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Topical Vocabulary
What is the weather like today? What kind of weather are we having today?
What a marvelous day! What lovely weather we are having today!
It seems to be clearing up!
It seems to be getting more settled.
to keep – держаться; оставаться в определённом состоянии. To keep fine (nasty, rainy, …)
to set in – наступать, устанавливаться. Spring/rain set in.
degree, 25 degrees above (below) zero
temperature (falls / goes down; rises / goes up)
Sun, sunny
Bright
fine / lovely / splendid / wonderful / gorgeous [ʹgɔ:ʤəs] – великолепный.
Hot
heat; heat wave
scorching – жаркий, обжигающий
Indian summer – «бабье лето»
drought [draut] - засуха
dry spell – засуха, период сухой погоды
the spell of fine weather – период хорошей погоды
wind; windy. The wind has dropped.
ground wind - позёмка
gale – сильный ветер, шторм; gale force wind
breeze – лёгкий ветерок, бриз
(heavy / light) rain, rainy; to rain. I think it’s going to rain. It looks like rain. I’m sick and tired of this rain.
A steady rain – затяжной дождь
raindrop – дождевая капля
Rainfall
rainbow – радуга
puddle [ʹpʌdl] / pool – лужа; puddly - покрытый лужами, грязный
rain or shine - rакая бы ни была погода
snow; snowy; to snow (heavily / hard). The snow lies deep / thick.
a thick layer of snow – толстый слой снега
snowstorm – метель, вьюга, буран
snowfall - снегопад
snowflake(s) = flakes of snow - снежинка, snowdrift(s) – снежный занос, сугроб
snow-capped – покрытый снегом
snowman, snowball; to play snowballs
to sparkle – блестеть, сверкать, сиять (как правило, отражение от чего-либо кристаллического)
to shine – светить, сиять, блестеть (более постоянный блеск от чего-либо гладкого)
slippery ice / ice-covered groun d – гололёд
an icicle – сосулька
ice drift - ледоход
blizzard [ʹblizəd] – снежная буря, буран
Frost (bitter, severe, heavy), frosty
hoar-fros t [ʹhɔ:frɔst] - иней
freeze (froze, frozen) – замерзать, покрываться льдом. It’s freezing hard.
to melt – таять, плавиться
Thaw - оттепель, таяние; to thaw
sleet – дождь со снегом, крупа; to sleet; sleety – слякотный, смешанный с дождём, снегом.
slush – слякоть
to grow green – зазеленеть
buds – почки, to open the buds
To shoot out new leaves
to break into blossom – расцветать
To be in full bloom
to fade - вянуть
fog - туман, a thick fog, foggy - туманный
Mud - грязь, muddy
Dust – пыль, dusty
to splash - забрызгивать, брызгать(ся). The drivers splashed mud on the passers-by.
muggy – тёплый, влажный (о погоде), удушливый (о воздухе)
humid [ ʹhju:mid] – сырой, влажный; humidity [hju:ʹmiditi]
chilly – холодный, зябкий
Mild
severe [siʹviə] - суровый
dull – пасмурный
gloomy – мрачный, безрадостный
beastly - ужасный, противный, отвратительный. It’s beastly wet – ужасно сыро/мокро.
nasty – отвратительный, неприятный. Nasty weather – дурная погода. Nasty sea - Бурное море
wretched [ʹretʃid] – отвратительная, скверная, никуда не годная
awful [ʹɔ:f(ə)l] – ужасный, отвратительный
close = stuffy – душный
breath – [breθ] дыхание; дуновение. At last we felt a breath of fresh air.
to breathe [bri:∂]
drizzle – мелкий дождь, изморось, to drizzle. It’s drizzling.
Mist, misty
to pour – лить о дожде. It’s pouring.
a downpour – ливень, поток
a shower – ливень
flood [flʌd] - наводнение
to overflow (overflowed, overflown) – заливать, затоплять; переливаться через край
The river overflowed its banks.
hail – град; hailstorm – ливень, гроза с градом; hailstone - градина
thunder – гром. A clap of thunder – удар/раскат грома
to rumble – грохотать, громыхать
thunderstorm – гроза, occasional thunderstorms – временами грозы
lightning – молния. A flash of lightning lit up the sky. To be struck by lightning
storm - буря, гроза, ураган. stormy. To be caught in a storm
gale – сильный ветер, шторм
tornado [ tɔ:ʹneidəu] – торнадо, смерч; ураган
hurricane [ʹhʌrikn] – ураган, шторм, буря
monsoon [ mɔnʹsu:n] - муссон
dew - роса; a dew-drop - капля росы, росинка; dewy – покрытый росой, росистый.
