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In the News: Iceland volcano closes airports

Average: 3.2 (20 votes)

Here's a reading and vocabulary exercise on a story you may be following on the news.

Flights across much of Europe are being cancelled on a second day of _A_ disruption caused by_B_thrown up from a_C_in Iceland.

Hundreds of thousands of passengers are affected and_D_could extend into the weekend, including on flights to North America and Asia.

Some 5,000 flights were cancelled on Thursday as airspaces from the Republic of Ireland to Finland were closed.

Officials said it could take days for the skies to become safe in an important_E_area which is always_F_.

The ash is not thought to be a serious health_G_to people however.

Train companies are reporting a large increase in passengers as people_H_alternative methods of transport.

Task 1: Match the words to the spaces in the text.

  1. seek - look for
  2. massive - huge
  3. risk - the possibility of something bad happening
  4. ash - powder that is left after something has burnt
  5. aviation - the activity of flying aircraft
  6. congested - too crowded
  7. volcano - a mountain with a large hole at the top through which hot liquid rock can come out
  8. disruption - stop something from working as it should

Link: In the news - 'Alien' April Fools' story angers Jordan mayor

 Task 2: Have you or do you know anyone who has been affected by this news?

Task 3: Make your own sentences using these words.

  • Missing word A is:









  • Missing word B is:









  • Missing word C is:









  • Missing word D is:









  • Missing word E is:









  • Missing word F is:









  • Missing word G is:









  • Missing word H is: