Климат и погода

Чтение: работа с учебным текстом “ Climate and Weather”. Лексика: Лексические единицы по теме занятия. Грамматика: Настоящее Совершенное время.

Task 1. Study the vocabulary:

Average — средний, carbon dioxide — углекислый газ, cloud cover — облачность, come down to — по сути, decade — десятилетие, fuel — топливо, greenhouse — теплица (парник), humidity — влажность, influence — влияние, particular — особенный, precipitations — осадки, refer to — относиться к, scattered showers — местами проливные дожди, surface — поверхность, vary — изменяться, windiness — ветер

Task 2. Read and translate the text:

Text: Weather and Climate

The difference between weather and climate comes down to time. Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere at a particular time or over a few weeks and months. Temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover, windiness and other factors make up a particular time period’s weather.

Climate refers to the average weather for a place over a period of many years. Climate scientists often use 30-year intervals to define a region’s climate.

For example, sunny, cloudless and 62 degrees Fahrenheit describes the weather this morning here in central Missouri, in other words, a perfect spring day. However, yesterday’s weather was cloudy with scattered showers, while a few days before it was 90 degrees F. These were changes in the weather, not the climate.

The weather in Missouri varies greatly from day to day and even hour to hour. However, on average, the surface temperatures here have increased during the past several decades.

It is well known that, certain human activities can influence the climate. For example, burning fuels releases carbon dioxide. This gas in the atmosphere works like glass in a greenhouse. It lets heat get in, but it doesn't let much heat get out. So the atmosphere becomes warmer. Chemists define this process as the greenhouse effect. These climatic changes can be dangerous for our planet, which needs protection.

http://news.discovery.com

Task 3. Answer the questions.

1. What’s the difference between climate and weather? 2. What factors make up a particular time period’s weather? 3. What interval do the scientists use to define a region’s climate? 4. How can you describe a perfect spring day in Missouri? 5. Can human activities influence the climate? 6. How does carbon dioxide work in the atmosphere? 7. Why does the atmosphere become warmer? 8. How do chemists define this process? 9. Are these climatic changes dangerous for our planet? 10. Can we do anything to protect our planet?