑出来（说明试演不成功）
3． devastate [?謖dev?藜steit] v．泄气，跨掉
4． pursue [p?藜?蘼?謖sju?蘼] v．追求
5． role model （供人仿效的）角色模型；行为榜样
6． weird [wi?藜d] adj．怪异的
7． cell phone  无绳电话
8． wanna＝want to
9． gallon [?謖g?覸l?藜n] n．加仑  gallons of ＝plenty of
10．cutie [?謖kju?蘼ti] n．漂亮小伙，此处指980的Nick
11．embarrassing [im?謖b?覸r?藜si?耷] adj．令人尴尬的
12．swoop [swu?蘼p] v．猛扑;poop [pu?蘼p] v．冲击
13．hilarious [hi?謖le?藜ri?藜s] adj．滑稽的， 好笑的
14．therapist [?謖?夼er?藜pist] n．治疗专家
15．pretty is as pretty does 大意是：只有美丽的心灵才称得上美丽。