Who Doesn't Love Talking About The Weather?

In English, we often use expressions related to the weather to talk about anything and everything!

You may have heard of the expression "raining cats and dogs." We use it when it is raining very, very hard. We could also say that "It's pouring outside!"

This is similar to another useful expression: "When it rains, it pours!" This means that when something bad happens, other bad things usually happen at the same time. For example, if you got dumped by your girlfriend or boyfriend and fired from your job on same day, you could say "When it rains, it pours!"

Getting fired is horrible, but it might not be all bad. The "silver lining" might be that you get to sleep in as late as you want. This expression is used to point out that there is always something good in even the most difficult or unhappy situations. If you look closely at the edge of a dark cloud, you might see the shining sun behind it – a silver lining. This is where the expression comes from.

The worst thing about getting fired is obviously that you wouldn't have any money. This is why many people "save for a rainy day". This means to put money away in case something bad happens - like losing your job!

Let's say you start looking for a new job and decide to apply to be a NASA astronaut. Your friend might say "you have your head in the clouds". This means that you are being unrealistic and are unlikely to achieve your goals.

But what if you actually get the job? Then you'd be on "cloud nine". This just means that you are very, very happy!

Listen to the original article on www.voa.com

Questions
1.
When do we use the expression "raining cats and dogs"?
2.
What does "when it rains, it pours" mean?
3.
What could you say if you were feeling very, very happy?
Discussion
1.
Which of the expressions in the article did you find interesting? Why?
2.
Does it often rain cats and dogs in your town or city? Please explain your answer.
3.
What do you usually like to do when it rains? Please explain your answer.
4.
Why do you think many people find saving money to be so difficult?
5.
When was the last time you were on cloud nine? Please share your story.
Further Discussion
1.
How has the weather been in your town or city lately? Please explain your answer.
2.
What type of weather do you like the most? Why?
3.
Would you rather live somewhere hot and rainy, or cold and dry? Why?
4.
What are some common weather expressions in your language? Please share a few examples and explain them.
5.
There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. - Alfred Wainwright. What do you think Wainwright means by this?

Based on an article on www.voa.com & and a lesson on www.engoo.com