Lufthansa’s Final A346 Flight Marks the End of an Aviation Love Story

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the opening sentence indicate about Lufthansa’s decision?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It is introducing a new four-engine aircraft
   2. It is ending the operational use of a distinctive model
   3. It is expanding the number of A346 routes
   4. It is transferring the aircraft to another carrier
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It is ending the operational use of a distinctive model

   It presents the retirement as closing a notable period in commercial aviation.

   Lufthansa is retiring its A346, bringing an unusual chapter in commercial aviation to a close.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What makes the A346 more than an ordinary means of transportation for enthusiasts?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Its flights are consistently faster than competitors’
   2. Its design creates an object of interest in itself
   3. Its routes are more extensive than Lufthansa’s other routes
   4. Its efficiency surpasses that of every newer model
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Its design creates an object of interest in itself

   Its design details turn routine travel into an experience enthusiasts can remember.

   The A346, by contrast, has also been experienced as a piece of aviation design.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which feature requires passengers to descend stairs?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The passenger cabin
   2. The engine compartment
   3. The restrooms
   4. The cockpit
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The restrooms

   The recording specifically identifies the location of the restrooms.

   Its appeal lies in a combination of features that make it immediately distinctive: an extra-long fuselage, four engines, and restrooms reached by descending a flight of stairs.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the aircraft’s extended fuselage allow it to accommodate?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A substantial passenger cabin
   2. Additional external engines
   3. A second cockpit
   4. A larger airport terminal
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A substantial passenger cabin

   The recording directly links the extended fuselage with a substantial passenger cabin.

   Four engines could give a large aircraft a visually imposing presence, while the extended fuselage allowed it to accommodate a substantial passenger cabin.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why have the aircraft’s design features become less common?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Passengers rejected all long aircraft
   2. Airlines favored newer models and streamlined operations
   3. Four-engine aircraft became legally prohibited
   4. Lufthansa stopped serving international destinations
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Airlines favored newer models and streamlined operations

   Airlines increasingly favor newer models and more efficient operating practices.

   Yet such features also belong to an approach to aircraft design that has gradually become less common as airlines have favored newer models and more streamlined operations.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What result does Lufthansa’s retirement have for aviation enthusiasts?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The loss of a personally distinctive aircraft
   2. The beginning of a new enthusiast community
   3. The restoration of an earlier aviation era
   4. The expansion of opportunities to fly the model
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The loss of a personally distinctive aircraft

   The final flight represents the disappearance of a plane with an unmistakable personality.

   For its followers, however, the final flight represents the loss of a plane with an unmistakable personality.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the recording say the retirement cannot undo?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Its technical achievements
   2. Its declining passenger capacity
   3. Its lack of commercial appeal
   4. Its resemblance to newer models
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Its technical achievements

   The aircraft’s technical accomplishments remain intact despite its withdrawal from service.

   The retirement does not erase the aircraft’s technical achievements, but it does signal that operational practicality now outweighs the qualities that made the plane so endearing to its admirers.

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the conclusion suggest will make the A346 memorable?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Its ability to resemble ordinary aircraft
   2. Its peculiarities becoming part of passengers’ experience
   3. Its superiority in operational efficiency
   4. Its contribution to standardized aircraft design
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Its peculiarities becoming part of passengers’ experience

   Its unusual characteristics, rather than conformity, are presented as its lasting legacy.

   The A346 may be remembered less for blending into the background than for making its peculiarities part of the journey.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.