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SHOPPING FOR CONSUMER GOODS Text 1 Christmas Presents ... on Christmas day we went into the lounge and opened our presents. I was dead disappointed when I saw the shape of my present. I could tell at a glance that it didn't contain a single microchip. Ok, a sheepskin coat is warm but there's nothing you can do with it, except wear it. In fact after only two hours of wearing it, I got bored and took it off. However, my mother was ecstatic about her egg timer; she said, 'Wow, another one for my collection.' Rosie ignored the chocolate Santa I bought her. That's 75 pence wasted! This is what I got: 3/4 length sheepskin coat (out of Little Woods catalogue) Slippers (like Michael Caine wears, although not many people know that) Swiss army knife (my father is hoping I'll go out into the fresh air and use it) Tin of humbugs (supposedly from the dog) Knitted Balaclava helmet (from Grandma Mole). (Extract from "The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole " by Sue Townsend) Discussion points. 1. Do you think that people who are closest to you expect more expensive presents? 2. Some people think that it is more preferable to receive a personal, carefully chosen gift however small and inexpensive, than a big, expensive gift or simply the gift of money. What do you think, and why? 3. Describe in detail an object that you always wanted as a child. Explain why you wanted it so badly, whether you eventually got it and how, and what the significance of it is for you now. Text 2 A Shopping Expedition The man in the gentlemen's outfitting department at Barkridge's held Paddington's hat at arm's length between thumb and forefinger. He looked at it distastefully. 'I take it young ... er, gentleman, will not be requiring this any more, Madam?' he said. 'Oh yes, I shall,' said Paddington, firmly. 'I've always had that hat — ever since I was small.' 'But wouldn't you like a nice new one, Paddington?' said Mrs. Brown, adding hastily, 'for best?' Paddington thought for a moment. 'I'll have one for worst if you like,' he said. 'That's my best one!' The salesman shuddered slightly and, averting his gaze, placed the offending article in the far end of the counter. 'Albert!' He beckoned to a youth who was hovering in the background. 'See what we have in size 4 7/8.' Albert began to rummage under the counter. 'And now, while we're about it,' said Mrs. Brown, 'we'd like a nice warm coat for the winter. Something like a duffle coat with toggles so that he can do it up easily, I thought. And we'd also like a plastic raincoat for the summer.' The salesman looked at her haughtily. He wasn't very fond of bears and this one, especially, had been giving him queer looks ever since he'd mentioned his wretched hat. 'Has Madam tried the bargain basement?'* he began. 'Something in Government Surplus...'** * A section of a shop set aside for special offeis, Li.e. goods at reduced prices. Not necessarily a basement. ** Government Surplus shops sprang up everywhere in England after the war. Originally they sold surplus military coats, shirts, boots, etc. Now they sell tough outdoor clothing, camping equipment, working clothes, etc. Very little of their stock is nowadays bought from the government. 'No, I haven't,' said Mrs. Brown, hotly. 'Government Surplus indeed! I've never heard of such a thing — have you, Paddington?' 'No,' said Paddington, who had no idea what Government Surplus was. 'Never!' he stared hard at the man, who looked away uneasily. Paddington had a very persistent stare when he cared to use it. It was a very powerful stare. One which his Aunt Lucy had taught him and which he kept for special occasions. Mrs. Brown pointed to a smart blue duffle coat with a red lining. 'That looks the very thing,' she said. The assistant gulped. 'Yes, Madam. Certainly, Madam.' He beckoned to Paddington. 'Come this way, sir.' Paddington followed the assistant, keeping about two feet behind him, and staring very hard. The back of the man's neck seemed to go a dull red and he fingered his collar nervously. As they passed the hat counter, Albert, who lived in constant fear of his superior, and who had been watching the events with an open mouth, gave Paddington the thumbs-up sign.* Paddington waved a paw. He was beginning to enjoy himself. * When a Roman gladiator had overcome another he was expected to ask the Emperor or senior person present at the games whether he was to kill his opponent or not. If the Emperor held his thumb down it meant 'kill him'. If the thumb pointed upward it meant 'spare him'. By extention, thumbs-up = life and hope. He allowed the assistant to help him on with the coat and then stood admiring himself in the mirror. It was the first coat he had ever possessed. In Peru it had been very hot, and though his Aunt Lucy had made him wear a hat to prevent sunstroke, it had always been much too warm for a coat of any sort. He looked at himself in the mirror and was surprised to see not one, but a long line of bears stretching away as far as the eye could see. In fact, everywhere he looked there were bears, and they were all looking extremely smart. 