Richard Nixon’s Childhood 1. Warm-up Questions Warm-up Questions 2. Background Knowledge Background Knowledge 3. Text Analysis Text Analysis 4. Exercises

Richard Nixon’s Childhood

1. Warm-up Questions

2. Background Knowledge

3. Text Analysis

4. Exercises

5. Questions For Discussion

Distant Education College, Jilin UniversityDistant 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?

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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.

Background Knowledge


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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.”



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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.



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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.



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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.



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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.



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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.



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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.



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1. True/False Questions

2. Multiple-choice Questions

Exercises


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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.

True/False Questions


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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.






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2. Hannah taught her son much about European culture. T






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3. Later in life Nixon was often proud of his elementary schoolteacher Miss George because she held that he had a photographic mind. F





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4. The only difference between young Richard and other boys was that he usually did not play with the others and never smiled. F




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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



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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.



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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.






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7. Nixon’s grandmother gave him special treatment and so he learned lasting values from her. T






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8. Young Richard was a hard-working as well as a gifted boy.T





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9. Richard Nixon’s parents were willing to do what they could for their children. T




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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



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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

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.





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12. Richard Nixon’s good memory played an important role in his political career. T





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13. As a child, Richard Nixon was very jealous of his elder brother and often competed with him. F




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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



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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.

Multiple-choice Questions


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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.

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



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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

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



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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

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.



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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.

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



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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

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.



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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.

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



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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

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



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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.

Questions for Discussion


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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?

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.

Text Analysis


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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.

Text Analysis


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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.

Text Analysis


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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.

Text Analysis


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“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.”

Text Analysis


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Although this early judgment of Richard’s ability by his first schoolmistress may be too flattering, nevertheless Miss George’s reference to the photographic quality of his mind showed much insight. The phrase “photographic memory” falls too easily from the tongue and is rarely accurate, but what can be said with certainty of Richard Nixon is that he was blessed with a very good memory. For various reasons it has often suited him during his career to downplay this remarkable gift. During his life he preferred to brush aside discussion of this talent with the comment, “My memory is very good only for a simple reason — I worked at it.” However he acquired it, there is little doubt that this capacity for remembering information of every description, from names, facts and figures to speeches and documents, was fundamental to his later political success.

Text Analysis


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“He was a very quiet child and rarely ever smiled or laughed”, recalled his schoolteacher Miss George. “I have no recollection of him playing with others in the playground, which undoubtedly he did … like other youngsters in mild weather Richard always came barefoot. Every day he wore a freshly cleaned white shirt with a big black bow tie and knee pants. He always looked like his mother had scrubbed him from head to toe. The funny thing is, I can never remember him ever getting dirty.”

Text Analysis


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The one person who could bring Richard out of his shell was his elder brother Harold, the oldest son in the family. Harold was a daredevil, a charmer, an outgoing risk-taker who loved danger, excitement, rough and tumble. Richard heroworshipped his elder brother. Never quick-moving himself, he found it difficult to match the pace set by Harold as they raced off together into adventures. Their physical inequality was painfully apparent. Richard would tumble down, cut his knees, run out of breath, yet never quit in his struggles to keep up with his stronger brother. The first signs that Richard was going to be a great competitor and a great trier were displayed in his childhood relationship with Harold.

Text Analysis


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One other close relative who had a major impact on Richard was his grandmother, Almira Milhous. She had strong passions for history, for poetry, for racial equality and especially for educating the young. This last interest made her a good communicator with her thirty-two grandchildren. Having been a schoolteacher before her marriage, Almira had a good eye for the brightest child in the class and she quickly spotted that of all her descendants, Richard Nixon had the most talent for absorbing knowledge. She was the first person ever to say, “That boy will one day be a leader.” Although she tried to be careful not to single him out for special treatment at family gatherings, it was nevertheless noticed that Almira was “especially attached to Richard.”

Text Analysis


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At her knee he read her history books, absorbed her firm belief in Republicanism, and came to share her admiration for Ghandi, Lincoln and other peacemakers whose biographies she gave to him. Above all, Richard absorbed from his grandmother certain key values that stayed with him throughout his life. “A passion for peace and a passion for privacy” was his summary of his Milhous heritage. He could well have added “a passion for hard work”.

Richard Nixon grew up to be an industrious as well as a clever boy. The old saying that genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration was applicable to him. When he was ten, Grandmother Almira gave Richard a poem.

Text Analysis


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Work!

