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Level: A2

At the Airport

Check-in, security, boarding, and landing — a first flight step by step.

CEFR A2 · 161 words · ~1 min read · US English

🔊 Listen to this passage

5:42 🎬 Watch this lesson on YouTube At the Airport — Slow English Reading Practice for Beginners (A2) · Lesson 15 Read the lesson below first. When you understand every line, open the YouTube link above and play this video in your earbuds — while you walk, cook or ride the bus, with nothing to look up and nothing to pause. English you already understand, heard again and again, is what turns reading into listening.
📖 Open in interactive ESL Reader →

In the reader, tap any word or sentence to hear it in English, translate it, or look up a definition.

Words to know

suitcase
a big bag with hard sides that you take when you travel
passport
a small book that shows your name, photo, and country
boarding pass
the paper or ticket that lets you get on a plane
check-in
the desk at the airport where you show your ticket and give your bags
security
the place at the airport where people check your bags
gate
the door at the airport where you get on your plane
tray
a flat open box for carrying small things
land
to come down from the sky to the ground

Picture words from this story

Tap 🔊 to hear a word, or to save just that one to My Flashcards.

  • suitcase

    suitcase

    Your clothes travel in it.

  • passport

    passport

    Your little travel book.

  • boarding pass

    boarding pass

    Your ticket for the plane.

  • tray

    tray

    A small flat open box.

  • land

    land

    The plane comes down.

Every sentence has a button — tap it to hear that sentence read slowly, one word at a time.

The night before
The night before

Today I fly to Madrid to visit my friend.

fly to Madrid

I pack my suitcase the night before.

suitcase
To the airport
To the airport

In the morning, I take a taxi to the airport.

taxi

The airport is big and busy.

the airport
Check-in
Check-in

First, I go to the check-in desk.

check-in desk

I show my passport and get my boarding pass.

passport

I put my suitcase on the belt.

on the belt
Security
Security

Then I go through security.

security

I put my phone and my keys in a small tray.

tray
Everything is fine
Everything is fine

A woman checks my bag and smiles.

bag check

Everything is fine.

everything is fine
Gate twelve
Gate twelve

I look at the big screen.

the big screen

My flight leaves from gate twelve.

gate twelve
Waiting
Waiting

I buy a bottle of water and wait.

a bottle of water
Boarding
Boarding

At ten, we board the plane.

board the plane

I find my seat next to the window.

window seat
Take-off
Take-off

The plane takes off, and the city looks small below.

takes off

I read a magazine and drink apple juice.

magazine and juice
Landing in Madrid
Landing in Madrid

Two hours later, we land in Madrid.

land
At the exit
At the exit

I collect my suitcase and walk to the exit.

collect the suitcase

My friend waves at me.

my friend waves
Happy to see her
Happy to see her

I am very happy to see her.

happy to see her

Check your understanding

  1. What is this text about?

    Show answer

    A flight to another city — The text tells about the writer's trip from the airport to Madrid by plane.

  2. Where does the flight leave from?

    Show answer

    Gate twelve — The text says: My flight leaves from gate twelve.

  3. Who waves at the writer at the exit?

    Show answer

    The writer's friend — The text says: My friend waves at me.

  4. The writer sits next to the window on the plane

    Show answer

    True — The text says: I find my seat next to the window.

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