The weather in the UK is changing. The north, which is usually wet, is now very dry. But the south, which is usually dry, has had lots of rain. Because of the dry weather, farmers and nature in the north could have problems. A farmer in North Wales is worried because he might lose his crops. Experts say that nature is also having trouble because of the dry weather. But people in the UK probably won’t have to worry about not having enough water to drink or use in their homes.
However, people in the southeast of the UK should still be careful. The recent hot weather may have used up a lot of water. The experts don’t know if the changes in the weather are because of climate change, but they are studying it. Maps show that rivers in the south of England and Wales have a lot of water, but those in Scotland and the north of England don’t. Some rivers in Scotland have the lowest amount of water they’ve had in a long time. Because of the lack of water, there have been big fires in Scotland and Wales.
A farmer in North Wales has noticed that the hot weather is causing problems. He has to make sure his chickens have enough water and that they don’t get too hot. He also has to hope that it rains enough for his crops to grow. The farmer knows that the weather is changing and is trying to adapt. He says that the countryside also looks drier and less green than normal. The Wildlife Trusts say that the dry weather is also causing problems for wildlife. For example, less rain could mean fewer insects and problems for young fish. They say that if the UK doesn’t have a drought this year, it is because of luck and not because the UK has done the right things to avoid a drought.
Original news source: South rainier than north as UK weather trend flips (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– “UK Weather Change Storytelling”
Instructions: Ask students to retell the story in their own words. This will help them to practice their speaking and comprehension skills.
– “Vocabulary Charades”
Instructions: Write down keywords from the article on slips of paper (e.g., “farmer”, “drought”, “crops”, “wildlife”). Students take turns picking a slip of paper and acting out the word without speaking, while the rest of the class guesses the word.
– “Adaptation Roleplay”
Instructions: Have students role-play a scenario where they are farmers in North Wales, experiencing the changes described in the article. They must discuss and plan how they would adapt to the changing weather conditions.
– “Word Pronunciation Practice”
Instructions: Select some difficult or uncommon words from the article (e.g., “drought”, “wildlife”, “countryside”). Have students practice saying the words out loud to improve pronunciation.
– “Sentence Construction”
Instructions: Provide students with a list of key words from the article (e.g., “weather”, “dry”, “rain”, “farmer”, “crops”). Ask them to construct their own sentences using these words, encouraging them to use different sentence structures to expand their grammar skills.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is happening to the weather in the UK?
2. How is the dry weather in the north affecting farmers and nature?
3. What is a farmer in North Wales worried about?
4. Why should people in the southeast of the UK be careful?
5. What do the maps show about the rivers in England and Wales?
6. What problems is the farmer in North Wales having because of the hot weather?
7. What does the countryside look like now because of the weather change?
8. How could less rain affect insects and young fish?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The weather in the UK is changing. The north, which is usually wet, is now very (1)______. But the south, which is usually dry, has had lots of rain. Because of the dry weather, farmers and nature in the north could have problems. A farmer in North Wales is worried because he might lose his (2)______. Experts say that nature is also having trouble because of the dry weather. But people in the UK probably won’t have to worry about not having enough water to drink or use in their homes.
However, people in the southeast of the UK should still be careful. The recent hot weather may have used up a lot of (3)______. The experts don’t know if the changes in the weather are because of climate change, but they are studying it. Maps show that rivers in the south of England and Wales have a lot of water, but those in Scotland and the north of England don’t. Some rivers in Scotland have the lowest amount of water they’ve had in a long time. Because of the lack of water, there have been big fires in Scotland and (4)______.
A farmer in North Wales has noticed that the hot weather is causing problems. He has to make sure his chickens have enough water and that they don’t get too hot. He also has to hope that it rains enough for his crops to grow. The farmer knows that the weather is changing and is trying to adapt. He says that the countryside also looks drier and less green than normal. The Wildlife Trusts say that the dry weather is also causing problems for (5)______. For example, less rain could mean fewer insects and problems for young fish. They say that if the UK doesn’t have a (6)______ this year, it is because of luck and not because the UK has done the right things to avoid a (7)______.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. How does the weather feel like where you live? Is it hot or cold?
2. What happens when it rains a lot?
3. What happens when there is no rain?
4. How does dry weather make a farmer feel? Why?
5. What can happen to animals when it’s very hot and dry?
6. Do you think the weather is changing where you live? How?
7. When there is not enough water, what can happen to the rivers?
8. What do you do when it’s very hot?
9. What do you think about the weather in UK right now?
10. Have you ever seen a big fire? How did it make you feel?
11. What can we do to help when there’s not enough water?
12. If you were a farmer, what would you do when the weather is too hot?
13. What can happen to the fish when there is not enough rain?
14. How does the countryside look when it is very dry?
15. What can we do to keep the weather good?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Weather
2. Dry
3. Rain
4. Farmer
5. Crops
6. Climate change
7. Rivers
8. Wildlife
Shuffled Meanings:
A) Things that grow from the ground that people and animals eat
B) Animals and plants that live in the wild
C) The air and sky around us, like when it’s sunny, rainy, or cloudy
D) Big streams of water that flow across the land
E) When there is no water or moisture
F) Changes in the weather patterns over a long time, which can cause problems
G) A person who grows food on a big piece of land
H) Water that falls from the sky when it’s cloudy
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is happening to the weather in the UK?
