# data[].attributes.body
MICHAEL PHELPS È UN NUOTATORE STATUNITENSE NATO IL 30 GIUGNO 1985 A BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA. È CONSIDERATO IL PIÙ GRANDE NUOTATORE DI TUTTI I TEMPI E UNO DEI PIÙ GRANDI ATLETI DELLA STORIA.

HA PARTECIPATO A CINQUE EDIZIONI DEI GIOCHI OLIMPICI, DAL 2000 AL 2016, VINCENDO UN TOTALE DI 28 MEDAGLIE, DI CUI 23 D’ORO, STABILENDO UN RECORD ASSOLUTO. DURANTE I GIOCHI OLIMPICI DI PECHINO 2008 HA CONQUISTATO 8 MEDAGLIE D’ORO IN UNA SOLA EDIZIONE, SUPERANDO IL PRECEDENTE RECORD DI MARK SPITZ.

SPECIALIZZATO NELLE GARE A FARFALLA, STILE LIBERO E MISTI, PHELPS È STATO ALLENATO FIN DA GIOVANE E HA DIMOSTRATO DOTI FISICHE STRAORDINARIE, COME UNA GRANDE APERTURA DELLE BRACCIA E UNA NOTEVOLE RESISTENZA.

DOPO IL RITIRO DALLE COMPETIZIONI AVVENUTO DOPO I GIOCHI OLIMPICI DI RIO 2016, SI È DEDICATO AD ATTIVITÀ FILANTROPICHE E ALLA PROMOZIONE DELLA SALUTE MENTALE ATTRAVERSO LA SUA FONDAZIONE.

OGGI MICHAEL PHELPS È UN SIMBOLO DELLO SPORT MONDIALE E UN ESEMPIO DI DEDIZIONE, IMPEGNO E SUCCESSO.

# data[].attributes.body
THE STORY OF MALALA

• EARLY LIFE: MALALA WAS BORN IN PAKISTAN IN 1997. HER FATHER WAS A TEACHER AND HE BELIEVED STRONGLY IN THE POWER OF EDUCATION.

• THE BAN: WHEN THE TALIBAN TOOK CONTROL OF HER TOWN, THEY BANNED GIRLS FROM GOING TO SCHOOL.

• THE ACTIVISM: AT JUST 11 YEARS OLD, MALALA STARTED WRITING A SECRET DIARY FOR THE BBC TO DESCRIBE HER LIFE AND DEFEND THE RIGHT TO LEARN.

• THE ATTACK: IN 2012, AT THE AGE OF 15, A GUNMAN SHOT HER ON A SCHOOL BUS. MALALA MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVED AFTER THAT SHE LIVED IN THE UK.

• NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: SHE BECAME EVEN STRONGER AFTER THE ATTACK. IN 2014, SHE BECAME THE YOUNGEST PERSON EVER TO WIN THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.

• TODAY: SHE CONTINUES HER MISSION THROUGH THE "MALALA FUND," HELPING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD ACCESS EDUCATION.

"ONE CHILD, ONE TEACHER, ONE BOOK, AND ONE PEN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD." IS HER FAMOUS QUOTE

LA STORIA DI MALALA

• L'INFANZIA: MALALA È NATA IN PAKISTAN NEL 1997. SUO PADRE ERA UN INSEGNANTE E CREDEVA FORTEMENTE NEL POTERE DELL'ISTRUZIONE.

• IL DIVIETO (the ban) : QUANDO I TALEBANI HANNO PRESO IL CONTROLLO DELLA SUA CITTÀ, HANNO VIETATO ALLE RAGAZZE DI ANDARE A SCUOLA.

• L'ATTIVISMO: A SOLI 11 ANNI, MALALA HA INIZIATO A SCRIVERE UN DIARIO SEGRETO PER LA BBC PER DIFENDERE IL DIRITTO DI IMPARARE.

• L'ATTACCO: NEL 2012 UN UOMO ARMATO (a gunman) LE HA SPARATO SU UNO SCUOLABUS, MA LEI È SOPRAVVISSUTA E E’ VISSUTA NEL REGNO UNITO.

