Friday, July 13, 2012

THE BUSY TRAP



By: Tim Kreider

Published: June 30, 2012; The New York Times http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/?_r=0
Level of Difficulty: **

WATCH, LISTEN AND CONSIDER
·         The busy trap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oTCDILAi24

·         The busy trap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tgcTu5zFWQ

Thanks are due to my friend and colleague Valerie Needham for this interesting text

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       Describe the 20th century life style.

2.       How does such a life style effect one?

3.       Is this life style actually dictated by outside factors or is it self- imposed?

QUESTIONS

1.       People who describe themselves as busy are actually feeling ………………………………………..

2.       Why do people seem to voluntarily clutter up their lives and leave themselves no breathing space?

3.       Read the account of the telephone conversation in paragraph 3. Now describe in your own words what it is that the writer’s friend is unable to do. What effect do you think such an attitude has on people?

4.       What does the phrase “those three hours” refer to? What can we surmise about how the writer likes to live his life? Use your own words.

5.       Read the account of the conversation with the friend in the south of France. Use your own words to describe why she is so much happier.

6.       This friend’s relocation to France not only affected her mood, stress levels and social circle; she also realised something rather important too. It was the fact that …………………………………………………………………..

7.       Why exactly do we collectively force each other to be so busy?

8.       What conclusion does the writer reach concerning work and its consequences in the modern world?

9.       Why exactly do people enjoy complaining that they are busy?

10.   What was the writer’s rather unusual reaction to work overload?

11.   What is the paradox when trying to write?

12.   Why can idleness lead to creativity and innovation?

13.   What goal of the modern world would the Puritans agree with?

14.   According to what principle has the writer been living his life? You will need to tweak the text.

WRITING TASK

Having read and discussed the text, write a reaction essay on the topic. If you don’t remember how to write such an essay, check out my paper on the topic: I will Shout It from the Rooftops; alternatively, consult your teacher.

 THE BUSY TRAP KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This text discusses a very topical issue and reaches some conclusions that may not be immediately apparent. For this reason it, it should lend itself to a reaction essay. The questions where students have to use their own words are very important in helping them prepare for those multiple choice questions they get on tests. Level wise, I thought it was ** but let me know if you don’t agree.

1.       Tired, exhausted

2.       Because of their own ambition, drive or anxiety, addiction to busyness and dread of what they might have to face in its absence.

3.       Make a spontaneous arrangement to relax; to chill out; to spend time with a friend. It makes people increasingly stressed and unhappy, it could lead to a host of stress related illnesses.

4.       Three hours of totally unstructured, largely unsupervised time every afternoon; he likes personal time, he can’t bear to live a regimented life (possible answer).

5.       Possible answer: She has slowed down and is, therefore, much more relaxed and much less driven.

6.       Her personality turned out to be a deformative effect of her environment.

7.       Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness.

8.       It is a form of institutional self delusion; histrionic exhaustion is a way of covering up the fact that most of what we do doesn’t matter.

9.       It makes them feel important, sought after and put upon.

10.   Fleeing town to an undisclosed location.

11.   It is hard to find anything to say about life…

12.   The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and …

13.   Full employment.

14.   Time is more important than money.

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