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Designed By:
Christian Alas
Created and illustrated By:
Angelo Romero and Camilo Sanabria
Airplanes
Airplanes are among the most important means of transportation today. They connect our vast world and make it possible to go places that we only previously dreamed of.
Thousands of people use planes every day to travel. The notion that planes are simply used for this is simply a fallacy. Not only are planes used for commercial travel, they are also used to deliver packages, protect national borders, spray chemicals on farm crops, etc.
Planes are also some of the most technologically advanced creations. Getting thousands of pounds to fly through the air is no easy feat.
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There are several types of planes, including gliders, jet aircrafts, rocket powered aircrafts, etc. Gliders do not actually fly; they simply glide through the air using the wind and no power.
So there is some controversy as to whether or not they should be considered actual aircrafts. Some people acknowledge them as such, while others do not. Jet aircrafts are the common planes that you fly on when you travel. They are used for commercial flight.
Rocket powered aircrafts are mainly limited to space shuttles today, although there is ongoing research and experimenting to find other uses. Using an explosive barrage of rocket power, a rocket’s liftoff is an amazing sight, conveying enormous amounts of fire and smoke into the atmosphere. It is no wonder that it is popular to watch.
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The first attempt at flight was conducted by George Cayley, who invented the study of aerodynamics. He allotted his time to the study and building of model aircrafts as early as 1803. After years of refining and altering his inventions, he finally created a glider that carried passengers in 1853.
It was common to try and become a pioneer of some new technology and then solicit it in order to get rich, but avarice was not Cayley’s motivation. The famous Wright Brothers are generally considered the inventors of aircraft since their device was the first to fly for an extended period and not simply glide.
Their first successful flight was in 1903 in the Wright Flyer III. Working together allowed them to beseech each other for advice. If they had worked separately, it would have been much more difficult to individually discern and solve problems.
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Today airplanes are very prevalent and make transportation significantly easier. Imagine having to drive all the way from Texas to California. That could take days and would be irksome to most people, but with a plane the journey takes only a few hours.
Sitting in a car with anyone for a whole day would likely cause feuds and unpleasant discourse. We are lucky that people worked hard and became enlightened with ideas for the technology necessary to build planes. We take many things for granted, and, when you put it into perspective, planes are one of them.
The desire to improve aircrafts continues today and hopefully that desire will be interminable.
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Although airplanes are a seemingly beneficial creation, there are opponents who refrain from praising planes. These critics would relinquish their plane tickets rather than fly. The reason for this is that planes cause significant amounts of pollution.
This fact has caused tumult among critics. Planes release large amounts of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, which is bad for the environment. And with so many people flying everyday, the impact is multiplied tremendously.
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The insinuation is that our environment will no longer be habitable with all the pollution. Critics fear that by the time the revelation of such dangers is realized by enough people, it will be too late.
Of course it would be impractical to completely terminate the airline industry, but there is hope. New flight and fuel technology is progressing towards more environment-friendly aircrafts, so hopefully that dream will be realized and news of all the benefits will reverberate throughout the world.
We must do our part to oblige by not being big polluters ourselves. Until we do that, we are not vindicated from blame and cannot divert attention away from ourselves or receive impunity from guilt.
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Vocabulary
Match each word in the left column with a description in the right column that best matches its meaning.
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1. ____ Avarice 2. ____ Notion 3. ____ Controversy 4. ____ Perspective 5. ____ Fallacy 6. ____ Revelation 7. ____ Feud 8. ____ Acknowledge |
A. Debate, argument B. To avoid doing, abstain C. Accommodate, gratify, please D. Myth, false idea E. Disclosure, exposure F. Conversation, dialogue G. Greed, materialism H. Distract, turn away |
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9. ____ Insinuation 10. ____ Convey 11. ____ Discern 12. ____ Oblige 13. ____ Discourse 14. ____ Refrain 15. ____ Divert |
I. Point of view, perception J. Hint, suggestion K. Fight, quarrel L. Carry; transport M. Distinguish, recognize N. Idea, concept O. Admit, allow |
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Vocabulary
Match each word in the left column with words in the right column that best match its definition.
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16. ____ Relinquish 17. ____ Enlighten 18. ____ Solicit 19. ____ Impunity 20. ____ Terminate 21. ____ Vindicate 22. ____ Reverberate 23. ____ Barrage 24. ____ Tumult |
A. Explain, tell, make clear B. Common, widespread C. Beg, plead, request D. Assign, designate E. Uproar, commotion, turmoil F. Annoying, irritating G. End, stop H. Echo, ring, resound I. Ask, beg |
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Match each word in the left column with words in the right column that best match its definition.
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25. ____ Interminable 26. ____ Allot 27. ____ Irksome 28. ____ Alter 29. ____ Prevalent 30. ____ Beseech |
J. Bombardment, onslaught K. Change, modify, adjust L. Exemption from punishment M. Free from blame, clear N. Endless, never-ending O. Let go of, give up |
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Multiple Choice
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1. How many people use airplanes daily to travel? A. Dozens. B. Hundreds. C. Thousands. D. Trillions. |
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2. Which is not a type of plane? A .Jet. B. Glider. C. Rocket-powered aircraft. D. Tanker. |
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3. _____ was the first person to attempt to fly. A. Wilfred Donaldson. B. Michael Greene. C. Geoge Cayley. D. Ronald Wright. |
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4. The inventor of aircraft was A. Mark Russell. B.Craig McConnell. C. Alex Stevens. D. The Wright Brothers. |
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True or False
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Choose whether each statement is true or false and write your answer in the space provided. 1. ____ The first aircraft to successfully fly was the Wright Flyer III. 2. ____ Airplanes have a tendency to cause pollution. 3. ____ Airplanes are only used for commercial travel. 4. ____ Airplanes are a much more convenient way to travel compared to cars. 5. ____ Gliders are widely considered genuine airplanes. |
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Short Answer
1. Explain the history of the first attempts to fly.
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2. Why do some people oppose airplanes?
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3. How are airplanes important today?
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4. Describe your feelings towards flying in airplanes.
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Reading Questions
1. What is the writer’s main idea?
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2. What example supports the writer’s main idea?
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3. How does the example help the writer’s argument?
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4. What do you think about the story?
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HS – ESL2 – Unit 21 – Music – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 20 – Communications – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 19 – Flag – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 18 – Planet – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 17 – Hamburgers – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 16 – Reading – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 15 – Vincent Van Gogh – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 14 – Penguins – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 11 – Popcorn – Moodle 
HS – ESL2 – Unit 10 – Superheroes – Moodle 
Unit 1 – Maïs – French – Beginning 
Planeta – Unidad 1 – Español – Advanced 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 17 – Mustang– Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 16 – Reading – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 15 – Vincent Van Gogh– Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 14 – Penguins – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 13 – Medicine – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 11 – Paris – Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 10 – Superheroes– Moodle 
HS – ESL3 – Unit 8 – Earthquakes – Moodle