Pilot Lands Plane After Propeller Falls Off

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-34537135

1. Do you like flying? Why/ Why not?
2. Have you ever had a scary experience in a plane?
3. Have you heard or read of any dangerous things happening with planes in the news recently?
4. It is said that flying is the safest way to travel - do you agree?

Check the underlined words of the article below in a dictionary or by clicking on them to see the Google definition. On the Google definition page you can also listen to the pronunciation by clicking on the small speaker icon, and check synonyms and other useful information :) Don't forget to copy any new words into your vocabulary notebook!

Now read the article and answer this question:

1. What happened?

In October 2015, a pilot managed to glide his single-engined aeroplane to safety after the propeller fell off at 2,000ft (610m).

The man was flying between Bodmin and Roche in Cornwall when he was forced to make the emergency landing at a country club airstrip near Polzeath just after 16:00 BST on Wednesday.

The club was evacuated during the landing. The pilot later had a glass of water there, said witnesses.

The propeller was recovered from a building site in Polzeath.

The pilot, Nick Chitterdon, said the aircraft is a vintage 1936 plane.

"When the propeller went there was a loud bang and it disappeared to the left.

"I switched the fuel off and started looking for field to land in. I then remembered a private airstrip at a nearby golf course and it took sometime to glide down."

Eva Davies, one of the directors at The Point at Polzeath Club, where the aircraft landed, said: "We had a phone call from the fire service who told us to evacuate the building, which included the restaurant, golf club, health club, gym, changing rooms, and swimming pool.

"The aircraft was spotted by a few golfers as it came in. He was gliding down straight on to our airfield.

"Although he landed safely, within five minutes we had six fire engines, three police cars and  an ambulance here. They didn't know if he was injured.

"The pilot then came in and had a glass water."

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "Thankfully, he was obviously a very skilled pilot.

"The pilot has recovered the plane, and the propeller which landed in New Polzeath has been recovered by the police."

A spokesman from Bodmin Airfield said pilots were trained to glide in aircraft before "going solo" to prepare them for such incidents.

The plane was an Aeronca. The incident has been reported to The Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

Now read again more slowly and answer the following questions:

1. Where did the incident happen?
2. What kind of plane was it?
3. Tell us about the pilot.
4. Why was he able to land the plane quite easily?
5. Was it luck or training that saved the pilot?

Writing/Discussion Ideas

1. Write or say example sentences using any new words you have found in this article.
2. Write a short story about someone who has a problem in their flying machine.
3. Has this article changed your opinion about flying? If so, how?
4. Would you like to be the pilot of a plane?
5. What's the difference between 'I flew in a plane,' and 'I flew a plane'?

Remember to leave a comment below with your thoughts on this story :)

The Hallowe'en Plagiarist

This is a short story I wrote on 31/10/2017 for an Upper Intermediate student to practice Academic Vocabulary. It's from the great book Destination C1 & C2 Grammar & Vocabulary by Malcolm Mann & Steve Taylor-Knowles, published by Macmillan. Unit 2 Page 12 Topic Vocabulary : Learning.

Check the following words in your dictionary and then read the story and answer the questions below.

academic (n,adj)  cloisters (n)  conscientious (adj) 

cram (v)  curriculum (n)  extra-curricular (adj)

distance learning (n)  graduate (v,n)  ignorant (adj)

inattentive (adj)  intellectual (adj)  intelligent (adj)

intensive (adj)  knowledgeable (adj)  lecture (n,v)

mock exam (n)  plagiarise (v)  a plagiarist (n)

self-study (n)  seminar (n)  social implications (n)

special needs (n)  spontaneous combustion (n)  tuition (n)

a tutorial (n)

The Hallowe'en Plagiarist

I wasn't a very conscientious student.

At Oxford the extra-curricular activities took priority over my coursework, so I rarely attended lectures, often opting for 'distance learning' from my unmade bed via my room-mate's hastily scribbled notes.

Bernard was an intellectual with black curly hair drifting down past the smudged lenses of his John Lennon spectacles. Imagine. We'd been thrust together at the whim of some administrative assistant, who'd thought that if we shared one course and the same initials then we'd at least have that in common.

