21st Century College English: Book 2 Unit 9 : Text A Get Ready for Some Wild Weather Unit Nine: Text A • Lead-in Activities • Text Organization • Reading and Writing Skills • Language Points • Guided Practice • Assignment Lead-in Activities Warm-up Questions 1. How much do you know about wild weather? Have you ever experienced wretched weather? 2. How do natural disasters relate to weather? 3. Can we human being reduce the damage caused by weather? Text Organization para. 1-3 Mentioning El Nino and scientists' attention to this phenomenon. para. 4-6 Explanation of the phrase El Nino and give a detailed account of its forms and causes. para. 7-8 Arguments about its influence on human being and consequences. para. 9-10 Talking about prevention. weather forecast and Reading & Writing Skills Reading Skill: Scanning for specific information in reading materials. When you know what kind of information you’re looking for in a reading text—for example when you’re researching a paper ( or answering comprehension questions!)—scanning the text first can help you in three ways: a) by letting you know whether the text contains any of the sort of information you’re seeking. b) by giving you an impression of the author’s aims, and c) by giving you an idea of where in the text you’ll find the information that’s relevant to you. All three of these advantages of scanning can make you a more effective and faster reader. Reading & Writing Skills Writing Skill: Develop passages beginning with general observations and supported with a series of specific inter-related details, making a reference to the following sample paragraph: From a geological point of view, the modern era is just a brief mild phase in the middle of one of the most devastating periods in the history of the Earth. In the last few million years the Earth has experienced several Ice Ages, and there’s no reason to expect that they’re over. Between Ice Ages , there have been periods of global warming, turning the world into one big tropical rain forest. At the same time, the oceans and lakes have periodically changed size, flooding vast regions and then drying up again. Intensive Study • Intensive Study • Difficult sentences • Key words, phrases & usages • Comprehension exercises Intensive Study Get Ready for Some Wild Weather Per Ola & Emily D'aulaire 1 In March of 1997, Stephen Zebiak stared at his computer screen in alarm. The veteran climate researcher saw indications of a worldwide weather event that, over the years, has been blamed for droughts and floods, famine, fires and thousands of deaths. Called El Niño, it is the most disruptive climatic phenomenon on the planet. Intensive Study 2 Zebiak and Mark Cane, research scientists at Columbia University, had developed a computerized forecast model that correctly predicted El Niño's occurrences in 1982, ’86 and ’91, and it had pointed to a recurrence in ’98. But the data appearing on Zebiak’s screen from satellite and sea-surface monitors across the Pacific were unmistakable: El Niño was already beginning. A huge pool of warm water — larger than the United States and some 600 feet deep — was moving slowly but surely eastward toward South America. Intensive Study 3 In June the equatorial trade winds reversed direction from westward to eastward. By September, waters off Northern California were roughly 17 degrees warmer than normal. Off the Washington coast, stunned fishermen caught tropical fish that seldom stray that far north. Storms were flooding central Chile, and heavier-thannormal snowfalls in the Andes trapped hundreds in the bitter cold. And all of this only foretold of even more devastating weather for the fall and winter. Intensive Study 4 El Niño means “little boy” in Spanish; when capitalized, it refers to the Christ child. This innocent-sounding name originated in the 19th century, when Peruvian sailors noticed that every few years around Christmastime, waters near the coasts warmed up and the current shifted southward. But this “little boy” plays havoc around the globe. Intensive Study 5 El Niño occurs when weather patterns in the tropical Pacific shift violently. Normally, strong westward-blowing trade winds off South America push surface water toward Asia. Just as blowing on hot coffee pushes the liquid up against the opposite side of the cup, the trade winds pile warm water against the coastlines of Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Above the warm