The broadcaster Sir David Attenborough has won the title of "Top British Icon" by the audience of The Culture Show, a British TV programme which bills itself as "a fast-paced weekly arts programme".

But how exactly do you decide who's an icon and who's not? The show gave its audience some guidance to help them vote for their favourite artists.

The icons must be alive, have been born in or be living in the United Kingdom and they have to have made an impact on British cultural life. Other questions the audience were asked to consider before nominating an artist were: If the person died tomorrow, would their death make front-page news? Will their name be recognised by young and old alike? And will we still be talking about them in ten years' time?

Sir David Attenborough certainly ticks all those boxes. He was born in London 1926, has been commentating on TV and radio for more than 50 years and his nature and wildlife programmes have reached massive worldwide audiences. It's been estimated that 500 million people around the globe watched his series Life On Earth.

With his signature hushed tones he has described almost every corner of the earth and ocean. With mounting excitement, yet still whispering, he has helped explore and explain the world, its plants and animals to armchair naturalists.

Long before environmental issues were big news, he was a passionate eco-campaigner, both on and off screen.

He said "I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored."

So, for this famous explorer, things really have turned around. Many years ago he was discouraged from being on TV because his BBC boss thought his teeth were too big. Yet he's just won the title of Living Icon - the greatest cultural artist in Britain today.

• audience [´ɔ:diəns]   n.听众；观众；接见   (初中英语单词)
• culture [´kʌltʃə]   n.修养；文化；饲养   (初中英语单词)
• weekly [´wi:kli]   a.&ad.每周一次(的)   (初中英语单词)
• cultural [´kʌltʃərəl]   a.文化(上)的；教养的   (初中英语单词)
• series [´siəri:z]   n.连续；系列；丛书   (初中英语单词)
• excitement [ik´saitmənt]   n.兴奋；骚动；煽动   (初中英语单词)
• screen [skri:n]   n.银幕 vt.遮蔽   (初中英语单词)
• massive [´mæsiv]   a.厚实的；魁伟的   (高中英语单词)
• signature [´signətʃə]   n.签名；盖章   (高中英语单词)
• explore [ik´splɔ:]   v.勘探；探索；探查   (高中英语单词)
• passionate [´pæʃənit]   a.易动情的；易怒的   (高中英语单词)
• explorer [ik´splɔ:rə]   n.勘探者；探险家   (高中英语单词)
• guidance [´gaidəns]   n.向导，指导，领导   (英语四级单词)
• armchair [´ɑ:mtʃeə]   n.扶手椅   (英语四级单词)
• impact [´impækt]   n.影响，作用；冲击   (英语六级单词)