★★☆Russian-Made Missile Destroyed Flight MH17

*Teachers will divide the article into 2-3 paragraphs to help you understand and check the pronunciation of the difficult words.

Vocabulary

*Read the words carefully.

1. chairman/ˈtʃeɚmən/(adj.)

the person (especially a man) who is in charge of a meeting, committee, or event

2. cruising altitude /ˈkruːz, ˈæltəˌtuːd/(n.)

he height in the sky at which an airplane stays for most of a flight

3. transport /trænsˈperənt/ (adj.)

honest and open: not secretive

4. on board /ˈɑːnˈboɚd/ (prepositional phrase)

in or on a train, boat, plane etc.

5. assign /əˈsaɪn/ (v.)

to say that someone has (something, such as blame or responsibility)

Article

Russian-Made Missile Destroyed Flight MH17

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(1) International investigators say Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down last year by a Russian-made missile.

(2) The airplane crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014. All 298 passengers and crew were killed.

(3) Dutch officials announced the investigation findings Tuesday in the Dutch capital, The Hague.

(4) The Dutch Safety Board led the investigation. Its chairman, Tjibbe Joustra, spoke to family members and media. He said the plane was hit by pieces from a missile explosion. He said the missile was fired from the ground. He also said the plane broke apart while still in the air.

(5) He said Ukraine was responsible for not closing its airspace. Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces were fighting below the flight path.

(6) “Nobody considered the possibility that civil aircraft at cruising altitude was at risk,” he said.

(7) Mr. Joustra said nations in armed conflict should put more effort into the safety of their airspace. He said flight operators should be transparent about the flight path they choose.

(8) The majority of passengers were Dutch. But citizens of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine were also on board. Representatives from those countries were part of the investigation. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

(9) The investigators did not assign blame for the crash. Western nations have accused Russia-backed rebels of mistaking the plane for a military aircraft and shooting it down.

(10) Russia has denied responsibility. The government’s missile manufacturer also investigated the incident. It says the missile was an old model no longer used by the Russian military. It also says the missile was launched from an area under Ukrainian government control.

Discussion

*Let’s talk about the article base on the questions below

1. What do you think about this news? Do you think it is Russia’s missile who did it?
2. How is the relationship between Russia and your country?
3. Do you think that flying is still the safest way to travel?

Tags: current events, disaster, International, leadership, politics

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