9–10 CLIL | Weather A2

1 Work in pairs and discuss the questions.

1 Look at the photos. What type of weather can you see in each?
2 Which one is closest to the weather in your country?

2 Read the text. Which climate is the coldest and snowiest?

Climate zones
There are different climatic zones around the world which are controlled by many
geographical factors. If you live near an ocean or a large lake, the weather will often
be warmer and wetter than dry, inland areas. If you live in a mountainous area, your
climate is probably cooler and more extreme than an area at sea level. Read on to
learn about the climate zone you live in.

Polar climates occur in the polar regions, e.g. the Arctic or Alaska,
and in the highest mountains. Here, the temperature can be as low as
-40°C. Because it is always snowy and icy, the ground is always frozen.

In most of Europe and North America you will find a warm

temperate climate. It isn’t too cold in winter (about 10°C) or
too hot in summer (up to about 30°C). People often call this a
Mediterranean climate.

Tropical climates in countries such as Brazil usually

have a high temperature all year round, but it also rains
a lot. Average temperatures are 32°C and annual rainfall
can be as much as 2,000 mm.

Cool temperate climates generally occur south of

the Arctic and across northern Europe and Canada. Here
the winters are longer and colder than in warm climates.

Dry climates have very low rainfall and in some

places it doesn’t rain at all. The daytime temperature
can reach 50°C in summer but in winter this falls to
10–15°C. A desert such as the Sahara has this climate.

Monsoon climates have two seasons – wet and

dry – but it is always warm. If you visit India in June–
September, you will probably experience a thunderstorm
or two, as this is their rainy season.

Finally, some countries have different climates within

them. Australia is one of these with its arid hot desert
in the centre, tropical north and temperate southern
regions. So if you are planning a holiday there, you
should choose your season and destination carefully.

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 9–10 CLIL | Weather A2

3 Order the letters to make a place from the PROJECT

text. Then match 1–6 with a–f.
6 Research a climate zone, either one of
1 raSaah tsreDe 
those mentioned in the text or another
2 ksAala  one that interests you. Work in a group
3 dIani  and find out what the weather is like
4 perEuo  and what the geographical features are,
5 adanCa  etc. Use photos, maps or diagrams to
6 lrzBai  illustrate your findings.

a) monsoon climate  7 Present the information to the class.

b) cool temperate climate 
c) warm temperate climate  VOCABULARY FOCUS
d) tropical climate  annual [adj]:  yearly; over a period of one year
e) dry climate  arid [adj]:  very dry due to lack of rain
cool [adj]:  quite cold
f) polar climate 
destination [n]:  the place where you are going
4 Read the text again. Choose the correct extreme [adj]:  very unusual or severe
word or phrase. occur [v]:  to happen
1 If you live in the mountains, the weather will be temperate [adj]:  mild, neither very hot nor very cold
warmer / colder. zone [n]:  a particular area
2 Polar climates are very cold and have a lot of
snow / wind.
3 Most of Europe has a warm / cool temperate
climate.
4 Deserts always / sometimes have very high
temperatures.
5 Monsoon climates have a lot of thunderstorms in
the rainy / dry season.
6 Australia has a tropical climate zone in the
north / south.

5 Work in pairs and discuss the questions.

1 Which climate zone is your country in? Describe
your usual weather patterns.
2 If you could live anywhere in the world, which
type of climate would you prefer?

DID YOU KNOW?

❍ California’s Death Valley holds the record for the

highest reliably reported air temperature in the
world with 56.7°C in July 1913. Meanwhile, the
coldest place on Earth is the East Antarctica Plateau
which can reach –92°C on a clear winter’s night.

Optimise A2 Optimise A2 Teacher’s Resource Centre © Springer Nature Limited 2019.

This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
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