OGGI: LEI CONTINUA LA SUA MISSIONE ATTRAVERSO IL "MALALA FUND", AIUTANDO MILIONI DI BAMBINI IN TUTTO IL MONDO AD ACCEDERE ALL'ISTRUZIONE.

"UN BAMBINO, UN INSEGNANTE, UN LIBRO E UNA PENNA POSSONO CAMBIARE IL MONDO" E’ LA SUA CITAZIONE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
True Story of Malala Yousafzai | English Conversation for Beginners

# data[].attributes.body
• CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION: THOMAS EDISON WAS BORN IN 1847 IN OHIO. HE STRUGGLED AT SCHOOL AS A CHILD, BUT HE IMPROVED THANKS TO HIS MOTHER, WHO TAUGHT HIM AT HOME.

• EARLY CAREER: AT AGE 15, HE BECAME A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR USING MORSE CODE. HE WAS ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THINGS WORKED AND DECIDED TO BECOME AN INVENTOR.

• FIRST INVENTIONS: IN 1870, HE MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY AND IMPROVED THE STOCK TICKER. LATER, HE ESTABLISHED HIS FAMOUS LABORATORY IN MENLO PARK, NEW JERSEY.

• THE PHONOGRAPH AND LIGHT BULB: IN 1877, HE INVENTED THE PHONOGRAPH, WHICH COULD RECORD AND RECORD SOUND. A YEAR LATER, HE INVENTED THE LIGHT BULB AND THE POWER GRID SYSTEM TO DELIVER ELECTRICITY TO HOMES.

• LATER ACHIEVEMENTS: HE CONTINUED TO INNOVATE THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, CONTRIBUTING TO X-RAY TECHNOLOGY, STORAGE BATTERIES, AND MOTION PICTURES. HE EVEN CREATED THE FIRST TALKING DOLL.

• LEGACY: WITH 1,093 PATENTS, EDISON IS KNOWN AS AMERICA'S GREATEST INVENTOR BECAUSE HIS JOB CHANGED THE WORLD FOREVER

INFANZIA E ISTRUZIONE: THOMAS EDISON NACQUE NEL 1847 IN OHIO. HA LOTTATO A SCUOLA DA BAMBINO, MA MIGLIORÒ GRAZIE A SUA MADRE, CHE GLI HA INSEGNATO A CASA.

• INIZIO CARRIERA: A 15 ANNI DIVENNE UN OPERATORE TELEGRAFICO UTILIZZANDO IL CODICE MORSE. È SEMPRE STATO CURIOSO DI CAPIRE COME LE COSE FUNZIONASSERO E DECISE DI DIVENTARE UN INVENTORE.

• PRIME INVENZIONI: NEL 1870 SI TRASFERÌ A NEW YORK E MIGLIORÒ IL TELE SCRIVENTE (STOCK TICKER). IN SEGUITO, FONDÒ IL SUO FAMOSO LABORATORIO A MENLO PARK, NEL NEW JERSEY.

• IL FONOGRAFO E LA LAMPADINA: NEL 1877 INVENTÒ IL FONOGRAFO, CHE POTEVA REGISTRARE E RIPRODURRE I SUONI. UN ANNO DOPO, INVENTÒ LA LAMPADINA E IL SISTEMA DI RETE ELETTRICA (power grid home) PER DISTRIBUIRE (deliver) L'ELETTRICITÀ NELLE CASE.

• SUCCESSI SUCCESSIVI ( later achievements) : CONTINUÒ A INNOVARE PER TUTTA LA VITA, CONTRIBUENDO ALLA TECNOLOGIA DEI RAGGI X, ALLE BATTERIE DI ACCUMULO (storage) E AL CINEMA. CREÒ PERSINO LA PRIMA BAMBOLA PARLANTE.

• EREDITÀ (legacy) CON 1.093 BREVETTI (patents), EDISON È CONOSCIUTO COME IL PIÙ GRANDE INVENTORE D'AMERICA PERCHÉ IL SUO LAVORO CAMBIO’ IL MONDO PER SEMPRE.

