ESL之旅行 10 Airport Announcements

 

 

10 Airport Announcements

GLOSSARY

attention – a word used to ask a particular group of people to listen carefully towhatever is said next* Attention shoppers.  The owner of a green Honda with license plate numberSKW 394 has left the car’s lights on in our parking lot.

departure gate – the seating area in an airport where passengers wait for theirspecific flight to leave* The departure gate is at the other end of the airport, so we need to hurry!

flight information – information about when and where flights will arrive (come)and depart (leave)* We can call the airline a few hours before we go to the airport to ask forupdated flight information, just in case there has been a change in the schedule.

monitor – a television or computer screen that shows information* Most hospital beds are next to monitors that show how quickly the patient’s heart is beating.

opposite direction – backward; behind; 180o from the direction one was goingearly* We thought the lake was east of town, but it’s actually west, so we have to drivein the opposite direction.

to approach – to move nearer to something; to come closer to something* Slow down!  You’re approaching a school zone with a lot of children nearby.

to be delayed – to be rescheduled to arrive later than originally planned* We were supposed to fly from Houston to Portland and then from Portland toEugene, but we missed our second flight because the first flight was delayed forthree hours.

flight crew – the pilots and flight attendants; the airline employees who work onthe plane while it is flying in the air* Members of flight crews get to fly all over the world, but they very rarely get tosee foreign cities because they’re always in the plane or at the airport.

ground crew – the airline employees who work outside to prepare the plane forflying* Members of the ground crew fix things that are broken on the plane, clean theseating area, and move suitcases from the plane to the airport.

to de-ice – to remove ice from an airplane before it can fly* Planes have to be de-iced before they can fly again, or else they won’t be ableto get off the ground.

wing – one of the two long “arms” of an airplane that are on each side and keepthe plane in the air* I was excited to have a window seat on the plane, but unfortunately it was overthe wing, so I wasn’t able to see the view.

aircraft – airplane; plane* The Boeing 737 is a popular type of aircraft.

departure time – the time when a plane is scheduled to leave (depart)* The plane’s departure time was 4:55 p.m., but we couldn’t leave until 7:15because of bad weather.

gate agent – the airline employee who works where people are waiting for aplane, changing people’s seats, making announcements, and taking tickets* The gate agent said that anyone with tickets in rows 15-30 can get on the planenow.

to overbook – to sell more tickets than the number of seats on an airplane* There were 130 people waiting for a plane that had only 125 seats, because theairline overbooked the flight by selling five extra tickets.

travel voucher – a piece of paper that gives someone a certain amount of credit(money that can be spent only with one airline) for a future trip* Delma received a $120 travel voucher for Aerial Airlines, but she has to use itbefore the end of the year.

worth – valued at; with a monetary value of; for the amount of* Her diamond ring is worth $1,200.  I would be scared to wear something thatexpensive!

to get bumped – to be asked to take another flight because the original flightthat one was supposed to take is already full* Bobbie got bumped from her evening flight to Anchorage to one that wouldleave in the morning, so the airline paid for her hotel room.

music to (one’s) ears – very good news; something that one hears that makes one feel happy and relieved* Miko was very worried about his wife driving in the snow, so it was music to his ears when she called and said that she had arrived safely.

to board – to get on a plane, bus, or train* Families with small children are sometimes allowed to board planes before theother passengers do.

______________COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Why does the man in the story walk in the opposite direction?

a)  Because he decided to go home.

b)  Because he needed to see the monitors.

c)  Because he had to go to a different gate.

2.  Why does the gate agent offer passengers a travel voucher?

a)  Because she wants to apologize for making them wait.

b)  Because she needs someone to agree to travel later.

c)  Because she needs to give money for de-icing the wings.

____________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to get bumped The phrase “to get bumped,” in this podcast, means to be asked to take anotherflight because the original flight that one was supposed to take is already full:

“Dad got bumped in Miami, so he’s going to come home a few hours later thanwe expected.”  “To bump (something) means to hit something by accident:

“Corwin is very tall, so he often bumps his head when he enters rooms.”  “Tobump into (someone) means to meet someone by chance, without havingplanned it: “I bumped into my third-grade teacher and her husband this morning. What a surprise!”  “To bump something up” means to increase something a littlebit: “The company was able to bump sales up by lowering the price of its products.” to boardIn this podcast, the verb “to board” means to get on a plane, bus, or train: “I don’tthink they’re going to let you board the plane with such a large suitcase.”  As a noun, a “board” is usually a long, flat piece of wood used to build things: “We’llneed a lot of boards to build the new playhouse.”  A “board” is also a flat objectused for sports, such as a “surfboard” or “snowboard.”  In business, a “board,” ora “board of directors” is a small group of people who make decisions for anorganization or company: “Adona is on the board for three educationalorganizations.”  The word “board” can also mean the meals that one gets whilestaying at a hotel or school: “When you look at the price of going to college, don’tforget to consider the cost of room and board.”

