Listen&Learn: The D. B. Cooper Case

Learn about a fascinating unsolved mystery.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• hijack: to take control of a vehicle by force
• parachute: an object that slows someone’s fall from the air
• ransom: money that is given to a person in exchange for hostages
• alias: a fake name that a person uses to hide their real identity
• misinterpretation: something that is not understood correctly
• case: something that is being investigated

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

On November 24th, 1971, a from Portland to Seattle was hijacked by a man named Dan Cooper, who had brought a bomb on board. He demanded that the flight crew get him four parachutes and $200,000 in . Once Cooper received the ransom, he asked the to take him to Mexico City. In the middle of the flight, he jumped out of the with the money. He was never seen again. Although he had used the alias “Dan Cooper”, a misinterpretation caused the to call him “D. B. Cooper”, the name that most people know him by today. In 1980, some bills from Cooper’s ransom were found near a river, which caused many people to believe that he didn’t survive the jump. However, the case is still unsolved.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20868″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you know of any other unsolved mysteries?
2. D. B. Cooper’s case quickly drew the attention of the public. Why do you think people are so interested in unsolved cases?

Transcript

On November 24th, 1971, a flight from Portland to Seattle was hijacked by a man named Dan Cooper, who had brought a bomb on board. He demanded that the flight crew get him four parachutes and $200,000 in cash. Once Cooper received the ransom, he asked the pilot to take him to Mexico City. In the middle of the flight, he jumped out of the plane with the money. He was never seen again. Although he had used the alias “Dan Cooper”, a misinterpretation caused the media to call him “D. B. Cooper”, the name that most people know him by today. In 1980, some bills from Cooper’s ransom were found near a river, which caused many people to believe that he didn’t survive the jump. However, the case is still unsolved.