# data[].attributes.body
AMELIA EARHART (1897–1937?*) WAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AVIATION PIONEERS IN HISTORY AND A SYMBOL OF COURAGE, INDEPENDENCE, AND EXPLORATION.
SHE WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY ON HER OWN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IN 1932.
SHE HAD NUMEROUS AVIATION RECORDS FOR SPEED AND DISTANCE.
SHE SUPPORTED STRONGLY WOMEN IN AVIATION AND SHE WAS THE  CO-FOUNDER OF  THE NINETY-NINES, AN ORGANIZATION FOR FEMALE PILOTS.
1928: FIRST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT AS A PASSENGER (SHE BECAME A CELEBRITY OVERNIGHT).
1932: FIRST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT FROM NEWFOUNDLAND TO IRELAND.
1935: SOLO FLIGHT FROM HAWAII TO CALIFORNIA—THE FIRST PERSON TO DO IT.
IN 1937, EARHART ATTEMPTED TO FLY AROUND THE WORLD. DURING A LEG OVER THE PACIFIC, NEAR HOWLAND ISLAND, SHE AND HER NAVIGATOR FRED NOONAN DISAPPEARED.

DESPITE EXTENSIVE SEARCHES, NO TRACE OF THEM WAS EVER FOUND, MAKING THIS ONE OF THE GREATEST AVIATION MYSTERIES.

THEORIES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
RAN OUT OF FUEL AND CRASHED INTO THE OCEAN (MOST ACCEPTED TEORY)
LANDED ON A REMOTE ISLAND AND DIED AS A CASTAWAY
CAPTURED BY JAPANESE FORCES (LESS SUPPORTED TEORY)

_____________________________________________________________________________

AMELIA EARHART (1897–1937?*) È STATA UNA DELLE PIÙ FAMOSE PIONIERE DELL’AVIAZIONE NELLA STORIA E UN SIMBOLO DI CORAGGIO, INDIPENDENZA ED ESPLORAZIONE.
È STATA LA PRIMA DONNA A VOLARE DA SOLA ATTRAVERSO L’OCEANO ATLANTICO NEL 1932.
HA HA AVUTO NUMEROSI RECORD DI AVIAZIONE PER VELOCITÀ E DISTANZA.
HA SOSTENUTO FORTEMENTE LE DONNE NELL’AVIAZIONE ED È STATA COFONDATRICE DELLE NINETY-NINES, UN’ORGANIZZAZIONE PER PILOTA DONNA.
1928: PRIMO VOLO TRANSATLANTICO COME PASSEGGERA (DIVENTÒ FAMOSA DA UN GIORNO ALL’ALTRO).
1932: PRIMO VOLO TRANSATLANTICO DA NEWFOUNDLAND ALL’IRLANDA.
1935: VOLO IN SOLITARIA DALLE HAWAII ALLA CALIFORNIA—LA PRIMA PERSONA A RIUSCIRCI.
NEL 1937, EARHART TENTÒ (ATTEMPT)DI FARE IL GIRO DEL MONDO. DURANTE UNA TRATTA (A LEG) SOPRA L’OCEANO PACIFICO, VICINO ALL’ISOLA DI HOWLAND, LEI E IL SUO NAVIGATORE FRED NOONAN SCOMPARVERO.

NONOSTANTE LE AMPIE RICERCHE, NESSUNA TRACCIA  DI LORO È MAI STATA TROVATA, RENDENDO (MAKING) QUESTO UNO DEI PIÙ GRANDI MISTERI DELL’AVIAZIONE.

TEORIE SU COSA SIA SUCCESSO
È FINITO (RUN OUT OF)  IL CARBURANTE (FUEL) ED È PRECIPITATA (CRASHED) NELL’OCEANO (TEORIA PIÙ ACCETTATA)
È ATTERRATA SU UN’ISOLA REMOTA ED È MORTA COME NAUFRAGA
È STATA CATTURATA DALLE FORZE GIAPPONESI (TEORIA MENO SUPPORTATA)

# data[].attributes.body
Alex Zanardi WAS AN ITALIAN SPORTSMAN, BORN IN 1966 IN BOLOGNA, ITALY.

HE FIRST BECAME FAMOUS AS A RACING DRIVER. HE COMPETED IN Formula One AND LATER WON TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AN AMERICAN RACING SERIES.