'Isn't the hood a trifle large?' asked Mrs. Brown, anxiously. 'Hoods are being worn large this year. Madam,' said the assistant. 'It's the latest fashion.' He was about to add that Paddington seemed to have rather a large head anyway but he changed his mind. Bears were rather unpredictable. You never quite knew what they were thinking and this one in particular seemed to have a mind of his own. 'Do you like it, Paddington?' asked Mrs. Brown. Paddington gave up counting bears in the mirror and turned round to look at the back Vicw. 'I think it's the nicest coat I've ever seen,' he said, after a moment's thought. Mrs. Brown and the assistant heaved a sigh of relief. 'Good,' said Mrs. Brown. "That's settled, then. Now there's just the question of a hat and a plastic mackintosh!' She walked over to the hat counter, where Albert, who could still hardly take his admiring eyes off Paddington, had arranged a huge pile of hats. There were bowler hats, sun hats, trilby hats, berets, and even a very small top hat. Mrs. Brown eyed them doubtfully. 'It's largely a question of his ears. They stick out rather.' 'You could cut some holes for them,' said Albert. The assistant froze him with a glance. 'Cut a hole in a Barkridge's hat!' he exclaimed. 'I've never heard of such a thing.' Paddington turned and stared at him. 'I... er...' The assistant's voice trailed off. 'I'll go and fetch my scissors,' he said, in a queer voice. 'I don't think that will be necessary at all,' said Mrs. Brown, hurriedly. 'It's not as if he had to go to work in the city, so he doesn't want anything too smart. I think this woollen beret is very nice. The one with the pom-pom on top. The green will go well with his new coat and it'll stretch so that he can pull it down over his ears when it gets cold.' Everyone agreed that Paddington looked very smart, and while Mrs. Brown looked for a plastic mackintosh, he trotted off to have another look at himself in the mirror. He found the beret was a little difficult to raise as his ears kept the bottom half firmly in place. But by pulling on the pom-pom he could make it stretch quite a long way, which was almost as good. It meant, too, that he could be polite without getting his ears cold. The assistant wanted to wrap up the duffle coat for him but after a lot of fuss it was agreed that, even though it was a warm day, he should wear it. Paddington felt very proud of himself and he was anxious to see if other people noticed. (Extract from "A Bear from Peru in England" by M. Bond) Text 3 Harrods ENTER A DIFFERENT WORLD Welcome to Harrods — a different world for a million reasons. Harrods is the largest store in Europe with goods displayed in 60 windows and five and a half hectares of selling space. In one year over 14 million purchases are made in the 214 departments where you can buy anything from a pin to an elephant - if you can convince the manager of the Pet Department that you are a suitable elephant owner, that is! It is Harrods' policy to stock a wide and exciting range of merchandise in every department to give the customer a choice of goods which is unique in its variety and which no other store can match: Harrods stocks 100 different whiskies, 57 single malts, 450 different cheeses, 500 types of shirts and 9,000 ties to go with them, 8,000 dresses and 150 different pianos. Harrods also offers a number of special services to its customers including a bank, an insurance department, a travel agency, London's last circulating library, a theatre ticket agency and a funeral service. £40 million worth of goods are exported annually from Harrods and the Export Department can deal with any customer purchase or order and will pack and send goods to any address in the world. Recently, for example, six bread rolls were sent to New York, a handkerchief to Los Angeles, a pound of sausages to a yacht anchored in the Mediterranean, a Persian carpet to Iran and a £5,000 chess set to Australia. Harrods has a world-wide reputation for first-class service. It has a staff of 4,000, rising to 6,000 at Christmas time. Harrods sells 5 million different products, not all of which are actually kept in stock in the store itself. To handle this enormous range, a new computerized warehouse is being built. It will be the largest warehouse in Britain and the second largest in Europe and will deal with a wider range of goods than any other distribution centre in the world. Thanks to its modem technology