~ 2 SEVERE WEATHER

Text I
SKIMMING 1 The newspaper article opposite comes from the London Evening Standard.
Read through the main article quickly to find out what the chief effects of the
severe weather were. When you've finished reading, work with a partner and
see how much you can recall.

SCANNING 2 Now scan the article to find answers to these questions as quickly as possible.
Look for names and numbers.
1 BR is mentioned in the headline. What does it stand for?
2 How many rail travellers were unable to travel?
3 Four counties outside London were affected by the weather. Which ones?
4 How many buses were running north of the river Thames?
5 Which two Underground lines had near normal service?
6 Which railway station was completely closed?

READING FOR DETAIL 3 Read the short reports in the 'In brief' section to find answers to the following
questions.
1 Where did rescuers have to be rescued?
2 Where were winter sports events cancelled, and why?
3 Where did winter conditions give someone's game away?
4 Where was the temperature especially newsworthy?
5 Where was there a warm welcome for the elderly?
6 Where was warm water a life-saver, and why?
7 Where was hot water potentially dangerous, and why?
8 Who or what might have benefited from some frozen water?
9 Who found two legs better than four wheels?

GUESSING UNKNOWN 4 Find words or phrases in the two reports which mean the same as:
VOCABULARY
Main article
First paragraph 1 people who travel to and from work regularly (n)
Left-hand column 2 urgent request (n)
3 alarming (adj)
4 piles of snow blown up by the wind
5 a very slow speed (n)
Right-hand column 6 surrender/giving up a fight (n)
7 unable to get away (adj)
8 have no false beliefs (phrase)

In brief 9 in a desperate situation (adj)

10 keep away/deter (phrasal verb)
11 hiding place (n)

STYLE 5 a Look at these extracts from the text. Notice the words in italics. What are
these words usually associated with? Why have the writers used them?
The weather has beaten us.
The chilling admission of defeat ...
... the greatest threat so far to commerce and industry
24

b The writers deliberately use a number of other words and expressions for
Reproduced by permission of the Evening
Standard Company Ltd.
In brief section Times Newspapers
c How appropriate is this language to the topic? How serious do you think
limited and the Evening Standard
Company Ltd.
Forget it, says BR, the weather has beaten us
And don't try by car, it's a nightmare
TODAY IS
CANCELLED!
by Colin Adamson and Patrick
McGowan
BLINDING BLIZZARDS
brought London to a virtual
standstill today and British
Rail told 700,000 commuters:
'Forget it. There's no way we
can get you to work.'
As Arctic conditions spread eastwards from
snowbound Essex and Kent into Sussex and
Surrey, rail chiefs extended their 'stay at home'
plea to the whole of the Southern and Eastern
regions.
The chilling admission of defeat was the
greatest threat so far to commerce and industry
in the capital. Weather men warned there could
be worse to come.
The nightmare was no better on the roads.
Millions of commuters forced to take to their
cars faced the worst conditions since the big
freeze began.
Heavy overnight snowfalls, driven into huge
drifts by fierce winds, brought chaos to every
major route into London and reduced traffic to
a crawl.
Even in the heart of London, where snow
rarely settles, the heavy falls gave roads the
dramatic effect. Add some more examples to these lists:
Nouns: nightmare, chaos, .
Adjectives: chilling admission, blinding blizzards,
the writers are?
appearance of isolated country lanes.
South of the Thames, only one bus in ten was
running on some routes. Others had no more
than a one-in-five service.
North of the river, only half the usual number
of buses were running. They were caught up in
huge traffic jams in many areas.
The Jubilee and Victoria Underground lines
were the only ones with anything like a normal
service. All the others ran into trouble as soon as
lines came up onto the surface.
The rail capitulation reached its lowest point
at 6 am with the total closure of Waterloo
Station, caused by major drifts.
As thousands of freezing commuters were left
stranded on empty platforms and trapped in
dozens of London-bound trains, British Rail
said: 'That's it. We can no longer guarantee any
sort of service. The weather has beaten us.'
Only a tiny number of trains were still
attempting to move across the Eastern and
Southern Regions.
An Eastern Region spokesman said: 'If
people have any sense at all they will stay
indoors and forget trying to make it to work.
Those who do make the effort should be
under no illusions that they will get there. Even
if by some miracle they do, it will be a rotten
journey. The service everywhere is awful.'
SEVERE WEATHER 2
.
IN BRIEF
MOTORISTS stranded in snow
and traffic yesterday were
overtaken by a man on a pair of
skis on the Al2 in Essex.
HOVE's swimming pool complex,
which is kept at a steamy 80 degrees
F, is to open its doors free to
pensioners today so they can keep
warm.
A FIRE crew was called in to help
dig out five ambulances snowed in
at Chelmsford Ambulance Station
in Essex overnight.
A POLICEMAN who went to pull a
stricken schoolboy from a frozen lake
in Dagenham had to be rescued
himself ... when he fell in.
In LINCOLNSHIRE, an outdoor
skating championship at Baston
Fen, near Spalding, was cancelled
because there was too much snow
on the ice.
At LONDON ZOO, lion keepers kept
the animals indoors to prevent them
escaping when the moats surrounding
their enclosures froze. Elephants were
given warm baths to stave. off
hypothermia.
In BLYTH, Northumberland, the
snow trapped burglars who had
raided a supermarket. Their
footprints led police to their
hideout.
In SWITZERLAND, the village of La
Brevine recorded a record low
temperature for the country of
-41.8C. The village lies on an
exposed plain known as the Siberia of
Switzerland, more than 3,000 ft above
sea level near the French border.
Parts of NORWAY were colder
than the North Pole yesterday. The
Norwegian ice skating
championships at Hamar were
cancelled because officials
considered temperatures of - 30C
too dangerous to the contestants.
Doctors there warned people
against taking hot drinks
immediately after coming in from
the extreme cold, to avoid cracking
tooth enamel.
 2 SEVEREWEATHER

