What perception do most people have of weather forecasters?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions

Millions of people tune into the weather forecast each evening on television. Most of them imagine that the presenter does little more than arrive at the studio a few minutes before the broadcast, read the weather, and then go home. In fact, this image is far from the truth. The two-minute bulletin which we all rely on when we need to know tomorrow's weather is the result of a hard day's work by the presenter, who is actually a highlyqualified meteorologist. Every morning after arriving at the TV studios, the first task of the day is to collect the latest data from the National Meteorological Office. This office provides up-to-the-minute information about weather conditions throughout the day, both in Britain and around the world. The information is very detailed and includes predictions, satellite and radar pictures, as well as more technical data. After gathering all the relevant material from this office, the forecaster has to translate the scientific terminology and maps into images and words which viewers can easily understand. The final broadcast is then carefully planned. It is prepared in the same way as other programmes. The presenter decides what to say and in what order to say it. Next a "story board" is drawn up which lays out the script word for word. What makes a weather fore-cast more complicated than other programmes are the maps and electronic images which are required. The computer has to be programmed so that the pictures appear in the cor-rect order during the bulletin.

The time allocated for each broadcast can also alter. This is because the weather re-port is screened after the news, which can vary in length. The weather forecaster doesn't always know how much time is available, which means that he/she has to be thoroughly prepared so that the material can be adapted to the time available. Another related complication is that the weather forecast has to be a live broadcast; it cannot be pre-recorded. Live shows are very nerve-racking for the presenter because almost anything can go wrong. Perhaps the most worrying aspect for every weather fore-caster is getting the following day's predictions wrong. Unfortunately for them, this is not an unusual occurrence; the weather is not always possible to predict accurately. The weather is a national obsession in Britain, perhaps because it is so changeable. It’s the national talking point, and most people watch at least one day bulletin. It can be mortifying for a weather man or woman who has predicted rain for the morning to wake up to brilliant sunshine. This day, a weather forecaster’s job is even more complicated because they are relied upon to predict other environmental conditions. For example, in the summer the weather forecast has to include reports on ultraviolet radiation intensity to help people avoid sunburn. The job of a weather forecaster is certainly far more complicated than just pointing at a map and describing weather conditions. It's a job for professionals who can cope with stressful and demanding conditions.

What perception do most people have of weather forecasters?

• A. They have many qualifications.
• B. They do a hard day’s work at the studio.
• C. They work very short hours.
• D. They always tell the truth.