Unit 8: Life decisions

PRE-READING Predicting
Look at the photo. What decade of your life do you think is the most important? – 20s
For the longest time, adulthood—and the responsibilities that come with it—was thought to begin in
your 20s. After finishing school, 20-something-year-olds were expected to be independent, start
careers, and raise families. Many of today’s youth, however, are now delaying marriage, careers,
children, and other milestones of adulthood. In the last few years, the media has romanticized this
phenomena, coining phrases like “30 is the new 20” and “kidulthood.” As society has begun to believe
that it’s OK for young adults to put off commitments, it’s now increasingly acceptable for today’s 20-
somethings to work at low-level jobs and to live with their parents. Many “kidults” are leaving serious
decisions about work, marriage, and family until later, when they’re in their 30s.
Psychologist and TED speaker Meg Jay felt this way about her 20s, too, until she had what she calls an
“aha” moment.[1] What changed her mind? A 26-year-old woman named Alex. A 20-something herself,
Jay was just starting her career as a counselor when Alex came to see her. Alex wanted advice on how
to deal with her “knucklehead” boyfriend. Jay didn’t consider Alex’s problem to be serious; however,
her supervisor pointed out that maybe Alex had a more complex problem. Perhaps Alex wasn’t taking
her relationships seriously enough. In other words, even though Alex knew she was with a person who
wasn’t good enough for her, she might still end up marrying him or someone similar. “The best time to
work on Alex’s marriage,” the supervisor said, “is before she has one.”
Jay realized at that moment that the 20s aren’t a time for coasting, but rather, the best time to be
making serious choices about the future and preparing for adulthood. She points out that 80 percent of
life’s most defining moments take place by age 35. This means that eight out of ten of life’s important
decisions and experiences will have happened by your mid-30s. Jay refers to research that backs this
up:[2]
 Female fertility peaks at age 28.
 More than half of Americans are married to or dating their future partners by the age of
30.
 Approximately 70 percent of lifetime wage growth happens in the first ten years of a
career.
 The brain ends its final growth spurt[3] in the 20s, as it begins to rewire[4] itself for
adulthood. This means that if you want to change something about yourself, your 20s is
a good time to do it.
According to Jay, “[American] culture has ‘trivialized’ young adulthood,” reinforcing the message that
it’s OK to extend adolescence. In an interview with National Public Radio, Jay said that more and more
people these days suffer from “present bias.” In other words, they place more value on immediate
rewards than on achieving long-term goals. But Jay is hopeful that more 20-somethings will start
thinking ahead. A lot of what she does with her 20-something clients is to ask them specific questions
about the future, such as where they hope they will be in five or ten years, if they want children, or
what type of job they hope to get. She believes that in order to pursue a happier, more fulfilling future,
what’s important is not only thinking about these things, but thinking about them at the right stage of
your life. And in Jay’s opinion, the critical period for adult development is actually in your 20s.
[1] an “aha” moment: n. a situation in which a person has an important realization
[2] back something up: v. to support it
[3] growth spurt: n. a period when a thing or a person grows a lot in a short period of time
[4] rewire: v. to change the connections between neurons in the brain
UNDERSTANDING MAIN IDEAS
INSTRUCTIONS
Answer the question.
Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A. Many people in their 20s are unable to handle the responsibilities that come with adulthood.
B. The 20s are an important time to make decisions about the future because many important
social and biological milestones occur during that period.
C. We are currently experiencing serious social problems because the media has convinced young
people that their 20s aren't important.
UNDERSTANDING DETAILS
SCANNING FOR FACTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Scan the passage to complete the facts below.
1.  About 80 percent of major life decisions are made by age _____35_______________.

2.  Over ________50____________ percent of Americans will have met their future partners by the time
they turn 30.

3.  In your _________20s___________, your brain starts preparing you for adulthood.

BUILDING VOCABULARY
INSTRUCTIONS
A  Complete the sentences using the correct form of the words in blue from the passage.
1. Graduating from college is a(n) ____defining momment___________ for many people.

2. Neuroscientists now believe that intelligence can ______peak_________ at any time up to age 40.

3. Experts say that if you're just _____coasting__________ at work, it's probably time to get a new job.
4. Some sociologists worry that reality TV shows such as The
Bachelor _______trivialize________ important life milestones, such as marriage.

5. I had to ______extend_________ my medical leave because I still wasn't feeling well enough for work.