Vocabulary - TED Talk by Stacey Kramer: The best gift I ever survived
| Stacey Kramer is a co-founder of Brandplay, a brand strategy firm, and Word for Word, a naming and branding consultancy serving national and global companies. She has traveled the world helping to create names and brands for growing companies. |  |
A. Pre-viewing
| Before watching a video in which Stacey talks about her life-changing story, familiarize yourself with the following entries: | |
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B. Listening Comprehension
Read the following words and guess what they may possibly mean. Then watch the video and complete this matching task by referring to the context of the video.
Video ©TED.com
Click here to watch the video
Video ©TED.com
C. Synonym
You can improve your memory of a word by associating it with its synonyms. A synonym is a word that has the same, or nearly the same meaning as another word.
In the exercise below, three synonyms are provided for each bolded word in the following sentences taken from the talk. Watch the video again and observe how these words are used in a larger context. Select the synonym that best fits that context. Consult a dictionary when necessary.
In the exercise below, three synonyms are provided for each bolded word in the following sentences taken from the talk. Watch the video again and observe how these words are used in a larger context. Select the synonym that best fits that context. Consult a dictionary when necessary.
| 1. | I'd like for you to picture a gift in your mind. It's not too big - about the size of a golf ball. So envision what it looks like all wrapped up. | ||
| imagine |
Correct! | ||
| consider |
Sorry! | ||
| regard |
Sorry!
| ||
| 2. | You will feel loved and appreciated like never before and reconnect with friends and acquaintances you haven't heard from in years. | ||
| neighbors |
Sorry!
| ||
| partners |
Sorry! | ||
| associates |
Correct! | ||
| 3. | You will feel loved and appreciated like never before and reconnect with friends and acquaintances you haven't heard from in years. Adoration and admiration will overwhelm you. | ||
| appreciation |
Correct! | ||
| idolization |
Sorry! | ||
| glorification |
Sorry!
| ||
| 4. | Adoration and admiration will overwhelm you. | ||
| overpower |
Sorry!
| ||
| astonish |
Correct!
| ||
| daze |
Sorry!
| ||
| 5. | It will recalibrate what's most important in your life. | ||
| remodel |
Sorry!
| ||
| transform |
Sorry! | ||
| adjust |
Correct! | ||
| 6. | It will redefine your sense of spirituality and faith. You'll have a new understanding and trust in your body. You'll have unsurpassed vitality and energy. | ||
| incomparable |
Correct! | ||
| alone |
Sorry! | ||
| unmatched |
Sorry!
| ||
| 7. | You'll have unsurpassed vitality and energy. You'll expand your vocabulary, meet new people, and you'll have a healthier lifestyle. And get this -- you'll have an eight-week vacation of doing absolutely nothing. | ||
| dynamism |
Sorry! | ||
| spirit |
Sorry! | ||
| vigor |
Correct! | ||
| 8. | You'll eat countless gourmet meals. Flowers will arrive by the truckload. | ||
| large number |
Sorry!
| ||
| amount that will fill a truck |
Sorry! | ||
| dozen |
Correct! | ||
| 9. | You'll be challenged, inspired, motivated and humbled. | ||
| abased |
Sorry!
| ||
| humiliated |
Sorry! | ||
| deflated |
Correct! | ||
| 10. | Your life will have new meaning. Peace, health, serenity, happiness, nirvana. | ||
| cool |
Sorry!
| ||
| equilibrium |
Sorry! | ||
| calmness |
Correct! | ||
| 11. | And while I'm okay now, I wouldn't wish this gift for you. I'm not sure you'd want it. But I wouldn't change my experience. It profoundly altered my life in ways I didn't expect in all the ways I just shared with you. | ||
| affectingly |
Sorry!
| ||
| thoroughly |
Correct!
| ||
| abjectly |
Sorry!
| ||
D. Using vocabulary
Read the following words and guess what they may possibly mean. Then watch the video and complete this matching task by referring to the context of the video.
| envision | acquaintance | recalibrate | truckload |
| unsurpassed | vitality | serenity | profoundly |
| admiration | humble | overwhelm | nirvana |
- We were by the number of applications.
