The Reading / Listening - Airports - Level 4

The first commercial flight landed on the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena on Saturday. The flight touched down at Saint Helena Airport carrying 68 passengers. One passenger had travelled from Scotland to be on the flight. She said: "I've never felt so emotional in all my life. I never thought I'd see this day." This first flight will change access to the island. The only way of getting there before was by a ship that sailed once every three weeks.

The airport will boost the island's economy and tourism. However, the British media called it "the most useless airport in the world". It cost British taxpayers $380m - $80,000 for every person on the island. It was due to open in 2016, but was delayed. St. Helena's Governor dismissed the criticism. She said: "For St Helena, this has already been the most useful airport. It's priceless." She was excited about, "the new chapter in St Helena's history".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Airports - Level 5 or  Airports - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41620003
  • http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/st-helena-first-commercial-plane-remote-british-territory-south-africa-a8001061.html
  • https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/st-helena-airport-welcomes-first-commercial-flight-but-it-lands-45-minutes-late-a3658891.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. on the remote
  2. The flight touched
  3. One passenger
  4. I've never felt so emotional
  5. access
  6. The only way
  7. a ship that
  8. once every
  1. of getting there
  2. in all my life
  3. South Atlantic island
  4. three weeks
  5. down
  6. sailed
  7. to the island
  8. had travelled

Paragraph 2

  1. The airport will boost
  2. the British
  3. the most useless airport
  4. $80,000 for every person
  5. It was due to
  6. St. Helena's Governor dismissed
  7. the most useful
  8. the new chapter
  1. the criticism
  2. in the world
  3. open in 2016
  4. airport
  5. the island's economy
  6. in St Helena's history
  7. on the island
  8. media

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The first commercial flight (1) ___________________ South Atlantic island of St Helena on Saturday. The flight (2) ___________________ Saint Helena Airport carrying 68 passengers. One passenger (3) __________________ Scotland to be on the flight. She said: "I've (4) ___________________ emotional in all my life. I never thought I'd see this day." This first flight will (5) ___________________ the island. The only way of getting there before was by a ship that (6) ___________________ three weeks.

The airport will (7) ___________________ economy and tourism. However, the British (8) ___________________ "the most useless airport in the world". It cost British taxpayers $380m - $80,000 for every person (9) ___________________. It was due to open in 2016, (10) ___________________. St. Helena's Governor dismissed the criticism. She said: "For St Helena, this (11) ___________________ the most useful airport. It's priceless." She was excited about, "(12) ___________________ in St Helena's history".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThefirstcommercialflightlandedontheremoteSouthAtlanticislandofS
tHelenaonSaturday.TheflighttoucheddownatSaintHelenaAirportcar
rying68passengers.OnepassengerhadtravelledfromScotlandtobeon
theflight.Shesaid:"I'veneverfeltsoemotionalinallmylife.Ineverthou
ghtI'dseethisday."Thisfirstflightwillchangeaccesstotheisland.Theon
lywayofgettingtherebeforewasbyashipthatsailedonceeverythreewe
eks.Theairportwillboosttheisland'seconomyandtourism.However,th
eBritishmediacalledit"themostuselessairportintheworld".ItcostBriti
shtaxpayers$380m-$80,000foreverypersonontheisland.Itwasduet
oopenin2016,butwasdelayed.St.Helena'sGovernordismissedthecrit
icism.Shesaid:"ForStHelena,thishasalreadybeenthemostusefulairp
ort.It'spriceless."Shewasexcitedabout,"thenewchapterinStHelena's
history".

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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