CHRIS ROCK
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer,
film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up
comedian of all time by Comedy Central. He was also voted in the UK as the 9th
greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and again in the updated
2010 list as the 8th greatest stand-up comic.
Early life
Rock was
born in Andrews, South Carolina. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. A few years later, they relocated
and settled in the working-class area of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. His mother, Rosalie (née Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for
the mentally handicapped; his father, Julius Rock, was a former truck driver
and newspaper deliveryman. Julius died in 1988 after ulcer surgery. His younger brothers Tony, Kenny and Jordan are also in the
entertainment business. His older half-brother, Charles, died in 2006 due to a
long struggle with alcoholism. Rock has said that he was influenced by the
performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher.
Rock was bused to schools in predominately white neighborhoods of Brooklyn where he
endured bullying and beatings from white students. As he got older, the bullying became
worse and Rock's parents pulled him out of James Madison High School. He decided to drop out of high school altogether and later
received a GED. Rock worked menial jobs at various fast-food
restaurants.
Rock has
been married to Malaak Compton-Rock since November 23, 1996. She is the founder
and executive director of StyleWorks, a non-profit, full-service salon that provides free services for
women leaving welfare and entering the workforce. They have two daughters together, Lola
Simone (born June 28, 2002) and Zahra Savannah (born May 22, 2004).
Rock resides
in Alpine, New Jersey. It is an affluent borough.
According to Forbes, Alpine ranks first, along with
Greenwich, Connecticut in "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes" for
2009, with a median home price of $4.14 million.
In 2008,
Rock's family history was profiled on the PBS series African
American Lives 2.
A DNA test showed that he is descended from
the Udeme people of northern Cameroon. Rock's great-great-grandfather Julius Caesar Tingman was a slave for
21 years before serving as part of the United States Colored Troops until 1866; Tingman fought in the American
Civil War. During
the 1940s, Rock's grandfather Alan Rock moved from South Carolina to New York
City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.
01- Check the correct sentence according
to the text:
a.
Rock's grandfather was from Cameroon
b. The Rocks live in Brooklyn
c. Chris Rock is fifty five years old
d. Rock's great grandfather was a
slave
e. Julius Caesar fought in the American Civil War
02- When his dad passed away, Rock was
_______________years old.
a.
twenty b. twenty one c. twenty two d. twenty three e.
twenty four
03- Allen Rock was Julius's
____________.
a.
brother-in-law b.
brother c. dad
d. nephew
e. grandfather
04- Choose the correct alternative
according to the text:
a.
Malaak was born in Andrews
b. Julius was Allen Rock's son
c. Chris Rock graduated at James
Madison High School
d. Chris Rock and Malaak got married
thirteen years ago
e. Allen Rock was born in Alpine
05- Tony is Malaak's _________________.
a.
brother-in-law b. sibling c. son d. cousin e.
nephew
06- Check the correct sentence
according to the text:
a.
Chris Rock's mother was a
teacher
b. Julius Rock passed away in 2006
c. Allen Rock died in 1988
d. Zahra is older than Lola
e. Rock was born in Brooklyn
