SEASONS

SEASONS AND WEATHER

Activity 1

Ask your neighbour:

- whether he has ever swum in a river or lake in winter

- what is his favourite season

- what is the lowest temperature he has experienced

- what he likes and dislikes about autumn

- what the weather today is like

Spring

In Britain spring is a season which lasts from March to May. In the US spring may be longer or shorter in different parts of the country. When British people think of spring they think of flowers (especially daffodils), baby lambs, new leaves on the trees and a feeling of cheerfulness and new life. In many parts of the US people associate spring with the spring thaw, when all the snow melts and the weather becomes warmer. There are many poems about spring and it is a time associated with love. Easter takes place during spring.

Autumn

In the US the fall (autumn in British English) is a long and beautiful season from September to November. People often go to the countryside to admire the colours of the leaves. It is a time associated with a feeling of gentle sadness because summer has ended and winter is coming. In the fall the Americans celebrate the Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Activity 2

Say when the following activities are usually performed.

pick strawberries skate swim in a river fly a kite go surfing

pick apples and pears hike play badminton sun-bathe toboggan

build a snowman canoe play football snowball ride a horse

play ice-hockey cycle

Some useful phrases about weather

It looks like rain.

The weather is turning bad.

The weather is changing for the better.

It’s pouring.

The storm raged.

We shivered with cold.

Activity 3

Read the following article and answer the questions.

What is Climate Change?

The climate of the Earth is always changing. In the past it has altered as a result of natural causes. Nowadays, however, the term climate change is refers to changes in our climate since the early part of the 1900’s. The changes we’ve seen over recent years and those which are predicted over the next 80 years are thought to be mainly as a result of human behaviour rather than due to natural changes in the atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect is very important when we talk about climate change as it relates to the gases which keep the Earth warm. It is the extra greenhouse gases which humans have released which are thought to pose the strongest threat.

1 What is the difference between the climate change in the 20th centrury and before?

2 What is the greenhouse effect? Is it dangerous?

Signs of the Seasons

As the weather changes, so plants and animals change their activities and behaviour...

It is these changes as much as the weather itself that make the seasons distinctive.

In Spring, plants start growing, producing shoots and leaves. Birds build nests and lay their eggs. Insects emerge from hibernation or hatch from over-wintering eggs.

In Summer, plants are in full growth. Many will flower in summer. Animals are fully active and their young are feeding and growing.

In Autumn, nature is preparing for winter. Trees are storing their waste products in leaves which they will then shed. Many animals are preparing for hibernation and dormancy by storing food in their bodies or, like the squirrel, in secret hiding places. The nuts and berries of many plants are ripe and ready for animals to feast on. Some birds are preparing to fly to warmer parts of the world to avoid the winter.

In Winter, nature is quiet, yet still there is beauty and interest, in the shapes of trees, birds approaching our homes to feed and interesting weather conditions.

1 What happens in the nature in a/ spring b/ summer c/ autumn d/ winter?

2 Name a few more things that may be described as ripe.

Activity 4

1 Describe the weather of a typical autumn day.

2 What is the weather usually like in April?

3 What is your favourite season? Would like to have it the whole year?

4 What is the typical summer weather in our country?

5 How does each season make you feel?

6 Would you like to live in Sweden or Norway?

7 Would you like to live in a country with a very hot weather?

8 Why do you think that people in Iceland read more books then people in any other country

in the world?

Activity 5

Act out the dialogue:

A You meet a friend of yours who has just arrived from his holiday. Ask him many questions

about it because you would like to go to that place next year.

B You have just come back from your holiday. You liked it but the weather was really bad,

so you couldn’t do all you wanted to. Tell your friend about your experience.

DESCRIBING PUPILS

Activity 1

Divide the following qualities into two groups.

attentive, absent-minded, inattentive, shy, bright, rude, inquisitive, honest, cheeky, ambitious, smart, industrious, well-behaved, stupid, brilliant, polite, friendly, sincere, lazy, talkative

Good qualities Bad qualities

______________________ ______________________

______________________

1 Describe an ideal pupil.

2 Describe an average pupil.

3 How can you punish a pupil who behaves badly?

4 How were children punished in the past?

5 Why don’t pupils sometimes like school and play truant?

6 How do pupils feel when they get bad marks?

Activity 2

A You are a pupil. Apologize to your teacher for not having your homework for the third

time.

B You are a teacher. Be strict.

autumn	changeable weather
summer	spring
winter	rain
weather forecast	the sun
winter sports	summer sports
autumn	changeable weather
summer	spring
winter	rain
weather forecast	the sun
icy roads	icy roads

Come to order! Uklidněte se!

persistent misbehaviour neustálé špatné chování

talk back odmlouvat

tell on sb žalovat na koho

be naughty zlobit

admonish sb not to do it napomenout

keep sb in nechat koho po škole

reform school polepšovna, výchovný ústav

report vysvědčení

pupil’s report book žákovská knížka

copy from sb opisovat od

common room sborovna

caretaker školník

play truant chodit za školu

with honours s vyznamenáním

examination fever tréma

command the discipline of a class zvládnout třídu

The bell is ringing for a break. Zvoní na přestávku.