AT THE NATIONAL

PORTRAIT GALLERY
A trip to the past

20XX
 THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
The National Portrait Gallery has a
collection of portraits of famous Read the text to the left and
answer the questions below:
American men and women from the 17th
• Where is it?
century to the present day. The portraits
are both paintings and photographs. The • What can you see there?
National Portrait Gallery is in • When is it open?
Washington, D.C., a short walk from the
• How much does it cost?
National Mall. It is open daily, and
admission is free.
 A FAMOUS PHOTO

Look at the photo to the right

and listen to the dialog. Who are
the two people in the photo?

Now listen again and

follow the script.
 A FAMOUS PHOTO
I love that photo. Who are they?
I think it’s President Reagan and his
wife Nancy. Let’s see. Yes, that’s
right.
When was he president?
He was president from 1981 to 1989.
He was an actor, too.
Really? What movies was he in?
He was in Dark Victory with Bette
Davis, a very famous actress in the
1930s and 1940s. He was also in
movies with stars like Errol Flynn,
Clark Gable, and Ginger Rogers.
Was Nancy an actress, too?
Yes, she was. They were in a movie
together in 1957.
Were Ronald and Nancy happy?
I think they were very happy. They
were together all their lives.
 COMPLETE THE TABLE

Now In the past

He is the president He _____

was the president
She is an actress She _____
was an actress

They are happy They were

_____ happy

Let’s take a look at our whiteboard!

 COMPLETE THE TABLE

I was busy. We were tired Friday night.

Were you at school yesterday? You were not at home yesterday.
He was the president.
Was she an actress? They weren’t happy.
It was raining.
 DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS?

Marilyn Monroe was born in Los Angeles,

California, in 1926. When she was a child,
her life was very hard. Her mother was
sick, and her father wasn't there very
much. Marilyn was a factory worker and a
model before she became an actress.
Marilyn's three husbands were very
important to her during her life. Her first
husband was a sailor, the second was a
famous baseball player, Joe DiMaggio,
and the last was a famous writer, Arthur
Marilyn Monroe Miller.
 DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS?

Listen to the audio again and answer:

• Why was Marilyn’s life hard when
she was a child?
• Who were Joe DiMaggio and Arthur
Miller?

Did you know?

Marilyn was famous for singing Happy
Birthday for JFK.
Marilyn Monroe
 DO YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE?

Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Florence

Ballard were born in the 1940s in
Detroit, Michigan. Together they were
The Supremes, a pop and soul singing
group during the 1960s. All three
women were very talented singers. In
1965, the Supremes were the first all-
female singing group to have a number
one album in the US. Their music was
popular with everyone - men and
women, teens and adults - and it is still
The Supremes popular today.
 DO YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE?

Listen to the audio again and

answer:
• Were there any men in The
Supremes?
• Why is The Supreme’s music still
popular today?
Did you know?
The Supremes’ song “Reflections” is in
the soundtrack for Guardians of the
The Supremes Galaxy.
 DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS?

Thomas Edison, an inventor and

businessman, was born in Ohio in 1847. At
13, he was an excellent salesperson selling
candy and newspapers to train passengers.
Later, he was the inventor of the
incandescent light bulb, a movie camera,
and the phonograph. Edison was also the
owner of many companies, and some of
them are in business today, e.g., General
Electric. He was the loving husband of two
wives - Mary Stillwell (1855-1884) and
Thomas Edison Mina Miller (1865-1947) - and the father of
six children.
 DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS?

Listen to the audio again and

answer:
• What was Thomas Edison good at
when he was a boy?
• Who was Thomas’ second wife?
Did you know?
Thomas Edison’s first invention was an
electric vote recorder.
Thomas Edison
 CAN YOU GUESS WHO THEY WERE?
There are five clues for each person. The student who guesses right gains points for all unused
clues.
1. He was an English writer.
2. He was born in the 16th century.
3. He was married with three
children.
4. He was born in Stratford-upon-
Avon.
5. He is famous for his plays, for
example, Hamlet and Macbeth.

William Shakespeare
 CAN YOU GUESS WHO THEY WERE?
There are five clues for each person. The student who guesses right gains points for all unused
clues.
1. She was born in London in 1932,
to American parents.
2. She was a famous actress.
3. She was dark-haired and very
beautiful.
4. She was best friends with
Michael Jackson.
5. Her dark blue eyes were famous.

Elizabeth Taylor
 IMAGE CREDITS

• Cover: Wikipedia
• Marilyn Monroe, The Supremes, Thomas Edison: American English File, 2 nd
edition
• William Shakespeare: We Are Actors
• Elizabeth Taylor: The Telegraph