The Reading / Listening - Crying Babies - Level 2

An airplane passenger was asked to leave a flight after she complained about a crying baby. The woman told cabin crew she would not sit down because a crying baby was in the seat next to hers. The woman was very rude to the baby's mother. The mother, Marissa Rundell, was with her 8-month-old baby son. They were flying home from New York's JFK airport. Even though it was a short flight, the angry woman was very unhappy. She said it was terrible that she had to sit at the back of the plane. The flight was full, so she could not get a different seat.

Ms Rundell took a video of the angry woman shouting and posted it on social media. In the video, the woman picks up her bag and coat and angrily shouts: "I'm not sitting next to a crying baby." She would not calm down. The woman got very angry and started to swear at Ms Rundell. Cabin crew asked the woman to get off the airplane. It took her ten minutes to leave. She told the cabin crew she would get them fired. Rundell wrote on Facebook: "This lady thought she was going to be rude to me and...now she has no way home today."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Crying Babies - Level 0 Crying Babies - Level 1   or  Crying Babies - Level 3

Sources
  • https://nypost.com/2018/02/14/woman-booted-from-plane-after-refusing-to-sit-next-to-crying-baby/
  • https://www.dailystar.co.uk/travel/travel-news/681898/woman-kicked-off-delta-air-lines-flight-complaining-about-seating
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5389255/Flyer-thrown-Delta-flight-bullying-mom-baby.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. An airplane
  2. cabin
  3. The woman was very
  4. They were flying
  5. it was a short
  6. sit at the back
  7. The flight was
  8. she could not get a different
  1. of the plane
  2. rude
  3. seat
  4. crew
  5. full
  6. home
  7. flight
  8. passenger

Paragraph 2

  1. posted it on social
  2. the woman picks
  3. She would not calm
  4. got very angry and started
  5. It took her ten
  6. she would get
  7. she was going to be
  8. now she has no
  1. them fired
  2. to swear
  3. way home
  4. media
  5. rude to me
  6. down
  7. minutes to leave
  8. up her bag

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An airplane passenger was asked to (1) ___________________ after she complained about a crying baby. The woman (2) ___________________ she would not sit down because a crying baby was in the seat next to hers. The woman (3) ___________________ to the baby's mother. The mother, Marissa Rundell, was with her 8-month-old baby son. They were (4) ___________________ New York's JFK airport. Even though it was (5) ___________________, the angry woman was very unhappy. She said it was terrible that she had to sit at the back of the plane. The (6) ___________________, so she could not get a different seat.

Ms Rundell took a video of the angry woman (7) ___________________ it on social media. In the video, the woman picks up her bag and coat (8) ___________________: "I'm not sitting next to a crying baby." She would (9) ___________________. The woman got very angry and started to swear at Ms Rundell. Cabin crew asked the woman to get off the airplane. It took her ten (10) ___________________. She told the cabin crew she would (11) ___________________. Rundell wrote on Facebook: "This lady thought she was going to be rude to me and...now she has no (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anairplanepassengerwasaskedtoleaveaflightaftershecomplainedab
outacryingbaby.Thewomantoldcabincrewshewouldnotsitdownbeca
useacryingbabywasintheseatnexttohers.Thewomanwasveryrudeto
thebaby'smother.Themother,MarissaRundell,waswithher8-month-
oldbabyson.TheywereflyinghomefromNewYork'sJFKairport.Eventh
oughitwasashortflight,theangrywomanwasveryunhappy.Shesaidit
wasterriblethatshehadtositatthebackoftheplane.Theflightwasfull,so
shecouldnotgetadifferentseat.MsRundelltookavideooftheangrywom
anshoutingandposteditonsocialmedia.Inthevideo,thewomanpicksu
pherbagandcoatandangrilyshouts:"I'mnotsittingnexttoacryingbaby
."Shewouldnotcalmdown.Thewomangotveryangryandstartedtoswe
aratMsRundell.Cabincrewaskedthewomantogetofftheairplane.Ittoo
khertenminutestoleave.Shetoldthecabincrewshewouldgetthemfire
d.RundellwroteonFacebook:"Thisladythoughtshewasgoingtoberud
etomeand...nowshehasnowayhometoday."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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