Pep talk from Kid President!

Buenos días amigos!

How are you today? It’s Friday today and we want to leave you with a fantastic message from Internet sensation Kid President.

This video has gone viral during the past week and we think it’s a great way to learn some English. Why? It’s full of interesting words and expressions, AND we all love a bit of inspiration at ABA English.

Ready?

1. Read the text
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Watch the video

Text

I think we all need a pep talk.

The world needs you to stop being boring.  Yeah, you.  Boring is easy.  Everybody can be boring.  But you’re gooder than that.  Life is not a game, people.  Life isn’t a cereal either.  Well, it is a cereal.  And if life is a game, are we on the same team?  I mean really, right?  I’m on your team, be on my team.

This is life people.  You got air coming through your nose, you got a heartbeat.  That means it’s time to do something.

A poem: Two roads diverged in the woods and I took the road less traveled and it hurt man!  Really bad!  Rocks, thorns, and glass… My pants broke!  Why?  Not cool Robert Frost!

But what if there really were to paths?  I want to be on the one that leads to awesome.  Just like that dude Journey said, “Don’t stop believing, unless your dream is stupid, then you should get a better dream.”  I think that’s how it goes.  Get a better dream then keep going, keep going, keep going, and keep going.

What if Michael Jordan had quit?  Well, he did quit.  No he retired.  Yeah, that’s right, he retired.  But before that, in high school, what if he quit when he didn’t make the team?  He would’ve never made Space Jam and I love Space Jam.

What will be your Space Jam?  What will you create that will make the world awesome?  Nothing if you keep sitting there, that’s why I’m talking to you today.  This is your time, this is my time, this is our time.  We can make every day better for each other.  But if we’re all on the same team let’s start acting like it.  We got work to do.  We can cry about it or we can dance about it.  We were made to be awesome.  Let’s get out there!

I don’t know everything, I’m just a kid.  But I do know this: it’s everybody’s duty to give the world a reason to dance so get to it.

You’ve just been pep talked.  Create something that will make the world awesome.  Play ball.

Oh hi everybody.  We’re all working hard to make this an awesome year for other people.  And you guys are doing it!  You’ve been super encouraging to me so I wanted to return the favor?  Who do you know who needs some encouragement.  Pass this pep talk along and let’s get the whole world to dance.

I’m dedicating this video today to my friend Gabby.  She’s a cool kid, she likes pancakes, and she’s fighting cancer like a boss!  And to all you watching, who encourages you?  Send them this video and let them know.  So get to it!

Bye.

Vocabulary

Pep talk – a short speech that is given to encourage someone to work harder, to feel more confident and enthusiastic, etc.

Cereal – a breakfast food made from grain.

Diverged – to split and move out in different directions from a single point.

Thorns – a sharp point on the stem of some plants.

Robert Frost – an American poet.

Quit – to stop doing (an action or activity).

Retired – to stop a job or career because you have reached the age when you are not allowed to work anymore or do not need or want to work anymore.

Encouraging – to make (someone) more determined, hopeful, or confident.

 

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