Find the Content and Exercises with Solution
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to understand the historical development of transportation from the wheel to supersonic aircraft, recognize key inventions and milestones in aviation, and identify important facts about modern airplanes and the Concorde.
Taking Off
B. Read the following dialogue between the English teacher, Mr Ramis, and a student Rubina.
Human beings conquered the distance on earth by discovering wheels. They endeavored further. Then on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers in America made the first experiment of flying in a plane. In the experiment, a machine carried a man and rose above by its own power. The machine was called 'aka airplane'. It flew naturally in a smooth speed, and finally landed without damage. That was human being's first real take-off. And now, they have got a supersonic speed. In a supersonic speed, something travels faster than sound! So, the sky's the limit now!
Modern aircraft companies are making revolutions in aviation technology. Boeing as well as Airbus is producing modern passenger airplanes. These planes fly very fast. Boeing 787 flies 950 km/h. However, Airbus 350 is expected to fly at a speed of 945 km/h.
You find attractive ads on websites of both Boeing and Airbus planes. Both have excellent features. But in speed, neither could beat the concord. It is the world's firstest supersonic passenger aircraft. Its normal speed was 2170 km/h. the Concorde was a joint project by French and Britain. it started passenger flight in 1976. Unfortunately, the Concord fleet was grounded forever in 2003 after a major accident.
Multiple Choice Questions
- According to the passage, which invention first enabled human beings to conquer distance on earth?
- The airplane
- The rocket
- The wheel
- The ship
- When did the Wright brothers conduct their first successful flight experiment?
- December 17, 1903
- January 1, 1910
- July 20, 1905
- November 11, 1912
- What made the Wright brothers’ flying experiment significant?
- The machine could float in the air without fuel
- The machine rose above by its own power and landed safely
- The flight lasted for more than 24 hours
- The machine was unmanned and controlled remotely
- What is the meaning of “supersonic speed” as explained in the passage?
- Faster than light
- Faster than sound
- Slower than sound
- Equal to the speed of sound
- Which aircraft is mentioned as flying at a speed of 950 km/h?
- Airbus A350
- Boeing 787
- Concorde
- Wright Flyer
- Which aircraft is referred to as the “world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft”?
- Airbus A350
- Boeing 787
- Concorde
- Wright Flyer
- Why was the Concorde permanently grounded in 2003?
- It was too expensive to operate
- It faced competition from Boeing and Airbus
- It was banned due to environmental pollution
- It suffered a major accident
Short Questions
- Who were the first people to invent and use the wheel, according to Mr. Ramis?
- In which geographical region was Mesopotamia located?
- What improvement did the Egyptians make to the original wheel?
- For what purposes were spoked-wheel chariots used in ancient India?
- How did the Greeks and Romans contribute to the development of wheel technology?
Fill in the Blanks
Human beings conquered the distance on earth by discovering the __________. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers in __________ made the first successful flying experiment. Their machine, called an __________, carried a man, rose by its own power, and landed safely. In modern times, aircraft have achieved __________ speed, which means traveling faster than __________. Among passenger planes, the Boeing __________ flies at 950 km/h, while the Airbus __________ is expected to fly at 945 km/h. However, neither could beat the __________, the first supersonic passenger aircraft, which flew at 2170 km/h. It was a joint project of __________ and Britain, but the fleet was grounded forever in __________ after a major accident.
Suffix and Prefix Exercise
The invention of the airplane marked a great __________ (achieve) in human history. The Wright brothers’ flight was considered a __________ (revolution) step in transportation. Modern aircraft companies continue to show __________ (innovate) through their designs. Boeing and Airbus are leading __________ (produce) of fast passenger planes. The Concorde, despite its __________ (success) ending, was a symbol of technological __________ (advance). Its story reflects both human __________ (imagine) and the challenges of high-speed air travel.
Complete the Table
Fill in the blanks in the Event/Action and What/Why columns using information from the passage. Blanks alternate for practice.
| Subject | Event/Action | What/Why |
|---|---|---|
| Human beings | (i) ____________________ | to conquer distance on earth |
| Wright brothers | Made the first flight experiment on December 17, 1903 | (ii) ____________________ |
| Airplane | (iii) ____________________ | to carry a man, rise by its own power, and land safely |
| Supersonic speed | Means traveling faster than sound | (iv) ____________________ |
| Boeing 787 | (v) ____________________ | flies at 950 km/h |
| Airbus A350 | Expected to fly at 945 km/h | (vi) ____________________ |
| Concorde | (vii) ____________________ | world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft, speed 2170 km/h |
| Concorde project | Jointly developed by France and Britain | (viii) ____________________ |
| Concorde fleet | (ix) ____________________ | grounded forever in 2003 after a major accident |
Answers
Multiple Choice Questions
- According to the passage, which invention first enabled human beings to conquer distance on earth?
- The airplane
- The rocket
- The wheel ✅
- The ship
- When did the Wright brothers conduct their first successful flight experiment?
