Unit 3: wet and windy weather

TASK 12. Match the words and expressions describing wet weather with their definitions.

Part 1

1	to pour	a	slightly wet, often in an unpleasant way
2	a storm	b	the weather conditions when a light rain and mist come out of the sky
3	torrential rain	c	to rain a little, with very small drops of rain
4	flood (uncount. And count.)	d	a short period of very heavy rain that starts suddenly
5	the rains	e	water that falls in small drops from clouds the sky
6	to drizzle	f	very heavy rain
7	a downpour	g	a very large amount of water that covers an area that is usually dry
8	to sprinkle	h	a single drop of rain
9	damp weather	i	to rain heavily without stopping
10	rain (uncount.)	j	the rainy season
11	drizzle (uncount.)	k	a period of very bad weather when there is a lot of rain or snow, strong winds, and often lightning
12	a raindrop	l	(Am.E.) to rain a little and not last long

Part 2

13	rainfall (uncount. And count.)	m	a storm in which there is a lot of with thunder and lightning
14	precipitation (uncount.)	n	a powerful flash of light in the sky caused by electricity and usually followed by thunder
15	monsoon	o	the loud noise that you hear during a storm, usually after a flash of lightning
16	dew (uncount.)	p	a flash of lightning which hits a person or thing and kills or destroys them
17	a shower	q	a storm in the desert in which sand is blown around by strong winds
18	a puddle	r	frozen rain drops which fall as hard balls of ice
19	a thunderstorm	s	the amount of rain that falls on an area in a particular period of time
20	lightning (uncount.)	t	rain or snow that falls on the ground, or the amount of rain or snow that falls
21	hail/hailstones	u	wet earth that becomes soft and sticky
22	mud	v	a small pool of liquid, especially rain water
23	a thunderbolt	w	the small drops of water that form on outdoor surfaces during the night
24	thunder (uncount.)	x	the heavy rain that falls in southern Asian countries like India from April to October
25	a sandstorm	y	a short period of rain that can be heavy or light

TASK 13. Weather words form numerous collocations.

Step 1. Study the weather collocations given below. Translate them into your mother tongue.

		Descriptions It can be:	Actions It can:	Set expressions
1	damp	very; slightly; a little; evening	hang in the air	tiny drops of damp
2	drizzle	fine; light; steady; endless; intermittent	start; stop; go on; continue; fall
3	downpour	heavy; torrential; continuous;	start; stop; go on; continue
4	rain	light; heavy; exceptionally heavy; torrential; continuous; endless; pouring; driving; freezing; fine; acid; chilly; thin; occasional	start; stop; fall; come down; pour down; pelt down; ease off; beat against the windows; lash out for hours; fall in sheets	it looks like rain it rains cats and dogs right as rain rain or shine
5	flood	serious; great; devastating	devastate; damage; cause damage	flash flood
6	rainfall	annual; average; heavy; high; low; normal; below-normal; frontal	range from …to…	the amount of rainfall
7	dew	heavy; light	vanish; sparkle; drops of dew tremble on the flowers; linger on the grass	drops of dew
8	shower	light; heavy; scattered; snow; wintry	start; stop; fall; come down;	April showers bring May flowers.
9	thunderstorm	heavy; dramatic; sudden; violent; ferocious; spectacular; magnificent; summer/winter/spring/ autumn; torrential;	strike; break	to be caught in a thunderstorm
10	lightning	flashing; forked; chain(ed);	flash; hit; strike; light up	a ball lightning
11	thunder	faint; loud; distant	crash; boom; roll; clap; rumble	a peal of thunder a clap of thunder a crack of thunder a roll of thunder a crash of thunder a rumble of thunder a roar of thunder
12	mud	soft; deep; thick; river	cake smth with mud
13	storm	big; bad; terrible; severe; violent; fierce; great; tropical; rain; snow; winter/summer; approaching; freak; magnetic; cyclonic;	start; come; break; blow up; brew; rage; hit; strike; lash; batter; pass; blow itself out	to weather a storm a storm in a cup of tea to be overtaken by a storm

Step 2. Translate the wet weather collocations given below into English.

