The Seasons.

Part One.

Who made the first calendar? We do not know. People in all countries know the seasons of the year. How many seasons are there? We say that there are four seasons, but people in some countries say that they have more: five seasons, or seven. The seasons are not the same in all countries.

The seasons in our calendar are spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Spring begins on the first of March. It is not very warm at the beginning of spring, and the March wind is often cold, but in April the days are longer and warmer. It doesn’t snow, but it often rains in spring, and English people say, “April showers bring May flowers”.

In spring the collective farmers work in the fields. Schoolchildren work in their school gardens, and they plant trees and flowers in the yards and streets.

May is a beautiful spring month. The sky is blue, the sun shines, and birds sing in the trees. The young grass and trees are bright green, and we begin to see flowers in the gardens and fields. Every day the gardens and parks look more and more beautiful.

Summer begins in June. It begins earlier in the South. The days in June are warmer than in May, and longer too.

In July and August the sun shines bright and it is hot. Schoolchildren have their long holidays in these months. They have a nice time in summer. They go to pioneer camps and live in tents, and many city children go to live in the country. Many older pupils work on collective farms in August.

Part Two.

The autumn months are September, October and November. Now the summer holidays are over, and boys and girls are back at school. Autumn is the harvest season, and the trees are full of fruit. There are many nice days early in autumn. The sun shines brightly, but it isn’t hot. The yellow, red and brown trees look beautiful in the sun. Late in autumn, at the end of October and in November, the wind is cold, and the nights are longer and darker. Now we often see grey clouds in the sky, and it rains. Sometimes it rains and snows together. Then people say, “Winter will soon be here”.

The winter months are December, January and February. The nights are very long, and it is dark when we get up in the morning. The lakes and rivers, the fields and forests are white with snow. Now the skating – rinks are full of happy boys and girls. City people go skiing in the country.

L

49 50

ate in February we find little blue and white flowers in many places in the forest, and we say, “Spring will soon be here”.

Some boys and girls like winter better than the other seasons. Some say that summer is the best season of the year. We think that there is something nice in all the seasons. What do you think?

1. Speak on the topic: The Season I like Best of All. After the holidays

Part One.

Today is the first of September. It is the children’s first day at school after their holidays in June, July and August. Early in the morning you can see many boys and girls in the streets on their way to school. The boys look nice in their blue suits, and the girls in their brown dresses. They meet their friends and go to school together.

You can see little boys and girls in the streets too, with their mothers and fathers. Some of the children are seven years old, some of them are six. They are new pupils. Today is their first day at school. Many boys and girls have flowers in their hands. Their bags are new, and the children look “new” too. They are ready to begin their first lesson.

The day is very nice. The sky is blue, the sun is bright, and it is warm. Everything at school looks bright and clean. The boys and girls meet their friends and teachers in front of the school or in the schoolyard.

Part Two.

Pete comes to the schoolyard with his sisters Ann and Kate. They meet their friends Nick and Victor there and say “Hello!”

“Where were you in summer, Pete?” Victor asks. “You look brown!”

“In July we were all in the country near Moscow”, Pete answers. “And in August my sisters and I were on a collective farm. Where were you, Vic?”

“I was at a pioneer camp. Mike and I were there together. The camp was in a big forest, ” Victor answers.

“We can’t speak about everything now,” Kate says. “Come to our house in the evening, boys! We can show you many interesting things!”

“All right,” Nick says. “We can come. And let’s take Mike with us too. Where is he? He was at school yesterday.”

“And he was at school today”, Victor answers. “But I don’t see him in the schoolyard now. Pete, you and I have a new English teacher”.

“Yes, I know”, Pete says. “She was Kate’s teacher last year. What is her name?”

“Her name is Olga Petrovna. Vic, look! Do you see Mike there on the bench? I want to take a picture of you together, boys. I can take good pictures now”.

The boys run to Mike. Kate and Ann go to the other girls in the schoolyard.

Answer the questions on the text:

1. Where does Pete come with his sisters?

2. Where were the boys and girls in summer?

3. What does Kate want to do in the evening?

4. Was Mike in the yard with the other pupils?

5. Why does Pete want to see all his friends together?