English B2 FCE

(0) OVER the past 35 years, air (1) ............ has become a popular method of transport. Long gone are the days (2) ............ travelling to foreign countries was the preserve of the rich and a privileged few. Some estimates put the number of daily commercial airline flights (3) ............ the world at as many as 100,000. This is largely due to the fact that airfares have become more affordable since the arrival of budget airlines and the competition that they have brought to the industry. Increasingly, and as a consequence of this, more destinations are connected (4) ............ flights nowadays. Despite security concerns, particularly since the 9/11 terrorist attacks (5) ............ New York, travelling by aeroplane is still considered one (6) ............ the safest modes of transport. We have come a long way since Abram Pheil paid $400 to become the first (7) ............ commercial flight passenger (8) ............ the 1st of January, 1914.