(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)
You are going to watch three news reports, all focusing on extreme weather conditions but in different parts of the world, i.e. respectively in the USA, in the UK and in Australia.
Report 1 (Sky News / Situation on 3 January 2014)
Extreme weather claimed several lives in the USA as wind chill reached up to -26°C in parts of the north-east.
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| Photo credit: BBC |
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| Photo credit: BBC |
Before watching:
The following words could be useful:
to heed...: to take... into account prendre... en compte
outreach teams: teams which provide services to people who would not otherwise have access to those services; such teams are mobile and aims at meting those who are in need
équipes de proximité / équipes mobiles ...
to be sworn in:to be bound / pledged (by an oath) être assermenté / avoir prêté serment...
slick: slippery glissant
bone-chilling: intensely cold glacial / d'un froid intense
a plough (US: plow): vehicle for clearing snow chasse-neige
While watching:
Answer the following questions in French:
- What are the weather conditions like in the north-east of the USA?
- What are the consequences? (Give 5)
For an update (5 January), you can also watch this:
http://news.sky.com/story/1189937/us-weather-16-dead-as-snow-batters-eastern-us
Report 2 (BBC / Situation on 4 January 2014)
The ferocious weather has caused chaos in many parts of the UK.
A dangerous combination of high tides and strong winds led to flooding in areas already affected over Christmas while coastal towns were being severely battered with huge waves.
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| Photo credit: BBC |
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| Photo credit: BBC |
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| Photo credit: BBC |
Before watching:
inland: relating to the interior part of a region e.g. à l'intérieur des terres
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Answer the following questions in French:
- What happened to Harry martin? Where was he? What was he doing there?
- What was the situation like in Aberystwyth, Wales?
- Why aren’t
people really happy in the Somerset Levels in spite of the pumps that were installed
there? What does Mrs sadler fear?
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| the Somerset Levels map credit: commons.wikimedia.org |
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| Aberystwyth, Wales Map credit: postcode-info.co.uk |
For more information (Sky News report - 4 January 2014)
http://news.sky.com/story/1190085/weather-dozens-join-search-for-missing-teen
Report 3 (Sky News / Situation on 3 January 2014)
January 2013 saw Australia's hottest year on record.
2014 begins there with another heatwave.
Before watching:
The following words could be useful:
the outback: the remote, arid part of Australia région éloignée / fin fond / brousse / l'outback australien
soaring: getting to a level markedly higher than the usual (for temperatures e.g.) en forte hausse / exceptionnellement élevé(es)
drought: the absence or shortage of water / rainfall for a (very) long period sécheresse
to slaughter: to kill a large number (of...) abattre
the livestock: cattle bétail
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| Birdsville, Queensland, Australia Map credit: outback track tours |
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| Photo credit: The Guardian |
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| Photo credit: The Guardian |
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| Photo credit: The Guardian |
While watching:
Answer the following question in French:
- What were the devastating effects of the 2013 heat wave in Australia?
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