Fame can come to a person in many different ways. Most people think of fame coming to athletes or entertainers, but there are other ways to become famous. Following are a few examples of immigrants to the United States who have become famous in their own right.
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Bette Bao Lord is a writer. You may have read some of her books. One of
the most popular books she has written is called In the Year of the Boar and
Jackie Robinson. In this book she tells of a small girl from China who must
overcome many difficulties while trying to make a new home in the United
States. The story is based on the real life of Bette Bao Lord. Bette was born in
1938 in Shanghai, China. She came to the United States when she was just eight
years old. Her father had been sent to America to purchase machinery for the
Chinese government. While Bette's family was here, the Communist Party took
over the government in China. Bette and her family were unable to return to
their homeland. Making a new home in America was hard for Bette. In later
years she was able to put her thoughts in writing. Her first novel was called
Spring Moon. Her latest book follows seventy years of Chinese history. This
book is called The Middle Heart. Bette spends much of her time promoting democracy in countries that are not democratic nations.
Madeline Albright made history by being appointed as the first woman United States Secretary of State. Marie Jana Korbelova was born in 1937 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her family fled to London in 1939 when Germany took over her homeland. Her father was a diplomat for the Czech government, and his life was in danger. Marie took the name Madeline from the nickname she was given as a child. Her family moved to the United States in 1948. Her father took a job as dean at the University of Denver. Madeline attended school in Switzerland and Denver before receiving a degree in political science from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She seemed destined to follow in her father's footsteps as a diplomat. She became an American citizen in 1957. She speaks fluent English, Czech, French, and Russian. She is also able to speak and read some German, Polish, and Serbian. Madeline became an advisor on international affairs to the Democratic Party. She was noticed by President Clinton who appointed her as the American ambassador to the United Nations. President Clinton later appointed her to the job of Secretary of State.
Ieoh Ming Pei was born in 1917 in Canton, China. His family was well-to-do. Their home was called the Garden of the Lion Forest. Young Pei became fascinated with the marriage of architecture and natural formations found at his home. Pei got his early education in Hong Kong and Shanghai. He decided to travel to the United States to study architecture in college. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania but finished his degree at MIT. He went to Harvard where he earned his master's degree. He remained at Harvard as an instructor for a while. It was at this time he also became a naturalized citizen. He began working for a real estate developer but decided to open his own architectural firm in 1955. I.M. Pei has designed some of the most famous buildings in the world since that time. A few examples of buildings he has designed include the John Hancock Tower in Boston, the
John F. Kennedy Library, also in Boston, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you saw the movie The DaVinci Code, you saw an example of Pei's work in the Louvre Pyramid in Paris. This structure played a central role in the plot of the film.
Some people believe that Albert Einstein was the smartest man to have ever lived. He was born in 1879 in Ulm in Wurttemberg, Germany. He was only six weeks old when his family moved to Munich. It was there that he began school. His family later moved to Italy, and he later studied in Switzerland. He trained to be a math and physics teacher. Albert became a citizen of Switzerland in 1901. His first job was in the patent office there. It is believed that a great deal of his most important work took place while working there. He became a professor of physics in Zurich, taught for a while in Prague, and then went back to Zurich. He changed jobs again and became a director for the University of Berlin. He became a citizen of Germany in 1914 and stayed there until 1933. Einstein could see early on what Hitler and the Nazi party had in store for the German people. He renounced his German citizenship and moved to the United States. He became a citizen of the United States in 1940 while teaching at Princeton University. Einstein was always able to clearly see and resolve problems in physics easily. Is he a bodybuilder, an actor, or a politician? Arnold Schwarzenegger is all three. He was born in 1947 in Thal, Austria. He wasn't interested in the same sports as other children while growing up. He dedicated his time to shaping his body into the strongest one he could. He began training seriously at the age of 15. He joined the Austrian army in 1965 to fulfill his mandatory one year of duty. It was while he was in the army that Arnold entered his first body building contest. He won the title of Junior Mr. Europe. That same year, he placed second in the Mr. Universe contest. He returned to the contest the following year and became the youngest ever to win the Mr. Universe title. Arnold would win the title four more times before he was through. Arnold moved to the
United States in 1968 and retired from body building in 1975. He came back to competition two years later as a means of training for a movie he was to star in, Conan the Barbarian. He had already been featured in a documentary film that followed his body building career called Pumping Iron. He starred in many films over the next several years. He also got involved in working for the Republican Party. He was friends with and a backer of President George H. W. Bush. That made things a bit difficult when he married Maria Shriver, niece of former President John F. Kennedy, a Democrat. Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for governor of California in 2003. He was elected and served as California's governor from 2003 to 2011.
One man stands out in the effort to keep the story alive of the plight of the Jews during World War II. His name was Elie Wiesel. Eliezer Wiesel was born in 1928 in Romania. Nazis took over his village. In 1944, Wiesel and his family were detained by the Nazis. He spent time in Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camps. When the war ended and the concentration camps were liberated, Elie was sent to an orphanage in France. During his three years in the orphanage, his ability to learn was recognized. He was sent to the Sorbonne to attend the university. He became interested in journalism, and writing became his life's work. As he started his writing career, Elie was persuaded to share his experiences in concentration camps with the world. He dedicated his life to making sure that what the Jews had experienced would not be forgotten. He wrote thirty books on the subject and gave many speeches about racism, violence, and repression, and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. In 1956 while in New York City, he was involved in a serious automobile accident. During his year of recovery, he decided that the United States was the place he wanted to call home.
There are thousands of stories that can be told about immigrants who have made good lives for themselves in the United States. There are thousands of stories of how these people have been an asset to their adopted country. You don't have to be born in a country to be a good citizen of that country.
1. True or false? I.M. Pei is an architect.
A. false
B. true****
2. Madeline Albright was the first woman to hold which job?
A. United States Secretary of State
B. Secretary General of the United Nations ****
C. Vice President of the United States
D. Ambassador to the United Nations
3. From what country did Bette Bao Lord immigrate?
A. Vietnam
B. Korea ****
C. China
D. Japan
4. Give examples that prove that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a body builder, an actor, and a politician.
5. Which of these was awarded to Elie Weisel?
A. Nobel Peace Prize
B. Medal of War****
C. Stanley Cup
D. Pulitzer Prize
6. What area is Albert Einstein most famous for?
A. chemistry
B. physics
C. math****
D. sociology
7. What accomplishment is Einstein most famous for?
A. his theory of relativity
B. his autobiography****
C. winning the Pulitzer Prize
D. winning the Nobel Peace Prize
I know this is a long paragraph
To find the answers to the questions:
1. Check the information provided about I.M. Pei. It states that he is an architect.
2. Look for information about Madeline Albright's role. It states that she was appointed as the first woman United States Secretary of State.
3. Find the details about Bette Bao Lord's immigration. It states that she came from China.
4. Look for information about Arnold Schwarzenegger's different roles. It is mentioned that he is a bodybuilder, an actor, and a politician.
5. Find the information about Elie Weisel's awards. It states that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
6. Identify the area for which Albert Einstein is most famous. It mentions that he is most famous for his work in physics.
7. Find information about Einstein's accomplishment. It states that he is famous for his theory of relativity, and it does not mention any autobiography or prizes.
By locating the relevant sentences or paragraphs in the provided text, you can easily find the answers to the questions.