water, moist air rises, lowering atmospheric pressure and triggering the tropical showers that nourish the rain forests of Asia. Meanwhile high-altitude winds travel back toward South America. There, the cooled air sinks, raising atmospheric pressure and suppressing rain along most of the Pacific coast, making it one of the driest regions in the world. Intensive Study 6 But with El Niño, the pattern reverses. Atmospheric pressure in the Western Pacific rises, setting the stage for drought from Australia to India. The trade winds decrease, or in extreme years reverse to blow eastward. As a result, a huge mass of warm water flows back toward South America, causing storms from Chile to California. Meanwhile, over the Pacific, ten-mile-high storm clouds further heat the atmosphere, fueling a stronger-than-normal jet stream, which often splits in two. One branch moves north, warming the Pacific Northwest, central Canada and Alaska. Another branch surges south, producing heavy rains in the U.S. Gulf States and Southwest. Intensive Study 7 El Niño's vast impact on humans has often been catastrophic. The El Niño of 1982-83 inflicted $13 billion in damage and claimed some 2,000 lives. In Australia day turned to night when a dust storm blanketed Melbourne; brush fires raged in its wake. In place of its normal monsoon, Southern India got dried-up crops and the threat of mass starvation. At the same time, violent rainstorms devastated the Western Hemisphere: Peru’s fishing industry — once one of the richest in the world — was wiped out, and seaside towns were washed into the Pacific. Intensive Study 8 Is there a good side to El Niño? There can be. Zebiak notes that the number of tropical hurricanes in the Atlantic is reduced during an El Niño year. One theory is that winds created by El Niño shear off the tops of Atlantic hurricanes, aborting them before they reach full force. And a team of scientists in Israel who study tree rings and satellite cloud pictures concluded that El Niño may bring precious moisture to the thirsty Middle East. “It is perhaps fitting that El Niño — the Christ child — should have a link to the Holy Land,” notes scientist Dan Yakir. Intensive Study 9 This year, scientists around the world are keeping a sharp eye on El Niño. They know that the greater the temperature rise in Pacific waters off South America, the more powerful the El Niño. And this year’s waters have heated up unusually fast. Climate-change researcher Michael Ghil of UCLA expects the impact to be “substantial.” Ants Leetmaa, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center in Maryland, agrees: This El Niño is shaping up as one of the most powerful ever. Intensive Study 10 According to forecasters, hardest hit in this country will likely be California, where heavy rains can send houses sliding down muddy slopes onto washed-out coastal highways. The nation’s southern states — from California to Florida — can expect cooler and wetter weather than normal this winter and spring, with extensive storms in some areas. The Northwest should be warmer and drier than normal. Intensive Study 11 Wetter-than-normal conditions are expected in much of South America. The Asian monsoon rains could fail, resulting in food shortages in India. In Australia, where El Niño typically means drought, strict water conservation is already under way. 12 El Niño’s effects won’t just be climatic, of course — the global economy is sure to suffer as well. Drought in Brazil and flooding in Colombia may result in higher prices for coffee and other crops. And fishing industries from Ecuador to California are already being hurt. Intensive Study 13 Clearly, the more accurately scientists can forecast El Niño, the more people everywhere can prepare. Insurance companies, farmers, power and irrigation companies, public-safety agencies and even tourist boards could benefit from knowing in advance when El Niño will strike. 14 “Reliable forecasting is still in its infancy,” states Mark Cane. Someday, perhaps, scientists will be able to predict exactly how El Niño will behave. But for now, batten down the hatches and get ready for some wild weather! (985 words) point to/ towards — indicate that (sth.) exists or is likely to exist in the future; give signs of e.g. • His questions point to a desire to know some important truth. • All indications point to an early spring. Translate The evidence all pointed to Simpson as the murderer. Key 所有的证据都显示辛普森是凶手。 