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Text I
SKIMMING 1 The newspaper article opposite comes from the London Evening Standard.
Read through the main article quickly to find out what the chief effects of the
severe weather were. When you've finished reading, work with a partner and
see how much you can recall.
SCANNING 2 Now scan the article to find answers to these questions as quickly as possible.
Look for names and numbers.
1 BR is mentioned in the headline. What does it stand for?
2 How many rail travellers were unable to travel?
3 Four counties outside London were affected by the weather. Which ones?
4 How many buses were running north of the river Thames?
5 Which two Underground lines had near normal service?
6 Which railway station was completely closed?
READING FOR DETAIL 3 Read the short reports in the 'In brief' section to find answers to the following
questions.
1 Where did rescuers have to be rescued?
2 Where were winter sports events cancelled, and why?
3 Where did winter conditions give someone's game away?
4 Where was the temperature especially newsworthy?
5 Where was there a warm welcome for the elderly?
6 Where was warm water a life-saver, and why?
7 Where was hot water potentially dangerous, and why?
8 Who or what might have benefited from some frozen water?
9 Who found two legs better than four wheels?
GUESSING UNKNOWN 4 Find words or phrases in the two reports which mean the same as:
VOCABULARY
Main article
First paragraph 1 people who travel to and from work regularly (n)
Left-hand column 2 urgent request (n)
3 alarming (adj)
4 piles of snow blown up by the wind
5 a very slow speed (n)
Right-hand column 6 surrender/giving up a fight (n)
7 unable to get away (adj)
8 have no false beliefs (phrase)
STYLE 5 a Look at these extracts from the text. Notice the words in italics. What are
these words usually associated with? Why have the writers used them?
The weather has beaten us.
The chilling admission of defeat ...
... the greatest threat so far to commerce and industry
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SEVERE WEATHER 2
b The writers deliberately use a number of other words and expressions for
dramatic effect. Add some more examples to these lists:
Nouns: nightmare, chaos, .
Reproduced by permission of the Evening
Adjectives: chilling admission, blinding blizzards, .
Standard Company Ltd.
In brief section Times Newspapers
c How appropriate is this language to the topic? How serious do you think
limited and the Evening Standard
Company Ltd. the writers are?
IN BRIEF
Forget it, says BR, the weather has beaten us MOTORISTS stranded in snow
and traffic yesterday were
overtaken by a man on a pair of
And don't try by car, it's a nightmare skis on the Al2 in Essex.
HOVE's swimming pool complex,
which is kept at a steamy 80 degrees
TODAY IS
F, is to open its doors free to
pensioners today so they can keep
warm.
A FIRE crew was called in to help
dig out five ambulances snowed in
at Chelmsford Ambulance Station
in Essex overnight.
Text 2 1 This article describes how the Swiss deal with problems of severe weather.
Read it and underline the differences between the British and the Swiss response
to severe winter conditions. Why do you think there is this difference?
cJ
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2 a Describe the differences between Britain and Switzerland by combining the
6 0 <. 0
o o sentences in the two columns below, using contrast links from the Study
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o
.D Box on page 27.
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0
0
, . ~ 0 0
, Britain Switzerland
0
u 1 Snow and ice bring chaos . Life continues to run smoothly.
0
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2 Motorists get stranded when it snows. Most cars have snow tyres or chains..
3 Slippery pavements are a hazard. Householders have to clear the
~~RAj; pavement outside their house.
1w11tE
fYetffOF 4 Many farms are completely cut off. Food for cattle is flown in by
c JNo'ri- helicopter.
" WALKr Examples:
\
While snow and ice bring chaos to Britain, life continues to run smoothly in
<>
Switzerland.
Snow and ice bring chaos in Britain. In Switzerland, by contrast, life
continues to run smoothly.
b Use the information in the two articles to make more, similar sentences
contrasting the following in London and Switzerland:
rail travel roads use of cars
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SEVERE .'.=-!.--= -
Contrast links
.... while ...
..., whereas ... Tim is idealistic while/whereas Jane is more practical .
..., but .
... yet . He caused the problem, but/yet she's the one who solved it.
A/though ..., Although Pete eats a lot. he never puts on weight!
... by contrast ... Summer in Scotland is mild and wet. Summer in Italy, by
contrast, is hot and dry
CUSSION POINTS 3 As a group, discuss the effects that climate has on lifestyle. Think of things like
Paper 5. Part I housing, clothes, food, entertainment, holiday destinations. Compare your
country with Britain, or another country you know. What differences or
similarities can you think of between them that might be related to climate?
1 What do you know about 'global warming'? What do you think could be the
connection between global warming and the severe weather conditions
described in this unit?
2 You will hear part of a radio science programme in which an expert on climate
and environmental issues talks about the link between climate change and
global warming. You have to complete the notes below with up to three words.
You will hear the recording twice.
STRATEGY Before you listen, read through the notes, which summarise the information
in the recording. Think about what kind of information could fill the gaps -
it could be a name, a number, a date or a key phrase.
As you listen the first time, fill in the missing information in no more than
three words. Remember that these are notes, rather than complete
sentences. Write only key words.
Check your answers when you listen a second time.
Climate Chaf/qe8
British Isles: large part of I ---'[T] now classified as
semi-arid.
(jlobal warmli1q
Rise in temperature of 0.5 degrees Cover
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~ 2 SEVEREWEATHER
b A very common use is when the agent is not known Complete the following sentences, using verbs from the
or is not important. All but one of the sentences in list below in get + past participle constructions.
Exercise I are examples of that use. Which one is the
beat up chase sweep fine pay catch
exception!
steal
(There is a fuller list of uses of the passive in the
Just my luck! I in the rain and arrived for the
Grammar File on page 146.)
interview dripping wet!
2 If you leave that briefcase on the seat, you're asking for
3 Because the passive is more impersonal, it is it .
normally used in more formal contexts. Convert these 3 We $100 on the spot for speeding.
spoken statements into a more formal written form, 4 I wonder how much he's for appearing in that TV
using the passive. advertisement
Example: S The eat's been a nervous wreck since it by next
While the meeting was going on, some rotten person door's dog.
stole my overcoat from the cloakroornl 6 He thought if he tried to stop the fight he might .
During the meeting, my overcoat was stolen from the himself
cloakroom. 7 It was blowing such a gale that my hat into the sea.
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SEVEREWEATHER 2
You will hear a doctor talking about how the weather affects us. As you listen,
fill in the missing information for questions 1-8. You will need to write
between one and three words for each answer.
In the examination, the recording will be played once only. However, the
important information is repeated using different words, so you have a better
chance of catching it. For practice, see if you can answer all the questions
during the first hearing, but listen again if you need to check your answers.
Low pressure
[!] Slow reflexes '[2]
I I
Warm winds
A
1 a relationship sunny
2 a look biting
3 a smile breezy
4 a manner stormy
5 a remark frosty
31
~ 2 SEVEREWEATHER
B
1 a storm of . tears
2 to shower (someone) with . gifts
3 a hail of . laughter
4 gales of . protest
S to be in floods of . bullets