Feature Article

Building Background Typhoons, willy-willies, hurricanes Hurricanes can whirl from 50 to 500 miles in diameter. They can contain sustained winds of 100 miles per hour and wind gusts of 200 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center is responsible for forecasting & tracking hurricanes in the USA.

CONNECT 2 UR LIFE Dangerous Jobs: a.) police officer b.) firefighter c.) soldier d.) snake handler e.) high-rise construction worker Do you anyone in these jobs? What dangerous jobs are you interested in? Why?

KEY 2 THE ARTICLE Feature Article  tells about an interesting person or event.

WORDS 2 KNOW Satellite n. man-made object that circles the earth Navigator n. person who plans and records where an airplane flies Parachutes n. equipment that slows a person’s fall from an airplane

SYNONYMS Words with almost the same meanings. Example: big = large

Pages 58-59, lines 1-35

VOCABULARY Line 11: will hit Line 22: number one Line 25: pounding wind and rain Synonyms  risk =

QUESTIONS Why do you think the writer made each heading a question? to encourage readers to read the section to find the answer Why Fly into a hurricane? Isn’t Hurricane Hunting Dangerous? Who are the Hurricane Hunter?

QUESTIONS What is the main idea of the section “Isn’t Hurricane Hunting Dangerous?” There is a danger, but the crew is very safety conscious. What are the supporting details? Winds reach 200 miles an hour, but it’s safe because the crew knows what to do

THINK IT THROUGH Why do some people fly planes into a hurricane? to learn more about the storm.

Pages 60-61, lines 36-67

VOCABULARY Line 39: walk of life = the rest of the time they have other jobs Line 49: surviving = living Line 53: dropsonde = equipment, tube

QUESTIONS What are the jobs of the people in the plane? Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer, weather expert. Why do hurricanes hunters use the WC-130 Hercules? Because it’s strong, built to take very bad weather, and contains special equipment.

QUESTIONS What a dropsonde does? It falls through the eye of the hurricane and gathers information about the strength, speed, and direction of the hurricane. What kind of information do Hurricane Hunters get? How do they use it? Strength, speed, and direction of the storm; they radio their information to weather stations that warn people of the storm’s approach.

Page 62, lines 68-79

QUESTIONS Summarize the first two paragraphs to explain how hurricane hunting got started. A pilot flew into a hurricane on a dare; he then took notes on the hurricane. This started the profession.

THINK IT THROUGH What does it take to be a Hurricane Hunter? Why do you think a person would want to become a Hurricane Hunter? Do you have what it takes to be a Hurricane Hunter? Why or why not?

ANSWERS Summarize the list on page 63. He or she must be interested in weather, helping people, taking risks, and so on.