Unit 14 It was a real scorcher!
Vocabulary Task
Answers
Spring Summer Fall Winter
breezy thunder chilly freezing
showers lightning rainy overcast
damp scorching flurries
humid blizzard
muggy
Script
In spring, the city of Washington is breezy and there are frequent showers. The ground is very damp, so flowers begin sprouting. When summer comes, there may be storms with thunder and lightning, or it can be scorching hot. Late summer gets humid, and people try to avoid the muggy heat in the city by going to the countryside or the beach. In the fall, we enjoy the crisp cool days of October before it gets chilly and rainy in November. Winter brings freezing rain, low temperatures and overcast skies. School children hope that light flurries of snow will change into a blizzard so their school will be closed for a few days.
Listening Task
1 First Listening
Answers
1. Auckland, NZ: scorching, hot
2. San Diego, California: chilly
3. San Jose, Costa Rica: damp, warm, daily showers
4. Edmonton, Alberta: snowy, cold
2 Second Listening
Answers
1. go to the beach 3. go hiking
2. watch the yacht race 4. go skiing
Script
1. This is the Auckland weather report for the first day of the year; it’s scorching and hot and not a cloud in the sky. So grab your swimsuit and your sunscreen and head for the beach!
2. Here in San Diego, California, today the weather is crisp and chilly. We’re all hoping that the sun will come out so we can stay warm. Bring a sweater and come watch the yacht race on the bay.
3. Good morning from San Jose, Costa Rica! We’re having the same weather as always, damp and warm with daily showers. Perfect for hiking in the national park when the rain lets up.
4. Hello from the arctic north. Here in Edmonton, Alberta, it’s snowy and COLD! The temperature dipped WAY below freezing last night, and we’ve got a fresh layer of snow. Yahoo! I’m going to enjoy some of that powder snow skiing! See you on the slopes!
Real World Listening
1 Predict
Answer
Swimming, snowmen
2 Get the main ideas
Answers
Winter – it snowed a lot; they made snowmen
Spring – great time for hiking; it was a little muddy
Summer – everything blooms; it’s sunny and warm
Autumn –leaves turned to gold; it’s her favorite season
Script
Alex: Grandma, what are these pictures?
G: These are pictures of Alaska.
Alex: That’s where you grew up, right?
G: That’s right, dear…I lived there until I was 19 years old.
Alex: Is that you in this picture?
G: Yes, that’s me…and my sister, Ruth…and our dog, Kusko. That was out behind our house.
Alex: Wow. It looks cold!
G: Yes, that was in the winter…and it was cold… it snowed a lot! And boy, Kusko just loved the snow. Ruth and I and Kusko used to play in the snow for hours.
Alex: Did you make snowmen?
G: Oh, we made some great snowmen…
Alex: Is that you in this picture, too?
G: Yes, that’s me and Ruth again…I guess we were both in high school then…
Alex: Where are you?
G: We were hiking near Seward…we hiked a lot in those days.
Alex: But where’s the snow?
G: Well, it doesn’t snow ALL the time in Alaska, you know. That was in the springtime…Spring was a great time for hiking…it was a little muddy, though…
Alex: Oh…
G: Look, here’s a picture of Ruth now, outside her house.
Alex: That’s Aunt Ruth’s house, in Alaska? I thought everybody lived in igloos!
G: (laughing) Oh, no. Most people live in regular houses! …Aren’t those flowers lovely?
Alex: You mean, flowers grow there too?
G: Of course. In the summer, everything just blooms… it’s sunny and the weather is warm…
Alex: Warm? You mean, it was warm enough to go swimming
G: Oh, we all went swimming in July and August…the water was cold…but swimming was so much fun…
Alex: Was summer your favorite season?
G: You know, I love all the seasons, but I think my favorite season was autumn. The leaves in the mountains turning to gold…I always loved that sign of the changing seasons… Look, here’s a picture of the mountains near our house in the fall…
Alex: Wow, Grandma, I’d like to go to Alaska sometime.
G: Well, Alex, I’ve got an idea. Let’s go to Alaska together sometime.
Alex: Yeah, Grandma, that’d be great. |