Weather Instruments

Gap filling  - Word families* - Vocabulary

*Word families are groups of words with the same form and related in meaning, for example : family - familiar - unfamiliar - familiarity - to familiarize

1-Read the text below. Use the words on the right to form a noun, adjective, adverb or verb in the same family, to fill the gap as in the example. Then check the correct answers.

Why is it that a promised day of sunshine may often bring rain or 1..cloudy... skies? Weather forecasters are 2. ................ criticized for their frequent false predictions and most people 3. ................ weather reports with caution. Truth is that the weather is 4. ................. Even in this day and age of 5. ................ advances, it is not easy to predict the weather next week, and even less next month, or next year. There are just too many factors. Meteorologists use many instruments to study the atmosphere. Normally, these instruments work together to give the most 6. ................ possible vision of weather conditions. We are all 7................. with “thermometers”, to measure temperature, and “weather satellites” that orbit the Earth to track the atmosphere. Also “wind vanes” are not strange on house roofs, a device that 8................. to show the direction the wind is blowing. However, to give the world the 9................. forecast, a warning of tsunami or determine the chance of a thunderstorm,  weather 10................. also rely on other devices. These are  an “anemometer”, to measure wind speed, a “barometer” for atmospheric pressure,  a “rain gauge” to measure millimeters of liquid precipitation, and a “sling psychrometer” for humidity. Nature is 11................. and the weather has its whims, which sadly makes it almost impossible for us to get a 12................ weather forecast.

1.CLOUD 2.USUAL 3.TREATMENT 4.CHAOS 5.TECHNOLOGY   6.UNCOMPLETE   7.FAMILY 8.ROTATION 9.DAY 10.PROFESSION 11.POWER 12.PRECISION

 (author: Verónica de la Vega 

some contents and definitions adapted from National Geographic Education)

2-Read the text again and find the terms for the following definitions:

a) water that falls to the ground as rain, snow, etc. = ____________ b) a prediction  = ____________ c) an instrument, object, machine, or piece of equipment made for some special purpose  = ____________ d) a sudden wish, desire, decision, etc.  = ____________ e) to trust or believe (someone or something)  = ____________ f) an action that tells someone about possible danger or trouble  = ____________

definitions from Merriam-Webster’s Learners Dictionary

at learnersdictionary.com

3-Just For Fun  

 Can you identify the weather instruments in the image below? Match the seven pictures and names.  

Answers here!