Climate and Weather

Video Activity – National Geographic – 3.22minutes

What is the difference between climate and weather? Can we predict what the future will be like? What are the best areas to live? Watch and learn how we are affected by natural forces around.

Watch the clip and choose the right answer based on the report.

Questions

  

1.Which influences where we choose to live?  

A)Climate  B) Weather

2.Which influences what we will wear each day?

A)Climate  B) Weather

3.How many climate zones does the Earth have?

A)6  B)7     

4.Which area is described as mild and inviting? 

A)Central America  B)Southern Europe.

5.Which area is harsh? 

A)Northern Europe B)Greenland

6.In the past people settled in places with....

A)Hot weather   B)More hospitable climate

7.Today, humans can survive in all climates thanks to...

A)Technology  B) Evolution of the species

8.Severe weather can destroy...

A) industries  B) homes and crops

9.What is the yearly cost in weather damage in the US?

A) 11.4 billion dollars  B) 11.4 million dollars

10.Which place sees more of its share of floods, hurricanes and tornadoes? A)Florida  B)New Orleans

11.A warning of floods, tornados or hurricanes can... 

A)cut costs   B)save lives

12.Who uses powerful computers to create weather maps and models?

A)The Government  B)Meteorologists

13.Radars can detect rain up to how many miles away?

A)2500   B)250

14.What monitors precipitation, lightning and other conditions? 

A)Radars   B)Weather Satellites

15.Do scientists risk their lives to study tornados and other weather phenomena?

A)Yes  B)No

16)In the future we can expect...

A) more ways to predict the course of the weather   B)severe weather strikes

 

Answers here!

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!

Weather Idioms

Vocabulary Activity - Idioms

A) Study the following idiomatic expressions related to the weather. 

Be cloudy about... (something) : to be unsure of something.

Be raining cats and dogs : rain very heavily.

Be under the weather : to be sick.

Be windy : to be very talkative without necessarily saying much.

Brainstorm : to suggest any idea that comes to mind in an attempt to find a solution to a problem.

Clear the air : to resolve a resentment.

Have (one’s) head in the clouds : to not have a grasp of understanding of the reality or a situation.

Lightning never strikes the same place twice  : a bad incident will not likely happen to the same person twice.
 
Rain on someone's parade : to spoil a person's happy feelings.

Save it for a rainy day : to save something, usually money, for possible future need.

Shoot the breeze : to chat or to pass the time by chatting.

Something out of the blue ( meaning out of a blue sky ) : unexpectedly and suddenly.

Take ( or give someone ) a rain check : to request that an appointment be rescheduled.

B) Complete the following sentences with words related to the idioms above: 1.A: Remind me again why we need to go to the bank today. I’m a bit ... about it. B: John, what’s going on? You have your head in the ... lately. 2.Jaime and Karen are talking to each again! Finally they have cleared the ... between them. 3. I know I promised we would catch a movie tonight, but I’m a bit under the ...  Can I take a ... ckeck? 4.We need to call a meeting ASAP and ... ideas to solve the project. 5.I have a few free minutes before my class to shoot the ... if you like. 6.What a weather! I forgot to bring my umbrella and it’s raining ... and ... out. 7.I told my cousin all about my idea to have my own coffee shop. And out of the ... he starts giving me every reason why I might fail. He always ... on my parade. 8. My sister is scared to drive ever since a truck hit her car. I told her that it was bad luck and that ... never strikes the same place twice. 9.My nephew has a new piggy bank and is learning to save some money for a ... day. 10.The lecture was so boring and the speaker was so ... that we almost fell asleep. What a waste of time!

Answers here!

Weather Terms

Video and Vocabulary Activity

PART 1-Prince Charles reads the BBC Scotland weather forecast

Watch the clip and answer the questions below.

1.10 minutes

Questions

1.It will be cold wet and windy. Where and when? 

2.Is there high, average or low pressure in the atmosphere? 

3.What will the weather be like around Edinburgh?

4.Where will the rain be lighter?

5.What weather conditions are expected for the Highlands?

6.Where will the weather be drier and brighter?

7.What will the day be like everywhere? What will be the average temperature?

8.What season do you think it is?

PART 2-Match the two columns to complete the definitions and explanations of weather terminology. Other combinations are possible but you have to match all the sentences.

