Thursday 7 May 2020

Weather and climate CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED
UNIT 29
Weather and climate

A
Weather conversations
Here are some less common but nonetheless useful words about weather, so that you can have typical weather conversations where you agree with someone by using a near-synonym. In these examples, B replies using more informal language.
A: Bit cold today, isn’t it?
B: Yes, it’s chilly/freezing/nippy, isn’t it?
A: It’s hot, isn’t it?
B: Yes, it’s boiling/sweltering/roasting!
A: It’s a bit windy today!
B: Yes, really blowy/breezy, isn’t it?
A: What oppressive/sultry weather!
B: Yes, isn’t it stifling/heavy/close?
A: What a downpour/deluge!
B: Yes, it’s chucking it down / it’s pouring!
A: Isn’t it humid today?
B: Yes, horrible muggy/clammy/sticky weather!
B
Climate and metaphors
Climate metaphors are often used, particularly in written English.
The word climate can refer to the general atmosphere or situation in society.
His secrecy and dishonesty created a climate of distrust.
The government reforms have contributed to a climate of change.
The words cultural, current, economic, financial, moral, political, social and prevailing all collocate strongly with climate in this social sense.
She has a very sunny disposition – she’s hardly ever miserable.
Though they won the championship last year, the outlook for the team is less sunny this year.
Unfortunately, our plans met with a frosty reception.
I’m snowed under with work – I’ll never get through it all in time.
After the company accounts were examined, the manager left under a cloud.
Don’t let your love for him cloud your judgement.
The soldiers were hit with a hail of bullets.
The Prime Minister was greeted with a hail/storm of abuse.
I’ve only a hazy memory of my first day at school.
The truth is hidden in the mists of history.
The article sparked a whirlwind of speculation.
They had a whirlwind romance and got married just a month after they met.
The horses thundered down the racetrack.
Thunderous applause followed his speech.
(Note that thundery is used to describe stormy weather while thunderous describes a loud, deep noise.)
The winds of change/discontent/democracy are blowing across the country.
  EXERCISES
29.1
Respond to these statements about the weather. Agree using slightly more formal language like that of speaker A in the conversations on the opposite page.
1 It’s a bit nippy outside, isn’t it?
2 What a sweltering day!
3 Isn’t it muggy here?
4 It’s blowy, isn’t it?
5 Close today, isn’t it?
6 It’s chucking it down!
7 It’s clammy today, isn’t it?
8 What a sticky day!
29.2
What are the metaphorical meanings of these words from B opposite?
1 sunny – pleasant and positive
2 frosty
3 to cloud
4 snowed under
5 whirlwind
6 hail
7 climate
8 hazy
9 to thunder
29.3
Find collocations for these words. You will find some on the opposite page, but use a dictionary to find more if necessary.
1
climate



2
prevailing



3
to cloud



4
the winds of



5
a frosty


6
a hail of



29.4
Read the text below and find words in it which mean the following.
1 average
2 dry
3 height above sea level
4 distance from the equator
5 rain and snow
6 rays from the sun
7 make less extreme
8 situated very far from the sea
9 differing weather conditions at different times of the year

Schemes for dividing the Earth
into climatic regions are based on
a combination of indices of mean
annual temperature, mean monthly
temperature, annual precipitation
totals and seasonality. The climate
of a place is affected by several
factors. Latitude affects the amount
of solar radiation received, with
the greatest in equatorial regions
and the least in polar regions.
Elevation affects both temperature
and precipitation; mountainous
areas are generally cooler and
wetter. Location close to the sea or
to large bodies of water moderates
temperature; continental areas
are generally more arid and
more affected by extremes of
temperature.
29.5
Over to you
• What words can you use to describe the climate in your country?
• How would you describe the economic climate?

ANSWER KEY

29.1
Possible answers:
1 Yes, extremely chilly / cold.
2 Mm. Isn’t it hot!
3 Yes, terribly humid.
4 Very windy!
5 Yes, it’s very oppressive / sultry.
6 Yes, what a deluge / downpour!
7 Yes, it’s very humid.
8 Yes, isn’t it oppressive / sultry!
29.2
Suggested answers:
2 unfriendly, unwelcoming
3 to confuse
4 having too much of something
5 rapid, moving quickly
6 lots of hard, unpleasant things that one can’t stop or escape from
7 general atmosphere or situation
8 unclear
9 to move, making a loud, deep noise
29.3
Possible answers:
1 moral, social, economic, current, mild, harsh climate
2 prevailing winds, view, climate, opinion, mood
3 to cloud the issue, the horizon, someone’s judgement, someone’s thinking, someone’s vision
4 the winds of change, democracy, discontent
5 a frosty reception, look, glance, response
6 a hail of bullets, gunfire, abuse, missiles, insults
29.4
1 mean            6 solar radiation
2 arid              7 moderates
3 elevation     8 continental
4 latitude        9 seasonality
5 precipitation

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