雅思口语Part 3高分语料 | Losing Things 丢东西
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What kind of people tend to lose things more often than others?
First thing that comes to mind is those who are absentminded. I’m not too sure what causes absentmindedness, but I reckon it’s because people aren’t keyed into what they are doing. I think we can say a lack of presence of mind. Perhaps it also happens to those who are in a rush and tend to not pay close attention to where they place their items and probably think they’ll remember later, but in fact forget where they placed something. For instance, individuals with a hectic work schedule or students with a tight deadline are prime examples of those who might hurriedly pack their bags or gather their belongings without double-checking.
* absentminded 心不在焉
* keyed into 专注于
* presence of mind 心神在焉
* in a rush 匆忙
* pay close attention to 密切关注
* a hectic work schedule 忙碌的工作日程
* tight deadline 紧迫的截止日期
* hurriedly 匆忙地
* pack their bags 收拾东西
* gather their belongings 收拾好自己的东西
* double-checking 再次检查
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What kind of things do people often lose?
From personal experience, I would say it would have to be everyday items, that perhaps are of little intrinsic value, but are so commonly used they are easily forgotten, for example sunglasses and umbrellas. As mentioned, I think they are commonly lost simply because they are frequently used and handled in various environments, like a sunny day, and one wears sunglasses, but once inside, they aren’t needed, so, they might be chucked onto a chair or a table and then forgotten, same goes for umbrellas. Once in a while, and much more devastating, is the loss of a wallet or phone, which is certainly not uncommon.
* of little intrinsic value: 没有什么价值
* so commonly used: 常用
* easily forgotten: 容易被忘记
* chucked onto: 随意扔到
* and much more devastating: 更加糟糕的是
* uncommon: 不常见
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What do you think are the reasons why some people pick up lost things and don’t give them back?
I guess the first reason is the attitude of “finders keepers”, you know, the attitude that “you lost it, I found it”, and as such, it is now mine. This is especially true when the person who finds the item simply does not know how to return it.
Secondly, I would say there's a more deliberate, and perhaps unfortunate or one could say, sinister reason which is driven by a type of selfish opportunism. When someone finds a valuable item like a wallet or a smartphone, the temptation to keep it can be strong, especially if there is the opportunity to pilfer money. The immediate benefit of gaining money, consequently, such as using the credit cards found in a wallet or selling an expensive phone, can outweigh their moral judgment about the right thing to do. This scenario can be compounded by laziness and not wanting to go through the hassle of contacting the person and meeting them or reporting the loss to the appropriate authorities.
* finders keepers 谁捡到就是谁的
* deliberate 故意
* unfortunate 不幸
* sinister 邪恶的
* driven by 驱动
* opportunism 机会主义
* the temptation to…can be strong …的诱惑可能很大
* pilfer 偷窃
* moral judgment 道德判断
* the right thing to do 正确的行为
* scenario 情况
* compounded by 由…加剧
* laziness 懒惰
* go through the hassle of 经历…的麻烦
* the appropriate authorities 相关权威机构
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Should parents teach their children to return things lost by others?
Absolutely, I think this type of thing actually is one of those key character molding points in life, where children’s moral compass can be, perhaps inadvertently so, miscalibrated so that the child begins to think that being selfish is equivalent to being right, and where being “good” is left out of the equation.
So, yes, for sure parents should teach children to return lost and found items. This not only instills a strong sense of morality and integrity but also reinforces the value of empathy and respect for another’s property. This lesson goes beyond just returning lost items; it's about cultivating a culture of honesty and responsibility. When children learn from a young age to do the right thing, even when no one is watching, they grow into more responsible adults, that’s for sure.
* moral compass 道德准则
* inadvertently so 不经意地
* miscalibrated 校准错误
* equivalent to 等同于
* left out of the equation 被排除在外
* lost and found items 失物招领物品
* instills 灌输
* a strong sense of morality 强烈的道德感
* integrity 正直
* reinforces 加强
* empathy 同理心
* property 财产
* goes beyond just... 不仅仅是...
* cultivating a culture of 培养...的文化