- Mr. Davidson is my business who should be given credits to the tremendous growth of the company.
- Young idealists an equal society, free of poverty and disease.
- We didn't even upgrade the equipment or the controls.
- His knowledge of the subject is . Nobody knows as much as he does.
- The new factory should improve the economic of the region.
- I admired her in the midst of so much chaos.
- We are all grateful for your help and encouragement.
- We expected that they would brag and put everyone down when they won the match but to our surprise they were totally .
- I have the greatest for all those involved in the humanity project.
- Donations of food and medicines have been arriving by the all week.
- Buddhists believe in a continuous cycle of births and deaths until the soul is perfected and achieves .
Transcription
Imagine, if you will -- a gift. I'd like for you to picture it in your mind. It's not too big -- about the size of a golf ball. So envision what it looks like all wrapped up. But before I show you what's inside, I will tell you, it's going to do incredible things for you. It will bring all of your family together. You will feel loved and appreciated like never before and reconnect with friends and acquaintances you haven't heard from in years. Adoration and admiration will overwhelm you. It will recalibrate what's most important in your life.
It will redefine your sense of spirituality and faith. You'll have a new understanding and trust in your body. You'll have unsurpassed vitality and energy. You'll expand your vocabulary, meet new people, and you'll have a healthier lifestyle. And get this -- you'll have an eight-week vacation of doing absolutely nothing.
You'll eat countless gourmet meals. Flowers will arrive by the truckload. People will say to you, "You look great. Have you had any work done?" And you'll have a lifetime supply of good drugs.
You'll be challenged, inspired, motivated and humbled. Your life will have new meaning. Peace, health, serenity, happiness, nirvana. The price? $55,000, and that's an incredible deal.
By now I know you're dying to know what it is and where you can get one. Does Amazon carry it? Does it have the Apple logo on it? Is there a waiting list? Not likely. This gift came to me about five months ago. It looked more like this when it was all wrapped up -- not quite so pretty. And this, and then this. It was a rare gem -- a brain tumor, hemangioblastoma --the gift that keeps on giving.
And while I'm okay now, I wouldn't wish this gift for you. I'm not sure you'd want it. But I wouldn't change my experience. It profoundly altered my life in ways I didn't expect in all the ways I just shared with you.
So the next time you're faced with something that's unexpected, unwanted and uncertain, consider that it just may be a gift.
(Applause)
It will redefine your sense of spirituality and faith. You'll have a new understanding and trust in your body. You'll have unsurpassed vitality and energy. You'll expand your vocabulary, meet new people, and you'll have a healthier lifestyle. And get this -- you'll have an eight-week vacation of doing absolutely nothing.
You'll eat countless gourmet meals. Flowers will arrive by the truckload. People will say to you, "You look great. Have you had any work done?" And you'll have a lifetime supply of good drugs.
You'll be challenged, inspired, motivated and humbled. Your life will have new meaning. Peace, health, serenity, happiness, nirvana. The price? $55,000, and that's an incredible deal.
By now I know you're dying to know what it is and where you can get one. Does Amazon carry it? Does it have the Apple logo on it? Is there a waiting list? Not likely. This gift came to me about five months ago. It looked more like this when it was all wrapped up -- not quite so pretty. And this, and then this. It was a rare gem -- a brain tumor, hemangioblastoma --the gift that keeps on giving.
And while I'm okay now, I wouldn't wish this gift for you. I'm not sure you'd want it. But I wouldn't change my experience. It profoundly altered my life in ways I didn't expect in all the ways I just shared with you.
So the next time you're faced with something that's unexpected, unwanted and uncertain, consider that it just may be a gift.
(Applause)
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