Airports want to stop hurting the environment. They are trying to use a new kind of fuel that doesn’t make bad air. This new fuel is called hydrogen and it’s better than the fuel planes use now. But it’s hard to use because it’s very cold and costs a lot of money to set up.

A new company has an idea to make using hydrogen easier. They made special containers to keep the hydrogen cold. These containers can be taken to the airport and put into planes. The company is going to test this idea with a small plane next year, but we don’t know if all planes will use hydrogen in the future.

People who run airports really want to stop making bad air. But they are not sure how to do it or how much it will cost. Even if some planes start using hydrogen soon, it might take a long time before all planes do. To use hydrogen, airports will need to build new things, but it could help a lot in keeping the air clean.

Original news source: Could airports make hydrogen work as a fuel? (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Give each student a copy of the article.
2. In pairs or small groups, students have to read the article and summarize it in their own words.
3. After a few minutes, have students share their summaries with the class.
4. Discuss any differences or similarities in the summaries and clarify any misunderstandings.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a selection of keywords from the article on the board.
2. Divide the class into teams.
3. One student from each team comes to the board and chooses a keyword.
4. Without using any words, the student must draw a picture to represent the keyword.
5. The team members have to guess the keyword based on the drawing.
6. The team that guesses correctly earns a point.
7. Repeat with different students and keywords.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Give each pair a copy of the article.
3. In their pairs, students have to discuss their opinions on the use of hydrogen fuel in airports.
4. After a few minutes, have each pair share their opinions with another pair.
5. As a class, conduct a poll by asking students to raise their hand if they agree or disagree with using hydrogen fuel in airports.
6. Discuss the different opinions and reasons behind them.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions:
1. Give each student a copy of the article.
2. Have students read the article individually.
3. After reading, ask students to think about the following question: “What are the advantages and disadvantages of using hydrogen fuel in airports?”
4. Pair up the students and have them discuss their thoughts with their partner.
5. After a few minutes, ask each pair to share their thoughts with the class.
6. Facilitate a class discussion to explore the different advantages and disadvantages mentioned.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Assign each group a role (e.g., airport manager, environmentalist, pilot, economist).
3. Give each group a copy of the article.
4. In their groups, students have to discuss and make predictions about the future of using hydrogen fuel in airports based on their assigned role.
5. After a few minutes, have each group present their predictions to the class.
6. Encourage discussion and debate between groups, allowing students to challenge or support each other’s predictions.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the new kind of fuel that airports want to use to stop hurting the environment?
2. Why is it hard to use hydrogen as fuel for planes?
3. How did the new company make using hydrogen easier?
4. What is the company going to test next year with a small plane?
5. Are all planes going to use hydrogen in the future?
6. Why do people who run airports want to stop making bad air?
7. What do airports need to do in order to use hydrogen as fuel for planes?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Airports want to stop hurting the environment. They are (1)______ to use a new kind of fuel that doesn’t make bad air. This new fuel is called (2)______ and it’s better than the fuel (3)______ use now. But it’s hard to use because it’s very (4)______ and costs a lot of money to set up.

A new company has an idea to make (5)______ hydrogen (6)______. They made special containers to keep the hydrogen cold. These containers can be taken to the airport and put into planes. The company is going to test this idea with a small plane next year, but we don’t know if all planes will use hydrogen in the (7)______.

People who run (8)______ really want to (9)______ making bad air. But they are not sure how to do it or how much it will cost. Even if some planes (10)______ using hydrogen soon, it might take a long (11)______ before all planes do. To use hydrogen, airports will need to (12)______ new things, but it could help a lot in keeping the air clean.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is hydrogen fuel?
2. How do airports want to stop hurting the environment?
3. Do you think using hydrogen fuel is a good idea? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if all planes used hydrogen fuel in the future?
5. Why do you think it’s hard to use hydrogen fuel?
6. What do you think about the idea of using special containers to keep the hydrogen cold?
7. Do you think it’s important for airports to find ways to make the air clean? Why or why not?
8. How do you think using hydrogen fuel could help in keeping the air clean?
9. What do you think might be some challenges in getting all planes to use hydrogen fuel?
10. Have you ever heard of any other ways to make transportation more environmentally friendly? What are they?
11. Do you like the idea of airports using hydrogen fuel? Why or why not?
12. How do you think using hydrogen fuel could impact the cost of flying?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. airports
2. fuel
3. hydrogen
4. containers
5. planes
6. bad air
7. clean
8. costs

Meanings:
(a) Vehicles that fly in the sky
(b) A new kind of fuel that is better for the environment
(c) Not dirty or polluted
(d) Something that makes machines work
(e) The amount of money needed to buy or do something
(f) Places where planes take off and land
(g) Special boxes to hold and transport things
(h) Air that is not good for people to breathe
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What kind of fuel are airports trying to use to stop hurting the environment?
(a) Diesel
(b) Gasoline
(c) Hydrogen
(d) Coal

2. Why is it hard to use hydrogen as fuel?
(a) It is very hot and dangerous to handle
(b) It is very heavy and hard to transport
(c) It is very cold and expensive to set up
(d) It is very loud and noisy to use

