A flight in Japan had to turn back because there was a crack in the window of the cockpit. The crack was on the outside layer of the window and didn’t cause any problems with controlling the plane or keeping the air pressure right. The plane was going from Sapporo to Toyama when they found the crack. Thankfully, nobody got hurt and all 59 passengers and six crew members were safe. The airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), doesn’t know what caused the crack yet.

Sometimes things like this happen in aviation. It could be because a bird hit the window or a piece of hailstone hit it. It’s also possible that the window got worn out and cracked. To make sure the plane is safe, they will probably need to replace the whole window, not just the cracked part. ANA made sure the passengers got on other flights to their destinations.

It’s important to know that this incident is not connected to the recent grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes. The ANA flight was using an older version of the Boeing 737 and wasn’t part of the MAX 9 fleet. The grounding of the MAX 9 planes happened because the US aviation regulator, the FAA, found a different problem. An Alaska Airlines plane had a blowout and a panel fell off while it was flying. The FAA has stopped the MAX 9 planes from flying until they can check them more and make sure they’re safe.

In summary, a crack in the cockpit window made a plane in Japan go back to where it started. They don’t know why the crack happened, but it didn’t cause any problems with flying the plane or keeping the air pressure right. All the passengers were safe and ANA made sure they got on other flights. This incident is different from the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes, which happened because of a different safety issue.

Original news source: Cockpit window crack forces ANA Boeing flight in Japan to turn back (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and create a one-paragraph summary of the main points. They can then take turns sharing their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: In groups of three or four, students will discuss their opinions on the incident and any concerns they may have about flying. They will then conduct a poll within their group, asking each member a series of questions to gather their opinions. Finally, they will share their findings with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: In pairs, students will take turns selecting a vocabulary word from the article and drawing a picture to represent it. Their partner must guess the word based on the drawing. They can then switch roles and continue with a new word.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: In pairs, students will create a list of five words or phrases from the article and then challenge their partner to come up with a synonym for each one. They can take turns giving and guessing synonyms, and then discuss any possible differences in meaning.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In small groups, students will discuss the pros and cons of the actions taken by the airline in response to the incident. They will list their ideas on a sheet of paper and then share their group’s thoughts with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What caused the plane in Japan to turn back?
2. Did the crack in the cockpit window affect the plane’s ability to fly or maintain air pressure?
3. Where was the plane going when they discovered the crack?
4. Were there any injuries to the passengers or crew members?
5. Why might the airline need to replace the entire window instead of just the cracked part?
6. How did ANA ensure that the passengers reached their destinations?
7. Is the incident with the cracked window related to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
8. Why were the MAX 9 planes grounded by the FAA?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A flight in Japan had to turn back because there was a (1)______ in the window of the (2)______. The crack was on the outside layer of the window and didn’t cause any problems with controlling the plane or keeping the air pressure right. The plane was going from Sapporo to (3)______ when they found the crack. Thankfully, nobody got hurt and all 59 passengers and six crew members were safe. The (4)______, All Nippon Airways (ANA), doesn’t know what caused the crack yet.

Sometimes things like this happen in aviation. It could be because a bird hit the window or a piece of hailstone hit it. It’s also (5)______ that the window got worn out and cracked. To make sure the (6)______ is safe, they will probably need to replace the whole window, not just the cracked part. ANA made sure the passengers got on other (7)______ to their destinations.

It’s (8)______ to know that this incident is not connected to the recent grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes. The ANA flight was (9)______ an older version of the Boeing 737 and wasn’t part of the MAX 9 (10)______. The grounding of the MAX 9 planes happened because the US aviation (11)______, the FAA, found a different problem. An Alaska Airlines plane had a blowout and a panel fell off while it was flying. The FAA has stopped the MAX 9 planes from flying until they can (12)______ them more and make sure they’re safe.

