A plane going to the United States had to go back to Tokyo because a man who drank too much hurt one of the plane’s workers. The man was 55 years old and from America. He bit the worker’s arm while they were flying over the ocean. When the plane landed, the police took the man.

Planes in Japan have had some problems lately. The same company, ANA, had a plane with a broken window not long ago. Also, two planes from different companies bumped into each other at an airport. People are worried about flying safely in Japan now.

The plane that turned around had 159 people on it. After the man bit the worker, the pilots flew back to Tokyo. This happened after other problems with planes in Japan, like the broken window and the planes that bumped into each other. Now, people are asking if flying in Japan is safe.

Original news source: Flight returns to Japan after ‘drunk’ man bites crew member (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article individually or in pairs. Then, ask them to summarize the main points of the article in their own words. Encourage them to include details about the incident, the problems with planes in Japan, and the concerns about flying safety.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a set of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think the man should be punished for his actions?” or “Do you feel safe flying in Japan?” Have the groups discuss their opinions and then present their answers to the rest of the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as “plane,” “worker,” “bit,” “broken,” “window,” “bumped,” “safe,” etc. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team takes turns choosing a word and drawing it on the board while their team tries to guess what the word is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Pair up the students. Give each pair a copy of the article. Set a timer for 2 minutes. In those 2 minutes, one student has to try to summarize the article to their partner as quickly as possible. After the time is up, the roles switch and the other student tries to summarize. Encourage them to include as many details as possible.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think individually about the following question: “What are some possible ways to improve flying safety in Japan?” After a few minutes, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their ideas. Finally, ask a few pairs to share their ideas with the whole class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did the plane have to go back to Tokyo?
2. What did the man do to one of the plane’s workers?
3. Where is the man from?
4. What happened to the man after the plane landed?
5. What other problems have planes in Japan had recently?
6. How many people were on the plane that turned around?
7. Why are people worried about flying in Japan now?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A (1)______ going to the United States had to go back to (2)______ because a man who drank too much hurt one of the plane’s workers. The man was 55 years old and from (3)______. He bit the worker’s arm while they were flying over the ocean. When the plane landed, the (4)______ took the man.

(5)______ in Japan have had some problems lately. The same company, ANA, had a plane with a (6)______ window not long ago. Also, two planes from (7)______ companies (8)______ into each other at an airport. People are worried about flying safely in Japan now.

The plane that turned around had 159 (9)______ on it. After the man bit the worker, the pilots flew back to Tokyo. This happened after other problems with planes in (10)______, like the broken (11)______ and the planes that bumped into each other. Now, people are (12)______ if flying in Japan is safe.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What happened to the plane going to the United States?
2. How do you think the worker felt when the man bit his arm?
3. Do you think it was right for the police to take the man? Why or why not?
4. What problems have planes in Japan had recently?
5. How many people were on the plane that had to go back to Tokyo?
6. How do you think the pilots felt when they had to turn the plane around?
7. Do you think flying in Japan is safe? Why or why not?
8. How would you feel if you were on the plane when the man bit the worker?
9. Do you like flying on planes? Why or why not?
10. What do you think should happen to people who cause problems on planes?
11. How do you think the other passengers felt when the plane had to go back to Tokyo?
12. What is the job of a plane worker?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. difficult
2. matching
3. activity
4. corresponding
5. sequence
6. label
7. device
8. records
9. vehicle
10. fuel
11. sudden
12. kindness

Meanings:
(A) Happening quickly and without warning
(B) Keeps track of something or writes it down
(C) Order in which things follow each other
(D) Putting things together because they are similar or belong together
(E) Hard to do or understand
(F) A machine that takes you from one place to another, like a car or bike
(G) A thing made for a special purpose, like a phone or computer
(H) A name or tag that tells you what something is
(I) Something that makes engines work, like gas
(J) Going together or matching up
(K) Something you do for fun or to learn
(L) Being nice and caring about others
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did the plane have to go back to Tokyo?
(a) The plane had engine trouble.
(b) A man hurt one of the plane’s workers.
(c) The plane ran out of fuel.
(d) The pilots got lost.

