EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• glider: an aircraft with wings and no engine
• pilot: someone who controls an aircraft
• design: to plan the creation of something
• progress: to get better or more advanced over time
• commercial: relating to sales

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Many people throughout history tried to solve the problem of . Although people had managed to build gliders and hot air in the 18th and 19th centuries, these aircraft could not be easily controlled. The first powered aircraft that could be controlled by a pilot was known as the Wright Flyer. It was designed by American Wilbur and Orville Wright. Its first flight took place in December 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The brothers flew the plane four times in one day, with the longest flight lasting 59 seconds and travelling over 800 feet. By 1905, they had created a plane that could stay in the air for several minutes and fly in . After that, aircraft technology progressed very quickly for military and commercial use.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The problem with gliders and hot air balloons was that
   a. they couldn’t be easily controlled
   b. they were difficult to make
   c. they didn’t have room for passengers
   
2. The Wright Flyer made its first flight in
   a. 1903
   b. 1905
   c. 1910
   
3. By 1905, the Wright brothers’ plane could
   a. house multiple passengers and cargo
   b. stay in the air for several minutes and fly in circles
   c. land on and take off from water

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you travel often? How do you feel about air travel?

Transcript

Many people throughout history tried to solve the problem of flight. Although people had managed to build gliders and hot air balloons in the 18th and 19th centuries, these aircraft could not be easily controlled. The first powered aircraft that could be controlled by a pilot was known as the Wright Flyer. It was designed by American inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright. Its first successful flight took place in December 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The brothers flew the plane four times in one day, with the longest flight lasting 59 seconds and travelling over 800 feet. By 1905, they had created a plane that could stay in the air for several minutes and fly in circles. After that, aircraft technology progressed very quickly for military and commercial use.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2a 3b

Pre-listening vocabulary

• activist: a person who works to achieve political change
• discrimination: the act of treating a person poorly for reasons such as race or gender
• segregation: the act of keeping people of different races apart
• outlaw: to make something illegal
• commemorate: to remember and show respect for something or someone

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Famous activist Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. Like most black Americans in the South back then, King faced discrimination growing up. At age 15, he spent a in the North. He was surprised to see that in northern states, people of all races could go to the same churches and eat in the same restaurants. This inspired him to fight against segregation in the South. Nine years later, King moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he became the of a civil rights organization. He led several peaceful , which eventually led to the Civil Rights Act. This act outlawed public discrimination. King was killed in 1968, but his accomplishments allowed black Americans to keep fighting for . He is still commemorated today.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”19259″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired many people to stand up for the civil rights movement. Can you think of a time that you stood up for something you believed in?

Transcript

Famous activist Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. Like most black Americans living in the South back then, King faced discrimination growing up. At age 15, he spent a summer in the North. He was surprised to see that in northern states, people of all races could go to the same churches and eat in the same restaurants. This inspired him to fight against segregation in the South. Nine years later, King moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he became the leader of a civil rights organization. He led several peaceful protests, which eventually led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act. This act outlawed racial discrimination. King was killed in 1968, but his accomplishments allowed black Americans to keep fighting for equality. He is still commemorated today.