When travelling by air you have to get to the airport early in order to check in about an hour before your flight. If you have a lot of luggage, you can put it on a trolley and push it to the check-in desk where someone will check your ticket and weigh your luggage. If you have excess luggage, you have to pay for it, and it can be expensive. Your heavy luggage is put on a conveyer belt and carried away. A light bag is classified as hand luggage and you can take it with you on the plane.

Then you go to the customs. An immigration officer looks at your passport and a security guard checks your hand luggage before you go into the departure lounge to wait till your flight is announced. If you want to, you can buy some goods at the airport duty free stores. When you see on the departure board or hear an announcement that you plane is now boarding, you go through the departure gate, and then there is sometimes a security check before you actually get on the plane. When all the passengers are on board and when the captain and his crew are ready in the cockpit, the plane moves to the end of the runway. Finally, permission is received from the control tower and the plane moves faster and faster and finally takes off.

Flying is fun. I like being in a big aircraft. The cabin crew (stewards and stewardesses or flight attendants) are always very friendly and helpful. They walk up and down the aisle bringing meals and drinks; and if the flight is going through some turbulence, they warn everybody that it might be a bit bumpy and ask us to fasten our seat-belts. On a long flight I like listening to music through the headphones available to all passengers or watch a video, which is always available, too, and sometimes I have a sleep. I enjoy it all so much that as soon as I get off the plane I want to go on the next flight again.

Answer the questions.
1. Why do passengers have to come to the airport an hour before the departure?
2. What does a passenger do if he/she has a lot of luggage?
3. What do you have to do if you have excess luggage?
4. Where do passengers wait for their plane?
5. What is a duty free store?
6. What happens when all the passengers are on board?
7. Does the writer like travelling by air? Why?
8. How does he spend time during the flight?

Give English equivalents to the following words and word
combinations.
Чтобы зарегистрироваться, проверить билет, взвесить багаж, ручная кладь, таможня, объявлять рейс, магазин беспошлинной торговли, пассажир, на борту, экипаж, взлет, взлетно-посадочная полоса, стюардесса, проход между рядами, войти в зону турбулентности, пристегнуть ремни, слушать музыку через наушники.

ON BOARD THE PLANE

1. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Captain Gibson and his crew welcome you aboard British Airways Flight 178 to New York. We will be flying at a height of 30000 feet. Our speed will be approximately 600 miles an hour. We’ll land in New York in five and a half hours. The temperature in New York is now minus 3°C. In a few minutes you’ll be able to see the Irish Coast. Our flight attendants will serve lunch in half an hour. Thank you for your attention.”

2. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of Captain Sonnleitner and his crew I would like to welcome you aboard this Swissair DC-9 aircraft. Our flying time to Geneva will be approximately an hour and twenty minutes. During the flight we shall be serving you with light refreshments. Please place your light luggage in the overhead racks, observe the no smoking signs, fasten your seat belts and ensure that your seats are in the vertical position for the take off. For your safety and comfort during the flight you are requested to read the safety instructions which you will find in front of your seat.”