Lesson 4: Taking Off

Key Words: endeavor, supersonic, speed, revolution, aviation, ads, website, neither, ground (v), sky’s the limit

A. Look at the picture and discuss with your partner what it is and where you can find it.

B. Read the text and answer the following questions.

Human beings conquered the distance on earth by discovering wheels. They endeavored further. Then on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers in America made the first experiment of flying in a plane. In the experiment, a machine carried a man and rose above by its own power. The machine was called ‘an airplane’. It flew naturally in a smooth speed, and finally landed without damage. That was human being’s first real take-off. And now, they have got a supersonic speed. In a supersonic speed, something travels faster than sound! So the sky’s the limit now!

Modern aircraft companies are making revolutions in aviation technology. Boeing, as well as Airbus, is producing modern passenger airplanes. These planes fly very fast. Boeing 787 flies 950 km/h. However, Airbus 350 is expected to fly in a couple of years. Its speed will be 945 km/h.

You find attractive ads on the websites of both Boeing and Airbus planes. Both have excellent features. But in speed, neither could beat the Concorde. It is the world’s fastest supersonic passenger aircraft. Its normal speed was 2,170 km/h. The Concorde was a joint project by France and Britain. It started passenger flight in 1976. Unfortunately, the Concorde fleet was grounded forever in 2003 after a major accident.

Questions

1. Who made the first successful experiment in flying an airplane?
2. What was the first flying machine called?
3. What do you mean by ‘supersonic’?
4. What was the world’s fastest passenger airplane?
5. When was the Concorde fleet finally grounded?
6. When is Airbus 350 expected to take off?

Note: The speed of sound, which is approximately 760 miles per hour, is called 1 Mach. An airplane flying less than 1 Mach or less than 760 miles per hour is traveling at subsonic speed. Faster than 1 Mach or 760 miles per hour would be a supersonic speed.

D. Read the dialogue between the English teacher, Mr. Ramis, and Sohan. Then, do the following exercise:

Sohan: Teacher, in the last class, we read about modern aircraft. There were Boeing 787s, Airbus 350s, Concorde, and so on. But which one is the best? Which one can we buy for our Biman Bangladesh Airlines?

Mr. Ramis: A difficult question. There are certain things to consider. If you think of speed, Concorde flies the fastest. To many, it looks the most beautiful. But it’s no more in operation.

Sohan: Between the other two aircraft?

Mr. Ramis: Well, if you remember, Boeing 787 travels 950 km/h. So, you see, it’s not as fast as Concorde. But it’s faster than Airbus 350.

Sohan: Yes teacher. I remember Airbus 350 travels 945 km/h. It’s 5 km shorter than Boeing 787.

Mr. Ramis: Nice calculation! But there are other factors too. Say, passenger capacity, production cost, and many more. Airbus 380 now is the largest and can carry more passengers than any other aircraft. Authorities have to consider so many...

Sohan: Yes teacher. I understand.

Complete these statements using the correct form of words in the brackets.

1. Airbus 350 is a bit _____(slow) than Boeing 787.
2. Concorde flew the _____(fast) among all passenger aircrafts.
3. Even sound cannot travel as _____(fast) as Concorde.
4. In supersonic speeds, Concorde flies _____(high) in the sky than Boeing.
5. To many, Concorde looks _____(beautiful) than other passenger aircrafts.
6. Airbus A380 is the _____(large) passenger aircraft in the world now.
7. Airbus A380 can carry _____(many) passengers than Boeing 787.

E. Project Work: Work in groups. Suppose, your teacher will buy a mobile handset. Visit in pairs a nearby mobile phone shop. Make a list of different models of handsets with their price and other features. Then discuss with your partner to compare and decide which one will be the best handset and why. Share your findings with other groups.