2. How old was the man who hurt the worker?
(a) 55 years old
(b) 25 years old
(c) 40 years old
(d) 65 years old

3. Where was the plane going?
(a) France
(b) Australia
(c) United States
(d) China

4. What did the man do to the worker?
(a) Pushed the worker
(b) Bit the worker’s arm
(c) Yelled at the worker
(d) Stole from the worker

5. What happened to the man after the plane landed?
(a) He was given a reward.
(b) He was allowed to continue his flight.
(c) The police took him.
(d) He was given a warning.

6. What company did the plane belong to?
(a) ANA
(b) JAL
(c) Delta
(d) British Airways

7. What other problems have planes in Japan had recently?
(a) Engine trouble and lost luggage
(b) Bad food and uncomfortable seats
(c) Delayed flights and lost passports
(d) Broken window and planes bumping into each other

8. What are people worried about in Japan?
(a) Finding good food at the airport
(b) Getting lost on their flights
(c) Losing their luggage
(d) Flying safely

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The man who helped the worker was 55 years old and from America.
2. The man kissed the worker’s arm while they were flying over the ocean.
3. The police released the man when the plane landed in Tokyo.
4. A plane had to go back to Tokyo because a man hurt one of the workers on board.
5. The plane that turned around had 159 people on it.
6. ANA, a different company, had a plane with a broken window recently.
7. Two planes from different companies bumped into each other at an airport in Japan.
8. People are worried about flying safely in Japan now because of these incidents.
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 happened to the plane that was going to the United States?
2. How did the man hurt one of the plane’s workers?
3. Where did the plane have to go back to?
4. Why are people worried about flying in Japan?
5. How many people were on the plane that had to turn around?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why did the plane have to go back to Tokyo?
The plane had to go back to Tokyo because a man hurt one of the plane’s workers.

2. What did the man do to one of the plane’s workers?
The man bit the worker’s arm.

3. Where is the man from?
The man is from America.

4. What happened to the man after the plane landed?
The police took the man.

5. What other problems have planes in Japan had recently?
Planes in Japan have had a broken window and two planes bumped into each other at an airport.

6. How many people were on the plane that turned around?
There were 159 people on the plane that turned around.

7. Why are people worried about flying in Japan now?
People are worried about flying in Japan now because of the recent problems with planes.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) plane
(2) Tokyo
(3) America
(4) police
(5) Planes
(6) broken
(7) different
(8) bumped
(9) people
(10) Japan
(11) window
(12) asking
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. difficult
Answer: (E) Hard to do or understand

2. matching
Answer: (D) Putting things together because they are similar or belong together

3. activity
Answer: (K) Something you do for fun or to learn

4. corresponding
Answer: (J) Going together or matching up

5. sequence
Answer: (C) Order in which things follow each other

6. label
Answer: (H) A name or tag that tells you what something is

7. device
Answer: (G) A thing made for a special purpose, like a phone or computer

8. records
Answer: (B) Keeps track of something or writes it down

9. vehicle
Answer: (F) A machine that takes you from one place to another, like a car or bike

10. fuel
Answer: (I) Something that makes engines work, like gas

11. sudden
Answer: (A) Happening quickly and without warning

12. kindness
Answer: (L) Being nice and caring about others
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did the plane have to go back to Tokyo?
Answer: (b) A man hurt one of the plane’s workers.

2. How old was the man who hurt the worker?
Answer: (a) 55 years old

3. Where was the plane going?
Answer: (c) United States

4. What did the man do to the worker?
Answer: (b) Bit the worker’s arm

5. What happened to the man after the plane landed?
Answer: (c) The police took him.

6. What company did the plane belong to?
Answer: (a) ANA

7. What other problems have planes in Japan had recently?
Answer: (d) Broken window and planes bumping into each other

8. What are people worried about in Japan?
Answer: (d) Flying safely
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The man who helped the worker was 55 years old and from America. (Answer: False)
2. The man kissed the worker’s arm while they were flying over the ocean. (Answer: False)
3. The police released the man when the plane landed in Tokyo. (Answer: False)
4. A plane had to go back to Tokyo because a man hurt one of the workers on board. (Answer: True)
5. The plane that turned around had 159 people on it. (Answer: True)
6. ANA, a different company, had a plane with a broken window recently. (Answer: False)
7. Two planes from different companies bumped into each other at an airport in Japan. (Answer: True)
8. People are worried about flying safely in Japan now because of these incidents. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