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Present Tense: General Truth Practice

Talk about weather and climate

El Nino - What is it Anyway?

El Nino is an unusual warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific. It is the pattern of reversing surface air pressure between the eastern and western tropical Pacific. When the surface pressure is high in the eastern tropical Pacific it is low in the western tropical Pacific.

The ocean warming and pressure reversals happen at the same time. The name came from South American fisherman. El Nino is Spanish for "The Christ Child". This weather pattern comes about the time of the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child Christmas.

GLOSSARY

climate (N) – weather patterns for a particular area

pattern (N) – the regular way something happens for several years

pressure (N) – weather: a condition of air that affects Earth's atmosphere; a barometer measures air pressure.

reverse (V) – change direction; reversals (N)

surface (N) – the top layer of an area of water or land

tropical (Adj) – coming from or existing in the hottest parts of the world near the equator, between 23.5° N and 23.5° S latitude

Practice 1

Normal Ocean Current Conditions

Select the verb form.

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check" button.

The water on the surface of the ocean warmer than at the bottom because it heated by the sun.
heated – made hotter

Feedback 1

In the tropical Pacific, winds generally in an easterly direction.

easterly – towards the east

Feedback 2

These winds the surface water toward the west.

Feedback 3

The water up more as it west.

Feedback 4

Along the coast of South America, the warm water from below.

along – next to, in a (long) line in the direction;
coast – where the water meats the ocean

Feedback 5

Deeper colder water from the bottom of the ocean up toward the surface away from the shore.

Feedback 6

This nutrient-rich water the large fish population commonly found in this area.

nutrient (N) – what fish need to live (chemicals or food in the water)
population (N) – a group, those who live in a place— fish, people animals .

Feedback 7

Because of ocean currents, Peruvian fishing grounds one of the five richest in the world.

fishing grounds – a particular area where people are likely to catch fish

Feedback 8

Works Cited

"For Kids Only." NASA. 26 Oct 2004. Web 31 Jan 2014. <http://kids.earth.nasa.gov>.
———"El Nino: Making Sense of Weather." NASA. 22 Jan 2003. Web. 31 Jan 2014. <kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/nino/intro.html>.

Practice 2

What Are Hurricanes?

Select the present or present progressive verb form.

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check" button at the bottom.

9–13.

Most people twisters and tornados are the same. However, tropical twisters from hurricanes . They form when large areas of the ocean heated. The air pressure over that area . This thunderstorms and strong surface winds.

Most people twisters and tornados are the same. However, tropical twisters from hurricanes. They form when large areas of the ocean heated. The air pressure over that area . This thunderstorms and strong surface winds.

14–15.

Cyclones over tropical water ( in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa, or in the Pacific near the equator). They over long distances gathering energy from the ocean.

16–17.

When the winds around a cyclone speeds greater than 74 mph, the cyclone is called a "hurricane" (in the Atlantic and Northeastern Pacific) or a "Typhoon" (in the Pacific). Each year on average, ten cyclones over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. About six of these will strengthen enough to become hurricanes.