Passage 1
Everyone has his or her own favorite way of spending free time. Some like to play video games or surf the Internet, while others choose to educate themselves by reading. Still others seek fun as well as knowledge. For such people, TED Talks may be the best choice. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, is a nonprofit foundation established in 1984. With the slogan "ideas worth spreading," it held its first conference that same year, giving each speaker eighteen minutes to present ideas. As TED grew increasingly popular, organizers invited thinkers from a broader range of fields, including science, business, and medicine. The TED.com website was not created until 2007, after which many talks were uploaded for the public to watch for free. Numerous celebrities have given talks: chef Jamie Oliver spoke of a food revolution, director James Cameron shared his childhood fascination with science fiction, and Bill Gates suggested the government do more to monitor and control deadly diseases.

Passage 2
Albert and Eric are discussing a TED Talk they just attended. Albert says, "Thank goodness that's over. It was one of the most boring lectures I've ever heard." Eric is surprised: "What?! I thought it was quite good. I loved how she talked about volunteering to fight Ebola in Africa." Albert is not impressed at first, but admits the pictures of lions and snakes on her safaris were wonderful. He explains that everything she talked about feels far away from them. Eric replies, "That's true, but her talk about Ebola inspired me to help out. You should look it up online. I'm sure they'll put information on the TED website soon." Albert finally agrees and says he will do that.