Table of Contents
At Haneda Airport in Tokyo, two planes crashed on Tuesday. A big plane was landing, and a small plane was trying to take off.
The big plane was from Japan Airlines (JAL). Everyone on it, 379 people, was safe. The small plane was a military plane. Sadly, five people died, and only the pilot lived.
Records show that it was OK for the big plane to land and the small plane had to wait. But, the pilot of the small plane thought it was OK to take off.
After the crash, there was a big fire. It took eight hours for firefighters to stop it. Haneda Airport’s runways opened again the next day.
The small plane was going to Ishikawa to help people after a big earthquake. The big plane came from Hokkaido.
Vocabulary
- Crash – When two things hit each other; to hit something, often making a loud noise or causing damage
- Land – to come down from the air/sky and touch the ground;
- Take off – When a plane starts flying and goes up into the sky from the ground
- Military – armed forces; army; agency or department of a government for combat/war
- Die – When someone or something stops living
- Pilot – The person who controls and flies an airplane
- Record – information or a description of an event that is written on paper or stored on a computer; documentation; evidence
- Show – to prove something or make the truth or existence of something known; confirm; demonstrate; to display; to represent
- Firefighter – a person who stops or puts out/stops fires; 👨🚒🚒
- Runway – a road for airplanes to takeoff and land
- Earthquake – a natural event where the ground shakes and moves suddenly and strongly, caused by the movement of rocks deep beneath the earth’s surface
Discussion Questions
- What do you think might have caused the planes to crash at Haneda Airport in Tokyo?
- Do you think this accident will change how air traffic control works at Haneda Airport or other airports?
- How can passengers be better prepared for emergency situations while flying?
- How do you think the people on the big plane felt when they had to use emergency slides to leave the aircraft after it stopped moving?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
At Haneda Airport in _____, two planes crashed on Tuesday. A big plane was landing, and a _____ plane was trying to take off.
The big plane was from _____ Airlines (JAL). Everyone on it, 379 people, was safe. The small plane was a _____ plane. Sadly, five people died, and only the pilot _____.
Records show that it was OK for the big plane to _____ and the small plane had to wait. But, the _____ of the small plane thought it was OK to _____ off.
After the crash, there was a big _____. It took eight hours for firefighters to stop it. Haneda Airport’s _____ opened again the next day.
The small plane was _____ to Ishikawa to help people after a big earthquake. The big plane _____ from Hokkaido.
