Read the following words and their definitions.
- avoid: to prevent from happening
- for starters: first of all, to begin with
- leading theory: theory which most believe to be correct
- hail: pieces of ice that fall from clouds like rain
- repulsed: rejected, forced away
- pent-up: held or kept inside, not released
- steer clear: to keep away from someone or something completely
First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.
- Fill in the missing numbers:
- Lightning flashes up to ............. times a second worldwide.
- Lightning is a big streak of up to a ............. volts and ............. amps of static electricity.
- It was actually Benjamin Franklin who introduced this idea in .............
- Energy is released with a ball ............. times hotter than the sun.
- Do we know exactly how and when lightning will strike?
- Name the four kinds of lightning mentioned in the video.
- Does all lightning strike the ground?
- How can you tell how many miles away a thunderstorm is?
- Name three things you should avoid when you are in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Extra reading assignment
Halfway the video, James May mentions that “Ben Franklin was incredibly lucky with his alleged kite experiment”. He is referring to Benjamin Franklin.
Your assignment:
- Gather some basic information about Benjamin Franklin; in English of course, so search English language books and websites.
- Look specifically for information regarding Franklin’s “kite experiment”. What is this experiment all about?
