2xOnline Class Notes (Mike)

Part 1.
Britain loves nothing more than talking about the weather, so the Met Office’s latest project might be the most British thing ever. They’re building a £97m supercomputer to provide more accurate, frequent weather forecasts. It will also help with climate modelling, which is when weather scientists, or meteorologists, use a computer model of how the atmosphere, oceans, land and ice all interact.

It could help the Met Office forecast the future of our planet’s climate. Read on to learn about some other changes this supercomputer could also bring.

Part 2.
One thing the media in the UK know very well is that British people love a weather story. The Daily Express had more than 10 weather stories on their front page last year! Despite the fact that winter comes round every year, the annual changing of the seasons continues to make headlines in all the major newspapers and across the BBC.

This new supercomputer promises a variety of new potential weather stories. There might be a darker side to this though…

Part 3.
British weather has previously been very difficult to forecast. Britain is an island nation between the Atlantic Ocean and mainland Europe, so if the wind direction changes even a little bit, you can really feel it. It’s also the meeting place for warm tropical air and cold arctic air, so there are lots of complex weather systems.

The new supercomputer will be a lot more accurate. There will be a lot more data available to the media – and this could mean that headlines are full of catastrophic – and accurate – predictions!

Part 4.
The Met office will become world leaders in weather
The Cray XC40 machine will be one of the most advanced supercomputers in the world, when it is completed (in 2017).

To give you an idea:

• It is more powerful than 100,000 PlayStations.
• It can perform 16 quadrillion calculations every second.
• At 140 tonnes, it weighs the same 11 double-decker buses.
• It will have 120,000 times more memory than your smartphone.

The supercomputer’s predictions could change our lives
Weather forecasts are really, really important. Floods destroy people’s homes. Airports rely on predictions to help them fly safely. Hospitals need predictions from the Met Office to calculate how much bed space they may need, because extreme weather often affects people’s health.

Part 5.
More accurate forecasts can also help businesses – if bad weather’s on the way, gas and electricity companies can prepare for increased demand. Extreme weather could also cause damage to supply lines so engineers need to be ready to make repairs.

More weather to talk about
Whether it’s on the bus, the train, or on social media, we love talking about the weather. However, British people love humour – so you may see and hear many more jokes about it as well!

I could take the train by myself when I was an adult because little kids can’t buy the ticket by themselves.
I couldn’t work from home because the internet was off.

I will be able to go to the movie with Tom/Mary because I will have free time then.
I won’t be able to go jogging tomorrow morning, I’ve got to cook.

I won’t be able to have a dinner party because I’m sick.
I can’t have a dinner party because I’m sick.

Vocabulary

remote work 远程办公

work from home 在家办公
I am working from home this week.

be born in 出生年

province (n) 省，省份

I went to school when I was 6 years old.

graduate
(v) 毕业
(n) 毕业生
graduation (n) 毕业
graduation ceremony 毕业典礼
He graduated from Peking University.
She graduated in 2019.

major
(n) 专业
(v) 专攻于，主修
My major was software design.
I majored in software design.

1998.06.26
He was born in June 26th, 1998. 

opportunity (n) 机会/机遇 = chance 机会
I have a chance/opportunity to go to Japan.
If you …., you will have a chance to win an iPhone.

current (adj.) 当前的，当下的，目前的
My current job

satisfying (adj.) 令人满意的

raise (n) 涨薪
I got a 10% raise last year.
I want a 20% raise.

salary (n) 薪水

Covid-19 (n) 新冠

pandemic (n) 全球大流行疾病
I can’t go to America because of/due to the pandemic.

because of = due to 由于

Covid test 核酸检测
I did 4 Covid tests in the past 10 days.

health code 健康码

past (adj.) 过去的

positive (adj.)积极的，阳性的，向上的
negative (adj.) 消极的，阴性的，否定的

confirm (v) 确认,确定
confirmed case 确诊病例

Yesterday, there were 10 new confirmed cases in SH. 新增确诊病例

symptom (n) 症状 – symptomatic (adj.) 症状的 – asymptomatic 无症状的
What are the symptoms of cold?
fever, cough and so on.
Yesterday, there were 100 asymptomatic cases. 无症状的病例

system (n) – systematic (adj.) 系统的

patient
(n) 病人
(adj.) 耐心的

quarantine (n/v) 隔离
I have to be quarantined for 14 days.
a 21-day quarantine.
How long is your quarantine?

vaccine (n) 疫苗
vaccinate (v) 打疫苗，接种
Have you been vaccinated?
I was vaccinated in August 2021.

booster shot 加强针

lock down (v) 封锁
WH was locked down for 2 months in 2020.

lockdown (n) 被封锁的状态，
under lockdown
SZ was under lockdown last week.
I am under lockdown. 

shot (v/n)

home Covid test kit 居家检测试剂
Mike, how many test kits do you have? 你有几套检测试剂？
How many apples do you have?
How much money do you want to have?
How many classes do you take/teach every week?

ancient (adj.) 古老的，陈旧的，久远的

ancient town 古镇

medical staff 医学职工/职员

at-your-door service

My name is Chen SJ, I am from HN province.
I was born in February 21, 1997.
I graduated from XXX university in 2018.
I majored in software design.

I am come coder after graduation.
I became a programmer/coder after graduating/graduation. 

Now I worked for 4 years.
I have been working in SH for 4 years. 

for example 举一个例子= such as 比如说…..

I like to do exercise, such as running, swimming, jogging and so on. 等等等等

When I am free, I like to watch horror/sci-fi/fantasy/comedy/crime movies. 恐怖/科幻/奇幻/喜剧/犯罪

After graduating, I worked in HN for one year, then, I moved to SH because there is more opportunities here.

I have been working in SH since then. 自那时起

I want to change a new job because my current job is not satisfying for me.

I want a 30% (salary) raise in my next job.

I plan to quit my current job this summer and take a break. In September I will look for a new job.

Grammar

have + Vpp 完成时
have/has been + Ving 一直在….持续性地….

I have been teaching you since 2021.
I have been learning English since I was 6.
We have been eating/talking for 2 hours.
I have been in SH for 4 years. 
We have been friends for over 10 years.
She has been smoking for 2 years. 抽烟，吸烟