Text-related information Trade Winds Trade winds are very strong winds that blow westward and Equatorward from the subtropical high-pressure belts at about 30 degrees north or south regular, especially over the oceans, that they were named trade winds by the crews of early sailing ships that depended on winds during westward ocean crossings. In the language of that day, trade winds meant course winds or track winds. waters off Northern California waters n. (pl.) — an area of sea, esp. one that is near a country and is regarded as belonging to that country e.g. • the coastal waters of Alaska • the territorial waters of neutral More to learn waters off Northern California off prep. — in or on the sea and quite close to the coast of e.g. • Taiwan and Hainan are the two islands off the mainland of China. • The new oil field is located two miles off shore. that far north — as far north as that; so far north that ad. — to that degree; so e.g • The book was about that thick. • I was that annoyed; I could have screamed. when capitalized, it refers to the Christ child The conj. + V-ed structure (here “when capitalized”) is grammatically known as abbreviated clause, the omitted parts being normally a form of the verb be and a pronoun subject having the same reference as the noun or pronoun subject in the main clause of the sentence. Abbreviated –ed clauses may follow after, before, since, when, while, until, though, as if, if, unless, etc. e.g. • Unless/Even if (I am) invited, I won’t go. • Once (it was) published, the book became a bestseller. More to do Exercises • Structure X. Complete each of the following sentence, using a conj. + V-ed clause. 《读写教程 II》: Ex. X, p._____( 259 受到责骂时). 1. Michael used to look hurt and surprised When scolded 2. _____ (如果细心地做), the experiment will be successful. If carefully done Exercises • Structure X. Complete each of the following sentence, using a conj. + V-ed clause. 3. Leave the chicken in the oven _____ (直到烧透). until thoroughly cooked 4. _____ (如种在肥沃的土壤里), the tree will grow very quickly. If planted in rich soil Exercises • Structure X. Complete each of the following sentence, using a conj. + V-ed clause. 5. _____ (虽然损失由保险负担), Tom was annoyed about the accident. Although covered by insurance 6. I won’t go _____ (除非受到邀请). unless invited triggering the tropical showers that nourish the rain forests of Asia trigger (off) vt. — make (sth.) happen every quickly (esp. a series of violent events); set (an action or process) in motion e.g. Translate • The riots were triggered (off) by aincident series ofcan police arrests. Even the smallest diplomatic trigger a • The smoke triggered off the alarm. major international conflict. Key 即便最小的外交事件也可能触发严重的国际冲突。 More to learn triggering the tropical showers that nourish the rain forests of Asia Drillcausing — in V-ingthe phrases: fall of tropical heavy rains that provide sufficient the water for the growth with of the Asian rain Complete following sentences V-ing phrases forests from the words in parentheses. 1. At night long he lay awake _____. (worry/ his financial problems worrying about his financial problems 2. One politician went even further, _____. (imply/ the Princess lacked the intelligence/ understand/ complex issue) implying the Princess lacked the intelligence to understand such a complex issue. set the stage for (sth.) — prepare the conditions for (sth.); make (sth.) possible e.g. • We have set the stage for a completely new society. • The president’s recent death set the stage for a military coup. Fill in the blank: The talks between the two leaders _____ (为达成和平 协议作好了准备). have set the stage for a peace agreement to be reached fuel vt. — make (sth. already difficult or unpleasant) worse; make (sb.’s) feeling stronger e.g. • Big wage increases have fueled inflation. • Rumors of street fighting were fueled by the press. Translate The attempts to stop the strike only fueled the workers’ resentment. Key 试图终止罢工的举措不过是给工人们的愤恨火上浇油。 