📘 Part 3: Getting lost

This episode's vocabulary

To look something up (phrasal verb) - to try to find a piece of information by looking in a book or on a computer.

To panic (verb) - to suddenly feel so worried or frightened that you cannot think or behave calmly or reasonably.

Leisurely (adverb) - used to describe an action that is done in a relaxed way, without hurrying.

Stroll (noun) - a slow relaxed walk, especially for pleasure.

To shrug (verb) -

To stumble across/on/upon something/someone (phrasal verb) - to discover something by chance, or to meet someone by chance.

Spacial awareness (noun) - a cognitive skill that allows individuals to understand and navigate the physical space around them.

Upbringing (noun) - the way in which you are treated and educated when young, especially by your parents, especially in relation to the effect that this has on how you behave and make moral decisions.

Layout (noun) - the way that something is arranged.

Landmark (noun) - a building or place that is easily recognized, especially one that you can use to judge where you are.

To navigate (verb) - to direct the way that a vehicle, esp. a ship or aircraft will travel, or to find a direction across, along, or over an area of water or land.

Screw-up (noun) - a situation in which you do something badly or make a big mistake.

To call something up (phrasal verb) - to find and show information on a computer screen.

To wither (verb) - to slowly disappear, lose importance, or become weaker.

Questions and Answers

M: How can people find their way when they're lost?

R: Most of the time they check their phones and look up some directions on a map like Google Maps or something like that. If that doesn't work, they can always stop and ask for directions, though I think that's less common these days.

M: How do people react when they get lost?

R: That'll probably depend on whether they're in a rush or not, I think. If they need to be somewhere or are in a very difficult situation, then they might panic. But if they're just taking a leisurely stroll, then they might just shrug their shoulders and keep going in the hope of stumbling across a way out.

M: There are some people who never get lost. Why?

R: They're superheroes. No. You'd probably have to ask them. But at a guess, they might have good knowledge of their local area, or have a really good sense of spatial awareness that allows them to navigate based on intuition alone. I couldn't say, I'm not this kind of person.

M: Why do some people have a good sense of direction?

R: Well, that could be a product of their upbringing. I mean, if you were brought up in a place where finding your way around is a crucial skill, or strongly encouraged, then you're bound to be better at getting around compared to people who haven't had that experience. I suppose in short they've just had a lot of practice.

M: Do you think it's easy or difficult to find your way in a new city?

R: Well, it's often difficult to grasp new things, even if the layout and landmarks are roughly similar. For example, if you grew up in a small town, then you might not have a great memory for street names and signs, but be great at using landmarks to navigate, which is pretty hard to do if you're surrounded by skyscrapers in a major city.

M: Why do some people dislike asking others for directions?

R: It would be a bit embarrassing to admit your screw-ups, I suppose, in any circumstance. Some people also have issues with relying on others. And it could even be a scary thing if people are quite shy, especially around new people.

M: How do you think technology has changed the way we find directions?

R: Well, where it works, it's made things a lot easier for us, since you can just call up your position on a screen and follow instructions. However, it's also made people who use it a lot more, well, or at least often, rather dependent on the tech involved. So intuition and related skills have probably withered somewhat. And there's less of a sense of fun and adventure in getting lost, though I imagine many people are fine with that.

M: Should children be taught to read paper maps at school?

R: That's a good question, actually. I'm not sure. Not because I don't know how to describe it. But it's complicated. I mean, if technology fails, then people should know how to cope. So in this sense, it's useful. On the other hand, how often does tech actually completely fail to the point you only have a paper map to rely on. And we can't prepare for every single possibility, in this sense, can we? So it's hard for me to say for sure, to be honest.

M: Hey, thank you, Rory, for your answers!

R: Hopefully, you didn't get lost in all of the amazing vocabulary!