To be wet with dew
to clear up – проясняться. The weather is clearing up.
clear - ясный, светлый; clear sky – ясное небо
overcast – покрытый облаками, хмурый (о небе). The sky is overcast.
To till the soil – пахать, возделывать землю
To plough [plau] – пахать. The land ploughs hard after the drought.
To dig
To sow the seeds – сеять семена
Weeds – сорняки, to pull the weeds
Hay - сено, to make hay – косить, haystack / hayrick – стог сена, haycock - копна сена
Ripe - спелый, зрелый
To ripen = to get ripe – зреть, вызревать. The hot sun ripens the corn.
Harvest – урожай, жатва. to gather the harvest = to harvest – собирать урожай, жать. The farmers are busy harvesting.
To reap – жать, снимать урожай.
To cro p – давать урожай, cобирать урожай. The barley cropped well this year.
Corn – зерно (злаков)
wheat – пшеница
rye [rai] - рожь
barley – ячмень
nest – гнездо; to make nests
nestling – птенец
To lay eggs
to hatch – высиживать птенцов
to twitter - щебетать, чирикать
flower bed – клумба
snowdrop - подснежник
dandelion [ʹdændilaiən]- одуванчик
coltsfoot [ʹkəultsfut] – мать-и-мачеха
primrose – примула
crocus [ʹkrəukəs] – крокус, pl. croci [ʹkrəusai]
daffodil [ʹdæfədil] - бледно-жёлтый нарцисс
tulip - тюльпан
lily-of-the-valley – ландыш
poppy – мак
cornflower – василёк
lilac [ʹlailək] – сирень
pussywillow – верба
willow - ива
bird cherry tree – черёмуха
birch (tree) – берёза
rowan [ ʹrauən, ʹrəuən] (tree) / wild ash (tree) – рябина (ashberry/rowanberry)
maple [ʹmeip(ə)l] - клён
ash – ясень
poplar [ʹpɔplə] - тополь
fir tree –ель
pine – сосна
I. Match the sentences.
1.Be careful! The pavement’s very slippery. A. Come and sit in the shade.
2. You’re shivering. B. It will all be gone by tonight.
3. I’m sweating. C. You might fall over.
4. I got soaked this morning. D. it’s hot and damp and there’s no air.
5. It’s very humid today. E. Can we turn the air conditioning on?
6. The snow is starting to melt. F. Do you want to borrow my jacket?
7. Don’t get sunburnt! G. It poured with rain and I didn’t have an
umbrella.
II. Complete the weather forecast with these adjectives.
Bright changeable clear heavy icy settled strong sunny thick
In the North of England and Scotland it will be very cold, with …(1)… winds and …(2)… rain.
There will also be …(3)… fog in the hills and near the coast, though it should clear by midday.
Driving will be dangerous as the roads will be …(4)…. However, the south of England and the
Midlands will have …(5)… skies and …(6)… sunshine, though the temperature will still be
quite low. Over the next few days the weather will be …(7)…, with some showers but
occasional …(8)… periods. It should become more …(9)… over the weekend.
III. Complete the text with fog, mist and smog.
When the weather is foggy or misty, or there is smog, it is difficult to see.
…(1)… is not usually very thick, and often occurs in the mountains or near the sea.
…(2)… is thicker it can be found in towns and in the country.
…(3)… is caused by pollution and usually occurs in big cities.
IV. Match the words and definitions.
blizzard drought flood hailstorm heatwave hurricane lightning monsoon thunder
tornado
1. _____ (n) a period of unusually hot weather.
2. _____ (n) a long, usually hot, dry period when there is little or no rain.
3. _____ (n) a flash of very bright light in the sky caused by electricity.
4. _____ (n) a storm with small balls of ice that fall like rain.
5. _____ (n and v) the loud noise that you hear during a storm.
6. _____ (n) a snowstorm with very strong winds.
7. _____ (v and n) when everything becomes filled and covered with water.
8. _____ (n) a violent storm with very strong winds especially in the western Atlantic Ocean.