IN 2001, ZANARDI HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT DURING A RACE AT THE EuroSpeedway Lausitz IN GERMANY. HE LOST BOTH OF HIS LEGS, BUT HE DID NOT GIVE UP.

AFTER THE ACCIDENT, HE STARTED A NEW SPORT: HANDCYCLING. HE TRAINED VERY HARD AND BECAME A PARALYMPIC CHAMPION, WINNING GOLD MEDALS AT THE London 2012 Paralympics AND THE Rio 2016 Paralympics.

IN 2020, HE HAD ANOTHER SERIOUS ACCIDENT. HE DIED IN 2026 AT THE AGE OF 59.

ALEX ZANARDI IS REMEMBERED AS A STRONG AND BRAVE PERSON WHO NEVER GAVE UP.

Alex Zanardi ERA UNO SPORTIVO ITALIANO, NATO NEL 1966 A BOLOGNA, ITALIA.

DIVENTÒ FAMOSO COME PILOTA AUTOMOBILISTICO. GAREGGIÒ IN FORMULA O N E E VINSE DUE CAMPIONATI IN UNA SERIE AUTOMOBILISTICA AMERICANA.

NEL 2001, ZANARDI EBBE UN GRAVISSIMO INCIDENTE DURANTE UNA GARA ALL’EuroSpeedway Lausitz IN GERMANIA. PERSE ENTRAMBE LE GAMBE, MA NON SI ARRESE.

DOPO L’INCIDENTE, INIZIÒ UN NUOVO SPORT: L’HANDBIKE. SI ALLENÒ MOLTO E DIVENTÒ CAMPIONE PARALIMPICO, VINCENDO MEDAGLIE D’ORO AI London 2012 Paralympics E AI Rio 2016 Paralympics.

NEL 2020 EBBE UN ALTRO GRAVE INCIDENTE. MORÌ NEL 2026 ALL’ETÀ DI 59 ANNI.

ALEX ZANARDI È RICORDATO COME UNA PERSONA FORTE E CORAGGIOSA CHE NON SI È MAI ARRESA.

# data[].attributes.body
• LONDON 2012: BECAME THE MOST DECORATED OLYMPIAN EVER WITH 22 MEDALS.

• FINAL COMEBACK: AFTER A BRIEF RETIREMENT, HE RETURNED FOR RIO 2016 TO WIN 5 MORE GOLDS, ENDING HIS CAREER WITH A TOTAL OF 23 GOLD MEDALS (28 MEDALS TOTAL).

• LEGACY: HE IS NOW A FATHER AND FOCUSES ON THE PHELPS FOUNDATION, TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, SELF-BELIEF, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HARD WORK.

# data[].attributes.body
SARAH GILBERT IS A BRITISH SCIENTIST SPECIALIZED IN VACCINOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY.

SHE BECAME INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN FOR LEADING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA COVID-19 VACCINE DURING THE PANDEMIC. HER WORK HAS FOCUSED FOR MANY YEARS ON VACCINES AGAINST EMERGING VIRAL DISEASES, SUCH AS INFLUENZA AND OTHER POTENTIAL PANDEMIC VIRUSES.

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, HER TEAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD RAPIDLY DESIGNED AND TESTED AN EFFECTIVE AND LOW-COST VACCINE, PLAYING A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE GLOBAL RESPONSE TO THE VIRUS.

FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, SHE HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL AWARDS AND HONORS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

IN SHORT, SHE IS ONE OF THE KEY FIGURES IN THE RECENT HISTORY OF VACCINE RESEARCH.

Sarah Gilbert È UNA SCIENZIATA BRITANNICA SPECIALIZZATA IN VACCINOLOGIA E IMMUNOLOGIA.

È DIVENTATA FAMOSA A LIVELLO INTERNAZIONALE PER AVER GUIDATO LO SVILUPPO DEL VACCINO COVID-19 DI OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA DURANTE LA PANDEMIA. IL SUO LAVORO SI È CONCENTRATO PER MOLTI ANNI SUI VACCINI CONTRO MALATTIE VIRALI EMERGENTI, COME L’INFLUENZA E ALTRI POTENZIALI VIRUS PANDEMICI.

