HURRICANES
Unit 5
LEARNING AIMS
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
• actively use key terminology connected with natural disasters in general and hurricanes in particular
• describe the nature, causes and effects of hurricanes
• understand what people can do to protect themselves from a hurricane
KEY WORDS
air pressure, counter-clockwise, deflect, disaster supplies kit, equator, eye or eyewall (of a hurricane), hurricane
hunters (season, warning), spin, storm surge, subside
LEAD-IN
A Which of these definitions of natural disasters (1-2) is false? What kind of event does it describe?
A natural disaster is:
1
an unpleasant event, especially in a vehicle, that
happens unexpectedly, and can cause serious injury or a
lot of damage.
2 an unexpected event that is caused by natural forces.
It often kills a lot of people and/or damages people’s
property.
B Which of the words (1-9) are natural disasters? Match them with their meaning (a-i). There are three extra
words with definitions of something else than natural disasters. What do they describe? What do they have in
common with natural disasters?
1 earthquake
2 volcano
3 heart attack
4
5
6
7
tornado
drought
brain damage
flooding
8 tsunami
9 cancer
a a very serious disease when certain body cells grow, spread
and kill normal cells in the body
b a long cloud formed by strong winds which move in a circle;
it is wider at the top than at the bottom
c a large opening at the top of a mountain through which lava,
ash and gases are forced into the air
d a sudden severe chest pain that often radiates to the left shoulder
e a large amount of water covering an area which is normally dry
f a sudden, violent shaking of the earth’s surface
g a permanent injury to one of the most important parts of the body
caused by illness or accident
h a long period of time when there is little or no rain
i an extremely large wave in the sea or ocean caused, for example,
by an earthquake
C Discuss these questions in groups.
1 Do you know anyone who was seriously affected by a natural disaster in the past? If yes, what happened to
his/her family? If not, what would you do if your family lost everything due to some natural disaster such
as, for example, flooding?
2 Have you ever seen a really devastating natural disaster on TV? What do you remember about it?
3 Can people do anything to prevent any of the natural disasters in ex. B? If yes, which ones? If not, why not?
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Unit 5
EX 1 (CD 5.1) READING AND VOCABULARY Read the first part of the article about hurricanes.
What is a hurricane? In pairs, briefly answer the question using your own words.
1 Basic facts
The word hurricane comes from West Indian word ‘hurricane‘ which
means ”big wind“. In fact, it is a violent storm with very strong winds
which can move at the speed of more than 250 km an hour. It lasts for
days or even weeks, can be 1,000 km wide, and is able to move huge
distances. Hurricanes develop only over really warm ocean water and
they rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around 1the ’eye’ which is
in the centre of the storm and is its calmest part. As the eye of a
hurricane passes over a region, the winds decrease to just 2a gentle
breeze and the rain stops. An area around the eye is called the eye wall
.When this area reaches the coast, high winds mixed with heavy rain
create huge waves called 3storm surges and flooding. Both of them are
very dangerous and a major reason why you must stay away from the
ocean during a hurricane warning. However, most hurricanes weaken
before they reach land or stay over the open ocean away from land. Hurricanes are also known as tropical storms in the
Atlantic Ocean, while in the Pacific Ocean people refer to them as typhoons and as cyclones in the Indian Ocean.
EX 2 Read and listen to the whole text and put the three remaining headings (2-4) in the right place.
1
2
3
4
Basic facts
Formation of hurricanes
Hurricane names and ‘hunters‘
Hurricane season
2 ____________________________
Hurricanes normally form during certain times of the year. The tropical storms that affect eastern North America, the
Caribbean region and Central America generally occur from June 1st to the 30th of November. However, most hurricanes in
this part of the world occur in August, September and October when the ocean water is the warmest there. In other parts of
the world, such as the Western Pacific, 4the hurricane season is all year round. In 2005, hurricane Katrina, the costliest and
one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States, formed on 23 August and devastated many cities along the Gulf of
Mexico. The city of New Orleans was almost completely destroyed because 80% of the city was still flooded many days after
Katrina 5subsided.
