しんごさん、日本もそうですが、アメリカは特に規模の大きい自然災害が多いです。

ハリケーンもそうですし、竜巻の規模も。

↑ハリケーン(台風の目と同じ)積乱雲の塊です。

↑かなとこ雲。積乱雲の一種です。

↑ろうと雲。積乱雲です。下のしっぽが地面に接すると竜巻です。

 

今回は気象についてです。

 

 

1 There are some ways of understanding the weather.

 

 

2 To study the clouds is one of them.

 

 

3 No two clouds in the sky are the same, but it is still possible to group clouds and to give them names.

 

 

4 You can learn to recognize the different kinds of clouds and watch how they move across the sky.

 

 

5 As a rule, as the clouds are higher, the weather is better, and as the clouds are lower, the weather is worse.

 

 

6 To predict the weather, you should look for three characteristics of clouds: movement, color, and change.

 

 

7 Clouds can tell you that a storm is on the way.

 

 

8 For example, cirrus clouds are high, thin, and airy.

 

 

9 If they become thick and move lower, this means rain is on the way.

 

10 Cumulus clouds are puffy clouds that look like balls of cotton.

 

 

11 If they get bigger early in the day, then you know it will rain.

 

 

 

 

12 If there’s a sudden cool breeze and a dark thunderclouds appears, then a storm is going to break out.

 

 

13 Clouds are not only signs of storms and rain.

 

 

14 They may also be signs of good weather.

 

15 Cirrus clouds may stay high in the sky and move very slowly.

 

16 This means it’s going to be fine weather.

 

 

17 Clouds are a sign of changing weather.

 

 

18 They can tell many things to you.

 

 

19 If you know a little more about them, you’ll become weather-wise.

 

 

 

方法→ways                                 still→ それでも

group→分類する                           recognize→認識する

different→異なる                            kind of~→ 「~の種類」

watch→ 観察する                            as a rule→一般的に

highの比較級→higher                        goodの比較級→better

lowの比較級→lower                          badの比較級→worse

predict→予測する                           look for~→「~を探す」

characteristics→特徴                動き(moveの名詞形)→movement

変化→change                                  be on the way→「近づいている」

巻雲→cirrus                                 thin→薄い

airy→軽やか                                 thick→ 分厚い

cumulus→                                ふわふわした→puffy

look like~ → 「~のように見える」               cotton→ 綿

get bigger→ より大きくなる               early in the day→ 日の早いうちに

sudden →突然                             cool →冷たい

breeze →風                                 thundercloud→雷雲

現れる→appear                               storm→嵐

兆し、徴候、サイン、前触れ→ sign            weather-wise→天気をよく当てる人