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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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1

GLOSSARY

security chief – a person whose job is to lead others in protecting a building or
place, making sure that only authorized people enter and that nothing dangerous
happens
* The security chief asked everyone to put their hands in the air and to be quiet.

missing – with an unknown location; not present; not where someone or
something should be
* This poster shows the photos of children who have been missing for more than
three months.

to search – to look in all parts of a building or area in order to find someone or
something whose location is unknown
* We’ve searched the entire house, but we still can’t find your car keys.

every nook and cranny – all tiny spaces that might be overlooked or not noticed
* Every nook and cranny in that house is filled with souvenirs from their overseas
vacations.

grounds – the land that a group of buildings is on; the land belonging to a
particular organization, as well as all the buildings on that land
* Each spring, the church hides Easter eggs on the grounds and invites children
from the community to look for them.

undergrowth – small plants that grow close to the ground underneath much
taller trees
* The undergrowth is filled with ferns, moss, and other plants that grow well in the
shade.

terrain – land, especially with reference to its physical features
* The hike covers some rough, rocky terrain, so be sure to wear good hiking
boots.

to coordinate – to organize and plan something, usually with other people; to
make arrangements for something to happen
* Becca is working on the decorations and Yukio is working on setting up the
band, but who is going to coordinate the arrival of the guests?

to report in – to give someone a status update; to let a designated leader or
coordinator know what is happening
* The search-and-rescue teams are supposed to report in by radio every hour.

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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2

to point (one) in the right direction – to give someone an idea of where to go
or how to do something; to provide guidance or advice to someone
* I need to find some information about car repair. Could you please point me in
the right direction?

to spread out – for a group of people to go in different directions so that,
together, they cover a larger area
* The director told the actors to spread out and use the entire stage, not just the
center section.

high and low – a phrase used when giving instructions, telling someone to do
something in all parts, especially above and below where one would normally
look
* The librarian helped us search high and low for the book, but we couldn’t find it.

from top to bottom – in all places, without leaving any part unsearched or
unexamined; thoroughly
* The mechanic examined the car from top to bottom, but couldn’t figure out the
cause of the strange noise.

to leave no stone unturned – to do everything possible to find something; to
search in every possible place, not leaving anything unexamined
* The detective promised to leave no stone unturned in his search for the
murderer.

don’t look now – a phrase meaning “surprise” or “guess what just happened,”
used to tell someone that one is about to present some unexpected information
* Don’t look now, but your ex-boyfriend just walked into the restaurant.

Taser – a weapon, often used by police, that produces an electric shock to cause
pain and/or temporarily cause a person to be unable to move
* The police officer was suspended for using a Taser on animals that were not
dangerous or threatening.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

3

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does the security chief mean when he says “spread out”?
a) He wants the officers to stay together for safety.
b) He wants the officers to move away from each other so they can cover a
larger area.
c) He wants the officers to shout as loudly as possible when they call the
missing boy’s name.

2. What does Ramona mean when she says that the boy is “about to walk off
with your Taser”?
a) The boy is going to be arrested.
b) The boy is going to take the police officer’s weapon.
c) The boy is going to steal the police car.
______________


WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to report in
The phrase “to report in,” in this podcast, means to give someone a status
update, or to let a designated leader or coordinator know what is happening:
“The new vice-president of sales gives employees a lot of independence as long
as they report in at least once a week.” The phrase “to report sick” means to call
one’s employer and say that one will not go to work because one is ill: “Shelby
reported sick three times last week. I hope it isn’t serious.” The phrase “to report
to (someone)” means to be managed by someone at work: “As the
Communications Officer, you’ll report to the Communications Director.” Finally,
the phrase “to report for duty” means to arrive and be ready to work: “You’re
hired! Please report for duty at 8:30 on Monday morning.”

don't look now
In this podcast, the phrase “don’t look now” means “surprise” or “guess what just
happened” and is used to tell someone that one is about to present some
unexpected information: “Don’t look now, but I think the pie is burning.” The
phrase “to look the other way” means to ignore something bad that is happening:
“Psychologists are trying to understand why so many people choose to look the
other way when they see a crime being committed.” Finally, the phrase “look
before you leap” is used to tell someone to stop and think clearly about the
dangers or risks before doing something: “It’s important to look before you leap
by learning as much as you can about the company before accepting the job
offer.”

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

4

CULTURE NOTE

The FBI Victims Identification Project and The Charley Project

The FBI Victims Identification Project, sometimes referred to as “VICTIMS” is a
research project of the “FBI” (Federal Bureau of Investigation; the main U.S.
government agency responsible for investigating crimes). VICTIMS is creating a
national “database” (an organized way of storing large amounts of electronic
information) of all the “records” (information that is being saved) of “unidentified”
(not knowing what something is and/or who it belongs to) “human remains” (parts
of human bodies of those who have died). Many other groups across the nation
are trying to identify human remains, but VICTIMS is the only effort to “tackle the
problem” (find a solution) at a national level.