9. _____ (n) a violent storm with very strong winds which move in a circle.
10. _____ (n) the season when it rains a lot in southern Asia.
V. Complete the sentences with one of these words or phrases.
*flooding *thunderstorms *overcast
*fog *heavy showers * heatwaves
1. The sky looks very …. I think it’s going to snow.
2. In 1976, Britain had one of the worst … ever recorded. There were severe water shortages.
3. The … was so thick that it was impossible to see the road ahead.
4. Global warming has caused freak storms and … in many countries.
5. I’d take an umbrella with you. There are going to be … this evening.
6. My cat hates …. She always hides under the sofa.
VI. Learn the following dialogues:
A. 1. - Fine day today, isn’t it?
- Yes, wonderful!
2. – What beastly weather we ate having!
- Yes, it’s terrible!
3. - It has been raining cats and dogs since morning!
- Yes, and there’s no sign of the rain stopping.
4. - What lovely weather we are having!
- Yes, indeed. I hope it will last.
5. - Will it clear up, do you think?
- Who knows? You never can tell…
6. - The morning was so fine, and look how the weather has changed.
- Yes, it is very unpleasant. But what can you expect? The weather in our parts is so changeable.
7. - I am sick and tired of this rain! I am already wet to the skin.
- Well, what can you expect? It’s always like this in this season.
8. - Is it still raining?
- Oh, it’s pouring – a real shower!
9.
B. Alice: What lovely weather we are having! I’m so glad we have come to the country for the weekend.
Barbara: So am I. You can’t feel the awakening of nature in town as you can here.
Alice: Of course, everything is different here. How fragrant the air is!
Barbara: It comes from the cherry orchards. The cherry trees are in full bloom. We’ve got the best cherries in all the district around.
Alice: Look how lovely the young leaves are! Let’s go and sit under those trees.
Barbara: I am afraid the soil is too wet to sit on. Would you mind walking a little?
Alice: Not at all. It’s a pleasure to walk in this bright sunshine.
Barbara: Then let’s go and see the cherry blossom.
C. Steve: You got caught in the rain, didn’t you?
Sue: Just a little. The shower came on all of a sudden, but I was already near home.
Steve: It didn’t look like rain at all this morning, did it? But you never can tell…
Sue: I usually carry an umbrella all the time in this season. But I forgot to take it this morning.
Steve: Bad luck!
Sue: Yes. As they say, it’s sure to rain if you don’t take an umbrella.
Steve: That’s right!
D. Ann: Look at those clouds. How black they are! There’s a thunderstorm coming on. Aren’t you afraid?
Grace: Oh no! I like it! Oh, look, what a flash of lightning!
Ann: Yes, and there’s a clap of thunder. The first thunder this year!
Grace: Shall I turn off the TV?
Ann: What? The thunder is so loud, I can’t hear you.
Grace: I say, shall I turn off the TV? Mom says it’s better to turn it off during a thunderstorm.
Ann: Yes, I do. And I’ll shut the window. A gust of wind may break the pane.
Grace: Oh, what a shower!
Ann: It’s good. It will lay the dust and revive the flowers in the garden.
E. Nancy: Have you heard the weather forecast, Mary?
Lucy: No, I haven’t. Bull can tell you without any forecast that the weather is beastly. A strong wind is blowing, it is cold, the sky is overcast and it looks like rain.
Nancy: Yes, autumn is here with its slush and drizzle. I think we are not going to see the sun for days and days.
Lucy: They say we’ll have a mild winter.
Nancy: I do hope so. It was terribly cold last winter.
Lucy: But the sunny mornings with the hoar-frost on the trees were very pleasant, weren’t they?
Nancy: Yes, indeed.
F. Leon: Lovely day today, isn’t it?
George: It is. There’s hardly a cloud in the sky in fact.
Leon: We’ll have a heat wave, I fear. It must be 25 degrees in the shade.
George: It is very close today. Not a leaf is stirring.
Leon: There’s hardly a breath of air.
George: By the way, I’ve just read the weather forecast in my newspaper here.
Leon: What does it say?
George: “Pressure will remain high to the south-west of the British Isles. There will be occasional rain or drizzle, but bright weather with a few scattered showers will spread to England and Wales.”
Leon: I fear a thunderstorm is coming.
George: The sky is overcast and the sun is going in.
