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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Airplane Food
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Airplane Food Cooked in Dirty Kitchens (1st July, 2010)

A new report on airline food says many meals served by airlines are prepared in dirty kitchens. Inspectors from the USA’s Food and Drug Administration checked the cooking areas of three big catering companies. They provide the food for airlines such as American Airlines and United. The inspectors said food was not stored in cool temperatures and workers used unclean equipment. They also found cockroaches, flies and mice in the kitchens. One of the caterers, LSG Sky Chefs, said they worked hard to make sure their customers receive “safe, healthy and high-quality food".

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Airplane food is often the subject of many jokes. Some people say they really hate it. This report makes us think a little more about how healthy it is. Many airlines boast about the quality of their food. Some say it is the same as that in top restaurants. Maybe it is better if we bring our own food. At least we can have something different from chicken or fish. We would also know it has been cooked properly. Maybe airlines could try making simple things. We don’t really need a menu full of food we’ve never heard of. Perhaps the safest option is to stick to fruit and biscuits or peanuts.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A new report	a.	unclean equipment
2	dirty	b.	on airline food
3.	stored in cool	c.	quality food
4.	workers used	d.	flies and mice
5.	They also found cockroaches,	e.	kitchens
6.	safe, healthy and high-	f.	temperatures

Paragraph 2

1.	the subject of	a.	a little more
2	This report makes us think	b.	stick to fruit
3.	airlines boast about the quality	c.	many jokes
4.	At least we can have something	d.	of their food
5.	a menu full of food we’ve	e.	different
6.	Perhaps the safest option is to	f.	never heard of

LISTENING GAP FILL

A new report on airline food says _____________________ airlines _____________________ kitchens. Inspectors from the USA’s Food and Drug Administration checked the cooking areas of three big catering companies. They _____________________ airlines such as American Airlines and United. The inspectors said food was not stored _____________________ and workers used unclean equipment. They also found cockroaches, flies and mice in the kitchens. _____________________, LSG Sky Chefs, said they worked hard to make sure their customers receive “safe, healthy _____________________ ".

Airplane food is often _____________________ jokes. Some people say they really hate it. This report makes us think a little more _____________________. Many airlines boast about the quality of their food. Some say it is _____________________ top restaurants. Maybe it is better if we bring our own food. At least we can have something different from chicken or fish. We would also know it has _____________________. Maybe airlines could try making simple things. We don’t really need a menu full of _____________________ of. Perhaps _____________________ stick to fruit and biscuits or peanuts.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A new report on airline food says many (1) ____ served by airlines are prepared in dirty kitchens. Inspectors from the USA’s Food and Drug Administration checked the cooking areas of three big (2) ____ companies. They provide the food for airlines such (3) ____ American Airlines and United. The inspectors said food was not (4) ____ in cool temperatures and workers used unclean equipment. They also found cockroaches, flies and mice in the kitchens. One of the caterers, LSG Sky Chefs, said they worked hard to (5) ____ sure their customers receive “safe, healthy and high-quality food".

Airplane food is often the (6) ____ of many jokes. Some people say they really hate it. This report makes us think a little more about how healthy it is. Many airlines (7) ____ about the quality of their food. Some say it is the same as (8) ____ in top restaurants. Maybe it is better if we bring our own food. At least we can have something different from chicken or fish. We would also know it has been cooked (9) ____. Maybe airlines could try making simple things. We don’t really need a menu full of food we’ve never heard of. Perhaps the safest option is to (10) ____ to fruit and biscuits or peanuts.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	meals	(b)	meal	(c)	food
2.	(a)	cater	(b)	caters	(c)	catering
3.	(a)	was	(b)	as	(c)	has
4.	(a)	storage	(b)	stored	(c)	store
5.	(a)	have	(b)	do	(c)	make
6.	(a)	subject	(b)	noun	(c)	verb
7.	(a)	boast	(b)	beast	(c)	bust
8.	(a)	these	(b)	that	(c)	those
9.	(a)	proper	(b)	prop	(c)	properly
10.	(a)	stick	(b)	sticky	(c)	stickiness

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A new ropert
2.	meals resvde by airlines
3.	actirnge companies
4.	doerst in cool temperatures
5.	they rekdwo hard
6.	high-tyliaqu food
Paragraph 2
7.	the tcebjus of many jokes
8.	Many airlines abost
9.	cchkine or fish
10.	cooked pprerylo
11.	making seplim things
12.	the safest ponito

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	chicken or fish. We would also know it has been cooked properly. Maybe airlines could try making simple things. We don’t
( )	the USA’s Food and Drug Administration checked the cooking areas of three big catering companies. They provide
( )	really need a menu full of food we’ve never heard of. Perhaps the safest option is to stick to fruit and biscuits or peanuts.
( )	that in top restaurants. Maybe it is better if we bring our own food. At least we can have something different from
( )	Airplane food is often the subject of many jokes. Some people say they really hate it. This report makes us think
( )	and workers used unclean equipment. They also found cockroaches, flies and mice in the kitchens. One of the caterers,
( 1 )	A new report on airline food says many meals served by airlines are prepared in dirty kitchens. Inspectors from
( )	the food for airlines such as American Airlines and United. The inspectors said food was not stored in cool temperatures
( )	LSG Sky Chefs, said they worked hard to make sure their customers receive “safe, healthy and high-quality food".
( )	a little more about how healthy it is. Many airlines boast about the quality of their food. Some say it is the same as

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	kitchens served are dirty Meals airlines in by prepared.
2.	catering areas companies of three The big cooking.
3.	temperatures cool in stored not was Food.
4.	They flies also and found mice cockroaches ,.
5.	food Customers receive safe , healthy and high-quality.
6.	jokes food the many Airplane often of is subject.
7.	think This a report little makes more us.
8.	boast their about food the quality Airlines of.
9.	food is we own It if our better bring.
10.	try simple could making things Airlines.

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 airplane food 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. AIRPLANE FOOD: Search the Internet and find more information about airplane food. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about airplane food. Include imaginary an interview with an unhappy passenger and an airline chef. 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 the chef of an airplane food company. Ask him/her three questions about airplane food. Give him/her three of your opinions on airplane food and how to make it better. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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