Iranian man lived in airport for 18 years

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: Iranian man lived in airport for 18 years

Warm-up

Have you ever seen the film "The Terminal", starring Tom Hanks?

Vocabulary Match

passport •• get an idea
rights •• travel ID
discharged •• released
inspired •• put in a hospital
realise •• permission to use
hospitalised •• start to know

Vocabulary Answers

passporttravel ID
rightspermission to use
dischargedreleased
inspiredget an idea
realisestart to know
hospitalisedput in a hospital

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

The movie The Terminal (2004) was ________ by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian man who lived in Charles de Gaulle Airport in France for 18 years. He lost his ________ and couldn't leave the airport, so he made a small home there, sleeping on benches and eating food from McDonald's. Nasseri became famous among travellers and airport staff. DreamWorks Pictures paid him $275,000 for the ________ to his story.

Tom Hanks played the main character in the film. After many years, Nasseri finally left the airport when he was ________. However, after being ________, he had nowhere else to go and returned to the airport. Sadly, Nasseri died there in 2022 from a heart attack. Nasseri once said, "I ________ I am famous. I wasn't interesting until I came here."

The movie The Terminal (2004) was inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian man who lived in Charles de Gaulle Airport in France for 18 years. He lost his passport and couldn't leave the airport, so he made a small home there, sleeping on benches and eating food from McDonald's. Nasseri became famous among travellers and airport staff. DreamWorks Pictures paid him $275,000 for the rights to his story.

Tom Hanks played the main character in the film. After many years, Nasseri finally left the airport when he was hospitalised. However, after being discharged, he had nowhere else to go and returned to the airport. Sadly, Nasseri died there in 2022 from a heart attack. Nasseri once said, "I realise I am famous. I wasn't interesting until I came here."

Quiz

  1. Where did Mehran Karimi Nasseri live for 18 years?
  2. What did Nasseri eat at the airport?
  3. How much money did DreamWorks Pictures pay Nasseri for his story?
  4. Who played the main character in the film?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.
  2. He ate food from McDonald's.
  3. DreamWorks Pictures paid him $275,000 for the rights to his story.
  4. Tom Hanks played the main character in the film.

True or False

  1. Nasseri made a small home in McDonald's. T F
  2. He became famous among airport staff and travellers. T F
  3. Nasseri said he wasn't interested in planes until he came to the airport. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Conversation

A:Have you seen The Terminal?
B:Yeah, it's about that guy who lived in an airport for 18 years!
A:Can you imagine sleeping on benches like that?
B:And eating McDonald's every day.
A:Tom Hanks tried a different accent for that role.
B:I know. It was weird at first, but I got used to it.

Discussion

  1. Have you ever slept in an airport or other public place?
  2. What would you do if you lost your passport?
  3. Do you like McDonald's food? What's your favourite burger?
  4. Would a film about your life be interesting? How much would you sell the rights for?

Further Reading

https://collider.com/the-terminal-true-story/

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