1. Seasons and Weather

Focus Vocabulary

air changable bathe

beach clear clear up

blossom close cover

bud cloudy drop

catkins cool enjoy

cold damp fall

darkness dark feel

feeling dry freeze

fog enjoyable get

frost fine grow

ground foggy keep

heat frosty lie

lightning grey pop up

outing heavy pour

pleasure high rain

rain indoor rise

raincoat light shine

shower lovely snow

sky low soak

snow nasty sunbathe

spell outdoor

start overcast above

thunder pleasant like

thunderstorm quiet

weather rainy heavily

year sharp indoors

suitable outdoors

sunny seldom

thick

warm

wet

Words in Context

Seasons and Weather

The year is divided into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In spring nature awakens from her long winter sleep. The trees are filled with new life, the earth is warmed by the rays of the sun, and the weather gets gradually milder. The fields and the meadows are covered with fresh green grass. The woods and forests are filled with the songs of the birds. The sky is blue and cloudless. At night millions of stars shine in the darkness.

When summer cornes the weather gets warmer still and sometimes it's very hot. It's the farmer's busy season - he works in his fields from morning till night. The grass must be eut and the hay must be made, while the dry weather lasts. Sometimes the skies are overcast with heavy clouds. There are storms with thunder, lightning and hail.

Autumn brings with it the harvest-time, when the crops are gathered in and fruit is picked in the orchards. The days get shorter and the nights longer. The woods turn yellow and brown, leaves begin to fall from the trees, and the ground is covered with them. The skies are grey, and very often it rains.

When winter cornes, we're obliged to spend more time indoors because out-of-doors it's cold. We may get fog, sleet and frost. Ponds, lakes, rivers and streams are frozen, and the roads are sometimes covered with slippery ice or deep snow. The trees are bare. Bitter north winds have stripped them of all their leaves.

Class Discussion

1. How does the landscape change in different seasons?

2. What attracts people to the woods in spring?

3. Is summer a rainy season in your country? What's the weather like in summer in your country?

4. Autumn is the dullest time of the year. Do you agree? Why? Why not?

5. What's winter like in your country?

Weather - Climate

Word Meaning

Note:

Weather = state of the air and atmosphere at a certain time

Climate = the average weather conditions that exist in a particular place or large area over a long period of time.

Ex. 1 Correct mistakes in the following sentences. All the mistakes are related to the weather.

1. We had a lovely weather while we were on holiday.

2. The climate in Tokyo tomorrow will be wet and humid.

3. It is advisable to find out what the climate will be like if you are thinking of going sailing next week.

4. It was a lot of heavy rain last week.

5. The weather in Norway and Sweden is unsuitable for growing grapes.

6. Your health would improve if you moved to a warmer and drier weather.

7. The climate in Britain is often very changeable.

8. We're having a wet and windy climate at the moment.

9. It's still very rainy today.

10. Although it's now the wet season, there was no rainfall at all last week.

Ex. 2 Match the words in the box with their definitions.

Use a dictionary if necessary.

haze mist fog smog

a) quite thick mist, associated with cold weather

b) light mist, usually caused by heat

c) mixture of fog and pollution

d) light fog, often on the sea, or caused by drizzle

breeze wind gale hurricane

a) a moving current of air

b) violent tropical storm, especially in the West Indies

c) a gentle pleasant wind

d) a very strong wind

shower drizzle rain downpour torrential rain

a) to rain a little, with very small drops of rain

b) water falling from clouds in drops/to fall in drops of water

c) a short period of light rain

d) a heavy fall of rain

e) a heavy rain falling in torrents, especially in the tropics

Ex. 3 Match the words below with correct definitions.

Note: one word has got two meanings

1. snowdrift 2. snowflake 3. snow 4. thaw 5. melt 6. sleet 7. slush 8. blizzard 9. frost 10. hail 11. ice

a) snow blown by high winds b) soft white pieces of frozen water that fall from the sky in cold weather c) deep banks of snow against walls, etc d) frozen raindrops that fall as small balls of ice e) a flake of snow f) frozen water g) change from hard, frozen state to normal h) rain and snow mixed i) change from solid to liquid under heat j) dirty, brownish, half-snow, half-water k) white powder that covers the ground when it is very cold l) weather when the température is below the freezing point

Thunder - Lightning - Storm

Thunder = the loud crashing noise that you hear in a storm

Lightning = a bright flash of light in the sky during a storm

Storm = a period of very bad weather, when there's a lot of rain, wind or snow

Ex. 4 Choose between 'thunder', 'lightning' and 'storm'.

1. A flash of... lit up the whole sky.

2. They could hear ... rumbling in the distance.

3. A flash of... was immediately followed by a clap of... .

4. We were caught in a ... I'd never experienced before. It was pouring with rain and a strong wind was blowing. We could hardly see anything.

