IELTS cue card: «Describe a time when you lost something important», пример ответа

Describe a time when you lost something important.

You should say:

what you lost

when and where you lost it

how you tried to find it

and explain how you felt about it.

I'm going to talk about the time I lost my passport, which happened, of all moments, just two weeks before my IELTS test.

I'd taken it with me to the bank to open an account, and on the way home I took a taxi. I only noticed it was missing that evening, when I went to put it back in the drawer. My heart sank, because without a passport you can't sit the test, and getting a new one would have taken weeks.

First I turned my room upside down, then I retraced my steps: I called the bank and went back to the bus stop where I'd waited. Then I remembered the taxi. I'd booked it through an app, so I contacted support and explained the situation, and I also posted a message in a local Telegram group, just in case.

The next morning the driver called me. He'd found it under the back seat and had been trying to work out how to reach me. He refused to take any money, and he even drove to my neighbourhood to give it back.

I felt a mixture of relief and embarrassment, but mostly gratitude. These days I keep important documents in one zipped pocket of my bag, and I check it every single time I get out of a car.

Why do people lose things more easily these days?

Partly because we're always distracted. When you're checking your phone while getting out of a taxi, you simply don't notice what you've left behind. People also carry far more small things than they used to: earphones, cards, chargers.

Should people who find lost property be rewarded?

I think it's a nice gesture, but it shouldn't be expected. Returning something that isn't yours is just the right thing to do. That said, a small reward probably encourages people to make the effort.

How can technology help people find lost items?

Are people in your country generally honest?