activity of text interpretation, aimed at students in the fifth year of elementary school, about the El Niño and La Niña. Are we going to better understand these climatic phenomena? So, read the text carefully! Then answer the various interpretative questions proposed!
You can download this Word comprehension activity in editable Word template, ready to print to PDF and also the activity with answers.
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SCHOOL: DATE:
PROF: CLASS:
NAME:
Read:
In Spanish, boys are called niños and girls, niñas. But when someone talks about El Niño and La Niña, they are talking about two climatic phenomena. The name El Niño – a reference to the baby Jesus – was given by fishermen because it occurs more frequently before Christmas. La Niña, on the other hand, was named after a girl, as it is the opposite of El Niño.
These weather phenomena mess with the climate and oceans, occurring on average every three to four years.
El Niño is an abnormal warming of surface waters in the Tropical Pacific Ocean in conjunction with a weakening of the trade winds. This warming takes place mainly on the coast of Peru, where it affects the work of fishermen, reducing the amount of fish in the region.
Its consequences, however, are felt in different parts of the world. The increase in temperature and the variation in the amount of rainfall are the main effects of the phenomenon.
In Brazil, El Niño decreases rainfall in the north and northeast regions, aggravating droughts and increasing fires in the Amazon rainforest. In the southern region, however, the effect is the opposite: it increases rainfall, causing damage to farmers. In addition, it makes the temperature rise across the country.
La Niña is the opposite phenomenon to El Niño. Instead of warming, there is a cooling of the waters of the Tropical Pacific Ocean, along with increased intensity of the trade winds.
The main effects in our country are: increased rainfall in the northeast region and below normal temperatures in the southeast region in summer, and a drier winter in the south and southeast regions.
In 1982-83 and 1997-98, the most intense manifestations of El Niño ever observed occurred. La Niña manifested itself with greater force in 1988-89, 1995-96 and in 1998-99. La Niña episodes are shorter in duration and less frequent than El Niño episodes.
[…]
Bruno Delecave.
Available in: .(With cuts and adaptations).
Question 1 – In the passage “These weather phenomena mess up the climate and the oceans, occurring on average every three or four years.”, what phenomena is the text referring to?
Question 2 – In “El Niño is an abnormal warming of the surface waters of the Tropical Pacific Ocean in conjunction with weakening of the trade winds.”, the author of the text:
( ) define.
( ) concluded.
( ) exemplifies.
Question 3 – In the part “Its consequences, although, are felt in different parts of the world.”, the highlighted word could be replaced by:
( ) "that's why".
( ) "however".
( ) "therefore".
Question 4 – Identify, according to the text, the effect of El Niño throughout Brazil:
( ) increased rainfall.
( ) decrease in rainfall.
( ) temperature increase.
Question 5 – Transcribe the fragment, in which the author reveals the effects of La Niña in Brazil:
Question 6 – In the segment “In 1982-83 and 1997-98, the most intense manifestations of El Niño occurred already observed.”, the underlined term indicates:
( ) place.
( ) mode.
( ) time.
Question 7 – In the section “The episodes of La Niña last less time and are less frequent than those of El Niño.”, the author:
( ) makes an alert.
( ) expresses an opinion.
( ) establishes a comparison.
By Denyse Lage Fonseca
Graduated in Letters and specialist in distance education.