A really strong storm hit the middle of the United States recently, causing tornadoes, heavy rain, and big floods. Texas got hit with hail that was as big as golf balls because of the storm. Because of this crazy weather, at least 8 million Americans were told to watch out for tornadoes.

The storm caused a lot of damage and messed up things in the areas it hit. The hail was especially bad and wrecked houses and cars. The hailstones were as big as golf balls, so they did a lot of damage when they hit things. The people in charge told everyone to be careful and protect themselves and their stuff.

The bad weather has made people worry about tornadoes happening more often and being stronger in the United States. Scientists and weather experts are studying these patterns to figure out why they happen and what they can do. They want to be better at predicting tornadoes and getting ready for them so that not as many people get hurt or things get damaged.

The videos from Texas show how powerful and dangerous the weather can be. It’s a reminder that we need to be ready and know what’s going on when bad weather happens. People who live in places that got hit should pay attention to the weather alerts and listen to what the local people in charge say to stay safe.

As the middle of the US deals with the damage from the storm, it’s really important for everyone to help each other out. Rebuilding and fixing things will need everyone to work together and have enough resources. By working together, communities can get through the problems caused by bad weather and be stronger in the future.

Original news source: Large hail seen in Texas after storms hit central US (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, have them summarize the main points of the article in 3-5 sentences. Each group can then share their summary with the rest of the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down 10-15 key vocabulary words from the article on separate cards or pieces of paper. Divide the class into two teams. One person from each team will come to the front of the class and pick a word. Without speaking, they must draw a picture to represent the word while their team tries to guess what it is. The team that guesses correctly gets a point. Continue until all the words have been guessed or time runs out.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Assign each group a topic related to the article, such as “increased tornado frequency” or “community rebuilding efforts.” Have each group discuss the pros and cons of their assigned topic, considering both the positive and negative aspects. Each group can then present their findings to the class and engage in a class discussion.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about a time when they experienced bad weather or a natural disaster. Give them a few minutes to reflect on their experience. Then, have them pair up with a partner and share their stories. Afterward, ask a few volunteers to share their partner’s story with the class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students work individually or in pairs to make predictions about the future of weather patterns and natural disasters. They can consider questions such as “Will tornadoes become more frequent?” or “How will communities prepare for future storms?” Encourage them to use their knowledge from the article and their own ideas. Afterward, have a class discussion where students share their predictions and reasons behind them.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What types of weather did the storm in the United States bring?
2. How big were the hailstones that hit Texas?
3. Why were 8 million Americans told to watch out for tornadoes?
4. How did the hailstones cause damage to houses and cars?
5. Why are scientists and weather experts studying the patterns of tornadoes?
6. What do the videos from Texas show about the weather?
7. Why is it important for people to pay attention to weather alerts and listen to local authorities during bad weather?
8. Why is it important for communities to work together after a storm?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A really strong (1)______ hit the middle of the United States recently, causing tornadoes, heavy rain, and big floods. Texas got hit with hail that was as big as golf (2)______ because of the storm. Because of this crazy (3)______, at least 8 million (4)______ were told to watch out for tornadoes.

The storm caused a lot of damage and messed up things in the areas it hit. The hail was especially bad and wrecked houses and cars. The hailstones were as big as golf balls, so they did a lot of damage when they hit things. The people in charge told everyone to be (5)______ and protect themselves and their stuff.

The bad weather has made people worry about tornadoes happening more often and being stronger in the (6)______ States. Scientists and weather (7)______ are studying these patterns to (8)______ out why they happen and what they can do. They want to be better at predicting (9)______ and (10)______ ready for them so that not as many people get hurt or things get damaged.

The videos from Texas show how (11)______ and dangerous the weather can be. It’s a reminder that we need to be ready and know what’s (12)______ on when bad weather happens. People who live in places that got hit should pay attention to the weather alerts and listen to what the local people in charge say to stay safe.