(a) It is always raining
(b) The north is getting drier and the south is getting wetter
(c) It is always sunny
(d) It is always snowing
2. Who might have problems because of the dry weather in the north?
(a) The farmers and nature
(b) The people in the cities
(c) The people in the south
(d) The people in the southeast
3. What might happen to the farmer in North Wales because of the dry weather?
(a) He might lose his crops
(b) He might have too much water
(c) He might have too many insects
(d) He might have too much rain
4. What is happening to the rivers in Scotland and the north of England?
(a) They have too much water
(b) They have the same amount of water as always
(c) They are overflowing
(d) They are drying up
5. What problems is the farmer in North Wales facing because of the hot weather?
(a) His chickens might get too cold
(b) His crops might not grow
(c) His chickens might get too wet
(d) His crops might get too much water
6. What does the Wildlife Trusts say about the dry weather?
(a) It is good for wildlife
(b) It is causing problems for wildlife
(c) It is not affecting wildlife
(d) It is helping wildlife grow
7. What could happen if there is less rain?
(a) There could be more insects
(b) There could be more fish
(c) There could be fewer insects and problems for young fish
(d) There could be more water for the farmers
8. Why might the UK not have a drought this year, according to the Wildlife Trusts?
(a) Because the UK has done the right things to avoid a drought
(b) Because the UK is always wet
(c) Because the UK is always dry
(d) Because of luck
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The north of the UK is very wet now.
2. The south of the UK has had a lot of rain.
3. People in the UK are worried about not having enough water to drink.
4. Some rivers in Scotland have a lot of water.
5. There have been big fires in Scotland and Wales.
6. A farmer in North Wales is worried about his chickens getting too hot.
7. The countryside looks greener than normal.
8. The Wildlife Trusts say that more rain could mean fewer insects.
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 is happening to the weather in the UK?
2. Why is the farmer in North Wales worried?
3. What problems can the dry weather cause for nature?
4. What should people in the southeast of the UK be careful about?
5. How is the hot weather affecting the farmer’s chickens and crops?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What is happening to the weather in the UK?
The weather in the UK is changing. The north is becoming dry and the south is getting a lot of rain.
2. How is the dry weather in the north affecting farmers and nature?
The dry weather is causing problems for farmers and nature in the north. Farmers might lose their crops and nature is having trouble too.
3. What is a farmer in North Wales worried about?
The farmer in North Wales is worried that he might lose his crops because of the dry weather.
4. Why should people in the southeast of the UK be careful?
People in the southeast of the UK should be careful because the recent hot weather may have used up a lot of water.
5. What do the maps show about the rivers in England and Wales?
The maps show that the rivers in the south of England and Wales have a lot of water, but the rivers in Scotland and the north of England don’t have much water.
6. What problems is the farmer in North Wales having because of the hot weather?
The hot weather is causing problems for the farmer in North Wales. He has to make sure his chickens have enough water and that they don’t get too hot. He also hopes it rains enough for his crops to grow.
7. What does the countryside look like now because of the weather change?
Because of the weather change, the countryside looks drier and less green than normal.
8. How could less rain affect insects and young fish?
Less rain could mean there are fewer insects and it could cause problems for young fish.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. dry
2. crops
3. water
4. Wales
5. wildlife
6. drought
7. drought
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Weather
Answer: C) The air and sky around us, like when it’s sunny, rainy, or cloudy
2. Dry
Answer: E) When there is no water or moisture
3. Rain
Answer: H) Water that falls from the sky when it’s cloudy
4. Farmer
Answer: G) A person who grows food on a big piece of land
5. Crops
Answer: A) Things that grow from the ground that people and animals eat
6. Climate change
Answer: F) Changes in the weather patterns over a long time, which can cause problems
7. Rivers
Answer: D) Big streams of water that flow across the land
8. Wildlife
Answer: B) Animals and plants that live in the wild
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is happening to the weather in the UK?
Answer: (b) The north is getting drier and the south is getting wetter
2. Who might have problems because of the dry weather in the north?
Answer: (a) The farmers and nature
3. What might happen to the farmer in North Wales because of the dry weather?
Answer: (a) He might lose his crops
4. What is happening to the rivers in Scotland and the north of England?
Answer: (d) They are drying up
5. What problems is the farmer in North Wales facing because of the hot weather?
Answer: (b) His crops might not grow
6. What does the Wildlife Trusts say about the dry weather?
Answer: (b) It is causing problems for wildlife
7. What could happen if there is less rain?
Answer: (c) There could be fewer insects and problems for young fish
8. Why might the UK not have a drought this year, according to the Wildlife Trusts?
Answer: (d) Because of luck
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The north of the UK is very wet now.
Answer: False
2. The south of the UK has had a lot of rain.
Answer: True
3. People in the UK are worried about not having enough water to drink.
Answer: False
4. Some rivers in Scotland have a lot of water.
Answer: False
5. There have been big fires in Scotland and Wales.
Answer: True
6. A farmer in North Wales is worried about his chickens getting too hot.
Answer: True
7. The countryside looks greener than normal.
Answer: False
8. The Wildlife Trusts say that more rain could mean fewer insects.
Answer: False
Go back to questions ⇧
