Unlocking Word
Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. convey
(v.) [kuhn-vey] – to communicate or make something known; to pass information
Example: The media should convey important
information quickly and accurately.
2. meteorologist
(n.) [mee-tee-uh-rol-uh-jist] – a specialist who studies processes in the earth's atmosphere
that cause weather conditions
Example: A broadcast meteorologist is the one
who interprets and reports the weather for television.
3. alternate
(v.) [v. awl-ter-neyt, al-] – to use or do something successively or one after the other
Example: My friend alternates school at
daytime and work at nighttime.
4. destructive
(adj.) [dih-struhk-tiv] – causing harm, destruction or damage
Example: The destructive storm caused a
billion-dollar worth of damage.
5. convention
(n.) [kuhn-ven-shuhn] – a practice or procedure followed by a group of people
Example: By convention, driving is prohibited
for people under 18 years old.
Article
Read the text below.
Storms hitting the US are identified by people’s
name like Irene or Jose. These names come from a fixed list of names made by
the National Hurricane Center in Florida. But storm naming did not start out
this way.
Before World War II (WWII), storms were named
based on their latitudinal and longitudinal origin. However, the names were
easily forgotten and were difficult to convey
to the people. To solve this, meteorologists
during WWII named storms after their wives or their girlfriends. This
system, originally used for Pacific storms, was eventually used for Atlantic
storms.
In 1950, the National Weather Service followed
the alphabet in naming storms. Able, Baker and Charlie are some examples.
After three years, only female names were used retaining the alphabetical
arrangement. In 1979, forecasters started to include male names, alternating them with the female
names.
Today, the National Hurricane Center publishes a
list of 21 names at the beginning of the Atlantic storm season, and this list
is used after every six years. The list, which is in alphabetical order, also
includes French and Spanish names.
However, names of largely destructive
storms are removed and changed to give due respect to the victims and for
historical purposes. For instance, the name Katrina, the hurricane which
destroyed New Orleans in Louisiana in 2005, is now changed to Katia.
If the number of storms exceeds 21, the center
uses Greek alphabet such Alpha, Beta or Gamma.
Not all geographical areas follow the same naming
convention. Storms in North
Pacific regions are named after flowers, animals and trees. The best names,
however, are the short and unique names, according to the National Weather
Service.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
What
are the advantages and disadvantages of naming calamities after a person’s
name?
·
How
would you feel if your name is used to name a storm or any natural calamity?
Discussion
B
·
What
are the advantages and disadvantages of using only one convention?
·
What
conventions in your country do you want other countries to follow?