5. We are in for a big .... The sky is covered with dark clouds. There was the first flash of... just now.

Ex. 5 Match the words in the box with correct définitions. Use a dictionary if necessary.

cold cool chilly

a) rather cold, in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable

b) pleasantly cold but not very cold

c) having a low temperature, not hot

wet damp humid

a) with too much liquid

b) hot and damp, makes you sweat a lot

c) slightly wet in an unpleasant way, and makes you feel cold

close stifling scorching boiling

a) warm and uncomfortable

b) very hot, often used in negative contexts

c) hot, uncomfortable, you can hardly breathe

d) very hot, often used in positive contexts

Words in Context

Ex. 6 Read the text and say which season you like best. Which Season Do You Like Best?

A. In my opinion the most beautiful season in Europe is spring. In May the weather is finest, and ail nature is loveliest. The trees put forth little buds and new leaves; the meadows grow green again. The fïrst spring flowers snowdrops, primroses make their appearance. The sky is blue, the sun is bright and the air is fragrant with the sweet scent of lilacs and jasmine.

The trees break into blossom, the flowers begin to bloom, the busy bees are at work. The first birds, rooks and starlings build their nests, and every morning there is loud singing of the nightingales in the trees.

B. I like summer, in fact I prefer it to any other season. In June the trees, the flowers are in full blossom, I like "Leafy June", "the Month of Roses". A sweet smell rises from the blooming roses, daisies and green grass. A warm soft breeze stirs the leaves of the birchtrees. How beautiful are the fields around! The wheat is golden, the grass is green.

If the heat gets too oppressive, we enjoy bathing in the river. What a pleasure it is to lie on the sandy beach and get sun-tanned or splash in the water and swim. August is the very crown and perfection of summer. The hot sun ripens the corn and the fruit, and the collective farmers get ready for the harvest. There are plenty of strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, plums, apricots, peaches which are ripe and afford a treat for old and young. And what pleasure can be compared with that of watching the glorious sunrise and sunset! It's a real delight!

C. Strange as it may seem, I like autumn. Is there anything more beautiful than Indian Summer!

Nature looks beautiful then. The golden trees change their colour from green to dark brown and bright yellow. It is usually cool and sunny. In rainy weather there's nothing more pleasant for me than to sit comfortably in my armehair and read a book.

D. When autumn is over, winter sets in. It is the season of snowstorms and ice, of frozen rivers and ponds, and of slippery streets, but I don't mind it ail. I enjoy skating on the ice, or skiing in the woods. In snowy weather tobogganing is my

favourite pastime. Then think of the joy of the children! At the first snowfall they are out making snowmen, building snowhuts, and playing snowballs of course, if the winter is severe, one must take care not to get frost-bitten. To me, winter has its own peculiar beauty, and there is no reason to feel bored when there is such a lot for books, théâtres and concerts, and the cinema.

Word Ex. 7 Match the following nouns with the suitable adjectives.

Use (There may be more than one combination).

wind	strong	dense
rain	weak	oppressive
fog	heavy	thick
snow	light	lovely
frost	nasty	fine
weather	severe	hard
heat	sharp
	damp

Ex. 8 Match each word with a word from the box.

l.thunder 2. torrential 3. down 4. heat 5. hail 6. snow 7. gale

stones drift storm warning rain wave pour

Ex. 9 Fill the gaps with suitable words.

My first experience of real winter weather was when I went to Northern Canada. I was used to the sort of snow that falls in London, which quickly turns into brown_______(1) with ail the people walking on it. In fact, most of the time I was in London; it didn't really snow properly, it was mostly_______(2). Apart from that, British winters meant a bit of white_______(3) on my garden and occasionally having to drive carefully on icy roads early in the morning. I had never experienced the___________(4) and____________(5) that can paralyse a whole city in lessthan an hour and close roads completely. However, when the earth fïnally______(6)and all the snow__________(7) away in spring, everything cornes to life again and looks more beautiful than ever.

Skill Ex. 10 Paraphrase the following using the verbs in proper tense forms.

Developing

Example: The rain fell heavily last night. - It rained heavily last night.

1. There was a good fall of snow last night.

2. There is often a lot of sun in the morning.

3. There was a thaw yesterday.

4. There was a dense fog in the morning.

5. There is a hard frost thèse days.

6. There were heavy showers last summer.

7. I hear claps of thunder.

Ex. 11 What kinds of weather do you think caused the following to happen? Write a sentence which could go before each of these.

