●  Useful Expressions

A lovely day, isn’t it? 

Beautiful/nice/lovely/wonderful/awful weather, isn’t it?

How’s the weather today?

I think it’s starting to snow.

What’s the weather like today?

How was the weather during your vacation?

It looks like spring is coming soon.

What’s the weather like in your hometown/country?

It’s quite nice/warm/mild, etc.

It’s very cold/hot/dry/damp/muggy/windy/foggy, etc.

It isn’t too hot in summer, but it’s rather cold in winter.

Sometimes the temperature drops to 20 degrees below zero.

What’s the weather forecast for today?

It’s 15 (degrees) Centigrade.

It’s 35 (degrees) Fahrenheit.

It’s 3 (degrees) below zero.

●  Practice the following situations, using the expressions provided above.

    Situation 1

Students A and B are planning to play basketball on the playground. Just as they arrive at the playground to join the others, it begins to rain. Student A complains about the bad weather and Student B cheers him up.

* suggested dialogue:

A: Hi, Li Ming. Are you ready for a game of basketball on the playground?

B: Yes, let’s go.

A: Look! There are so many people playing there. Let’s be quick and join in.

B: Wang Hai, do you feel rain?

A: Yes, a little. I remember the weather forecast said showers in the afternoon.

B: It looks like  heavy rain is coming soon.

A: Too bad. Rainy weather really makes me grumpy.

B: Oh, cheer up! Anyhow, we haven’t had rainy weather for a long time. We can play basketball some other day.

 Situation 2

Student A circles a job from the box below that sounds interesting.

Jobs to Choose From

Student B asks Student A the following questions.

1) What is the weather like today? Is it suitable for your job?

2) What special clothes are you wearing today?

3) Do people care much about the weather in your profession?

4) Does the weather help you do your job well or does it make it harder?

5) What’s the best kind of weather for your job?

* suggested dialogue:

A: What’s the weather like today?

B: It’s sunny.

A: Is it suitable for your job?

B: Yes, it’s the perfect day for a policeman.

A: What special clothes are you wearing today?

B: I’m wearing my uniform.

A: Do people care much about the weather in your profession?

B: No, not that much.

A: Does the weather help you do your job well or does it make it harder?

B: Generally speaking, as a policeman, good weather helps me do my job well. 

A: What’s the best kind of weather for your job?

B: I think clear days are the best kind of weather for me.

●  Discuss the following talking points in groups.

1) What’s your favorite season and why?

* suggested answer:

My favorite season is spring. In spring, the weather is pleasant. It is not too hot or too cold. Sometimes it rains, but not very hard. Rain helps all the trees and grass grow.

2) Do you think bad weather affects people’s daily life? If so, how? 

* suggested answer:

Yes, I think weather affects people’s daily life, whether good or bad. Bad weather often causes natural disasters and accidents, even kills people and makes people homeless.

3) Have you ever been caught in  bad weather? If so, what did you do?

* suggested answer:

Yes. Once I was caught in  heavy rain out on the street. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my umbrella with me. I had to stay in a convenience store for almost two hours. Finally, the rain stopped and I walked back home.