Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Boeing. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Boeing is a major aerospace and defense company founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle in 1917. It is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and third largest maker of military aircraft and weapons. Boeing is a major service provider to NASA and helps operate the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. Its revenues are in excess of $60 billion a year, making it the USA’s largest exporter. It is also a huge employer, with around 160,000 employees. Boeing became a leader in manufacturing commercial jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the Boeing 707, a four-engine, 156-passenger airliner. Successive versions of this aircraft lead to today’s super jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 Dreamliner.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Boeing on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. BOEING MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Boeing. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Boeing. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Boeing and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Boeing. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Boeing. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Boeing is a major _______________________ company founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle in 1917. It is the world’s ______________________ and third largest maker of _______________________. Boeing is a _______________________ to NASA and helps operate the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company has _______________________ aerospace leadership and innovation. Its revenues _______________________ $60 billion a year, making it the USA’s largest exporter. It is also a huge employer, with around 160,000 employees. Boeing became a leader _______________________ jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the Boeing 707, a four-engine, 156-passenger airliner. Successive _______________________ lead to today’s super jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 Dreamliner.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Boeing is a major aerospace and defense company duodefn by William E. Boeing in Seattle in 1917. It is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and third largest maker of military aircraft and swaopen. Boeing is a major service oprdvire to NASA and helps operate the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company has a long iniatrdot of aerospace leadership and inoinnoavt. Its revenues are in esxces of $60 billion a year, making it the USA’s largest teexropr. It is also a huge lorpmeye, with around 160,000 employees. Boeing became a leader in manufacturing commercial jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the Boeing 707, a four-engine, 156-passenger alrnriie. Successive nrsiosve of this aircraft lead to today’s super jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 Dreamliner.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Boeing major and company a aerospace defense is founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle in 1917. It is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and third largest weapons and aircraft military of maker. Boeing is a major service and NASA to provider operate helps the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company has aerospace of tradition long a leadership and innovation. $ of excess in are revenues Its 60 billion a year, making it the USA’s largest exporter. It is also a 000 with employees around huge 160 employer ,. Boeing became manufacturing leader commercial in a jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the Boeing 707, a four-engine, 156-passenger airliner. Successive versions super today’s to lead aircraft this of jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 Dreamliner.
boeing is a major aerospace and defense company founded by william e boeing in seattle in 1917 it is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and third largest maker of military aircraft and weapons boeing is a major service provider to nasa and helps operate the space shuttle and international space station the company has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation its revenues are in excess of $60 billion a year making it the usa’s largest exporter it is also a huge employer with around 160000 employees boeing became a leader in manufacturing commercial jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the boeing 707 a four-engine 156-passenger airliner successive versions of this aircraft lead to today’s super jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 dreamliner
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Boeing .......... (be) a major aerospace and defense company .......... (found) by William E. Boeing in Seattle in 1917. It .......... (be) the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and third largest maker of military aircraft and weapons. Boeing is a major service provider to NASA and .......... (help) operate the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company .......... (have) a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. Its revenues .......... (be) in excess of $60 billion a year, making it the USA’s largest exporter. It .......... (be) also a huge employer, with around 160,000 employees. Boeing .......... (become) a leader in manufacturing commercial jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the Boeing 707, a four-engine, 156-passenger airliner. Successive versions of this aircraft .......... (lead) to today’s super jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 Dreamliner.
Boeing is a ____________ aerospace and defense company founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle in 1917. It is the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer and third largest maker of ____________ aircraft and weapons. Boeing is a major service provider to NASA and helps ____________ the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The company has a long ____________ of aerospace leadership and innovation. Its ____________ are in excess of $60 billion a year, making it the USA’s largest ____________. It is also a huge employer, with around 160,000 ____________. Boeing became a leader in manufacturing ____________ jet airliners in 1958 with the introduction of the Boeing 707, a four-engine, 156-____________ airliner. Successive ____________ of this aircraft lead to today’s super jumbo 747 and 777 jets and the new 787 Dreamliner.
passenger
exporter
military
versions
major
revenues
commercial
operate
employees
tradition
PROJECT BOEING
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Boeing. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Boeing is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
BOEING – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Boeing CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Boeing worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Boeing customer
You are a customer of Boeing. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Boeing. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
BOEING – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Boeing New Products Director
You have created a new product for Boeing. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Boeing.
Role B – Boeing Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Boeing Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Boeing Shareholder
You know a lot about Boeing’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Boeing. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Boeing. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. BOEING POSTERMake a poster about Boeing. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY BOEING LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Boeing. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Boeing. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
