Watch the video (0:00–4:03) and choose the correct options

Transcript

Participant 1 Participant 2 Participant 3 Participant 4 Participant 5 Julian Huguet Person on the

phone 1 Person on the phone 2

Participant 1: Shut up!

Participant 2: What? Wait, wait.

Participant 3: Oh, he's gonna be so embarrassed.

Julian Huguet: What makes you happy? Having fun? Hanging out with friends? Delicious food?
Making money? Well, consider this. Psychologists have scientifically proven that one of the
greatest contributing factors to overall happiness in your life is how much gratitude you show.
Yeah, think about that. Go ahead and marinate on that for a second. You can thank me later if
you want. It will make you feel better according to this study. You go ahead and click on it and
read it if you want. Or, you can keep watching because we read it, we thought it might be fun to
test out for ourselves. We gathered a selection of volunteers to act as our subjects. First, we gave
them a test. They didn't know what we were looking for. But they gave us a pretty good idea of
their current level of happiness. We asked them to close their eyes and think of somebody who
was really influential in their life, somebody who did something really amazing or important for
them. We had them write down as much as they could about why this person was so important.
Now, a lot of them thought at this point the experiment was over until we really put them on the
spot and tried to get them to call that person and read what they wrote about them. Thank you,
Jessica. We are going to have to have you call your mother. So, who was that right person for
you?

Participant 1: The person is my sister Erica.

Julian Huguet: We're gonna give Erica a call.

Participant 1: Okay.

Julian Huguet: Who'd you end up picking?

Participant 3: Friend of mine, Greg Haines.

Participant 4: Her name is Dora.

Participant 5: My college accounting instructor.

Julian Huguet: Really?! Is this someone you're still in touch with today?

Participant 5: No, I'm assuming that he's passed on.

Julian Huguet: That's a shame.

Participant 5: To the great beyond.

Julian Huguet: You up for it?

Participant 3: Um, uh yes.

Julian Huguet: What would you say if we called up Dora?

Participant 4: Oh, we can try, but she lives in Britain.

Julian Huguet: In Britain?

Participant 2: I don't know her number by heart, this is awful.

Julian Huguet: That's fine, I don't know my mom's number by heart.

Participant 5: If it's true that those who are gone on are looking down on us, maybe he'll
recognise that he is great.

Person on the phone 1: Hey, sweetheart!

Participant 2: Hey, how're you doing? Um, you got a second? Where are you at, the hotel?

Person on the phone 1: I am, I'm in the hotel. Hon, you scared me when you asked if I had a
second, I thought something was wrong.

Participant 2: No, I'm on this little TV show, and they told me to talk about the person that
influenced me the most, and I picked you, and they're making me call, they're making me call
you.

Person on the phone 1: Oh, wonderful!

Participant 1: Oh, come on.

Person on the phone 2: Hello?

Participant 1: Hi! Erica, it's me.

Participant 2: Alright, so I gotta read you this paragraph, can you hear me?

Person on the phone 1: Yes, I can. Go ahead, sweetheart.

 Participant 2: Alright. The person that influenced me the most would be my mother, Marlow
Dawson. She is a single mother of two, she is a very hard worker and dedicated to her family.

Participant 3: Hey, Craig, this is Lowy. Um, this is gonna be a funny little voicemail, so I hope
you enjoy it.

Participant 4: I'm so sorry for calling you at 4 o'clock in the morning!

Participant 1: I have to read this to you, okay? And you can't say anything or... I don't know. You
can respond, but I probably will just keep going, okay?

Person on the phone 2: Is everything okay?

Participant 1: Yes! But I have to read this out loud to you.

Participant 5: The person who has had the biggest impact on my life, outside of Jesus Christ who
is responsible for my existence, was my college accounting instructor. He had a joy and
enthusiasm for his job like no other teacher I have ever known.

Participant 2: I love her to death, and she keeps me going with positive talk, she is a woman that
knows what she wants and won't give up until it is achieved.

Person on the phone 1: Oh, pumpkin, I don't know what to... I'm about to cry because that's so
beautiful. I have to say that's just wonderful.

Choose the correct points

1. Who did the participants call?

 a relative
 a classmate
 a teacher
 a friend
 a colleague
2. What was the purpose of the calls?

 to show gratitude
 to organise a meeting
  to ask them how they have been

3. Who did the participants call?

 a relative
 a classmate
 a teacher
 a friend
 a colleague
4. What was the purpose of the calls?

 to show gratitude
 to organise a meeting
 to ask them how they have been

Discuss

 How do you think most people would react if they got a call like that?
 How can you express gratitude to the people you love?

1. Which of these things do the speakers mention?

 a break-up
 education
 financial support
  someone's health
2. Which test were the participants given?

 a maths test
 a personality test
 a happiness test
3. What did the people whose happiness increased by 2–4 percent do?

 They talked about a person they are grateful to.

 They wrote a letter expressing their gratitude.
 They wrote a letter and called someone.
4. According to the host, what makes him trustworthy?

 He is a doctor.
 He is a scientist.
 He's wearing a lab coat.

1. Which of these things do the speakers mention?

a break-up

education

financial support

someone's health
2. Which test were the participants given?

a maths test

a personality test

a happiness test
3. What did the people whose happiness increased by 2–4 percent do?
 They talked about a person they are grateful to.

They wrote a letter expressing their gratitude.

They wrote a letter and called someone.

4. According to the host, what makes him trustworthy?

He is a doctor.

He is a scientist.

He's wearing a lab coat.