DURANTE LA PANDEMIA DI COVID-19, IL SUO TEAM ALL’UNIVERSITÀ DI OXFORD HA PROGETTATO E TESTATO RAPIDAMENTE UN VACCINO EFFICACE E A BASSO COSTO, GIOCANDO UN RUOLO FONDAMENTALE NELLA RISPOSTA GLOBALE AL VIRUS.

PER I SUOI CONTRIBUTI ALLA SCIENZA E ALLA SALUTE PUBBLICA, HA RICEVUTO NUMEROSI PREMI E ONORIFICENZE INTERNAZIONALI NEL REGNO UNITO.

IN BREVE, È UNA DELLE FIGURE PIÙ IMPORTANTI NELLA STORIA RECENTE DELLA RICERCA SUI VACCINI

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the biography and life of jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong including his early life in New Orleans, learning to play the trumpet, the nickname Satchmo, moving to Chicago, and fun facts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Useful website to look for famous people

# data[].attributes.subject
Useful website to look for famous people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Parents and Teachers: Please follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers and Twitter.

# data[].attributes.body
HAVE A LOOK AND FIND WHAT YOU NEED OR AT LEAST TRY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free ESL Materials.com | Sean Banville's Websites, Lesson Plans, Handouts, Worksheets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free ESL Materials.com - 4,000+ lesson plans with printable worksheets, listening and online quizzes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Created with Hot Potatoes by Half-Baked Software, registered to Laurence HAQUET.

# data[].attributes.body
STEVE JOBS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Steve Jobs. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Steve Jobs was the co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc. and former CEO of Pixar Animation Studios. He was the largest individual shareholder in Walt Disney. Jobs' name is associated with innovative products like the iPod, iPhone, iTunes and iPad. He was a much-respected corporate leader whose management style is studied worldwide. His attention to design, function and style won him millions of fans.

Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955. He became interested in computers when he was a teenager and attended lectures after school at Hewlett Packard. In 1974, Jobs got a job as a technician at the video game maker Atari. He saved enough money to backpack around India and then returned to Atari, where he met Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Jobs and Wozniak founded Apple in 1976. Jobs persuaded Wozniak to make a computer and sell it. Together, they developed the Mac. It was the first small computer with a user-friendly interface to be commercially successful. Jobs also built the computer on which the World Wide Web was created. He developed a passion for style and functional perfection, which became Apple trademarks.

Jobs guided Apple to be a major player in the digital revolution. The introduction of the iMac and other cutting-edge products made Apple a powerful brand with a loyal following. Jobs also enjoyed considerable success at Pixar. He created Oscar-winning movies such as 'Toy Story' and 'Finding Nemo'. Jobs' advice for success is: "You've got to find what you love." He died in October 2011, aged 56.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Steve Jobs. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Steve Jobs was the co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc.

# data[].attributes.body
MARILYN MONROE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Marilyn Monroe. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in the charity ward of a Los Angeles hospital in 1926. Her career as an actor and singer made her an icon of the twentieth century. Her trademark looks helped her become one of Hollywood's greatest ever sex symbols. Her death in 1962 remains a mystery; officially it was suicide but many say she was murdered.

Norma Jeane had a poor childhood and grew up in foster homes and orphanages. She married at 16 to escape life in government care but divorced four years later. In 1946, she joined a modelling agency and took singing and acting lessons. She soon caught the eye of a Hollywood movie executive, who offered her a six-month acting contract.

Norma Jeane changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. She spent seven years taking on small roles and doing part-time modelling. In 1953, she starred in the film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' and sang the legendary 'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend'. She became a Hollywood sensation. All her movies were instant box office hits. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1959 for 'Some Like It Hot'.

Monroe became an American superstar. She married baseball great Joe Di Maggio and then playwright Arthur Miller. Many believe she was involved with President John F. Kennedy. Her last significant appearance was singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" at a televised birthday party for him in New York. Monroe's looks and personality have inspired generations of performers since her death.

247 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Marilyn Monroe. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in the charity ward of a Los Angeles hospital in 1926.

