Nature & observation · News English
Mountains above the clouds
A NASA satellite picture shows a cloudy morning from above.
Your goal: describe what you see in a picture. Read the story, learn three words and try the short questions.
A different view of a cloudy morning
What was above the clouds, and what changed later?
1On 24 September, NASA shared a picture of a cloudy morning in the United States. The picture shows western Washington and Oregon. A satellite called Terra took it on 19 September. From space, the clouds look like a large white blanket over parts of the land.
2The clouds were low, but some mountains were higher. Parts of the Olympic Mountains and the Oregon Coast Range stood above them. The tops looked a little like islands in a white sea. There were also many clouds over the Pacific Ocean, beside the coast.
3Cool, wet air came from the ocean towards the land. It helped make the low clouds. In some places, the clouds reached the ground. This is fog. On the ground, people may see a grey sky. From above, a satellite can show the shape of the whole cloud layer.
4Later on 19 September, another satellite, Aqua, passed over the area. By the afternoon, much of the area had clearer skies. Some clouds stayed near the Oregon coast. The pictures remind us to check the time when we look at a weather image: a morning view and an afternoon view can be different.
Original teaching summary. Language examples and model answers are illustrative, not news quotations.
Word help · Three useful words
Read the meanings and examples. Choose one word to use in your own sentence.
coast
the land next to the sea
We walked along the coast.
fog
a cloud close to the ground
The road was hard to see in the fog.
clear
without clouds, when describing the sky
The sky was clear in the afternoon.
Check your reading · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Useful English: above and below
Above means higher than: The mountain top is above the clouds. Below means lower than: The clouds are below the mountain top.
Practice example: The lamp is above the table. The table is below the lamp. These sentences describe position.
Look around your room. Describe two things with above or below.
Model and help
Model: The picture is above my desk.
Alone: reverse the sentence using below. Tutor: ask about another object.
Speak: describe the photograph
Speak for 30 seconds. Say what you can see and where it is. Start: I can see … The … is above …
Labelled model answer
I can see white clouds. Some mountains are above the clouds. The ocean is beside the land. I would like to see this view from a plane.
Alone: add a colour. Tutor: ask which detail is most interesting. The last model sentence is an example opinion.
Mastery check · Three questions
Choose one answer for every question, then check. You can change an answer and check again.
Sources and reporting date
NASA report: 24 September 2026, 00:01 UTC-04:00. Checked 25 September. The picture shows 19 September. This is a lesson about clouds, not today’s weather forecast.
- NASA: Cloudy Cloak Over the Northwest
Published 24 September 2026. Satellite observations from 19 September.