Passage B
Why Do Winds Have Different Names ?
MOST winds of course, don’t have names . You just say, “It’s windy,” or
“The wind is blowing,” Sometime we might say, “The north wind is blowing.” But
Many of the winds do have special names.
Those winds which have special name have acquired them for different
Reasons. For example, you know how it feels when you have the doldrums. You feel
listless and without energy. Well, certain winds are actually called the doldrums!
They are found near equator where there is a lot of rising air and low pressure.
When you are caught in the doldrums in a ship, you are becalmed .
Winds that blow from above and below toward the equator are called the
Trade winds. Strong and steady, they got their names because in the days of sailing
Vessels they were a great help to navigation.
There are also some special winds. Monsoon winds, for example, are winds
That change their direction with the season. In India, the monsoons blow south as hot,
dry winds in the wintertime, and blow north in the summer, bringing heavy rainfall.
In southern France a cold, dry, northerly wind, called the mistral, is dreaded
by everyone. It blows steadily from the sea for days at a time and makes everybody
irritable and uncomfortable!
Vocabulary
doldrums: in low spirits; feeling unhappy
listless: having no energy or enthusiasm
equator: an imaginary line around the earth which is at an equal distance between
the North Pole and the South pole
becalmed: unable to move because there is no wind
navigation: directing which way the ship travels
irritable: easily annoyed