AIRMEN’S JOURNAL
PILOT’S TALK
← Level A lessonsMOUNT ETNA · LEVEL A · UNIT 6

Review: vocabulary and speaking

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A These are the main words of the lesson. Learn them first. You need them to tell the story.

volcano Mount Etna is a volcano in Sicily.
airport Catania airport must stop all arrivals and departures.
flight Ten flights diverted to other airports.
ash Volcanic ash is dangerous for engines.
airspace Two sectors of airspace are closed.
passenger About 140 passengers had problems.
aircraft Ash can damage aircraft systems.

Mount Etna is a volcano in Sicily.

Catania airport must stop all flights.

Это ключевые слова темы. Запомните их первыми — они нужны для любого пересказа.

B These verbs and verb phrases show what happened. Many of them are in the passive (is called, is closed, was planned) — this is normal in news reports.

divert The flight had to divert to Palermo.
cancel / be canceled KM642 was canceled on September 26.
change Aeroitalia changed its flights to Comiso.
start Flight problems started before the airport closed.
work The airport worked with less capacity.
continue Some flights could continue after diverting.
must stop All arrivals and departures must stop.
be called The airport company is called SAC.
be closed Catania airport is closed now.
be planned The flight was planned for September 26.
damage Ash can damage aircraft engines.
say SAC said operations will stop.

The flight had to divert to Palermo.

The airport company is called SAC.

Эти глаголы и фразы описывают события. Пассив (is called, is closed, was planned) часто используется в новостях — не переводите дословно.

C These nouns help you explain the situation and give reasons, like a controller talking to a pilot or passenger.

arrival The arrival of the flight is delayed.
departure All departures from Catania stopped.
restriction New restrictions closed two sectors.
rule The airport made stricter rules.
reason The reason is volcanic ash.
warning INGV gave a red warning for aviation.
notice VONA means Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation.
direction The ash cloud is moving in one direction.

The reason is volcanic ash.

INGV gave a red warning for aviation.

Эти существительные помогают объяснять причины и правила — полезно для роли диспетчера.

D These words link cause and result, or describe how safe or available something is.

because of Flights stopped because of the ash.
instead The flight went to Rome instead.
available Catania was not available for landing.
dangerous Volcanic ash is very dangerous.
extra Some passengers needed extra transport.

Flights stopped because of the ash.

Volcanic ash is very dangerous.

because of = из-за (причина); instead = вместо этого. Эти слова соединяют причину и результат.

Exercises

Write your answers below, then open Answers. There is no automatic checking. Entries are not saved when you leave this page.

6.1 Write a short definition for each word. Compare your definitions with the model answers.

Example: aircraft → a plane or helicopter

  1. volcano
  2. ash
  3. airspace
  4. divert
  5. restriction
  6. available
  7. dangerous
  8. warning
  9. extra
  10. notice
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. a mountain that can explode with fire, smoke, and ash
  2. grey dust from a volcano
  3. the sky above a country, controlled by rules
  4. to change direction and land at another airport
  5. a rule that limits something
  6. free and ready to use
  7. able to hurt people or damage things
  8. a message that tells people about danger
  9. more than usual, additional
  10. an official message with information

6.2 Complete the summary of the text with one word in each gap.

Example: Mount Etna is a ______ in Sicily. → volcano

  1. The cloud from Etna is about 4 kilometers high.
  2. Catania Airport must all arrivals and departures.
  3. Many airlines must or cancel their flights.
  4. SAC that operations would stop until 12:00.
  5. Two sectors of the are closed.
  6. KM Malta Airlines flight KM642.
  7. were very unhappy about the delays.
  8. Volcanic ash can aircraft engines.
  9. The airport is now because of the volcano.
  10. Some passengers needed transport on the ground.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. ash
  2. stop
  3. divert
  4. said
  5. airspace
  6. canceled
  7. Passengers
  8. damage
  9. closed
  10. extra

6.3 Choose the correct word.

Example: The airport (worked / warned) with less capacity before it closed. → worked

  1. The ash cloud is moving in one (direction / restriction).
  2. Brussels Airlines (canceled / continued) the flight to Brussels.
  3. The flight to Catania was not (available / dangerous), so it diverted.
  4. INGV gave a red (notice / warning) about the ash.
  5. The airport company is (called / said) SAC.
  6. Passengers went to Catania by bus (because of / instead).
  7. This flight was (planned / damaged) for September 26.
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. direction
  2. canceled
  3. available
  4. warning
  5. called
  6. instead
  7. planned

6.4 Answer the questions with short sentences. Use words from this lesson.

Example: Why did Catania Airport close? → Because of volcanic ash and bad wind.

  1. What is Mount Etna?
  2. Why is volcanic ash dangerous for aircraft?
  3. What did KM Malta Airlines do with flight KM642?
  4. Where did Aeroitalia's flights go instead of Catania?
  5. What organization gave the red warning about the ash?
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. It is an active volcano in Sicily.
  2. It can damage aircraft engines and systems.
  3. They canceled it because of the volcano.
  4. They diverted to Comiso instead.
  5. INGV, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

6.5 Speaking. Use the word prompts to retell the story, then do the role-plays. Use lesson words.

Example: Retell the text in 5 short sentences: volcano → airport closed → flights diverted/canceled → passengers → reason. → Mount Etna is an active volcano. Catania Airport must stop because of ash. Some flights divert to Palermo, Trapani or Comiso. Other flights are canceled. The reason is dangerous volcanic ash and airspace restrictions.

  1. Retell the story: what happened to Catania Airport?
  2. Role-play: You are air traffic control. Explain to a pilot why the airspace is closed.
  3. Role-play: You are a dispatcher. Tell a passenger why their flight to Catania is canceled.
  4. Discussion: Why do airlines divert flights instead of waiting?
  5. Discussion: What extra problems do passengers have when a flight is diverted or canceled?
Answers

For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.

  1. Mount Etna is active again. Catania Airport closed because of ash. Many flights diverted or were canceled.
  2. Sector C1 and B3 are closed because of volcanic ash. It is dangerous for your aircraft. Please wait for a new clearance.
  3. I'm sorry, your flight is canceled because of the volcano. The airspace has restrictions. We will give you information about the next available flight.
  4. They divert because the ash is dangerous for the aircraft. Waiting is not safe, so they change direction to another airport.
  5. Passengers need extra transport, like a bus. Their arrival and departure times change, and some wait a day or two for a new flight.