ruslan07072

20.12.2022 19:15 •  Английский язык

Being able to forecast the weather isn't just to do with informing people about whether or not they can go to the beach or have a picnic. When there are going to be severe weather conditions, the ability to prepare for them can be a matter of life or death. In America, being able to see approaching hurricanes with satellite technology and warning citizens about them is something that saves lives. Hurricanes are very severe tropical storms which exist in several different parts of the world. They can be found in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico or in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In the western 15 Pacific they are called 'typhoons' and in the Indian Ocean they are called 'cyclones'. A hurricane needs certain weather conditions to start forming: warm tropical oceans with moisture and heat above them. If these 20 conditions last long enough, then a hurricane can start to form, producing violent winds, incredible waves, very heavy rain and floods.
Hurricanes spin in an anticlockwise direction and they have winds of at least 120 25 kilometres per hour. The centre of the hurricane is very calm and it is called the 'eye', but the most violent activity takes place in the area immediately around the eye which is called the 'eyewall'. In the Atlantic Ocean, there are 30 approximately six hurricanes every year and about two of these hit the coast of the USA.
When hurricanes move onto the land from the sea, the heavy rain, strong winds and huge waves can cause unbelievable damage to 35 buildings and trees, and cars can be picked up and thrown like matchboxes. The greatest danger, however, is in the rise in the sea level as it hits the land. This is called the 'storm surge' and can be catastrophic. In the year 1900 in the 40 south of the USA, the storm surge killed 6,000 people.
To measure how powerful an approaching hurricane is, meteorologists use something called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This 45 means that a hurricane coming towards the land is given a number from 1 to 5 depending on how fast its winds are. The calmest hurricane is given the number 1 on the scale. It is called 'minimal' and it has winds from 119-153 50 kilometres per hour. Some damage will be caused to trees and bushes and some road signs, but buildings are safe. A scale 5 hurricane is called 'catastrophic' and has winds of 249 kilometres per hour or more. This will destroy 55 roofs of homes and most buildings and cause severe damage to doors and windows, while all trees, bushes and road signs will be blown down.
As technology has developed and we can 60 now forecast the weather, it has meant that the advance warnings given have greatly reduced the number of deaths caused by hurricanes. However, the damage to property, which cannot be avoided, still costs billions of dollars to repair.

1.What does 'them' in line 3 refer to?
A hurricanes
B weather forecasts
C picnics
D severe weather conditions

2 Where do hurricanes take place?
A in various areas of the world
B in tropical areas
C only in the USA
D in cold countries

3 Which is the least active part of a hurricane?
A die eye wall
B the eye
C the storm surge
D the winds

4 At which point is the hurricane most dangerous?
A when it has an eye
B when it moves out to sea
C when it knocks down trees
D when it moves onto the land

5 What does the Saffir-Simpson Scale measure?
A which way a hurricane is moving
B how big the waves are
C how powerful a hurricane is
D the number of hurricanes expected

6 Being able to forecast hurricanes has
A reduced damage to property.
B saved governments money.
C reduced the number of people killed.
D helped protect trees and bushes.