# data[].attributes.body
MARGARET THATCHER

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Margaret Thatcher. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Margaret Thatcher (nee Margaret Roberts) was born in 1925 in England. Her father owned two local grocery stores, which is where she first developed her business sense. The young Margaret had a strict religious upbringing. She studied chemistry and then law at university. She was Britain's Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Her tough style earned her the nickname "The Iron Lady".

Thatcher became a politician after winning an election in London in 1959. She served as Britain's Education Secretary from 1970 to 1974. Thatcher became Britain's first female Prime Minister in 1979. She privatised many of Britain's state-owned companies and had long battles with labour unions. She lowered taxes and inflation and greatly cut government spending.

She was very busy with her foreign policy. Britain fought and won the Falklands War against Argentina in 1982. She forged close ties with the USA and had a warm relationship with President Ronald Reagan. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, she became friends with ex-Soviet leader Mikael Gorbachev. She escaped assassination in 1984 when a bomb exploded at a hotel she was staying in.

In 1987, Thatcher won a third term in office. However, she was becoming unpopular. Unemployment was high and there were street riots after she announced a Community Tax. Her opposition to closer integration with Europe led to a leadership challenge and in 1990, she resigned. She retired from public speaking in 2002, aged 77. She died on April 8th 2013, aged 87. "Thatcherism" is still a word commonly used in Britain.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Margaret Thatcher. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Margaret Thatcher (nee Margaret Roberts) was born in 1925 in England.

# data[].attributes.body
ZUCKERBERG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Mark Zuckerberg. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May the 14th, 1984. He is the creator of the social media site Facebook. He was a star student at school, winning prizes in astronomy, maths and physics. He also excelled in Classical studies. He studied Psychology and Computer Science at Harvard University, which is where he created Facebook. His invention led to his becoming Time magazine's Person Of The Year for 2010.

Zuckerberg excelled in everything he did in his youth. He was captain of the school fencing team, spoke many languages and was a highly skilled computer programmer. While other kids played computer games, he designed them. He created his first network while in high school to connect all of the computers in his father's dental surgery. He also built a media player which attracted the interest of Microsoft and AOL.

Zuckerberg started at Harvard in September 2002. In his first year, he created Facemash, a Facebook predecessor, that let students select the college's best looking people from a selection of photos. He launched Facebook from his Harvard room in February 2004. It was the start of a rollercoaster ride that would connect half a billion people worldwide and make him the world's youngest billionaire.

Mark Zuckerberg is now one of the most influential people on the planet. He has dined with the president of the USA and regularly attends global economic summits and technology forums. He stated: "The thing I really care about is the mission, making the world open." In 2010, Zuckerberg signed a promise called the "Giving Pledge", in which he promised to donate at least half of his life wealth to charity.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Mark Zuckerberg. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg was born on May the 14th, 1984.

# data[].attributes.body
JOHN LENNON

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on John Lennon. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

John Winston Ono Lennon is one of the most famous musical artists ever. He shot to fame as one of The Beatles. He co-wrote most of the band's songs, the majority of which are now rock classics. He also helped shape the social revolution of the 1960s. His solo career further elevated him as a music legend. Lennon also achieved fame as a peace activist.

Lennon was born in Liverpool in 1940. He was brought up by an aunt, who bought him a harmonica and taught him how to play the banjo. Lennon's mother played him Elvis Presley records and he fell in love with Rock and Roll. He told his mother and aunt he would be a famous singer one day.

Lennon met Paul McCartney in 1957 at a church hall concert. They became friends and began writing songs together. They formed a band called The Beatles. They became popular playing live at local clubs in Liverpool and Germany. Then they became the most successful and influential act in music history. Lennon famously said The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

Lennon left The Beatles in 1970. That same year he released the 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' album, which he recorded with his Japanese wife Yoko Ono. His album 'Imagine' followed in 1971. The title song became an anthem for anti-war movements. More classic albums followed. On 8th December 1980, Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York apartment by a deranged fan.

247 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on John Lennon. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. John Winston Ono Lennon is one of the most famous musical artists ever.