______________CULTURE NOTEMany people in the United States like to travel by airplane because it is muchfaster than traveling by car, bus, or train.  But these people often complain aboutthe “inconveniences” (things that cause problems or difficulties) of flying.  Someof these inconveniences include delays due to “inclement weather” (bad weather)and poor scheduling.  They also complain about overbooked flights and gettingbumped from flights.  In addition, many people complain about bad service anduncomfortable seats.

Airlines are trying to find ways to “remedy” (fix) these problems and“compensate” passengers, or pay them for their troubles.  As discussed in this podcast, airlines sometimes issue travel vouchers for a few hundred dollars,giving people credit to use for future trips when they get bumped from anoverbooked flight.  When flights are rescheduled for the next day, airlines sometimes pay for passengers’ hotel rooms, dinner, and breakfast if they have tostay in the city for an extra night.  When passengers complain about theseinconveniences, sometimes the airline gives them free “upgrades,” letting themsit in a more expensive class of seats for the same price, where they will havelarger and more comfortable seats.

Airlines are also trying to improve their service.  They are teaching their flightcrews to provide better “customer service” (how customers are treated by employees).  They now let passengers do “online check-in” so that they canregister for their flights using the Internet and not have to stand in line for such along time when they arrive at the airport.  Some airlines are trying to make seats bigger, provide better food, and offer “on-flight entertainment” such as movies,music, and video games.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – c; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 270: AirportAnnouncements.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 270.  I'm your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com.  You can download a LearningGuide for this episode, as well as take a look at our ESL Podcast Store, whichhas additional premium courses that you may be interested in. This podcast is called “Airport Announcements.”  We're going to hear a story ofsomeone who is listening to announcements at an airport.  You get to hear someof the typical vocabulary you might hear when you are at the airport.  Let's getstarted.

[start of story]

I was walking through the airport to Gate 11 to catch my flight when I heard this announcement:

“Attention passengers on English Air flight 232 to Boise.  The departure gate has been changed.  The flight will now be leaving from Gate 26.”

That was my flight!  I looked at the flight information monitors, turned around, andwalked in the opposite direction.  As I was approaching Gate 26, there was another announcement:

“This is an announcement for passengers on flight 232 to Boise.  The flight has been delayed due to bad weather conditions.  The flight crew has arrived at thegate, but the ground crew is still de-icing the wings of the aircraft.  Our newdeparture time is 10:50 a.m.” I thought the gate agent was done, but she had another announcement to make:

“I’m afraid that flight 232 is overbooked.  We’re looking for passengers who arewilling to take a later flight in exchange for a travel voucher worth $300.  Any passenger who is interested should see an agent at Gate 26.”

Oh, no, I thought.  I hope I don’t get bumped from this flight.  Fortunately, a fewminutes later, I heard this.  It was music to my ears.

“We are now ready for boarding.”  [end of story]

Our story begins with the person saying that he is walking through the airport –he is walking in the airport – to catch his flight at Gate 11.  “To catch your flight”

means to get on the plane – to go to your airplane so you can be on the flight, ortrip, that your airplane will take.

He hears an announcement, which is: “Attention passengers on English Air flight232 to Boise.”  We use the word “attention” at the beginning of an announcementso that everyone will pay attention, or will listen.  So it is sort of like saying, “listeneverybody.”

“Attention passengers,” the people who are on the airplane are calledpassengers, “on flight 232 to Boise.  The departure gate has changed.”  The“departure (departure) gate” is the place in the airport where the plane is parked,and you can get onto the plane from this gate.  Normally, a “gate” is like a doorinto an outside area, but here “gate” means the place, or the door, where youwalk through to get to the airplane.  “Departure” means taking off, or leaving. The opposite would be “arrival” (arrival), which means to come into; to arrive.

The flight is now leaving from Gate 26.  So, this is what we would call a “gatechange announcement.”  A “gate change announcement” is when the airlinedecides to put your plane somewhere else, so you can get more exercise by walking all over the airport!

Well, the person in the story says, “That was my flight!”  He looks at the flightinformation monitors (monitors).  A “monitor” is a general term we use for a smalltelevision screen that has information that you need.  In an airport, there are“monitors,” or screens, that have information about where the airplanes aretaking off from – where they're departing from – what gate and what time.  So,“flight information monitors” are where you get information about your airplane:

which airplane you're going to be taking and where it is going to be leaving from.

Typically, these are arranged by airline, and they're arranged by the city that youare flying to.  So, Anchorage, Alaska, would be before Los Angeles, California,and Los Angeles would be listed before Reno, Nevada.  They're listed inalphabetical order by city.

Well, this person in our story decided to look at the flight information monitor tocheck, and then turned around and walked in the opposite direction.  In otherwords, if he was heading north, he would turn around and start walking south: theopposite direction.

