UNIT 7

Weather and climate lead-in

• How does your lifestyle change according to the different seasons?

• What kind of damage can be caused by the weather?

• Choose the correct word or phrase for the gap in each sentence.

drought	mist	lightning	gale	fog
heatwave	climate	hail storm	breeze	avalanche

1. The ___________ had caused temperatures to rise to over 45 degrees centigrade day after day.

2. The ___________ had lasted six months and farmers had hardly any water for their animals and crops.

3. There had been a heavy fall of snow followed by a rise in temperature, so there was great danger of an __________.

4. The ___________ was so dense that visibility on the motorway had been reduced to 50 metres.

5. It was a lovely sunny day with a gentle __________ just rustling the leaves on the trees.

6. In spring many farmers fear a ___________ which can cause severe damage to their early crops.

7. The winds had increased in strength during the night and were now __________ force.

8. There was a violent thunderstorm and the old apple tree was struck by __________.

9. New Zealand has a temperate ____________ with warm summers and mild winters.

10. At dawn there was a light ____________ rising from the sea which evaporated as the sun rose.

• Choose the correct word or phrase for the gap in each sentence.

erode	irrigate	sunstroke	famine	frostbite
evacuate	flooded	swept	drenched	cut off

1. Years of battering by heavy seas had caused that part of the coastline to ____________.

2. The climbers were stranded on the freezing mountain and were in danger of suffering from ____________.

3. The farmers had set up a system of using water from the river to ___________ their crops.

4. There is a severe ____________ in that part of the country and people are dying of starvation.

5. The river rose rapidly and burst its banks, causing many homes to be ____________.

6. The tanker was battered by high seas and two sailors were ____________ overboard.

7. The children got caught in the rain on their way home and arrived home ___________.

8. If you stay out too long in a hot sun, you’ll suffer from ____________.

9. There had been a landslide and five villages in the mountains were ____________ for three days.

10. The coastguard advised people to ____________ the town because a hurricane was approaching the area.

STORMS SWEEP BRITAIN: 16 DIE

AT LEAST SIXTEEN PEOPLE were killed as severe gales swept across Britain yesterday. There was widespread flooding and many buildings were damaged by high winds. Several rivers, swollen by heavy rainfall, burst their banks. The worst affected place was Towyn in North Wales. Yesterday morning, mountainous seas smashed through the sea wall that protected the town from flooding. Floods up to two metres deep swept through the town. Lifeboats and helicopters were used to evacuate 2,000 people before the midnight high tide brought even worse flooding. Fifty people were taken to hospital suffering from shock and exposure. A school outside the town is being used as temporary accommodation for the evacuees, who are being looked after by voluntary workers. A police spokesman said, ‘If we hadn’t got them out in time, many people would have died.’ Police, ambulance crews and firefighters toured the town in boats in order to check that everybody had been accounted for. A confused old lady, who had earlier hidden from police, was found and taken to hospital. Evacuees claimed that the sea wall had not been repaired since 1980. ‘We’ve been complaining for years,’ said one of them, ‘but nothing was done. Now we’ve lost our homes.’ Experts predict that the damage caused by the midnight tide will be ‘severe and extensive.’

No lives have been lost in Towyn but in other parts of Britain sixteen people died as 150 kph winds swept across the country. Eight of the victims were motorists whose cars overturned on exposed roads. One man was killed when a parked car was blown onto him. A bus driver died when his vehicle was crushed by a falling tree. A lorry crashed into a house after being hit by a falling lamp-post. Several people were killed when walls, chimneys and roof tiles were blown down on top of them. Many roads are blocked by fallen trees and abandoned vehicles. All ferry services have been suspended and many flights delayed.

A lorry driver was crossing the Humber Bridge when his vehicle was struck by a sudden gust of wind and blown off the side of the bridge. Only the bridge suspension cables prevented the lorry from toppling over the edge into the water. The driver managed to scramble to safety through a window. In the Humber estuary, several ships have been blown aground.

Weather forecasters warned that although the high winds would die down during the night, they would return with renewed force tomorrow morning. Drivers are advised not to travel unless their journeys are absolutely necessary.

• What do the following numbers in the text refer to?

1. sixteen

2. two

3. 2,000

4. fifty

5. eight

6. 150

• Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

1. Why was the midnight tide a serious threat to the town of Towyn?

1. There were gale force winds.

2. The seawall had been broken.

3. Several rivers had burst their banks.

4. There wasn’t time to evacuate everybody.

2. Why are some evacuees angry?

1. They knew the seawall needed repairing.

2. They are suffering from shock.

3. They are afraid of the police.

4. They expected a better weather forecast.

3. Forecasters think that the weather will

1. stay the same.

2. get better and then stormy again.

3. get much worse.

4. get worse for a short time and then better.

• List the phrasal verbs in the text which are based on sweep and blow, and discuss what they mean.

• Answer the following questions.

1. What severe consequences did gale force winds and widespread flooding bring about in Britain?

2. Why did several rivers burst their banks?

3. How many people were rescued? How were they rescued?

4. What is being used as temporary accommodation for the evacuees?

5. What forces were sent to check that everybody had been accounted for?

6. Were there any casualties as a result of the disaster?

7. What losses, damage or inconvenience did people suffer?

8. Is anyone to blame for “severe and extensive” damage caused by the midnight tide?

9. What narrow escape did the driver crossing the Humbler Bridge have?

10. What is the weather forecast for tomorrow? What are drivers warned against?

11. What authorities should be concerned about / for the problem of preventing floods? What measures should be taken by them?

12. What would you do to give people a helping hand if you were a voluntary worker?

• Find English equivalents to the following phrases in the text:

1. выйти из берегов

2. пострадавшие от шока и переохлаждения

3. используемое в качестве временного пристанища для эвакуированных

4. добровольные помощники

5. чтобы проверить, что все найдены

6. ночной прилив

7. разрушенные наводнением дороги

8. брошенный транспорт

9. работа парома приостановлена

10. (на машину) обрушился внезапный порыв ветра

• Summarize the text.

• Retell the text.

• Read the newspaper article and render it into English.

Великобритания переживает самые серьезные транспортные проблемы. Проливные дожди привели к наводнению во многих районах и создало угрозу нехватки топлива (petrol shortages). По меньшей мере 3,000 домов затоплено, и прогноз погоды говорит об усилении ветра до шквального и осадки вплоть до следующей недели. Закрылось несколько школ, сотни домов погрузились в темноту, и жителей нескольких южных районов попросили кипятить воду после того, как в воде были обнаружены бактерии. Вышедшие из берегов реки повредили систему безопасности железнодорожных дорог, которая и без того вызывает озабоченность жителей этих районов.

• Describe (orally) any of the disasters that happened recently. Use Core and Active Vocabulary.

Points to cover:

• an event (floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, etc)

• kind of damage caused by them

• losses people suffered

A t what time of year do you feel at your best?