Airport cities - PAEG inglés CLM

Anyone who has ever spent time in an airport waiting for a flight knows that this can be very dull. However, this is changing, as airports have already entered the twenty-first century.

The rise and expansion of air traffic is causing many changes. Many people commute for business reasons, and there has recently been a large increase in the air cargo business. Food items produced in one place, for example, tropical fruit, may have to be transported quickly for sale in another. In addition, the growth in Internet use has expanded e-commerce, and customers who order items online expect delivery right away.

As a result, airports and the surrounding areas have grown tremendously. Many companies are building warehouses near runways, and high-tech firms are setting up offices that are convenient for airline commuters. Other new airport buildings include entertainment and sports facilities. Some “aerotropoli”, as these new airport cities have been called, even include housing. Despite the noise and pollution, developers are quickly building homes to house the increasing number of workers dependent on airports.

Even without the adjacent businesses, airports themselves are growing. To meet the needs of workers and travellers, airports are expanding their services. Not only has shopping become more attractive and competitive, but some airports display works of art, and the Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport even offers wine tasting.

The idea of building aerotropoli is now spreading beyond the USA, and there are plans to build them in France, Brazil, South Korea, and Hong Kong. Wouldn’t it be nice if, while you wait for your next flight, you could sit in a rocking chair (as in Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts) and listen to live music (as in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas)?

 

READING COMPREHENSION

Add TRUE or FALSE and copy the evidence from the text to support your answer.

1.    Many people have to travel as part of their work.

• TRUE (paragraph 2) “Many people commute for business reasons”

2.    Many high-tech employees work near airports.

• TRUE (paragraph 3) “high-tech firms are setting up offices that are convenient for airline commuters.”

3.    People don’t live in “aerotropoli”.

• FALSE (paragraph 3) “Some … airport cities … even include housing.”

4.    Airport cities can be found in Hong Kong today.

• FALSE (paragraph 5) “there are plans to build them in ... Hong Kong.”

LEXICON

• boring:    dull (paragraph 1)
• immediately:    right away (paragraph 2)
• to give someone a place to live:    to house (paragraph 3)
• show:    display (paragraph 4)

 

PHONETICS

1. Write two words from the text that have the same diphthong sound as “five” .
    (Underline the part of the word which contains the diphthong.)

• flight, items, online, rise, time ...

2. Which of the following words has the same vowel sound as “sheep” 

•     1. idea    2. even    3. items

3. Is the “-s-” pronounced /z/ or /s/ in “cities”?

• /z/

 

USE OF ENGLISH

Rewrite the following sentences starting with the words given.

1. Smoking is forbidden in airports.

• You are forbidden to smoke in airports.

2. There was a lot of traffic so we missed our flight.

• If there hadn’t been a lot of traffic, we wouldn’t have missed our flight.

3. Although the weather conditions were good, the flight was cancelled.

• In spite of the good weather conditions, the flight was cancelled.

4.    She asked: “Have you ever been to Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport?”

• She asked us if/whether we had ever been to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

5.    I haven’t flown for ten years.

• It has been ten years since I’ve flown.

6.    Some “aerotropoli” include housing.

• Housing is included in some “aerotropoli”.

 +EXÁMENES RESUELTOS