The Reading / Listening - Hurricanes - Level 1

Scientists say we need a new category for hurricanes because climate change is causing more powerful storms. The scientists want to add a category 6 to the current 1 to 5 scale used to measure hurricanes. A category 5 measures winds of up to 252 kph. The scientists say a new category of 6 measures winds of over 309 kph. They say that in the past 10 years, there have been five hurricanes and typhoons that would be a category 6.

A scientist said he wants more discussions, "about how to better communicate risk in a warming world". He said greenhouse gasses are increasing temperatures and heating oceans. This gives the water extra energy, which makes hurricanes more powerful. Wind speeds are much higher. The scientist thinks there will be more "super-storms" in the future. He said: "These storms keep getting stronger as the climate changes."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Hurricanes - Level 0 Hurricanes - Level 2   or  Hurricanes - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/05/hurricanes-becoming-so-strong-that-new-category-needed-study-says
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/05/category-6-hurricane-study-cites-climate-change/72426410007/
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2415741-hurricanes-are-becoming-so-strong-we-may-need-a-new-scale-to-rate-them/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. we need a new category
  2. climate change is causing more
  3. scientists want to add a
  4. the current 1
  5. A category 5 measures winds of
  6. winds of over
  7. in the past
  8. there have been five hurricanes
  1. up to 252 kph
  2. and typhoons
  3. powerful storms
  4. 10 years
  5. for hurricanes
  6. to 5 scale
  7. category 6
  8. 309 kph

Paragraph 2

  1. A scientist said he wants more
  2. how to better
  3. risk in a warming
  4. greenhouse
  5. increasing
  6. This gives the water extra
  7. Wind speeds are much
  8. storms keep getting stronger as
  1. energy
  2. gasses
  3. communicate
  4. temperatures
  5. higher
  6. discussions
  7. the climate changes
  8. world

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists say we (1) ___________________ category for hurricanes because climate (2) ___________________ more powerful storms. The scientists want (3) ___________________ category 6 to the current 1 to 5 scale used to measure hurricanes. A category 5 measures (4) ___________________ to 252 kph. The scientists (5) ___________________ category of 6 measures winds of over 309 kph. They say that (6) ___________________ 10 years, there have been five hurricanes and typhoons that would be a category 6.

A scientist (7) ___________________ more discussions, "about how to better communicate (8) ___________________ warming world". He said greenhouse gasses are increasing temperatures (9) ___________________. This gives the water extra energy, which makes hurricanes more powerful. Wind (10) ___________________ higher. The scientist thinks there will be more "super-storms" (11) ___________________. He said: "These storms keep getting (12) ___________________ climate changes."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistssayweneedanewcategoryforhurricanesbecauseclimatech
angeiscausingmorepowerfulstorms.Thescientistswanttoaddacateg
ory6tothecurrent1to5scaleusedtomeasurehurricanes.Acategory5m
easureswindsofupto252kph.Thescientistssayanewcategoryof6mea
sureswindsofover309kph.Theysaythatinthepast10years,therehave
beenfivehurricanesandtyphoonsthatwouldbeacategory6.Ascientist
saidhewantsmorediscussions,"abouthowtobettercommunicateriski
nawarmingworld".Hesaidgreenhousegassesareincreasingtemperat
uresandheatingoceans.Thisgivesthewaterextraenergy,whichmakes
hurricanesmorepowerful.Windspeedsaremuchhigher.Thescientistt
hinkstherewillbemore"super-storms"inthefuture.Hesaid:"Thesest
ormskeepgettingstrongerastheclimatechanges."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You