a customer will be able to order any product (for example, a dining table or a dishwasher) from any assistant in the store. The assistant will be able to check its availability immediately on a computer screen, decide with the customer on a suitable delivery date and time and then pass the order directly to the warehouse through the computer. The time of delivery will be guaranteed to within one hour. For many of London's visitors Harrods is an important stop on their sightseeing programme. Henry Charles Harrod's first shop was opened in 1849, but the building as it stands today was started in 1901 and it has become one of London's landmarks. It has many items of architectural interest: the plaster ceilings are original, as is the famous Meat Hall with its Victorian wall tiles, and the light fittings on the ground floor date back to the 1930s. A morning spent strolling round Harrods is guaranteed to give any shopper an appetite, and to feed its customers Harrods has six restaurants, ranging from the Circle self-service restaurants offering delicious food at reasonable prices to the famous Harrods Restaurant, where queues form every afternoon for the "Grand Buffet Tea", which fora fixed price allows you to eat as many cream cakes and gateaux as your greed will allow while waitresses serve you with India or China tea. If you feel like a drink you can choose between the pub atmosphere of the Green Man Tavern and the sophistication of the Cocktail Lounge. Harrods truly is a different world. (Advertising Leaflet) MEALS AND COOKING Text Correct Eating Habits "Eat to live. Do not live to eat" is an old saying the truth of which a person realises only when he or she suffers from some serious ailment like a heart condition and is advised by his or her physician to cut down on his or her food. All schools of medicine lay emphasis on correct eating habits for a healthy life. Remember that after you have had a hearty meal, the pressure on your heart is increased. The amount of food should be such that the hunger is assuaged, but there is no feeling of fullness. The second golden rule is to avoid fats and too much starch and carbohydrates derived from sugar. In communities where sugar intake is low, there is very little incidence of heart disease. The third rule is that stimulants like spices (chillies etc.) should be avoided. A bland diet with a little salt and a pinch of pepper may not taste as good as highly spiced food would, but it would be safer in the long run. Kids with high cholesterol need an exotic diet. Mostly, they should stick to the guidelines that apply to all adults. Officially, the American Heart Association recommends that kids get no more than 30 percent of their calories from fat. That means (1) Limiting fast-food runs to once or twice a week. Otherwise, push the salads and leave out the jumbo fries, high-fat sauces, and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink burgers; (2) Sticking to lower-fat pizza toppings like mushrooms, ground beef, veggies, and plain cheese; (3) Choosing peanut butter, lean meat or skinless chicken or turkey for lunchtime; put limits on high-fat items like hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deep-fried anything; (4) Serving more complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain products. Kids may not always eat them, but at least they'll recognise them on sight. Fortunately, lots of foods that kids like are also good for them. Most breakfast cereals are low in fat, for instance, as are pasta, lean meats, bread, tuna, skinless chicken, and fruit. 1. Discuss correct eating habits for grown-ups and children dwelling on: 1. the amount of food a person should eat; 2. the consumption of fats, starch and carbohydrates; 3. the use of stimulants; 4. going to fast-food places. COLLEGE LIFE Text 1 Classroom Notetaking How would you feel if you were forced to spend hours and hours sitting in a hard-backed chair, eyes wide open, listening to the sound of someone else's voice? You wouldn't be allowed to sleep, eat, or smoke. You couldn't leave the room. To make matters worse, you'd be expected to remember every point the speaker made, and you'd be punished for foigetting. And, to top it off, you'd have to pay thousands of dollars for the experience. Sounds like the torture scene from the latest spy thriller? Actually, it's nothing of the kind. It's what all college students do who take a full load of courses. Unfortunately, many students do regard these hours as torture, and they do all sorts of things to deaden the pain. Some of them sit through class with glared eyes, minds wandering somewhere. Others hide in the back of the room, sneaking glances at the newspaper or the book. Still others reduce the pain to zero: they simply don't come to class. These students do not