Bernard was, how shall I put it, of a delicate persuasion. The persuasion that made meeting other undergrads late at night in velvet gowns in the cloisters of the chapel to stand around a pentagram drawn in warm chicken blood on the cold stone floor chanting Latin sound like the makings of a good Saturday night. I on the other hand was happy with popcorn and a drive-in. Call me old-fashioned.

The mid term mock exams were soon upon us and I had done no studying whatsoever. I hadn't attended any tutorials and my copies of Bernard's notes were in complete disarray.

“You off out Bernie?” It was the night before Hallowe'en.

He turned at the door, his dark slender form silhouetted by the corridor light. “Ye – yes,” he stammered. “Quite a biggie tonight.” He attempted a smile which came out more like a nervous grimace. Even the irises of his eyes seemed black.

“Not worried about the Social Implications essay due in on Monday? Worth half the mark.”

“Done it,” he said, nodding towards his desk.

I followed his gaze. “Oh?” His desk was relatively in order.

There was an awkward silence.

“Well,” I said, “Have a good night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

He gave me an odd look then. Pale. One that I will remember for ever.

And then he was gone.

The next morning, dead.

Shock, tears, investigations, police, parents, packed things.

What happened? Nobody knew. His body had been discovered in the river, his skin slit by countless non-fatal knife marks. Non-fatal individually. Not together.

That evening, when things had quietened down, I sat on my bed wrapped in a blanket staring red-eyed, high and paranoid, at the glowing red numbers of the digital clock on the desk on his side of the room.

As I watched, 11:47 changed to 11:48.

I slowly stood up, walked shakily over to the desk, and pulled open the top drawer.

“Social Implications, by B. R.”

I reached inside, my joint hanging from my mouth.

Some ash fell on the papers.

11:59 changed to 00:00.

“Sorry Bernie,” I whispered.

They found me the next morning. Or at least my charred skeleton, my lower legs and my hands. I'd spontaneously combusted, my right hand still clutched the papers in a rigor mortis death grip.

So that's me - a ghost - left here to wander forever through the dark, lonely university corridors, my only amusement frightening the odd undergraduate or lecturer on their way home late at night.

Something like this must surely affect the entire community, but how? I don't know. I never studied the social implications.

The End

1) What do you think were the 'extra-curricular activities' that Bernie was taking part in?

2) How do you think he died?

3) Why do you think the narrator died at the end?

Discussion/Writing Questions

4) Is it ever acceptable to copy someone else's work?

5) Have you ever been to university or college? Tell us about that.

6) Have you ever cheated on an exam? Tell all.

7) Have you ever had a ghostly experience? Tell us all about it! :)

8) What did you think of the story? Like? Dislike? Why?

9) Now your turn! Write a short ghost story using the above new vocabulary :)

Image Credit : https://www.flickr.com/photos/artiomp/4061353880/

© Chris Young 2017

Sports Discussion

You don't always need a teacher in the room to practice speaking English. Get a few friends together of about the same level and discuss the below questions. Help each other with vocabulary and try to keep the discussion going as long as possible. Try to use a wide range of grammar and vocabulary. If any of your friends/classmates makes a mistake, tell them.

Comparing and contrasting photos is a common exercise used in many speaking exams, especially Cambridge English : First. When talking about how photos are different, try to use the word 'whereas', EG, "In the first picture they are playing inside, whereas in the second picture they are playing outdoors."

1. Do you know the names of all the above sports in English?
2. Talk about a sport that you do/ used to do.
3. Ask each other questions about their sport.
4. Why is it important / beneficial to do a sport these days?
5. Do you think people do more or less sport than before these days? Why?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. What do you think about international sport, eg the World Cup, The Olympics, etc.?
7. Which do you prefer, to do sport or to watch sport? Why?
8. What do you think are the mental / psychological benefits of regular sport?
9. Can technology help us / encourage us to do sport?
10. Whats the difference between sport and exercise?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Whats the difference between team sports and individual sports?
12. What do you think about blood sports? (Boxing, Cage fighting etc)
13. What are your opinions on betting on the outcome of matches/competitions?
14. Is there much corruption in sport?
15. What do you know about doping in sports?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
16. Do you think professional sports people get paid enough? Too much? Why?
17. Have you heard any sports news recently?
18. Why is it important to encourage sports on young people?
19. What sports are unique to your country?
20. Choose two photos on this page and compare and contrast them, saying which sport you would prefer to do and why.

