The Reading / Listening - Fuel-Tankering - Level 2

A British Airways worker told newspapers about the company creating extra CO2. The person is a whistleblower - someone who tells bad company secrets. He said British Airways (BA) and other airlines use "fuel-tankering" to save money. Fuel-tankering is when airplanes store extra fuel to fly somewhere and come back. It is bad for the environment. It adds to global warming. The airline saves money by buying cheaper fuel in its home country instead of more expensive fuel at its destination. Fuel-tankering puts as much CO2 in the air each year as a large town does.

In a BBC documentary about British Airways and fuel-tankering, the CEO of BA promised to look at this problem. He said BA uses the fuel-tankering method and that it was "maybe the wrong thing to do". Not much money is saved by fuel-tankering, but there is a big cost to the environment. A flight from London to Italy can have three tons of extra fuel. The airline saves just $50, but an extra 600kg of CO2 goes into the atmosphere. Greenpeace said this was an example of a company putting profit before the planet. It said airlines will do anything to boost profits.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Fuel-Tankering - Level 0 Fuel-Tankering - Level 1   or  Fuel-Tankering - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/11/ba-to-review-fuel-tankering-after-panorama-revelations
  • https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-carbon-dioxide-panorama-fuel-tankering-greenhouse-gas-flights-a9195701.html
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50365362


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. A British Airways
  2. told newspapers about
  3. The person is
  4. someone who tells bad company
  5. It is bad
  6. The airline saves
  7. more expensive fuel at its
  8. puts as much CO2 in
  1. a whistleblower
  2. the air each year
  3. destination
  4. the company
  5. money
  6. worker
  7. for the environment
  8. secrets

Paragraph 2

  1. the CEO of BA promised to
  2. it was maybe the wrong
  3. A flight from London
  4. three tons of
  5. The airline saves
  6. an extra 600kg of CO2 goes
  7. putting profit before
  8. airlines will do anything
  1. the planet
  2. look at this problem
  3. to boost profits
  4. to Italy
  5. into the atmosphere
  6. extra fuel
  7. just $50
  8. thing to do

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A British Airways worker (1) ___________________ the company creating extra CO2. The person is a whistleblower - someone who tells (2) ___________________. He said British Airways (BA) and other airlines use "fuel-tankering" to save money. Fuel-tankering is when airplanes (3) ___________________ to fly somewhere and come back. It is bad for the environment. It (4) ___________________ warming. The airline saves money by buying (5) ___________________ its home country instead of more expensive fuel at its destination. Fuel-tankering puts as much CO2 in the air each year as a (6) ___________________.

In a BBC documentary about British Airways and fuel-tankering, the CEO of BA (7) ___________________ at this problem. He said BA uses the fuel-tankering method and that it was "(8) ___________________ thing to do". Not much money is saved by fuel-tankering, but there is (9) ___________________ to the environment. A flight from London to Italy can have three tons of extra fuel. The airline saves just $50, (10) ___________________ 600kg of CO2 goes (11) ___________________. Greenpeace said this was an example of a company putting profit before the planet. It said airlines will do anything (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ABritishAirwaysworkertoldnewspapersaboutthecompanycreatingex
traCO2.Thepersonisawhistleblower-someonewhotellsbadcompany
secrets.HesaidBritishAirways(BA)andotherairlinesuse"fuel-tanke
ring"tosavemoney.Fuel-tankeringiswhenairplanesstoreextrafuelto
flysomewhereandcomeback.Itisbadfortheenvironment.Itaddstoglo
balwarming.Theairlinesavesmoneybybuyingcheaperfuelinitshomec
ountryinsteadofmoreexpensivefuelatitsdestination.Fuel-tankeringp
utsasmuchCO2intheaireachyearasalargetowndoes.InaBBCdocume
ntaryaboutBritishAirwaysandfuel-tankering,theCEOofBApromisedt
olookatthisproblem.HesaidBAusesthefuel-tankeringmethodandtha
titwas"maybethewrongthingtodo".Notmuchmoneyissavedbyfuel-
tankering,butthereisabigcosttotheenvironment.AflightfromLondont
oItalycanhavethreetonsofextrafuel.Theairlinesavesjust$50,butane
xtra600kgofCO2goesintotheatmosphere.Greenpeacesaidthiswasan
exampleofacompanyputtingprofitbeforetheplanet.Itsaidairlineswill
doanythingtoboostprofits.

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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