Unit 3 Clear or Cloudy?
Part Ⅰ Getting ready
The condition of wind, temperature, rain, sunshine, snow, etc., at a certain time or over a period of time is called weather. British people often have conversations about the weather.
A The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. All of them are related to weather and some are frequently used in weather forecasts. Listen carefully and study the definitions.
1. freezing point: the temperature at which water becomes ice
2. relative humidity: a measure of the amount of moisture in the air
3. calm: peaceful, not rough
4. barometric pressure: the downward pressure of the air at a particular place
5. widely scattered: far apart
6. shower: a fall of rain or snow lasting a short time
7. lows: the low temperatures during a certain period of time
8. variable: changeable
9. thunderstorms: local, short storms with thunder, lightening, and heavy rain
10. gale: a very strong wind
Temperature can be measured in degrees Centigrade or degrees Fahrenheit. Usually we use "C" to stand for Centigrade or Celsius. The abbreviation for Fahrenheit is "F" The sign for degrees is "°". Centigrade or Celsius (C) is commonly used in China, while Fahrenheit (F) is widely used in English speaking countries. (The formulae for temperature conversion are: C=5(F-32)/9 and F=9C/5+32.)
B You are going to hear five statements about temperature, write down all the degrees in both Centigrade(C) and Fahrenheit(F).
(℃ ) -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
------1----1----1----1----1---1----1----1----1----1----1----1----
(°F) 14 32 50 68 86 104 122 140 158 176 194 212
1. The freezing point of water is _______ ℃ or _______ °F.
2. The boiling point of water is _______ ℃ or _______ °F.
3. The normal body temperature is _______ ℃ or _______ °F.
4. The temperature on a warm spring day is ________ ℃ or _______ °F.
5. The temperature on a hot summer's day is _______ ℃ or _______ °F.
A weather forecast is given several times a day on TV and on the radio. The man who predicts weather conditions is called the weatherman. In most English speaking countries, the weatherman usually speaks with a personal and friendly tone. He acts as if he is chatting with a friend about what the weather will be like.
C You are going to hear a report on weather around the world. Complete the following table.
City Country Time Weather Temperature (℃)
New York USA _________ _________ _________
Auckland ______ 11:10 a.m. _________ _________
Beijing China _________ _________ _________
Calcutta India _________ _________ _________
Honolulu USA _________ _________ _________
Melbourne ______ _________ clear _________
Mexico City Mexico _________ _________ _________
Moscow Russia _________ _________ _________
Paris France _________ _________ _________
San Francisco USA _________ _________ _________
Sao Paulo ______ _________ _________ 14
Part Ⅱ A weather report
In many cities, besides radio and TV, it is also possible to get a weather forecast on the telephone. A typical forecast gives the current temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and barometric pressure with exact figures, and also predicts weather for the next few days with broad and general terms. The recordings are changed several times a day.
A You are going to hear a weather report. Write down every word as a dictation. It will be read three times. In the first reading, you will hear the whole report from beginning to end. In the second reading, you will hear a pause after each sentence or just part of a sentence. During the pause, you must write down what you have just heard as quickly as possible. You can check what you have written with the third reading.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
B You are going to hear a National Weather Service forecast for the Chicago, Illinois, area. Pay special attention to the temperatures. Fill in the following chart with information about temperatures from the report. Note that where there is a dash (?, there is nothing to write. All the time periods mentioned in the report have been filled in for you.
Time Temperature (℃)
10:00 p.m. Lakefront:
Midway:
O'Hare:
Lows Highs
Tonight __________ --
Tomorrow -- __________
Tomorrow night __________ --
Tuesday -- __________
Wednesday __________ __________
Thursday __________ __________
Friday __________ __________
C Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the weather report. Pay more attention to the other features of the weather. Take notes on the chart below. Note that where there is a dash (--), there is nothing to write.
Time Weather Humidity Wind Barometric
Description Pressure
10:00 p.m. -- _________ _________ ____and rising
Tonight ___________ -- _________ --
Tomorrow ___________ -- _________ --
Tomorrow night ___________ -- -- --
Tuesday ___________ _________ -- --
Wednesday ___________ -- -- --
Thursday ___________ -- -- --
Friday ___________ -- -- --
Part Ⅲ At a bus stop
The weather seems to be a favourite topic of conversation in Britain. This is not because it's particularly interesting but that it's a safe subject that can be shared by everyone. It's often used as a subject to open a conversation. The subject itself is not very important. What is important is that the two people are establishing contact.