1. We had to sit in the shade every afternoon.

2. The sweat was pouring out of us.

3. I can hardly breathe; I wish it would rain to cool us down.

4. Cars were skidding out of control.

5. Even the postman had to use a boat to get around.

6. They had to close the airport; the snow was a metre deep.

7. We were able to sit in the garden in the middle of winter.

8. The earth became rock-hard and a lot of plants died.

9. It blew the newspaper clean out of my hands.

10. A row of big trees had been uprooted like matchsticks.

11. I could hardly see my hand in front of my face.

Ex. 12 Respond to the following, using active vocabulary.

1. Look, the river is frozen over.

2. Do you think I must take my umbrella?

3. Shall I put on my woollen jacket?

4. I wonder if the ice is thick enough for the ehildren to skate on the pond.

5. The roofs are covered with a thick carpet of snow.

6. The ground is quite dry.

7. The cars splash water and mud on the passers-by.

8. The flowers need watering.

9. The snow begins melting.

10. Why didn't you go for a walk?

Ex. 13 Ask questions the answers to which are given below.

1. - I think it will keep fine.

2. - Yes, it's a sin to stay indoors.

3. - No, I don't think it will rain tomorrow.

4. - Itrained most of the time, we had to stay indoors.

5. - It was very quiet and cool in the country.

6. - It has been raining a fortnight at least.

7. - No, it has only been drizzling, the streets are ail wet.

8. - I don't expect it'll be long.

9. - Well, I am so glad we're in for a spell of fine weather.

Ex. 14 Complete the following statements:

1. We'd better stay at home. There's a thunderstorm approaching. Look,....

2. I suppose the weather will turn to fine because ...

3. It's pouring. What a pity I've left my umbrella at home, now ...

4. The air is wonderfully fresh because ...

5. I don't like autumn because ...

6. When the thaw sets in, it is extremely unpleasant to walk because ...

7. What is the weather forecast for tomorrow? They say ...

8. The weather is changing. I'm sure we ...

9. What nasty weather! It has been drizzling since morning, and ...

10.How fresh the air is! It comes from the orchards ...

Ex. 15 Agree or disagree.

1. I think we'll have a fine day.

2. The weather has been rotten this winter.

3. We are in for a spell of frosty weather.

4. At night it was pouring with rain.

5. The rivers are still frozen over.

6. I hope it'll keep fine.

Ex. 16 Say what you can see when you look out of the window in different seasons.

Ex. 17 Translate from Russian/Belarusian into English.

1. - Начинается дождь. Раскрой зонтик. - К сожалению, я оставил его дома. 2. - Днем было так тепло, а сейчас подмораживает. - Думаю, что ночью будет 7-10 градусов ниже нуля. 3. Пруд еще не замерз, кататься опасно. 4. Похоже на дождь. Как переменчива погода в апреле! Только что светило солнце. 5. Погода ухудшилась со вчерашнего дня. Моросит. Дует холодный ветер. 6. - Стало прохладно. Надень куртку. - Мне жарко. Не рано ли надевать куртку в сентябре? 7. Вчера шел снег всю ночь. Снег лежит на крышах домов, на клумбах. 8. - Как долго идет дождь? - Уже два часа. Я не могу выйти из университета. У меня нет ни зонтика, ни плаща. 9. Когда я вышел из дома, шел проливной дождь, а сейчас появились первые лучи солнца из-за туч. 10. Цветы совсем завяли. Дождя не было уже две недели. 11. - Часто ли идет снег в марте в вашей республике? - Обычно не так часто, как в Беларуси. Но в этом году зимой снег шел довольно часто.

1. - Пачынаецца дождж. Раскрый парасон. - На жаль, я пакiнуу яго дома. 2. Удзень было так цёпла, а зараз бярэцца мароз. - Думаю, што уначы будзе градусау 7-10 нiжэй нуля. 3. Сажалка яшчэ не замерзла, катацца небяспечна. 4. Выглядае на дождж. Якое зменлiвае надвор'е у красавку! Толькi што свяцiла сонца. 5. Надвор'е пагоршылася з учарашняга дня. Iмжыць. Дзьме вецер. 6. - Стала халаднавата. Апранi куртку. — Мне горача. Цi, не рана апранаць куртку у вераснi? 7. Учора снег iшoy усю ноч. Снег ляжыць на дахах дамоу, на клумбах. 8. - Як доуга iдзе дождж? - Ужо дзве гадзiны. Я не магу выйсцi з iнстытута. У мяне няма нi парасона, нi плашча. 9. Калi я выйшау з хаты, iшoy пралiуны дождж, а зараз з-за хмар з'явiлiся першыя промнi сонца. 10. Кветкi зyciм пажухлi. Дажджу не было ужо два тыднi. 11. - Цi часта у вашай рэспублщы iдзе снег у сакавiку? - Звычайна не так часта, як на Беларусi. Але гэтай зiмой снег iшoy даволi часта.

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