Can You Imagine What I Would Do If I Could Do All I Can?: Nowadays Issues Appreciating Matter Annoys

Before reading the text, discuss these questions:
1. Is it difficult for you to make decisions? Do you often look for the opinions of other
people before you decide on something?
2. Are you the kind of person that looks for excuses when it comes to doing things that need a
lot of effort? (ex. giving up smoking, exercising regularly, learning a foreign language on a
daily basis etc.)
3. Do you regret not doing something in the past because you know that if you had done it,
your present life would be better?
4. How do you understand the quote by Sun Tzu :
Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?
THE IF GENERATION
Nowadays, many people have issues with appreciating what they have; it is always the
matter of ‘If I were richer…’, ‘If I were younger…’, ‘If I were him…’ etc. I don’t have a
problem with the fact that we want more from our lives; what annoys me is the fact that we
keep saying what we would do ‘IF’ …
When I was younger, I thought that if my parents had been richer I could have been more
fortunate with my life. I was losing my time on thinking that if I had been born in the family
of my cousin, I would have enjoyed private tennis lessons, skiing holidays in Austria or
expensive, fashionable clothes. What I didn’t take into consideration back then was the fact
that I didn’t really like sport, I absolutely hated skiing and expensive clothes often covered
the lack of personality. In other words, I was jealous of the things that I didn’t want in reality.
Nowadays I keep finding myself the new ‘ifs’ that can successfully keep me away from being
happy. I think that if I had more time, I would start going to the gym; if I had more money, I
would eat healthy etc. Result? An overweight 30-year-old woman, always complaining about
how difficult life is.
But the problem of ‘ifs’ doesn’t finish here. We tend to overuse the 1st conditional in quite
straightforward situations. ‘I’ll visit you if I have time’ usually means ‘I won’t visit you, I’m
busy’ or ‘I will lend you the money if I can’ equals: ‘ I will not lend you the money, don’t put
me in an uncomfortable situation’. Why do we choose to send confusing messages when
we can simply say what we think? We have to be not only politically correct anymore, we
must be socially correct too.
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE TEXT
Answer Yes or No:
1. Is the author annoyed with the fact that nowadays people don’t appreciate their lives?
Yes/No
2. Does the author regret not being able to train tennis? Yes/No
3. Does the author think that expensive clothes may compensate for an uninteresting character?
Yes/No
4. Is the author physically fit? Yes/No
5. Is the author happy with her life? Yes/No
6. Does the author think that people often say things which they don’t mean? Yes/No
Answer the questions in your own words:
1. What is the author’s opinion about the way we live today?

2. What does the author criticize in people’s characters?
3. What does the author mean when she says that we must be socially correct?
What do you think?
1. Do you agree with the author’s opinion that we are the ‘IF’ generation?
2. Do you find any similarities between your and the author’s way of thinking?
3. Are you socially correct in the way it is described in the text?
THE IF GENERATION – VOCABULARY
Match the English words with their French equivalents:
1. Nowadays a. to make someone angry

2. Issue b. to put or spread something over something
3. Appreciate (v) c. to say that something is wrong or not satisfactory
4. Matter d. to recognize how good someone or something is and to value them
5. Annoy (v) e. to give something to someone for a short period of time, expecting it
to be given back
6. To be fortunate f. to continue or repeat an activity over and over again

7. Fashionable g. at the present time, in comparison to the past
8. Cover (v) h. not clear, difficult to understand
9. Keep doing sth (v) i. to be lucky
10. Overweight j. to be the same in value or amount as something else
11. Complain (v) k. a problem that people are thinking and talking about
12. Overuse (v) l. to use something too often or too much
13. Lend (v) m. fat
14. Equal (v) n. a situation or subject that is being dealt with or considered
15. Confusing o. popular at a particular time
Fill the gaps with the vocabulary items given above. Change the verb forms if necessary:
a. I ……………………..eating too much and that is why I am ……………………………..

b. Some clothes are ……………………………….., but definitely not comfortable.
c. I often ……………………………… money to my brother, but he never gives it back.
d. Old people ……………………………..about the fact that teenagers don’t respect them.
e. When you write an essay, don’t …………………………..the words like ‘good’, ‘bad’
or ‘nice’. They mean nothing.
f. I was really ……………………………..to be born in a rich family. I think my life was
much easier than some of my friends’.
g. I can sense that you have an ………………………….with me. Have I done something to
make you angry?
h. Some words in English are ………………………………because they resemble French
words with totally different meanings.
i. It …………………………………me when my neighbors play loud music after 10.00 p.m.
j. In the past, families spent a lot of time together; ……………………………, people are more
interested in watching T.V and surfing the internet.
k. I really …………………………………..what you have done for me; you are a great friend!
l. 2 + 2 ……………………………..4

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Before reading the text, discuss these questions:

Answer Yes or No:

Answer the questions in your own words:

1. What is the author’s opinion about the way we live today?

What do you think?

Match the English words with their French equivalents:

1. Nowadays a. to make someone angry

4. Matter d. to recognize how good someone or something is and to value them

6. To be fortunate f. to continue or repeat an activity over and over again

a. I ……………………..eating too much and that is why I am ……………………………..

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