What Makes a Good Life?

Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness

by Robert Waldinger

https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_waldinger_what_makes_a_good_life_lessons_from_t
he_longest_study_on_happiness#t-697250

nouns Verbs adjectives adverbs phrases

millennial unfold rare downright lean in

hindsight decline concerned enter all walks of life
persistence magnify buffer sb from sth
sophomore bicker bicker with sb
octogenarian occur take a toll on sth
concern liven up
conflict hold a grudge
tenement
feud

preposition midst

VOCABULARY
A. Match the Vocabulary to the correct definition

1. Feud a. In the middle of

2. Bicker b. A person between 80 & 89

3. A grudge c. A house divided into and let as

separate residences.

4. Hindsight d. Argue about petty and trivial

matters.

5. Midst e. The continued or prolonged

existence of something.

6. Tenements f. Understanding of a situation or

event only after it has happened or
developed.

7. Magnify g. A second-year university or high-

school student.

8. Downright h. To an extreme degree; thoroughly.

9. Persistence i. A prolonged and bitter quarrel or

dispute.

10. Sophomore j. Reveal or disclose

11. Unfold k. Increase or exaggerate the

importance or effect of.

12. Octogenarian l. Denoting people reaching young

adulthood in the early 21st
century.

13. Millennials m. A persistent feeling of ill will or

resentment resulting from a past
insult or injury.

B. Choose the correct word below and complete the gaps (there are more words
than gaps)
hindsight occur midst sophomores conflict grudges octogenarians downright

rare concerns toll bicker unfold tenements millenials magnified

There was a recent survey of millenials asking them what their most important life goals were
and the outcome was many want to get rich in life. We wanted to see if this could happen.
But how? What if we could watch entire lives as they _______________(1) through time?
Most of what we know about human life we know by asking about the past, and as we know,
______________(2) is anything but 20/20. We forget vast amounts of what happens to us in
life, and sometimes memory is ______________(3) creative.

However, a study was conducted, which may be the longest study of adult life that's ever
been done because studies like this are exceedingly _____________(4). Since 1938, the lives
of two groups of men have been tracked. The first group started participating in the
study when they were _______________(5) at college, whereas others were from
disadvantaged families. Most of the second group lived in ______________(6) with no water
or livelihood.

The study consisted of videotaping men talking to their wives about their deepest
______________(7) and it became apparent to us that for lonely people who are not as happy
as the ones who had a beloved one in their lives more problems could _____________(8).
Families and relationships are not always great everyday, arguments can happen and people
can be upset with one another, but they get through the arguments and have good days.
However, some relationships can be mostly bad rather than good and these are known as high
______________(9) marriages, for example, without much affection, and they are bad for
peoples’ health. Whereas living in the _____________(10) of good, warm relationships is
protective.

In the end it was wanted to be seen who out of all the participants who would grow into
happy, healthy octogenarians. It became clear in the research that people in unhappy
relationships reported physical pain but it was ______________(11) by emotional pain. Some
couples would argue and ______________(12) but as long as they could work out the
problems then it never took a ______________(13) on their relationship or their memories.

They should never hold _______________(14) against one another if they want to be happy.
ANSWER KEY LISTENING - WHAT MAKES A GOOD LIFE?

Vocabulary

A. 1I 2D 3M 4F 5A 6C 7K 8H 9E 10G 11J 12B 13L

B. Fill in the gap

1. unfold

2. hindsight

3. downright

4. rare

5. sophomores

6. tenements

7. concerns

8. occur

9. conflict

10. midst

11. magnified

12. Bicker

13. toll

14. Grudges