Hurricane Dennis has strengthened and been upgraded to a category 4 hurricane. Terrifyingly strong winds gust at up to 250 kph near the eye of the storm. It is moving very close to America’s southern coastline and is expected to hit land Sunday evening, local time. People are worried that Dennis will strike the same areas that are still trying to recover from Hurricane Ivan. Dennis is following a very similar path to the deadly Ivan, which killed at least 90 people last year and caused $7 billion of damage.

Dennis is the earliest category 4 hurricane to develop in the Caribbean. It has already cost 20 lives when it crossed Haiti and Cuba. Weather forecasters said Dennis is the most ferocious storm to hit the region in over 150 years. Florida Governor Jeb Bush said: “It is a storm that is huge.…the devastation that could take place is something we have already seen.” Over 1.4 million people have already left their homes and gone inland. They are now hoping Dennis does not destroy their communities and their livelihoods.

WARM-UPS

1. MOTHER NATURE: In pairs / groups, talk to each other about the power of nature. What are your experiences of the powerful forces of nature? Have you ever experienced hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, earthquakes, floods or any other natural phenomena? What do you do when such disasters strike?

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words are most interesting and which are most boring.

Hurricanes / strong winds / natural disasters / disaster preparedness / devastation / Caribbean / Haiti / Cuba / weather forecasters / Florida / livelihoods

Have a chat about the topics you liked. For more conversation, change topics and partners frequently.

3. STORM: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word “storm”. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

4. NATURAL DISASTERS: In pairs / groups, talk about each of these natural disasters.

Hurricanes / Typhoons / Cyclones Earthquakes Avalanches Floods

Tsunamis / Tidal waves Volcanoes Drought Bush fires / Wild fires

5. HURRICANE OPINIONS: Students A agree with these opinions; students B disagree with them. Try to persuade each other of these opinions.

1. The best thing to do when a hurricane comes is to stay at home.
2. You should buy lots of water, batteries for your radio and tins of tuna fish.
3. It’s great to go for a walk during a big storm and experience the power of nature.
4. When you hear a big storm is coming, you should buy more insurance.
5. The safest thing is to board up the windows, take all of your valuables and leave town for 24 hours.
6. If you live in an area that is hit by hurricanes, you should sell your house and move inland.
7. I think it’s too dangerous to live near the sea or the ocean.
8. I can’t leave my house because I’m worried about looters.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	An amazingly large hurricane will soon hit America.	T / F
b.	Winds near the eye of the storm are gusting at 2,500 kph.	T / F
c.	The hurricane is following the same path as an earlier, deadly storm.	T / F
d.	Hurricane Ivan caused $7 million of damage last year.	T / F
e.	Dennis developed in the Atlantic Ocean, near Iceland.	T / F
f.	It is the most ferocious storm in 150 years to hit the area.	T / F
g.	Over 1.4 million people have evacuated their homes.	T / F
h.	People are hoping Dennis will not destroy their businesses.	T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

a.	upgraded	area
b.	gust	hit
c.	eye	blow
d.	strike	vicious
e.	path	destruction
f.	develop	raised
g.	ferocious	businesses
h.	region	course
i.	devastation	start
j.	livelihoods	center

3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):

a.	upgraded to a	and gone inland
b.	strong winds	land Sunday evening
c.	the eye of the	20 lives
d.	expected to hit	similar path
e.	following a very	category 4 hurricane
f.	It has already cost	region
g.	the most	gust at up to 250 kph
h.	hit the	their livelihoods
i.	left their homes	ferocious storm
j.	destroy their communities and	storm

WHILE READING / LISTENING

ODD WORD OUT: Strike though the incorrect word in the sets of three words in italics.

Hurricane Dennis menaces U.S. coast

Hurricane Dennis has strengthened / intensified / powered and been upgraded to a category 4 hurricane. Terrifyingly strong winds whisper / gust / blow at up to 250 kph near the center / foot / eye of the storm. It is moving very close to America’s southern coastline and is expected to hit / strike / punch land Sunday evening, local time. People are worried that Dennis will strike the same areas that are still trying to recover from Hurricane Ivan. Dennis is following a very similar path / road / course to the deadly Ivan, which killed at least 90 people last year and caused $7 billion of damage.

Dennis is the earliest category 4 hurricane to develop in the Caribbean. It has already cost / taken / used 20 lives when it crossed Haiti and Cuba. Weather forecasters said Dennis is the most vicious / ferocious / precious storm to hit the region in over 150 years. Florida Governor Jeb Bush said: “It is a storm that is massive / tiny / huge.…the devastation / destruction / destiny that could take place is something we have already seen.” Over 1.4 million people have already left / evacuated / ended their homes and gone inland. They are now hoping Dennis does not destroy their communities and their livelihoods.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words ‘strong’ and ‘wind’.

• Share your findings with your partners.
• Make questions using the words you found.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

• Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
• Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. ODD WORD OUT: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. STUDENT STORM SURVEY: In pairs / groups, write down questions about hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, storms, etc.

