??Have you ever fancied sailing around the world in your own yacht or buying a holiday home in the Caribbean? Well, before you get too excited, it may help to find out if you have what it takes to become a billionaire.

We’ve all heard stories of school drop-outswho have made their fortune, but are they the norm or an exception to the rule? Do they tend to be university graduates or self-made entrepreneurs? Are they married or single?

Thanks to a recent analysis of people in Forbes Top 100 Billionaires List, we can now find out what the world’smega rich have in common. We know which star sign is the most popularamongst multi-millionaires, what percentage wear glasses and even how many are bald!

If you are deciding whether or not to go to university, it may help you to know that 76% of the richest people in the world have a degree. According to this study, of those 76%, 47% have a bachelor’s degree, 23% have a master’s and 6% have a doctorate. Don’t lose hope if you aren’t very academic though. It’s worth noting that many of those on the list did notpass all their exams with flying colours.Microsoft founderBill Gates dropped out ofHarvard University after two years of study. And Chinese businessmagnateJack Ma, failed his university entrance exams three times before going on to complete his degree and make his millions.

Another interesting trend is that the world’s high-fliersare much more likely to be married – only 12% of billionaires are unmarried. You are also more likely to make itif you were born under the most popularstar sign, Aquarius, than if you are a Cancer – the least popularsign on the zodiac. Finally, the percentage of billionaires who are bald is quite high – so don’t worry if you’re losing your hair, you may get to sail that yacht around the Caribbean after all!

词汇表

a billionaire 亿万财主

a school drop-out 一个中途退学的人

make ones fortune 靠自个尽力发财致富

university graduate 大学结业生

self-made 靠自个尽力的，赤手发家的

entrepreneur 公司家

mega rich 巨富

pass your exams with flying colours 优良成果经过考试

founder 创始人

drop out of (school, university) 脱离，退出（学校，大学）

magnate 富豪

high-flier 志向极高的人，成功人士

to make it 功成名就

Part two 高频论题：

Describe a success you achieved

Describe a plan you want to have

Describe a goal you want to realize