no survivors. However, to prevent tragic accidents and serious financial loss, airlines are especially cautious in checking the conditions of aircraft to reduce the possibility of accidents to the minimum. It is sometimes claimed that flying involves fewer accidents than any other modes of travel.

Airplanes do have their disadvantages. For example, they are incapable of transporting large quantities of cargo.

Also, an airport can be quite far away from the city center. But the advantages of flying outweigh these small drawbacks, and flying remains an efficient kind of transportation.

That's the end of my lecture. Now may I take your questions if you have any

Pros and Cons of Flying Pro 1 An airplane flies fast

(1) Supersonic passenger planes can fly across the Atlantic Ocean in just a couple of hours;

(2) In future they may carry people from Now York to London in less

than an hour.

Pro 2 The fare has dropped a great deal, so more people are traveling

by air: Many millions became regular passengers, and even joined frequent flyer loyalty programs.

Pro 3 Flying has become increasingly convenient: Business fliers can fly

to another city, do business, and return on the same day.

Pro 4 Airlines are cautious about checking the conditions of aircraft to reduce the possibility of

accidents to the minimum

Con 1 The plane is incapable of transporting large quantities of cargo. Con 2 An airport can be quite far away from the city center.

Dissussion

SAMPLE

A: I like flying better than any other way of traveling. It's so fast and convenient that you can fly to another city, do business, and return on the same day, between almost any points in the country.

B: But land transport is not slow, thanks to superhighways. What's more, it's often cheaper.

A: I'll admit air fare is a bit high, but it's dropped a lot. The high speed and great convenience are worth the money.

B: Land transport is often safer. In case of accidents like a fire, you can jump out of the car. Can you jump our of a plane

A: It's true that in a crash there are often no survivors. However, airlines are especially cautious in checking the conditions of aircraft. It's sometimes believed that flying involves fewer accidents than other kinds of travel.

B: The problem with a plane is that it can't transport large quantities of cargo.

A: I agree, but certainly a plane can carry perishable goods like fresh vegetables to a distant city quickly and safely.

B: But an airport is often quite far away from the city center. So that will add to your traveling time. You can’t fly directly to your final destination.

A: You have a point there. I know trucks can provide door-to-door delivery

service, but buses and trains can't.

B: OK, let's come to this conclusion: each type of transport has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A: Yes, that's why none of them has been phased out.

VI. Further Listening and Speaking

Task1:An Overview of Airlines

Script

An airline is an organization which provides aviation services for passengers and cargo. It owns or leases airliners to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for reasons of mutual benefits.

The scale and scope of airline companies range from those with a single airplane carrying mail or cargo, to full-service international airlines operating many hundreds of airplanes of various types. Airline services can be categorized as intercontinental, intra-continental, regional or domestic and may be operated

as scheduled services or charters. These variations in the types of airline companies, their operating scope, and the routes they serve, make analysis of the airline industry complex. But one thing is certain: The industry is heavily influenced by the market now. In the past 50 years or so, the general trend of ownership has gone from government-owned or government-supported to independent, for-profit companies. This is a result of the government permit greater freedom. This trend is not yet consistent across all airlines in all regions. The demand for air travel services depends on other things: needs for cargo transportation, business passenger demand, leisure passenger demand, which are all influenced by macroeconomic activity in the market. These trends are highly seasonal, and often depend on