realize that they are missing out on one of the most important aspects of their education. One reason you should take lecture notes is that lectures add to what you read in textbooks. Lecturers combine the material and approaches of many texts, saving you the trouble of researching an entire field. They keep up to date with their subjects and can include the latest studies or discoveries in their presentations. The best lecturers combine knowledge with expert showmanship. Both informative and entertaining speakers, they can make any subject leap wildly to life. But isn't it good enough just to listen to these wonderful people without writing down what they say? Studies have shown that after two weeks you'll forget 80% of it. And you didn't come to the lecture room just to be entertained. You came to learn. The only way to keep the material in your head is to get it down in permanent form — in the form of lecture notes. There are three steps to mastering the art of taking good lecture notes: the preparation, the note-taking process itself, and the post-lecture review. Preparation. First, mentally prepare yourself to take good notes. Examine your attitude. Remember, you're not going to the lecture room to be bored, tortured, or entertained; you're going there to learn. Also, examine the material the lecture will cover. Read the textbook chapter in advance. Second, prepare yourself physically. Get a good night's sleep, and get to class — on time. Even better, get to class early, so you can get a good seat near the front of the room. You'll hear better there and be less tempted to let your mind wander. You'll also have time to open your notebook to a new page, find your pen, and write the date and topic of the lecture at the top. This way, you won't still be groping under your chair or flipping through pages when the lecturer begins to speak. Process. Be prepared to do a good deal of writing in class. A good role of thumb for taking notes is, "when in doubt, write it down". After class, you will have time to go over your notes and make decisions about what is important enough to study and what is not. But in the midst of a lecture, you don't always have time to decide what is really important and what is quite secondary. You don't want to miss getting down a valuable idea. Be sure to always write down what the lecturer puts on the board. If he or she takes the time to write something on the board, it is generally safe to assume that such material is important. And don't fall into the trap that some students make. They write down what is on the board but nothing more. They just sit and listen while the instructor explains all the connections between those words that have been chalked on the board. Everything may be perfectly clear to a student then, but several days later, chances are that all the connecting materials will be forgotten. If you write down the explanations in class, it will be much easier for you to make sense of the material and to study it later. Here are some other hints for taking good classroom notes: If you miss something, don't panic. Leave space for it in your notes and keep going. Later, get the missing information from a classmate or your textbook Don't ignore the very beginning and end of class, often lecturers devote the first five minutes of their lectures to a review of material already covered or a preview of the next day's lecture. The last five minutes of a lecture can contain a clear summary of the class. Don't spend the first five minutes of class getting your materials out and the last five minutes putting them away. If you do, you'll probably miss something important. Post-Lecture Review. The real learning takes place after class. As soon as you have time, sit down and reread your notes. Fill in anything unclear or missing while it's still fresh in your mind. Then write a few key words and phrases that summarise the points of the lecture. Cover your notes, and, using only these key words, try to reconstruct as much of the lecture as you can. This review will cement the major points in your memory and will save significant time when you study for the exam. To sum all this up, be prepared to go into class and be not just an active listener but an active notetaker as well. Being in class and taking good notes while you are there are the most valuable steps you can take to succeed in college. Answer the questions. 1. What do you do during a classroom lecture? 2. Do you sit and stare at the lecturer, wondering if he or she will ever stop? 3. Do you try to write everything which is said, but can't keep up? 4. Why take lecture notes? Isn't it good enough just to listen to the lecturer without writing down what he or she says? 5. What are the three steps to mastering the art of taking good lecture notes? Discuss in class each step. 6. Could you think of some more hints for taking good classroom notes? 