Hurricanes
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About Hurricanes
Miami Museum of Science
A tropical cyclone is a storm system that has several thunderstorms and a low pressure center. Depending upon where they are located and their severity, these storms can also be called typhoons, tropical depressions, or hurricanes.
A hurricane is a powerful storm that measures several hundred miles in diameter. Hurricanes have two main parts. The first is the eye of the hurricane; the eye is a calm area in the center of the storm. Usually, the eye of a hurricane measures about 20 miles in diameter, and has very few clouds. The second part is the wall of clouds that surrounds the calm eye. This is where the hurricane's strongest winds and heaviest rain occur.
Hurricanes are born over warm, tropical oceans. Hurricanes are fueled by water vapor that is pushed up from the warm ocean surface, so they can last longer and sometimes move much further over water than over land. The combination of heat and moisture, along with the right wind conditions, can create a new hurricane.
The colors in hurricane radar images show the amount of rain falling in a given area. Each raindrop reflects the energy from the radar. The more raindrops in a certain area, the brighter the color in the radar image of that area. Radar images measure the amount of moisture in the air. The brighter the color on the radar image, the more moisture in the air. The bright red color around the eye indicates the area of heaviest rainfall. The green-colored area has a moderate amount of rain, while the blue areas represent the least amount of rain.
Miami Museum of Science
A tropical cyclone is a storm system that has several thunderstorms and a low pressure center. Depending upon where they are located and their severity, these storms can also be called typhoons, tropical depressions, or hurricanes.
A hurricane is a powerful storm that measures several hundred miles in diameter. Hurricanes have two main parts. The first is the eye of the hurricane; the eye is a calm area in the center of the storm. Usually, the eye of a hurricane measures about 20 miles in diameter, and has very few clouds. The second part is the wall of clouds that surrounds the calm eye. This is where the hurricane's strongest winds and heaviest rain occur.
Hurricanes are born over warm, tropical oceans. Hurricanes are fueled by water vapor that is pushed up from the warm ocean surface, so they can last longer and sometimes move much further over water than over land. The combination of heat and moisture, along with the right wind conditions, can create a new hurricane.
The colors in hurricane radar images show the amount of rain falling in a given area. Each raindrop reflects the energy from the radar. The more raindrops in a certain area, the brighter the color in the radar image of that area. Radar images measure the amount of moisture in the air. The brighter the color on the radar image, the more moisture in the air. The bright red color around the eye indicates the area of heaviest rainfall. The green-colored area has a moderate amount of rain, while the blue areas represent the least amount of rain.
A.
What is the meaning of radar in the passage?
- a device used by the highway patrol to catch speeding cars
- a device that collects and purifies hurricane waters
- a device that flies into the hurricane to determine which way the storm will move
- a device for determining the presence and location of an object
B.
Which image would best help the reader visualize the information in the last paragraph?
- A picture of a radar screen
- A graph showing hurricane rainfall totals
- A photograph of a hurricane
- A list of hurricane names
C.
Why does the author include the first paragraph about tropical cyclones when the passage is about hurricanes?
- To compare hurricanes to tropical cyclones
- To show the broader category hurricanes belong to
- To help readers see how deadly hurricanes can be
- To introduce a new type of ocean weather
D.
In paragraph 3, what does the word "fueled" most likely mean?
- Filled with gas
- Powered
- Added with rainfall
- Controlled
F.
What illustration or example could the author add to make the passage more informative?
- Details on other natural disasters
- A description of how to prepare for a hurricane
- A lengthy explanation of a tropical storm
- The name and effects of a specific hurricane
I.
Which is the most severe form of the storm?
- Tropical depression
- Tropical storm
- Hurricane
- Super hurricane