Airport Travel

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Part 1: Listen and Read: Listen, answer the questions, and read along with the audio recording.

The airport is your first stop before leaving on your dream vacation or trip. Generally speaking, you should arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Don’t arrive 10 minutes before your plane departs. You can park your car in long-term parking if you are planning to be away for a few days, or you can ask someone to drop you off in the loading zone right in front of the airport terminal. In some cases, you can check your bags there at curbside, or you might have to go to the check-in counter inside the airport. Many airports now allow you to check in at a computer kiosk, but you will still need to check your bags if you have any. Once you are checked in, you will have to pass through security where they will check your ID and your carry-on bags. You will also need to walk through a metal detector, which will check for illegal items. After you pass through security, you can walk to the gate where you can wait to board your flight. Just wait until they call your section to board. They usually seat first-class passengers and those who need assistance first. Enjoy your flight.

Part III: Discussion

  • What are some of your frustrations when going through an airport? Is there anything you can do personally to minimize these problems? What can airports do to deal with these issues?
  • Listen and compare:

Part IV: Role Play

You have reached the gate, and your plane is about the depart. However, you just realized that you are missing your laptop. Describe where you went and what you did, step by step, from the time you arrived at the airport to reaching the departure gate.

 Part V: Online Investigation

Airport security is a major concern for people who fly on airlines. However, people are often unaware as to the rules about what you can and cannot carry on board domestic and international flights because these rules are constantly changing. Now, use the Internet to identify the specific items that are banned from flights at the airport nearest you. Summarize your findings with a partner and give a reason why each item is banned from flights.

Online Listening Practice (from www.esl-lab.com):