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A Japanese singer-turned-actress known across Asia as a sweet, girl-next-door star was convicted and sentenced yesterday for using illegal stimulants.

Noriko Sakai, 38, was given an 18-month jail term, suspended for three years, for the offence.

The celebrity, who shot to fame in the late 1980s as a pop singer and who later turned to acting, has been the subject of media scrutiny across Asia ever since she and her husband, Yuichi Takaso, were arrested in August for possessing and using drugs.

“I miss the days when she made her debut and became a cute sensation. Now that she’s in this kind of situation, I’m in shock,” said Yoshiyuki Fujimoto, a 42-year-old computer programmer, who queued up for a courtroom seat.

Sakai was earlier held in detention for almost 40 days after her arrest before finally being released on 5 million yen ($55,000) bail.

More than 3,000 people queued up to get one of the 21 places available in the courtroom to watch the sentencing. Many more jostled to get a glimpse of the actress as she entered and left the building.

Questions:

1. What was Noriko Sakai convicted and sentenced of?

2. What did Sakai do before she became an actress?

3. How many places were available in the courtroom to watch the sentencing?

Answers:

1. Using illegal stimulants.

2. She was a pop singer.

3. 21.

（英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.