ESL Podcast 678 - Reporting Damaged Luggage
luggage - suitcases; baggage; the cloth, leather, or plastic containers that one fills with objects one wants to have while traveling
This airline allows each passenger to check two pieces of luggage.
baggage carousel - the large conveyor belt in an airport that moves passengers' luggage slowly in a circle so that passengers can find their bag and take it off the device when they arrive at their final destination
Most suitcases are placed on the baggage carousel, but very large items like large musical instruments and skis are placed over here.
handle - the part of something that fits in one's hand and is used to lift up and carry objects
When she dropped the tea kettle, the handle broke.
zipper - two long pieces of metal or plastic with many small teeth that are attached together with a small piece of metal or plastic that is moved up and down to separate or connect two pieces of fabric, often used on clothing
Do you prefer jackets with zippers or buttons?
to mishandle - to treat something poorly; to use something in an inappropriate way, often damaging it
Our application was mishandled, and that's why we had not received a response.
to tamper with - to do something that damages an object, especially when one does not have permission to touch or look at it
It looks like someone tampered with the lock on our car.
to retrieve - to get back; to obtain again; to find and recover something that one has not had for a period of time
Do you know how I can retrieve my sent messages in this email program?
to go through - to open something and quickly look at all the different pieces inside it, often when searching for something
Harriet went through everything in her purse three times, but she still hasn't been able to find her keys.
to search - to look for something; to seek
The security guards searched everyone's backpacks and bags before they let them into the football stadium.
missing - something that cannot be found; something that has been misplaced and whose current location is unknown
How long have your sunglasses been missing?
disarray - disorder; messy; without things being put in their proper place
After the robbery, the entire house was in disarray.
inspection - investigation; the act of reviewing something, often when searching for a particular piece of information
The health department conducts inspections of all the restaurants in the city at least once each year.
claim - an official report describing a problem and requesting payment or compensation as a solution
Somebody hit our car while it was parked on the street last night, so now we need to file a claim with the insurance company.
to compensate - to pay someone for a specific purpose, often for a service that has been provided or to apologize for one's mistake
In my opinion, getting more vacation time doesn't compensate for reducing my salary.
to not be able to say - to not know the answer to something and not know how to respond to another person's question
A: Do you think it will rain tomorrow?
B: I really can't say.
blow off - an excuse; something one says to avoid answering another person's question, or to avoid dealing with a certain problem, especially because one thinks it is unimportant
If this company really cared about customer service, it wouldn't send these standard letters as a blow off every time a customer complained about something.
miracle - something that happens and cannot be explained by nature or science; something that has been performed by a supernatural force or God
Jean thought it was a miracle that her husband was able to walk again after the bad car accident.