ADVANCED 2 – BRITANICO GOLD – READING TASK – FEB 2022

You are going to read an article about weather forecasting. For questions 31-35, choose the answer (A,
B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Weather forecasting 31. The weather, according to the first

paragraph,
Cyclones in India, hurricanes in the Caribbean –severe weather events A. helps us make every-day
make news headlines almost weekly. Yet even in Britain, which has decisions.
comparatively few climate extremes, the country is still governed by the B. is more important for British
weather. If it’s pouring with rain, the British might stay indoors or go to the people.
cinema; if it’s fine they’ll have a picnic. Most people nervously study the C. cannot be predicted without
weather forecast the evening before if they’ve got an important the weather forecast.
appointment the following day. Even if they have nothing planned, the D. always creates unnecessary
weather often affects their mood. anxiety.
For individuals, the worst that can usually happen if the weather catches
them on the hop is that they get wet. For business, the effects are far 32. The effect that the weather has on
more serious. Airlines and shipping companies need to avoid severe businesses
weather and storm-force conditions. Power companies need to make sure A. is not as dramatic as the effect
they can supply the demand for electricity in cold weather; farmers plan it has on individuals.
their harvests around the forecast and food manufacturers increase their B. might be dramatic for a
production of salads and other summer foods when fine weather is number of reasons.
promised. C. is similar to the effect it has on
individuals.
So who or what do meteorologists – weather forecasters as they are more D. has changed over the last few
commonly known – rely on when it comes to producing a forecast? Ninety years.
percent of the information comes from weather satellites, the first of which
was launched into space nearly forty years ago. Up until then, forecasters
had relied on human observers to provide details of developing weather 33. What is the most important source
systems. As a result, many parts of the world where there were few of information to predict the
humans around, especially the oceans, were information-free weather weather?
areas. Today, however, satellites can watch weather patterns developing A. Weather balloons
everywhere. In the UK, meteorologists have also relied on releasing four B. Human observers
weather balloons a day from eight fixed sites. They measure wind, C. Weather satellites
temperature and humidity as they rise upwards to a height of about D. Professional meteorologists
26,000 metres.

Some commercial aircraft can also be fitted with a range of forecasting 34. A downside of using commercial
instruments although this system has certain disadvantages. For aircraft to predict the weather is
example, a flight might not provide much information about the weather that
on more out-of-the way routes. However, it gives a great deal of A. it does not predict rain
information regarding the weather on popular routes, such as London to direction in busy places.
New York. Instruments aboard ships can also supply basic weather B. the information about big cities
information as well as important data on wave height. Generally, the is not reliable.
range of these instruments is fairly limited but they can indicate which C. the data collected is always
direction rain is coming from, how low the cloud is and give an idea of too elemental.
when the weather system will reach land. D. little is known about places
where few people live.
One forecaster who has made a name for himself is a man called Piers
Corbyn, who bases his forecasts on watching the Sun. More forecasters 35. Piers Corbyn has been very
will offer forecasts for only 10 days ahead, but Corbyn’s forecasts are for successful because his predictions
11 months. Although most meteorologists believe that there is no A. are supported by scientific
scientific basis for his work, Corbyn’s forecasts are used by insurance research.
companies who want to plan months in advance. B. are more reliable because it is
based on the sun.
C. help some businesses to
make decisions.
D. are more accurate than short-
term forecasting.