Practice English Vocabulary B2 Exercises – Weather and the environment

A. Circle the correct word.

Local news in brief

Thresham Valley under water?

Plans to turn much of the Thresham Valley into a large (1) puddle / reservoir to provide drinking water for the local area have received mixed reactions. Local councillors have praised the scheme, arguing that the environmental and economic benefits of (2) flooding / pouring the valley will far outweigh the disadvantages. Several small (3) rural / urban communities – two villages, three hamlets and two farms – in the valley will disappear, however.

Lucky escape for farmer

A farmer was struck by (4) lightning / thunder on Thursday evening, while mending a fence in one of his (5) plains / fields. The farmer, Jack Dobson, received treatment for slight burns at Meldew Hospital. Talking about the incident later, he said: ‘It was (6) drizzling / showering slightly when I went out, but I’d checked the weather (7) prediction / forecast and it hadn’t said there was going to be a thunderstorm. It was lucky I was wearing my wellington boots!

Save bags and save money

Shoppers at a local supermarket are being urged not to throw away the supermarket’s plastic shopping bags. A spokesperson for Asdo said: ‘For every new bag we make, the factory has to pump out industrial (8) waste / litter and that’s increasing pollution in the (9) suburban / surrounding area. We want to reduce the number of bags we make each year. We’re offering a financial incentive to our customers to (10) reuse / repeat their bags by bringing them with them every time they shop with us rather than getting new ones each time.’

Local academic causes a stir

An academic from Davington University has caused controversy by claiming that (11) global / worldwide warming is not caused by human disregard for the (12) weather / environment. In her new book entitled Are We to Blame?, Professor Angela Lucini argues that large-scale changes in the Mediterranean (13) land / climate, for example, have taken place ever since the world was formed. ‘People weren’t responsible for the Ice Ages, or their coming to an end, and we certainly weren’t responsible for the fact the dinosaurs became (14) extinct / endangered so it’s a bit presumptuous of us to think we’re responsible for all the problems were facing now, isn’t it?’ she said.

Councillor calls for an end to the fireplace

Local councillor Davina Forrest is calling for a ban on the use of coal fires at home. ‘There’s no doubt that if domestic chimneys stopped pumping out (15) smoke / fog into the atmosphere, the (16) air / wind we’d all be breathing would be much (17) cleaner / clearer,’ she said.

B. Complete using the correct form of the phrasal verbs in the box.

1   The weather should have …………………… by this evening, shouldn’t it?

2   Do you think the wind has …………………… enough for us to go sailing without any danger?

3   Environmentalists are …………………… stricter controls on the use of leaded petrol.

4   Why can’t they …………………… the fact that their products are bad for the environment?

5   Firefighters managed to …………………… the forest fire before it destroyed any houses.

6   We’ll have to …………………… the demonstration if the weather’s really bad, won’t we?

7   The town was totally …………………… for three days because of the floods.

8   It didn’t take us long to …………………… the old barn, did it?

C. Write one word in each gap.

1   Don’t throw those batteries …………………… . They’re not biodegradable!

2   Rainy days always …………………… me down.

3   Could you tell me what the letters ‘CJD’ stand ……………………?

4   They’re planning to tear …………………… the old cinema and build a new shopping centre on the land.

5   I think the rain’s set …………………… for the day, don’t you?

6   Some scientists put the extinction of the dinosaurs down …………………… changes in the world’s climate.

D. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words in each gap.

1   Josh isn’t feeling very well today.   weather

      Josh is feeling a bit ……………………………………… today.

2   CFC’s have badly affected the ozone layer.   effect

      CFC’s have ……………………………………… the ozone player.

3   Would you mind quickly looking at the engine?   look

      Would you mind ……………………………………… the engine?

4   Cleaning the beach took ages.   long

      It ……………………………………… clean the beach.

5   It’s Carl’s job to read the barometer every morning.   responsibility

      Carl ……………………………………… the barometer every morning.

6   There’s no point trying to persuade him to recycle bottles and paper.   waste

      It ……………………………………… trying to persuade him to recycle bottles and paper.

7   We’ll soon be able to see land, won’t we?   sight

      We’ll soon be ……………………………………… land, won’t be?

8   I couldn’t steer the boat because the waves were so high.   control

      I ……………………………………… the boat because the waves were so high.

E. Circle the correct word.

1   The days of Athens being one of the most polluted cities in the world have come / gone to an end.

2   Their office is at / on the fifteenth floor.

3   The government’s made / done a complete mess of its environmental policy.

4   It’s so hot, I think I’m going to do / have a cold shower to cool down.

5   As usual, so-called nature lovers are make / taking a fuss about nothing.

6   I can’t believe there’s anyone in the complete / whole world who wants the hole in the ozone layer to get any bigger.

7   It looks like / as a large number of species will become extinct over the next decade.

8   You used to believe there really was a pot of gold at / in the end of every rainbow, didn’t you?

F. Write one word in each gap.

SAN FRANCISCO

Tourists to San Francisco are rarely disappointed (1) ……………… the famous range of cultural and artistic attractions the city has to offer. But San Francisco is more famous (2) ……………… being on the San Andreas fault, a notorious source of earthquakes. Over seven hundred people died in San Francisco in the great earthquake of 1906, and more than 70 perished in another large quake in 1989. It’s hard (3) ……………… imagine why anyone would want to live in such a dangerous area, but millions of people choose to do so. They are all familiar (4) ……………… the faultline, and are aware (5) ……………… the potential danger if there’s another powerful quake. Yet nothing, it seems, will prevent people (6) ……………… building in San Francisco. A quick glance (7) ……………… a photo of the city shows a large number of modern skyscrapers, many of them completely covered (8) ……………… glass.

Seismologists are constantly warning residents (9) ……………… the possibility of ‘the next big quake’. They expect it (10) ……………… happen sooner rather than later. But San Franciscans are not short (11) ……………… courage. Except (12) ……………… making doubly sure that their buildings are built to the highest safety standards, they carry on with their daily lives as if nothing could ever disrupt them.

G. Each of the words in bold is in the wrong form. Rewrite them correctly.

1   Most scientists accept that globe warming is a reality. …………………..

2   The weather was freeze. I was wearing two pairs of gloves and my fingers were still cold! …………………..

3   What can we do to protect danger species like the giant panda?

4   Meteorologists can forecast tomorrow’s weather with incredible accurate these days. …………………..

5   Develop are planning to build a water park on the site of the old airport. …………………..

6   All our products are environment friendly. …………………..

7   Everyone should be extreme worried about the hole in the ozone layer. …………………..

8   We live in a resident area about twenty minutes from the town centre. …………………..

9   There’s not much likely of environmental groups stopping the building of the new factory, is there? …………………..

10   Don’t worry! This snake is completely harm. …………………..

11   Let’s go outside and enjoy the sunny while it lasts. …………………..

12   What kind of neighbour did you grow up in?

13   I hope they don’t low the price of petrol. …………………..

14   The great of solar power lies in its simplicity. …………………..

15   A number of different pollute in the river have caused the death of all the fish.

16   It’s nature dark for this time of day. They didn’t say there was going to be an eclipse, did they? …………………..