ENGL120 Reading 9-1 Incredible Weather PDF

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1. Read the text below about three places with incredible weather:The Driest Place on EarthIf asked about the driest places in the world, most people would think about the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa and Western Asia or the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia. In fact, the driest place in the wor...

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1. Read the text below about three places with incredible weather: The Driest Place on Earth

If asked about the driest places in the world, most people would think about the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa and Western Asia or the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia. In fact, the driest place in the world is pretty unknown as it is somewhere most of the population has never been to. This place is actually at the bottom of the world in Antarctica. The Dry Valleys are areas between large mountains that haven't seen rain for nearly two million years. Even though the continent of Antarctica gets a lot of snow, the Dry Valleys do not, as winds as strong as 320 kilometres per hour remove all water and dampness from the air. In addition to being the world's driest place, the Dry Valleys are also known as the world's biggest desert!

The Hottest Place on Earth

The highest temperature ever recorded on our planet took place in the Lut Desert of Iran. A temperature of 71 degrees Celsius or 159 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in space by a NASA satellite, a machine that flies around Earth in space. The Lut Desert covers an area of nearly 480 square kilometres. Most of the area is covered in black rock which increases the heat produced by the sun. It is said that no living creature like animals or plants can live in this part of the world. This is because absolutely everything would die if it tried to live and grow.

The Coldest Place on Earth

In 1983 at the Russian Vostok Base in Antarctica, scientists recorded the coldest temperature in the history of our world. At that time, the temperature reached -129 degrees Fahrenheit or nearly 90 degrees Celsius below freezing. Antarctica is a continent that nobody owns. In addition to being the coldest place on Earth, Antarctica is also the windiest, wettest and as mentioned earlier, also the driest. Most of the land is covered in snow and ice, and the coldest temperatures take place in late August because during this time, there is no sunlight. As far as we know, there are no native people living in Antarctica, but we cannot be sure. The weather is simply too harsh so it is presently impossible for scientists to visit all parts of the continent.

2. Below, you will find six unfinished Second Conditional sentences about the Dry Valleys, Lut Desert, and Antarctica. Complete the sentences using information from the text above: a. The Dry Valleys would get snow if the world

is also known as the largest desert in

b. More people would know about the driest place in the world if it were easy to visit and not at the bottom of the world in Antartida c. The Lut Desert wouldn’t be so hot if down the black rock d. If the Lut Desert weren’t so hot, Most of the area is covered in black rock which increases the heat produced by the sun e. It wouldn’t be so cold in late August if because during this time, there is no sunlight. f. If Antarctica’s weather were not so harsh, it's not a safe place

3. Answer the following questions in your words about the three places: a. Why do you think most people would think about the Sahara or Gobi deserts if asked about the driest places on Earth? In fact, the driest place in the world is pretty unknown as it is somewhere most of the population has never been to. b. What is a valley? The Dry Valleys are areas between large mountains that haven't seen rain for nearly two million years. c. Are the Dry Valleys only known as the driest place on Earth? In addition to being the world's driest place, the Dry Valleys are also known as the world's biggest desert d. What is a satellite? a machine that flies around Earth in space e. Why are there no countries in Antarctica? Antarctica is a continent that nobody owns f. If Antarctica has the driest place on Earth in the Dry Valleys, why do you think it is also the wettest? Most of the land is covered in snow and ice, and the coldest temperatures take place in late August because during this time, there is no sunlight....