The Victims Identification Project asks other government agencies to enter
information into their “master” (overall; bigger and greater than others) database.
Each record may contain information about the “case” (the situation or
circumstances under which the remains were found), biological information,
“facial reconstructions” (educated guesses about what the face looked like based
on the “skull” (bones of the head)), “dental” (teeth) information, and more.

An unrelated effort, called The Charley Project, “publicizes” (shares information
about) cases involving “missing persons” (people whose location and “status”
(whether they are alive or dead) are unknown). The Charley Project is primarily a
website that “profiles” (provides information about) missing persons with their
“identifying characteristics” (physical characteristics describing someone’s
appearance), photographs, and a description of the circumstances under which
he or she disappeared.

The Charley Project does not investigate cases, and some people criticize it for
“exploiting” (taking advantage of) the “victims” (people who are hurt by a crime)
and their families by sharing information that the victims and families would
prefer to “keep private” (not share with others).
______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – b

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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5

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,015 – Conducting
a Search.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,015. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is ESLPod.com. Go there and become a member of ESL Podcast
and download the Learning Guide for this episode. What is the Learning Guide?
Well, I’m glad you asked. Our Learning Guide contains a complete transcript of
everything we say on this podcast, in addition to a vocabulary list, definitions,
sample sentences, additional cultural information, and a whole lot more.

This episode is a dialogue about someone who is looking for something –
someone who is conducting a search. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Security Chief: Okay, people. We’ve just had a report of a missing child on this
property. We need to find him fast. I want you two to search every room in this
building. Look in every nook and cranny.

Ramona: Excuse me, may I ask a question?

Security Chief: You can when I’m done. Now you two, I want you to look all over
the grounds. Make sure you check in the undergrowth and in the trees, and cover
the entire terrain.

Ramona: Do you mind if I ask . . .?

Security Chief: I’ll stay here to coordinate the search. Report in if you see
anything that could point us in the right direction.

Ramona: I really think I should tell you . . .

Security Chief: Don’t interrupt, please. The rest of you: Spread out and look in
the parking lot and behind the buildings. Look high and low. We’ll search this
place from top to bottom and leave no stone unturned. Now, are there any
questions?

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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6

Ramona: Yes, is the little boy about five years old with brown hair and glasses?

Security Chief: Yes, that’s right. How did you know?

Ramona: Don’t look now, but he’s just about to walk off with your Taser!

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with the head of security (the security chief, the person in
charge of “security” – keeping people safe) saying to Ramona, “Okay, people.
We’ve just had a report of a missing child on this property. We need to find him
fast. I want you two to search every room in this building. Look in every nook and
cranny.” The security chief is talking to the people who work for him, we’re
guessing.

He’s talking about a missing child. A “missing child” would be a child who is not
where he should be. Anything that is missing is not where it should be – not in
the location where we expect it to be. If it’s missing, we can’t find it. In this case,
they can’t find this child. The security chief tells the people there to “search,” or
look in, “every room in this building.”

“Look in every nook and cranny,” he says. “Every nook (nook) and cranny
(cranny)” is an old expression that means look in every little place, even though
you may think it’s too small or not important. To look in every nook and cranny is
to be very thorough – to look in every possible place. Ramona says, “Excuse me,
may I ask a question?” The security chief says, “You can when I’m done,”
meaning when I finish talking, then you can ask your question.

The security chief goes on and says, “Now you two, I want you to look all over
the grounds.” The word “grounds” (grounds) refers to the land that a group of
buildings is on. It’s used to refer to the property of some, usually, organization or
company. It’s often used to describe a larger piece of property. You wouldn’t
usually talk about the land around your small house, for example, as the grounds
of your property. It’s normally used to describe a larger piece of property on
which there are several different buildings.

The security chief says, “Make sure you check in the undergrowth and in the
trees, and cover the entire terrain.” The “undergrowth” is the group of small
plants that often grow close to the ground, usually underneath much taller trees.
The security chief is telling them to look or to check in the undergrowth because
this perhaps is a small child who might be hiding there. He tells them to “cover
the entire terrain.” “To cover” the terrain means to go and walk or look in the

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

7

entire terrain. “Terrain” (terrain) refers to the land. It’s similar to the word
“grounds” in this instance.

Ramona says, “Do you mind if I ask . . .?” She wants to ask a question, but again
the security chief doesn’t let her. He says, “I’ll stay here to coordinate the
search.” “To coordinate” (coordinate) means to organize and plan something,
usually something involving the work of a group of people.

