Spring.

Spring comes in March. In early spring the weather is still cold and frosty. But the sky is clear and blue. The sun shines brightly longer and longer. In the bright sun rays snow begins to melt. The icy sheet on rivers and lakes cracks and begins to melt too. Soon we can see the floating of ice. There is slush and brooks everywhere. The air is fresh and it smells of damp earth.

Nature awakens from its winter sleep. Thin blades of grass come out, the trees burst into leaf. Snowdrops, coltsfoots, lungworts, violets, lilies-of-the-valley burst into flower in the forests.

If a shower comes down, it doesn’t last long. The clouds soon lift, it clears up and a rainbow appears in the sky. The birds come back from the warm lands, build their nests and sing spring songs. Everything looks fresh, new and joyous.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS:

storms with thunder ['θʌndə] and lightning ['laɪtnɪŋ] after claps of thunder and flashes of lightning it pours [pɔːz]  daisy ['deɪzɪ] dandelion ['dændɪlaɪən] strawberry ['strɔːbərɪ]  to be ripe raspberry ['rɑːzbərɪ]  blueberry ['bluːbərɪ]  to ripen to go on a hike just enjoy [ɪn'ʤɔɪ]nature

грозы с громом и молнией после раскатов грома и вспышек молнии идёт ливень маргаритка одуванчик клубника созреть малина черника созревать ходить в поход просто любоваться природой

Summer.

After spring summer comes. In summer the weather is sunny, dry and hot. There are no clouds in the sky and there is no wind blowing. Sometimes there are storms with thunder and lightning. After claps of thunder and flashes of lightning it pours. But soon it clears up and the sun comes out.

There are a lot of colourful flowers everywhere and they smell so sweet. June is the month of roses, daisies and dandelions.

Many people are fond of going to the forest to gather mushrooms, pick berries or just on a hike to enjoy nature. Strawberries are ripe late in June, raspberries and blueberries ripen in July and August.

I like summer because I have summer holidays. In summer I enjoy swimming, sunbathing, going in for sports, going fishing and boating.

Exercise 1. Translate into Russian: to change colour; turn yellow, red, brown; to look beautiful in autumn attire; unpleasant season; covered with low clouds; decorate with tinsel, toys and silver bells; a cold north wind; make merry; cold and frosty; thin blades of grass come out; lily-of-the-valley; storms with thunder and lightning; month of roses, daises and dandelions; to go on a hike.

Exercise 2. Find the equivalents of these expressions in the texts: падать на землю; становиться короче; бабье лето; тёплые страны; наслаждаться украшением новогодней ёлки; покрывать толстым слоем льда; получать подарки; под солнечными лучами; ранняя весна; просыпаться от зимнего сна; возвращаться из тёплых стран; удар грома; вспышка молнии; собирать грибы и ягоды; ходить на рыбалку.

Exercise 3. Try to match up the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right.

1. grey a) clouds

2. fine b) sky

3. early c) summer

4. Indian d) blades

5. warm e) autumn

6. unpleasant f) countries

7. low g) weather

8. north h) earth

9. damp i) season

10. thin j) wind

Exercise 4. Write these words in plural:

Season, man, sky, child, pencil, tooth, bush, axe, foot, woman, lamp, mouse, glass, vase, picture, window, ash, deer, knife, curtain.

Exercise 5. Answer the questions:

1. What is your favourite season? Why?

2. What do you do in rainy weather?

3. What preparations do you do before New Year and Christmas?

4. What is the weather like in your city in early autumn?

5. How do you spend your summer holidays?