Second-driest April on record for NSW as likely El Niño brings threat of dry year ahead
Listen to Course
0:00
0:00
EN: The present perfect tense ('has experienced') is used here to connect a past event (the month of April) to the present state of records and environmental data, emphasizing the ongoing relevance of the situation.
The region has experienced several heatwaves this year.
EN: The present participle phrase ('receiving...') acts as an adverbial clause of result or accompaniment, providing additional detail about the main clause's subject (New South Wales).
The company expanded its operations, creating hundreds of new jobs.
EN: The use of 'mere' as an adjective emphasizes how small or insignificant a quantity is, often used in formal or journalistic contexts to highlight a deficiency.
He lost the race by a mere two seconds.
EN: In Australia, rainfall records are critical due to the continent's susceptibility to extreme drought and bushfires. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is the primary authority for these records, and their data significantly influences agricultural planning and emergency management.
EN: The present participle phrase 'hovering over the state' functions as an adjective modifying 'persistent high-pressure systems'. This is a reduced relative clause (which are hovering...).
The clouds lingering near the mountain peak suggest a storm is coming.
EN: The phrase 'be responsible for' is used here to indicate the cause of a specific phenomenon. 'Primarily' is an adverb of degree used to show that while there might be other factors, this is the main one.
Human activity is primarily responsible for the increase in global temperatures.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'According to' is a formal way to cite a source of information, commonly used in journalism and academic writing to attribute data or opinions.
According to the latest report, the economy is expected to grow by three percent.
EN: In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (often called 'The BOM') is a critical government agency due to the continent's extreme weather patterns, including severe droughts and bushfires. Terms like 'dry spell' are common in Australian news to describe periods of low rainfall that impact agriculture.
EN: The present participle phrase starting with 'underscoring' functions as a resultative clause or a supplementary comment. It modifies the entire preceding clause, indicating the effect or consequence of the main action.
The company reported record profits, boosting investor confidence.
EN: The verb 'prove' is used here as a linking verb (copula), meaning 'to be found to be' or 'to turn out to be' over time or after experience. It is followed by an adjective ('drier').
The initial concerns about the project proved groundless.
EN: The phrase 'on record' is a prepositional phrase used to specify that the information is based on officially documented history or data.
Last year was the hottest year on record.
EN: In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is the primary authority for climate data. Mentioning 'on record' refers to the standardized meteorological records that began in the late 19th or early 20th century, which are crucial for discussing climate change and extreme weather events like droughts in the Australian context.
EN: The use of 'with' as a preposition to introduce a circumstantial clause. It describes a secondary situation or condition that exists simultaneously with the main action, often following the structure 'with + noun + participle'.
The hikers continued their journey, with the sun setting behind the mountains.
EN: The phrasal verb 'dry out' emphasizes the process of becoming completely dry or losing all moisture, which is more intense than just 'dry'.
After the flood, it took several weeks for the wooden floors to dry out completely.
EN: The adverbial phrase 'well below' uses 'well' as an intensifier to mean 'considerably' or 'to a great degree', common in formal reporting and data analysis.
The company's profits this quarter were well below expectations.
EN: In Australia, the 'state' often refers to New South Wales in this context, which is highly susceptible to bushfires and drought. Climatologists like Hugh McDowell play a crucial role in public safety by providing early warnings for the bushfire season, which is a significant part of the Australian national consciousness.
EN: The correlative conjunction 'not only... but also...' is used to connect two balanced parts of a sentence, emphasizing that both elements are equally important or relevant. In formal contexts, 'also' can sometimes be omitted or replaced by 'as well' at the end.
The new policy aims to improve not only economic growth but also social equality.
EN: The verb 'pose' is a high-level collocate often used with nouns like 'risk', 'threat', 'challenge', or 'danger' to indicate that something presents or creates a particular problem.
Rising sea levels pose a significant threat to coastal cities.
EN: The present participle 'deteriorating' is used here as an adjective to describe a continuous process of getting worse. It adds a sense of ongoing decline to the noun 'conditions'.
The patient's deteriorating health concerned the doctors.
EN: In Australia, 'bushfire season' is a critical period of the year, typically during summer, but as noted by Hugh McDowell, dry conditions in autumn can lead to early concerns. The mention of 'agricultural communities' highlights the economic sensitivity of regional Australia to climate patterns.
EN: Inversion in conditional sentences: When 'if' is omitted in a formal conditional sentence, the auxiliary verb (were, had, should) is moved to the front of the subject. 'Were the drought to persist' is a formal equivalent of 'If the drought were to persist'.
Were the company to fail, hundreds of jobs would be lost.
EN: The structure 'be to + verb' in conditional clauses: This structure is used to talk about hypothetical future situations, often emphasizing the remoteness of the possibility or the gravity of the potential event.
If you were to win the lottery, what would you do?
EN: The linking verb 'prove': In formal contexts, 'prove' can function as a linking verb meaning 'to turn out to be' or 'to be found to be'. It is often followed by an adjective.
The new strategy proved effective in the long run.
EN: In Australia, 'fire preparedness' is a critical term referring to the strategic planning and physical measures taken to mitigate the impact of bushfires, which are a recurring environmental threat. The mention of 'winter' is significant because winter is typically the period for controlled burns and preparation before the summer fire season begins.