	Russian	Ukrainian	English
1	вечерняя сырость	вечірня вогкість
2	то начинающаяся, то прекращающая изморось	дрібна мжичка
3	мелкая изморось	заливний дощ
4	проливной дождь
5	Дождь хлестал на протяжении нескольких часов.	Дощ хльостав протягом декількох годин.
6	Дождь стал немного меньше (ослабел).	Дощ став небагато менше (ослабшав).
7	местами ливни	місцями зливи
8	разветвлённая молния	розгалужена блискавка
9	сплошная молния	суцільна блискавка
10	зигзагообразная молния	зиґзаґоподібна блискавка
	вспышка молнии	спалах блискавки
11	удар грома	удар грому
12	раскаты грома	гуркоти грому
13	громыхание, погромыхивание грома	гуркіт грому
14	удар молнии	удар блискавки
15	ил; тина	іл; муляка
16	заляпывать грязью	заляпувати брудом
17	бесконечный дождь	нескінченний дощ
18	отдаленные раскаты грома	віддалені гуркоти грому
19	среднегодовое количество осадков	середньорічна кількість опадів
20	неожиданно налетевшая буря	бура, що налетіла зненацька
21	магнитная буря	магнітна бура
22	ливневый паводок, внезапное наводнение	зливовий паводок, раптова повінь
23	попасть в грозу	потрапити в грозу

TASK 14. Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions from the box. Options are possible. Be ready to translate the sentences into your mother tongue.

caught in a thunderstorm	thunder and lightning	damp weather	caked with mud	thunderbolt	pouring with rain
hailstones	downpour	peal of thunder	like rain	heavy dew	precipitation
drops	to the bones	in the rain	rainfall	thunderstorm	thunderstorm
had struck	flash	striking	torrential rain	flood

1. Henry was walking home from the office in a misting rain when the heavens erupted in a _________.

2. At first, I hated the _________ in Britain but gradually I got used to the constantly wet trees and bushes.

3. It was the worst _________ for over fifty years and the village was completely cut off from civilization.

4. In the tropics, there is usually _________ most days, and the roads often get flooded.

5. Below-normal _________ has led to a major shortage of water in some African countries.

6. During the summer months there would be quite _________ in the sheltered hollows along the wood even late in the morning.

7. A spell of very hot weather often ends with a _________. First it becomes very humid, and then you get _________, and finally very heavy rain. Afterwards, it is usually cooler and it feels fresher.

8. The Ancient Greeks believed that thunder and lightning were caused when Zeus hurled down his _________.

9. _________ were battering the roof of our car so loudly that we couldn’t hear the music.

10. It was _________, and as Laura only had a thin dress on, she got soaked to the skin.

11. There are dark rain clouds in the sky and _________, so let’s go inside.

12. The night-time _________ brought a lot of damage. Twenty people were killed and a lot of houses ruined.

13. As the first _________ fell, the children quickly ran for cover.

14. Never leave your bicycle out _________; it can rust away.

15. Changes in wind appear to have been more important ecologically than changes in temperature or _________.

16. There came a flash of lightning and a tremendous clap of thunder, and very soon all the workers on the field got wet _________.

17. A thunderstorm in Cambridge _________ a public house, demolishing the upper portion of the chimney, splitting the rest down and finally _________ the landlady and knocking out all her front teeth.

18. She then literally jumped in her seat as a huge _________ crashed directly overhead.

19. Francie's shoes were brilliant with polish but Finn's were _________ as had he been walking in the garden by himself, talking to the broken trees and bushes.

20. One June day, my sister was _________, and the heavy rain completely ruined her new hat.

TASK 15. Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with prepositions wherever necessary. Translate the sentences into your mother tongue.