If you'd like to practice writing, all you need to do is sit down and write out your answers to the above questions :) Microsoft Word will help you know if you've made a grammar spelling mistake. Feel free to write some answers in the comments and if I or maybe if someone else has time I or we can give you some feedback.

Photo credits  : 

wikinews sports  - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Acagastya

Beach volleyball : http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Team-Sport-Volley-Ball-Sports-Sport-Volleyball-2639700 

Rugby : https://health.mil/News/Articles/2016/09/28/Do-the-benefits-of-sports-participation-outweigh-the-risks

Soccer : https://blog.wikimedia.org/2016/01/06/sports-vandalism-on-wikipedia/

Parachuting : https://pixnio.com/sport/extreme-sports/parachute-lake-mountain-extreme-sport-reflection

The Story of Bill : Chapter 1 : The English Scientists

This is the first chapter of a story I wrote recently to help a 12 year old Polish boy at school in P7 here in Scotland improve his literacy skills. It's designed to help children read the page 5 words from a file called Fry Frequently Used Word List 1-600. Using key words to write sentences or even a story is a great way to help students or anyone with reading, writing and vocabulary. I've started at the back and come forwards so it should get easier as we go.

The story doesn't make much sense yet, but the point isn't about how good the story is, it's about reading the words and getting used to them in context, even if it's a weird one.

Chapter One : The English Scientists

Bill suddenly felt it can't matter too much. Perhaps the object built in the town square was made of a special, heavy material that included power in its six dark, round objects.

Am I able to rule among the thousands of people? He thought in his own language. Will I be full, filled with the power that comes from these round shapes? He stood at the base of the building and looked up. The heat from the six circles made them glow in the night. He reached out and touched one. It was dry and warm and his hand went deep inside the material, like a sponge.

But he felt no different.

I don't understand, he thought. These common people need a strong government system, not one made by English scientists.

He ran quickly around the island's streets, looking out at the deep, green sea and feeling the hot stars as if inches from his face. Suddenly he saw a boat-plane come in to land on the surface of the ocean, but he decided to stay and rest behind a building. As he watched, a person came out of the flying machine – the third he had seen in a week. Ten days ago, the English scientists had come in their machines with wheels, but even though they tried to explain - why did they bring their large, square boxes of magic? Their equations were not yet clear.

The fact was, in minutes he would be inches deep in the street, which was made of the same dark material as the orbs, so he finally decided to run to them, down the road and through the waves, taking nothing, and when he reached the boat-plane, climbed carefully inside.

The heat-filled engine of the flying machine sounded strong and powerful.

“Did you bring it?” a voice asked in English.

Bill looked behind him and saw a tall person with a fine beard. “Oh,” he said quickly, but could not finish the sentence. How can he explain? How can he make them understand? Will this boat-plane not finally fly? he thought.

But the person said, “I am a scientist. It cannot matter,” and looked out the window at the deep green waves of the ocean.

Bill looked at the streets and the roads and the building in the square with its six large black balls where he had stood minutes ago. He could have shown him them. He wanted to stay. He decided if he wanted the power of the thousands to make a new government he would have to wait.

The engine made a strong noise and the boat plane moved quickly along the surface of the ocean, before slowly rising into the air and turning left towards the full, heavy moon...

Questions

1) Who do you think Bill is?
2) What do you think the six balls in the square do?
3) Who are the English Scientists?
4) What does Bill want to do?


Read Chapter 2 : Song Of War
Read Chapter 3 : The Plan



Read Chapter 4 : Bill's Ship Sails
Read Chapter 5 : Talk To Animals.

Story © Chris Young 2018

Image credit : http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Luna-Reflection-Sea-Superluna-Night-Super-Water-1826849