The Climate of England

1. As a rule the climate depends on the geographical position of the country. The position of Great Britain gives it a temperate climate. Britain lies in the eastern part of the warm Atlantic, and it is surrounded by the sea. The sea makes the climate warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

2. What influences the English climate greatly is the Gulf Stream. It makes the sea warm. The Gulf Stream is like a hot-water pipe because it brings a little of the warmth of the tropics to the very doors of English people.

3. The climate is not the same in the parts of England. The western side of England is warmer than the eastern and it also has more rain. This is due to the nearness to the continent and to the form of the surface of England. The western hills and mountains shut out some of the mild winds from the Atlantic. Gales are nearly always very strong on the western coasts.

4. The wind in Britain can blow from any quarter, but southwesterly winds are the most frequent. They usually bring mild weather. The east wind, on the contrary, brings cold and snowfall in winter. Strong winds, or gales, sometimes bring on great disasters: inundations, the wrecking of buildings and dams, etc.

5. There is much moisture in the air of England. When the temperature falls, the air cannot hold all its moisture in the form of vapour; then a thick mist, or fog, always comes down and rests on the surface of the sea and land. Britain is well known as a foggy island. The mean annual temperature in London is about +8˚.

Vocabulary

1.temperate – умеренный

(о температуре, климате)

2. to surround – окружать

3. cool – прохладный

4. to influence – влиять

5. due to – благодаря

6. surface – поверхность

7. frequent – частый

8. disaster – бедствие, несчастье

9. inundation – наводнение

10. wrecking – разрушение

11. dam – дамба, плотина

12. moisture – влажность, влага

13. vapour – пар

14. mean – средний

15. annual – ежегодный

16. mild – мягкий

Oral exercises

1. Reconstruct the general questions given below into disjunctive ones; answer the questions according to the model:

Model:

Does the Gulf Stream make the sea cold? The Gulf Stream makes the sea cold, doesn`t it?

No, it doesn`t. It makes the sea warm.

1. Does Britain lie in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean?

2. Do the western hills and mountains let the winds pass?

3. Does the cold east wind come to England from the Atlantic?

4. Do south winds usually bring cool weather to Britain?

5. Does Scotland occupy the western part of the island of Great Britain?

6. Do large vessels get as far as London along the Severn?

2. Ask as many questions as possible on the following sentences. Use all types of questions:

1) Scotland occupies the northern part of the island of Great Britain.

2) The western hills and mountains shut out some of the mild winds from the Atlantic.

3. Answer the questions according to the model:

Which sea is warmer: the North Sea or the Black Sea ?

The Black Sea (is). The Black Sea, I think. The Black Sea, I believe. The Black Sea is warmer.

1) Which is wider: the Thames or the Avon ?

2) Which is heavier: vapour or water ?

3) Which is worse: a severe wind or a thick fog ?

4) Which month is longer: June or July ?

5) Which side of England is warmer: western or eastern ?

Word study.

1) Find the difference in the meaning of the following words:

Hill – mountain; mist – fog; wind – gale.

2. Give synonyms or synonymous expressions for:

strong wind; happening very often; flood; thick mist

3. Give antonyms to:

Cold (adj.), cold (noun), severe wind, far, hardly ever, to rise (about the temperature)

Word- building

1) Translate the following compounds:

hot-water pipe

snowfall

Find, read aloud and translate the sentences where these compounds are used.

2) Read and translate the following derivatives:

moist - moisture- to moisten

vapour- vaporous- to vaporize

frequent- to frequent- frequency

wrecking- to wreck-wreck-wreckage

strong- strength- to strengthen

3. Find in the text or think of some words ending in the following suffixes and give their meanings in Russian:

Nouns: -ion, -ing, -ness, -ure, -th.

Adjectives: -al, -ate, -ent, -y, -ern.

Word Usage.

1. Find the equivalents:

благодаря близости к континенту – to the very doors of English people

наоборот – to bring on great disasters

с любой стороны – to depend on the geographi-

cal position

средняя годовая температура – as a rule

как правило – the mean annual temperature

умеренный климат – from any quarter

к самым дверям англичан – on the contrary

вызывать страшные бедствия – due to the nearness to the

continent

зависеть от географического

положения – temperate climate

2. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

a)… depends on… . b) … lies in the … part of … . c) … is surrounded by … . d) … makes the climate … . e) … bring on disasters. f) … influences the … greatly. g) The … falls in … . h) The climate … in … . i) … due to … . j) … is well known as … . k) … blows from … . l) The … wind usually brings …, while the … wind, on the contrary, … .

3. Fill in the blanks with the following words: mountain, hill, wind, gale, mist, fog:

1) … is the sailor`s greatest enemy. 2) … is not so thick as fog. 3) Everest is the highest … in the world. 4) There are very many lakes and … in Estonia. 5) In autumn the … blows the leaves off the trees. 6) … are frequent in February.

4. Translate into English.

1. Территория России так велика, что климат в разных ее частях совершенно различный. 2) В Санкт-Петербурге (St. Petersburg), благодаря близости Балтийского моря (The Baltic Sea), климат мягкий и влажный. 3) Средняя годовая температура в Санкт-Петербурге +4ºС. 4) После дождя воздух прохладный и свежий. 5) Остров окружён водой. 6) Ветры с Атлантического океана приносят много влаги.

Oral exercises on the text

1. Answer the following questions:

1. What does the climate of the country depend on?

2. What is the temperate climate of England due to?

3. Why is there a difference in the climate of eastern and western England?

4. Winds of what direction are usual in England?

5. What do strong winds sometimes bring on?

6. How does the Gulf Stream influence the English climate?

7. What makes Britain a foggy island?

2. Speak on the climate of Great Britain.

Text C

Read and translate the text using a dictionary:

Weather forecast

Thursday April 15 Today’s weather

General situation

Southeast England will see a mainly sunny day, especially in the morning. Scotland and northeast England will start cloudy, but rain will spread south, and may turn to snow over the hills and mountains of Scotland.

Local weather: SE England

This morning will start sunny, but clouds will move in from the north during the afternoon. The maximum temperature will be 20º C/ 68 º F. Winds will be light to moderate.

Outlook

There will be a dry start to Friday in all parts, but rain will spread from the southwest during the day.