1. After a while, Tom left the hospital and walked back to the hotel ___ the rain.

2. We got very wet and cold ___ the thunderstorm and rushed home to find some warm clothes.

3. Have you ever been caught ___ a thunderstorm in the woods? Isn’t it really scary?

4. A car covered ___ splashes of mud sped by, and I couldn’t notice who was driving it.

5. The sight was beautiful with dewdrops sparkling ___ every leaf and blade ___ grass.

6. Suddenly there came a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. We saw our old oak struck ___ lightning.

7. It has just been reported that hail the size ___ golf balls fell in Andrews, Texas.

8. This year the city has received only half ___ its average rainfall of four inches.

9. The downpour finally eased off and the children were happily splashing ___ the puddles in their coloured wellingtons.

10. Don’t stand ___ the rain, you’ll get soaked ___ the skin.

11. Derek saw his favourite hound caught ___ a thunderstorm, and run for shelter with its tail between its legs.

12. Tilda's six-year-old legs, in wellingtons caked ___ mud, appeared at the threshold.

13. As I sit here typing this letter, the sky is black and it's pouring ___ rain — real April showers.

14. Eastern parts of England will start bright and mainly dry but central areas will be cloudy ___ showers in places.

TASK 16. Match the words and expressions describing the wind with their definitions.

1	a hurricane	a	moving air, especially when it moves strongly or quickly in a current
2	a gust/a rush/a blast of wind / a flurry	b	a gentle wind
3	a breath of wind	c	a very strong wind, often on the sea
4	wind (uncount. and count.)	d	a storm that has very strong fast winds and that moves over water; especially used for storms in the North Atlantic ocean
5	a tornado/a twister/ a whirlwind	e	a short strong wind
6	a gale	f	a slight movement of air
7	a cyclone	g	a violent tropical storm with very strong fast winds that moves over water; especially used for storms in the Western Pacific ocean
8	a breeze	h	a violent storm with very strong fast winds that spin very quickly in a circle, often forming a cloud that is narrower at the bottom than the top
9	a typhoon	i	a violent tropical storm with very strong fast winds that spin in a circle

TASK 17. Wind words form numerous collocations.

Step 1. Study the wind collocations given below. Translate them into your mother tongue.

		Descriptions It can be:	Actions It can:
1	the wind	light; gentle; fresh; east; west; north; south; chilly; dry; fair; fresh; slight; violent; strong; wet; light; cold; icy; chilly/chill; bitter; biting; keen; sharp; gusty; blustery; high; gale force; hurricane force; a 70-mile-an-hour; northerly; southerly; freak; fair; favourable; adverse; contrary; head; foul	fall; blow; howl; rise; pick up; drop; die down; lessen in force; sway; flap; flutter, move, shoot; drift; change; ruffle the water
2	the breeze	gentle; soft; mild; light; slight; faint; stiff; strong; cool; chilly; warm; fresh, sea; ocean; evening; morning; summer; easterly; westerly; lovely; offshore	come from; come through; blow, catch, flap; drift; flutter, move, shoot
3	the gale	fierce; howling; severe; strong	blow; blow away; lash
4	the hurricane	fierce; severe; strong; devastating	begin; blow; blow away; drive; move; cause damage; uproot trees
5	the typhoon	fierce; severe; strong; devastating	blow away; descend on;
6	the tornado/a twister	fierce; severe; strong; devastating; raging	blow; blow away; lash; move; cause damage
7	the cyclone	fierce; severe; strong; devastating; raging	move; hit; cause damage

Step 2. Translate the wet weather collocations given below into English.

