10 Topics for exams - topic9.


                                     6.

                      I don’t believe weather forecast



         Countless man hours and millions of dollars have been invested in
weather satellites, weather radar, and remote sensors to generate
sophisticated computer models of the world's atmosphere to make detailed
weather forecasts. So what do I get when I tune into the news to find out
the weather?
        "Tomorrow there's a chance it'll be partly cloudy with highs from
mid, to upper 80's"
         What  is "partly cloudy" supposed to mean? When is it not partly
cloudy? Even if it is, or isn't, does it really matter? Does anyone really
need to be reminded that it will be partly cloudy tomorrow? As ambiguous as
the phrase is, they water it down even more with the word "chance." How
useful is it to know that there's a chance it'll be partly cloudy on any
given day (as opposed to all those other days when there isn't a chance
it'll be partly cloudy)? Weather men use the phrase "partly cloudy" as a
buffer every chance they get. Don't believe me? Just tune into a weather
forecast. Chances are you'll hear the phrase at least 3 or more times.
         When the use of the phrase "partly cloudy" has been exhausted,
they turn to yet another empty phrase, or the phrase "mostly sunny" in
particular.
         The inverse of "partly cloudy" is "mostly sunny." So what new
information have they given us? Nothing. Not a single thing. You want to
find out the weather? Look out the window.
         As for meteorology and other “weather” lores I think that, as it’s
not a precise science but something that is based on guessworks.
         And, truthly speaking, there are only two weather clues for me.
The first one means that whenever I take my umbrella with me without
noticing weather forecast the weather will inevitably be fine and dry all
day long.
         And the second one is that if I listen to Madonna’s “Rain” it
would be stormy wind and rain several hours later. May be it’s fun, but it
works!

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