A surprising hailstorm happened in the United Arab Emirates, a place where it’s mostly desert. Big pieces of ice fell from the sky and covered the roads, which was a strange sight for many people living there. Some people were really shocked to see this because it’s not something that happens often. But a weather expert, Elizabeth Rizzini, said that even though hailstorms are rare in the UAE, they can still happen sometimes.

Videos showed the hailstorm with big ice pieces falling and covering everything. This unusual weather hurt homes and cars, making many people surprised. Hailstorms don’t happen a lot in the desert, but they’re not impossible. Elizabeth Rizzini, from BBC Weather, said that during the winter, the UAE can have storms that make hail.

The video of this hailstorm was made by a team of people. It showed how unexpected and surprising the weather can be in a place like the UAE. Even though hailstorms are not common, this event shows that the weather can always surprise us, even in places where we don’t expect it to.

Original news source: UAE: A hailstorm in the desert? Rare weather phenomenon shocks residents (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. They can take turns sharing their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will write down their opinions on whether they think hailstorms can happen in the desert. They will then pair up with a classmate and ask each other about their opinions, discussing their reasons behind their answers.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Students will choose 5-10 vocabulary words from the article and draw a picture to represent each word. They will then take turns showing their pictures to their classmates, who will try to guess the correct word.

– Keyword Hangman
Instructions: The teacher will choose 5-10 keywords from the article and write the number of letters for each word on the board using underscores. Students will take turns guessing letters to try to uncover the keywords. The teacher can provide hints or definitions if necessary.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Students will work in pairs or small groups and discuss the pros and cons of hailstorms happening in the desert. They will brainstorm reasons for each side and then present their arguments to the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened in the United Arab Emirates that surprised many people?
2. What fell from the sky during the hailstorm?
3. Why were some people shocked to see the hailstorm?
4. What did the hailstorm do to homes and cars?
5. Are hailstorms common in the desert?
6. Who said that hailstorms can still happen sometimes in the UAE?
7. What did the video of the hailstorm show?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A surprising (1)______ happened in the United Arab Emirates, a place where it’s mostly desert. Big pieces of ice fell from the sky and covered the roads, which was a (2)______ sight for many (3)______ living there. Some people were really shocked to see this because it’s not something that (4)______ often. But a weather (5)______, Elizabeth Rizzini, said that even though hailstorms are rare in the UAE, they can still happen sometimes.

Videos showed the hailstorm with big ice (6)______ falling and covering everything. This unusual weather (7)______ homes and cars, making many people surprised. Hailstorms don’t happen a lot in the (8)______, but they’re not impossible. (9)______ Rizzini, from BBC Weather, said that during the winter, the UAE can have storms that make hail.

The video of this hailstorm was made by a team of people. It (10)______ how unexpected and surprising the (11)______ can be in a place like the UAE. Even though hailstorms are not common, this event shows that the weather can always surprise us, even in (12)______ where we don’t expect it to.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a hailstorm?
2. How would you feel if you saw big pieces of ice falling from the sky?
3. Do you like surprises? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever seen hail before? What was it like?
5. Do you think it’s strange for a hailstorm to happen in a desert? Why or why not?
6. How do you think the hailstorm affected the people living in the UAE?
7. What do you think the weather is usually like in the UAE?
8. Why do you think the weather can surprise us sometimes?
9. Have you ever experienced unexpected weather? What happened?
10. Do you think it’s important to be prepared for different types of weather? Why or why not?
11. How would you feel if your home or car got damaged by a hailstorm?
12. What can we learn from this hailstorm in the UAE?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. surprising
2. hailstorm
3. desert
4. ice
5. roads
6. shocked
7. rare
8. videos
9. unusual
10. hurt
11. unexpected
12. event

Meanings:
(A) To cause pain or damage
(B) Not happening very often
(C) A storm where balls of frozen water fall from the sky
(D) Not normal or common
(E) When something happens that you did not see coming
(F) A very dry, sandy area where it hardly ever rains
(G) Paths for cars and trucks to drive on
(H) Feeling very surprised, almost scared
(I) Something that happens, especially something important or big
(J) Short films made with a camera
(K) When something happens that you did not think would happen
(L) Frozen water
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened in the United Arab Emirates?
(a) A tornado
(b) A heatwave
(c) A sandstorm
(d) A hailstorm

2. What covered the roads during the hailstorm?
(a) Big pieces of ice
(b) Sand
(c) Water
(d) Snow

3. Why were some people surprised by the hailstorm?
(a) They were expecting it
(b) They had never seen ice before
(c) It doesn’t happen often in the UAE
(d) They thought it was a sandstorm

4. Who said that hailstorms can still happen in the UAE?
(a) A weather expert from Germany
(b) Elizabeth Rizzini
(c) A news reporter
(d) A local resident

