The Reading / Listening - Secret Life - Level 5

Next time you fly, there just might be a king at the plane's controls. Holland's King Willem-Alexander has just revealed he has been secretly flying planes twice a month for KLM for 21 years. His passengers did not know. The 50-year-old king got his military pilot's license in his twenties when he was in the Dutch Air Force. He developed a love of flying and became a commercial pilot. He talked about his secret life as a pilot in an interview with journalists. The king said he now wanted to upgrade his skills. He is back on an aircraft simulator to train to fly Boeing 737s.

King Willem-Alexander told reporters that flying meant he could relieve all his stress. He explained: "You have an aircraft, passengers and crew. You have responsibility for them. You can't take your problems from the ground into the skies. You can completely disengage and concentrate on something else. That…is the most relaxing part of flying." He said it was easy to keep his secret while flying. Very few passengers knew he was piloting their plane. He said: "I always…wish everyone a heartfelt welcome on behalf of the captain and the crew. I don't…say my own name."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Secret Life - Level 4 or  Secret Life - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/05/18/dutch-king-reveals-secret-life-as-a-klm-airline-pilot
  • http://www.newsweek.com/dutch-king-airline-pilot-klm-martinair-king-willem-alexander-611265
  • http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2017/05/king-willem-alexander-flies-regular-flights-for-klm-retrains-to-fly-a-boeing-737/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a king at the plane's
  2. he has been
  3. twice a
  4. His passengers did
  5. got his military pilot's license
  6. a commercial
  7. he now wanted to upgrade
  8. He is back on an aircraft
  1. simulator
  2. in his twenties
  3. secretly flying planes
  4. his skills
  5. controls
  6. not know
  7. pilot
  8. month

Paragraph 2

  1. he could relieve
  2. passengers and
  3. You have responsibility
  4. from the ground
  5. concentrate
  6. He said it was easy to
  7. I always wish everyone
  8. on behalf
  1. on something else
  2. for them
  3. a heartfelt welcome
  4. keep his secret
  5. all his stress
  6. of the captain
  7. crew
  8. into the skies

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Next time you fly, there (1) ___________________ king at the plane's controls. Holland's King Willem-Alexander (2) ___________________ he has been secretly flying planes (3) ___________________ for KLM for 21 years. His passengers did not know. The 50-year-old king got his military pilot's (4) ___________________ twenties when he was in the Dutch Air Force. He developed a love of flying and became (5) ___________________. He talked about his secret life as a pilot in an interview with journalists. The king said he now wanted to upgrade his skills. He is (6) ___________________ simulator to train to fly Boeing 737s.

King Willem-Alexander told reporters that flying meant he (7) ___________________ his stress. He explained: "You have an aircraft, (8) ___________________. You have responsibility for them. You can't take your problems from the (9) ___________________ skies. You can completely disengage and (10) ___________________ something else. That…is the most relaxing part of flying." He said it was easy to keep his secret while flying. Very few passengers (11) ___________________ their plane. He said: "I always…wish everyone a heartfelt welcome (12) ___________________ the captain and the crew. I don't…say my own name."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Nexttimeyoufly,therejustmightbeakingattheplane'scontrols.Hollan
d'sKingWillem-Alexanderhasjustrevealedhehasbeensecretlyflyingp
lanestwiceamonthforKLMfor21years.Hispassengersdidnotknow.Th
e50-year-oldkinggothismilitarypilot'slicenseinhistwentieswhenhew
asintheDutchAirForce.Hedevelopedaloveofflyingandbecameacomm
ercialpilot.Hetalkedabouthissecretlifeasapilotinaninterviewwithjour
nalists.Thekingsaidhenowwantedtoupgradehisskills.Heisbackonan
aircraftsimulatortotraintoflyBoeing737s.KingWillem-Alexandertol
dreportersthatflyingmeanthecouldrelieveallhisstress.Heexplained:
"Youhaveanaircraft,passengersandcrew.Youhaveresponsibilityfort
hem.Youcan'ttakeyourproblemsfromthegroundintotheskies.Youca
ncompletelydisengageandconcentrateonsomethingelse.That…isthe
mostrelaxingpartofflying."Hesaiditwaseasytokeephissecretwhileflyi
ng.Veryfewpassengersknewhewaspilotingtheirplane.Hesaid:"Ialwa
ys…wisheveryoneaheartfeltwelcomeonbehalfofthecaptainandthecr
ew.Idon't…saymyownname."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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