Text 2 1 This article describes how the Swiss deal with problems of severe weather.
Read it and underline the differences between the British and the Swiss response
to severe winter conditions. Why do you think there is this difference?

HOW SWISS SKATE OVER THE PROBLEMS OF A BIG FREEZE-UP

Where snow means go

from John Marshall Trains: longest Roads: jobless Pavements:
in Berne delay only 20 sweep up the residents must
minutes snow keep them dear
AS SNOW and ice Where there is a train hold- that he or she has applied for at Anyone trying to drive without
up due to freezing points or least 10 jobs in the past month. them will be stopped by the police.
bring chaos to Britain, Keeping the pavement
failure of the electrical contract Work done for the state,
life in Switzerland outside a house or business clear
points, tearns of repair men on such as clearing snow, counts as
experiencing a record stand-by quickly move into is the legal responsibility of the
a job application. owner.
minus 41.8C - runs as action.
Most roads and all Hospitals report a slight
smoothly as an expert In fact the use of trains goes
motorways are cleared of snow increase in the number of
skier. up by 10 per cent as drivers
by 7 a.m. and regularly during accidents involving aged people
'The latest any train has been switch from road to rail.
snowfalls throughout the day. falling on icy pathways, but say
this week was 20 minutes,' said a The unemployed are kept it is only slight.
busy clearing minor roads and Custom posts warn foreign
railway spokesman. Farmers in the mountain
sweeping the snow off open-air drivers they should drive with
At the slightest hint of snow, regions are well stocked up.
engines fitted with ploughs and railway platforms. snow tyres or carry chains. Food for cattle is flown in, as
blowers are out clearing the To obtain unemployment Chains are obligarory in many towns have communal
tracks. benefit, a claimant must show almost all of the ski resorts. helicopters.