7. Have you got your own tips on how to make the best use of class time? Text 2 Examination Then, for months, there was nothing in life save work: a careful planning out of day and night in order that sleeping and eating and exercise might encroach as little as possible on the working hours. From early morning till late at night the desperate meek untidy heads of girls were bowed over tables in the library, their faces when they lifted them were feverish and blurred with work. Pages rustled; pencils whispered; squeaking shoes tiptoed in and out. Somebody tapped out a dreary tune on her teeth; somebody had a running cold; somebody giggled beneath her breath; somebody sighed and sighed. Examination week. This week there was nothing in your mind save the machine which obeyed you smoothly, turning but dates and biographies, contrasting, discussing, theorizing. Judith walked in a dream among the pale examination faces that flowed to their doom. Already at nine o'clock the heat struck up from the streets, rolled downwards from the roofs. By midday it would by extremely unpleasant in Cambridge. This was the great examination hall. Girls were filing in, each carrying a glass of water, and searching in a sort of panic for her place. Here was a white ticket labelled Earle, J. So Judith Earte really was expected, an integral part of this grotesque organized unreality. No hope now. The bench was hard. All over the room girls' heads turned, nodding and winking at friends, whispering, giggling and grimacing with desperate bravery. One simulated suicide by leaning her bosom on her fountain pen. Then panic descended suddenly upon Judith. Her head was like a floating bubble; there was nothing in it at all. She caught at threads of knowledge and they broke, withered and dissolved like cobwebs in the hand. She struggled to throw off a crowding confusion of half remembered words. A headful of useless scraps rattling about in emptiness — The clock struck nine. 'You can begin now', said a thin voice from the dais. There was an enormous sigh, a rustling of paper, then silence. The questions had, nearly all, at first glance a familiar reassuring look. It was all right. Panic vanished, the mind assembled its energies coolly, precisely, the pen flew. After an hour the first pause to cool her forehead with a stick of frozen Eau de Cologne and to sip some water. Girls were wriggling and biting their pens. Somewhere the toothtapper was playing her dreary tune. Another hour fled. The trouble was having too much to say, rather than too little. The room was rigid, dark with concentration now. Three hours. It was over. You could not remember what you had written; but you had never felt more firm and sure of mind. Three hours nearer to life. A troop of undergraduates passed on the way from their examination room. They looked amused and exhilarated. They stuffed their papers into their pockets, lit pipes, straightened their shoulders and went cheerfully to lunch. The girls crept out in twos and threes, earnestly talking, comparing the white slips they carried. 'Did you do this one?' 'What did you put for that?' 'Oh, I say! Will they take off marks do you think?' 'It was a beast.' 'Oh, it might have been worse.' Girls really should be trained to be less obviously female students. It only needed a little discipline. 'Of course I see now I shan't pass — It seems a pity, after all that work — My memory is practically gone —' Back to the vault now for another three hours. That day passed smoothly; and the next. Suddenly there were no answers to be written from nine till twelve, from two till five — no lectures, no coachings, no notes, no fixed working hours. Instead, a great idleness under whose burden you felt lost and oppressed. The academic years were gone for ever. (Extract from "Dusty Answer" by R. Lehman) CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE Text Improving Appearance Most women all over the world are interested in improving their appearance. Here are some passages for those who care and wish to make the best of themselves — of their features, their skin and theirfigure. What you have got to realise, however, is that true beauty is not just a matter of having a pretty face. It is much more. Real beauty is the self-awareness that makes you. It is having sparkle, poise, serenity and confidence. It is having an awareness that makes everyone you come in contact with feel that you are a very special and attractive person. It is radiance that comes from good health. Beauty is being able to make the best of yourself. Putting it another way — there really are no plain people in this world. Undoubtedly some may have better features than others, but then, very very