The Reading / Listening - Working Age - Level 5

A worker in the USA has broken the world record for the longest-serving airline mechanic. Azriel Blackman, 91, started work in 1942, aged 16. He has been working for 75 years. His starting salary was 50 cents an hour. The nonagenarian works five days a week, starting at 5am at JFK International Airport. His age means his employers stop him doing some tasks for safety reasons. He is not allowed to climb up ladders, drive on the runways or use certain tools. He is responsible for assessing the maintenance needs of the airplanes that park in the hangars overnight.

Mr Blackman has been recognized for his dedication. His employer dedicated a plane in his honor. His signature was painted on the front of an American Airlines Boeing 777. The 91-year-old received a standing ovation from his colleagues at the naming ceremony. Blackman said: "I'm proud to be a mechanic." Reporters asked him about the secret behind his record. He said: "When you like what you do, it's not work." When asked about retirement, he said: "That's not up to me. That's up to the man upstairs….When I get up in the morning…I say 'thank you for another day'."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Working Age - Level 4 or  Working Age - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40659421
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/nyregion/for-airline-mechanic-91-the-sky-is-one-of-many-limits.html
  • https://www.dallasnews.com/business/american-airlines/2017/07/18/75-years-job-american-airlines-mechanic-still-showingup-early-work


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 worker in the USA has broken
  2. the longest-serving
  3. He has been working
  4. His starting salary
  5. stop him doing some tasks
  6. He is not allowed to
  7. assessing the maintenance needs of
  8. park in the hangars
  1. for safety reasons
  2. for 75 years
  3. overnight
  4. airline mechanic
  5. the airplanes
  6. the world record
  7. climb up ladders
  8. was 50 cents an hour

Paragraph 2

  1. recognized for his
  2. His signature was painted
  3. received a standing
  4. at the naming
  5. I'm proud to be a
  6. asked him about the secret
  7. That's not up
  8. That's up to the
  1. behind his record
  2. ceremony
  3. man upstairs
  4. ovation
  5. dedication
  6. to me
  7. mechanic
  8. on the front

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A worker in the USA (1) ___________________ world record for the longest-serving airline mechanic. Azriel Blackman, 91, started (2) ___________________, aged 16. He has been working for 75 years. His starting salary was 50 (3) ___________________. The nonagenarian works five days a week, starting at 5am at JFK International Airport. His age means his employers stop him doing (4) ___________________ safety reasons. He is not allowed to climb up ladders, (5) ___________________ runways or use certain tools. He is responsible for assessing the maintenance (6) ___________________ airplanes that park in the hangars overnight.

Mr Blackman has been recognized (7) ___________________. His employer dedicated a plane in his honor. His signature was painted (8) ___________________ an American Airlines Boeing 777. The 91-year-old received a (9) ___________________ from his colleagues at the naming ceremony. Blackman said: "I'm proud to be a mechanic." Reporters asked him about the secret (10) ___________________. He said: "When you like what you do, it's not work." When asked about retirement, he said: "That's (11) ___________________. That's up to (12) ___________________ ….When I get up in the morning…I say 'thank you for another day'."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AworkerintheUSAhasbrokentheworldrecordforthelongest-servin
gairlinemechanic.AzrielBlackman,91,startedworkin1942,aged16.H
ehasbeenworkingfor75years.Hisstartingsalarywas50centsanhour.T
henonagenarianworksfivedaysaweek,startingat5amatJFKInternati
onalAirport.Hisagemeanshisemployersstophimdoingsometasksfors
afetyreasons.Heisnotallowedtoclimbupladders,driveontherunways
orusecertaintools.Heisresponsibleforassessingthemaintenancenee
dsoftheairplanesthatparkinthehangarsovernight.MrBlackmanhasbe
enrecognizedforhisdedication.Hisemployerdedicatedaplaneinhisho
nor.HissignaturewaspaintedonthefrontofanAmericanAirlinesBoeing
777.The91-year-oldreceivedastandingovationfromhiscolleaguesatt
henamingceremony.Blackmansaid:"I'mproudtobeamechanic."Rep
ortersaskedhimaboutthesecretbehindhisrecord.Hesaid:"Whenyouli
kewhatyoudo,it'snotwork."Whenaskedaboutretirement,hesaid:"Th
at'snotuptome.That'suptothemanupstairs….WhenIgetupinthemorn
ing…Isay'thankyouforanotherday'."

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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