FORECASTS THAT SAVE LIVESBeing able

FORECASTS THAT SAVE LIVES
Being able to forecast the weather isn't just to do with informing people about whether or not they can go to the beach or have a picnic. When there are going to be severe weather conditions, the ability to prepare for them can be a matter of life or death. (A)
Hurricanes are very severe tropical storms which exist in several different parts of the world. They can be found in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico or in the eastern Pacific Ocean. In the western Pacific they are called 'typhoons' and in the Indian Ocean they are called 'cyclones'. A hurricane needs certain weather conditions to start forming: warm tropical oceans with moisture and heat above them. If these conditions last long enough, then a hurricane can start to form, producing violent winds, incredible waves, very heavy rain and floods. (B)
Hurricanes spin in an anticlockwise direction and they have winds of at least 120 kilometres per hour. The centre of the hurricane is very calm and it is called the 'eye', but the most violent activity takes place in the area immediately around the eye which is called the 'eyewall'. In the Atlantic Ocean, there are approximately six hurricanes every year and about two of these hit the coast of the USA.
When hurricanes move onto the land from the sea, the heavy rain, strong winds and huge waves can cause unbelievable damage to buildings and trees, and cars can be picked and thrown like matchboxes. The greatest danger, however, is in the rise in the sea level as it hits the land. This is called the 'storm surge’ and can be catastrophic. In the year 1900 in the south of the USA, the storm surge killed 6,000 people. (C)
To measure how powerful an approaching hurricane is, meteorologists use something called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This means that a hurricane coming towards the land is given a number from 1 to 5 depending on how fast its winds are. The calmest hurricane is given the number 1 on the scale. It is called 'minimal' and it has winds from 119-153 kilometres per hour. Some damage will be caused to trees and bushes and some road signs, but buildings are safe. A scale 5 hurricane is called 'catastrophic' and has winds of 249 kilometres per hour or more. This will destroy the roofs of homes and most buildings and cause severe damage to doors and windows, while all trees, bushes and road signs will be blown down. (D)
As technology has developed and we can now forecast the weather, it has meant that the advance warnings given have greatly reduced the number of deaths caused by hurricanes However, the damage to property, which cannot be avoided, still costs billions of dollars to repair.

11. According to the text, weather forecast is exceptionally crucial when the weather is becoming
A. moderate
B. severe
C. uneasy
D. pleasant
12. What does “them” in line 3 refer to?
A. hurricanes
B. weather forecasts
C. picnics
D. extreme weather conditions
13. Hurricanes in the Indian Ocean is usually referred to as
A. storms
B. tornados
C. typhoons
D. cyclones
14. Which is the least active part of a hurricane?
A. the eyewall
B. the eye
C. the storm surge
D. the winds
15. At which point is the hurricane most dangerous?
A. when it has an eye
B. when it moves out to sea
C. when it knocks down trees
D. when it moves onto to land
16. The word “catastrophic” in line 21 can be best replaced by
A. bearable
B. disastrous
C. considerate
D. modest
17. Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is used to
A. evaluate the power of a hurricane
B. forecast the number of hurricanes expected
C. measure how big the waves are
D. track the way a hurricane is moving
18. Being able to forecast hurricanes has
A. reduced damage to property
B. saved government money
C. reduced the number of people killed
D. helped protect trees and bushes.
19. In which space (marked (A), (B), (C) and (D) in the passage) will the following sentence fit?
In America, being able to see approaching hurricanes with satellite technology and warning citizens about them is something that saves lives.
A. (A)
B. (B)
C. (C)
D. (D)
20. According to the text, the forming of a hurricane starts
A. on islands
B. in tropical forests
C. near the beaches
D. in the ocean