Exercises

I. Answer the following questions:

1) Does the sun’s radiation have any effect on the rotating earth’s surface and atmosphere ? 2) How do land and sea areas react to the dynamic activity of the atmosphere ? 3) What is the difference between weather and climate ? 4) What does the word “climate” come from ? 5) What is climate influenced by ? 6) Does vegetation, animal life and humans depend on climate ? 7) What does human activity through the alteration of the earth’s surface and introduction of pollutants result in ? 8) What instruments do we use when we study weather ? 9) What is the climate in our country ?

II. Complete the following sentences translating the words in the brackets into English:

1) The climate of the (регіону) is the weather (типова) for the region for a long period of time. 2) The average values of (температури) as well as the extremes that may occur at a (данна місцевість) are important for determining the climate. 3) The life of the (Землі) (залежить) on the climate. 4) There are different sources of (кліматологічної інформації). 5) Each (метеорологічна станція) supplies additional information about weather and climate. 6) Scientists who study the weather are called (метеорологія).

III. Translate the words, characterizing climate, memorize them and say what climate is

typically like in your country:

The climate of the country may be varied, temperate, continental, equatorial, tropical, subtropical, monsoon, mediterranean, oceanic, insular, hot, severe, cold, cool, warm, moist, dry, mild, maritime, equable.

IV. Before reading Text b find the answers to the following questions:

1) What does meteorology study ? 2) What provided the theoretical basis for meteorology ? 3) When did systematic weather observations begin ?

V. Read, translate and title:

The accuracy of weather forecasts is relative. It has been customary in recent years to claim accuracies of 80 to 85 percent over periods of one day. Until recently weather events could be predicted fairly accurately out to about 5 days, and some success at predicting departures of temperature and precipitation from normal has been obtained out to about 90 days. In January 1995 National Weather Service meteorologists (USA) announced that they could provide forecasts up to six months under some circumstances by using computer simulations and statistical analysis of past weather events.

VI. Read and say what you should do to protect yourself during a thunderstorm:

l) Go inside a house , a building, or a car. 2) Never stand under a tree , especially if it is standing alone in an open place. Tall things attract lighting. 3) Never swim or stay in a boat during a thunderstorm. Lighting travels easily through water and can find you ! 4) Stay off metal things, such as bicycles, motorcycles, because they also attract lighting. 5) Stay in a low spot if you don't have time to get to a safe place.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

I. Make up sentences with modal verb "can' and its equivalent "to be able to":

Model I: I can drive a car. (to speak English, to come early, to have lunch, to work

hard, to learn this rule).

Model II: He could swim when he was a boy. (to translate from English into Russian, to

run quickly, to learn a long poem for ten minutes, to visit him)

Model III: In six months he will be able to read English newspapers, (to play chess

better, to take an examination in mathematics, to buy a new car, to go to London)

II. Make up sentences with the verb "may" ("might"):

Model I: May I come in ? ( to smoke here, to use the dictionary, to visit you, to phone you, to

leave the room, to go home)

Model II: He said you might smoke. ( to stay here , to take this book, to watch TV in the

evening, to read the text )

III. Make up sentences with the verb "must" and its equivalent "to have to":

Model I: You must come by 4 o'clock (to see the doctor, to be careful, to try it again, to

clean your teeth every morning)

Model II: She had to wait for a long time (to do the work at once, to get ready for the

dictation, to learn the rule by heart , to look up this word in the dictionary)

Model III: You have to explain this rule once more to send her a telegram, to get the

necessary book, to rewrite the exercises, to get up early, to read the text once more.