Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was President of the United States from 1981 to 1989, so his term dominated the eighties. He was born in 1911 in Illinois, but after being a radio announcer in Iowa for a while, he moved to California in 1937. He was an actor, and starred in a few movies, but was best known for being president of the Screen Actors' Guild, a kind of union for actors. He became Governor of California in 1966.

His politics were conservative, and people generally approved of "Reaganomics," which was a name for his economic policies, which are often called "supply-side." He fought public sector unions, and made strong speeches against Gorbachev and the Soviet Union. In spite of wanting to be known as "pro-family," he had a rocky family life, with difficult relations among his children and first and second wives, though this was very rarely made public. He died in 2004.


___ 1. What was one job he did not do?
a. radio announcer
b. actor
c. economist
d. politician

___ 2. Which is the image that most people probably have of him?
a. popular conservative President in the 80's
b. one of the best actors ever
c. famous for speaking against Soviet Union
d. having public feuds among his family

___ 3. What are "Reaganomics?" a. his foreign policy
b. supply-side economic policies
c. public sector unions
d. conservative voters

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