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have we had such severe cold spells in Europe recently? According to researchers at the University of
East Anglia, it is all part of the same process. When the climate of the globe changes, it doesn't do so evenly.
Britain and Western Europe are just unlucky in being in the path of a particularly significant wind shift.
By comparing the weather in different seasons, during the warmest and coldest years of the 20th century,
the researchers have built up a picture of what is going on. Their key new discovery is that although spring,
summer and autumn are all warmer, severe cold spells in winter are most likely over the whole of central
Europe. So then, short cold spells mean it's generally getting warmer — but the bad news is it could get
TOO warm. If the predictions come true — and the present changes are exactly in line with computer
forecasts — within the next 40 or 100 years we shall see a change in climate as dramatic as the shift which
ended the last Ice Age.
Note:
A summary is the expression of the essence of some piece of writing in a condensed form. The main ideas
of the piece should be presented clearly, concisely and precisely. The length of a summary makes up
approximately one third of the length of the original source. Writing a summary includes seven stages:
1)
reading the original text to grasp the main idea;
2)
re-reading the passage to check up your understanding;
3)
selecting the essential points;
4)
linking the points in a logical order;
5)
writing a rough copy of a new concise text;
6)
comparing the summary with the original passage to see 
whether all essentials are included;
7)
writing a fair copy of a summary.
In writing a summary only the information taken from the passage should be used. A summary does not
contain repetitions, illustrative details, figures of speech, wordy phrases consisting of meaningless words. A
good summary shows one's ability to understand and to present ideas.
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
FAMILY LIFE
Text Cheaper by the Dozen
Mother took an active part in church and community work. She didn't teach a class, but she served on a
number of committees. Once she called on a woman who had just moved to town, to ask her to serve on a
fund-raising committee.
'I'd be glad to if I had the time,' the woman said. 'But I have three young sons and they keep me on the
run. I'm sure if you have a boy of your own, you'll understand how much trouble three can be.'
'Of course,' said Mother. 'That's quite all right. And I do understand.'
'Have you any children, Mrs. Gilberth?'
'Oh, yes.'
'Any boys?'
'Yes, indeed.'
'May I ask how many?'
'Certainly. I have six boys.'
'Six boys!' gulped the woman. 'Imagine a family of six!'
'Oh, there're more in the family than that. I have six girls, too.'
'I surrender,' whispered the newcomer. 'When is the next meeting of the committee? I'll be there, Mrs.
Gilberth. I'll be there.'
One teacher in the Sunday school, a Mrs. Bruce, had the next-to-largest family in Montclair. She had
eight children, most of whom were older than we. Her husband was very successful in business, and they
lived in a large house about two miles from us. Mother and Mrs. Bruce became great friends.
About a year later, a New York woman connected with some sort of national birth control organisation
came to Montclair from a local chapter. Her name was Mrs. Alice Mebane, or something like that. She
inquired among her acquaintances as to who in Montclair might by sympathetic to the birth control
movement. As a joke, someone referred her to Mrs. Bruce.
'I'd be delighted to cooperate,' Mother's friend told Mrs. Mebane, 'but you see I have several children
myself.'
'Oh, I had no idea,' said Mrs. Mebane. 'How many?'
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