As the middle of the US deals with the damage from the storm, it’s really important for everyone to help each (13)______ out. Rebuilding and fixing (14)______ will need everyone to work together and have enough resources. By working together, communities can get through the problems (15)______ by bad weather and be (16)______ in the future.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a tornado and what kind of damage can it cause?
2. Have you ever experienced a severe storm or natural disaster? How did it make you feel?
3. How would you feel if you were told to watch out for tornadoes in your area?
4. Do you like studying about weather patterns and natural disasters? Why or why not?
5. What do you think scientists can do to better predict tornadoes and protect people?
6. Have you ever seen videos or pictures of powerful storms? How did they make you feel?
7. How do you think people should prepare for bad weather and protect themselves and their belongings?
8. Do you think it’s important for communities to work together during times of natural disasters? Why or why not?
9. How can communities support each other in the aftermath of a severe storm or natural disaster?
10. What resources do you think are necessary for rebuilding and fixing things after a storm?
11. How do you think the recent storm will affect the affected areas in the future?
12. How can individuals contribute to making their communities stronger and more resilient to bad weather?
13. Do you think the frequency and strength of tornadoes are increasing? Why or why not?
14. What precautions do you think people should take when they receive weather alerts?
15. How can technology help in predicting and preparing for severe weather conditions?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. tornadoes
2. hail
3. floods
4. damage
5. patterns
6. predicting
7. communities
8. resources
9. rebuilding
10. powerful
11. alerts
12. scientists
13. weather
14. predicting
15. damaged

Meanings:
(A) People who study the natural world and try to understand how it works
(B) Groups of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common
(C) Telling what will happen in the future based on current information
(D) Broken or harmed in some way
(E) Fixing or constructing something again after it has been damaged or destroyed
(F) Swirling, funnel-shaped storms that can cause a lot of destruction
(G) Harm or destruction caused to something
(H) When there’s too much water and it covers the land
(I) Frozen raindrops that fall from the sky, sometimes as big as golf balls
(J) Regular ways in which something happens or is done
(K) Warnings or signals to be careful or to take action
(L) Supplies or materials needed to do something
(M) Guessing what will happen in the future based on current information
(N) The conditions of the atmosphere at a particular place and time
(O) Having a lot of strength or force
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What kind of weather did the storm bring to the middle of the United States?
(a) Snowstorms and blizzards
(b) Sunny and clear skies
(c) Earthquakes and tsunamis
(d) Tornadoes, heavy rain, and big floods

2. How big were the hailstones that hit Texas?
(a) As big as tennis balls
(b) As big as baseballs
(c) As big as basketballs
(d) As big as golf balls

3. How many Americans were warned about tornadoes because of the storm?
(a) At least 8 million
(b) Only a few hundred
(c) None, because tornadoes didn’t happen
(d) Exactly 1 million

4. What did the hailstones do to houses and cars?
(a) Made them stronger
(b) Wrecked them
(c) Cleaned them
(d) Painted them

5. Why are scientists studying the weather patterns caused by the storm?
(a) To learn how to control the weather
(b) To figure out why tornadoes happen and how to predict them better
(c) To find out if the storm was caused by aliens
(d) To create a new type of storm

6. What should people do when bad weather happens?
(a) Ignore the weather and go outside
(b) Panic and run around
(c) Pay attention to weather alerts and listen to local authorities
(d) Stay inside and watch TV

7. What is important for communities to do after a storm?
(a) Work together and have enough resources to rebuild and fix things
(b) Blame each other and fight
(c) Ignore the damage and move on
(d) Leave the community and never come back

8. What can communities become by working together after a storm?
(a) Weaker in the future
(b) Invisible
(c) Stronger in the future
(d) Disorganized and chaotic

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. By working alone and lacking resources, communities can overcome the challenges caused by severe weather and become more resilient in the future.
2. A weak storm recently hit the middle of the United States, causing tornadoes, heavy rain, and floods.
3. It is insignificant for communities affected by the storm to come together and support each other during the rebuilding process.
4. The storm caused negligible damage to the areas it hit, particularly to houses and cars due to the large hailstones.
5. Scientists and weather experts are studying the weather patterns to understand why tornadoes occur and how to predict them better.
6. Videos from Texas demonstrate the power and danger of severe weather, reminding people to be prepared and informed.
7. Approximately 8 million Americans were warned about the possibility of tornadoes.
8. Texas experienced hail as big as golf balls due to the storm.
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 kind of weather did the storm bring to the middle of the United States?
2. How big were the hailstones that hit Texas?
3. Why are scientists and weather experts studying the patterns of tornadoes?
4. What should people do to stay safe during bad weather?
5. Why is it important for everyone to work together to rebuild and fix things after the storm?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What types of weather did the storm in the United States bring?
The storm brought tornadoes, heavy rain, and big floods.

