day-of-week, or time-of-day. The industry is cyclical. Four or five years of poor performance are followed by five or six years of gradual improvement in performance.
2 C
Task2:Results of Damage Testing
Script:
Birds often cause accidents when they strike aircraft. To date no reliable method of avoiding birds has been discovered. But scientists at the NASA space center have developed a gun built to launch dead chickens at the windshields of airliners, military jets and the space shuttle, all traveling at their top speed. The idea is to reproduce the frequent incidents of collisions with birds to test the strength of the windshields.
Trains sometimes encounter similar problems with birds. It was not surprising that when British engineers heard about the gun, they were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high-speed trains. Arrangements were made to borrow the gun. It was flown across the Atlantic and set up with great care near London. But when the gun was fired, the engineers stood shocked as the chicken flew into the shield, smashed it,
went through the engineer's chair, and landed on the back of the car. Horrified, the British sent NASA the results of the disastrous experiment,
along with the designs of the new windshield. They begged the U.S. scientists to send them their suggestions for avoiding smashed windshields. NASA reviewed the test thoroughly and had one recommendation: \”
Task3: Funny Flight Announcements
Script:
Occasionally, airline crews try to make their announcements entertaining. Here are some examples that have been reported. One pilot delivered this welcome message: \are pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately none of them are on this flight.\ One pilot said, \we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I'm going to switch the seatbelt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land. It's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings, it affects the flight pattern.\
A Southwest Airlines employee said, \the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have small children traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with two small children, decide now which one you love more.\ Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing goes like this: \ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.\
Still another attendant said, “As you exit the plane, please be sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses. Last one off the plane must clean it.”
News Report
Paragliding for a Publishing Deal
Script
An Australian writer-and paraglider-tried landing in front of Buckingham Palace last December to help him land a publishing deal.
In what looked like a scene from a James Bond movie, the paraglider, 36-year-old Brett de la Mare, was followed through the skies of central London by a police helicopter as he headed toward the palace-the London home of Queen Elizabeth II.
The royal family was not present at the time, but police took the incident seriously, all the same. The helicopter tried to force the paraglider away, but in the end, he succeeded in landing on the palace grounds. Police there promptly arrested him.
This was no terrorist, however, as Police had feared. He was, rather, a writer trying to gain publicity to help publish a book, called “Canine Dawn”. Unable to get publishers interested in the book, he tried some new ways to get attention.
After the incident, de la Mare explained what happened to reporters. \came in over the fence, and I landed in the forecourt here, and the crowd started cheering. And I was arrested and dragged off.\police had difficulty deciding what to charge him with: \initially… they arrested me for attempted burglary.. of ...Buckingham Palace... and of course, they dropped that. I mean, attempted burglary! I mean, it's hardly a discreet method of burglary...\breaches of the Air Navigation Order.
De la Mare left a humorous message on his cell phone for callers: \
this is Brett. I'm sorry you missed me. I am incarcerated right now or something. Please leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon
as I am free.\