Thank God for the might of it

The ardor, the urge, the delight of it

Work that springs from the heart’s desire

Setting the brain and the soul on fireAbridged from Nixon, A Life by

Jonathan Aithken first published in 1993.

Approximately 1,200 words.

Text Analysis


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Words to Know

ensure [] vt. 确保，保证=to make sure or certain; insuree.g. We can ensure that the work shall be done in the right way.我们可以保证把工作做好。


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Words to Know

proficient [] adj. 精通的= having or marked by an advanced degree of competencee.g. She is proficient at figure skating.她精于花样滑冰。


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Words to Know

infant [] n. 幼儿，婴儿=babye.g. Infant mortality has been dramatically reduced because of modern medicine.由于现代医学婴儿死亡率已经极大地降低了。


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Words to Know

awaken [] vt. 激发，引起=to cause to wake upe.g. People must be awakened to the danger of these chemical weapons. ( 喻 )一定要唤起人们清楚地认识这些化学武器的危险性。


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Words to Know

encyclopedia [] n. 百科全书= a comprehensive reference work containing articles on a wide range of subjectse.g. A dictionary explains words and an encyclopedia explains facts.词典解释词义 , 百科全书解释事物。


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Words to Know

periodical [] n. 期刊=magazinee.g. His article was published in a learned periodical.他的文章在学术期刊上发表了。


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Words to Know

recite [] vt. 背诵，朗诵=memorizee.g. The child can recite poems at the age of five. 这个孩子五岁时就会背诗了。


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Words to Know

expand [] vt. 扩大，发展= enlargee.g. The business has expanded from having one office to having twelve. 这个公司已从一个分公司发展到拥有 12 个分公司了。


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Words to Know

recollection [] n. 回忆，记忆= memorye.g. That evening is one of my happiest recollections. 那天晚上是我记忆中最快活的事情之一。


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Words to Know

revealing [] adj. 有启迪作用的，透露内情的= permitting an elucidating glimpse or a perception of something intimate or concealede.g. That’s a very revealing biography.那真是一本透露内情的自传。


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Words to Know

studious [] adj. 好学的，用功的= given to diligent studye.g. She is really a quiet, studious child.她真是一个安静，好学的孩子。


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Words to Know

flattering [`] adj. 奉承的，谄媚的=disgustinge.g. Those flattering remarks filled me with disgust.那些吹捧话令人反感。


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Words to Know

reference [] n. 提到，论及= an act of referringe.g. She made frequent references to her promotion.她时常提到她的升迁。


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Words to Know

insight [] n. 洞察力，深刻见解，洞悉= the capacity to discern the true nature of a situation; penetratione.g. My grandfather is a man of insight.我的祖父是个洞悉世事的人。


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Words to Know

blessed [] adj. 有幸（得到）= bringing happiness, pleasure, or contentmente.g. The old lady is blessed with excellent health. 这个老太太有幸身体非常健康。


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Words to Know

scrub [] vt. 擦洗，擦净=clean, rub, washe.g. I got paint on my hands and it won't scrub off.我手上沾上了油漆 , 擦不掉。


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Words to Know

passion [] n. 强烈情感，极度喜爱= a powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or angere.g. His skills as a player don't quite match his passion for the game.他的水平与他对这项游戏的酷爱程度不太相配。


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Words to Know

spot [] vt. 发现，认出= detect or discerne.g. She spotted a friend in a crowd.她在人群中看到一位朋友。


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Words to Know

biography [] n. 传记= an account of a person's life written, composed, or produced by anothere.g. He read the biography of Byron many times.拜伦传他读了很多遍。


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Words to Know

heritage [] n. 继承物，天性= something that is passed down from preceding generations; a traditione.g. We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。


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Note

Richard Nixon (1913-1994): the 37th president of the United States (1969-1974). During his administration, the United States withdrew its military forces from Vietnam and informally recognized the government of the People’s Republic of China. The Watergate scandal that occurred at the beginning of his second term led him to become the first United States President ever to resign from office. Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California in 1913. He was the second of Hannah and Frank Nixon’s five children, all of whom were boys.


