B1 Lesson 6: Past Simple + Extreme Weather

VOCABULARY – EXTREME WEATHER

• earthquake – terremoto
Example: The earthquake damaged many buildings.

• flood – inundación
Example: The flood covered the streets with water.

• lightning – relámpago
Example: We saw bright lightning during the storm.

• snowstorm – tormenta de nieve
Example: The snowstorm stopped traffic completely.

• tornado – tornado
Example: The tornado destroyed several houses.

• blow – soplar
Example: Strong winds blew all night.

• fall down – caerse
Example: A tree fell down during the storm.

• flow – fluir
Example: Water flowed through the streets after the rain.

• pour – llover mucho / verter
Example: Rain poured for hours yesterday.

• rise – subir
Example: The water level rose very quickly.

• shock – sorprender / conmocionar
Example: The disaster shocked the whole country.

Say each word out loud.
Think about real examples from the news or your country.

GRAMMAR – PAST SIMPLE

We use the past simple to talk about finished actions in the past.

• Add -ed to regular verbs
• Some verbs are irregular

We often use time expressions like:

• yesterday
• last night
• last week
• two years ago

Examples

• The earthquake happened last night.
• Heavy rain poured all day.
• The river rose very quickly.
• Strong winds blew through the town.

• A tree fell down during the storm.
• Water flowed into people’s homes.
• The snowstorm closed the roads.
• The disaster shocked everyone.

More Examples

• Last year, a flood damaged many houses near the river.
• We saw lightning, and the lights went out.
• The tornado destroyed several buildings.
• The wind blew so strongly that signs fell down.

DIALOGUE – AFTER THE STORM

Anna: Did you hear about the tornado yesterday?
Mark: Yes, it shocked everyone in the town.

Anna: What happened exactly?
Mark: Strong winds blew for hours, and several trees fell down.

Anna: Was there any flooding?
Mark: Yes, water flowed into the streets because the river rose so quickly.

Anna: That sounds terrible.
Mark: It really was.

Read again and practise.

SHORT ARTICLE

Last winter, a terrible snowstorm hit my city. Snow fell heavily, and strong winds blew all night. Many trees fell down, and traffic stopped completely. A few weeks later, heavy rain poured for several days, and the river rose quickly. Soon, water flowed into homes and shops, causing a serious flood. Fortunately, nobody died, but the situation shocked many people. Some residents said it was the worst weather they had ever experienced.

Read the article twice. Focus on the past simple verbs.

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

Talking about past disasters

• The earthquake damaged many buildings.
• The tornado destroyed houses.
• The river rose quickly.

Talking about storms

• Rain poured all night.
• Strong winds blew through the town.
• Several trees fell down.

Talking about reactions

• The disaster shocked everyone.
• People felt scared after the flood.

Full sentence model

• During the storm, strong winds blew, trees fell down, and water flowed into the streets.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

Answer in full sentences.

• Have you ever experienced a flood or snowstorm?
• Have you ever seen lightning very close to you?
• What natural disasters are common in your country?
• Have strong winds ever blown things around your area?
• Have you ever seen something fall down during bad weather?
• Did heavy rain ever pour for many hours in your city?
• Have you ever felt shocked by weather news?
• What was the worst storm you ever experienced?
• Do you think climate change is causing more extreme weather? Why?
• What should people do during an earthquake or tornado?

HOMEWORK (WRITE & RECORD)

Writing

Write 8 sentences about an extreme weather event:

• Use the past simple in every sentence
• Use at least 8 vocabulary words from the lesson