Air Travel Pet Peeves

• English
• HBO
• Studiejaar 4

Do you agree? Flying seriously messes with your mind.

An emerging body of research is suggesting that soaring 35,000ft (10km) above the ground inside a sealed metal tube can do strange things to our minds, altering our mood, changing how our senses work and even making us itch more.

What were the best moments of the Istanbul trip?

Describe the worst thing that happened to you during the weekend trip…..

Air Travel Pet Peeves

What are your flying pet peeves?

noisy passengers

cramped space

delays

airline meals

lost luggage

fear of flying

www.bbc.com

With the tiny screen bouncing around in front of us, tinny sound quality and frequent interruptions, watching a movie during a flight is hardly an immersive experience.

Yet, frequent fliers may have found themselves – or at least witnessed others – welling up at the most innocuous of films while on a long airline journey. 

Even lighthearted comedies such as Bee Movie, Bridesmaids and The Simpsons can trigger the water works in passengers who would normally remain dry-eyed if watching these on the ground.

Physicist and television presenter Brian Cox and musician Ed Sheeran have both admitted they can get a bit over-emotional when watching movies on aircraft. 

What you may not know about taking a flight:

* [Excerpts from article on the next slide]

• There are many theories about why flying might leave passengers more vulnerable to crying – sadness at leaving loved ones, excitement about the trip ahead, homesickness. But there is also some evidence that flying itself may also be responsible.

• A new survey by Gatwick Airport in London found 15% of men and 6% of women said they were more likely to cry when watching a film on a flight than they would if seeing it at home.

 

• One major airline has gone as far as issuing “emotional health warnings” before inflight entertainment that might upset its customers.

Tiny vs Tinny

While “tinny” and “tiny” may sound similar, they have different meanings and usage. “Tiny” is the more commonly used word and refers to size or amount, while “tinny” is less commonly used and refers specifically to sound quality. 

*It’s also worth noting that “tinny” can have negative connotations because it’s often associated with poor sound quality. 

In contrast, “tiny” is a neutral word that simply describes size or amount.

Hardly

• only just; almost not; 

1. I could hardly hear her at the back. [can hardly]
2. The party had hardly started when she left.
   
3. He hardly ate anything/He ate hardly anything.
4. We hardly ever (almost never) go to concerts. 
5. Hardly had a moment passed before the door creaked open.

to trigger the water works

A trigger is a metal lever that when pulled discharges a gun. 

You shoot the gun by pulling the trigger. 

To trigger can also mean the start of a process––violent protests might trigger a revolution.

Certain scents, places, or old love songs can be said to trigger, or activate, memories. If you get weepy when you hear the national anthem, that may be because it triggers thoughts of family, home, baseball and the Fourth of July. For someone in frail health, a seemingly minor problem like getting a common cold, might trigger a series of physical responses that end up landing them in the hospital.

Definitions of trigger

noun 1. lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun 2. device that activates, releases, causes something to happen

noun an act that sets in motion some course of events

synonyms:induction, initiation

verb put in motion or move to act

“trigger a reaction”

synonyms: activate, actuate, set off, spark, spark off, touch off, trigger off, trip

Pre-Listening: Find out more about....how flying affects us.  

Travelling by plane has become an everyday activity – but our bodies and brains are still _______ by it.

1. affect
2. effect
3. affected
4. effected

True or False?
Does noise affect taste?

1. true
2. false

What is Xerostomia?

1. lack of taste
2. dry mouth
3. lack of sleep
4. fear of flying