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Note

Ghandi (1869-1948): India’s best-known leader of this century. He led his country to freedom from direct British rule through a policy of non-violence. A Hindu and a lawyer, Ghandi was assassinated by a religious fanatic. (pictures)


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Note

Lincoln:Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865): the 16th president of the United States, guided his country through the most devastating experience in its national history — the American Civil War. He is considered by many historians to have been the greatest American President. (picture)


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Useful Phrases and Expressions

owe to 把…视为…起因，把…归结于e.g. He owes his success to good luck more than to ability.他的成功多半靠幸运，较少靠能力。


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cut short 中断e.g. He often regretted his player career cut short by illness.他总是为他因病半途而废的运动员事业感到遗憾。


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start … off （使）开始e.g. The horse started off at a steady trot.那马以稳健的快步出发。


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keep to oneself 不与他人交往，不交际e.g. He likes to keep to himself and tries his best to avoid meeting people.他喜欢独居，尽可能不与他人交往。


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brush aside 不顾不理，把…推到一边e.g. It is a problem that you can not brush aside.这个问题你不能不理。


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keep up with 跟上e.g. Are wages keeping up with inflation? 工资跟得上通货膨胀吗？


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have an impact on 对…强烈的影响e.g. Will the war have an impact on such a poet?战争对这样一个诗人是否会产生影响 ?


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single … out 挑选，选拔e.g. He was singled out for special training.他被挑选出来加以特殊训练。


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be attached to 对…爱慕，依恋e.g. I am very attached to that old picture.我很喜欢那幅旧画。


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above all 尤其是，首先e.g. Above all, I love Tchaikovsky. 首先，我喜欢柴可夫斯基。


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Difficult Sentences

One way in which both Frank and Hannah did show their love was in their willingness to make sacrifices for their children.弗兰克和汉娜向孩子们表示关爱的一种方式就是愿为孩子做出牺牲。


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Difficult Sentences

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.在理查德很小的时候父母就把培养的重点放在了他身上，因为很多迹象表明他不仅有天分而且可以说是一个神童。


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Difficult Sentences

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.理查德•尼克松的早期教育主要应归功于他的母亲。要不是她因为结婚而中断了学业，本来她会成为一名教师的。


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Difficult Sentences

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.汉娜在理查德上幼儿园之前就教会了他认字，并且在古典文学，语言，和历史这些自己擅长的领域里激发了他的学习兴趣。


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Difficult Sentences

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.除了激发理查德的好奇心，培养他的能力，使他的兴趣远远超出普通五岁孩子的水平之外，汉娜还教给他努力的重要性，以便使他长大之后能有所成就。


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Difficult Sentences

Although this early judgment of Richard’s ability by his first schoolmistress may be too flattering, nevertheless Miss George’s reference to the photographic quality of his mind showed much insight.尽管理查德第一位老师对他能力的早期判断有点言过其实，但是乔治小姐提到他过目不忘的能力却反映出她的观察力。


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Difficult Sentences

For various reasons it has often suited him during his career to downplay this remarkable gift.因为各种原因，展示他这种非凡的天赋在他的事业中给他带来了很大帮助。 it has often suited him (to do): it has often been of benefit to him (to do)


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Difficult Sentences

However he acquired it, there is little doubt that this capacity for remembering information of every description, from names, facts and figures to speeches and documents, was fundamental to his later political success.不论他是如何获得这种能力的，毫无疑问，这种记住各种信息的能力，不管是人名，事实，数字，还是演讲和文件，对于他后来在政治上的成功是至关重要的。 of every description: of every kind


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Difficult Sentences

The one person who could bring Richard out of his shell was his elder brother Harold, the oldest son in the family.唯一能使理查德走出封闭的世界的是他的哥哥哈罗德，家中的长子。

bring Richard out of his shell:make Richard less quiet and reserved


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Difficult Sentences

Harold was a daredevil, a charmer, an outgoing risk-taker who loved danger, excitement, rough and tumble.哈罗德是一个胆大妄为，魅力无限，性格外向的冒险者，他喜欢危险刺激，在游戏中打斗较力。

rough and tumble:fighting or wrestling but only in play


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Difficult Sentences

Having been a schoolteacher before her marriage, Almira had a good eye for the brightest child in the class and she quickly spotted that of all her descendants, Richard Nixon had the most talent for absorbing knowledge.艾米拉在结婚之前是个老师，她对挑出班上最聪明的孩子很有眼光，很快她就发现，在她所有的后代中，吸收知识方面理查德•尼克松是最有天份的。


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PicturesDistant Education College, Jilin UniversityDistant Education College, Jilin University

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毛泽东主席与尼克松总统会谈毛泽东主席与尼克松总统会晤


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尼克松总统在周恩来总理陪同下检阅中国人民解放军

尼克松总统和夫人游览长城


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LINCOLN


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Ghandi

Documents

Richard Nixon’s Childhood 1. Warm-up Questions Warm-up Questions 2. Background Knowledge Background Knowledge 3. Text Analysis Text Analysis 4. Exercises