	Russian	Ukrainian	English
1	сильный порыв ветра	сильний порив вітру
2	береговой бриз	береговий бриз
3	попутный / благоприятный ветер	попутний / сприятливий вітер
4	встречный ветер	зустрічний вітер
5	легкий приятный ветерок	легкий приємний вітерець
6	холодный ветер	холодний вітер
7	опустошительный, разрушительный циклон	спустошливий, руйнівний циклон
8	неистовый, сильный ветер	шалений, сильний вітер
9	бушующий, неистовый торнадо	бурхливий, шалений торнадо
10	северный ветер	північний вітер
11	прохладный ветерок	прохолодний вітерець
12	воющий/завывающий ветер	виючий/завиваючий вітер
13	сильный ветер, буря	сильний вітер, буря
14	свежий ветерок	свіжий вітерець
15	ветер силой 50 км в час	вітер силою 50 км у годину
16	ураганный ветер	ураганний вітер
17	резкий, пронизывающий ветер	різкий, пронизуючий вітер
18	порывистый ветер	поривчастий вітер
19	неожиданно налетевший ветер	вітер, що налетів зненацька

TASK 18. Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with articles wherever necessary. Translate the sentences into your mother tongue.

1. ___ Hurricane Katrina was ___ very strong hurricane that began over ___ Bahamas in ___ August 2005, moved across ___ southern Florida, entered ___ Gulf of Mexico, and caused damage along ___ Gulf Coast. ___ highest number of lives lost and ___ most severe damage took place in ___ New Orleans, Louisiana where ___ flood protection system failed. ___ government was severely criticized for ___ way it dealt with ___ disaster.

2. ___ Cyclone Nargis, ___ very strong wind that moves very fast in ___ circle, hit ___ Burma in May 2008, killing thousands of people and causing millions of people’s homes to be destroyed.

3. In ___ Escondido, ___ pilot reported seeing ___ funnel cloud, which would have become ___ tornado, had it touched down.

4. ___ deadliest typhoon of ___ 20th century was ___ Typhoon Nina, which killed nearly 100,000 in ___ China in 1975 due to ___ devastating flood.

5. ___ Thunderstorms occur throughout ___ world, even in ___ polar regions, with ___ greatest frequency in ___ tropical rainforest areas, where they may occur nearly daily.

6. ___ Great Lakes Storm of 1913, which lasted for 5 days, was ___ deadliest and most destructive natural disaster ever to hit ___ Great Lakes Basin in ___ Midwestern United States and ___ Canadian province of Ontario.

7. ___ North American blizzard of 1947 was ___ record-breaking snowfall that began on ___ Christmas Day and brought ___ Northeast United States to ___ standstill. It was not accompanied by ___ high winds, but ___ snow fell steadily with ___ drifts reaching ten feet. Seventy-seven deaths were attributed to ___ blizzard.

8. ___ Thunderstorms caused by ___ powerful sea breeze fronts frequently occur in ___ Florida, ___ peninsula surrounded on both ___ east and west by ___ Atlantic Ocean and ___ Gulf of Mexico, respectively.

9. However, ___ extra allowance must be made for any ___ head wind, and in ___ poor visibility ___inexperienced pilots should make sure that they are close enough to keep ___ field in ___ sight all ___ time. 

TASK 19. Form weather adjectives from the weather nouns below. Translate them into your mother tongue.

Bear in mind that though the most productive endings to form common weather adjectives is the ‘-y’, some other ways are also possible.

1. sun

2. rain

3. cloud

4. fog

5. mist

6. haze

7. wind

8. ice

9. heat

10. shower

11. humidity

12. damp

13. snow

14. sleet

15. haze

16. winter

17. summer

18. spring

19. autumn

20. storm

21. drizzle

22. wet

23. air

24. drought

25. frost

26. slush

27. cold

28. cool

29. freezing

30. chill

32. TASK 20. The elements of the compound nouns and weather collocations below are mixed up or wrong. Correct them.

1. thunderstones

2. torrential drift

3. downstorm

4. heat warning

5. hailrain

6. a snow wave

7. a galepour

8. a breath of gale

9. a thunderball

10. a whirlbreeze

11. a flash of thunder

12. a clap of lightning

13. a drops of shower

14. a magnetic thunderstorm

15. annual average precipitation

16. a snowfell

17. a snow woman

18. a dewflake

19. hoarsnow

20. a blanket of ice

21. snow floe

23. TASK 21. Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions from the box. Options are possible. Be ready to translate the sentences into your mother tongue.

