All four seasons in 2012 is impossible, but 2011 does provide a good

Starting point. The earth’s complex atmosphere includes large-scale global

patterns and phenomena such as La Niña and El Niño, and last year saw

Many of these coming together at the right time (which, of course, means

The wrong time) to create a historic season of heartache and havoc. The

Numbers, as compiled by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

Were jaw-dropping. In one three-day stretch in April, 343 tornadoes

Struck in a swath from Alabama to Virginia. Precipitation in the Ohio

Valley exceeded normal levels by 300%, leading to flooding along the Mississippi

River. Drought-fuelled wildfires burned more than a million acres in

Texas alone. State and federal budgets, already stretched tight, took a big

hit. The U.S. saw a dozen or more weather events that did at least $1 billion

each in damage — and $54 billion collectively — according to the NOAA.

(from «Weatherbeaten» by Jim Cantore, Time Magazine, 2012)

1. According to the author what is ≪a relatively recent development≫?

A Five-day forecasts.

B Three-day forecasts.

C Four-day forecasts.

D Five-week forecasts.

2. ≪Jaw-dropping≫ means.

A exciting

B shocking

C turbulent

D gregarious

Where did 343 tornadoes hit the U.S. in April, 2011?

A Alabama and Virginia.

B Alabama and Virginia, among others.

C Ohio Valley.

D Mississippi.

4. What does the word ≪precipitation≫ imply?

A Winds.

B Droughts.

C Rainfall.

D Dangerous weather.

5. What does the phrase ≪already stretched tight≫ mean?

A There is a lot of money.

B There is extra money.

C The budget is endless.

D There are limited funds as it is.

Www.e-ranok.com.ua

Variant 16

What does the number 54 refer to?

A The number of hurricanes.

B Money spent on weather forecasts.

C Casualties.

D Damages.

2 Complete the text with the words from the box.

Contribute beliefs rights posters campaign

Danger suggestions letters world click

≪Women shouldn’t have (1).≫ ≪Women shouldn’t vote.≫

≪Women shouldn’t work.≫ How prevalent are these (2)?

According to a recent United Nations (3), such sexism is

Dispiritingly common, and it’s why they published these sentiments on

A series of (4). The source? These statements were the top

(5) offered by Google’s ≪instant≫ search tool when the words

≪Women shouldn’t…≫ were typed into its search box. Google Instant is

an ≪autocomplete≫ service — which, as the name suggests, automatically

Suggests (6) and words to complete a query, based on

The company’s knowledge of the billions of searches performed across

The world each day.

The greatest (7) is the degree to which an instantaneous

Answer-generator has the power not only to reflect but also to remould

What the (8) believes — and to do so beneath the level of

Conscious debate. Autocomplete is coming to be seen as a form of prophecy,

Complete with a self-fulfilling invitation to (9) and agree.

Yet by letting an algorithm finish our thoughts, we (10) to

A feedback loop that potentially reinforces untruths and misconceptions

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