Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. etch
    • ex. Using a small knife, I etched my name on a tree.
  2. track down
    • ex. The police worked hard to track down the criminals.
  3. pass away
    • ex. The old man got sick and passed away.
  4. memorabilia
    • ex. My grandparents’ house is filled with antiques and memorabilia.
  5. a loved one
    • ex. I spent my 50th birthday at home with my loved ones.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Amanda Lager found a ring and returned it to the owner 52 years after it was lost. Lager found the ring while fishing at a lake when she was nine years old. The ring was etched with the initials B.H. However, Lager didn’t know how to find the owner of the ring, so she just kept it. Thirty years later, Lager rediscovered the ring in her home. She decided to find the owner and return it.

Lager posted a picture of the ring on Facebook to track down its owner. She discovered that the ring belonged to Bill Huffman. However, Bill had already passed away, so she gave the ring to his brother, Jim Huffman. According to Jim, Bill lost the ring while saving a friend in the lake. Jim was grateful to Amanda for returning Bill’s personal memorabilia.

Jim said the ring reminded him of Bill. Jim described Bill as someone who loved adventure and really enjoyed life. Amanda felt happy that she gave back the ring. She wanted Bill’s family to have something to remind them of their loved one.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

LOST OBJECTS

  • Should all lost objects be returned to their owners? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What are some common ways to lose things (ex. forgetting where you put them, having them fall out of your pocket)? Why? Discuss.
  • Should the owner of a returned lost object give a reward? Why or why not? Discuss.

PERSONAL MEMORABILIA

  • Which kind of personal memorabilia do you prefer to have, a photo or an item? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think keeping memorabilia of loved ones who passed away can help us remember them? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If you could get personal memorabilia of any famous person (dead or alive), who would it be? Why? Discuss.