The security chief says, “Report in if you see anything that could point us in the
right direction.” “To report in” is a phrasal verb meaning to give someone an
update on where you are or what you’re doing. A police officer who is out looking
for someone might report in every hour and tell his boss what he has found or
where he is.

“To point someone in the right direction” is to give someone an idea of where to
go or how to do something – to give someone advice or guidance, we might say,
about how either to arrive at a certain place or how to do something. It can be
used to refer to actually giving someone a direction in the physical sense – you’re
telling the person where to go in order to arrive at a certain place. More
generally, though, it’s used to talk about giving some information to someone that
will help them accomplish some task, to do something. In this case, it would be to
help them find the child.

Ramona says, “I really think I should tell you . . .,” but the security chief again
doesn’t let poor Ramona talk. He says, in fact, “Don’t interrupt.” “Don’t interrupt”
means don’t stop me from talking while I am still talking. This chief says, “The
rest of you spread out and look in the parking lot and behind the buildings.” The
phrasal verb “to spread (spread) out” means for a group of people to go in
different directions so that together they can cover or search a larger area.

If there are five people who are trying to find the child, it doesn’t make any sense
for all five people to stay together. Instead, they should spread out. They should
separate so that they can look over a larger area more quickly. The security chief
tells them to “look high and low.” This is a phrase we use when giving
instructions to indicate that someone should look everywhere. It’s similar to the
previous expression, “to look in every nook and cranny.” “To look high and low”
means to look everywhere.

The security chief says, “We’ll search this place from top to bottom and leave no
stone unturned. Now, are there any questions?” The expressions “from top to
bottom” and “to leave no stone (stone) unturned” are quite similar to looking “high

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2014). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

8

and low” or looking in “every nook and cranny.” It means to look everywhere.
From “top” – from the very highest point – to “bottom,” the very lowest point.

If you’re leaving “no stone unturned,” you are looking perhaps literally under
every rock. The word “stone” here means rock. “To leave no stone unturned”
means that you are leaving no stone that hasn’t been looked under, that you
haven’t turned over in order to look underneath. All these expressions mean to
look very thoroughly, to look everywhere possible. Ramona finally gets a chance
to ask her question. She says, “Yes, is the little boy about five years old with
brown hair and glasses?” She’s asking about the description of the boy, what he
looks like.

The security chief says, “Yes, that’s right. How did you know?” Ramona then
says, “Don’t look now, but he’s just about to walk off with your Taser.” The
expression “Don’t look now” is used to mean the same as “Surprise,” or “Guess
what just happened.” It’s used to tell someone that you are about to give them
some unexpected information, some information that the other person – if he had
been more observant, if he had been paying attention – should have seen for
himself. It can also be used, however, just to refer to surprising or startling
information that you are about to tell someone.

Ramona says, “Don’t look now, but” this little boy “is just about to walk off with” –
meaning to take and to leave with – “your Taser.” A “Taser” (Taser) is a weapon
sometimes used by police that produces an electric shock that causes pain and
prevents the person temporarily from moving. So, what happens here is that the
security chief is so busy organizing the search for the little boy, that he doesn’t
realize the little boy is right there and is about to walk off with one of the weapons
of the security chief – which, of course, would be rather dangerous.

This script reminds me of a story I read not too long ago about a woman who
was part of some tour group. When the tour group was about to leave, the leader
of the tour group didn’t see the woman, and so they started to search for the
woman. Now, the woman herself didn’t realize who they were searching for, and
so she started basically searching for herself. It was only after several hours did
she realize that the group was searching for her. She apparently had changed
her clothing or something. I don’t know.

Anyway, I don’t know if that story is true or not – that’s what I read in the
newspaper, but don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

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ESL Podcast 1015 – Conducting a Search

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2014). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

9

[start of dialogue]

Security Chief: Okay, people. We’ve just had a report of a missing child on this
property. We need to find him fast. I want you two to search every room in this
building. Look in every nook and cranny.

Ramona: Excuse me, may I ask a question?

Security Chief: You can when I’m done. Now you two, I want you to look all over
the grounds. Make sure you check in the undergrowth and in the trees, and cover
the entire terrain.

Ramona: Do you mind if I ask . . .?

Security Chief: I’ll stay here to coordinate the search. Report in if you see
anything that could point us in the right direction.

Ramona: I really think I should tell you . . .

Security Chief: Don’t interrupt, please. The rest of you: Spread out and look in
the parking lot and behind the buildings. Look high and low. We’ll search this
place from top to bottom and leave no stone unturned. Now, are there any
questions?

Ramona: Yes, is the little boy about five years old with brown hair and glasses?

Security Chief: Yes, that’s right. How did you know?

Ramona: Don’t look now, but he’s just about to walk off with your Taser!

[end of dialogue]

There’s no need search for the scriptwriter of today’s script – she’s right here,
and her name is Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy
Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2014 by the Center for Educational
Development.