English 2

Readings Homework unit 2

Readings
Famous Presidents of the US
1.

Abraham Lincoln was born Feb 12, 1809, in

Hardin Country, Kentucky. His family upbringing
was modest; his parents from Virginia were
neither wealthy nor well known. At an early age,
the young Lincoln Abraham lost his mother and
his father moved away to Indiana. Abraham had
to work hard splitting logs and other manual
labor. But, he also had a thirst for knowledge and worked very hard
to excel in his studies. This led him to become trained as a lawyer.
He spent eight years working on the Illinois court circuit; his
ambition, drive and capacity for hard work were evident to all
around him. He also had a good sense of humor and was
depreciating about his looks.
If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? He married Mary

Todd and had four children, although three died before reaching
maturity.

2. John F Kennedy was Americas second youngest elected

president. He oversaw one of the most crucial moments in the Cold
War (Cuban Missile Crisis) and sought to affirm Americas beliefs in
basic human rights by calling for civil rights legislation and an attack
on poverty and degradation. Assassinated in November 22, 1963,
his tragic death shocked America and the world. He was born in

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Readings Homework unit 2

May 1917, John F. Kennedy came from an illustrious political family;

his father Joseph Kennedy was a leading member of the Democrat
party and Joseph encouraged John F. Kennedy in his political
ambitions after the war. John graduated from Harvard after
completing a thesis on Appeasement in Munich His thesis was
later converted into a successful book Why England Slept.

3.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 April

12, 1945), often referred to by his initials
FDR, was the thirty-second President of
the United States. He served through
the Great Depression and the Second
World War.
The only thing we have to fear is
fear itself.
FDR was elected during the height of
the Great Depression in 1932 and
remained President until his death in

1945. During his period of presidency he oversaw an expansion of the

Federal Government and helped America lose its isolationist stance as
it joined World War Two and helped formulate the United Nations. He
was an influential figure in both American and world politics. Roosevelt
came from a privileged background, but was influenced by his

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Readings Homework unit 2

headmaster at Groton School in Massachusetts who inculcated the

importance of Christian duty in helping less fortunate people.

4.

Lyndon Johnson was the 36th President

of the US from 1963 to 1969. It was one of
the most turbulent and influential periods in
American politics. Lyndon Johnson helped
to implement great society reforms
extending welfare support and civil rights
legislation. He also presided over an
escalation of American involvement in
Vietnam which proved increasingly controversial.

Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in central Texas. Growing up in

the Great Depression, he gained a firsthand perspective on poverty

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Readings Homework unit 2

and the great society reforms he later implemented were an attempt to

make this kind of poverty a thing of the past.
He successfully won election to the House of Representatives in 1937,
aged only 29. During the Second World War he served in the navy,
winning the Silver Star for service in the Pacific. In 1948, he was
elected to the Senate and become the youngest minority house leader
in 1953. He worked closely with Dwight D Eisenhower and helped to
get some of his policies through the Senate.

BEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS.

1. Did you know that Rod Stewart worked as a grave
digger or that Mick Jagger was once a porter in a
mental hospital? If you find you are stuck in a rut and
dream about being famous, dont give up. Some of
the most famous celebrities started their working
lives in some very simple Jobs.

2. When Madonna first arrived in New York looking for fame and
fortune, she only had $35 in her pocket. She took a job working
at Dinky Donuts in Times Square, but later lost her job for
squirting jam at one of the customers.

3. Bob Geldof had many different Jobs before he started working as a

music journalist. While working in London, one of his Jobs was as a hot
dog salesman in Soho. In 1975 he found fame as the lead Singer of the
Irish band, The Boomtown Rats. He has strong political ideas too, and
he organized concerts like live Aid to try and change the situation in
Africa.

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Readings Homework unit 2

4. Before being an actor. Johnny Depp used to sell pens. He used

to telephone people to sell them pens with their names printed
on them. But he didnt enjoy the job; sometimes he tried using
different voices on the telephone to make the job more
interesting.

5. When Texas released their first single, Sharleen Spiteri was working as a
hairdresser in Glasgow. She says she loved the job because her clients told her
such shocking gossip. I was a great hairdresser she says People told me
everything!

6. Before Annie Lennox became famous she worked in a bookshop.

She then spent time singing in pubs and clubs and worked as a
waitress in Hampstead, London, Where she met Dave Stewart.
They eventually formed the Eurythmics and went on to have many
chart successes.