V. Fill the gaps with a suitable word to complete the word partnership in italics.

1 The wind all the leaves off the trees yesterday.

2 The weather forecast said there could be some rain this afternoon, so you will need your coat and umbrella.

3 We had a lot of thunder and in the night. I think it hit a tree nearby.

4 You can’t go out in this weather — it’s with rain.

5 The hurricane many houses in the town; hundreds are now homeless.

VI. Choose the right word from a couple of similar looking ones. Change word forms if necessary.

1. Slush, sleet

a) The … under my feet was awful. I had an impression that I was walking through a muddy sea.

b) The rain changed into …. Wet snowflakes were falling on the ground and melted there.

2. Ice-drift, snow-drift

a) The path was hedged by two long …. They were like two mountain ranges.

b) The … started at night. In the morning the children ran to the river to look at the huge blocks of ice drifting across the water.

3. Icing, icicle

a) There was heavy … on the road and all cars were moving very slowly.

b) After a thaw there appeared … on the edge of the roof; they looked like sparkling needles.

4. Frost, hoarfrost

a) Tree branches were covered with … and the forest looked enchanting and somewhat mysterious.

b) The … was biting the nose and the cheeks. It was impossible to stay long in the street.

5. Draught, drought

a) Severe … killed the crops. Not a drop of rain fell on the ground for a month.

b) When the door opened, the … blew off the papers down on to the floor.

6. To freeze, to be freezing

a) In winter all rivers and lakes in these parts always ….

b) The temperature was quite low and I felt that I ….

7. Blizzard, drizzle

a) Boring … spoiled the day. It was too wet and dull.

b) The … was blinding us. Snowflakes were swirling in the air.

8. Light, lightning

a) There is not enough … in the room. The table should be moved closer to the window.

b) The … split the sky into two parts. A deafening thunder crack followed.

VII. Match the Russian phrases from list A with their English equivalents from list B.

A. Местами дожди / туман; ожидается сухая теплая погода; на востоке области пройдут сильные проливные дожди; на почве возможны заморозки; ветер северный, умеренный, 10-15 м/сек; в дальнейшем холодный характер погоды сохранится; облачная, дождливая погода; к концу недели погода изменится.

B. The showers will be heavy in the East; we are in for a warm dry spell; moderate northerly wind, 10-15 minutes per second; a change in the weather by the end of the week; patchy rain / fog; the weather will stay cold; ground frosts are possible; cloudy and wet.

VIII. Complete your own weather forecast for the next day.