As he's approaching Gate 26, he hears another announcement.  The verb “toapproach” (approach) means to move nearer to something; to come closer tosomething.  So, as he's walking toward Gate 26, he hears anotherannouncement. This announcement says that his flight has been delayed due to bad weatherconditions.  When a flight is “delayed” (delayed), we mean that it is going to beleaving later than expected.  You expect the airplane to leave at 10:00, if itdoesn't leave until 1:00 in the afternoon, we would say the flight was “delayed.” Here, the flight is delayed due to “bad weather conditions,” meaning the weatheris not good enough for the flight to leave.  It may be raining; it may be snowing,and so forth.

“The flight crew has arrived at the gate, but the ground crew is still de-icing thewings of the aircraft.”  Couple of different terms here that you will hear.  The firstis “flight crew” (crew).  The “flight crew” are the people who work for the airlinethat are going to fly the plane.  The flight crew includes the people who are also,what we would call, “flight attendants.”  Those are the men and women who bringyou your soda and help you to your seat.  The combined group of the pilots andthe flight attendants is called the “flight crew.”

Well, the flight crew is at the gate, but the ground crew is still de-icing the wings. The “ground crew” are the people who work at the airport who work on planes,and in this case, who help prepare the plane to leave.  They're preparing theplane by de-icing the wings.  “To de-ice” (de-ice) means to remove the frozenwater – the ice – from the wings so the airplane can fly.  The “wings” are the twoarms of the airplane that go out.  We use the word “wings” also for a bird.  A birduses its two wings to move them up and down in order to fly.  Well, these are thewings of the airplane.  The airplane is sometimes called the “aircraft” (aircraft); it'sthe same thing as the plane or the airplane.

Well now, the new departure time for this poor man's flight is at 10:50 a.m.  The“departure time,” of course, is the time that the plane will leave the airport, willstart flying to its destination.  The “destination” is the place where you are goingto.  If you are flying from Los Angeles to London, your destination is London.

The story continues by the man saying that he thought the gate agent was done,but she had another announcement.  The “gate agent” (agent) is the person whoworks for the airline company who helps take your tickets and helps you find anew seat.  They're the person who is working out near the door where you get onthe airplane.  They are different from the flight attendants, who actually go on theairplane with you and fly with you.

So, the gate agent makes an additional announcement.  She says, “I’m afraidthat flight 232 is overbooked.”  Notice how she uses the expression “I'm afraidthat.”  This is a very common expression to use when you are going to tellsomeone some bad news.  The bad news here is that the flight is overbooked(overbooked).  When we say “the flight is overbooked,” we mean that the airlinesold too many tickets for the airplane.  This is a very common practice, at least inthe United States.  Airlines will sell more tickets than they have seats becausethey know that some people will cancel or some people will be late and won't beable to get on the airplane.

The law in the United States is that if an airline sells too many tickets, it has togive you money if it is going to say that you cannot fly on your plane when it is overbooked.  What they normally do is ask people to volunteer to take a laterflight, a flight that will be leaving later in the day, or perhaps the next day, inexchange for a travel voucher.  “In exchange for” meaning this is what we aregoing to give you if you go on a later flight.  A “travel voucher” (voucher) is like acoupon or a certificate that the airline gives you that you can use for anotherflight.  So, they don't give you money, they give you a coupon, what we wouldcall a “voucher,” and you can use that to take another flight in the future.  In this case, the travel voucher is worth $300, that's how much you can spend with thetravel voucher to get another ticket.

The man worries that he may be bumped from his flight.  When we say “you arebumped (bumped) from a flight,” that means the airline says, “I'm sorry, we don'thave any room.  Even though you bought your ticket, you cannot fly on this airplane,” you have to wait until later.

Well, he does not get bumped from his flight.  He is able to get on because hehears the gate agent say, “We are now ready for boarding.”  “To board (board)an airplane” means to get on the airplane.

The man says this announcement is music to his ears.  The expression “music toyour years” means it is good news.  When someone emails me and tells me thatthey told their friends about ESL Podcast, that is music to my ears.

Now let's listen to the announcements, this time at a normal speed.

[start of story]

I was walking through the airport to Gate 11 to catch my flight when I heard this announcement:

“Attention passengers on English Air flight 232 to Boise.  The departure gate has been changed.  The flight will now be leaving from Gate 26.”

That was my flight!  I looked at the flight information monitors, turned around, andwalked in the opposite direction.  As I was approaching Gate 26, there was another announcement:

“This is an announcement for passengers on flight 232 to Boise.  The flight has been delayed due to bad weather conditions.  The flight crew has arrived at thegate, but the ground crew is still de-icing the wings of the aircraft.  Our newdeparture time is 10:50 a.m.” I thought the gate agent was done, but she had another announcement to make:

“I’m afraid that flight 232 is overbooked.  We’re looking for passengers who arewilling to take a later flight in exchange for a travel voucher worth $300.  Any passenger who is interested should see an agent at Gate 26.”

Oh, no, I thought.  I hope I don’t get bumped from this flight.  Fortunately, a fewminutes later, I heard this.  It was music to my ears.

“We are now ready for boarding.”  [end of story]

The script for this podcast was written by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.  Thanks for listening.  We'll seeyou next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007.