• Ask other classmates your questions and note down their answers.
• Go back to your original partner / group and compare your findings.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

6. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:

strengthened strong expected strike recover path

earliest cost crossed devastation inland livelihoods

DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1. What were your first thoughts about this headline?
2. Did the headline make you want to read the article?
3. What adjective would you use to describe this article?
4. What do you know about hurricanes?
5. What’s the difference between a hurricane, typhoon and cyclone?
6. Do you think global warming has changed the power and pattern of hurricanes, typhoons etc?
7. What’s the best thing to do when a hurricane is coming?
8. What are the strongest winds you have ever felt?
9. Do you think a huge hurricane is the scariest natural phenomenon?
10. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1. Did you like reading this article?
2. What did you think about what you read?
3. What would you do if a giant hurricane was on its way here?
4. Why do you think people choose to live in hurricane areas?
5. Do you live in a part of the world affected by natural disasters?
6. What would you do if your house was blown down in a hurricane?
7. Would/Do you pray to God to protect you during a natural disaster?
8. If you evacuated your home, would you worry about looters?
9. Is your community the type that would help each other in a natural disaster?
10. Did you like this discussion?

AFTER DISCUSSION: Join another partner / group and tell them what you talked about.

1. What question would you like to ask about this topic?
2. What was the most interesting thing you heard?
3. Was there a question you didn’t like?
4. Was there something you totally disagreed with?
5. What did you like talking about?
6. Do you want to know how anyone else answered the questions?
7. Which was the most difficult question?

SPEAKING

HURRICANE:

In pairs / groups, create a disaster plan. Agree on what to do in the event of a huge (the most powerful ever) hurricane approaching your village / town / city.

	Most important thing	Second most important thing	Least important thing
One week before
Two days before
The day before
The day of the hurricane
The day after the hurricane

After you have finished, change partners and tell each other about your ideas. Give each other advice on how to make your plans / ideas better.

Return to your original partner and use the advice you got to make your plans better.

LISTENING

Listen and fill in the spaces.

Hurricane Dennis menaces U.S. coast

Hurricane Dennis has ___________ and been upgraded to a category 4 hurricane. Terrifyingly strong winds _____ ___ up to 250 kph near the eye of the storm. It is moving very close to America’s southern _________ and is expected to ___ ____ Sunday evening, local time. People are worried that Dennis will _______ the same areas that are still trying to recover from Hurricane Ivan. Dennis is following a very _______ ____ to the deadly Ivan, which killed at least 90 people last year and ________ $7 billion of damage.

Dennis is the earliest _________ 4 hurricane to develop in the Caribbean. It has already _____ 20 lives when it ________ Haiti and Cuba. Weather forecasters said Dennis is the most ferocious storm __ ____ the region in over 150 years. Florida Governor Jeb Bush said: “It is a storm that is _____.…the devastation that could take place is something we have already seen.” Over 1.4 million people have _________ _____ their homes and gone inland. They are now hoping Dennis does not destroy their communities and their _____________.

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information on Hurricane Dennis. Share your findings with your class in the next lesson.

3. STORMS: Create a fact sheet about storms and the differences between hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones. Show and explain your fact sheets to your classmates in your next lesson.

4. DIARY / JOURNAL ENTRY: Imagine you experienced a giant hurricane. Write a diary / journal entry explaining your 5-hour experience as the eye of the storm passed over your house. Read what you wrote to your classmates in your next lesson. Did you all write about similar things?

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE:

a. T

b. F

c. T

d. F

e. F

f. T

g. T

h. T

SYNONYM MATCH:

a.	upgraded	raised
b.	gust	blow
c.	eye	center
d.	strike	hit
e.	path	course
f.	develop	start
g.	ferocious	vicious
h.	region	area
i.	devastation	destruction
j.	livelihoods	businesses

PHRASE MATCH:

a.	upgraded to a	category 4 hurricane
b.	strong winds	gust at up to 250 kph
c.	the eye of the	storm
d.	expected to hit	land Sunday evening
e.	following a very	similar path
f.	It has already cost	20 lives
g.	the most	ferocious storm
h.	hit the	region
i.	left their homes	and gone inland
j.	destroy their communities and	their livelihoods

ODD WORD OUT:

Hurricane Dennis menaces U.S. coast

Hurricane Dennis has strengthened / intensified / powered and been upgraded to a category 4 hurricane. Terrifyingly strong winds whisper / gust / blow at up to 250 kph near the center / foot / eye of the storm. It is moving very close to America’s southern coastline and is expected to hit / strike / punch land Sunday evening, local time. People are worried that Dennis will strike the same areas that are still trying to recover from Hurricane Ivan. Dennis is following a very similar path / road / course to the deadly Ivan, which killed at least 90 people last year and caused $7 billion of damage.

Dennis is the earliest category 4 hurricane to develop in the Caribbean. It has already cost / taken / used 20 lives when it crossed Haiti and Cuba. Weather forecasters said Dennis is the most vicious / ferocious / precious storm to hit the region in over 150 years. Florida Governor Jeb Bush said: “It is a storm that is massive / tiny / huge.…the devastation / destruction / destiny that could take place is something we have already seen.” Over 1.4 million people have already left / evacuated / ended their homes and gone inland. They are now hoping Dennis does not destroy their communities and their livelihoods.

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