Leon: It looks like rain. Actually it’s beginning to rain. And I have left my umbrella at home. It never rains but it pours!
George: Fortunately enough, I’ve got my folding umbrella with me. Let me put it up.
Leon: What a tremendous clap of thunder!
George: And what a flash of lightning!
Leon: But the English have a saying about the weather: If you don’t like it now, just wait a bit.
George: Look! It’s clearing up. The clouds are lifting/
Leon: It has stopped raining. Look at this wonderful rainbow.
George: Bright sunshine again. Now I know why English weather is something worth talking about.
VII. Read and retell the story
It looks like rain.
A man came into a little village inn and sat down at a table near the window. It was war-time, and food was hard to get.
“We’ve got only soup today, sir,” said the waiter to the gentleman.
“b O.K., bring me a plate of soup,” said the man.
The waiter nodded and left the room. Presently he returned with a plate of soup. He put it on the table before the man and stepped to the window.
“It looks like rain, sir”, said the waiter, looking out of the window.
While the waiter was thinking of the weather, the gentleman was thinking of the soup, which he had just tasted.
“Well,” he said, “and it tastes like rain, too.”
An inn – хижина, гостиница
To nod – кивать, кивнуть
To step – шагнуть
Presently - вскоре
VII. Seasons and Weather.
In my opinion a person's life depends to a certain degree on the climatic conditions he lives in. Though the English say «There is no bad weather, there are bad clothes», in reality bad weather influences our mood, emotions and even the physical state.
The weather in our region depends greatly on the climatic conditions in the eastern part of the European continent. In England, for example, it is influenced by the sea and they say that they have no climate only weather, as it may change several times during the day. Perhaps for this reason the weather topic is favourite with the English and is at the same time a good conversation starter. Here in Kirov we don't talk much of the weather, we just take it as it is. There are four definitely marked seasons here which considerably differ from each other.
Although each season lasts three months, in reality some of the seasons are longer and some are shorter. Winter is the longest one in the Kirov region. Snow may fall as early as November and may not melt as late as the end of March. Summer on the contrary is the shortest season. It becomes really warm somewhere late in June. Late August is often rainy and cool as if warning that autumn is near.
Every season is good in its own way. And every season has its own negative features. Let's take autumn, for instance, when the nature fades away. The days grow shorter and the nights become longer. The leaves turn yellow and fall to the ground. Gradually it gets colder and colder. But worst of all is rain and drizzle. There are days when it rains for a while then the rain stops, but soon it starts again - and this goes on throughout the day. All these things are well-known and nobody can say he likes them.
Yet there are many people, who like autumn. They try to look at the bright side of this season. They see autumn as the time of golden leaves, when the nature is quiet and attractive. Poets of all nations have sung autumn as the most beautiful time of the year. Golden autumn, they call it, and it's really fantastic when the Indian summer sets in. I love that short spell of dry sunny weather when the sky is blue and cloudless, the trees around are golden, the air is transparent and it is still warm. Besides, autumn is the time of harvest and no other season can offer such a splendid variety of fruit and vegetables.
Russian winter with its deep snow and frosty weather is known all over the world. To my mind the white kingdom of winter is wonderful. At this time nature is having a rest. Lakes, rivers and streams are frozen. Snow covers up the ground, and the vast fields blanketed with snow which glitters in the sun, look fabulous to me. I like to watch large flakes of snow falling down the ground especially when the sun shines brightly and every flake sparkles in its light. The trees are bare. They are covered with a vast sheet of snow. Winter gives us lots of opportunities to do the sports: skiing, skating, tobogganing.
But at the same time there is no denying the fact that winter is a hard season. The roads are usually covered with slippery ice or deep snow. It presents many problems not only to the people making their way along the streets but also to the drivers. Think of severe frosts and long dark nights when the wind is howling outside. No wonder, we are obliged to spend much time indoors, especially when the temperature is something about 30 degrees below zero. But as we know neither good nor bad things last forever. Winter is always followed by spring and then by summer.
In spring nature comes to life again after its long winter rest. It is the time when nature changes from grey to green and from cold to warm. Spring comes rather late in our region. March is cold and April is usually cool and rainy but May is really beautiful, especially when the trees are in blossom. The earth is warmed by the rays of the sun, the first flowers appear, trees put on new green leaves and everything is fresh and fragrant. Nightingales, swallows and other migrant birds come back from the south. They build their nests, lay and hatch their eggs and sing their merry songs. I share the opinion of those who say that spring is the season of love, hope and happiness.
