Reading
2
Look at the title of the text and the picture of the man. What is this man’s job? Discuss in
pairs. Listen, read and check.
3
Read the article about a storm chaser. For questions 1‒6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you
think fits best according to the text. Give reasons.
Lead-in
1
Which of the following can you see in the pictures? Which of them are common in your country?
•
tornado
•
tsunami
•
avalanche
•
flood
•
volcanic eruption
•
sandstorm
•
cyclone
•
lightning strike
•
earthquake
•
blizzard
•
drought
•
hailstorm
•
hurricane
•
thunderstorm
•
forest fire
•
heatwave
There’s a change in the sky, the clouds are gathering and
there’s a rumble and howl in the distance. It first appears on the
horizon – a funnel of violent air that
rips
through everything in
its path. It’s a tornado, one of nature’s most
destructive
forces.
It can pick up cars, rip trees out of the ground and
demolish
houses. Most of us would panic at this point, hide in the house,
lock the door and crawl under the kitchen table. But Warren
Faidley
grabs
his camera, jumps in his car and heads right for
the storm. Warren Faidley is a storm chaser and makes his
living by getting as close to tornados as possible to
capture
them in photographs or on video.
Warren’s photographs of the wild beauty and terrifying
effects of extreme weather conditions have been used on
posters and promotional material by celebrities like Sheryl
Crow and Paul McCartney. Some sell for up to $20,000. Also,
the video footage he takes has been shown on television
around the world and he’s even worked as a consultant in
Hollywood on the feature film that best
depicts
his way of life,
Twister.
Faidley’s first chase nearly killed him and taught him
something that has stayed with him to this day. “When I was
twelve I was swept away by a flash flood in Tucson, Arizona. I
was conducting my first ‘chase’ along the banks of a
swiftly
flowing
river. Suddenly, the bank
gave way
and I fell into the
floodwaters. I was carried under water and held my breath.
Then my foot found a rock, allowing me to stick my head above
the water. That single event had a profound effect on my life – I
knew I had to live life to the fullest.”
He soon moved on to more profitable pursuits. “About a year
after my near-death experience, I decided to ride my bike into
the centre of a large dust devil, a much smaller type of tornado.
After that, I formed a gang of local kids and we’d chase after
these mini-tornadoes. It was experiences such as these that
gave me the confidence that eventually led to my first job,
collecting deadly scorpions. The heavy rain storms drove them
out of their hiding places and I
dodged
the lightning bolts,
collected the scorpions and sold them to an old man who put
them into plastic paperweights to sell by the side of the road.
Eventually, some of the parents found out about my near
drowning, scorpion trade and dust devil adventures. The
majority of the local kids were banned from hanging out with
me.”
He goes on to say: “Chasing is extremely dangerous –
especially when I started and there were no on-board radars to
show us where and when the tornado would hit and no pre-
existing chase instructions. One recent scary event occurred
when I was
fleeing
a terrible storm in Texas. The winds became
so intense the chase truck could hardly move; rocks were being
lifted and smashed into the windshield*. I was
literally
being
sucked
into the tornado!” Of course, he survived to tell the tale.
Some motion picture companies have made inquiries into
making a film based on his adventures, but Faidley says: “I’m
not
committed to
anything yet. I’ve
devoted
my life to chasing,
sold my soul to those pursuits and turned them into a million-
dollar career. I’m going to be very careful about giving it away.”
Faidley’s photography has been greatly admired. He
explains, “As an artist, I’m always looking for that perfect shot.
Someone once said: ‘Artists
seek perfection
in their work to
make up for imperfections
in their lives.’ That fits me. I’ve
given up on any kind of serious personal life or family and
dedicated my life to my work. Chasing involves so many things
I enjoy in life: adventure, danger, travel, science, friendships
and, of course, the excitement.”
* windscreen
MODULE 1
6
READING & USE OF ENGLISH
PART 5
