Objective Proficiency p 24. Weather Expressions. Extra Gapped sentences 2

Think of ONE word only that can be used appropriately in all three sentences of each exercise.
1.  
a. It's a _________ sort of day across the region with an abundance of clouds, a few showers and a muggy feel to the air. 
b. The river was brown and___________ after the storm. 
c. He had a somewhat _________ past.
2.
a. ___________ conditions are making roads hazardous for drivers in the northeast of England.
b. This afternoon we may see some _________ showers over higher ground.
c. Her greeting was ___________, and she refused to shake my hand
3.
a. There will be rain at first, with sunny __________ later.
b. He's had another of his dizzy __________.
c. A hot day ________ bad news for migraine sufferers.
4.
a. He was touring an eastern area hit by a recent cold _________ when the block of ice fell from an overhead power line. 
b. The gale force winds could ________the trees in two. 
c. I keep a ________ from the latest heavy snowfall. 
5. 
a. Torrential downpours can cause _________ floods.
b. Count the seconds between a __________ of lightning and a clap of thunder and divide by five to estimate how far away in miles the storm is. 
c. In January, he saw a __________ that snow had closed the airport. 



KEY
1. murky
murky: dark and unpleasant because of smoke, fog, etc.  Dark and difficult to see through, especially because of bad light, thick cloud, or dirt in the air or water. (Of a liquid) not clear; dark or dirty with mud or another substance. E.g. a murky night. I couldn't make out the house number in the murky light. She gazed into the murky depths of the water.

murky: describes a situation that is complicated and unpleasant, and about which many facts are not clear. (Of people's actions or character) not clearly known and suspected of not being honest. E.g. He became involved in the murky world of international drug-dealing. I don't want to get into the murky waters of family arguments. The murky world of arms dealing. He is a murky character.

dodgy: /ˈdɒdʒi/ seeming or likely to be dishonest.Suspicious. E.g. He made a lot of money, using some very dodgy methods. I don't want to get involved in anything dodgy. Travel websites that offer dodgy deals have been uncovered in a worldwide investigation. He was a bit of a dodgy character.

shady: seeming to be dishonest or illegal. E.g. a shady businessman/deal. a shady character.

muggy: /ˈmʌɡi/ (of weather) warm and damp in an unpleasant way. E.g. a muggy August day.

close: warm in an uncomfortable way because there does not seem to be enough fresh air. E.g. It’s very close today—I think there’s going to be a storm.

stuffy: /ˈstʌfi/ (of a building, room, etc.) warm in an unpleasant way and without enough fresh air. E.g. a stuffy room It gets very hot and stuffy in here in summer.



2. wintry
wintry /ˈwɪntri/ typical of winter; cold. E.g. wintry weather. A wintry landscape. Wintry showers (=of snow). It looks like this wintry weather is here to stay.
A photograph of your uncle's snow-covered Christmas tree farm shows a wintry scene, and a blustery wind on a February morning will feel wintry.

wintry: not friendly. Deliberately unfriendly. Devoid of warmth and cordiality. E.g. a wintry welcome. She gave a wintry smile.

summery: typical of or suitable for the summer. E.g. summery weather. a light summery dress.



3. spells
spell: a short period of time during which something lasts. E.g a spell of warm weather. A cold/ hot/ wet/ bright, etc. spell. There will be rain at first, with sunny spells later. She went to the doctor complaining of dizzy spells. 

spell something (for somebody/something) to have something, usually something bad, as a result; to mean something, usually something bad. E.g. The crop failure spelt disaster for many farmers. This defeat spelt the end of his hopes of winning the title again. 



4. snap
cold snap: a sudden short period of very cold weather. E.g. Cold snaps do sometimes occur in South Florida, but they usually pass within 48 hours. The cold snap eased on Friday as the jet stream brought mild air.

snap: to break something suddenly with a sharp noise; to be broken in this way. E.g. The storm snapped young trees like matchsticks. Snap the biscuit in two and share it.

snap: (also snapshot) [countable] a photograph, especially one taken quickly. E.g. holiday snaps. 



5. flash 
flash flood: a sudden flood of water caused by heavy rain. A sudden unexpected flood. E.g.
In Kenya, flash floods due to rainfall killed 10 in February. A downpour in Riverside County triggered a flash flood that washed out a road and stranded 14 people in five cars.

flash of lightning: (also bolt of lightning) a sudden bright light that shines for a moment and then disappears. E.g. A second flash of lightning and a roll of thunder immediately after signified the storm was right overhead.

newsflash (also flash) a short item of important news that is broadcast on radio or television, often interrupting a programme. E.g. We interrupt this programme to bring you a newsflash. I saw a flash on tv showing the flooding at some of the restaurants.