few of us can claim to come up to the current standards of plastic beauty. Each one of us can, or is, at least, capable of improving oneself, and exuding the radiant glow of an attractive and confident person. A careless attitude about yourself and an abuse of the body are quickly followed by fading and weakness, whereas careful nurturing will prolong the years of youthfulness, beauty and comfort. Give proper care to your body, and you can be vitally alive as well as stay attractive all your life. Remember, nothing you do is going to perform any magical change overnight. Any of the treatments you follow for body care has to be regularly repeated in order to give it a fair chance to work. As health and beauty go hand in hand, check on the list of questions listed below to see if you qualify to be a member of the healthy group. 1. Do you have a good posture? There should be no sagging in the middle or drooping in the shoulders.; 2. Are your eyes clear? 3. Do you have a happy facial expression that is alive and lacks strain? 4. Are you fussy about your food? Do you eat well? 5. Do you sleep well? 6. Is the colour of your skin healthy? 7. Are your teeth in good condition? 8. Do you take a lively interest in living? 9. Finally — do you give the general impression of good health and vigour? The answers to all the questions except the first part of question 4 should be an emphatic YES. However, if out of the ten "yes" answers you score right with seven to eight questions, you should be in fairly good health. You need a full-length mirror so that you can look at yourself critically from the head to toe, keep a check on your figure and examine your posture. Healthy eyes have a sparkle about them that is quite irresistible. Like your skin, fair and shining, clear eyes indicate good health. If you suffer ill-health or feel emotionally or physically low, your eyes become dull and strained-looking. Sleep is very vital for clear healthy eyes. You need at an average at least eight hours of sleep in a day, without it, your eyes become dull, puffy and red. Dark circles also appear. CHOOSING A HAIR STYLE. The style that you choose for your hair should depend on the type of hair you have and on the shape of your face. However fashions may fluctuate, there are certain rules that do not change. Keep these in mind before you choose the style. Keep fine hair short and fluffy. Hair that is medium or coarse takes most styles well. Heavy or thick hair must not be kept very long, as it does not hang well. Study the shape of the face by severely drawing back all your hair. Remember, the right hair style can make you look more attractive by drawing attention away from your physical flaws towards your more attractive features. LONG FACE Keep your hair fairly short — long hair tends to "pull down" your whole appearance. Go in for width at the temple — it helps to "broaden" your face. Fringes look good as they help to "shorten" the face. HEART-SHAPED FACE Softness at the temples and fullness just below ear level suits a heart-shaped face best. Avoid a centre parting because it tends to emphasise your pointed chin. SQUARE FACE Fringes and curls flicked forward help to soften "corners". Cut your hair short at the temples. Avoid a severe hair style. ROUND FACE The ideal hair length is just below chin level. Choose a straightish style with a centre parting. Avoid fringes, curls or waves. OVAL FACE An oval face can take most hair styles well. However, do keep your age and personality in mind. PEAR-SHAPED FACE Give width to temples and keep hair off the forehead. Short hair looks best. MAKING-UP Quite possibly you have an imperfect skin or imperfect features. But do not despair. Make-up applied well can do wonders for your appearance. Perfect skin and perfect features are exceedingly rare. Most models in the glamorous beauty and fashion magazines have in fact quite unremarkable faces. It is make-up that makes them look so eye-catching and glamorous. If, however, you are one of the rare and lucky ones to have a perfect skin and perfect features, remember that good make-up can make you absolutely beautiful. Everyday make-up should look completely natural. Its primary object should be to correct colour faults of the complexion, disguise imperfections and accentuate good features. When your skin is healthy and absolutely clean, make-up can, and should be kept light. Radiance, rather than a pink and white prettiness, should be your aim. Use less make-up all the time for a fresher and younger look. (Extract from "The Piper Book of Beauty" by Chodev) I. Read the passage and say what you think of it. II. Choose advice which suit your type of face adding advice of your own if necessary. WEATHER Text I British Weather "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." This