Sophie’s Airport Adventure: An ESL Story About Travel Vocabulary

Have you ever felt stressed at the airport?

Sophie did! In this short story, you’ll follow her as she tries to catch her connecting flight. Along the way, you’ll learn important airport vocabulary that every traveller should know.

🎯Learner's Tip!

Read Twice for Better Understanding

• First, read for the story (enjoy it!).

• Then, read again and focus on vocabulary and grammar.

✨ The Story: Sophie’s Race to the Gate

Sophie sat in the bustling airport lounge, glancing nervously at her boarding pass. Her flight to Tokyo was set to leave in just an hour, but her connection from Paris had been delayed.

She hadn’t even reached the departure gate yet. Her mind raced. Would she make it on time?

After what felt like an eternity, the arrival board finally flashed her flight number: Flight 325 from Paris – landed.

Sophie grabbed her carry-on and sprinted through the terminal, dodging other travellers, past rows of duty-free shops, her eyes glued to the signs pointing her to Gate 23.

The sound of her suitcase wheels clicking on the tile floor matched the pace of her racing heart. Panting, she arrived at security. The long line of passengers snaking through the security checkpoint made her stomach drop. She had only 40 minutes left.

“Please hurry,” she whispered under her breath.

As she fumbled with her boarding pass and ID, a cheerful voice cut through the stress. “Don’t worry, love. You’ll make it. I’m on the same flight,” said a woman behind her, smiling calmly.

Sophie smiled back, relieved to know she wasn’t alone. Once through security, they hurried to the gate together, arriving just as the flight was called for boarding.

“Last call for Flight 818 to Tokyo!” announced the loudspeaker.

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief as she showed her pass and stepped onto the aerobridge. As they buckled up, Sophie exchanged a glance with her new travel companion. “That was close,” she laughed.

The woman nodded. “Travel can be stressful, but at least we made it.”

The plane rolled down the runway and lifted into the sky, carrying Sophie away from her stress and toward her Tokyo adventure.

As the plane cruised above the clouds, she smiled, thankful for her new friend.

🧳 Key Airport Vocabulary from the Story

• Boarding pass – the paper or electronic ticket that lets you onto the plane.

• Departure gate – the place in the airport where you wait to board your flight.

• Arrival board – a screen showing flight arrivals.

• Landed – when a plane arrives on the ground.

• Terminal – the building at the airport for passengers.

• Duty-free shops – stores at the airport where you can buy items without paying tax.

• Security checkpoint – the place where passengers are checked before boarding.

• Last call – the final announcement before boarding closes.

• Aerobridge – the enclosed walkway from the gate to the plane.

• Runway – the strip of land where planes take off and land.

🎯 Activity 1: Match the Vocabulary

Match the words to their meanings.

1. Boarding pass

2. Terminal

3. Duty-free shops

4. Runway

5. Last call

a) The building where travellers wait for flights.

b) A ticket that lets you onto a plane.

c) The strip of land where planes take off and land.

d) Stores at the airport with tax-free items.

e) The final boarding announcement before the gate closes.

👉 Answer Key: 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c, 5-e

🎯 Activity 2: Comprehension Questions

1. Why was Sophie nervous at the airport?

2. What made her feel relieved while waiting in line?

3. What did the loudspeaker announce before boarding?

4. How did Sophie feel at the end of the story?

🎯 Activity 3: Role play Speaking Practice

Work with a partner. Pretend you are at the airport:

• One person is a passenger rushing to catch a flight.

• The other is an airport staff member or fellow passenger.

• Use the words: boarding pass, gate, security, last call.

🗣️Example:

“Excuse me, where is Gate 23?”

“It’s this way. Don’t worry, you still have time!”

✈️ Final Thoughts

Airport adventures can be stressful, but they’re also a chance to meet new people and practice English! Next time you travel, look around – you may learn useful phrases, and maybe even make a friend, just like Sophie.

👉 Want more practice?

📩Download my free ESL Travel Vocabulary Worksheet Pack.

Watch & Listen

🎥 Related Videos: YouTube Channel Playlist

🔗Quick and Easy Vocabulary https://tinyurl.com/44chnrb9

🔗Learn Vocabulary Through Fun Stories https://tinyurl.com/567brdfr

🔗Learn Grammar Through Engaging Stories https://tinyurl.com/bvwvckfu

📚Prefer Reading?

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