In summary, a crack in the cockpit (13)______ made a plane in Japan go back to where it started. They don’t know why the crack happened, but it didn’t cause any (14)______ with flying the plane or (15)______ the air pressure right. All the passengers were safe and ANA made sure they got on other flights. This incident is (16)______ from the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes, which happened because of a different safety issue.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. Have you ever been on an airplane? How did you feel during the flight?
2. How do you think the passengers felt when they found out about the crack in the cockpit window?
3. What do you think could have caused the crack in the window?
4. How important do you think it is for the airline to prioritize passenger safety?
5. Do you think the airline handled the situation well by getting the passengers on other flights? Why or why not?
6. How would you feel if you were on a plane and there was a crack in the cockpit window?
7. Have you ever experienced any safety issues while traveling? What happened?
8. Do you think incidents like this affect people’s trust in flying? Why or why not?
9. What safety measures do you think should be in place to prevent incidents like this from happening?
10. Why do you think the airline needs to replace the whole window instead of just the cracked part?
11. How do you think the pilots reacted when they discovered the crack in the window?
12. Do you think incidents like this happen often in aviation? Why or why not?
13. How do you think the passengers felt when they found out they had to turn back to the starting point?
14. What do you think the airline can do to prevent similar incidents in the future?
15. Do you think incidents like this affect the reputation of the airline? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. aviation
2. cockpit
3. hailstone
4. grounding
5. regulator
6. blowout
7. fleet
8. panel
9. destinations
10. incident
11. crack
12. pressure
13. layer
14. worn out
15. controlling

Meanings:
(A) The area in an airplane where the pilot sits and controls the aircraft
(B) An organization or person that makes sure rules or laws are followed
(C) A sudden failure or burst, often of a tire or other pressurized system
(D) A single thickness or level of material covering a surface or body
(E) Damaged from use and no longer in good condition
(F) The act of managing or directing something
(G) The places where people are going or where something is being sent
(H) An event, especially one that is unusual, important, or violent
(I) A small ball of ice that falls from the sky like rain
(J) The act of flying or operating aircraft
(K) A flat piece of material that covers a part of a structure or device
(L) The act of stopping aircraft from flying
(M) A group of vehicles, typically ships or aircraft, operated by one owner or organization
(N) The force exerted by air, whether compressed or in a confined space
(O) A narrow opening or break in a hard surface or material
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did the flight in Japan have to turn back?
(a) The plane ran out of fuel.
(b) The pilot got sick.
(c) There was a crack in the cockpit window.
(d) The passengers wanted to go back.

2. Where was the crack in the cockpit window?
(a) On the inside layer of the window.
(b) On the outside layer of the window.
(c) In the middle of the window.
(d) On the wing of the plane.

3. Did the crack cause any problems with flying the plane?
(a) Yes, it made the plane crash.
(b) No, it didn’t cause any problems.
(c) Yes, it caused the plane to lose control.
(d) No, it made the plane go faster.

4. How many passengers were on the plane?
(a) 59 passengers.
(b) 6 passengers.
(c) 100 passengers.
(d) 10 passengers.

5. What airline was the plane flying with?
(a) Japan Airlines.
(b) American Airlines.
(c) All Nippon Airways (ANA).
(d) British Airways.

6. What might have caused the crack in the window?
(a) A bird hitting the window.
(b) A piece of hailstone hitting the window.
(c) The window getting worn out.
(d) All of the above.

7. What will they probably need to do to fix the crack?
(a) Replace the cracked part.
(b) Leave the crack as it is.
(c) Paint over the crack.
(d) Replace the whole window.

8. Was this incident related to the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
(a) Yes, it was the same problem.
(b) Yes, it was caused by the same airline.
(c) No, it was a different safety issue.
(d) No, it was not related.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. ANA arranged for the passengers to cancel their journeys on other flights.
2. The airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), is still sure of what caused the crack.
3. Thankfully, nobody on the flight was injured and all passengers and crew members were safe.
4. A flight in Japan had to continue because there was a crack in the cockpit window.
5. The flight was going from Sapporo to Toyama when the crack was discovered.
6. The crack was on the outside layer of the window and didn’t affect the plane’s control or air pressure.
7. This incident is related to the recent grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes due to a different safety issue.
8. To ensure safety, the entire window will likely need to be replaced, not just the cracked part.
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 caused the flight in Japan to turn back?
2. Did the crack in the cockpit window affect the plane’s ability to fly or control the air pressure?
3. How did the airline ensure the safety of the passengers and crew members?
4. What is the difference between the incident with the cracked window and the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
5. Why did the FAA ground the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What caused the plane in Japan to turn back?
The plane in Japan turned back because there was a crack in the cockpit window.