- December 17, 1903 ✅
- January 1, 1910
- July 20, 1905
- November 11, 1912
- What made the Wright brothers’ flying experiment significant?
- The machine could float in the air without fuel
- The machine rose above by its own power and landed safely ✅
- The flight lasted for more than 24 hours
- The machine was unmanned and controlled remotely
- What is the meaning of “supersonic speed” as explained in the passage?
- Faster than light
- Faster than sound ✅
- Slower than sound
- Equal to the speed of sound
- Which aircraft is mentioned as flying at a speed of 950 km/h?
- Airbus A350
- Boeing 787 ✅
- Concorde
- Wright Flyer
- Which aircraft is referred to as the “world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft”?
- Airbus A350
- Boeing 787
- Concorde ✅
- Wright Flyer
- Why was the Concorde permanently grounded in 2003?
- It was too expensive to operate
- It faced competition from Boeing and Airbus
- It was banned due to environmental pollution
- It suffered a major accident ✅
Short Questions with Answers
-
What key advancement distinguished the Wright brothers’ 1903 experiment from all earlier flying attempts?
The Wright brothers’ experiment was the first in which a machine carried a man, rose above by its own power, flew smoothly, and landed safely without damage. -
Why is the term “supersonic speed” considered revolutionary in the history of aviation?
Supersonic speed is revolutionary because it refers to traveling faster than the speed of sound, marking a breakthrough that pushed the boundaries of human transportation. -
Compare the speeds of Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and Concorde. How did Concorde surpass the modern passenger jets?
Boeing 787 flies at 950 km/h and Airbus A350 at 945 km/h, while Concorde’s normal speed was 2170 km/h, making it more than twice as fast as both modern jets. -
Why can the Concorde be described as both a technological marvel and a tragic failure in aviation history?
The Concorde was a marvel for being the first supersonic passenger aircraft, but a tragic failure because it was permanently grounded in 2003 after a fatal accident. -
What role did international collaboration play in the development of the Concorde?
The Concorde was a joint project between France and Britain, showing how international cooperation contributed to groundbreaking innovations in aviation. -
How does the grounding of the Concorde in 2003 highlight the risks and challenges of supersonic passenger travel?
The grounding after a major accident showed that despite technological progress, safety risks, high costs, and operational challenges limited the future of supersonic passenger planes. -
In what way did the transition from the wheel to supersonic aircraft symbolize the evolution of human ambition in transportation?
The journey from the wheel to supersonic aircraft symbolizes humanity’s continuous ambition to overcome distance, from conquering land travel to dominating the skies at speeds faster than sound.
Fill in the Blanks – Answer Key
Human beings conquered the distance on earth by discovering the wheel. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers in America made the first successful flying experiment. Their machine, called an airplane, carried a man, rose by its own power, and landed safely. In modern times, aircraft have achieved supersonic speed, which means traveling faster than sound. Among passenger planes, the Boeing 787 flies at 950 km/h, while the Airbus A350 is expected to fly at 945 km/h. However, neither could beat the Concorde, the first supersonic passenger aircraft, which flew at 2170 km/h. It was a joint project of France and Britain, but the fleet was grounded forever in 2003 after a major accident.
Suffix and Prefix Exercise – Answer Key
The invention of the airplane marked a great achievement (achieve) in human history. The Wright brothers’ flight was considered a revolutionary (revolution) step in transportation. Modern aircraft companies continue to show innovation (innovate) through their designs. Boeing and Airbus are leading producers (produce) of fast passenger planes. The Concorde, despite its unsuccessful (success) ending, was a symbol of technological advancement (advance). Its story reflects both human imagination (imagine) and the challenges of high-speed air travel.
Complete the Table – Answer Key
| Subject | Event/Action | What/Why |
|---|---|---|
| Human beings | Discovered the wheel | to conquer distance on earth |
| Wright brothers | Made the first flight experiment on December 17, 1903 | to achieve the world’s first real take-off |
| Airplane | Carried a man, rose by its own power, and landed safely | to prove that machine-powered flight was possible |
| Supersonic speed | Means traveling faster than sound | to mark a revolutionary step in aviation |
| Boeing 787 | Developed as a modern passenger aircraft | flies at 950 km/h |
| Airbus A350 | Designed as a modern passenger aircraft | expected to fly at 945 km/h |
| Concorde | Became the world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft | to fly at a normal speed of 2170 km/h |
| Concorde project | Jointly developed by France and Britain | to symbolize international cooperation in aviation |
| Concorde fleet | Permanently grounded in 2003 after a major accident | to end the era of supersonic passenger flights |
📖 Key Features
- 📌 Format: Reading Text with High Quality Graphics
- 📌Content: Class VIII – Unit Nine, Lesson 4: Taking Off (Page 119)
- 📌 Exercise: Multiple Choice Questions, Short Questions, Fill-in-the-Blanks, suffix and prefix, information transfer
- 📌 Ideal for: IT-Assisted Classrooms
- 📌 Perfect for: Presentation Purposes and Personal Learning too
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