statement, often made by Englishmen to describe the special meteorological conditions of their country, is both typical of the English and true. In no country other than England can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day! Day may break as a mild spring morning; an hour or so later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and the rain may be pouring down. At midday conditions may be really wintry with the temperature down by about fifteen degrees. And then, in the late afternoon, the sky will clear, the sun will begin to shine and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer. The problem is that we never can be sure which of the different types of weather we will find. Not only do we get several different sorts of weather in one day, but we may very well get a spell of winter in summer and vice versa. The foreigner may laugh when he sees the Englishman setting forth on a brilliantly sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, but he may well regret his laughter later in the day! And, of course, the weather's variety provides a constant topic of conversation, and you must be good at discussing the weather. (Extract from "Modern English I for Teacher Students" by G. Graustein) Text II British Climate Britain has a generally mild and temperate climate. It lies in middle latitudes to the north-west west of the great continental land mass of Eurasia, but the prevailing winds are south westerly. The climate is subject to frequent changes but to few extremes of temperature. Although it is largely determined by that of the eastern Atlantic, occasionally during the winter months easterly winds may bring a cold, dry, continental weather which, once established, may persist for many days or even weeks. In Britain, south-westerly winds are the most frequent, and those from an easterly quarter the least. Winds are generally stronger in the north than in the south of the British Isles, stronger on the coasts than inland, and stronger in the west than in the east. The strongest winds usually occur in the winter. The stormiest region of the British Isles is along the north-west coast, with over 30 gales a year; south-east England and the east Midlands are the least stormy. Near sea level the mean annual temperature ranges from 8 °C (47 °F) in the Hebrides to 11 °C (52 °F) in the extreme south-west of England. During a normal summer, the temperature occasionally rises above 27 °C (80 °F) in the south, but temperatures of 32 °C (90 °F) and above are infrequent. Extreme minimum temperatures depend to a large extent on local conditions, but -7 °C (20 °F)may occur on a still, clear winter's night, -12 °C (10 °F) is rare, and -18 °C (0 °F) or below has been recorded only during exceptionally severe winter periods. The British Isles as a whole have an annual rainfall of over 40 inches, while England alone has about 34 inches. Rain is fairiy well distributed throughout the year, but, on the average, March to June are the driest months and October to January the wettest. A period of as long as three weeks without rain is exceptional, and usually confined to limited areas. In successive years, however, remarkably contrasting weather conditions are sometimes experienced. The distribution of sunshine over the British Isles shows a general decrease from south to north, a decrease from the coast inland, and a decrease with altitude. During May, June and July — the months of longest daylight — the mean daily duration of sunshine varies from five and a half hours in western Scotland to seven and a half hours in the extreme south-east of England; during the months of shortest daylight — November, December and January — sunshine is at a minimum, with an average of half an hour a day in some parts of the Highlands in Scotland and two hours a day on the south coast of England. In fine, still weather there is occasionally haze in summer and mist and fog in winter. Until about 1956 dense fogs containing smog and other pollution from the burning of coal used to occur from time to time in London and other centers of population. Since then, as a result of changes in fuel usage and the operation of clean air legislation, fogs have become less severe. (Extract from "Britain. An Official Handbook") I. Read and translate the text. II. Work in pairs. Let one of the students read out some sentences from the text and the other student interrupt him, asking him/her to clarify things, to check the details. ► Pattern a) — Britain has a generally mild and temperate climate. It lies... — What do you mean "temperate "? — I mean it is free from the extremes of heat and cold. — Oh, I understand. b) — The climate is subject to frequent changes but to few extremes of temperature. — Sony, I don't quite see what you mean by "subject to frequent changes"? — I mean that it has a tendency to change frequently. — I think I understand. c) — In fine still weather there is occasionally a haze in summer. — What is a haze? — It is a thin mist. — I see. Text III The Weather This is the most important topic in the land. Do not be misled by memories of your youth when, on the Continent, wanting to describe someone as exceptionally dull, you remarked: 'He is the type who would discuss the weather with you.' In England this is an ever-interesting, even thrilling topic, and you must be good at discussing the weather. EXAMPLES FOR CONVERSATION For Good Weather 'Lovely day, isn't it?' 