Summer comes in June. The average temperature in summer is about 20-22 degrees above zero. But sometimes the heat is so stifling that there is hardly a breath of fresh air. It is not much to say that summer is by far the best loved season. Who doesn't enjoy bathing on a hot day in a cool river, picking up mushrooms and berries in the forest, lying in the sun on the beach and so on. I am crazy about things like this. But the main thing is certainly having a two-month holiday. It is great fun for schoolchildren.
And in conclusion, I want to say one more time that every season is beautiful and attractive in its own way and we never stop wondering at the nature's wisdom and harmony.
IX. Talk to a partner.
1. What kind of weather do you think is good or bad for …?
a. camping d. sailing
b. going for a walk in the mountains e. sightseeing
c. running a marathon
2. What cities or countries do you associate with …?
a. fog d. floods
b. smog e. hurricanes
c. heavy snow
X. In small groups, talk about a time when you were somewhere when ….
a. there was a flood e. there was a gale or hurricane
b. it was very foggy or there was bad smog f. there was a terrible heatwave
c. it was pouring with rain for days on end g. it was unbearably cold
d. you were caught outside in a thunderstorm
What were you doing at the time?
What did you do to protect yourself from the weather?
Did you ever feel scared or in danger?
XI. Read the extracts from the three blogs and tick (ѵ) the right box(es). In which blog does someone…?
A. 1 2 3
1. go out in spite of a severe weather warning
2. seem to be a foreigner living abroad
3. have fun in spite of the weather
4. complains about how the weather makes
him / her feel
5. talk without problems with transport
6. describe how surprised people are by the weather
7. criticize some people for doing something
8. talk about the damage caused by the weather
9. complain that people are not well prepared
to cope with the weather
Posted: Tuesday 4th September
Yesterday was unbelievable. Though we were warned there was going to be a terrible storm, no one really expected or could possibly visualized [ʹvizuəlaizd] hurricane-force winds destroying bus stops and ripping trees out of the wet soil. They told us not to cycle anywhere and to stay indoors, but I had a job interview in the centre so I had to go out.
Thank God I did manage to get there, but I had to grab hold of traffic lights so I wouldn’t be blown into the road. I saw some crazy people on bikes – some of them got blown over and one even seemed to be going backwards. The canals were full of rubbish bins that had got blown in and there were piles of bikes in the streets and broken umbrellas everywhere, which people obviously thought they were going to be able to use and then couldn’t. What a mess!
Posted: Sunday 22nd July
Yet another scorching, sunny day…
I never knew this kind of heat was possible here. Last Wednesday was the hottest day ever in this country. The roads were melting in some areas, and the underground was a total nightmare – it was like being slowly cooked in an oven.
The main problem is that people here don’t seem to understand the need for air conditioning during the summer. There is no escaping the heat and if you actually want to go anywhere, you have to be prepared to sweat [swet] and learn to enjoy your task sweating. Please tell me, how do you shop? Try on clothes? No thank you. Even going for an ice-cold beer can be uncomfortable if the pub isn’t at least equipped with a large fan.
So I sit here sweating in my living room. The French windows are open but the coolest room in the apartment is the bathroom and sadly, there is no Internet connection so I can’t work here.
Posted: Thursday 8th November
I got woken up today by my daughter screaming, “Dad … it’s snowing … it’s snowing!” She just couldn’t believe it – not surprising as they said on the news that it hasn’t snowed here for nearly fifty years! We decided not to send her to school and we had a great time – we even made a snowman in the yard. We used dried cranberries for the eyes and a baby carrot for the nose because it was a baby snowman. People are so amazed by the “totally awesome” weather that I’ve seen some people just standing there staring as if they were in a trance. You kind of feel it’s the work of a clever set decorator for a high-budget movie.
It was chaos, though, for people going to work – Interstate 5 was closed in some parts and a whole load of trucks were stuck in the snow. And it’s been very bad news for the citrus trees – they are all frozen. Even if it thaws tomorrow, the damage is already done. So I’ afraid we won’t be eating any local oranges this year!
Interstate – автомагистраль (между штатами)
B.Would any of these three types of weather be surprising where you live? Have you had anysurprising weather where you live recently?
