Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

TED

1.4M views 15 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What kind of “life lesson” do you think a volunteer firefighter might learn?
Have you ever volunteered to help other people? What did you do?
When someone is successful, what are some ways they can “make a difference”?

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Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

The speaker’s two roles and the first fire (00:00 – 01:52)

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1. What are the speaker’s two main activities mentioned at the start?

He leads development at a nonprofit and volunteers as a firefighter.
He works for a hospital and volunteers at a soup kitchen.
He is a career firefighter and a police officer.

2. Why does the speaker say he has to arrive early at the fire scene?

Because volunteers are not allowed to enter buildings after midnight.
Because volunteers compete to get assignments and action.
Because the career staff refuses help from volunteers.

3. What assignment does the captain give the speaker?

Get the homeowner a pair of shoes from upstairs.
Rescue the homeowner’s dog.
Put out the fire in the kitchen.

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

Shoes vs. dog, and what the homeowner valued (01:52 – 02:50)

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1. How does the speaker describe himself after explaining the shoe mission?

He says he is the fastest volunteer.
He says he is no hero.
He says he should have been captain.

2. When they go outside, what gets more attention from the homeowner?

The shoes.
The dog.
The speaker’s uniform.

3. In the homeowner’s letter, what act of kindness does she especially mention?

Someone saved her family photos.
Someone brought her an umbrella.
Someone got her a pair of shoes.

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

The lesson: don’t wait to help + closing ad (02:50 – 04:41)

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1. What does the speaker say he has learned about acts of kindness and courage?

Only professionals can make a real difference.
Big acts and small individual acts all matter.
Only large, public acts matter.

2. What is the main advice the speaker gives about making a difference?

Give what you can now and don’t wait.
Wait until you are rich before helping.
Only help when you have a chance to save a life.

3. At the end, what does the speaker mean by “Save the shoes”?

Do the small helpful thing that matters to someone.
Always bring extra clothes to a fire.
Focus on competing with others to be first.

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

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1. Which message best summarizes the talk?

Success is mainly about being recognized for heroic actions.
Small, practical kindness can matter as much as dramatic help.
Volunteering is only useful in emergencies.

2. Why does the story include the detail about saving the dog?

To show that animals are more important than people.
To explain fire safety rules for pets.
To show the speaker’s jealousy and how recognition can distract from real help.

3. What is the purpose of the examples like “serve food” and “be a mentor”?

To show only certain jobs are valuable.
To suggest people should join the fire department.
To give realistic everyday ways to help immediately.

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

Do you agree that small actions can matter as much as big, dramatic actions? Why or why not?
Have you ever helped someone in a “small” way that turned out to be important to them?
Why do people sometimes want recognition for helping? Is that always a bad thing?
What is one concrete way you could “get in the game” this week (at school, work, or in your neighborhood)?