TEACHER’S NOTES

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant

Key b
INTEGRATED SKILLS TEACHER’S NOTES

LEVEL: Intermediate + 1. in southern Europe; 2. three; 3. an earthquake; 4. because

AGE: Teenagers / Adults of snow; 5. tornadoes
TIME NEEDED: 90 minutes + project
WORKING WITH THE LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE FOCUS: Reported speech,
understand vocabulary in context, topic Focus 1: Understanding meaning
words relating to weather
Ask students what word you can use instead of
LEAD-IN Saturday and Sunday and elicit weekend. Put students
in pairs and ask them to help each other to find the
Put students in pairs and ask them to look at the words in the text for each of the expressions and
pictures and answer the questions. Elicit ideas from then discuss the question. Monitor and help where
students as a whole class discussion. necessary before checking as a class.

Key Key a
1. A: this picture shows the after effects of an earthquake; 1. four weeks; 2. 24 hours; 3. 12 months
2. B: forest fire (caused by drought); C: flood; D: hurricane;
E: snow Key b
because they sound longer and, therefore, more dramatic
READING 1: HEADLINES
Focus 2: Language use
Ask students to read the headlines and, in pairs,
discuss what they think happened in each of the Tell students to look at the example of reported
situations. Elicit ideas from students as a whole speech. Then tell them that information is from the
class discussion. Reading 2: News in brief exercise, but it doesn’t
appear how it did in the story (2). Ask them if they
can remember the exact words that were used in the
READING 2: NEWS IN BRIEF newspaper story without looking back.
Ask students to read through the stories and match Key
the headlines from the Reading 1: Headlines exercise, “My house started shaking. I was terrified,” said one
and the pictures from the Lead-in exercise, to the resident.
correct one. Explain that one of the pictures does not
accurately match the story and ask them to identify it. Discuss what happened when the sentence was
Tell them they don’t need to understand every word reported and try to elicit that my changed to his, and
(you could give them a short time limit, e.g. three that the past tense started and was changed to the past
minutes). Get students to check their answers in pairs perfect had started and had been.
before checking as a class.
Then, ask students to try and turn the four quotes
Key a from the newspaper stories into reported speech. Put
1. Country grinds to a halt: picture E students in pairs and get them to check their answers
2. Small tremor rocks Manchester: picture A (although this
together before checking as a class.
is not an accurate match as the headline describes a minor
earthquake)
3. Three blows in a month: picture D Key
4. Fires sweep across much of southern Europe: picture B 1. One stranded motorist said (that) it was the worst winter
5. Heavy rain causes havoc: picture C he had ever known.
2. One firefighter said (that) they were doing the best they
Next, ask students to read the five comprehension could.
questions and answer each one. Monitor and help 3. He said (that) things were really bad at the moment.
where necessary before checking as a class. 4. The authorities said people should stay at home unless
they really had to travel.

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate +
 TEACHER’S NOTES

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant

WORKING WITH VOCABULARY SPEAKING

INTEGRATED SKILLS TEACHER’S NOTES

Focus 1: Meaning Put students in small groups and ask them to discuss
the questions together.
Ask students to look back at the newspaper stories,
from Reading 2: News in brief, and find words that Afterwards, ask a few groups to report back on their
match the definitions. Encourage them to work in discussion. You might want to open this out to the
pairs and discuss their ideas as they look at whole class.
the stories.
PROJECT
Key
a. havoc; b stranded; c. damage; d terrified; e. pummel; Ask students to carry out the project for homework
f. unprecedented; g. raging; h. inevitable; i. freak; j. severe and follow it up in the next lesson.

Focus 2: Topic-related words

Ask students to work together to complete the

sentences. Tell them that all the words are in the
Reading 2: News in brief stories. Monitor and help
where necessary.

Key
1. storm; 2. drought(s); 3. floods (and possible landslides);
4. torrential

LISTENING

Tell students that they are going to listen to a short

radio news report. Play the report, then ask students
to read the third story from the Reading 2: News
in brief exercise again. Now, ask students to circle
any differences between the story and the radio
report. Put students in pairs and ask them to discuss
their answers together. Play the recording again, if
necessary, and check answers as a class.

Transcript:

Hurricane Henrietta, the eighth of the year, has

pummelled the coast of Cuba causing significant
damage to property. This is the first hurricane of the
year to hit Cuba, but residents are worried as last year
was the worst hurricane season in recent history and
more storms are expected over the coming weeks.

Key
Hurricane Henrietta / Georgina; eighth / seventh hurricane
of the year; Cuba / Florida; first / third hurricane to hit the
area; last year was / this year is the worst hurricane season;
they are expecting more storms / no mention of more storms

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate +
 WORKSHEET

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant
C.

LEAD-IN
INTEGRATED SKILLS WORKSHEET

Look at the pictures below and answer the

following questions:

1. Which picture does not show the effects of

extreme weather?
2. What type of extreme weather, or effect of extreme
weather, is being shown in the other four pictures?