5. What did the hailstorm do to homes and cars?
(a) It hurt them
(b) It cleaned them
(c) It made them bigger
(d) It melted them

6. When can the UAE have storms that make hail?
(a) During the summer
(b) During the spring
(c) During the winter
(d) During the fall

7. Who made the video of the hailstorm?
(a) Elizabeth Rizzini
(b) A professional photographer
(c) A local resident
(d) A team of people

8. What did the hailstorm show about the weather?
(a) It is always the same
(b) It can always surprise us
(c) It only happens in the desert
(d) It only happens in the UAE

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A snowstorm happened in the United Arab Emirates, a place where it’s mostly desert.
2. The snowstorm improved homes and cars, surprising many people.
3. Elizabeth Rizzini, a weather expert, said that hailstorms can still happen sometimes in the UAE, even though they are rare.
4. Big pieces of ice fell from the sky and covered the roads.
5. Snowstorms are common in the desert, but they can still happen during the winter in the UAE.
6. This event shows that the weather can always surprise us, even in places where we don’t expect it to.
7. This was a common sight for many people living there because snowstorms are frequent in the UAE.
8. Videos showed the hailstorm with big ice pieces falling and covering everything.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What happened in the United Arab Emirates that surprised many people?
2. Why were some people shocked to see the hailstorm?
3. What did the hailstorm do to homes and cars?
4. According to Elizabeth Rizzini, are hailstorms common in the UAE?
5. What did the video of the hailstorm show?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What happened in the United Arab Emirates that surprised many people?
A hailstorm happened in the United Arab Emirates, which surprised many people.

2. What fell from the sky during the hailstorm?
Big pieces of ice fell from the sky during the hailstorm.

3. Why were some people shocked to see the hailstorm?
Some people were shocked to see the hailstorm because it’s not something that happens often in the UAE.

4. What did the hailstorm do to homes and cars?
The hailstorm hurt homes and cars, causing damage to them.

5. Are hailstorms common in the desert?
No, hailstorms are not common in the desert.

6. Who said that hailstorms can still happen sometimes in the UAE?
Elizabeth Rizzini, a weather expert from BBC Weather, said that hailstorms can still happen sometimes in the UAE.

7. What did the video of the hailstorm show?
The video of the hailstorm showed the big ice pieces falling from the sky and covering everything, which was unexpected and surprising.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) hailstorm
(2) strange
(3) people
(4) happens
(5) expert
(6) pieces
(7) hurt
(8) desert
(9) Elizabeth
(10) showed
(11) weather
(12) places
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. surprising
Answer: (K) When something happens that you did not think would happen

2. hailstorm
Answer: (C) A storm where balls of frozen water fall from the sky

3. desert
Answer: (F) A very dry, sandy area where it hardly ever rains

4. ice
Answer: (L) Frozen water

5. roads
Answer: (G) Paths for cars and trucks to drive on

6. shocked
Answer: (H) Feeling very surprised, almost scared

7. rare
Answer: (B) Not happening very often

8. videos
Answer: (J) Short films made with a camera

9. unusual
Answer: (D) Not normal or common

10. hurt
Answer: (A) To cause pain or damage

11. unexpected
Answer: (E) When something happens that you did not see coming

12. event
Answer: (I) Something that happens, especially something important or big
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened in the United Arab Emirates?
Answer: (d) A hailstorm

2. What covered the roads during the hailstorm?
Answer: (a) Big pieces of ice

3. Why were some people surprised by the hailstorm?
Answer: (c) It doesn’t happen often in the UAE

4. Who said that hailstorms can still happen in the UAE?
Answer: (b) Elizabeth Rizzini

5. What did the hailstorm do to homes and cars?
Answer: (a) It hurt them

6. When can the UAE have storms that make hail?
Answer: (c) During the winter

7. Who made the video of the hailstorm?
Answer: (d) A team of people

8. What did the hailstorm show about the weather?
Answer: (b) It can always surprise us
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A snowstorm happened in the United Arab Emirates, a place where it’s mostly desert. (Answer: False)
2. The snowstorm improved homes and cars, surprising many people. (Answer: False)
3. Elizabeth Rizzini, a weather expert, said that hailstorms can still happen sometimes in the UAE, even though they are rare. (Answer: True)
4. Big pieces of ice fell from the sky and covered the roads. (Answer: True)
5. Snowstorms are common in the desert, but they can still happen during the winter in the UAE. (Answer: False)
6. This event shows that the weather can always surprise us, even in places where we don’t expect it to. (Answer: True)
7. This was a common sight for many people living there because snowstorms are frequent in the UAE. (Answer: False)
8. Videos showed the hailstorm with big ice pieces falling and covering everything. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