# data[].attributes.body
NIXON

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Richard M. Nixon: Lessons On American Presidents.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons on American Presidents: Free EFL/ESL lessons, worksheets, online activities, and MP3.

# data[].attributes.body
JEFFERSON

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Thomas Jefferson: Lessons On American Presidents.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons on American Presidents: Free EFL/ESL lessons, worksheets, online activities, and MP3.

# data[].attributes.body
EINSTEIN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Albert Einstein. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Albert Einstein was a German-born physicist, although most people probably know him as the most intelligent person who ever lived. His name has become part of many languages when we want to say someone is a genius, as in the phrase, "She's a real Einstein". He must have been pretty brainy to discover the Theory of Relativity and the equation E=mc2.

In 1999, 'Time' magazine named Einstein as the Person of the Century. No one could have guessed this would happen when he was at school. He was extremely interested in science but hated the system of learning by heart. He said it destroyed learning and creativity. He had already done many experiments, but failed the entrance exams to a technical college.

He didn't let this setback stop him. When he was 16, he performed his famous experiment of imagining traveling alongside a beam of light. He eventually graduated from university, in 1900, with a degree in physics. Twelve years later he was a university professor and in 1921, he won the Nobel Prize for Physics. He went on to publish over 300 scientific papers.

Einstein is the only scientist to become a cult figure, a household name, and part of everyday culture. He once joked that when people stopped him in the street, he always replied: "Pardon me, sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein." Today, he is seen as the typical mad, absent-minded professor, who just happened to change our world.

245 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Albert Einstein. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Albert Einstein was a German-born physicist, although most people probably know him as the most intelligent person who ever lived.

# data[].attributes.body
TRUMAN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harry S. Truman: Lessons On American Presidents.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons on American Presidents: Free EFL/ESL lessons, worksheets, online activities, and MP3.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Enzo Ferrari. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 and died in 1988. He made his name known all over the world for fast cars and motor racing. Ferrari was an Italian car driver and businessman. He founded the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team. It became the most successful Formula 1 team in history. Ferrari also built a factory to produce super-fast sports cars.

Ferrari was born in Modena, Italy. He grew up with a passion for fast cars and racing. He served in the Italian Army during World War I. After he returned home, he tried to find a job at FIAT, without success. He joined a smaller car company called CMN and took up racing in 1919 but wasn't so successful.

In 1920, Ferrari joined Alfa Romeo and did well as a racer throughout the 1920s. He managed a team of 40 drivers and took responsibility for the development of Alfa's cars. Ferrari resigned from Alfa and went his own way, setting up his own company in 1947. He built a car to participate in the very first Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950.

Ferrari's first victory came in the British Grand Prix in 1951. The first championship came in the 1952-53 season. Ferrari started making sports cars in order to finance his Grand Prix and Le Mans adventures. Ferrari headed the company until he stepped down in 1971. He died in his hometown of Modena. His name is the most famous in motor sports.

248 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Enzo Ferrari. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898 and died in 1988.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Fidel Castro. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Fidel Castro is a Cuban revolutionary leader who became one of the highest profile figures of the twentieth century. He was Cuba's leader from 1959 until his retirement in 2008. For most of his life he has fought the political and commercial influence of the United States in Cuba. He governed his country throughout decades of a US trade embargo.

Castro was born on a sugar plantation in 1926. He had a very poor upbringing. He was an extremely bright student at school and decided to study law. In 1945, Castro entered law school at the University of Havana. He became politically active and wanted to bring social justice to his country. He thought the poverty in Cuba was wholly unnecessary.

Castro graduated from law school in 1950 and began practicing as a lawyer. He became well known for despising American influence in Cuban affairs. He decided revolution was the only way to advance Cuban nationalism. He went to Mexico to plan a guerilla invasion of Cuba. There he met Che Guevara, who helped shape his political beliefs and military plans.

Castro's rebel forces started the revolution in December 1958. They quickly seized power of the whole of Cuba and sent President Batista fleeing. The 32-year-old Castro became prime minister in February 1959. He went to the USA but was denied a meeting with President Eisenhower. He then went to the Soviet Union and became a Soviet ally. He stood firm against the USA for four decades.

