Home | Technology | Work | Social Media
A summer trip with the family to a theme park seems like a wonderful idea. As you load up the car, the kids can hardly contain their excitement. Along the way, you have to deal with a fl at tire, and at the park, there are the usual high prices, long lines, occasional rudeness, and mediocre food. It’s a relief when you get home, and you tell yourself it’s the last time you’ll go. But somehow, in the following months, all the negative memories seem to fade, leaving mostly happy recollections and the general sense that you had a good time. Next summer, or the summer after that, you will probably look forward to going again.
The memory changes described above are what psychologists call rosy retrospection, a cognitive bias that makes past events seem more positive upon later refl ection than they were in reality. Several studies have confi rmed this bias. For example, bicyclists who were surveyed before, during, and after a three-week tour recalled their trip in a more positive light after some time had elapsed. This provides evidence of a phenomenon known as fading affect bias, that is, the way the brain retains positive memories while allowing negative ones to fade.
This distorted yet rosy view of the past seems to have a largely positive effect on our well-being as viewing life positively is a coping mechanism that helps fi ght depression while bolstering an individual’s sense of self-esteem and belief in personal control over infl uences that shape our lives. At work, letting go of negative memories reduces anxiety and enhances productivity. Furthermore, forgetting the pain of past failures eliminates the consequent regrets and fears that could be barriers to healthy risk-taking.
However, rosy retrospection has drawbacks. Since we learn from our mistakes, forgetting their negative consequences can prevent us from learning valuable lessons. As a result, we might fi nd ourselves repeatedly in the same bad situation.
For example, if you only remember the exciting aspects of a hike climbing a mountain with friends and not how much you regretted having sore legs for a week after, you could easily fi nd yourself making the same mistake again. Rosy retrospection has also been linked to a declinist perspective: the belief that a situation is in decline and heading, in the long run, toward collapse. Adopting this perspective instills the idea that our best days are behind us and a yearning for “the good old days.” Declinist arguments are often used by politicians, and although historians have shown that they are frequently false, they can effectively appeal to a bias toward a past that looks enviable in retrospect.
5
10
15
20
25
If you say someone sees the world through rose-colored glasses, you mean they prefer to see
everything in a positive light.
lesson
120 UnIt 10
4
KATE SANDS
@KateS
Everyone says college is the best time of your life. But I’m not so sure I agree.
ReAd ABoUt memoRIes
StartUp Student Book 7 9780134684215.indb 120M10 StartUp TE 7 80822.indd 16 12/11/2019 09:2317/12/19 4:51 PM
www.frenglish.ru
3 CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Answer the questions according to the article.
1. What is the purpose of the story in the first paragraph?
2. What is the relationship between fading affect bias and rosy retrospection?
3. How is a declinist perspective sometimes exploited?
4. How does the writer suggest we deal with the effects of rosy retrospection?
CLOSE READING Reread the lines. Then circle the correct answers.
1. In the sentence in lines 9–10, why does the author use the phrase that is?
a. to introduce a phrase with the same meaning as fading affect bias b. to introduce the cause of fading affect bias
c. to provide an example of fading affect bias
2. Which sentence is closest in meaning to the sentence in lines 24–26?
a. Because they are often false, declinist arguments have limited appeal in politics.
b. In politics, declinist arguments, despite often being false, are persuasive.
c. Declinist arguments by politicians are frequently unconvincing and exposed as false.
Read the Reading Skill.
Then complete the chart.
Causes Effects
1. letting go of negative memories 2. forgetting the pain of past failures 3. forgetting the negative consequences
of mistakes
4. a declinist perspective 5. an awareness of the effects of
rosy retrospection
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
4 MAKE IT PERSONAL
THINK What did you do yesterday? List three things that you remember fondly and three things you’d rather forget. What are you most likely to remember about yesterday?
GROUPS Compare yesterday’s fond and unpleasant memories and decide which ones are most likely to be remembered over time.
EVALUATE From the group’s findings, write a list of three rules that seem to influence whether a memory will be retained or not.
Search song lyrics or poems for words like memory, remember, and recall. Identify examples that do and don’t feature rosy retrospection.
So, while researchers have confirmed the benefits of rosy retrospection for our well-being and its value as a coping mechanism, by maintaining an awareness of its effects, we can also improve the accuracy of our judgment and decision- making. This might help us avoid falling into a declinist perspective. In sum, rosy retrospection should have a net positive effect as long as we make sure not to prefer that rosy view of the past to a genuinely bright future.
