Từ vựng – Topic 17: Weather

Khi gặp phải chủ đề Thời tiết trong IELTS Speaking, bạn có thể sẽ được hỏi về thời tiết của nước mình hay thời điểm bạn đi du lịch tới một đất nước khác là khi nào. Chúng ta cùng tham khảo một số từ vựng hay hữu dụng cho chủ đề này nhé.

Part 1

Giám khảo: What’s the weather like in your country?

Katie: It’s quite changeable really … we have periods of time with clear blue skies then all of a sudden we’ll have torrential rain.

Giám khảo: Which months have the best weather in your country?

Ernst: Well … I suppose it’s a matter of personal taste really … I like it around the end of October and November … I’m not fond of the heatwaves we often get during the summer … it’s not freezing cold during these months and we still get lots of sunny spells.

Giám khảo: Does it bother you much when it rains?

Junko: It depends … if I get caught in the rain and I get drenched I don’t like it … but I’m a gardener so a drop of rain is good for my plants.

Part 2

Describe a time when you experienced extreme weather conditions.

You should say

• when this was
• where you were
• what the weather was like
• how you felt about the experience.

Sample:

I was studying English in a language school a few years ago … we were in Cornwall in the UK … we’d been enjoying lovely sunny days … not a cloud in the sky … when all of a sudden there was a change in the weather … we were in town walking around the shops when it started to pour down … I’d never seen such heavy rain before … within about 10 minutes the roads were full of water … I think they call it a flash flood … it was like being in the middle of a tropical storm … the water was almost up to my knees … the weather forecast hadn’t predicted it so everyone was taken by surprise … I’m not sure you could call it ‘extreme’ weather as a few hours later it started to clear up … the sun came out and slowly the water level went down … but a lot of people’s houses were flooded so it would have been extreme for them … I found it all quite exciting … in my country we generally have a very mild climate and don’t often get floods like this so it was quite an experience for me.

Part 3

Giám khảo:  Do you think the weather affects how people feel?
Tierre: Absolutely … yes … I don’t mind the occasional cold spell but I think the winter months can make you feel down. I hate having to leave the house in the winter … there’s often a thick fog every morning and we sometimes get bitterly cold winds … the winter certainly makes me feel a little depressed … though having said that … it’s always nice to see the town covered in a blanket of snow.

Giám khảo: Do you think the weather is changing due to global warming?
Ceri: I don’t know if it’s due to global warming or not but the weather in my country is certainly changing … we’ve been getting quite mild winters lately … the temperatures are sometimes below freezing but only occasionally … and then during the summer it can get boiling hot with a lot of older people even suffering from heatstroke.

Giám khảo: In which ways are weather forecasts useful?
Sinita: Well … if you’re planning a trip or going on holiday it’s important to know whether you’ll need to dress up warm or take an umbrella … farmers need to know what the long-range forecast is so they can plan their work … I suppose people who organise outside events need to know as well in case things get rained off.

Glossary

• to be below freezing: dưới không độ C
• bitterly cold: rất lạnh
• a blanket of snow: lớp tuyết dày
• boiling hot: rất nóng
• changeable: thời tiết thất thường
• a change in the weather: khi điều điều kiện thời tiết thay đổi
• clear blue skies: trời quang mây
• to clear up: (trời) quang
• to come out (the sun): (mặt trời) mọc
• a cold spell: đợt thời tiết lạnh
• to dress up warm: mặc ấm
• a drop of rain: mưa nhỏ
• a flash flood: trận lũ quét
• freezing cold: rất lạnh
• to get caught in the rain: khi đang ra ngoài thì trời mưa
• to get drenched: rất ẩm ướt
• heatstroke: say nắng
• a heatwave: nắng nóng
• heavy rain: mưa lớn
• long-range forecast: dự báo thời tiết (trong vài ngày hoặc vài tuần tới)
• mild climate: khí hậu ôn hòa
• mild winter: mùa đông không quá lạnh
• not a cloud in the sky: xem lại ‘clear blue skies’
• to pour down: mưa lớn
• to be rained off: hủy hoặc hoãn lại việc gì do thời tiết xấu
• sunny spells: nắng chói
• thick fog: sương mù dày
• torrential rain: xem lại ‘heavy rain’
• tropical storm: bão nhiệt đới
• weather forecast: dự báo thời tiết

(Nguồn: ieltsspeaking.co.uk)