248 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Fidel Castro. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Fidel Castro is a Cuban revolutionary leader who became one of the highest profile figures of the twentieth century.

# data[].attributes.body
KENNEDY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
John F. Kennedy: Lessons On American Presidents.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons on American Presidents: Free EFL/ESL lessons, worksheets, online activities, and MP3.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
George Washington: Lessons On American Presidents.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons on American Presidents: Free EFL/ESL lessons, worksheets, online activities, and MP3.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Barack Obama. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Barack Obama is the 44 President of the United States of America. He is also the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. He made history in 2008 when he won the U.S. presidential election. He is the first African American to be President. Obama's charisma, intelligence, and powerful speeches have made him extremely popular with many Americans. He has been very successful with his message for change.

Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 to a black Kenyan father and white American mother. His parents divorced and his mother married an Indonesian man. Barack's family moved to Indonesia in 1967. He attended schools in Jakarta until he was ten years old, when he returned to Hawaii. Obama majored in political science and international relations at Columbia University in New York.

After four years in New York, Obama moved to Chicago. There, he worked as the director of a community project from 1985 to 1988. He entered Harvard Law School and became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Obama taught law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years. He became an Illinois Senator in 1996.

In 2004, Obama was elected as a U.S. Senator. He supported legislation on conservation, energy, immigration and honest leadership. Obama is currently battling with serious issues such as the economy. He beat Mitt Romney to win a second term in office, despite a poor economy and high unemployment. He thanked voters by promising to spend his second term honoring their support, saying: "There's a lot more work to do."

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Barack Obama. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Barack Obama is the 44 President of the United States of America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Anne Frank. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

Anne Frank was a young Jewish German girl who gained international fame after her death following the publication of her diary. She wrote about her life, thoughts and experiences of hiding from the Nazis in World War II. Her account of her two years spent in an attic in Amsterdam became an international best seller. She died aged 15 in a German concentration camp.

Anne Frank was born in 1929 in Germany. Her father was a German officer from World War I. Anne was a very studious and diligent student who had a passion for books. She moved to Amsterdam with her family after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. She attended a Montessori school and was a very energetic and outgoing girl.

In June 1942, Anne received a notebook for her thirteenth birthday. She decided to use it as a diary and wrote about her dreams to become an actress. In July, she and her family were ordered to go to a work camp. Instead, they hid in the attic of her father's workplace. They shared the small space with another family for two years.

In August 1944, German security police discovered the hideout and arrested its occupants. Anne was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Anne died in March 1945 and was buried in a mass grave, the whereabouts of which is still unknown. Her diary was found and given to her father. It is one of the most widely read books in the world today.

249 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Anne Frank. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. Anne Frank was a young Jewish German girl who gained international fame after her death following the publication of her diary.

# data[].attributes.body
EISENHOWER

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Lessons On American Presidents.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lessons on American Presidents: Free EFL/ESL lessons, worksheets, online activities, and MP3.

# data[].attributes.body
BILL GATES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Bill Gates. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:

Your browser does not support this audio player.

READ

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955. He is one of the world's richest people and perhaps the most successful businessman ever. He co-founded the software giant Microsoft and turned it into the world's largest software company. He is the best-known entrepreneur of the PC revolution. He has also written two best-selling books and started his own charity with his wife.

Gates was fascinated with electronics from a young age. In 1975 he read about a small technology company. He contacted them to see if they were interested in a computer programme he had written. This led to the creation of Microsoft. Gates later struck a deal with IBM that put Microsoft's Windows on IBM computers. This deal made Microsoft a major player in the IT industry.

Gates was in charge at Microsoft from 1975 until 2006. He was an active software developer at the beginning. He had a vision that computers could change everyone's life. He helped make this vision come true and developed many products that are now part of modern life. His management style has been studied and copied around the world.

Gates stepped down as Microsoft CEO in June 2008. He now spends his time with his wife, Melinda, focusing on their charitable foundation. They provide funds for global problems that are ignored by governments and other organizations. 'Time' magazine voted Gates as one of the biggest influences of the 20th Century. Scientists named the Bill Gates flower fly after him.

248 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Bill Gates. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article: Your browser does not support this audio player. William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955.