Imagine you are the airline's Personnel Officer. Which of these answers would indicate a good applicant? Which would worry you? How would you deal with these worries in an interview?

12.Now complete the questionnaire for yourself. Compare your answers with your partner and see if you agree with your assessments of yourselves.

13.Retell "Victoria's First Flight" in the I^s' person singu­lar on the part of Victoria.

VICTORIA'S FIRST FLIGHT

Sitting in her seat at Airways Terminal there had come the magic moment when the words "Passengers for Cairo, Bagdad and Teheran, take your places in the bus, please," had been ut­tered.

Magic names, magic words. Devoid of glamour to Mrs. Hamilton Clipp who, as far as Victoria could make out, had spent a large portion of her life jumping from boats into airplanes

and from airplanes into trains with brief intervals at expensive hotels in between.

... They arrived at Keith Row and she assisted Mrs. Clipp to alight from the bus. She was already in charge of passports, tick­ets, money, etc.

"My," said that lady, "it certainly is a comfort to have you with me, Miss Jones. I just don't know what I'd have done if I'd had to travel alone."

Travelling by air, Victoria thought, was rather like being taken on a school treat. Brisk teachers, kind, but firm, were at hand to shepherd you at every turn. Air hostesses in trim uniform with the authority of a nursery governess dealing with feeble-minded chil­dren explained kindly just what you were to do. Victoria always expected them to preface their remarks with "Now, children."

The various barriers passed, they sat down to wait once more in a large room giving directly on the aerodrome. Outside the roar of a plane being revved up gave the proper background. Having duly appraised her fellow-travellers, Mrs. Clipp became restless.

"I'd like to know what we are waiting for like this? That plane's revved up four times. We're all here. Why can't they got on with things? They are certainly not keeping to schedule!"

"Now then, please," said the smart Nursery Governess Air Hostess. "Take your seats in the plane. As quickly, as you can, please."

Her attitude implied that a lot of children had been keeping

the patient grown-ups waiting. Everybody filed on the airplane. The great plane was wait­ing, its engine ticking over like the satisfied purring of a gigan­tic lion.

Victoria and a steward helped Mrs. Clipp on board and set­tled her in her seat. Victoria sat next to her in the aisle. Not until Mrs. Clipp was comfortably settled and Victoria had fastened her safety-belt, did the girl have leisure to observe the man sit­ting in front of them.

The doors closed. A few seconds later the plane began to move slowly along the ground.

"We're really going," thought Victoria in ecstasy. "Oh, isn't it frightening? Suppose it never gets up off the ground? Really, I don't see how it can?"

During what seemed an age, the plane taxied along the aero­drome then it turned slowly round and stopped. The engines rose to a ferocious roar. Chewing-gum, barley sugar and cotton wool were handed round.

Louder and Louder, fiercer and fiercer. Then, once more, the airplane moved forward! Mincingly at first, then faster, faster still, they were rushing along the ground.

"It will never go up," thought Victoria, "Wfe'll be killed."

Faster — more smoothly — no jars, no bumps, they were off the ground skimming along up, round, back over the car park and the main road, up, higher, a silly little train puffing below, dolls' houses, the cars on the roads... Higher still, and sudden­ly the earth below lost interest, was no longer human or alive, just a large flat map with lines and circles and dots.

Inside the plane people undid their safety-belts, lit cigarettes, opened magazines. Victoria was in a new world, a world so many feet long, and a very few feet wide, inhabited by twenty to thir­ty people. Nothing else existed.

She peered out of the small window again. Below her were clouds, a fluffy pavement of clouds. The plane was in the sun. Below 'the clouds somewhere was the world she had known heretofore.

14.Read the leaflet "Mackenzie Airport Welcomes First-time Fliers". It describes the procedure for passengers at an airport. Fill in the gaps with words or phrases from the list below.

15.

	Paragraphs 1 and 2	Paragraph 3	Paragraph 4	Paragraph 5
	boarding card	departure lounge	announcement	baggage
	check-in desks	duty-free	boarding	conveyor belt
	conveyor belt	immigration	departure gate	Customs
	economy	officer	departures board	escalators
	excess baggage	passport control	flight attendant	Green channel
	hand luggage terminal building trolleys	security check	ground steward	Immigration control import duty

 

MACKENZIE AIRPORT WELCOMES FIRST-TIME FLIERS!

Welcome to Mackenzie Airport, designed to get your jour­
ney off to the right start. Whether you're flying first class, busi­
ness class, or 1____ class, we aim to give you efficiency and

comfort. For first-time fliers, we're prepared this leaflet to help you on your way.

When you arrive at the 2_______ you'll find plenty of

3____ for your luggage. Once inside the spacious departures

concourse there are over fifty 4__ where your ticket will be

checked and you'll be given a 5____. Your luggage will be

weighed and put on a 6___ which takes it to the plane. Please

note there is a weight limit and any 7__ will have to be paid

for. You can keep one small bag with you and take it into the
plane as 8____.

You should then go through 9__, where an 10___ will

look at your passport, and a 11__ to make sure you are not

carrying any dangerous or illegal items. Now you'll find your­
self in the comfort of our modern air-conditioned 12____.

While you're waiting for your flight to be called, why not buy
some cheap 13____ goods-alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, per­
fume, electrical goods, or souvenirs?

Soon you'll hear an 14___ or see on the 15___ that your

flight is 16_____. It will also tell you which 17___ to go to.

Here you'll be helped by a 18__ and on the plane a 19___

will direct you to your seat. Bon voyage!

On your return to Mackenzie Airport we try to offer the same

efficient service. After you've passed through 20___, your

luggage will be waiting on the moving 21__ in the 22____

hall. Then pass through 23___ where you should take either

the 24____, if you have nothing to declare, or the red chan­
nel, if you have to pay 25___. Once inside the arrival con­
course, lifts and 26___ will take you to all major transport

services.

On behalf of everyone at Mackenzie Airport, I wish you a very pleasant journey.

Neil Thomson

Neil Thomson, Director of Mackenzie Airport

Welcome to Mackenzie!

WRITING