Reproduced by permission of the Evening Standard Company L::ti

cJ
0
2 a Describe the differences between Britain and Switzerland by combining the
6 0 <. 0
o o sentences in the two columns below, using contrast links from the Study
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.D Box on page 27.
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, Britain Switzerland
0
u 1 Snow and ice bring chaos . Life continues to run smoothly.
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2 Motorists get stranded when it snows. Most cars have snow tyres or chains..
3 Slippery pavements are a hazard. Householders have to clear the
~~RAj; pavement outside their house.
1w11tE
fYetffOF 4 Many farms are completely cut off. Food for cattle is flown in by
c JNo'ri- helicopter.
" WALKr Examples:
\
While snow and ice bring chaos to Britain, life continues to run smoothly in
<>
Switzerland.
Snow and ice bring chaos in Britain. In Switzerland, by contrast, life
continues to run smoothly.

b Use the information in the two articles to make more, similar sentences
contrasting the following in London and Switzerland:
rail travel roads use of cars

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 SEVERE .'.=-!.--= -

Contrast links
.... while ...
..., whereas ... Tim is idealistic while/whereas Jane is more practical .
..., but .
... yet . He caused the problem, but/yet she's the one who solved it.
A/though ..., Although Pete eats a lot. he never puts on weight!
... by contrast ... Summer in Scotland is mild and wet. Summer in Italy, by
contrast, is hot and dry

CUSSION POINTS 3 As a group, discuss the effects that climate has on lifestyle. Think of things like
Paper 5. Part I housing, clothes, food, entertainment, holiday destinations. Compare your
country with Britain, or another country you know. What differences or
similarities can you think of between them that might be related to climate?

4 In Britain, the weather is a favourite topic of conversation, often used as an

ice-breaker. What are typical topics of conversation in your country? What
topics can you talk about when you don't know someone very well?
 SEVEREWEATHER 2

oeus on Listening I Climate Change ~ Paper 4, Part I

1 What do you know about 'global warming'? What do you think could be the
connection between global warming and the severe weather conditions
described in this unit?

2 You will hear part of a radio science programme in which an expert on climate
and environmental issues talks about the link between climate change and
global warming. You have to complete the notes below with up to three words.
You will hear the recording twice.
STRATEGY Before you listen, read through the notes, which summarise the information
in the recording. Think about what kind of information could fill the gaps -
it could be a name, a number, a date or a key phrase.
As you listen the first time, fill in the missing information in no more than
three words. Remember that these are notes, rather than complete
sentences. Write only key words.
Check your answers when you listen a second time.

Climate Chaf/qe8
British Isles: large part of I ---'[T] now classified as
semi-arid.

Northern and central Europe: increased incidence of ~ ~DO

Southeast Asia: violent cyclones ruining 1 a_n_d ~[3J'_3___'
more frequently

North America: 1 0 in spring

(jlobal warmli1q
Rise in temperature of 0.5 degrees Cover

Most recent Ice Age caused by fall of 1 ___'0

Moisture in atmosphere has increased by ________________
~cn
Additional moisture affe~ts 1 -------'[8]
Global warming thought to result from I -----'[!]

29
~ 2 SEVEREWEATHER

Focus on Grammar Review of the Passive I

I a Underline the passive forms in these examples. I Some idiot obviously didn't set the burglar alarm
I Buses were caught up in huge traffic jams in many properly.
areas. (Text I) It appears that .
2 Food for cattle is flown in, as many towns have 2 To my knowledge, nobody said anything at all critical
communal helicopters. (Text 2) about you.
3 Anyone trying to drive without snow chains will be Nothing .
stopped by the police. (Text 2) 3 Remember that you can't use dictionaries or grammars
4 Most roads and all motorways are cleared of snow by in the exam.
7 a.m. (Text 2) No .
s A policeman who went to rescue a schoolboy had to 4 I know it's a great shame but we've cancelled the
be rescued himself (Text I) summer party.
6 Global warming may be caused by the build-up of Unfortunately .
greenhouse gases. (Listening I) s Normally we send out the goods as soon as we
receive an order.
b Complete the table below to show how the passive Goods .
is formed. 6 There just haven't been enough people showing an
Verb: + . interest in the event
Not enough interest .
(Check your answer on page 145 of the Grammar File 7 I think it'll be quite some time before they can repair
where you can find more detailed information on the all the storm damage.
passive.) The storm damage .
c Which tenses (or other forms) are used in each of
the examples!
4 get + past participle
Get is sometimes used as an alternative to be + past
participle to form the passive. It is less formal and tends
2 a Complete this note on the use of the passive using
to suggest accidental or chance events, rather than
three words:
planned or intentional ones, for example:
We use a passive form when we are more interested
We got stuck in a traffic jam in the town centre.
in what than in the agent (the person or
Maybe your letter got lost in the post.
thing that it).
The college got opened was opened by the Queen.

