#0362 – Getting In-Flight Service, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 362 – Getting In-Flight Service
GLOSSARY
call button –
a small button to push when one wants a worker to come because
one needs service, especially on a train or plane, where the call button is usually
above one’s head
* When Arvedya woke up on the plane, he was very thirsty, so he pushed the call
button to ask for a glass of water.
flight attendant –
steward/stewardess; a worker who provides service on an
airplane; a worker who brings food, drinks, blankets, and pillows to airline
passengers while they are on the plane
* The flight attendant asked us whether we would like anything else to drink.
cabin –
the part of an airplane where passengers are seated
* How many seats are in the cabin of a Boeing 747?
blanket –
a large piece of thick cloth that is placed over one’s body to keep one
warm, usually when one is asleep
* It is going to be very cold tonight, so we should put an extra blanket on the bed.
pillow –
a soft fabric bag filled with feathers, cotton, or synthetic fibers that is
placed under one’s head for comfort while sleeping
* Do you sleep with one pillow or two?
meal service –
the time during a flight when food is given to the passengers
* During the meal service, we were given a choice of chicken or beef.
bean –
legume; a pod or seed that is cooked and eaten
* Mexican food uses a lot of black beans.
complimentary –
free; at no additional cost; with the price already included
* The hotel gives its guests complimentary breakfast each morning.
in-flight magazine –
a magazine that is produced by an airline and given to
passengers for free
* Asher spent most of the flight studying the maps in the in-flight magazine.
cocktail –
an alcoholic drink that is made by mixing two or more different drinks
* Her favorite cocktail is vodka with cranberry juice.
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ESL Podcast 362 – Getting In-Flight Service
out of –
no longer having something; having given away or sold all of something
so that nothing is left
* The store was out of chicken, so we decided to get some fish instead.
turbulence –
strong movements that are felt on a plane, caused by wind
* Does turbulence make you feel sick to your stomach?
seatbelt –
two strong pieces of fabric that are pulled around one’s waist and
connected together for safety while one is sitting in a car, train, or plane
* Many states have laws requiring people to wear seatbelts while driving.
fastened –
connected; joined together tightly on two sides
* Make sure your coat is fastened tightly because it is very windy outside.
airsickness bag –
a paper bag given to airline passengers so that they can
vomit into them if they get sick
* Craig didn’t feel sick until the man sitting next to him started using his
airsickness bag.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 362 – Getting In-Flight Service
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Why can’t Hal have a blanket?
a) Because they have all been given to other people.
b) Because they are given out only during the meal service.
c) Because they are not complimentary.
2. Why does the flight attendant want Hal to fasten his seatbelt?
a) Because they are out of airsickness bags.
b) Because it’s against the rules not to use one.
c) Because the plane is moving a lot in the wind.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
bean
The word “bean,” in this podcast, means a legume, or a pod or seed that is
cooked and eaten: “Sally made some delicious red-bean chili for dinner.” A “jelly
bean” is a small, colored candy in the shape of a bean that comes in many
different flavors: “Humberto likes watermelon-flavored jelly beans best.” The
phrase “to spill the bean” means to tell a secret accidentally: “Who spilled the
beans about Reka’s surprise birthday party?” The phrase “to not amount to a hill
of beans” means to not be important: “He’ll never amount to a hill of beans
because he is just too lazy to work hard.” Finally, a “bean counter” is an informal
and impolite term for an accountant: “Bean counters always have a lot of work to
do when taxes are due.”
out of
In this podcast, the phrase “out of” means no longer having something, or having
given away or sold all of something so that nothing is left: “During the storms, all
the stores ran out of flashlights and water.” The phrase “out of” or “outside of”
can also be used to talk about the distance away from a place: “They live in a
beautiful small town just outside of Hackensack, New Jersey.” Sometimes the
phrase “out of” means not included in something: “Britney will be out of the choir
until the doctors can cure her sore throat.” Finally, the phrase “out of” can be
used to mean that something or someone is no longer in a particular situation:
“The doctors finally said that Mary Ann is out of danger and can go home from
the hospital.”
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 362 – Getting In-Flight Service
CULTURE NOTE
U.S. flights offer many services to their passengers, beyond the food, drinks,
blankets, and pillows mentioned in this podcast. In general, the longer a flight is,
the more services are offered to passengers. International flights have many
more services than “domestic” (within a single country) flights do.
Many flights have in-flight entertainment. Often passengers are given “headsets”
(small devices that one can put in one’s ears and connect to the plane with a
cable) to listen to music. Sometimes flights have television shows, too.
International flights or “cross-country” (between the U.S. east and west coasts)
flights often have in-flight movies. However, passengers are “increasingly” (more
and more often) being asked to pay to use the headsets.
On international flights, flight attendants “pass out” (distribute) “customs forms”
(paperwork that must be presented to immigration officials when one enters
another country). Sometimes they help passengers fill out those forms.
Most international flights also help passengers with their “duty-free purchases.”
Before getting on the plane, passengers may buy things “duty-free” (without
paying “tariffs,” or international taxes). Then they sit on the plane and airline
workers bring their packages to them. On some flights, people can shop for
duty-free goods in the in-flight magazine and “place orders” (make an order) on
the flight so that their purchases are waiting for them when they land.
Finally, some planes have telephones that passengers can use by “swiping”
(moving one’s credit card through an electronic reader very quickly) their credit
cards on the back of the seat in front of them. A few planes even have “electrical
outlets” (sources of electricity) so that passengers can plug in their laptop
computers and other electronics during the flight.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – c
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 362 – Getting In-Flight Service
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 362: Getting In-
Flight Service.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 362. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is www.eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for this
episode that will help you improve your English even faster. You can also take
look at our ESL Podcast Store that has additional courses in daily and business
English.
This episode is called “Getting In-Flight Service.” We are going to go on an
airplane and try to get some “service,” or some help from the people who work on
the airplane. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
I pushed the call button to get the attention of the flight attendant.
Flight attendant: Yes? What can I do for you?
Hal: It’s very cold in the cabin. Is it possible to get a blanket?
Flight attendant: We’re out of blankets, but here’s a pillow.
Hal: Okay, thanks. I was asleep during the meal service. Could I get a meal?
Flight attendant: We don’t have any more of the Baked Chicken. We only have
the Bean Salad left.
Hal: Oh, okay, I’ll take that. Could I also get a drink?
Flight attendant: What would you like?
Hal: What do you have?
Flight attendant: The complimentary drinks are listed in our in-flight magazine.
Beer, wine, and other cocktails are $4.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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