Into the future
Lesson 2
3 Speaking and reading a Have you ever made any resolutions? Did you stick to them? Why? / Why not? I was going to read more in English, but …
b Read this article about resolutions and take the test. What are some factors that are necessary for sticking to a resolution?
Sticking to those resolutions! How many people make resolutions or other promises, but fail to stick to them? Most resolutions don’t survive more than a few weeks after people make them – if people even start them at all! That’s because some of us have unrealistic expectations. So what’s the secret to sticking with plans and making them work? Here’s a little test: read the three cases below. Which of the people do you think stuck to his or her resolution and why? Why do you think both of the others failed?
Tom: I'm going to practice football for eight hours a day. I am already a good player. I'm going to make it on the national team and I'm going to be the next David Beckham!
Did you guess correctly? The successful person was Sam. He made a realistic plan for saving money based on how much he could earn in his free time. He was also motivated by his parents’ offer to help and he was content to reach his goal little by little. Martin: I’m going to lose fifteen kilos by my graduation day in March. I’m going to run 5 kilometers every day. If I go on an 800-calorie-a-day diet, I’ll lose about one and a half kilos a week. I will have lost the fifteen kilos in ten weeks! Sam: I’m going to save money so I can buy a computer when I graduate from college. I can work part-time two days a week and on Saturdays, so I can earn about $400 a month. My parents said that if I save $200 a month, they’ll help me with the rest.
Martin and Tom, on the other hand, are unlikely to be successful. They both had unrealistic expectations of what they could do. Martin wanted to reduce his calorie intake to almost dangerous levels and he planned an overly ambitious exercise routine. Of course, he didn’t stick to either of them! Tom should have thought more carefully about the amount of time he has available for football training. He would need several years to become a top class player, and he should have started training when he was much younger.
4 Writing and speaking a Write a resolution on a piece of paper. Explain how you plan to put your resolution into practice, and set a deadline for the results.
b In groups, talk about each person’s resolution. Is it realistic? Is there a good plan for carrying it out? Do you think the person will stick to it?
I’m going to lose weight. I’ll stop eating candy. I will have lost three kilograms by next month.
Unit 3
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