b A very common use is when the agent is not known Complete the following sentences, using verbs from the
or is not important. All but one of the sentences in list below in get + past participle constructions.
Exercise I are examples of that use. Which one is the
beat up chase sweep fine pay catch
exception!
steal
(There is a fuller list of uses of the passive in the
Just my luck! I in the rain and arrived for the
Grammar File on page 146.)
interview dripping wet!
2 If you leave that briefcase on the seat, you're asking for
3 Because the passive is more impersonal, it is it .
normally used in more formal contexts. Convert these 3 We $100 on the spot for speeding.
spoken statements into a more formal written form, 4 I wonder how much he's for appearing in that TV
using the passive. advertisement
Example: S The eat's been a nervous wreck since it by next
While the meeting was going on, some rotten person door's dog.
stole my overcoat from the cloakroornl 6 He thought if he tried to stop the fight he might .
During the meeting, my overcoat was stolen from the himself
cloakroom. 7 It was blowing such a gale that my hat into the sea.

30
 SEVEREWEATHER 2

Focus on Listening 2 Weather and Mood Paper 4, Part 2

You will hear a doctor talking about how the weather affects us. As you listen,
fill in the missing information for questions 1-8. You will need to write
between one and three words for each answer.
In the examination, the recording will be played once only. However, the
important information is repeated using different words, so you have a better
chance of catching it. For practice, see if you can answer all the questions
during the first hearing, but listen again if you need to check your answers.

Weather EHect Advice

Low pressure
[!] Slow reflexes '[2]
I I
Warm winds

Low pressure Don't do too much

I IT]
Low pressure and
above-normal humidity
I [IJ
exercise
I 0
Don't do complicated
I II] work

High temperatures Irritability, edginess

and humidity
Increased proneness to
I IT] L_ [!] I I~
-

Focus on Vocabulary Weather Idioms

1 The phrase a chilling admission of defeat in the article 'Today is cancelled' is a
metaphor. The literal meaning of chill is 'make colder' but here the word
suggests that it was an admission which made people feel worried or alarmed.
Words to do with weather are often used metaphorically.
Put the words on the right into the.gaps in A and B to make some common
phrases. Then say what you think they mean.

A
1 a relationship sunny
2 a look biting
3 a smile breezy
4 a manner stormy
5 a remark frosty

31
~ 2 SEVEREWEATHER

B
1 a storm of . tears
2 to shower (someone) with . gifts
3 a hail of . laughter
4 gales of . protest
S to be in floods of . bullets

2 Complete the sentences below with one of these weather idioms.

blow hot and cold the foggiest (idea) a storm in a teacup
under the weather like (greased) lightning on cloud nine
(be) snowed under
1 'You're not ill, are you?' 'Not really, I'm just feeling a bit at the moment.'
2 'Why don't you join us for lunch?' 'I'd like to, but I'm completely with
work.'
3 'What was all the arguing about?' 'Don't worry, it was only '
4 'How do you work this photocopying machine?' 'Sorry, I haven't '
S 'Didn't anyone help you wash up?' 'No, when the meal was over, they were
all off '
6 'Is Henry in favour of the idea?' 'I don't really know, he keeps '
7 'What's Jane looking so happy about?' 'Oh, she's been ever since she got
engaged.'