3 _____________________________
Hurricanes only form under certain 6conditions. First of all, the temperature of the water in the ocean must be 26.5 °C or
warmer. Also, the atmosphere (the air) must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Moreover, the wind must be blowing in
the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm
allowing the air below to rise. Finally, hurricanes will not form if it is less than 500 km north or south from 7the equator.
The Coriolis Force, which deflects moving objects to one side because of the Earth’s rotation, is needed to create 8the spin in
the hurricane, The spin becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.
4 ______________________________
Hurricanes are named by the World Meteorological Organization which prepares different lists of names for the different
parts of the world where hurricanes might occur in the next hurricane season. Hurricanes are now given men’s and women’s
names that alternate and go in alphabetical order. This makes it easier for scientists and the general public to communicate. It
is quicker and shorter to use a name than a code or number for each storm. Names with Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used
because it is difficult to find names that start with these letters. 9Hurricane hunters work for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These people use sophisticated computers and weather instruments, which they carry
on planes, to measure the temperature, 10air pressure, wind speed or direction inside a hurricane. Each of their missions lasts
about ten hours, during which the crew of the plane passes four to six times through the storm. When the mission ends,
NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane’s path which prevents loss of human lives and helps to reduce damage to buildings
and cars.
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Unit 5
EX 3 Look at the highlighted words and choose the right meaning, a or b.
1
a the least harmful part of hurricanes
b the most dangerous part of hurricanes
6
a things without which something will not happen
b results of something that has happened
2 a a violent storm with very strong winds
b a light and calm wind, often by the sea
7
a the height above sea level
b the circle around the Earth at the same distance from
the South and North Poles
3
a big waves caused by winds of tropical storms
b big waves caused by earthquakes
8
a a very fast turning movement
b a slow movement from side to side
4
a an enjoyable time of the year, e.g. Christmas
b the part of the year when hurricanes occur
9
a people who like flying planes, often for money
b people who look for hurricanes and measure them
5
a calmed down
b started
10 a the force of the air on the Earth
b the system that cools the air inside a building or car
EX 4 Which words or phrases do the other expressions in ex. 3 describe?
EX 5 SPEAKING Test your memory. Read the text again and in pairs do the quiz your teacher will give you.
Who can remember more things about hurricanes?
EX 6 LISTENING (CD 5.2) Now listen to a hurricane safety expert talking to a TV host. Circle the two main
things (1-2) they talk about.
1 The safest indoor activities / The most dangerous outdoor activities during a tropical storm.
2 What people should and shouldn’t do / should and shouldn’t buy before, during or after a hurricane.
EX 7 Listen again and mark the sentences T (true) or F (false). Correct the false ones.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Riding a bike along the coast while the storm is coming isn’t safe.
Being on the beach during the storm is one of the worst things you can do.
You shouldn’t forget about your pets before the storm.
Then you should prepare a terrible kid for a disaster.
Make sure you eat and drink more for at least three days before a hurricane strikes the area where you live.
During a hurricane, you should stay indoors all the time.
You should never evacuate during a storm.
After the hurricane is over, it might not be safe to do certain things.
EX 8 What do you think are the expert’s best three pieces of advice?
EX 9 DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT contains the things people take with them if they have to be evacuated because
of a hurricane. In pairs, do exercises 1-4 on p. 32. .
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Unit 5
EX 10 ROLE-PLAYING Imagine you are a geography teacher and your students ask you these questions about
hurricanes. In pairs, ask and answer the questions. Swap roles. Be prepared to role play the situation for
the class.
1
2
3
4
5
6
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How, where and when do hurricanes happen?
What is the main difference between a typhoon or cyclone and a hurricane?
Do you know anything interesting about hurricanes?
Why do hurricanes never hit the west or south-west coast of Europe?
Which things do people need if they have to weather the storm in a shelter?
What would you do if you were on an island before a big tropical storm and had no time to leave it?