Weather

Exercise 13.4

Answer these questions about the collocations.

1. What might make a river burst its banks?
   Answer

   Very heavy rain or snow melting perhaps.

2. What can you probably see if someone says, ‘It looks like rain’?
   Answer

   You can probably see heavy grey clouds – but note that it has not started to rain yet.

3. What kind of wind is a freak wind?
   Answer

   It’s unexpected, unusual for the time of year or the place, and unusually strong.

4. Is it harder to drive if there’s dense fog or if there are patches of fog?
   Answer

   It’s probably harder to drive if there is dense fog. However, patches of fog can also be dangerous as you may unexpectedly run into fog.

5. What kind of weather conditions have you got if the rain is described as driving rain?
   Answer

   Heavy rain with wind.

6. If we talk about severe weather conditions hitting or striking an area, what kind of image is created?
   Answer

   An image of violence is created.

7. What, apart from wind, can blow or whistle?
   Answer

   People can blow or whistle. They do this by exhaling air from their lips. So you might blow on soup or tea to cool it. If you whistle you make a noise by blowing through your lips in a special way.

8. Which of these verbs suggests most destruction and which least?
   The storm destroyed / damaged / devastated the town.
   Answer

   Devastated suggests most destruction and damaged suggests least destruction.