1.A drizzle is ...	a.You can’t see the road ahead.
2.A heat wave is an extended interval of...	b.abnormally hot and usually humid weather
3.When there’s hail you can see...	c.rain
4.Showers are...	d.Ice crystals on things exposed to the air.
5.When the forecast says it will sleet, you can expect...	e.Soaking wet
6.If the forecast says there will be solid skies...	f.Rain which freezes before reaching the ground.
7.When there’s fog...	g.light rain
8.If there’s frost you can see...	h.a severe snowstorm with strong winds
9.When the forecast says it is overcast, it's ...	i.Your umbrella may break.
10.On a blustery day...	j.cloudy
11.Strong gusts means...	k.freezing cold
12.If you are caught in a downpour without an umbrella you’ll get...	l.You can sunbathe.
13.The opposite of a scorching hot or a boiling day is ...	m.Strong wind
14.If you are outside in a blizzard you will find...	n.ice balls or rocks

A Note on WILL & BE GOING TO for Predictions Weather forecasters use "will" mostly, because that is how we normally make predictions in English. For example: It will be a sunny day today. Or, if the heavy rain continues, we will have floods in the east. However, if the speaker is very sure, his/her prediction turns more into a certainty. "Be going to" is often used when we can see some form of evidence. If the sky is full of black clouds, you're more likely to say, "It's going to rain," because it's almost certain. Nowadays with satellites and other technology available, weather reporters often feel confident to use “be going to”.

Answers here!

Weather Words

Crossword Puzzle

Across

4. A very thin rain is called a ...

5. We can't see the sun. the sky is really ...

6. I woke up with the noise of ... It was a heavy storm.

9. The visibility is very limited because of the ...

10. January in Rio the Janeiro is usually ...

11. The city is in a valley and it gets very ... and hot in the summer.

12. A ... is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds.

14. The weather forecast said there's a ... of rain tomorrow.

15. There's a cold ... coming from the north.

16. Tomorrow will be ... so the weekend will be perfect to ski.

Down

1. It's better to wait until this rain is not so heavy. It's ... out.

2. Yesterday it ... and my car got a bit damaged.

3. Beautiful snow ... were falling in the morning. It was magical.

7. A ... is a tropical cyclone in the northern hemisphere.

8. A ... is a violently rotating column of air.

12. Near the ocean is very pleasant and ... in spring.

13. Throughout the night we could see flashes of ...

14. 43F is like 6C. It's a bit ... out.

15. In the northern pole it can get really ... even in 'warm' months.

 

Answers here!

Answers - The Lovely Weather Issue

Climate and Weather

1.A)Climate    2.B) Weather   3.A)6     4.B)Southern Europe.   5.B)Greenland

6.B)More hospitable climate   7.A)Technology   8.B) homes and crops   9.A) 11.4 billion dollars    10.A)Florida   11.B)save lives   12. B)Meteorologists   13. B)250   14.B)Weather Satellites   15. A)Yes    16) A) more ways to predict the course of the weather

Weather Instruments

1.cloudy 2.usually  3.treat  4.chaotic 5.technological 6.complete 7.familiar 8.rotates 9.daily  10.professionals 11.powerful 12.precise

a)precipitation b) forecast  c)device    d)whim  e)rely on  f)warning

1.barometer  2.wind vane    3.thermometer   4.weather satellite   5. sling psychrometer   6.rain gauge  7.anemometer

Weather Idioms

1.cloudy/ clouds    2.air    3.weather / rain   4. brainstorm    5.breeze         6. cats / dogs         7.blue/ rain   8.lightning  9.rainy  10.windy

Weather Terms

PART 1

1.g  / 2.b / 3.n  / 4.c / 5.f  /  6.l  / 7.a  / 8.d  / 9.j  / 10.i  / 11.m / 12.e  /  13.k  /  14.h

PART 2

1.This afternoon, across most of Scotland.

2.Low.

3.There will be rain

4.In the west

5.There will be snow

6.In the northern islands and the north part of the country

7.It will be a cold day everywhere with temperatures of  (8C))

8.Probably winter

Weather Words

Across: drizzle, cloudy, thunder, fog, scorching, humid, blizzard, chance, front, snowy

Down: pouring, hailed, flakes,hurricane,tornado, breezy, lightning, chilly, freezing