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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...'