Matt Cutts' TED Talk Quiz

Quiz Questions

Print out the questions or simply write down the answers on a sheet of paper.

1.  stuck in a rut /  end up  /  figure out  /  running around  /  flying by  /  flying away

Fill in the blanks below with the correct phrases that are listed above. (Note: you only need to use 3 of these phrases).

Many university students are _______________ about a year after they get their first job. They know they need to advance to a better job but often the years go _____________ while they try to ______________ what to do next.

2. What does Matt Cutts mean when he says:  (check all of the correct answers)

I went from desk-dwelling computer nerd to the kind of guy who bikes to work — for fun.

a.  He doesn’t just sit at his desk all of the time.

b.  He doesn’t take the bus to work anymore.

c.  He used to work at the computer at his desk a lot before.

d.  He’s a different kind of person now.

3.  Matt Cutts said:

I went from desk-dwelling computer nerd to the kind of guy who bikes to work —

for fun. Even last year, I ended up hiking up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest

mountain in Africa.

What does he mean by ended up hiking:

a.  He likes hiking now.

b.  He quit biking and started hiking.

c.  He started biking and after becoming active in sports activities he was able to hike the tallest mountain in Africa.

d.  He decided this is the end of his sports activities.

4.  Which of the following explains how to make a cake from scratch:

a.  Get all of the different ingredients and mix them together then bake the cake.

b.  Use a box of cake mix and add milk and eggs then bake the cake.

c.  Buy a plain cake and cover it with frosting and decorations.

5.  Complete the paragraph below with the following words:

give it a shot  /  by the way  /  it turns out  /  to stick

Listening to TED Talks is a great way to learn new English words and phrases. But _____________, if you really want the new words _______________ you need to also use them by speaking and writing in English. ________________, you can practice using these words by leaving a comment on this TED Talk page. Why not _______________?

Quiz Answers

1. Many university students are stuck in a rut about a year after they get their first job. They know they need to advance to a better job but often the years go flying by while they try to figure out what to do next.

2.  a, c, d

He doesn’t just sit at his desk all of the time. (Now he’s active and sporty – he rides to work on his bike).  He used to work at the computer at his desk a lot before. (Before he worked so much at his computer it was like it was his home.)

He’s a different kind of person now. (He’s not just a computer nerd anymore. He’s interested in things besides the computer and is someone who is active in life, not just sitting in front of the computer).

3.  c

First he was just sitting at his computer working a lot. Then he started to bike to work. This got him motivated to be more active and the situation he was in later (ended up) was climbing the highest mountain.

4.  a

To bake a cake from scratch is to start from the beginning with all of the ingredients. (If you use a box of cake mix, you are not starting from the beginning because the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, etc. are already mixed together).

b.  Listening to TED Talks is a great way to learn new English words and phrases. But it turns out, if you really want the new words to stick you need to also use them by speaking and writing in English.  By the way, you can practice using these words by leaving a comment on this TED Talk page. Why not give it a shot?

How did you do on the quiz?  Click here to return to Matt Cutt's TED Talk page.