Image: Getty

A. D.

Image: Macmillan Australia Image: Digital Vision

B. E.

Image: Getty Image: Digital Vision

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate + 1
 WORKSHEET

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant

READING 1: HEADLINES
INTEGRATED SKILLS WORKSHEET

Read the headlines.

a u s e s h a voc
in c
Heavy ra

SMALL TREM
OR ROCKS M
ANCHESTER

e
much of s outhern Europ
cross
Fires sweep a

THREE BLO
WS
IN A MONTH

o u n t r y grinds
C
to a halt

What do you think happened in each story?

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate + 2
 WORKSHEET

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant

READING 2: NEWS IN BRIEF

INTEGRATED SKILLS WORKSHEET

a. Read the newspaper stories below and match 4. Picture:

the headlines and pictures from the previous page
to the correct story. Wildfires have been are almost inevitable.
raging out of control “We’re doing the best
across much of we can,” said one
southern Europe. firefighter, “but things
Serious droughts and are so bad at the
searing heat has led to moment! We’re at our
1. Picture: conditions where fires limit.” Fortunately, rain
is predicted for the
More than 30 centimetres motorist. Airports were weekend.
of snow has fallen in just closed and emergency
24 hours causing havoc services were at full
to much of the south of stretch. “Stay at home,
England. “It’s the worst unless you really have to
winter I’ve ever known,” travel,” was the advice
said one stranded from the authorities. 5. Picture:

With torrential rain freak tornado and then

leading to landslides six months later an
and then flooding, earthquake that caused
many people in Brazil severe damage to
are suffering from the many buildings. “These
third natural disaster in people are desperate
2. Picture: the last twelve months. for aid. They’ve lost
Last year the same everything – not once,
Earthquakes and over the past few years, area experienced a but three times!”
tornadoes in the UK? but it did damage
You’re joking! No, buildings and several
north-west England minor injuries were
experienced an reported. “My house
earthquake of 2.0 last started shaking. I was
night. Certainly not as terrified,” said one
bad as those in China, resident. b. Read the newspaper stories again and answer
Japan and New Zealand these questions.

1. Where do people want rain?

2. How many hurricanes have hit Florida in the
last month?
3. What was the second disaster to hit one part
of Brazil?
3. Picture: 4. Why were airports in the UK closed?
5. What extreme weather is very unusual in the UK?
Hurricane Georgina, four weeks and residents
the seventh of the year, are worried that this year
pummelled the coast of will be the worst in recent
Florida causing significant history. “It’s unprecedented
damage to property. It’s for us to have this number
the third major hurricane of category seven storms
to hit the coast in the last this early in the year,” said
one expert.

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate + 3
 WORKSHEET

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant

WORKING WITH THE LANGUAGE WORKING WITH VOCABULARY

INTEGRATED SKILLS WORKSHEET

Focus 1: Understanding meaning Focus 1: Meaning

a. Find words in the newspaper stories Find words in the newspaper stories, from
which mean: Reading 2: News in brief, to match with
these definitions.
1. a month
2. a day a. a situation in which something cannot continue in
3. a year its normal way because of problems
b. left somewhere with no way of going anywhere else
b. Why do you think these words are used, rather c. physical harm caused to something so that it is
than a day, a month, etc? broken or spoiled
d. extremely frightened
Focus 2: Language use e. to cause a lot of damage to a place by hitting it
many times
Newspapers often use reported speech to cover f. the greatest in size, amount, degree, etc. that has
stories. Look at this example: ever been known
g. happening with a lot of force or violence
h. impossible to avoid or prevent
One resident said his house had i. extremely unusual and unexpected
started shaking and that he had j. very serious and worrying
been terrified.
Focus 2: Topic-related words

Use words from the newspaper stories to

Here are some quotes from the newspaper stories. complete these sentences.
Write the sentences as reported speech.
1. Hurricanes and tornadoes are both types of
1. “It’s the worst winter I’ve ever known,” said one
stranded motorist.
One stranded motorist said 2. When there isn’t enough rain places suffer from

3. When there is too much rain places often suffer

2. “We’re doing the best we can,” said one firefighter. from
One firefighter said

4. Rain is often described as light, heavy or

3. “Things are really bad at the moment!”

He said

4. “Stay at home, unless you really have to travel,”

was the advice from the authorities.
The authorities said people should

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate + 4
 WORKSHEET

Topics: Weather
by Adrian Tennant

LISTENING
INTEGRATED SKILLS WORKSHEET

Listen to the radio news report and read the third

newspaper story from the Reading 2: News in brief
exercise, then answer the questions below.

1. How many differences between the newspaper

story and radio report did you hear?
2. What were they?

SPEAKING

Discuss these questions in small groups.

1. Have you ever experienced extreme weather?

2. What was it? What happened?
3. What types of extreme weather are most common
in your country?
4. Has the weather changed in the last few years in
your country?
5. What can people do to protect themselves against
the consequences of extreme weather?

PROJECT

Find as many stories as you can about extreme

weather in the news. What types of weather
are described?

© Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011

INTEGRATED SKILLS / Topics / Weather / Intermediate + 5