Many American presidents in the 19thcentury were born in poor families. They spent their childhood in little wooden rooms. They got little education . Washington and Lincoln, for example, never went to school and they taught themselves. Lincoln once did jobs of a worker, shopkeeper and post officer in his early years. A large number of U. S. presidents had experiences in the army. The two best known were Ulysses Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Grant was a general in the American Civil War and Eisenhower was a hero in the Second World War. It happened that they graduated from the same school--West Point Military Academy . One may be surprised to learn that both of them did not do well in the school. Eisenhower, for example, was once fined because he broke the rules of the school. The jobs of U. S. presidents are tiring. He must _ anything important which happens both at home and abroad. Every day, a lot of work waits for him to do, and he has to make many important decisions. When Franklin Roosevelt was a child, he was once brought to visit President Taft. The old president said to him, "When you grow up, you should not be president. It's a tiring job."

Answer the following questions:
1. In what century were there many Presidents from poor families?
2. Where did they spend their childhood?
3. Name two presidents who were self-taught.
4. Which presidents graduated from the same school?
5. What President was fined for breaking rules?
6. Which college do some Presidents have in common?
7. Which President did Thaft once visit when young?
8. From which country are these Presidents?
9. In what military branch were many Presidents?
10. What did Thaft say to Roosevelt?
11. In what was was Grant a general?

Numbered answers:
1. the 19th century
2. in little wooden rooms
3. Washington and Lincoln
4. Grant and Eisenhower
5. Eisenhower
6. West Point Military Academy
7. Franklin Roosevelt
8. America
9. the army
10. "When you grow up, you should not be president. It's a tiring job."
11. the American Civil War