Unit 7
Lesson 1
Student’s Book pages 56-57
Weather and climate
Before reading
Look at the picture
The key words
|
The word / phrase |
The meaning |
The part of speech |
|
polar |
relating to the North or South Pole or the areas around them |
Adjective |
|
tundra |
(part of) the very large area of land in North Asia, North America, and northern Europe where, because it is cold, trees do not grow and ground below the surface is permanently frozen |
Noun |
|
mountain |
a raised part of the earth's surface, much larger than a hill, the top of which might be covered in snow |
Noun |
|
temperate |
(of weather conditions) neither very hot nor very cold |
Adjective |
|
desert |
an area, often covered with sand or rocks, where there is very little rain and not many plants |
Noun |
|
monsoon |
a climate where the weather shifts between a wet season with very heavy rain and a very dry season |
Noun |
|
tropical |
from or relating to the area between the two tropics |
Adjective |
While reading
One world, many climates
Climates vary hugely in different parts of the world. They determine what an area is like, and they affect the people who inhabit the region as well as the plants and animals that live there. There are eight main types of climate:
1 Polar areas are very cold, with strong, dry winds. The temperature in summer is never higher than ten degrees centigrade, and ice and snow cover the ground.
2 Areas that have a tundra climate include Russia and North America. They are usually cold, with very short summers. There is very little rain. This means that not many trees can grow.
3 In mountain areas, the height of the mountains determines the climate.
4 Areas that have a cool temperate climate include Northern Europe and the USA. There is rain almost all year. The summers are usually warm, and the winters are not very cold.
5 Places that have a warm temperate climate, such as Southern Europe, southern parts of the USA and South America, have hot, dry summers. Winters are not usually cold.
6 Areas where there is less than twenty-five centimetres of rain each year have desert climates. North Africa and central Australia are examples. During the day it is very hot, but at night it becomes very cold.
7 In India and South-East Asia, there is a monsoon climate, so the weather changes suddenly. Months of heavy rain follow months of dry weather.
8 Places where there is a tropical climate are near the Equator. It is always hot and wet in these areas, and rainforests grow there.
The text talks about:
-Many types of climate on the planet.
- A climate affects the plants and animals from one area to another.
- The climate that causes danger to people the most.
After reading
Which climate does its weather change suddenly?
- A monsoon climate.