The Reading / Listening - Eco-Warriors - Level 1

A drone shut England's second largest airport for 30 hours this week. Police think "eco-warriors" used the drone to raise awareness of environmental problems. The drone stopped airplanes leaving the UK's airport over two days. It had to close its runway. Over 120,000 travellers were affected. They had to sleep on the airport floor or go to other airports. Some passengers spent nine hours sitting on a plane near the boarding gate.

The police want to stop other people using drones to cause danger. They are worried drones could attack airports and other important buildings. Police tried many times to stop the drone. They said: "When we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears again." The police and the British Army couldn't find the drone's operator. They are worried a drone could make a plane crash. The user of the drone could get five years in jail.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Eco-Warriors - Level 0 Eco-Warriors - Level 2   or  Eco-Warriors - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.npr.org/2018/12/20/678579115/gatwick-airport-shuts-down-due-to-drones-flying-near-runway
  • https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612656/its-only-a-matter-of-time-before-a-drone-takes-down-a-passenger-plane/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-46640033


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. Police think "eco-warriors"
  2. raise
  3. environmental
  4. It had to close
  5. Over 120,000 travellers
  6. They had to sleep on
  7. passengers spent nine hours
  8. near the boarding
  1. sitting on a plane
  2. its runway
  3. gate
  4. awareness
  5. the airport floor
  6. problems
  7. used the drone
  8. were affected

Paragraph 2

  1. The police want to stop
  2. attack airports and other
  3. Police tried many times to
  4. reopen the
  5. find the drone's
  6. a drone could make
  7. The user
  8. could get five
  1. years in jail
  2. stop the drone
  3. a plane crash
  4. important buildings
  5. of the drone
  6. airfield
  7. operator
  8. other people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A drone shut England's (1) ___________________ for 30 hours this week. Police think "eco-warriors" (2) ___________________ to (3) ___________________ environmental problems. The drone stopped airplanes leaving the UK's airport over two days. It had to (4) ___________________. Over 120,000 travellers were affected. They had (5) ___________________ the airport floor or go to other airports. Some passengers spent nine hours sitting on a plane (6) ___________________ gate.

The police want to (7) ___________________ using drones to cause danger. They are worried (8) ___________________ airports and other important buildings. Police (9) ___________________ to stop the drone. They said: "When we (10) ___________________ the airfield, the drone reappears again." The police and the British Army couldn't find (11) ___________________. They are worried a drone could make a plane crash. The user of the drone could get (12) ___________________ jail.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AdroneshutEngland'ssecondlargestairportfor30hoursthisweek.Polic
ethink"eco-warriors"usedthedronetoraiseawarenessofenvironmen
talproblems.ThedronestoppedairplanesleavingtheUK'sairportovert
wodays.Ithadtocloseitsrunway.Over120,000travellerswereaffected
.Theyhadtosleepontheairportfloororgotootherairports.Somepassen
gersspentninehourssittingonaplaneneartheboardinggate.Thepolice
wanttostopotherpeopleusingdronestocausedanger.Theyareworried
dronescouldattackairportsandotherimportantbuildings.Policetried
manytimestostopthedrone.Theysaid:"Whenwelooktoreopentheairf
ield,thedronereappearsagain."ThepoliceandtheBritishArmycouldn't
findthedrone'soperator.Theyareworriedadronecouldmakeaplanecr
ash.Theuserofthedronecouldgetfiveyearsinjail.

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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