You are on page 1of 3

CSWE III Module A Learning Outcome 1

Can understand a spoken information text.

Flying vs. Driving


Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Im Chad Morgan and welcome to the Channel 2 Morning Show. Thanks for watching. We have a great line up for you today. We have a special chat via satellite hook-up with Tom Cruise in Los Angeles. Well also be seeing the new Usher video, live. But first we have a very interesting guest speaker, Captain Ace Lightfoot. Captain Lightfoot has over twenty years experience as a commercial pilot and he has flown all over the world. Captain Lightfoot is here to talk about Flying versus Driving. Good morning Captain. Its good to see you. Now, can you tell us, how can flying through the sky be that much safer than driving down the road? (Captain Lightfoot): Good Morning, Chad. Good morning, everyone. Well, let's compare the dangers of driving on a two lane road compared to cruising at 35,000 feet which is the usual height youd fly at. Let's say you're driving on a country road with oncoming traffic. What is your margin for error? About three feet. What if you or the oncoming driver experiences a problem, maybe an in-car distraction from kids, your mobile phone or eating? Maybe an animal enters the roadway or you have a tire blowout? Maybe an oncoming driver is drunk or drowsy? There is very little between you and disaster. Now, let's say you are in a commercial airliner cruising at 35,000 feet. How close are you to hitting something? You are about 6 miles from hitting the ground and at least 1,000 feet vertically from any other planes. What about mechanical problems? They are very rare, and the plane has numerous backup systems. CARS VS FLYING Should parents take separate flights to protect children from losing both parents? Well.. do the parents take separate cars when driving somewhere? Over the last three years over 1.5 BILLION people flew in the United States without any fatalities! None! Zero! Compare that to almost 150,000 automobile fatalities during the last three years! (2002-2004) About 46,000 people die on the roads every day. 8000 pedestrians are killed by cars each year. Around 600,000 people die each year from cancer. That is the equivalent of SIX Boeing 747 airplanes crashing EVERYDAY! /var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/169451538.doc 1/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/169451538.doc Prepared by Jan Ryan 2005

CSWE III Module A Learning Outcome 1

Can understand a spoken information text.

What advice do I have to give you? The world is a dangerous place. So please be careful getting out of bed, showering, petting the dog, and driving to the airport. If you can safely make it to your seat on the plane, sit down and relax knowing that no activity you do is as carefully monitored, scrutinized, inspected, maintained, checked, and rechecked as commercial flying. CHAD: Thats very interesting, Ace. But, WHY DO PLANES CRASH?

The difficulty in answering this question is that crashes are normally caused by a combination of unforeseen circumstances. But each time there is a crash, we learn from it and make significant improvements following large-scale investigations.

CHAD:

So, how can people stop being so very, very afraid every time they step on a plane?

There are many ways to help reduce stress and anxiety. Most methods simply involve paying attention to yourself and being aware of your desires and needs. You should learn to pamper yourself. Here are a few ways to help you reduce the effects of stress before a flight. Get some exercise. You don't have to run a marathon, but a little exercise will help use up the excess energy released into your body by stress. It also helps clear your mind and improves your self image. If you like, just take a walk.

Try to eat better. Cut down on stimulants like caffeine, and ease up on sugar. And try to do things that make you feel better. Have a facial or a hair cut. Or a good massage.
(SOURCES: Estimates courtesy of Bureau of Safety Statistics, National Transportation Safety Board)

ALO1
1

Listening

Flying vs Driving

What is a common flying height for a commercial plane? Name two things that might take you attention away from driving.

(i) (ii)

Planes have many kinds of systems have to stop accidents happening. How many people die every year /var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/169451538.doc 2/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/169451538.doc Prepared by Jan Ryan 2005

CSWE III Module A Learning Outcome 1

Can understand a spoken information text.

when they are walking along the road? Name two (2) things you can do to relax before a flight?

(i) (ii)

Where would you hear this announcement?

On a plane On the radio On TV In a shopping mall

/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/169451538.doc 3/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_6/169451538.doc Prepared by Jan Ryan 2005

You might also like