2. Did the crack in the cockpit window affect the plane’s ability to fly or maintain air pressure?
No, the crack in the cockpit window did not affect the plane’s ability to fly or maintain air pressure.

3. Where was the plane going when they discovered the crack?
The plane was going from Sapporo to Toyama when they discovered the crack.

4. Were there any injuries to the passengers or crew members?
No, there were no injuries to the passengers or crew members. All 59 passengers and six crew members were safe.

5. Why might the airline need to replace the entire window instead of just the cracked part?
The airline might need to replace the entire window instead of just the cracked part to ensure the plane’s safety.

6. How did ANA ensure that the passengers reached their destinations?
ANA made sure the passengers got on other flights to their destinations.

7. Is the incident with the cracked window related to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
No, the incident with the cracked window is not related to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes.

8. Why were the MAX 9 planes grounded by the FAA?
The MAX 9 planes were grounded by the FAA because they found a different safety issue after an Alaska Airlines plane experienced a blowout and a panel fell off while flying.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) crack
(2) cockpit
(3) Toyama
(4) airline
(5) possible
(6) plane
(7) flights
(8) important
(9) using
(10) fleet
(11) regulator
(12) check
(13) window
(14) problems
(15) keeping
(16) different
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. aviation
Answer: (J) The act of flying or operating aircraft

2. cockpit
Answer: (A) The area in an airplane where the pilot sits and controls the aircraft

3. hailstone
Answer: (I) A small ball of ice that falls from the sky like rain

4. grounding
Answer: (L) The act of stopping aircraft from flying

5. regulator
Answer: (B) An organization or person that makes sure rules or laws are followed

6. blowout
Answer: (C) A sudden failure or burst, often of a tire or other pressurized system

7. fleet
Answer: (M) A group of vehicles, typically ships or aircraft, operated by one owner or organization

8. panel
Answer: (K) A flat piece of material that covers a part of a structure or device

9. destinations
Answer: (G) The places where people are going or where something is being sent

10. incident
Answer: (H) An event, especially one that is unusual, important, or violent

11. crack
Answer: (O) A narrow opening or break in a hard surface or material

12. pressure
Answer: (N) The force exerted by air, whether compressed or in a confined space

13. layer
Answer: (D) A single thickness or level of material covering a surface or body

14. worn out
Answer: (E) Damaged from use and no longer in good condition

15. controlling
Answer: (F) The act of managing or directing something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did the flight in Japan have to turn back?
Answer: (c) There was a crack in the cockpit window.

2. Where was the crack in the cockpit window?
Answer: (b) On the outside layer of the window.

3. Did the crack cause any problems with flying the plane?
Answer: (b) No, it didn’t cause any problems.

4. How many passengers were on the plane?
Answer: (a) 59 passengers.

5. What airline was the plane flying with?
Answer: (c) All Nippon Airways (ANA).

6. What might have caused the crack in the window?
Answer: (a) A bird hitting the window.

7. What will they probably need to do to fix the crack?
Answer: (d) Replace the whole window.

8. Was this incident related to the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes?
Answer: (d) No, it was not related.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. ANA arranged for the passengers to cancel their journeys on other flights. (Answer: False)
2. The airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), is still sure of what caused the crack. (Answer: False)
3. Thankfully, nobody on the flight was injured and all passengers and crew members were safe. (Answer: True)
4. A flight in Japan had to continue because there was a crack in the cockpit window. (Answer: False)
5. The flight was going from Sapporo to Toyama when the crack was discovered. (Answer: True)
6. The crack was on the outside layer of the window and didn’t affect the plane’s control or air pressure. (Answer: True)
7. This incident is related to the recent grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes due to a different safety issue. (Answer: False)
8. To ensure safety, the entire window will likely need to be replaced, not just the cracked part. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