| Inspiring Women

1 | Look at the photos of two female pilots and discuss the questions with your partner. • Why do you think they decided to become pilots? • What kind of obstacles do you think they had to overcome?
Leyla Mammadbayova |  | Amelia Earhart

2 | Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

A. | Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) was an American pilot. She disappeared in July 1937 while she was trying to fly around the world. She was the 16th woman to get a pilot's license and made many famous flights. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic in 1928. In 1939, officials declared that she was dead. In 1937, Earhart tried to be the first to fly around the globe at the equator. She planned to fly from California to Hawaii, then to Australia, India, Africa, and Florida before returning to California. After leaving California in March, the crew had trouble with the plane and landed in Hawaii for repairs. By June, Earhart and Noonan took off from Miami. They flew across Central and South America and landed in New Guinea on June 29, completing about 35,000 km. Only 11,000 km remained over the Pacific Ocean. Before leaving for Howland Island, Earhart became ill but did not want to give up. On July 2, 1937, Earhart and Noonan left New Guinea, but something went wrong. Their radio equipment was damaged, and the maps they used were incorrect. They couldn't communicate well with Itasca and couldn't find the island. They searched, but there was nowhere to land. They remained calm and didn't panic. They were persistent and tried everything to overcome obstacles and make contact, but nothing worked. At 7:42 a.m., they ran out of fuel. Their last message came at 8:43 a.m., after which they disappeared. Somewhere out there, the plane may still be, but nobody has ever found it. Many people still wonder: Has anyone ever discovered anything that might explain where the plane went or what happened to the crew?