Snake delays Aussie flight after sneaking into cargo hold

Green tree snake hiding in an airplane cargo hold – Image created by ChatGPT with DALL·E by OpenAI.

VOCABULARY LIST

1. Stowaway (noun) /ˈstoʊəweɪ/: A person or animal that hides on a vehicle to travel without permission.
   Example: The snake was a stowaway on the plane.

2. Cargo hold (noun) /ˈkɑɡoʊ hoʊld/: The part of a plane where luggage and goods are kept.
   Example: The snake was found in the cargo hold before takeoff.

3. Venomous (adjective) /ˈvɛnəməs/: Able to inject poison, usually through a bite.
   Example: At first, they thought the snake might be venomous.

4. Harmless (adjective) /ˈhɑmləs/: Not dangerous.
   Example: Luckily, the snake turned out to be harmless.

5. Flee (verb) /fli/: To run away quickly.
   Example: The catcher was afraid the snake would flee into the plane.

6. Grab (verb) /ɡræb/: To take something quickly with your hand.
   Example: He had one chance to grab the snake.

7. Evacuate (verb) /əˈvækjueɪt/: To make people leave a place for safety.
   Example: They would have had to evacuate the plane if the snake got away.

8. Escape (verb) /əˈskeɪp/: To get away from a place where you are trapped.
   Example: The snake escaped from someone’s luggage.

9. Native (adjective) /ˈneɪtɪv/: From a particular place originally.
   Example: The green tree snake is native to Brisbane.

10. Licensed (adjective) /ˈlaɪsənst/: Having official permission.
    Example: The snake will go to a licensed snake keeper.

ARTICLE

A flight in Australia was delayed for two hours after a snake was found hiding in the cargo hold of the plane.

The green tree snake, about 60cm long, was discovered as passengers were getting on Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport, heading to Brisbane.

Snake catcher Mark Pelley was called to help. At first, he thought the snake might be venomous because he found it in the dark. "It looked dangerous to me, but after I caught it, I saw it was harmless," he said.

The snake was hiding behind a panel. Mr Pelley was worried it would flee further into the plane. "I had one chance to grab it. If it escaped, we would have had to pull apart the plane to find it," he told Sky News.

He also warned airline staff that they might need to evacuate the aircraft if the snake disappeared inside.

Luckily, he caught the snake on his first try. He believes it came from Brisbane and escaped from a passenger’s luggage. "It’s very uncommon for snakes to be on planes," he added.

For quarantine reasons, the snake can’t go back into the wild. Because it's a protected species, it has been given to a vet in Melbourne who will find a home for it with a licensed snake keeper.

SOURCE:

This article is based on: https://news.sky.com/story/snake-on-a-plane-flight-delayed-for-two-hours-as-catcher-comes-to-the-rescue-13391249

Reflection Questions

Instructions:
Use these questions as:
– Speaking practice (e.g. talk to yourself, record and listen back)
– Writing practice (e.g. short paragraph answers)
– Class discussion with your teacher or classmates

1. Have you ever seen a snake in real life? How did you feel?

2. What would you do if you saw a snake on a plane or train?

3. Do you think snake catchers have a dangerous job? Why or why not?

4. Have you ever had a flight delayed? What happened?

5. What wild animals are common in your country?

Comprehension activity - multiple choice

1. Why was the flight delayed?

A snake was found on the plane
There was a fire in the cargo hold
A passenger forgot their luggage
The pilot was sick

2. What kind of snake was found?

A harmless green tree snake
A venomous red-bellied black snake
A brown python
A desert death adder

3. What happened to the snake after it was caught?

It was given to a vet to find a new home
It was returned to the wild
It was taken to the zoo
It was kept on the plane

Submit

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