2. How big were the hailstones that hit Texas?
The hailstones were as big as golf balls.

3. Why were 8 million Americans told to watch out for tornadoes?
8 million Americans were told to watch out for tornadoes because of the storm and the dangerous weather conditions it brought.

4. How did the hailstones cause damage to houses and cars?
The hailstones caused damage to houses and cars because they were as big as golf balls and did a lot of damage when they hit things.

5. Why are scientists and weather experts studying the patterns of tornadoes?
Scientists and weather experts are studying the patterns of tornadoes to figure out why they happen and how to better predict and prepare for them, in order to reduce the number of injuries and damages caused by tornadoes.

6. What do the videos from Texas show about the weather?
The videos from Texas show how powerful and dangerous the weather can be during the storm.

7. Why is it important for people to pay attention to weather alerts and listen to local authorities during bad weather?
It is important for people to pay attention to weather alerts and listen to local authorities during bad weather because it helps them stay informed and take necessary precautions to keep themselves and their belongings safe.

8. Why is it important for communities to work together after a storm?
It is important for communities to work together after a storm because rebuilding and fixing things will require collective effort and resources. By working together, communities can recover from the damage caused by the storm and become stronger in the future.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) storm
(2) balls
(3) weather
(4) Americans
(5) careful
(6) United
(7) experts
(8) figure
(9) tornadoes
(10) getting
(11) powerful
(12) going
(13) other
(14) things
(15) caused
(16) stronger
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. tornadoes
Answer: (F) Swirling, funnel-shaped storms that can cause a lot of destruction

2. hail
Answer: (I) Frozen raindrops that fall from the sky, sometimes as big as golf balls

3. floods
Answer: (H) When there’s too much water and it covers the land

4. damage
Answer: (G) Harm or destruction caused to something

5. patterns
Answer: (J) Regular ways in which something happens or is done

6. predicting
Answer: (C) Telling what will happen in the future based on current information

7. communities
Answer: (B) Groups of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common

8. resources
Answer: (L) Supplies or materials needed to do something

9. rebuilding
Answer: (E) Fixing or constructing something again after it has been damaged or destroyed

10. powerful
Answer: (O) Having a lot of strength or force

11. alerts
Answer: (K) Warnings or signals to be careful or to take action

12. scientists
Answer: (A) People who study the natural world and try to understand how it works

13. weather
Answer: (N) The conditions of the atmosphere at a particular place and time

14. predicting
Answer: (M) Guessing what will happen in the future based on current information

15. damaged
Answer: (D) Broken or harmed in some way
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What kind of weather did the storm bring to the middle of the United States?
Answer: (d) Tornadoes, heavy rain, and big floods

2. How big were the hailstones that hit Texas?
Answer: (d) As big as golf balls

3. How many Americans were warned about tornadoes because of the storm?
Answer: (a) At least 8 million

4. What did the hailstones do to houses and cars?
Answer: (b) Wrecked them

5. Why are scientists studying the weather patterns caused by the storm?
Answer: (b) To figure out why tornadoes happen and how to predict them better

6. What should people do when bad weather happens?
Answer: (c) Pay attention to weather alerts and listen to local authorities

7. What is important for communities to do after a storm?
Answer: (a) Work together and have enough resources to rebuild and fix things

8. What can communities become by working together after a storm?
Answer: (c) Stronger in the future
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. By working alone and lacking resources, communities can overcome the challenges caused by severe weather and become more resilient in the future. (Answer: False)
2. A weak storm recently hit the middle of the United States, causing tornadoes, heavy rain, and floods. (Answer: False)
3. It is insignificant for communities affected by the storm to come together and support each other during the rebuilding process. (Answer: False)
4. The storm caused negligible damage to the areas it hit, particularly to houses and cars due to the large hailstones. (Answer: False)
5. Scientists and weather experts are studying the weather patterns to understand why tornadoes occur and how to predict them better. (Answer: True)
6. Videos from Texas demonstrate the power and danger of severe weather, reminding people to be prepared and informed. (Answer: True)
7. Approximately 8 million Americans were warned about the possibility of tornadoes. (Answer: True)
8. Texas experienced hail as big as golf balls due to the storm. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