Part One: Warm Up
Discuss the following questions with a partner or group:
- What happens during a hurricane?
- Where do the names of hurricanes usually come from?
- What parts of the world usually get hurricanes?
- What kinds of damage can hurricanes cause?
Please note that the speakers in this listening use the phrase "to be wiped out" as in "to be completely destroyed."
Part Two: Listening
Exercise
Open Exercise One to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document. Then, go on to Exercise Two. The recording is from ELLLO.
Transcript
So, Ivan, in California we have earthquakes. Do you have any natural disasters in Houston?
Ivan: It floods a lot and we get hurricanes. Houston's called Bayou City. Bayou is kind of like a dirty river. Sometimes it rains a lot, that thing fills up over, and the next thing you know you've got water in your house. Hurricanes are really, really angry typhoons, I think. First hurricane I ever remembered, we name our hurricanes, we give them names, usually girl names, and the first hurricane I remember was back in 1984 named Hurricane Alice, I believe. I was at a soccer camp. It starts raining, oh my God, it's raining. Trees are falling down and cars are kind of being pushed away from the water and stuff. And I'm scared to death that my parents are dead, right? I was only seven years old. So I remember I couldn't remember my phone number, and the camp counselors were trying to look it up and call up. Ring, ring, ring. My mom answers the phone. Are you okay? Are you okay?
Person 1: Yes, Ivan, we're okay. Don't worry about it. It's just a rainstorm. But it was an absolute mess. The next day the soccer field was completely wiped out. They're big, angry storms.
Person 2: How long does a hurricane usually last?
Ivan: Usually about two or three days.
Person 2: Oh, really?
Ivan: They kind of just stay in Houston. They like Houston. Something about the weather patterns, they just float to Houston and stay there.
Person 2: Man, that's pretty intense.
Ivan: Yeah.
Person 2: So afterwards everything's just kind of wiped out?
Ivan: A lot of windows are broken. Like I said, a lot of cars are upside down sometimes. Because the wind is really, really high, plus you've got the water that floats the cars. But it's fun when it stops, because the streets are flooded and you can go swimming and...
Person 2: Swim in the water?
Ivan: Oh, sure, yeah. It's just rainwater.
Person 2: Oh, cool. Thanks.