Pre-Reading Activities

A: Talking about Past Experiences

Ask another student the questions below:

• When you were at school what was the naughtiest thing you ever did in the classroom?
• Did you get punished for doing this? What happened?

Reading Activities

A: Scanning

Here are four names from today's article. Scan the article to find the names and then fill in the gaps in the sentences with information from the article. Do it as quickly as you can!

1. Bryan Bliss is a year-old pilot.
2. Go is a - cost which is part of Airways.
3. Sue Harrison is a for Go.
4. Malpensa is the name of the in Milan where the plane in this article landed.
   Suggested answer 1. Bryan Bliss is a fifty-seven year-old pilot. 2. Go is a low- cost carrier which is part of British Airways. 3. Sue Harrison is a spokeswoman for Go. 4. Malpensa is the name of the airport in Milan where the plane in this article landed.  

B: True or False?

Read these statements and then read the article to see if they are true [ T ] or false [ F ].

1. The pilot of a plane would not allow his passengers to get off the plane for 40 minutes because he couldn't find out who had smoked on the flight.
2. The flight was the first one that Go had made.
3. The pilot is very experienced.
4. The pilot was arrested at Malpensa Airport.
5. The smoke detector in one of the toilets on the plane was blocked accidentally.
   Suggested answer 1. True 2. False 3. True 4. False 5. False

Pilot detained after no-smoking siege MILAN Monday July 27 (Reuters) - Italian police on Monday questioned a British pilot who held 148 passengers aboard his plane for 40 minutes after landing in Milan because no one would admit to being the person who broke the strict no-smoking rules. Sue Harrison, a spokeswoman for Go, the new low-cost carrier that is part of British Airways Plc, said the incident happened on Sunday afternoon after a flight from Stansted to Milan's Malpensa airport. Go made its first flight in May. She said that one passenger had blocked the smoke detector in one of the plane's toilets and had smoked a cigarette in violation of Go's no-smoking rules and strict safety standards. On arrival, captain Bryan Bliss, a 57-year-old pilot with 28 years experience, asked the culprit to own up. No one came forward and after 40 minutes, Bliss finally let them go. He was then detained by police at the airport for holding passengers against their will, Harrison said. "He was not arrested. He was detained. He helped answer their questions," she said by telephone from London. She did not know how long the questioning lasted but said Bliss had been allowed to go and had flown the plane back from Malpensa to Stansted later in the day. "We are continuing to talk to the police to make sure we answer all their questions," Harrison said. "We won't compromise on safety." She said there was no likelihood of any legal action against Bliss and said both sides were being "very helpful". Police at Malpensa declined to comment while questioning was still under way. Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.

C: Sequencing

The following events are from the article. Put them in the right order:

The plane arrived at Malpensa airport in Milan.

The plane left Stansted airport.

The passenger smoked a cigarette.

The pilot flew the plane back to Stansted.

The pilot would not allow the passengers to leave the plane until the smoker was identified.

A passenger blocked the smoke detector in the toilets.

The pilot let the passengers leave the plane although the smoker had not been identified.

The enquiry was still continuing.

The Italian police questioned the pilot at the airport.

Suggested answer 1.= The plane left Stansted airport. 2.=A passenger blocked the smoke detector in the toilets. 3.= The passenger smoked a cigarette. 4.=The plane arrived at Malpensa airport in Milan. 5.= The pilot would not allow the passengers to leave the plane until the smoker was identified. 6.= The pilot let the passengers leave the plane although the smoker had not been identified. 7=The Italian police questioned the pilot at the airport. 8=The pilot flew the plane back to Stansted. 9= The enquiry was still continuing.

D: Language

Fill the gaps in the sentences with one of the prepositions from the table. Do not look at the article or other exercises while you are doing this exercise!

on

to

from

in

for

1. The flight was Standsted Milan.
2. The incident occurred a Sunday afternoon.
3. The pilot landed the plane Milan.
4. The plane waited the runway a long period of time.
5. The pilot was angry because a passenger had smoked one of the toilets.
6. The pilot was questioned by police the same day.
7. The questioning took place 27 July.
8. The pilot delayed his passengers 40 minutes.
9. Sue Harrison is a spokesperson Go, a new carrier.
10. Go first began its flights May, 1998.
    
    Suggested answer The flight was from Stansted to Milan. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon. The pilot landed the plane in Milan. The plane waited on the runway for a long period of time. The pilot was angry because a passenger had smoked in one of the toilets. The pilot was questioned by police on Monday. The questioning took place on 27 July. The pilot delayed his passengers for 40 minutes. Sue Harrison is a spokesperson for Go, a new carrier. Go first began its flights in May.