BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

Air travel: the shape of things to come

Key:
Title of the lesson: Air travel: The shape of
1. fuselage 6. slanted
things to come
2. pioneer 7. staggered
3. stealth bomber 8. remote-controlled
Level: Advanced (C1-C2)
4. prototype 9. scaled-down
Time: 90+ minutes 5. splaying 10. aisle

Groups: one-to-one, small groups, 3. Understanding the article

whole class
a. Ask the students to answer the questions about
Business topics: Describing change in the article and encourage them to write in
an industry complete sentences.

Business language focus: compound Key:

nouns, adjectives to describe change 1. two wings that join at a pointed nose
2. one designed by Igo Etrich in 1909,
Skills: reading, speaking, writing flying-wing bombers that were unsuccessfully
developed during the second world war, the B-2
Materials: One copy of the worksheet stealth bomber
per student 3. in Germany, in July 2020
4. gyms and bowling alleys
5. They won’t share arm rests with other people.
The seats are staggered.
Overview: This lesson, based on an authentic 6. The plane’s centre of gravity was too far back so it
article from a business news source, talks didn’t fly steadily.
about the development of a new shape of 7. It uses 20% less fuel than most long-haul planes
aircraft and how it could transform the way we 8. Hydrogen
travel by plane.
4. B
 usiness language – adjectives for
describing change
1. Warmer
a. Remind students that all of these words appeared in
a. Students discuss what transport will look like in the article. When they have completed the activity, have
the future. If necessary, prompt them to think about them check their answers before moving on to activity
whether the first two vehicles (the bullet train and b so they can see the word again in context.
electric bike) will still be seen as modern in twenty
years’ time. Although the third vehicle (the flying car) Key:
isn’t a reality, ask them whether they see this being 1. futuristic 6. correctable
possible in the future. 2. stable 7. advanced
3. revolutionary 8. personal
2. Key words and expressions 4. successful 9. strategic
5. maiden 10. improved
Advanced

a. Ask students to look through the article for words that

they can write next to the definitions and encourage
them to use the paragraph numbers to help them.
They may find other words which potentially work
(e.g. prototype and model are similar although not the
same) so it is important to explain the differences.
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 BUSINESS NEWS LESSONS

b. Students should use the adjectives from the previous

exercise to construct sentences about their own
workplace and/or industry. Tell them that they will be
using the sentences shortly to talk about changes in
their industry with a partner. If students are having
difficulty in thinking of changes that have been made in
their industry, encourage them to think about what they
would like to see happen in the future.

5. Discussion questions

Ensure that students have completed 4b before

embarking on this activity as it will act as preparation
for this discussion and will give them more confidence
to express their thoughts and use the adjectives for
describing change.

Have students work in pairs or small groups. Allow equal

time for each student to discuss their industries or the
changes they predict.

6. Wider business theme – car travel

a. The research part of this activity could be carried out in

class time but is best set as homework with the group
discussion to take place at the start of the next lesson.

Put the students in groups of three or four. Ask the

groups to ensure that all three subjects are researched.

b. Once the groups have presented their research, you

could bring this together for a whole class discussion,
allowing one spokesperson from each group to offer
their collective opinions on which development they
think is most likely to achieve commercial success
and why.

One-to-one
Have the student research all three
options for homework. At the start of
the next lesson, have them present
Advanced

what they have found out before

having a discussion about their
opinion on which is most likely to
achieve commercial success.
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