Unit 8- TEDTALKS

MEG JAY believes that young adults should be planning their lives more consciously than many of
them are doing today. Exploration is OK in the 20s, she says, but unless it has a real focus, Jay
considers it procrastination. To avoid having an identity crisis in your 20s, Jay recommends using the
time to make an investment in yourself instead. She believes that new opportunities are more likely to
come from people we don’t know, rather than our peers.
Meg Jay’s idea worth spreading is that the 20s are the defining decade of adulthood.
PREVIEWING
INSTRUCTIONS
Read the paragraphs. Highlight the correct meaning of each bold word. You will hear these words in the
TED Talk.

1. If you do something consciously , you do it ( with intention  / carelessly ).

2. Procrastination is the act of ( forgetting / delaying  ) something.
3. If you are having an identity crisis , you are unsure of ( your purpose in life  / what to call
someone  ).
4. An investment refers to the ( time or effort  / thought ) that you put into something.
5. Your peers are people who are ( similar to  / different from  ) you in age, rank, or ability.

VIEWING
INSTRUCTIONS
A    8.10  Watch Part 1 of the TED Talk. Then answer the question.
Choose the statements that are true about Emma.
a. She was underemployed.
b. She had a well-paying job.
c. Her boyfriend didn't always treat her well.
d. Her boyfriend was very ambitious.
e. She had an unhappy childhood.
f. She had negative feelings about her family.
g. She had a serious health problem.
h. She had nobody to rely on in a crisis.

INSTRUCTIONS

B  8.11  Watch Part 2 of the TED Talk. Choose the correct paraphrase for each piece of advice Meg Jay
gave to Emma.
1.
"Get identity capital."

a. Develop your qualities and skills by getting some experience.

b. Become wealthier by putting your money into reliable investments.

2. "Explore work and make it count."
a. Try new things, but get a job that you're genuinely interested in.

b. Try new things, but only take jobs that pay well.
3. "Connect with weak ties."

a. Build close relationships with everyone you know.

b. Get in touch with people who aren't close to you, such as friends of friends.
4. "Pick your family."

a. Change your attitude toward the family you were born into.

b. Create your own family by choosing a partner and having children.

C. Which of these pieces of advice is Meg Jay most likely to agree with?
a. Try your best to stay positive and be happy with your current situation.
b. Be honest with yourself and use all the information available to you to make decisions.
c. Don’t take love and work too seriously—it will all work out in the end.

INSTRUCTIONS
D    8.12 Watch Part 3 of the TED Talk. How did Emma follow Meg Jay’s advice and turn her life around?
Order the events from 1 to 4. Then click Check All.

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INSTRUCTIONS
E  Meg Jay compares 20-somethings to airplanes taking off. What does she mean by this analogy?
 
a. Small actions and events can help transform and shape the lives of 20-somethings.
b. 20-somethings must be clear where they want to go in life and learn how to stay the course.

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
A     8.13  Watch the excerpts from the TED Talk. Choose the correct meaning of the words.
 B  Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
 inner circles
 kill time
 collect
 like-minded

1. I often ____kill time________ by reading magazines and listening to music.

2. After hearing the bad news, she paused for a moment to  ___collect_________ herself.

3. Meg Jay encourages 20-somethings to form relationships beyond their ____inner

circle______ and broaden their life experiences.

4. A study by two colleges found that we are often more attracted to _____like-minded_______ people.