G. Write a short blog (like the one in…)describing what the weather has been like recently. Talk about how it has made you feel and how it has affected what you have been doing.
XII. Look at this conversation with Matthew Black, an expert on extreme weather. Complete the gaps a-g with who, which, whose, where or that.
Presenter: We are more likely to be run over by a car than struck by lightning. Is it true?
Matthew: Yes, it is. People are afraid of lightning. It’s easy to understand the reason. However, there is only a four million to one chance of lightning striking you.
Presenter: But aren’t there some people …(a)… have been struck by lightning more than once?
Matthew: Yes, there are, but these cases are very rare. In California, there is a man …(b)… has been hit by lightning seven times.
Presenter: And he is still alive?
Matthew: Yes, he is. He survived. I don’t know how he did it.
Presenter: But what should I do if I am caught in a storm? Can you tell me?
Matthew: Well, don’t stand near a tree. You shouldn’t stand under a tree or near a telegraph pole either. It’s because of the fact that lightning always strikes the object …(c)… is the highest,
Presenter: Are there other precautions? People should know about them.
Matthew: If there is a building …(d)… you can shelter, you ought to go to it, and make sure you close the windows.
Presenter: So lightning doesn’t strike buildings very often?
Matthew: Actually, it does. There is a famous building in New York …(e)… is struck about twenty times a year.
Presenter: You mean the Empire State building?
Matthew: But the people …(f)… are inside are safe!
Presenter: Do you know any other unusual stories about lightning?
Matthew: One of the most amazing stories is about a blind man …(g)… eyesight returned during a storm. After he was struck by lightning, he could see again. No one can explain it. They don’t know how it happened.
*Precautions[priʹkɔ:ʃ(ə)nz] – меры предосторожности
*The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet (381 meters), and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft (443.2 m) high. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for 40 years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was again the tallest building in New York (although it was no longer the tallest in the US or the world), until One World Trade Center reached a greater height on April 30, 2012. The Empire State Building is currently the third-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States (after the Willis Tower and Trump International Hotel and Tower, both in Chicago), and the 23rd-tallest in the world (the tallest now is Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai). It is also the fourth-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas.
Retell the dialogue in indirect speech.
XIII. Read the story.
On weather forecasts (retold from Jerome’s “Three men in a boat”)
Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humorist, best known for the comic travelogue Three Men in a Boat (1889).
George took the newspaper and read us the weather forecast: “Rain, cold, wet to fine, occasional local thunderstorms, east wind.” I don’t believe this weather forecast business. It forecasts precisely what happened yesterday or the day before, and precisely the opposite of what is going to happen today.
I remember a holiday of mine being completely ruined one late autumn day by our paying attention to the weather report of the local newspaper. “Heavy showers, with thunderstorms, may be expected today,” it said, so we gave up the idea of our picnic and stayed indoors all day, waiting for the rain. Many people passed by our house in cars and coaches. It was clear that they were going to the country. The sun was shining, and there was not a cloud in the sky. “Ah!” we said as we stood looking at them through the window, “ they will come home wet to the skin!”
And we smiled, thinking how wet they were going to get. By twelve o’clock, with the sun pouring into the room, the heat became quite oppressive, and we wondered when those heavy showers and occasional thunderstorms were going to begin. At one o’clock the landlady came and asked if we weren’t going out, as it seemed such a lovely day.
“No, no,” we replied, “not we. We don’t want to get wet through – no, no.”
But not a drop of rain ever fell, and it was fine till late night.
The next morning we read that it was going to be a “warm fine day, much heat,” and we put on light clothes and went out, and half an hour after we had started, it began to rain hard, and a bitterly cold wind began to blow, and it lasted for the whole day, and we came home with colds and rheumatism and went to bed.
The weather is a thing that is beyond me altogether. I never can understand it.
Rheumatism [ ʹru:mətizəm] – ревматизм
French windows
Retell the story
XIV. Be ready to speak on the topic “Disasters”. The questions and the given information will help you.
Make sure that these words are known to you:
a. Flood b. earthquake c. fire d. drought e. famine
f. hurricane g. volcanic eruptions h. epidemics
1. In which parts of the world do they most commonly take place?
2. Which of them occur in Russia? Where?
3. What are they caused by?
4. What are their consequences?
5. Can they be prevented? How?
6. How can people defend themselves if these disasters occur?
a. 1. Asia, Europe, the Americas.
