The climate in Great Britain is mild and temperate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream.
The British often say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The weather in Britain is very changeable. A fine morning can change into a wet afternoon and evening. And a nasty morning can change to a fine afternoon. That's why it is natural for the British to use the comparison "as changeable as the weather" of a person who often changes his mood or opinion about something.
The British also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long.
The weather is the favourite conversational topic in England. When two Englishmen meet, their first words will be "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. When they go abroad the
British often surprise people of other nationalities by this tendency to talk about the weather, a topic of conversation that other people do not find so interesting.
The best time of the year in Britain is spring (of course, it rains in spring too).
The two worst months in Britain are January and February. They are cold, damp and unpleasant. The best place in the world then is at home by the big fire.
Summer months are rather cold and there can be a lot of rainy days. So most people who look forward to summer holidays, plan to go abroad for the summer — to France, Spain or some other place on the Continent.
The most unpleasant aspect of British weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities and especially in London.
The fog spreads everywhere, it is in the streets and it creeps into the houses. Cars move along slowly, but still street accidents are frequent in the fog. People cannot see each other. They creep along the houses touching them with their hands not to lose their way or not to be run over by a car.
Задание №2. Вставьте слова из рамки в предложения и переведите их на русский язык.
| pitch course court ring rink referee umpire judge |
1. We’ve got a tennis _________________ near our country house.
2. In tennis a(n) _______________ is an on-court official.
3. Hundreds of boxing fans crowded around the ______________ with cameras in hands.
4. A High Court ______________ found him innocent.
5. What is the standard size of a football ______________?
6. This skating _________________ was built in 1948, making it the oldest one in the state.
7. A golf _______________ consists of a series of holes.
8. A football match is presided over by a(n)_____________, who has authority to make decisions about the game.
Задание №3. Вставьте артикль, где необходимо.
Until near... end of... 19th century it was the law in... England that if... man was unable to pay... debt, even... small one, he could be imprisoned. This imprisonment might very well be for... life, as it was impossible for... people in prison to work at their ordinary occupations and so make... money to repay... sum they had borrowed. If they had... friends who could bring them... materials to work with, they might work with their hands, sewing or making... boots, for instance.
... great English novelist Charles Dickens knew... great deal about the debtors' prisons from personal experience, for when he was about ten, his father was imprisoned for debt, and... whole family had to go and live with him in... prison because they had nowhere else to live.... mother and... children, however, could leave... place when they wished; but at ten o'clock every evening... great gates were shut for the night, and no one could leave or enter until morning. Dickens described... life in the debtors' prisons in some of his novels. It was largely because of Dickens' sharp criticism that... English Government was finally forced to do away with... debtors' prisons.
Задание №4. Раскройте скобки, употребляя глаголы в одном из следующих времен: Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Continuous, Past Continuous.
1. Where your sister (to be) now? — She (to be) in her room. She (to do) her homework.
2. He (to brush) his teeth at the moment. He (to clean) them thoroughly morning and night.
3. Don't disturb her while she (to sleep).
4. You (to talk) nonsense. You never (to talk) sense.
5. My mother (to sit) in the sunlight now and I (to set) the table.
Задание №5. Переведите английские пословицы, обращая внимание на модальные глаголы. Постарайтесь вспомнить русские эквиваленты пословиц, где это возможно.
1. A man can do no more than he can.
2. Anyone who has to ask the price cannot afford it.
3. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at their neighbours.
4. You must learn to walk before you can run.
5. He who falls today may rise tomorrow.