Is there a doctor on the plane?

Mrs Dorothy Fletcher was travelling with her daughter and her daughter's fiancé on a flight from London to Florida. Her daughter was going to be married there the following week. When they changed planes in Philadelphia they had to rush between terminals to catch the connecting flight and Mrs Fletcher, aged 67, began to feel ill.

‘ I didn't say anything to my daughter because I didn't want to worry her or miss the wedding,’ said Mrs Fletcher. But when the plane took off from Philadelphia she suddenly got a terrible pain in her chest, back, and arm - she was having a heart attack. The cabin crew put out a desperate call to the passengers: “If there is a doctor on the plane, could you please press your call bell...”.

Part II

The cabin crew put out a desperate call to the passengers: ‘If there’s a doctor on the plane, could you please press your call bell.’

The cabin crew were hoping to hear this, but they didn't. They heard this. Incredibly, there were fifteen doctors on the plane, and all of them were cardiologists. They were from different countries and they were travelling to Florida for a medical conference.

Four of the doctors rushed to give emergency treatment to Mrs Fletcher. At one point, they thought she had died, but finally they managed to save her life.

The plane made an emergency landing in North Carolina and Mrs Fletcher was taken to hospital. After being in hospital for four days, she was able to go to her daughter's wedding.

Mrs Fletcher ‘I was very lucky. If those doctors (not to be) on the plane, I would have died. I can’t thank them enough.

But now that she’s back in England, Mrs Fletcher has been less lucky with British hospitals.

Mrs Fletcher ‘I had fifteen heart specialists on that plane, but I'll have to wait three months until I can see one in this country!

Look at sentences in bold and answer the questions.

1. Did Ian or Amy stay at home? Did they meet?

2. Were the doctors on the plane? Did Mrs Fletcher die?

3. Do sentences 1 and 2 refer to something that happened or something that didn't happen?

SPEAKING

a) Read the questionnaire and mark your answers.

b) Compare your answers with a partner. Give more information if you can.

с) Now look at what your scores mean. Do you agree with the results?

How lucky are you?

Read the following statesments and write a number 1–3 in the box

This is usually true about me. 2. This is something true about me. 1. This is hardly ever true about me.

1. I enjoy talking to people I haven’t met before.

2. I don't worry or feel anxious about life.

3. I enjoy trying new food and drink.

4. I listen to my instinct.

5. When I need to calm down I just go to a quiet place.

6. I try to learn from my mistakes.

7. I try to get what I want from life.

8. I expect people I meet to be pleasant, friendly, and helpful.

9. I'm an optimist. I look on the bright side of life.

10. When things are bad I think things will get better soon.

11. I don’t think about bad luck I have had in the past.

12. I expect good things to happen to me in the future.