Richard Nixon’s Childhood

1. Distant Education College, Jilin University Richard Nixon’s Childhood 1.Warm-up Questions 2.Background Knowledge 3.Text Analysis 4.Exercises 5.Questions For Discussion

2. Distant Education College, Jilin University Warm-up Questions 1.  Who was Richard Nixon? 2.  When did he first visit China? 3.  What was the significance of this visit? 4.  Richard Nixon was twice president of the U.S. Why did he resign office in 1974? Return

3. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge 1. Nixon: Richard Milhous (1913-1994), 37th president of the U.S. (1969-1974). Nixon was born into a Quaker family and was trained and practised as a lawyer. He began his political career with election to Congress in 1946, and four years later he was elected to the Senate. Acting as Eisenhower’s vice-president (1953-1961), Nixon played an unusually prominent role both at home and abroad. In 1960 he was chosen as the Republican presidential nominee, but was narrowly defeated by John Kennedy. In 1962 he announced his retirement to pursue his career in law. Reentering political life in 1964, Nixon gradually won wide backing. He was elected President of the U.S. in 1969 and was reelected in 1972 with a large majority. More

4. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge Nixon made his historic visit to the People’s Republic of China in 1972, Which reopened contact with China after a generation of hostility. (pictures) Nixon’s second term of office was aborted by the Watergate scandal. Several of his top aids were tried and imprisoned. On August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned, being the first US president to do so. Barred from practising law, he wrote his memories and other books and died in 1994. President Nixon’s motto was, “if two wrongs don’t make a right, try three.” More

5. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge 2. President Nixon’s Remarks At Andrews Air Force Base (February 28, 1972) Mr. Vice President, Members of the Congress, Members of the Cabinet, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, and ladies and gentlemen: I want to express my very deep appreciation, and the appreciation of all of us, for this wonderfully warm welcome that you have given us, and for the support that we have had on the trip that we have just completed, from Americans of both political parties and all walks of life across this land. More

6. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge And because of the superb efforts of the hardworking members of the press who accompanied us — they got even less sleep than I did — millions of Americans in this past week have seen more of China than I did. Consequently tonight I would like to talk to you not about what we saw, but about what we did, to sum up the results of the trip and to put it in perspective. More

7. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge When I announced this trip last July, I described it as a journey for peace. In the last 30 years, Americans have in three different wars gone off by the hundreds of thousands to fight, and some to die, in Asia and in the Pacific. One of the central motives behind my journey to China was to prevent that from happening a fourth time to another generation of Americans. More

8. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge As I have often said, peace means more than the mere absence of war. In a technical sense, we were at peace with the People’s Republic of China before this trip, but a gulf of almost 12,000 miles and 22 years of noncommunication and hostility separated the United States of America from the 750 million people who live in the People’s Republic of China, and that is one-fourth of all the people in the world. More

9. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge As a result of this trip, we have started the long process of building a bridge across that gulf, and even now we have something better than the mere absence of war. Not only have we completed a week of intensive talks at the highest levels; we have set up a procedure whereby we can continue to have discussions in the future. We have demonstrated that nations with very deep and fundamental differences can learn to discuss those differences calmly, rationally, and frankly, without compromising their principles. This is the basis of a structure for peace, where we can talk about differences, rather than fight about them. More

10. Distant Education College, Jilin University Background Knowledge The primary goal of this trip was to re-establish communication with the People’s Republic of China after a generation of hostility. We achieved that goal. Return

11. Distant Education College, Jilin University Exercises 1. True/False Questions 2. Multiple-choice Questions Return

12. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.As Hannah was an experienced teacher she had no difficulty in instructing young Richard. 2.Hannah taught her son much about European culture. 3.Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. 4.The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. 5.Young Richard admired his elder brother Harold. Answer

13. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.As Hannah was an experienced teacher she had no difficulty in instructing young Richard. F 2.Hannah taught her son much about European culture. 3.Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. 4.The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. 5.Young Richard admired his elder brother Harold. Answer

14. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.As Hannah was an experienced teacher she had no difficulty in instructing young Richard. F 2.Hannah taught her son much about European culture. T 3.Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. 4.The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. 5.Young Richard admired his elder brother Harold. Answer

15. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.As Hannah was an experienced teacher she had no difficulty in instructing young Richard. F 2.Hannah taught her son much about European culture. T 3.Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. F 4.The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. 5.Young Richard admired his elder brother Harold. Answer

16. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.As Hannah was an experienced teacher she had no difficulty in instructing young Richard. F 2.Hannah taught her son much about European culture. T 3.Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. F 4.The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. F 5.Young Richard admired his elder brother Harold. Answer

17. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 1.As Hannah was an experienced teacher she had no difficulty in instructing young Richard. F 2.Hannah taught her son much about European culture. T 3.Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. F 4.The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. F 5.Young Richard admired his elder brother Harold. T More

18. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 6.It was young Richard’s grandmother who was the first to find that he had a great talent for absorbing knowledge. 7.Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. 8.Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy. 9.Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. 10.Richard Nixon was his mother’s favorite child. She taught him European culture and wanted him to be a teacher like herself. Answer

19. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 6.It was young Richard’s grandmother who was the first to find that he had a great talent for absorbing knowledge. F 7.Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. 8.Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy. 9.Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. 10.Richard Nixon was his mother’s favorite child. She taught him European culture and wanted him to be a teacher like herself. Answer

20. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 6.It was young Richard’s grandmother who was the first to find that he had a great talent for absorbing knowledge. F 7.Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. T 8.Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy. 9.Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. 10.Richard Nixon was his mother’s favorite child. She taught him European culture and wanted him to be a teacher like herself. Answer

21. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 6.It was young Richard’s grandmother who was the first to find that he had a great talent for absorbing knowledge. F 7.Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. T 8.Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy.T 9.Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. 10.Richard Nixon was his mother’s favorite child. She taught him European culture and wanted him to be a teacher like herself. Answer

22. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 6.It was young Richard’s grandmother who was the first to find that he had a great talent for absorbing knowledge. F 7.Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. T 8.Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy.T 9.Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. T 10.Richard Nixon was his mother’s favorite child. She taught him European culture and wanted him to be a teacher like herself. Answer

23. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 6.It was young Richard’s grandmother who was the first to find that he had a great talent for absorbing knowledge. F 7.Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. T 8.Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy.T 9.Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. T 10.Richard Nixon was his mother’s favorite child. She taught him European culture and wanted him to be a teacher like herself. F More

24. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 11.Miss George never called the boy Dick as she thought it was a very foolish nickname. 12.Richard Nixon’s good memory played an important role in his political career. 13.As a child, Richard Nixon was very jealous of his elder brother and often competed with him. 14.Richard Nixon received good education from his mother and grandmother. The two women had strong influence on the shaping of his character. Answer

25. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 11.Miss George never called the boy Dick as she thought it was a very foolish nickname. F 12.Richard Nixon’s good memory played an important role in his political career. 13.As a child, Richard Nixon was very jealous of his elder brother and often competed with him. 14.Richard Nixon received good education from his mother and grandmother. The two women had strong influence on the shaping of his character. Answer

26. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 11.Miss George never called the boy Dick as she thought it was a very foolish nickname. F 12.Richard Nixon’s good memory played an important role in his political career. T 13.As a child, Richard Nixon was very jealous of his elder brother and often competed with him. 14.Richard Nixon received good education from his mother and grandmother. The two women had strong influence on the shaping of his character. Answer

27. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 11.Miss George never called the boy Dick as she thought it was a very foolish nickname. F 12.Richard Nixon’s good memory played an important role in his political career. T 13.As a child, Richard Nixon was very jealous of his elder brother and often competed with him. F 14.Richard Nixon received good education from his mother and grandmother. The two women had strong influence on the shaping of his character. Answer

28. Distant Education College, Jilin University True/False Questions 11.Miss George never called the boy Dick as she thought it was a very foolish nickname. F 12.Richard Nixon’s good memory played an important role in his political career. T 13.As a child, Richard Nixon was very jealous of his elder brother and often competed with him. F 14.Richard Nixon received good education from his mother and grandmother. The two women had strong influence on the shaping of his character. T Return

29. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 1.Who had the strongest influences on Nixon’s childhood? A)His father and mother. B)His mother and brother. C)His mother and grandmother. D)His brother and grandmother. Answer

30. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 1.Who had the strongest influences on Nixon’s childhood? C A)His father and mother. B)His mother and brother. C)His mother and grandmother. D)His brother and grandmother. More

31. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 2.Before he went to elementary school, Nixon had ______. A)become a keen reader of children’s encyclopedias B)been devoted to European culture C)become proficient in French and German D)been a master of clear expression Answer

32. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 2.Before he went to elementary school, Nixon had ______. A A)become a keen reader of children’s encyclopedias B)been devoted to European culture C)become proficient in French and German D)been a master of clear expression More

33. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 3.Hannah was inclined to stop the use of Richard’s nickname because _____. A)his nickname was foolish B)children were not allowed to use their nicknames when they entered elementary school C)Miss George disliked his nickname D)she thought it more respectful to use her son’s full name Answer

34. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 3.Hannah was inclined to stop the use of Richard’s nickname because _____. D A)his nickname was foolish B)children were not allowed to use their nicknames when they entered elementary school C)Miss George disliked his nickname D)she thought it more respectful to use her son’s full name More

35. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 4.Which of the following statements is the author’s objective description of Richard Nixon’s memory? A)He had a photographic mind. B)He had a natural capacity for remembering information. C)He was blessed with a very good memory. D)He did not have to work very hard to remember things. Answer

36. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 4.Which of the following statements is the author’s objective description of Richard Nixon’s memory? C A)He had a photographic mind. B)He had a natural capacity for remembering information. C)He was blessed with a very good memory. D)He did not have to work very hard to remember things. More

37. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 5.The competitive quality within Richard Nixon was first shown in his early experiences with ________. A)his mother B)his father C)his older brother Harold D)his grandmother Answer

38. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 5.The competitive quality within Richard Nixon was first shown in his early experiences with ________. C A)his mother B)his father C)his older brother Harold D)his grandmother More

39. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 6.Which of the values that Nixon inherited from his grandmother probably led him to pay an informal visit to China in 1972? A)A passion for love. B)A passion for fame. C)A passion for peace. D)A passion for hard work. Answer

40. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 6.Which of the values that Nixon inherited from his grandmother probably led him to pay an informal visit to China in 1972? C A)A passion for love. B)A passion for fame. C)A passion for peace. D)A passion for hard work. More

41. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 7.The chief idea of the poem can be summarized as ____. A)we should thank God for work B)work is only interesting if we really want to do it C)work is the source of our greatest strengths and joys D)it is wonderful to have useful work to do Answer

42. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 7.The chief idea of the poem can be summarized as ____. C A)we should thank God for work B)work is only interesting if we really want to do it C)work is the source of our greatest strengths and joys D)it is wonderful to have useful work to do More

43. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 8.What does the author intend to tell us in this passage? A)Nixon’s early experiences played a key role in his adult life. B)Nixon has become outstanding because of his passion for privacy and quietness. C)It was clear even from his early years that Nixon would become a great leader. D)Nixon’s father and older brothers had the most important influence on his childhood. Answer

44. Distant Education College, Jilin University Multiple-choice Questions 8.What does the author intend to tell us in this passage? A A)Nixon’s early experiences played a key role in his adult life. B)Nixon has become outstanding because of his passion for privacy and quietness. C)It was clear even from his early years that Nixon would become a great leader. D)Nixon’s father and older brothers had the most important influence on his childhood. Return

45. Distant Education College, Jilin University Questions for Discussion 1.What do you know about the characteristics of young Richard after reading the text? 2.Do you think your childhood experiences have had a direct influence on your later life? Explain which of your early experiences influenced you most? 3.Which one of your relatives had the most important influence on the shaping of your character? How did he/she influence you? Return

46. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Do you know why Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, paid an informal visit to China in 1972, a visit which made it possible for the United States to build a better relationship with China? Nixon has always been regarded as a man of great talent and strong will. Do you want to know what helped to form these characteristics? The following passage will tell you about Nixon’s early life. One way in which both Frank and Hannah did show their love was in their willingness to make sacrifices for their children. As parents, they were devoted to ensuring that their sons obtained the best possible education. At an early age they concentrated their efforts on Richard, as he showed most signs of being a talented and perhaps even a gifted child. Next

47. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis The making of the early mind of Richard Nixon owed most to his mother. If her marriage had not cut short her college education she would have become a teacher. She was a well-educated young woman, proficient in Greek, Latin, German and French, with a deep interest in European culture. Hannah taught Richard to read before he went to infant school and awakened his interest in her own specialized areas of classics, languages, and history. By the age of five he had become an eager reader of children’s encyclopedias, history stories and adult periodicals. Previous Next

48. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Hannah opened Richard’s mind to European culture; she started him off in French and German, introduced him to Shakespeare and trained him to recite poetry. Hannah was, above all, a classicist. She believed that Latin was the fountainhead of language, and that the ancient historians and orators were the masters of clear expression. Under his mother’s instruction classics had a strong influence on Richard’s childhood imagination. Previous Next

49. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis Besides expanding Richard’s mental curiosity and capabilities far beyond the interests of the average five year old, Hannah drilled into him the importance of working hard in order to grow up to be somebody. A small clue to her strong desire for her second son was her attempt to stop the use of the nickname Dick as too foolish, perhaps, for a future man of importance. “By the way Miss George, please call my son Richard and never Dick. I named him Richard,” Hannah told his school-teacher on the day he entered the elementary school. Miss Mary George never forgot this request — one of the many reasons why this little boy was rather different from the others in her class. Her recollections of Richard Nixon’s early progress are revealing. Previous Next

50. Distant Education College, Jilin University Text Analysis “He was a very quiet, studious boy and kept mostly to himself … he was one of those rare individuals born with knowledge. He only had to be exposed or shown and he never forgot … he absorbed knowledge of any kind … in that year he read no less than thirty or forty books, maybe more, besides doing all of his other work … he never had to work for knowledge at all. He was told something and he never forgot. He has a photographic mind, I think.” Previous Next