A You are going to hear a conversation between a man and a woman. They are talking about the weather. The following vocabulary is used in the conversation. Guess the meaning when you hear these words and expressions. While you listen, don't forget to add more key words in the notes column. They will be very helpful for the next section,
1. ended up with:
2. coming down hard:
3. attorney:
4. off the lobby:
5. stop in:
6. donut/doughnut shop:
7. boy:
B You are going to hear the conversation again. Answer the following questions with the help of the notes.
1. Where does the conversation take place?
2. What time of day is it?
3. What season of the year is it?
4. What is the relationship between the speakers?
5. How long has the woman been waiting?
6. What did the weathermen say that morning?
7. Where did the man work?
8. What is their opinion of weather reports?
C Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the conversation and decide whether the statements after the conversation are True or False. Put "T" or "F" in the brackets.
1. ( ) 2. ( ) 3. ( ) 4. ( ) 5. ( )
6. ( ) 7. ( ) 8. ( ) 9. ( ) 10. ( )
Part Ⅳ More about the topic: Is Earth Overheating?
Human activities, from farming to burning fossil fuels, are releasing gases that may trap too much heat in the atmosphere. Scientists are worrying about the Greenhouse effect which may cause the average global temperature to increase. Are you worried?
The following short passage is about the rise of global average temperature. Supply the missing words while listening.
Evidence shows that over the past _________ years there has been a close correlation between global average ________ and the amount of carbon dioxide in the _________.
In _________, before the Industrial Revolution began to take full ______, the carbon dioxide level was about _________ ppm. By the ______ the carbon dioxide level had _____ to perhaps _____ ppm. Today, according to analyses of air samples, the level is more than _________ ppm. _________ higher than the _________ level.
At the same time, scientists have noted that the global average temperature is ________ rising. Since the _________, most _______ have been unusually hot. In fact, the _________ warmest years since _________ have occurred in the past _________ decades, and _________ saw the_________highest global average temperature. The _________ heat wave _________ public attention on a possibility that had _________ scientists for some time-the possibility of a __________ rise in Earth's temperature.
Scientists tell us that it is the burning of ____, oil, and other _____ that has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Factories account for ___________of the carbon dioxide added by the burning of fuels; electric power plants, ___________; motor vehicles, ___________; and heating equipment for homes and businesses, ___________.
As Stephen Schneider, a climatologist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research puts it, "It is often said that we do not so much _______ the world from our forebears, but rather we ______ it from our ________. It is increasingly urgent that we ____ to prevent our ____ from growing out of _______."
Part Ⅴ Memory test: Weather Forecast
Another important reason why people talk about the weather in Britain is that it's so unpredictable. You can never tell what the weather's going to be like from one day to the next. You may listen to the weather forecast on radio, TV, or telephone. But often the weather changes faster than the weatherman can predict. But still many people have formed a habit of listening to the weather forecast in the morning.
A You are going to hear a weather forecast on the radio for England and Scotland. Fill in as much information as possible.
Place Weather Description
Southeast of England _____________________
Southwest of England _____________________
North of England and Scotland _____________________
Northeast of Scotland _____________________
B You are going to hear a weather forecast for the UK. Write down all the words that the weatherman uses to describe weather.
Southwest ______________________________
Around London
& Southeast ______________________________
Midlands ______________________________
North Wales ______________________________
South Wales ______________________________
Northeast ______________________________
Scotland ______________________________
Northern Ireland ______________________________
Part Ⅵ Reminder of key points in this unit
Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other
Part Ⅰ temperature
degree
Centigrade/Celsius
Fahrenheit
formula
conversion
Part Ⅱ forecast calm
relative humidity widely scattered
barometric pressure variable
shower fair
lows / highs extended
thunderstorm promising
Part Ⅲ predict attorney freezing
end up with travel agency awful
come down hard lobby typical
stop in donut shop around the corner
Part Ⅳ take full effect correlation global
occur carbon dioxide average
focus atmosphere ppm.
account for Industrial Revolution steadily
inherit analysis disastrous
air sample increasingly
decade urgent
heat wave out of control
electric power plant
heating equipment
climatologist
forebear
Part Ⅴ coast maximum
weather outlook above zero
weather centre due to
depression
fog patch
sleet
