Card 12. "Amelia"

Learn about Amelia Earhart! Read about her flights & achievements.

Read the article and say in 2-3 sentences what it is about. Possibly the most famous female pilot ever, Amelia Earhart was born in 1897 in Kansas, the USA. Amelia had a difficult and unsettled childhood. Her family travelled a great deal so her father could find work. Although she often missed school, Amelia was nevertheless considered to be very bright academically. She enjoyed reading and poetry as well as sports, especially basketball and tennis. After graduating from high school, instead of going to college, Amelia decided to study nursing. During the First World War, she worked as a military nurse in Canada. When the war ended she became a social worker back in America and taught English to immigrants. In her free time, Amelia enjoyed going to air shows and watching aerial stunts*, which were very popular during the 1920s. Her fascination with flying began when, at one of those shows, she took a ten­minute ride, and from that moment on she knew she had to learn to fly. Amelia took on several odd jobs to pay for the flying lessons and after a year, she had saved enough money to buy her own plane. She organised cross­-country air races for women pilots and formed a now famous women pilots’ organisation, called the ‘Ninety­Nines’. One day Amelia received an invitation to be the first woman ever to make the flight across the Atlantic from Canada to Britain. Amelia made the flight in 1928 and, although she was only a passenger and two men flew the plane, it made her a celebrity. She also met there her future husband, George Putman, a publisher, who arranged the flight and organised all the publicity. In 1932 Amelia and George decided Amelia should make the Atlantic crossing from America to Britain alone. She broke several records on this flight; she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo, the only person to have flown it twice and she established a new transatlantic crossing record of 13 hours and 30 minutes. Understandably, she became even more famous as a result earning respect for women pilots all over the world by proving that women could fly as well as men, if not better._*an aerial stunt [ˈɛərɪəl ˈstʌnt] фигура высшего пилотажа Find the English equivalents in the text. женщина-пилот female pilot неустроенное детство unsettled childhood военная медсестра a military nurse десятиминутный полет a ten-minute ride получила приглашение received an invitation сделал ее знаменитой made her a celebrity побила несколько рекордов broke several records доказав by proving Give the equivalents from the text that mean the same. to see and talk to someone for the first time meet a journey across a large area or water, from one side to the other crossing a journey in an aircraft flight likely to change suddenly not calm or having a regular pattern unsettled liked, enjoyed or supported by many people popular crossing the Atlantic ocean, or relating to countries on both sides of the Atlantic ocean transatlantic a person whose job is to care for people who are ill or injured, especially in a hospital nurse a university where you can study for an undergraduate degree; college to give money to someone for something you want to buy or for services provided pay a person who flies an aircraft pilot Make up word combinations used in the text. all over the world flew the plane fascination with flying enjoyed reading during the First World War air shows instead of going True or false? True Amelia was considered to be very bright academically. During the First World War she worked as military nurse in Canada. She organized cross-country air races for women pilots. Amelia became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo. False Amelia Earhart was born in 1997 in Kansas, the USA. Her childhood was happy and rich. After graduating from high school she decided to study art. She had saved enough money to buy her own car. Amelia’s husband, George Putman, was a pilot. She established a new transatlantic crossing record of 3 hours and 30 minutes. How did Amelia get interested in flying? Read aloud the extract which says about it. Record yourself using the button "Voice". Answer the questions according to the text. When was Amelia Earhart born? Amelia Earhart was born in 1897. What did Amelia enjoy at school? She enjoyed reading and poetry as well as sports, especially basketball and tennis. Where did she work during the First World War? During the First World War she worked as a military nurse in Canada. What did she do when the war ended? When the war ended she became a social worker back in America and taught English to immigrants. When did her fascination with flying begin? Her fascination with flying began when, at one of air shows, she took a ten­minute ride. How could she buy her own plane? Amelia took on several odd jobs to pay for the flying lessons and after a year, she had saved enough money to buy her own plane. What organization did she form? She formed a now famous women pilots’ organisation, called the ‘Ninety­Nines’. What invitation did Amelia receive one day? One day Amelia received an invitation to be the first woman ever to make the flight across the Atlantic from Canada to Britain. When did she make her flight across the Atlantic alone? In 1932 Amelia made her flight across the Atlantic alone. Why did Amelia become famous? Amelia made the Atlantic crossing from America to Britain alone. She broke several records on this flight; she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo, the only person to have flown it twice and she established a new transatlantic crossing record of 13 hours and 30 minutes. That's why she became famous.