Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp is considered one of the U.S.'s top film stars, with some of his major films being Nightmare on Elm Street, Edward Scissorhands, Platoon, and The Pirates of the Caribbean series. He is one of the highest paid actors, but lately has been spending his money on lawsuits against the people he worked with, and his ex-wife.

He was born in 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, but moved a lot in his childhood, finally ending up in Florida. At one point he dropped out of high school, in Florida, to form a rock band, and when he tried to get back into the school, the principal told him to stick to his dream. He has kept his musical activity up throughout his career, though he's much more famous for his acting. He has struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life, and a British judge recently said that he believed Depp's ex-wife, Amber Heard, that Depp had abused her several times. He has been involved in a number of brawls involving alcohol and drugs over the years, but his fan base is very loyal.


___ 1. What is Johnny Depp's primary occupation?
a. musician
b. actor
c. lawyer
d. drug producer

___ 2. Why did he drop out of high school?
a. they kicked him out of high school
b. because he was sleeping in class
c. because he wanted to play music
d. because of drugs and alcohol

___ 3. When he sued his wife, where did they hear the case?
a. England
b. Florida
c. Hollywood
d. Kentucky

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt, often referred to as FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States, and led it during World War II. He was born in Hyde Park, New York in 1882, and actually became President during the Great Depression. He was at first famous because the Depression had lasted a long time, and his program, the New Deal, helped put Americans to work and ensure that they didn't starve.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 ensured that the U.S. would enter World War II, and Roosevelt led the country through that time too. He was actually elected for four terms; this is no longer possible. An extemely popular President, his radio messages rallied Americans to win a difficult war, one that many had not wanted to enter to begin with.

It was widely suspected that he had at least one affair, though he had a long career in the public spotlight, and people seemed to keep voting for him anyway. Also, he contracted a paralyzing illness and spent most of his presidency in a wheelchair, but this also didn't diminish his popularity. He was widely seen as a champion of the poor and the common man, who he had kept from starving during the Great Depression.


___ 1. According to the passage, what is FDR most famous for?
a. having an illness
b. having at least one affair
c. leading the country through the Depression and World War II
d. being born in New York State

___ 2. What did he do on his radio programs?
a. find jobs for Americans
b. encourage the war effort
c. campaign for another term of office
d. make people not want to go to war

___ 3. What was the Great Depression?
a. a time of war
b. a time of no work and no money
c. a time when soldiers came back from the war
d. a time when many people were sick

Charles Lindbergh

Charles Lindbergh became famous for flying the first solo airplane across the Atlantic Ocean, from the USA to France, in 1927. It was considered an important development for aviation in general, and was a remarkable feat for him personally as well.

He was born in 1902 in Detroit, Michigan, but his parents were separated, so he spent his childhood in a number of places, including Little Falls, Minnesota, Washington D.C. (his father was a congressman), and California. He went to college at University of Wisconsin-Madison, but dropped out to go into flying in Nebraska in 1922. Though he knew he loved airplanes and flying from the beginning, it took him a while to get experience. He credited Air Force training as giving him the discipline to do what he did.

Unfortunately his fame came at a high price. His infant son was kidnapped and killed, and the trial of the kidnapper forced him to leave the country and live abroad. Because he was against the US entry into World War II, the president and other politicians turned against him and discredited him. His fame had been assured, though, by his remarkable flight.


____ 1. What was Lindbergh most famous for?
a. being against the war
b. growing up in many different places
c. flying alone across the ocean
d. dropping out of college

____ 2. Why is he considered important to the field of aviation?
a. he showed it was possible to fly across the ocean
b. he opposed the US entry into World War II
c. he trained for many years to do what he did
d. he showed that one could become famous by flying

____ 3. What were some reasons he grew up in many different places?
a. he became interested in flying at an early age
b. his parents were separated and his father was a politician
c. he needed to get experience flying
d. he dropped out of college

Andy Warhol

 Andy Warhol is known for his pop art, including one of the most recognized pieces of the 20th century, known as Marilyn and featuring Marilyn Monroe. He was born in 1928 in Pittsburgh, and raised there, but was most famous as a resident of New York City. His most famous works were silkscreen paintings, including Marilyn, \but he also did painting, photography, and film; he was a director and producer of experimental films.

As a prolific silkscreen producer he was a prolific artist, and today he's considered a bellwether of the art world. That is, because his art sells frequently and for high prices, it is a good determiner of which way the market will go. His studio was known as "the Factory" and is still a notable landmark of New York City. In 1968 he was shot by a woman who had been his fan, but he survived; he died in 1987 at age 58. He had had a gall bladder surgery which was riskier than usual, due to the gunshot wound, and died in his sleep shortly after.

