Learning to Fly

I always wanted to fly an airplane. In high school I began to take flying lessons. My teacher was also a friend of my father. He helped me a lot. I learned to fly small airplanes first. Later, during the war, I flew jet planes.

I still like to fly and I have my own airplane. I use it in my business to make trips.

EXERCISES

I. Complete the sentences with the missing verbs:

1. I ______ to take flying lessons in high school.

2. A friend of my father ______ my teacher.

3. My teacher ______ me a lot.

4. First, I ______ to fly small airplanes.

5. I ______ jet planes during the war.

6. I ______ to fly and I ______ my own airplane.

7. I ______ my airplane to take business trips.

II. Answer the questions:

1. When did I begin to take flying lessons?

2. Who was my teacher?

3. Did my teacher help me?

4. What kind of airplane did I fly?

5. Did I fly during the war?

6. Do I still like to fly?

7. How do I use my own airplane?

III. Speaking Practice 1

Practice reading the two sentences below aloud; then say them from memory with a classmate, as a short dialog.

You say: Do you like to fly?

Your friend says: Yes, I do. I have my own airplane.

IV. Dictation

Copy the reading as your teacher reads it aloud. Correct your errors.

V. Grammar Practice

A. Give the correct form of the verb in the past tense.

1. I ______ (want) to fly.

You ______ (want) to fly.

2. I ______ (begin) to take lessons.

He ______ (begin) to take lessons.

3. He ______ (help) me a lot.

They ______ (help) me a lot.

4. I ______ (fly) jet planes during the war.

You ______ (fly) jet planes during the war.

B. Write the synonyms of the following in the blank. Choose your answer from the list.

	List of synonyms
______ 1. always	a. too
______ 2. also	b. jet
______ 3. a lot	c. journey
______ 4. small	d. little
______ 5. help	e. possess
______ 6. later	f. start
______ 7. trip	g. much
______ 8. still	h. forever
______ 9. have	i. after
______ 10. begin	j. aid

VI. Speaking Practice 2

Practice reading the two sentences below aloud; then say them from memory with a classmate, as a short dialog.

You say: When did you learn to fly?

Your friend says: When I was in high school and during the war.

VII. Optional Activity

A. Rewrite the reading passage using “My brother” as the subject and make any necessary changes in verb forms, possessives, and subject and object pronouns.

B. In “Answer the Questions”, change I/Me/My in the questions to You/Your and ask the new questions of your classmates.

By Dean Curry