3. long-lasting and excessive rain, melting snow
4. people and animals can die, people lose homes and property, there can be losses in agriculture.
5. build more efficient drainage systems
6. people and animals can be evacuated by rescue teams or the army, temporary homes can be provided.
b. 1. Asia, Latin America, California
3. tectonic movements inside the earth
4. people die, buildings are destroyed; supply of water, gas, electricity is cut off, epidemics
5. no
6. temporary shelters and hospitals can be built, food and water can be provided from other areas, rescue teams can help the injured
c. 1. Everywhere
3. drought, human mistake, arson, lightning
4. people die, property is destroyed, wild animals die
5. people have to be more careful with fire (smoking, dropping matches, bonfires); gas and electronic installations should be regularly controlled; people shouldn’t leave glass in the forests.
6. fire brigade can try to put it out as soon as possible and to prevent it from spreading
d. 1. Africa
3. lack of rain
4. Losses in agriculture (smaller crops), fires, life of people and animals is in danger
5. no
6. water and food can be provided from other regions
e. 1. Africa
3. drought, flood, insects
4. people fall ill and die, people become more susceptible to diseases
5. food can be supplied to areas which are threatened with famine
6. food can be provided by other countries or international organizations
f. 1. US coast, the Caribbean
3. differences of air pressure
4. buildings and boats are destroyed, people can die
5. no
6. people can hide in basements or leave the area
g. 1. Pacific Islands
3. increased temperature and pressure of lava inside the volcano
4. fields and villages can be destroyed
5. no
6. people and animals can be evacuated
h. 1. Africa, Asia
3. lack of hygiene, poor nutrition, poor living conditions, masses of people living in limited space
4. people fall ill or die
5. vaccinations [͵væksiʹneiʃ(ə)nz], basic hygiene (washing hands), washing fruit and vegetables before eating them, avoiding raw food products and fresh water, limiting contact between people.
6. people should avoid contact with others, follow the rules of hygiene, medical help should be provided for those who fall ill, information about how the disease spreads should be easily accessible.
XV. Listening
(2002)
You are going to listen to Martin Cinert from Prague talking about the night the River Vltava flooded. Mark the sentences T (true) or F (false).
A.
1. His office wasn’t at risk, but his flat was.
2. He took his wife and child to his parents’ house.
3. He went back to the flat because he was excited by the situation.
4. Martin went to a place near his flat to watch the water level rising.
5. He looked out of the window and saw that his car park was going to flood.
6. He was the last person to leave his block of flats.
7. All of the roads he tied were flooded now.
8. He decided to follow another car through the water.
9. Martin’s car broke down as he drove through the water.
10. All the flats in his building were seriously damaged.
B. Listen again. Correct the false statements.
C. What do you think you would have done in Martin’s situation.
XVI. Conditionals
XVII. Complete each sentence by choosing the best alternative. Look up any words you are not sure about.
1. They saw … of snow falling slowly to the ground.
A blocks b piles c flakes d floods
2. We drove very slowly because the … was so thick.
A sunshine b lightning c fog d avalanche
3. The heavy rain caused … all over the country.
A drought b flooding c tides d fountains
4. The tree fell to the ground after the lightning … it.
A soaked b beat c struck d burst
5. Those … in the sky mean it’s going to rain.
A frosts b flakes c mists d clouds
6. That … should dry my washing.
A gust b puff c blizzard d breeze
7. The top of the mountain was … in the mist.
A covered b condensed c vaporised d drenched
8. The hurricane … several buildings on the island.
A exhausted b destroyed c blew up d condensed
9. They could hear the thunder … in the distance.
A grumbling b drifting c pouring d rumbling
10. Look how white the grass is! Is that snow or …?
A dew b mist c steam d frost
11. When the sun came out, the ice slowly ….
A melted b flooded c froze d dried
12. It’s … outside, so take your overcoat.
A mild b sweltering c stuffy d chilly
13. The gale … all night.
A poured b died down c blew d puffed
14. Be quiet! This is the weather … for the weekend.
A forecast b broadcast c prophecy d horoscope
15. It’s only … so I won’t take my umbrella.
A pouring b hailing c sleeting d drizzling
16. A few flakes of … fell from the sky.
A frost b mist c rain d snow
XVIII. Read and translate the text.
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