___ 1. What is Marilyn?
a. his wife
b. a silkscreen painting
c. painting, photography, and film
d. a resident of New York City

___ 2. Where did he do his art?
a. in Pittsburgh
b. in "the Factory" in New York City
c. in a movie studio
d. on the street

___ 3. What is a "bellwether"? a. the most expensive art
b. the one whose price changes a lot
c. the one that tells you how the whole market is doing
d. the one that is most famous

George Clooney

George Clooney was born in 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky. His father was an anchorman and television host, so he grew up with awareness of acting and performance. In high school, his face was paralyzed for about nine months, and this was difficult for him, but he ended up appreciating the fact that it made him able to make fun of himself.

He has won three Golden Globe awards and two Academy Awards; he is one of the U.S.'s most famous actors, but he's also a producer, director and screenwriter. He has appeared in a number of well-known television shows and movies, including ER, The Perfect Storm, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and Catch-22, among many. In short, he has been very busy acting and producing for many years, and is a very prominent and visible presence in Hollywood. With his wife, Amal Almuddin, he owns houses in various parts of the world, including Britain, Italy, Mexico, and Los Angeles.

___ 1. What is one reason suggested that he could have become an actor?
a. he went to California on vacation
b. his face was paralyzed
c. he was familiar with acting through his family
d. he won two Golden Globe awards

___ 2. Why is he so busy?
a. because he owes a lot of money
b. because he makes and produces a lot of movies
c. because he travels constantly
d. becuase he makes three movies at once

___ 3. One thing he learned in high school was:
a. how to make his face paralyzed
b. how to make a joke about his own condition
c. how to be a perfect actor
d. how to play high school sports

Bela Fleck

Bela Fleck was born in 1958 in New York City. He was named after two classical music composers, but was attracted to the banjo as a child and became one of the best banjo players in history. When he graduated from high school, he moved to Boston and played there, but eventually moved to Nashville.

He is most famous for playing all kinds of music proficiently on the banjo. He also went to Africa, at one point, to play music with Africans and to explore the origins of the banjo, which is originally an African instrument. His band, the Flecktones, tours aggressively and constantly, and his concerts are considered masterpieces of banjo skill and quality. In 2007, he married Abigail Washburn, who is also a banjo player, and their son is often referred to as the Holy Banjo Emperor because of the assumption that he would receive banjo skills from both parents. Abigail Washburn had been famous in her own right, having brought the banjo to China.

___ 1. What can we say is Bela Fleck's occupation?
a. classical music composer
b. musician
c. mayor of New York City
d. historian

___ 2. What was one of the reasons he went to Africa?
a. to learn where the banjo came from
b. to tour with his band in the major cities
c. to change the nature of the banjo
d. to make his style more African in nature

___ 3. What is the Holy Banjo Emperor?
a. the world leader of all banjo players
b. a nickname given to Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn's son
c. a name you get when you are extremely good at the banjo
d. an indication that banjo is a religious instrument

John Lennon

John Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool, England. He is most famous for his songwriting in partnership with Paul McCartney. He wrote songs for the Beatles, and later songs that he played with his second wife, Yoko Ono. After he moved to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War led the US government to try to deport him. In 1975, he stopped producing music to be with his infant son, Sean, and people were angry with him, since he was a first-rate musician and songwriter. But he was shot and killed in 1980 by a Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, and those years before his murder were the only ones that he shared with that son.

His songs have lasted the test of time and are still very popular. Most Americans over the age of 60 also remember the years when the Beatles first arrived on American television, and the fascination with them and their music was almost universal in the US. The Beatles today remain one of the most universally recognized and admired bands worldwide.

___ 1. How old was John Lennon when he was killed? 
    a. about 40  
    b. about 30  
    c. about 35   
    d. about 53

___ 2. Why did the US government want to deport him?
    a. because he was unpopular
    b. because he was a first-rate musician
    c. because he publicly opposed the war
    d. because he was on television a lot

___ 3. Why were people angry with him in 1975?
    a. because they didn't like Yoko Ono
    b. because they wanted him to keep playing and writing songs
    c. because he was against the war
    d. because he shot and killed someone

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin is considered an important figure in the development of the film industry, as his character, "The Tramp," was there from the beginning. He was born in London in 1889. His father was absent, and his mother was committed to a mental institution when he was 14, so he grew up in poverty, struggling, and in work houses part of the time. He started acting early and came to the U.S. at the age of 19, where he was steadily employed and then became famous. He sought control over his own movies and became political, criticizing Hitler and then some American politicians, and eventually had to leave the U.S. for Switzerland. He was a perfectionist and tried to make everything perfect in his films, which sometimes took him years to make.