Text-related information Jet Stream A jet stream is a current of air traveling at very high speed (usu. about 100 to 120 miles per hour, but sometimes almost 350) from west at altitudes of six to eight miles. The jet stream is often used by airplane pilots to gain extra speed when traveling in an eastward direction. Jet streams are important in weather prediction and aircraft navigation. Text-related information Gulf of Mexico the Gulf States The Gulf States are the U.S. states that border the Gulf of Mexico. They are Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The El Niño of 1982-83 inflicted $13 billion in damage and claimed some 2,000 lives. inflict sth. (on sb.) — cause sth. to be suffered by (sb.) e.g. • The judge inflicted the severest possible penalty. • The bombing inflicted great suffering on the local residents. More to learn The El Niño of 1982-83 inflicted $13 billion in damage and claimed some 2,000 lives. claim vt. — (of a disaster, an accident, etc.) cause the loss or death of (sb.) e.g. • The earthquake claimed thousands of lives. • The war claimed the lives of thousands of civilians. in sth.’s wake/ in the wake of sth. — coming behind or after sth.; right after usu. as a result of sth. e.g. • The car left clouds of dust in its wake. • Enrichment of human knowledge comes in the wake of discoveries and inventions. Fill in the blank: Famine came _____ (紧随着水灾). in the wake of disastrous flood Text-related information Monsoon Monsoon is a periodic wind especially in the Indian Ocean and South Asia usually characterized by heavy rainfall. It is associated with the heating of the Asian landmass in summer (the condensation of water vapor in the rising air) and its intense cooling in winter. The most prominent examples of such seasonal winds occur in South Asia and in Africa. They are also apparent along the Gulf Coast of the United States and in central Europe, as well as in various other areas. More to learn In place of its normal monsoon, Southern India got dried-up crops and the threat of mass starvation. in place of — instead of e.g. • In place of our advertised program, we will be showing a film. • This task is carried out by robots in place of human workers. More to learn In place of its normal monsoon, Southern India got dried-up crops and the threat of mass starvation. — Instead of having the normal wet season, Southern India had bad crops because of the drought, and a large number of people were likely to be starved. devastate vt. — destroy terribly; cause great damage to e.g. • The bomb devastated the city center. • The fire swept through the theatre, devastating the entire building. • Many scientists think that within a century the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere would devastate the world. wipe out — remove;destroy completely e.g. • Doctors are searching for a cure that will wipe out cancer. • As time went on, those unpleasant events were gradually wiped out of his memory. … shear off the tops of Atlantic hurricanes, aborting them before they reach full force When used before a number, “force” is a measure of the speed and strength of the wind. e.g. • a force 9 gale • The ship had an engine failure in a Force Ten. More to learn … shear off the tops of Atlantic hurricanes, aborting them before they reach full force — … take away the sweeping force of the Atlantic hurricanes, and stop them from becoming very violent It is perhaps fitting that El Niño — the Christ child — should have a link to the Holy Land — (Devastating to most posts of the world, El Niño is good for the Middle East by bringing precious moisture to the parched land; so) we may properly assume that there should be some connection between the two — El Niño, which means “the Christ child” and the Middle East, where the Holy Land Palestine is located. shape up — develop or progress in a certain way e.g. • Our plans are shaping up well. • The campaign is shaping up as one of the most intensive sales campaigns ever. Drill Make a sentence with “shape up”. hard hit (or hard-hit) — severely stricken by misfortune, grief, or disaster e.g. • Scotland was hardest hit during the recession. • The family was hard hit by the financial crisis in southeast Asia. fail vi. — run out or be lacking while still needed or expected e.g. • The crops failed because of drought. • At the last moment his courage failed. He walked away from her door without knocking. Translate 她没有对家庭尽到责任。 Key She failed in her obligations to the family. under way — happening; in progress e.g. • Preparations for the art festival are now well under way. • Efforts to conserve the rain forest are under way. Drill Make a sentence with “under way”. in advance — beforehand; ahead e.g. • Write to me in advance if you decide to come. • The landlord demanded that she should pay the rent six months in advance. Fill in the blank: You have to reserve your seat _____ (至少提前三个 礼拜). at least 3 weeks in advance be in one’s infancy — start to develop e.g. • The science of cybernetics is still in its infancy. • Space travel is in its infancy now. Translate The educational reform is in its infancy: there is much room for improvement. Key 教育改革仍处于初级阶段:有许多尚待改进的地方。 