'Isn't it beautiful?' 'The sun...' 'Isn't it goigeous?' 'Wonderful, isn't it?' 'It's so nice and hot...' 'Personally, I think it's so nice when it's hot — isn't it?' 'I adore it — don't you?' For Bad Weather 'Nasty day, isn't it?' 'Isn't it dreadful?' 'The rain... I hate rain...' 'I don't like it at all. Do you?' 'Fancy such a day in July. Rain in the morning, then a bit of sunshine, and then rain, rain, rain, all day long.' 'I remember exactly the same July day in 1936.' . 'Yes, I remember too.' 'Or was it in 1928?' 'Yes, it was.' 'Or in 1939?' 'Yes, that's right.' Now observe the last few sentences of this conversation. A very important rule emerges from it. You must never contradict anybody when discussing the weather. Should it hail or snow, should hurricanes uproot the trees from the sides of the road, and should someone remark to you: 'Nice day, isn't it?' — answer without hesitation: 'Isn't it lovely?' Learn the above conversations by heart. If you, are a bit slow in picking things up, learn at least one conversation, it would do wonderfully for any occasion. If you do not say anything else for the rest of your life, just repeat this conversation, you will still have a fair chance of passing as a remarkably witty man of sharp intellect, keen observation and extremely pleasant manners. English society is a class society, strictly organized almost on corporative lines. If you doubt this, listen to the weather forecasts. There is always a different weather forecast for farmers. You often hear statements like this on the radio: 'Tomorrow it will be cold, cloudy and foggy; long periods of rain will be interrupted by short periods of showers.' And then: 'Weather forecast for farmers. It will be fair and warm, many hours of sunshine.' You must not forget that the farmers do grand work of national importance and deserve better weather. It happened on innumerable occasions that nice, warm weather had been forecast and rain and snow fell all day long, or vice versa. Some people jumped rashly to the conclusion that something must be wrong with the weather forecasts. They are mistaken and should be more careftil with their allegations. I have read an article in one of the Sunday papers and now I can tell you what the situation really is. All troubles are caused by anticyclones. (I don't quite know what anticyclones are, but this is not important; I hate cyclones and am very anti-cyclone myself.) The two naughtiest anti-cyclones are the Azores and the Polar anticyclones. The British meteorologists forecast the right weather — as it really should be — and then these impertinent little anti-cyclones interfere and mess up everything. That again proves that if the British kept to themselves and did not mix with foreign things like Polar and Azores anti-cyclones they would be much better off. (Story by G.Mikes) I. Discussion points. 1. What topics besides the weather are most important in Russia? 2. What other conversational formulas would you recommend to leam by heart in order to look a person of sharp intellect? 3. What other groups of population besides fanners deserve better weather? 4. What else interferes with the right forecasting except anticyclones? 5. What would you prescribe to the Russians to be much better off? II. Choose the most unexpected answer and think of an unexpected prize for it. Poem January Brings the Snow January brings the snow, Makes our feet and fingers glow. February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again. March brings breeze loud and shrill, Stirs the dancing daffodil. April brings the primrose sweet, Scatters daisies at our feet. May brings flocks of pretty lambs, Skipping by their fleecy dams. June brings tulips, lilies, roses, Fills the children's hands with posies. Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gilly flowers. August brings the sheaves of corn Then the harvest home is borne. Warm September brings the fruit, Sportsmen then begin to shoot. Fresh October brings the pheasant, Then to gather nuts is pleasant. Dull November brings the blast, Then the leaves are whirling fast. Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire and Christmas treat. |