News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Airports
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Geese Killed By New York Airports

It’s a tough time to be a goose near New York’s two airports. The Department of Agriculture killed 800 geese this week. They are planning to kill up to 2,000 of these birds. The reason is to make it safer for planes to take off and land. An airplane nearly crashed on January 15th after dozens of geese were sucked into its engines. The pilot became a hero after he landed the plane safely on New York’s Hudson River. All of the passengers survived. Airport officials say they have to kill the geese because they are a danger to airplanes.

Advertisements

I don’t think it’s OK to kill all of these geese. They were there first. It’s their home. Over 2,000 geese! That’s a lot to kill. I don’t understand why they had to kill these birds. I’m sure it’s just as easy to capture them. If they trapped the geese, they could take them to a new home. I think killing them was the easy answer. In today’s world, killing animals and birds is easy. No one thinks that the geese might be extinct one day. I suppose the safety of airplane passengers is important, but so is the environment.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	a tough	a.	to 2,000
2	planning to kill up	b.	airplanes
3.	take off	c.	plane safely
4.	dozens	d.	and land
5.	landed the	e.	time
6.	a danger to	f.	of geese

Paragraph 2

1.	I don’t think	a.	there first
2	They were	b.	answer
3.	I’m sure it’s just	c.	a new home
4.	take them to	d.	passengers
5.	the easy	e.	it’s OK
6.	the safety of airplane	f.	as easy

LISTENING GAP FILL

It’s _______________ a goose near New York’s two airports. The Department of Agriculture killed 800 geese this week. They are _______________ to 2,000 of these birds. The reason is to make it safer for planes to _______________. An airplane nearly crashed on January 15th after dozens of geese _______________ its engines. The pilot became _______________ landed the plane safely on New York’s Hudson River. All of the passengers survived. Airport officials say they _______________ geese because they are a danger to airplanes.

I don’t think _______________ of these geese. They were there first. It’s their home. Over 2,000 geese! That’s _______________. I don’t understand why they had to kill these birds. I’m sure it’s just _______________ them. If they trapped the geese, they _______________ to a new home. I think killing them was the easy answer. _______________, killing animals and birds is easy. No one thinks that the geese might be extinct one day. I suppose the safety of airplane passengers is important, but so _________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

It’s a (1) ____ time to be a goose near New York’s two airports. The Department of Agriculture killed 800 geese this week. They are (2) ____ to kill up to 2,000 of these birds. The reason is to make it (3) ____ for planes to take off and land. An airplane nearly crashed on January 15th after dozens of geese were sucked into its engines. The pilot became a hero (4) ____ he landed the plane safely on New York’s Hudson River. All of the passengers survived. Airport officials say they have to kill the geese because they are a danger (5) ____ airplanes.

I don’t think it’s OK to kill (6) ____ of these geese. They were there first. It’s their home. Over 2,000 geese! That’s a lot to kill. I don’t understand why they (7) ____ to kill these birds. I’m sure it’s just as easy to capture them. If they trapped the geese, they could take them to a new home. I think (8) ____ them was the easy answer. In today’s world, killing animals and birds is easy. No one thinks that the geese might be extinct (9) ____ day. I suppose the safety of airplane passengers (10) ____ important, but so is the environment.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	though	(b)	trough	(c)	tough
2.	(a)	planned	(b)	planning	(c)	plans
3.	(a)	safety	(b)	safer	(c)	safe
4.	(a)	past	(b)	later	(c)	after
5.	(a)	to	(b)	from	(c)	on
6.	(a)	all	(b)	whole	(c)	every
7.	(a)	must	(b)	had	(c)	should
8.	(a)	killing	(b)	dying	(c)	murdering
9.	(a)	one	(b)	on	(c)	a
10.	(a)	are	(b)	be	(c)	is

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	a thoug time
2.	An airplane nearly drshace
3.	zedosn of geese
4.	cdesuk into its engines
5.	the passengers evvisdru
6.	a nreadg to airplanes
Paragraph 2
7.	They were there rifst
8.	I don’t nudntsreda why
9.	rcupeat them
10.	If they tadppre the geese
11.	the easy nesraw
12.	the geese might be tcitxne

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	I don’t think it’s OK to kill all of these geese. They were there first. It’s their home. Over 2,000 geese! That’s a lot
( )	them. If they trapped the geese, they could take them to a new home. I think killing them was the easy
( )	off and land. An airplane nearly crashed on January 15th after dozens of geese were sucked into its
( )	engines. The pilot became a hero after he landed the plane safely on New York’s Hudson River. All of the passengers
( )	day. I suppose the safety of airplane passengers is important, but so is the environment.
( 1 )	It’s a tough time to be a goose near New York’s two airports. The Department of Agriculture killed 800 geese this
( )	answer. In today’s world, killing animals and birds is easy. No one thinks that the geese might be extinct one
( )	week. They are planning to kill up to 2,000 of these birds. The reason is to make it safer for planes to take
( )	to kill. I don’t understand why they had to kill these birds. I’m sure it’s just as easy to capture
( )	survived. Airport officials say they have to kill the geese because they are a danger to airplanes.

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	a tough goose time to It’s be a.
2.	to kill up to 2,000 They are planning.
3.	planes Make to it take safer off for.
4.	a hero after he landed The pilot became.
5.	to Officials kill say the they geese have.
6.	it’s think don’t I kill to OK.
7.	to easy as just It’s them capture.
8.	to They a could new take home them.
9.	easy Killing and is animals birds.
10.	airplane of safety The important is passengers.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about airports for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about airports. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about airports. Include imaginary interviews with people who work at an airport. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to an airport owner. Ask him/her three questions about airports. Give him/her three of your opinions on airports. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Airports (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)