someday ad. — (also spelled some day) at a date in the future, unknown or not yet fixed Cf. e.g. the otherday daymy dream will come true. • Some — a date insomeday the recent past; a few days money ago to buy a • Iathope that we’ll have enough e.g.house. • I saw David the other day. • Have you forgotten what happened the other day? batten down the hatches — prepare for a period of difficulty or trouble e.g. • The tornado is coming, we’d better batten down the hatches so as to minimize the losses. • My sister’s children were coming to stay so we had to batten down the hatches. Drill Make a sentence with “batten down the hatches”. Guided Practice • • • • Vocabulary Cloze Translation Structure Writing Vocabulary Vocabulary Ex. III Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with some of the words given below. Change the form where necessary. indication originate extensive conservation nourish insurance occurrence precious stray 《读写教程 II》: Ex. III, p. 254 innocent link violent 1. Storms cause ______ damage to seaside towns every year. extensive 2. This kind of football _____ at the Rugby School in England, which is why it’s called rugby football. originated Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with some of the words given below. Change the form where necessary. indication originate extensive conservation nourish insurance occurrence precious stray innocent link violent 3. I know auto_____ is expensive, but if you have an accident, you’ll be glad you invested in it. insurance 4. In overcrowded cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai, every small piece of land is _____. precious Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with some of the words given below. Change the form where necessary. indication originate extensive conservation nourish insurance occurrence precious stray innocent link violent 5. To ease the energy shortage, we should concentrate both on the _____ of natural resources and on research into new sources of energy. conservation 6. Scientists exploring the _____ between animal behavior and natural disasters have actually predicted the _____ of earthquakes by observing horses. link occurrence Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with some of the words given below. Change the form where necessary. indication originate extensive conservation nourish insurance occurrence precious stray innocent link violent 7. He was called “ Baby Face” because he looked so ____ that people never suspected he was a ____ criminal. innocent violent 8. It was reported that the accident was caused by a cow that had ______ into the road. strayed Vocabulary III. Fill in the blanks with some of the words given below. Change the form where necessary. indication originate extensive conservation nourish insurance occurrence precious stray innocent link violent 9. Their study found many _____ that the economy is slowly recovering. indications 10. Most plants are _____ by water drawn up through their root. nourished Cloze XIII. Fill each black in the passage below with the correct form of a word or phrase from the following list. 《读写教程 Ex. XIII, p. 260holy as well extensive fitting devastatingII》: In addition into link occur hurricane out of probable spectator occurrence of course suppress represent under way victim violent Exercises • Cloze extensive I wonder why people are so fascinated by natural disasters. hurricanes Why do _____, earthquakes and floods always get such _____ of course attention from the press and other media? While a disaster is under way devastating actually _____, frequent and detailed news reports are _____ vital to people’s victims safety; and certainly the _____ effects that occurredBut why such disasters have on _____ are worthy of attention. are films and TV shows about natural disasters that _____ violent years ago so popular? What is it that attracts us about the _____ side of nature? Exercises • Cloze represents Psychologists say that asuppress raging storm or fire _____ emotions out of _____, and it just feels good to see them free that we normally probable and active and _____ control. That sounds _____ — but I have a theory of my ownlinked too. I think our fascination with natural disasters is _____ with how helpless we are to control occurrences or stop such _____. Humans are so accustomed to feeling powerful that the holyfew things we can’t control or predict seem almost _____, like miracles. Come to think of it, that would as well explain our fascination with love stories _____. Translation XIV. Translate the following sentences into English. 