30
READING SKILL Use a cause-and-effect T-chart Using a T-chart with causes on the left in line with their effects on the right allows you to clearly visualize the effects of phenomena to understand them better.
UnIt 10 121 I cAn ReAd ABoUt memoRIes.
StartUp Student Book 7 9780134684215.indb 121 12/11/2019 09:23
3.
PAIRS Summarize the article in 3–5 sentences.
M10 StartUp TE 7 80822.indd 19 17/12/19 4:51 PM
www.frenglish.ru
1 BEFORE YOU WRITE
Read about reports.
In work situations, employees may go to see a lecture or a presentation on a relevant topic. Sometimes the employee is asked to prepare a report to share with other colleagues. The report should summarize the important information and include any
“takeaways” or action items: ideas that can be put to use in the employee’s workplace.
Read the report. What takeaways did Kate include?
PAIRS Do you think the takeaways are useful? Are there other takeaways you can think of?
Read the model again. Complete Kate’s notes.
Key words Notes Jessica O.
Matthews background
- when sophomore at Harvard, went to aunt’s wedding in Nigeria - power went out; used diesel generator – noxious fumes
- engineering class assignment: invent something to help people in developing countries
>>
Overview
The presentation was about Jessica O. Matthews, the CEO of the company Uncharted Power. This company develops tech / energy products for areas with limited access to stable sources of electricity. The speaker discussed the company’s founding, its mission and products, and the personal values Matthews brings to the company.
Summary
Matthews fi rst got the idea for the company when she was a sophomore in college. After attending an aunt’s wedding in Nigeria, where the power went out, she came up with the idea for a soccer ball that stores the energy that is generated when it is played with. After one hour of play, this soccer ball (called the Soccket) can light an LED lamp for three hours; it can light the lamp for three days when fully charged.
After college, Matthews went on to found the company Uncharted Play. She added other energy-generating toys to her product line. Then, because she wanted to focus on tech products and not just on toys, Matthews changed the company name to Uncharted Power. The company now designs infrastructure facilities, such as a hydroelectric dam in Nigeria.
The speaker also focused on the personal challenges Matthews faces as a CEO who is a woman of color.
Because of her gender and ethnicity, Matthews believes
in the importance of having a diverse workforce and working in a diverse community. Uncharted Power is a successful company and an inspiration to others. They have won several awards, and they give back to their community, for example, by supporting the teaching of science, math, and design to students who lack opportunity.
Takeaways
TSW Media seeks to be innovative and to represent many different communities, so we can learn a lot from Jessica O. Matthews. Here are some possible takeaways:
1. We should think about the “unauthorized use” of objects. Matthews created the Soccket by taking an ordinary item and using it in a different way than was originally intended. Similarly, we should always be looking at items around us and considering the multiple uses they might have.
2. We can tap into the diversity of our workforce.
What talents, knowledge, or information might our employees bring to the table? Matthews got her idea by going to an aunt’s wedding in Nigeria. Perhaps our employees have knowledge from their personal lives that can inform the company of an unfulfi lled need.
3. We should make sure to create a diverse team.
We can look at our hiring choices, as Matthews did. Which communities can be better represented through these choices?
The Jessica O. Matthews Presentation – Summary Report
lesson
122 UnIt 10
5
KATE SANDS
@KateS
Writing a report on the Jessica Matthews presentation I saw with Carla last week.
Luckily, I took great notes!
wRIte A RePoRt
StartUp Student Book 7 9780134684215.indb 122 12/11/2019 09:23
—> invented the Soccket / a soccer ball that generates energy
M10 StartUp TE 7 80822.indd 20 17/12/19 4:51 PM
www.frenglish.ru
The Soccket - soccer ball that stores
- after one hour of play, can light generated when played with LED lamp for 3 hours!
, stays lit for 72 hours Uncharted
Play - after college, founded company Uncharted Play - created kinetic energy toys: jump rope, skateboard Uncharted
Power - changed name to Uncharted Power – to focus on
- address infrastructure problems –> hydroelectric dam project in Nigeria - funding from Disney
Diversity - other challenges: race, gender – rare as CEO
- hiring people from diverse backgrou 30-40% black or Latino - moved headquarters to Harlem – diverse neighborhood
What else? won: Fortune’s Most Promising Women, Forbes 30 under 30, Harvard, Tech Crunch - supports teaching math, science, design to students wholack opportunity
- inspires others
2 FOCUS ON WRITING
Read the Writing Skill. Then reread the notes in 1D and the model. Check (✓) the sentences that were included in the fi nal report.