___ 1. Who is The Tramp?
a. a friend of Charlie Chaplin
b. the character that Charlie Chaplin played
c. an important figure in the development of the film industry
d. the inventor of modern film

___ 2. What characterizes his childhood? a. he was poor and his life was hard
b. he traveled a lot
c. he was committed
d. he worked on houses

___ 3. When did he first come to the U.S.?
a. 1900
b. 1908
c. 1889
d. 1919

___ 4. Which is true of his movies?
a. Some were political
b. He controlled them strongly
c. Some included "The Tramp"
d. All of the above

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini was a famous escape artist in the early 20th century, from about 1900 until the mid 1920's, and was the highest paid performer in what was known as vaudeville for many years. He was born Erik Weisz in Hungary, and his family, which included his father, Rabbi Weisz, moved to Appleton, Wisconsin and then New York City, changing their names to Weiss. He started out trying to be a magician, but around 1900 was convinced to focus on escape, and he toured Europe, challenging police departments to lock him up and see if he couldn't get out of any kind of handcuffs, locks, or binding. He was very successful in getting out of various enclosures, and never failed to impress audiences with his ability to escape anything. His wife Bess served as his assistant for most of his performances. He became a celebrity and eventually used his power to be a leader of the magic community and to debunk spiritualists who had falsely claimed some occult connection to the dead or the powers of the universe. He lived most of his life and died in New York City, where his gravesite is being restored.

___ 1. What do we know about Erik Weisz and Harry Houdini?
a. they are different names for the same person
b. Mr. Weisz is a magician but Mr. Houdini is an escape artist
c. Mr. Weisz is more successful than Mr. Houdini
d. Mr. Weisz died before Mr. Houdini became famous

___ 2. When he performed in Europe, what were the police supposed to do?
a. ignore him
b. try to imprison him
c. get him to leave town
d. collect the money for his performances

___ 3. What did his wife do during his performances?
a. she became a celebrity
b. she helped him
c. she collected the money
d. she impressed audiences

___ 4. Which was NOT a place where Houdini lived?
a. Hungary
b. Appleton, Wisconsin
c. Europe
d. New York City

Joe Biden

Joe Biden was born November 20, 1941 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Scranton was having hard economic times, and his family moved to Delaware in 1953. He was elected to the U.S. Senate from Delaware in 1972. At the time he was the sixth youngest senator ever elected to the Senate. But he had a long career in the Senate, until he became Vice President under Obama from 2009 to 2017. He married Jill Jacobs in 1977 and they are still married.

 

___ 1. Why did his family probably move to Delaware?
            a. better climate and weather

            b. for work opportunities

            c. there were family members already there

            d. easier to run for Senate

 

___ 2. How old was he when he was first elected to the Senate?

a.     19

b.     31

c.      53

d.     72

 

___ 3. Why do most people know his name?
            a. because he is from Scranton

            b. because he married Jill Jacobs

            c. because he was Vice President

            d. because he had a long career

 

___ 4. How long was he Vice President?

a.     37 years

b.     8 years

c.      45 years

d.     5 years

A new era

Dear Reader,
Bear with me. This site has gone over eleven years without a post. But I am reviving it for a reason.

The basic idea behind it was good. Wikipedia is a trove of biographies, of thousands or millions of people, all interesting and all famous to some degree ranging from zero to a hundred, say, with a hundred being the ones that everyone knows.

Now as esl/efl teachers we can look at our students, see who they care about, open up their biography, make a quick exercise, and start from the people they will want to read about. That was the original intention of this site. The teachers I taught in Peru all felt like they weren't qualified to make good exercises. But they are. You read it, you know English, you make clean questions, you get better at all this stuff through practice. If you can't do it, I can, and will make exercises for people who you choose to have your students read about.

What I've found is a world hungry for esl/efl exercises that are easy and accessible. This of course also exists in a range: 0 and one, anyone can do it, even with zero English. A hundred: a little more extensive reading, harder exercises. The world needs all kinds.

I am considering providing some, just because I can. Stay tuned. By the way, I love Wikipedia. I think it has opened up a new world for us. I respect the difficulty of what they do.

To the question, "How can you do this without simply copying Wikipedia?" I will answer this: Simply close the site while you write. Some sentences will be on the tip of your tongue, like "He was born in 1948." Well, there are only so many ways to say that, and just because somebody on Wikipedia said it before I did, doesn't mean they own it. But if I'm not reading and writing at the same time, I'm writing it myself. Then I'm checking the facts. It's public information. I don't feel like I'm stealing anything.

It's all for the purpose of getting people interested in reading; that's the way I look at it. My teachers in Peru were struggling with that. Why should our students read anything in English? "Because I can provide things that are interesting to you" is the only answer that is acceptable really. Don't rule by force or negative consequences; making them hate English will simply turn them away for years when they actually have their own choice. And it's only a language. You haven't bought a whole culture by simply using it.

You will watch a gradual transformation of this site. I hope you enjoy it.