3. What did the new company make to make using hydrogen easier?
(a) Special containers to keep the hydrogen hot
(b) Special containers to keep the hydrogen heavy
(c) Special containers to keep the hydrogen loud
(d) Special containers to keep the hydrogen cold

4. What will the company test their idea with next year?
(a) A small plane
(b) A big ship
(c) A fast train
(d) A tall building

5. Why are airports not sure how to stop making bad air?
(a) They don’t care about the environment
(b) They don’t have the technology to do it
(c) They don’t want to change their ways
(d) They don’t know how much it will cost

6. What might take a long time before all planes start using hydrogen?
(a) Finding enough hydrogen fuel
(b) Building new things at airports
(c) Training pilots to use hydrogen
(d) Fixing old planes to use hydrogen

7. How could using hydrogen help in keeping the air clean?
(a) It makes the air smell better
(b) It doesn’t produce bad air like current fuel
(c) It makes the air warmer and more comfortable
(d) It makes the air colder and fresher

8. What level of English are the students who would understand this article?
(a) Lower intermediate
(b) Advanced
(c) Beginner
(d) Native speaker

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Airports are trying to find a new kind of fuel that doesn’t harm the environment.
2. Hydrogen is difficult to use because it is very cold and expensive to set up.
3. Airports do not want to use hydrogen because it cannot help keep the air clean, and they are unsure about how to do it and how much it will cost.
4. It is uncertain if all planes will use hydrogen in the future.
5. These containers cannot be taken to the airport and put into planes.
6. The company will not test this idea with a small plane next year.
7. A new company has created special containers to keep hydrogen cold.
8. The new fuel is called hydrogen and it is not better than the fuel planes currently use.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the new kind of fuel that airports want to use?
2. Why is it hard to use hydrogen as fuel for planes?
3. How is the new company making it easier to use hydrogen?
4. When will the company test their idea with a small plane?
5. Why might it take a long time before all planes start using hydrogen?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the new kind of fuel that airports want to use to stop hurting the environment?
The new kind of fuel that airports want to use is called hydrogen.

2. Why is it hard to use hydrogen as fuel for planes?
It is hard to use hydrogen as fuel for planes because it is very cold and it costs a lot of money to set up.

3. How did the new company make using hydrogen easier?
The new company made special containers to keep the hydrogen cold, which makes using hydrogen easier.

4. What is the company going to test next year with a small plane?
The company is going to test the idea of using hydrogen in a small plane next year.

5. Are all planes going to use hydrogen in the future?
We don’t know if all planes will use hydrogen in the future. It might take a long time before all planes start using it.

6. Why do people who run airports want to stop making bad air?
People who run airports want to stop making bad air because they want to help keep the air clean and protect the environment.

7. What do airports need to do in order to use hydrogen as fuel for planes?
Airports need to build new things and make changes in order to use hydrogen as fuel for planes.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) trying
(2) hydrogen
(3) planes
(4) cold
(5) using
(6) easier
(7) future
(8) airports
(9) stop
(10) start
(11) time
(12) build
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. airports
Answer: (f) Places where planes take off and land

2. fuel
Answer: (d) Something that makes machines work

3. hydrogen
Answer: (b) A new kind of fuel that is better for the environment

4. containers
Answer: (g) Special boxes to hold and transport things

5. planes
Answer: (a) Vehicles that fly in the sky

6. bad air
Answer: (h) Air that is not good for people to breathe

7. clean
Answer: (c) Not dirty or polluted

8. costs
Answer: (e) The amount of money needed to buy or do something
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What kind of fuel are airports trying to use to stop hurting the environment?
Answer: (c) Hydrogen

2. Why is it hard to use hydrogen as fuel?
Answer: (c) It is very cold and expensive to set up

3. What did the new company make to make using hydrogen easier?
Answer: (d) Special containers to keep the hydrogen cold

4. What will the company test their idea with next year?
Answer: (a) A small plane

5. Why are airports not sure how to stop making bad air?
Answer: (d) They don’t know how much it will cost

6. What might take a long time before all planes start using hydrogen?
Answer: (b) Building new things at airports

7. How could using hydrogen help in keeping the air clean?
Answer: (b) It doesn’t produce bad air like current fuel

8. What level of English are the students who would understand this article?
Answer: (a) Lower intermediate
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Airports are trying to find a new kind of fuel that doesn’t harm the environment. (Answer: True)
2. Hydrogen is difficult to use because it is very cold and expensive to set up. (Answer: True)
3. Airports do not want to use hydrogen because it cannot help keep the air clean, and they are unsure about how to do it and how much it will cost. (Answer: False)
4. It is uncertain if all planes will use hydrogen in the future. (Answer: True)
5. These containers cannot be taken to the airport and put into planes. (Answer: False)
6. The company will not test this idea with a small plane next year. (Answer: False)
7. A new company has created special containers to keep hydrogen cold. (Answer: True)
8. The new fuel is called hydrogen and it is not better than the fuel planes currently use. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