1. Jessica O. Matthews got her fi rst idea when she was a sophomore in college.
2. The diesel generator in Nigeria created noxious fumes.
3. The Soccket is a soccer ball that stores the energy generated when it is used.
4. The workforce of Uncharted Power is 30–40% black or Latino.
5. Matthews won awards from Forbes, Fortune, Harvard, and Tech Crunch.
6. Uncharted Power supports teaching math, science, and design to students.
3 PLAN YOUR WRITING
Think of a lecture or presentation that you have recently attended, or choose one of the talks in this book. Review your notes or take new notes, using the chart in 1D as a model.
PAIRS Discuss your ideas.
I’m going to do a report on the lecture we just heard about life in the past.
4 WRITE
Write a fi rst draft of a report. Remember to omit unnecessary information. Use the report in 1B as a model.
5 AFTER YOUR FIRST DRAFT
PEER REVIEW Read your partner’s report. Answer the questions.
• Does the report have an overview that summarizes the topic?
• Is all of the information relevant? Can anything be eliminated? Is more information needed?
REVISE Write another draft based on the feedback you got from your partner.
PROOFREAD Check the spelling, grammar, and punctuation in your report.
Writing tip
“Sleep on it.” After your fi rst draft, or whenever you are feeling stuck, put it aside. Wait until the next day to come back to it. Your brain processes information and makes connections while you sleep. Coming back to the draft with fresh eyes can help you make improvements and continue more easily with the writing.
WRITING SKILL Omit unnecessary information Reports and summaries need to be concise and free of unnecessary information. Ask yourself: Does the reader need this information to make inferences or draw a conclusion about the topic? If not, you can probably cut that information.
UnIt 10 123 I cAn wRIte A RePoRt.
StartUp Student Book 7 9780134684215.indb 123 12/11/2019 09:23
- when
tech products
- awards
M10 StartUp TE 7 80822.indd 23 17/12/19 4:51 PM
www.frenglish.ru
1 PROBLEM SOLVING
CONSIDER THE PROBLEM The world’s estimated 7,000 languages are dying at a rate of about one every two weeks. When a language dies, unique words and expressions are lost.
Review the chart and circle the correct answers.
International phrases with unique meanings
Language Phrase Meaning
Hawaiian pana po’o scratching your head to help remember
Inuit iktsuarpok a feeling of anticipation waiting for someone to arrive Yaghan mamihlapinatapai two people wanting to do something but neither does it Yiddish luftmensch an impractical dreamer who is bad at business
1. The term luftmensch is the opposite of romantic / entrepreneur / idealist.
2. You might step outside to check for a guest when you feel mamihlapinatapai / iktsuarpok / pana po’o.
3. The phrase that most relates to memory is mamihlapinatapai / iktsuarpok / pana po’o.
Step 1 Brainstorm Think of 3–5 ways that we can prevent some of the world’s languages from disappearing.
Step 2 Evaluate Choose the best solution. Consider the impact that the solutions will have on preserving world cultures and diversity.
Step 3 Present Explain the best solution to the class. Refer to the chart to support your ideas.
2 REFLECT AND PLAN
Look back through the unit. Check (✓) the things you learned. Highlight the things you need to learn.
Speaking Objectives Talk about a
life-changing decision Talk about a
memoir Discuss life in the past
Vocabulary Phrasal verbs for talking about life events
Conversation Maintain interest with question tags
Pronunciation Auxiliary had
and stress in past perfect
Listening Comparisons
Note-taking Listen for reasons
Language Choices Future in the past Past perfect and past perfect continuous Expressing the past: Review
Discussion Ask rhetorical
questions
Reading Use a cause- and-effect T-chart
Writing Omit unnecessary information
What will you do to learn the things you highlighted?
In the app, do the Lesson 2 Language Choices activities: Past perfect and past perfect continuous.
Notes Done
PUt It togetHeR
124 UnIt 10
StartUp Student Book 7 9780134684215.indb 124 12/11/2019 09:23
THINK CRITICALLY Why do you think so many of the world’s languages are disappearing?
Why might this be considered a problem? Discuss with a partner.
FIND A SOLUTION Consider the problem mamihlapinatapai and possible solutions in small groups.
M10 StartUp TE 7 80822.indd 24 17/12/19 4:51 PM
www.frenglish.ru
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
01-02 Listen. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in the box.
high season low season plan ahead an itinerary plan out a day trip play it by ear open-ended impromptu serendipity take off
1. They didn’t . They just on Friday morning.
It was a(n) trip.
2. They don’t have a(n) . They are going to .
3. They went during . They took a(n) to the pyramids.