19-year-old British-Belgian pilot becomes youngest woman to fly round the world

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Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. solo / ˈsoʊ loʊ / (adv.) – alone or without other people
    Example:

    I prefer to travel solo than be with a group of people.


  2. come to a halt / kʌm tu ə hɔlt / (idiom) – to stop fully
    Example:

    The car slowly came to a halt to give way to the people crossing the street.


  3. tarmac / ˈtɑr mæk / (n.) – an area in the airport covered by pavement where aircraft land and take off
    Example:

    There are five planes parked on the tarmac.


  4. take up / teɪk ʌp / (phrasal v.) – to start doing something as a hobby or a career
    Example:

    My manager encouraged me to take up a short course on sales and marketing to enhance my skills.


  5. aviation / ˌeɪ viˈeɪ ʃən / (n.) – the practice or business of designing, building, and flying aircraft like airplanes and helicopters
    Example:

    More women are now getting into the aviation industry.


Article

Read the text below.

A young British-Belgian pilot became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world on Jan. 20. Zara Rutherford, 19, landed in Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in Belgium after flying 51,000 km across 52 nations.


She left the same airport last year on Aug. 18, flying in a Shark ultralight, the world’s fastest microlight plane. Rutherford is also the first woman to fly around the world in a microlight.


Cheers and applause went up as her plane came to a halt on the tarmac.


“It’s just really crazy, I haven’t quite processed it,” Rutherford said after she landed. She held up British and Belgian flags.


On her website, Rutherford said she hopes her achievement encourages girls to take up science, technology and aviation.


“Do something a bit crazy! If you have the opportunity, go for it, because you only have one life.” (Reuters)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Rutherford is the first woman to fly around the world in a microlight plane. What do you think of her achievement (ex. inspiring, unbelievable)? Why? Discuss.
  • If you have a chance to do something extraordinary like Rutherford, what will you do? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Rutherford hopes that her achievement will encourage more girls to take up science, technology, and aviation. How do you think this achievement will affect other young people? Discuss.
  • Rutherford said, “Do something a bit crazy! If you have the opportunity, go for it, because you only have one life.” What do you think about this mindset (ex. risky, exciting)? Do you think you’ll be able to apply this in your life? Why or why not? Discuss.