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B: I’ll just have coffee and a glass of iced water. A: Italian food needs red wine, you know. B: But we have to go back to work. A: OK, a Coke for me then.

B: Here comes the waitress. Let me order first.

Unit 3 Weather

Part A

Listening Strategy

Listening for Important Details

Besides understanding the main idea of a listening text, we often find it necessary to grasp the important details as well. What counts as important details depends on the kind of information we want. Generally speaking, if we are listening to the narration of an event, we need to sharpen our ears not only for what happened, but also when and where, how and why it happened. In listening to a weather report, on the other hand, the important details we should watch out for are the current weather conditions, temperature, and weather outlook.

You’re going to hear two short passages about weather. While listening, pay attention to such details as the weather conditions, temperature, weather outlook, damage caused by bad weather and so on, and write them down in note form. Then complete the exercises in your book.

1. a. General weather conditions for today: Fine and pleasant. b. Temperature: High: 18 °C (64 °F) c. Weather outlook:

Mostly cloudy with heavy showers moving in from the west. 2. a. When did the storm start and how long did it last? It started around 8 p.m. and lasted for about three hours. b. How damaging was the storm?

It caused four deaths and serious damage including a widespread power failure. Script:

1. The weather today: a fine day is in store nearly everywhere, with the best of the sunshine in southern and central areas of Britain. A pleasant day, then, with long sunny periods developing. There will be light winds with a maximum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

Look at the outlook for the next few days: it will become mostly cloudy with heavy showers moving in from the west.

2. A storm in Changchun, capital of Northeast China’s Jilin Province, claimed four lives on Sunday. The storm lasted about three hours from around 8 p.m. The winds reached speeds of over a hundred miles an hour, causing serious damage and a widespread power failure. Part B

Pre-listening Task

Questions for Discussion

You are going to talk about weather and weather forecasts. Read the following questions and discuss them with your partner. 1. What’s the weather like now?

2. What’s the weather forecast for today? 3. How do you get weather information?

4. What kind of climate do you like or dislike? 5. Which season do you like best? Why? Demo:

4. What kind of climate do you like or dislike?

I like the climate of Shenyang City in the northern part of China. In spring it’s neither too hot nor too cold, with the temperature between 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. The summer there is cool and pleasant. In the fall the leaves change

colors with the temperature around 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps the winter there is the best time, for the scenery is gorgeous. The snow is like powder covering the ground everywhere and that makes it an amazing place for skiing and snowboarding.

Additional Question for Discussion

Do you think it is possible or impossible to give accurate weather forecasts? Demo:

I think it is too much to ask for accurate weather forecasts at present. There are still quite a few things about the weather that we just don’t understand. We have to further develop meteorological (气象的) science and related technologies. There is a long way to go before we can hope to have very accurate weather forecasts.

Language Focus

Here are some sentences and structures that you might find useful in discussing the above questions. ? It’s fine / sunny / warm / rainy / cloudy / snowy / windy / freezing / foggy /

dry / chilly today.

? The air is close / oppressive.

? A storm is coming up / building up / in the making. ? It’s raining off and on / cats and dogs.

? The rain / snow has stopped / let up. ? It’s going to cloud over.

? It’s going to be a cold day with damaging northwesterly winds / hot and

humid day with a high of 36 degrees Centigrade. ? It seems to be clearing up.

? The weather forecast says it’s going to be clear and sunny / muggy and

humid / cold and wet.

? The high will be … and the low will be …

? The temperature will reach a high of ... in the afternoon / drop to a low of … at

night.

? I often tune in to the radio or TV / read newspapers /go online to check on

weather conditions.

? I like mild / warm / cool / dry climate.

? I dislike / cannot stand hot / humid / wet / very dry / bitterly cold climate. ? I like spring best. In spring the weather is mild and pleasant, and nature is at its

loveliest.

? Summer is my favorite season because I like swimming / enjoy watching the

glorious sunrise and sunset on a summer day.

? I like autumn very much because I love watching the change of color in leaves /

the weather is just right, neither cold nor hot / it is the season of harvest. ? Winter is the season of snow and ice. In snowy weather I can go skiing in the

mountains / like to play throwing snowballs with my friends.