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2
Progress
Check
Answer the questions in your own words.
1
What different kinds of weather did the
writer see on the tour and how did he feel
about them?
2
What special conditions are needed for a
tornado to form?
2
Reading
Read the text and choose the correct
answer A, B, C or D for questions 1-5.
1
In the first paragraph, the writer tells us that
A
his friend expected it to be thrilling.
B
he hadn’t been on such a tour before.
C
Tornado Alley was featured in a film.
D
the tour was nothing like the film, Twister.
2
The writer says that in the storm-chasing van,
he could
A
follow the route it was taking.
B
help to forecast the weather.
C
watch a film about tornadoes.
D
listen to stories about storms.
3
On the first day, what sight seemed to impress the
writer the most?
A
a super-cell storm
C
a tornado
B
the scenery
D
a lightning storm
1
(2x4=8)
4
The writer enjoyed Eric’s description of how
tornadoes form because
A
they had just seen some tornadoes.
B
he had always been interested in tornadoes.
C
Eric explained it all so well.
D
he liked Eric’s sense of humour.
5
Overall, what was the writer’s impression of the
tour leaders?
A
They were fantastic entertainers.
B
They were highly energetic risk-takers.
C
They were enthusiastic and skilled.
D
They were great businessmen.
(5x2=10)
W
hen I first agreed to go on a tornado-chasing tour in
Tornado Alley* with my friend Jonas, I wasn’t sure
what to expect. I wondered if it would be like the thrilling film
I had seen, Twister, and, in a way, it was!
After we got on board the tour leaders’ state-of-the-art storm-
chasing van, they showed us the radar, radios, satellite images
and GPS systems they had to help them find the best storms.
Eric and Larry told us that the weather was looking good for
some storms that day, so we set out excitedly, each of us with a
screen in front of our seat so that we could see the radar and
maps. A couple of hours into our drive, on the horizon we saw a
column of rain in the centre of thick swirling clouds. Larry
explained that it was a super-cell storm, a type of storm that
often produces tornadoes. On that occasion, we were
disappointed, but as dusk fell, we witnessed the most incredible
lightning storm! Late into the evening, bolt after bolt of lightning lit
up the sky over the landscape. It was magical.
The real excitement, however, began on the second afternoon of
the tour. After analysing forecast models and other data and
driving for hours, Larry and Eric caught up with a huge storm. As
we got closer, the sky darkened, wind whipped around the van
and hail the size of golf balls pounded on the top. Then, at the
base of the clouds, the funnel of a tornado began to form. That
day we saw three tornadoes!
As we travelled to our hotel that evening, Eric explained how a
tornado forms where two different kinds of air meet, such as dry
and moist or cold and warm. Winds come from different
directions and rotate to form a funnel. As it spins faster and
faster, the funnel often stretches towards the ground to become a
tornado. I had never been particularly interested in the weather
before, but Eric’s face lit up when he talked about tornadoes and
he just made it all so fascinating and easy to understand.
It’s obvious that Larry and Eric love what they do and really want
others to enjoy their tours. Despite the fact that we got incredibly
close to the storms, I never felt in danger. Nothing beat the thrill
of the chase and I can’t wait to do another tour next year!
* Tornado Alley: The states in central US that have the most violent
tornadoes e.g. Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
Progress Check
sections for every module
on Reading, Speaking, Listening,
Vocabulary, Grammar and Writing
1...,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,...80