El Niño is a change in how warm the ocean is. It happens when warm water from the Pacific moves eastward. No one knows why this happens.
It takes place every four or five years and lasts for about a year. No two are the same. It can change the weather in many places at once. The United States is one of those places.
El Niño means “The Christ Child” in Spanish. This is a very appropriate name for the change in weather. It was named for the time when it is most powerful. This is often around Christmas. The warm water kills the food that most fish eat. This makes fishing hard. Many people fish for a living in South America.
During El Niño, places that often get a lot of rain become very dry. These include rainforests. They can have droughts and fires. Places that don’t get much rain often have flooding. These include deserts.
In Africa, India, Australia, and Mexico, drought can cause many problems. Farmers cannot harvest their crops. This often leads to food shortages and even famine.
In the United States, it affects how much rain and snow falls during the winter. The Pacific Northwest usually has a drier-than-normal winter. States along the Gulf of Mexico are sometimes wetter than normal.
The Great Plains and upper Midwest tend to be warmer. This means fewer snowstorms. One unfortunate result is that people cannot ski. But on the East Coast, there are often more winter storms.
Not everything about El Niño is bad. Fewer hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean in the summer. The weather conditions are not right for them. Florida and North Carolina often get powerful hurricanes, but El Niño helps prevent them.
When El Niño ends, it is often followed by La Niña. This is another change in the ocean’s water. Cold water from the Pacific flows east. It takes the place of warm water.
In the U.S., the weather during La Niña is often the opposite of El Niño. This means wet weather in the Pacific Northwest, and dry weather in the South. People do not enjoy the weather during La Niña.
Directions
Choose the item that best answers the question about the selection you just read. Click the circle next to the answer.
19. What was the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
A. to inform the reader about the effects of El Niño
B. to persuade the reader to do something about climate change
C. to entertain the reader with a suspenseful true story
D. to explain to the reader why El Niño happens
is it a? we are doing this with a friend and we are stuck between a and c