[Wonders G2] pp144.Monsoon! - Hoyoung

Unit Assessment (pp144)

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Monsoon!

Feel that strong breeze? Hear the rain hit the roof? It is that time of year. Here comes the monsoon!

Big Rains in Asia

In parts of Asia there are big storms. They are called monsoons. They can happen in summer or winter. These storms can have a lot of rain.

In summer, cool winds blow over land. The air has lots of water. This water falls as rain. In winter, winds blow away from land. These storms have less rain.

The Good and the Bad

Monsoons can be good. Farmers like the rain. Rain helps crops grow. There is more food to eat. There is more food to sell. Too little rain can be bad. Crops will not grow. There is less to eat. There is less to sell. Life is better with more rain.

But monsoons also can be bad. Too much rain can cause floods. Flood waters do not move at a slow speed. They move at a fast rate of motion. They are strong, too. Floods can destroy, or ruin, property. They can wipe out small towns and villages. Farms are lost. Roads wash away. There is less food.

Western Monsoons

Asia is not the only place with these big storms. There are monsoons in the West, too. They are in Arizona.

They take place in summer. Cool, wet winds cause storms. There is a lot of rain and dust. There are bad floods.

Arizona is very dry. Farmers need this rain. Much of their water comes from these storms. They help crops grow. They also help fight forest fires.