EN: The use of 'except' as a preposition to exclude a specific case from a general statement. It is often followed by a noun phrase or a prepositional phrase.
All the students passed the exam except for John.
EN: Non-restrictive relative clauses starting with 'which' provide additional information about a preceding noun (in this case, 'the Northern Territory'). They are separated by a comma and do not limit the meaning of the noun.
The report was published by the Bureau of Meteorology, which is based in Melbourne.
EN: The use of 'sole' as an adjective to emphasize that there is only one of something. It is more formal than 'only' and often used in legal or official contexts.
She was the sole survivor of the accident.
EN: Australia is divided into six states and two major mainland territories. The Northern Territory is known for its tropical climate in the north, which often experiences different weather patterns compared to the more temperate southern states like New South Wales. In Australian news, 'jurisdiction' is a formal way to refer to these individual states and territories collectively.
EN: The phrase 'be likely to' is used to express probability or likelihood. In formal contexts like news reports, it is often paired with 'well into' to emphasize the duration or extent of a future state.
The economic recovery is likely to continue well into next year.
EN: The use of 'well into' as a prepositional phrase indicates that something continues deep into a period of time, rather than just reaching the beginning of it.
The party lasted well into the night.
EN: Reported speech backshift: Since the main verb 'indicated' is in the past tense, the subordinate clause uses 'were' instead of 'are' to maintain tense consistency, even if the situation is still true.
The study confirmed that the chemicals were harmful to humans.
EN: In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (often called 'The BOM') is a critical government agency, especially given the continent's susceptibility to extreme weather like droughts and bushfires. A 'long-range forecast' is particularly vital for farmers and emergency services to prepare for seasonal shifts.
EN: The verb 'suggest' is used here to indicate that evidence or data points toward a conclusion without stating it as an absolute certainty. In academic and scientific contexts, it is a common 'hedging' verb used to maintain objectivity.
Recent data suggests that global temperatures are rising faster than previously estimated.
EN: The use of the modal verb 'may' combined with the continuous form 'be driving' expresses a possibility about an ongoing action or situation in the present. It suggests a likely cause for current observations.
Economic factors may be driving the current shift in consumer behavior.
EN: The phrase 'much of' is used with uncountable nouns (like 'atmospheric shift') to indicate a large part or quantity of something, rather than the whole.
Much of the research was funded by private organizations.
EN: The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a critical climate pattern for Australia. In this context, 'the continent' refers specifically to Australia, where El Niño typically brings drier conditions and increased fire risk to the eastern states like New South Wales.
EN: Appositives are noun phrases that follow another noun to provide additional information or clarification. In this sentence, 'a climate scientist at the University of Melbourne' identifies who 'Doctor Mandy Freund' is.
Mr. Smith, the principal of our school, will give a speech tomorrow.
EN: The structure 'describe A as B' is used to characterize something or someone in a specific way. 'As' functions here as a preposition introducing the complement.
Critics described the new film as a masterpiece of modern cinema.
EN: The present participle 'looming' is used as an adjective to describe something (usually something unwanted or threatening) that is about to happen soon.
The company is preparing for the looming financial crisis.
EN: The idiom 'elephant in the room' refers to a major problem or controversial issue that is present and obvious, but which everyone ignores or avoids discussing. The addition of 'proverbial' signals that the speaker is using a well-known metaphor.
EN: The verb 'translate into' is used here figuratively to mean 'to result in' or 'to lead to a particular outcome'. In formal or scientific contexts, it describes how one set of data or conditions manifests as a specific real-world effect.
Increased investment in education does not always translate into higher economic growth.
EN: The use of 'though' as a conjunction introduces a concession clause, providing a qualification or contrast to the preceding statement. In C1 level English, this structure is often used to balance a strong claim with necessary nuance.
The results were promising, though the researchers admitted the sample size was small.
EN: The adverb 'remarkably' functions as an intensifier for the adjective 'strong'. It suggests that the degree of strength is unusual or worthy of notice, which is more precise than using 'very' or 'extremely'.
The new material is remarkably resilient to extreme temperatures.
EN: In scientific communication, experts often use hedging language (e.g., 'careful to note', 'does not automatically') to avoid oversimplification. This reflects the complexity of climate systems where one phenomenon (El Niño) increases the probability of an event but does not guarantee it.
EN: The adverb 'Rather' is used as a transition word to correct a previous statement or to introduce a more precise alternative. In this context, it clarifies that the El Niño phenomenon doesn't guarantee drought but changes the statistical probability.
The ending of the movie wasn't happy; rather, it was bittersweet and thought-provoking.
EN: The use of 'substantially' as a degree adverb modifies the verb 'elevates'. In formal or scientific registers (C1 level), precise adverbs like 'substantially', 'significantly', or 'considerably' are preferred over 'a lot' to indicate a large degree.
The new policy substantially reduces the administrative burden on small businesses.
EN: In Australia, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a critical climate driver. Scientists like Mandy Freund use precise language to manage public expectations, as an El Niño event increases the 'risk' of drought but is not a 'guarantee' of one, which is a vital distinction for the agricultural sector.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A major problem or controversial issue that is present but everyone is ignoring or avoiding.
A period of little or no rain; a period of time when someone is not as successful as they usually are.
A climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
A weather forecast that covers a period of more than five days, often weeks or months.