drops	gust of wind	swaying	from the northeast	howling	against the wind
rain	chilly	in the gale	waving	ruffled	flapping
picking up	hurricane	getting up	lessened in force	breath of wind

1. The branches of the huge birch tree were _________ in the wind.

2. I saw dozens of golden daffodils _________ in the breeze.

3. The wind blew _________ and brought _________ weather, which was unusual for July.

4. If I were you, I would wait till the wind _________ before putting the tent up.

5. A _________ gale and torrential _________ lashed the windows the whole night.

6. The man had approached Derek on the street while he was walking home, head down _________.

7. A sudden _________ blew the door shut. Teresa was startled and looked around in dismay.

8. There was complete silence and not even a _________ disturbed the peace.

9. What are you doing at the weekend? – The fence was blown down _________ last night and I have to mend it.

10. The light wind _________ the water and the fishermen had difficulty in seeing the bobber.

11. Be careful. The wind is _________. It can blow your new hat off.

12. The lonely dress on the clothes line that was _________ in the wind reminded me of a scarecrow standing guard in the field.

13. At last, the wind had _________ and we could look forward to the end of the hurricane.

14. The wind was _________ and it was becoming cloudy. It really looked like rain.

15. The _________ in Florida destroyed a lot of trees and buildings.

43. TASK 22. Listen to the presentation ‘Our World: What is Weather?’ on the site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtgFHHhm1xU and fill in the gaps with the weather words that have been used by the speaker.

1. Basically, weather is the _________ _________ (2 words) of the Earth’s atmosphere.

2. Weather is produced by the _________ (1 word) of several factors which include: heat, air pressure, winds and moisture.

3. Heat, transferred from the sun, is absorbed by the earth and _________ _________ (2 words) the atmosphere.

4. Air temperature varies from place to place because the _________ _________ (2 words) strike the earth at different angles.

5. Air pressure is the measure of the _________ _________ _________ _________ (4 words) pressing down on the earth surface.

6. Air pressure _________ _________ (2 words) the density of the air.

7. Denser air exerts (оказывает) more _________ (1 word) than less dense air.

8. Air pressure on the earth can vary considerably from location to location due to _________ _________ (2 words) of the atmosphere.

9. These air _________ _________ (2 words) cause the movement of air which we call wind.

10. Finally, the _________ (1 word) of moisture in the air, called relative humidity, also _________ (1 word) weather.

11. Moisture in the atmosphere _________ (1 word), causing _________ (1 word) to develop and precipitation to fall to the earth.

12. So, have you _________ _________ _________ (3 words) the difference between weather and climate?

13. I said earlier that weather is the daily condition of the Earth’s atmosphere. What about climate?

14. For most of us, climate means a _________ (1 word) is hot, cold, wet or dry.

15. You see, climate is the _________ _________ _________ (3 words) for a specific region over an extended period of time.

16. The climate of any place is determined by two main factors: _________ _________ _________ (3 words).

17. The earth is divided into three major climate zones based on the _________ _________ (2 words) of these zones.

18. They are the tropical, temperate and polar zones.

19. Can you determine what climate zone you live in?

20. Have you ever been in a situation when the _________ _________ (2 words) called for sunny skies, yet, it ended up raining all day long?

21. You think, ‘Oh, if only I had my umbrella!’

22. But you know, guys, the job of predicting weather accurately is a difficult one because our atmosphere, it’s _________ _________ (2 words).

23. You see, in order to predict the weather accurately for the hours and days ahead, weather forecasters must analyse information they receive from a number of sources including: _________ _________ _________ (3 words), weather balloons, weather stations and _________ (1 words).