Seasons and weather

When two Englishmen meet, their first words will he "How do you do?" or "How are you?" And after the reply "Very well, thank you: how are you?" the next remark is almost certain to be about the weather. "It's a lovely morning, isn't it?" or "Isn't it hot today?" and the other person will reply "Yes, it's wonderful weather we are having. I hope it will keep fine, it seems almost too good to last."

Or perhaps the day is dull, it is raining a little, the sky is grey, and everyone is wearing a mackintosh or carrying an umbrella. As the cars and buses go along the street, they splash the water and mud on the passers-by.

Gradually it gets darker: a thick fog is spreading over London. The lamps are lit in the streets and in the shops and offices; cars and buses put on their lights and can only crawl along. As one friend bumps into another, he says, "Isn't it a beastly day?" - "Yes," replies the other, you can hardly see a yard in front of you."

Then comes winter. There has been a good fall of snow and a hard frost. It is just the day for a good country walk; let us have a tramp down the country lanes. The ground is like iron and rings under our feet, the frost sparkles on the branches, and icicles hang from the houses.

It is still freezing hard and the ponds are frozen over. There are crowds of people on them sliding and skating, and here is a merry group of schoolboys having a fight with snowballs. It is very pleasant while the frost lasts; the unpleasant time comes when the thaw begins.

A few months have passed and it is a beautiful spring day. The rain fell heavily last night, but now the soft white clouds are floating across the blue sky, and the sun is shining brightly. Raindrops and dewdrops shine on every small green leaf and every blade of young grass.

The farmer has ploughed his fields and the new corn is just beginning to appear above the ground. In a few months autumn and harvest time will come. When the corn has turned ripe and golden the farmer will reap it and put it in his barn.

(Abridged from "Modern English Course

for Foreign Students" by Eckerseley)

TEXT 2

Dialogue

Weather talk

Leon: Lovely day today, isn't it?

Geоrge: It is. There's hardly a cloud in the sky in fact.

Leon: We'll have a heat wave, I fear. It must be 25 degrees in the shade.

George: It is very close today. Not a leaf is stirring.

Leon: There's hardly a breath of air.

George: By the way, I've just read the weather-forecast in my newspaper here.

Leon: What does it say?

George: (reading) "Pressure will remain high to the southwest of the British Isles. There will be occasional rain or drizzle, but bright weather with a few scattered showers will spread to England and Wales."

Leon: I fear a thunderstorm is coming.

George: The sky is overcast and the sun is going in.

Leon: It looks like rain. Actually it's beginning to rain. And I have left my umbrella at home. It never rains but it pours!

George: Fortunately enough, I've got my folding umbrella with me. Let me put it up.

Leon: What a tremendous clap of thunder!

George: And what a flash of lightning!

Leon: But the English have a saying about the weather: If you don't like it now, just wait a bit.

George: Look! It's clearing up. The clouds are lifting.

Leon: It has stopped raining. Look at this wonderful rainbow!

George: Bright sunshine again. Now I know why English weather is something worth talking about.

(After "English by Radio")

Vocabulary notes

keep (kept, kept) vt/i держаться; оставаться (в известном состоянии); to keep fine, e. g. The weather kept fine.

dull adj пасмурный; Ant. bright

splash vt забрызгивать, брызгать(ся), е. g. The driver splashed mud on the passers-by.

fog n туман; a thick fog густой туман; foggy adj туманный, e. g. It is foggy.

spread (spread, spread) vt/i простираться, расстилаться, e. g. A green valley spread before us; to spread over smth., e. g. The water spread over the floor.

light (up) (lit, lit/lighted) vt/i зажигать(ся), освещать, e. g. The lamps are lit in the streets. Our houses are lighted by the electricity.

beastly adj ужасный, противный; Syn. nasty; beast n зверь, животное; Сотр. animal

hardly adv струдом, едва, e. g. I could hardly understand her.

hard adv сильно; Syn. heavily, e. g. It is raining hard (heavily); hard adj сильный, as a hard frost

frost n мороз; frosty adj морозный; freeze (froze, frozen) vt замерзать, покрываться льдом; е. g. It's freezing hard.

sparkle vi сверкать; Syn. shine

icicle n сосулька

slide (slid, slid) vi/t скользить; кататься по льду

thaw n оттепель

float vi/t плыть (по течению, по воздуху), е. g. A lot of red and green balloons floated in the air.

harvest n жатва, уборка хлеба; урожай

degree n градус, e. g. We had 25 degrees above (below) zero yesterday.

close adj душный, е. g. Open the window. It's very close here. Syn. stuffy

breath n дыхание; зд. дуновение, е. g. At last we felt a breath of fresh air; breathe vt/i дышать, е. g. The child was breathing hard.

weather-forecast n прогноз погоды

remain vi оставаться, е. g. In England the fields and the parks remain green even in winter; Syn. stay

drizzle n мелкий дождь, изморось; drizzle vi, e. g. It's drizzling.

thunderstorm n гроза; thunder n гром; a clap of thunder удар грома

overcast adj покрытый облаками; хмурый (о небе)

pour vt/i лить, литься; наливать, е. g. It's pouring. Льет дождь. Pour yourself a cup of milk.

fortunately adv к счастью; Ant. unfortunately

tremendous adj страшный, громадный; Syn. awful, terrible lightning n молния, e. g. A flash of lightning lit up the sky.

worth predic. adj заслуживающий, стоящий; to be worth doing smth., e. g. It's not worth thinking about.

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