A tornado(龙卷风)is a kind of strong storm with air which moves in a circle quickly. They can move over 200 miles per hour and cause a lot of damage. As they move across the land, they can easily pick up cars, trucks, and even houses, and then throw them very far. It is important to find a safe place if a tornado gets close.
A safe place could be a basement(地下室) or the lowest floor. If you are in a home without a basement, try to find a first-floor bathroom or a small room without windows in the middle of your house. You should curl up(蜷缩) into a ball and cover your head and neck with your hands.
But there are some people who actually want to get close to tornadoes. They are scientists who want to learn more about tornadoes. One of the best ways to do this is to get as close as possible to the tornado. They use special tools to measure(测量) what is happening in and around a tornado.
One special tool is called a tornado probe(探测仪) . Inside the tornado probe, there are sensors(传感器) to measure wind speed, temperature, pressure, and direction. Some probes even have cameras, so the scientists can see and understand what it's like to be in a tornado.
To be able to get these measurements, the scientists have to get a tornado probe near or into a tornado. Scientists will try to guess where a tornado will go next. Then they drive to that location and put down the probe. If they do not guess correctly, they pick up their probe and try another place. If they are right, the tornado will go near or even right over the probe. Then they take all of the measurements from the probe and use them to predict where future tornadoes may form(形成) and travel. And they can give people some warning to keep away from a dangerous tornado.
