High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 17 · A Photograph without Permission
Audio track 17
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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The photograph captured the happiest moment of our festival: students laughing beneath handmade lanterns. Before posting it, Aya enlarged the image and noticed a visitor in the background wearing a badge from a nearby support center. The badge revealed more about that person than the picture needed to tell.
We asked the visitor whether sharing the photograph was acceptable. She preferred not to appear online. Aya cropped the image, but the badge was still visible at the edge. We chose a different picture instead.
A classmate said we were being too careful because the festival had been public. Yet attending an event is not the same as agreeing to appear in someone's permanent online record. We also discovered that a picture could reveal information through a sign, a screen, or a reflection.
The second photograph was less dramatic. It still showed our work and the lanterns. Choosing it taught us that a good image is not only one that attracts attention; it is one we can share responsibly.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
那张照片抓住了校园节最快乐的瞬间：学生在手工灯笼下欢笑。发布前，绫放大照片，注意到背景里一位访客佩戴着附近支援中心的徽章。徽章透露了照片原本无需讲出的个人信息。
我们问访客能否分享照片，她表示不想出现在网上。绫试着裁剪，可徽章仍露在边缘。于是，我们改选另一张。
一位同学说活动本来公开，我们过于谨慎。但参加公开活动，不等于同意出现在别人永久留存的网络记录里。我们还发现，照片也可能通过标牌、屏幕或倒影透露信息。
第二张照片不如第一张醒目，却仍展示了我们的作品和灯笼。选择它让我们明白，好照片不只要吸引目光，也要能负责任地分享。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- captured
- 抓拍；照片留下快乐瞬间。
- enlarged
- 放大；绫仔细检查背景。
- background
- 背景；访客及徽章出现在其中。
- badge
- 徽章；泄露了不必要的身份信息。
- revealed
- 透露；画面可说出额外信息。
- acceptable
- 可接受的；先问访客是否愿意。
- cropped
- 裁剪；没能完全除去徽章。
- permanent
- 长期留存的；网络记录可能难消除。
- reflection
- 倒影；也可能泄露画面外的信息。
- responsibly
- 负责任地；分享前需考虑他人。
Background notes (Chinese)
公开场合的照片可能带出个人信息。故事里即便裁剪仍无法去掉徽章，学生最终换图，并将同意公开与活动本身是否公开区分开来。