Vocabulary Exercise #5: Synonyms of "To Rain"

Vocabulary Exercise #5

Communicative Objective: Describing Rainfall
Context: Varieties of Rain

Part 1, Definitions: The words listed below are all synonyms of the verb “to rain.” Each varies slightly from the others in meaning and use. Review the definition and application of each word.

1.   to drizzle: (verb) to slightly rain   

            Example: In normally drizzles in Boston in March.

2.  to mist: (verb) to gently rain in extremely fine, almost imperceptible, droplets   

            Example: It sometimes mists in Boston on the river in the morning.

3.   to pour: (verb) to rain heavily   

            Example: As the saying goes, “When it rains, it pours.”

4.   to spit: (verb) to rain in infrequent, fat drops

            Example: Hot summer rains often begin as spitting.

5.   to sprinkle: (verb) to very slightly rain    

            Example: In often sprinkles in Boston in April.

Part 2, Reading Exercise: Complete the reading passage with the most appropriate vocabulary.

      Rain is the final stage of the water cycle and is essential for human life on Earth as it fills reservoirs and irrigates crops. A lack of rain produces droughts and can lead to desertification.

     Despite hosting a large population, it unfortunately almost never truly rains along the coast of Peru      -one of the driest areas of the world. Even in Lima, it merely _____ a few times a year in the heavily foggy winters. 

     In tropical areas worldwide, it can _____ frequently over the extended rainy periods. This is especially true in the Southeast Asian monsoon seasons and the Caribbean hurricane seasons.

     In most of the temperate zones, however, rain normally ranges from _____, as it is sometimes crudely referred to, to extremely heavy rains. Although most inhabitants of these areas regularly carry umbrellas with them, it is not uncommon to see people walking outside unprotected while it _____ and slightly more uncomfortably when it _____.     

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© James Doyle, 2012

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