《读写教程 II》: Ex. XII, p. 259 Translation 1. 多年来,人们一直把干旱、洪水、饥荒、野火和成千上 万人的死亡归咎于厄尔尼诺现象。 droughts, floods, famine, wildfires be blamed for Over the years, El Niño has been blamed for droughts and floods, famine, wildfires and thousands of human deaths. Translation 2. 有些科学家认为厄尔尼诺现象也有其好的一面,例如, 它可能给干旱缺雨的中东带来极其珍贵的雨水。 a good side thirsty Middle East precious moisture Some scientists believe that there is a good side to El Niño. For example, it may bring precious moisture to the thirsty Middle East. Translation 3. 地震对人的巨大影响经常是灾难性的。例如1985年的墨 西哥城地震造成了估计为几百亿美元的损失,并夺去了 至少4,000人的生命。 vast impact on inflict … in damage claim … lives Earthquake’s vast impact on humans has often been catastrophic. The Mexico City earthquake of 1985, for example, inflicted an estimated several billion dollars in damage and claimed at least 4,6000 lives. Translation 4. 当乌云笼罩住整座城市时,白天变成了黑夜,接踵而来 的是一场倾盆大雨。 come in one’s wake blanket downpour Day turned to night when dark clouds blanketed the whole city and a downpour came in their wake. Translation 5. 显然,科学家对厄尔尼诺预报得越是精确,人们就能准 备得越好。 clearly forecast better prepared Clearly, the more accurately scientists can forecast El Niño, the better prepared people will be. Translation 6. 科学家们正密切注视着热带太平洋气候模式的剧烈变化, 他们断定那年厄尔尼诺来得更早。 keep a sharp eye on violent shifts weather patterns of the tropical Pacific Keeping a sharp eye on the violent shifts in weather patterns of the tropical Pacific, the scientists concluded that El Niño was starting early that year. Translation 7. 潮湿的空气在温暖的水域上空上升,使大气压力下降, 并引发了热带暴雨. above the warm water trigger lower Above the warm water, moist air rises, lowering atmospheric pressure and triggering tropical downpours. Translation 8. 也许将来有一天科学家能够精确地预测厄尔尼诺现象出 现,但是眼下我们只能是未雨绸缪,及时做好准备,预 防恶劣气候的到来。 someday batten down the hatches get ready for Someday, perhaps, scientists will be able to exactly predict the occurrence of El Niño, but for now, we can only batten down the hatches and get ready for some wild weather. Structured Writing Look at the outline and sample of another general-to-specific paragraph. General observation: From a geological point of view, the modern era is just a geological era/ justofathe brief mild phase/ brief mild point phaseofinview/ the modern middle of one most middle/ one/ most devastating periods/ Earth devastating periods in the history ofhistory the Earth. In the last few million years the Earth has experienced Details: several Ice million Ages, and there’s noseveral reasonIce to Ages/ expectnothat 1) last few years/ Earth/ reason/ they’re over. Between Ice Ages, there have been periods of expect/ over 2) Between Ice Ages/ periods/ global warming/ turning the global warming, turning the world into one big tropical one rain the forest rainworld/ forest. Atbig thetropical/ same time, oceans and lakes have 3) same time/changed oceans and periodically changed periodically size,lakes/ flooding vast regions andsize/ then flooding vast regions/ then drying/ again drying up again. Structured Writing Now write your ownII》: paragraph giving inter-related 《读写教程 Ex. XV, p. 263 details to support one of the general observations suggested below. Structured Writing General observations: • Difficult weather conditions have been a major factor in promoting creative thinking. Details • There are many reasons why English has become an international language. • The use of computers can have a negative effect on creativity. • In any classroom in any country, part of what’s going on is the teaching of culture. Structured Writing • General observation: Difficult weather conditions have been a major factor in promoting creative thinking. Details: 1) Archaeologists point/ during/ Ice Age/ humans invented tools/ setting/ stage/ construction/ cities 2) same time/ decrease/ temperature led/ discovery/ clothing; fashion raged/ wake 3) Meanwhile/ cold weather caused/ shortage/ fresh vegetables/ motivating development/ frozen foods Assignment 1. Revision of Text A: • Translation Ex. XI ~ XII p.259 • Cloze p.260 Ex. XIII 2. Preview of Text B