Intermediate Listening Lesson 11

Sometimes, I watch the weatherman on television.

It is fascinating to watch him point to different areas of the country on the map.

He tells us where the weather will be nice and where it will be bad.

The weatherman is not always right.

Weather reporting is not an exact science.

Nothing is very exact when it comes to the weather.

The weather department does a lot of research, but they can never be sure of exactly what will happen.

Sometimes, it looks like it will be clear,

but the wind changes direction and clouds move in.

The weatherman can warn people if there is a chance of a hurricane or tornado.

The weatherman can also warn people of floods.

Sometimes, entire towns have to be evacuated because of bad weather.

It is important to be aware of the weather.

For example, it is not good to be caught in the middle of a field when there is going to be a thunderstorm.

You might want to take extra precautions if there is going to be a heavy snowstorm.

You would need to be in a secure place if a hurricane or tornado was predicted.

You might want to cancel a picnic if you knew that it would rain that day.

The weather affects us in so many ways.

Some people are really affected by dull, cloudy days.

If there are no sunny days, they become very depressed.

Heavy air pressure can cause some people to have headaches.

Weather affects all of us in one way or another.

It is always a topic of conversation.

People often say things like “hello, it’s a beautiful day today”.

Often we plan our lives and activities around the weather.

So, if you are planning on walking home tonight,

keep an eye on the sky.

Are those rain clouds up there? You might need an umbrella.