Seasons and Weather, Climate

As we know the weather depends on the season and the climate of the country, and the latter depends on the geographical position of the country.

Our country has a moderate-continental climate.

England has a rather damp climate due to the effect of the warm current of the Gulf-Stream. The British Isles are surrounded by the ocean and have an insular climate.

The USA has an equable continental climate, except for Florida and the Mexican coast, where the climate is tropical and subtropical.

The weather changes with the changing of the season. Consider autumn, for example. In autumn the sky is often cloudy, the sun hides behind the clouds and then appears again. Its rays have already lost their strength and the sun is not so bright now as it was in summer. The air is moist. Days get shorter and the nights longer. As autumn is a rainy season, the weather is mostly dull. And, of course, it is not attractive. As a matter of fact, I don’t like rain of any kind, even if it just drizzles. But there is a spell of sunny weather in late September, which we call Indian summer, when the sun shines brightly, the cloudless and there is a carpet of multicolored leaves on the ground. It is really golden autumn, as the poets have sung it. But in any case, nature begins to fade away. Later the frost will cover the ground at night and remind us about winter coming. As for me, I am not fond of autumn, but there are a lot of people trying to look at the reverse side of the medal. Strange as it may seem, they prefer autumn to any other season. As they say, it is the time of harvest, tasty fruit and vegetables, the time of beautiful golden leaves, the time when nature is very attractive. But many men – many minds.

Some people are fond of winter. They consider winter to be the healthiest season. In winter we can go in for winter kinds of sports: skating, skiing, tobogganing. In winter the sun shines rarely, its rays are pale, it sets early and rises late. The air is frosty, hard frost sets in, large snowflakes slowly fall to the ground, the streets are slippery with ice. The rivers and lakes are covered with thick sheet of ice, they are frozen. The icicles glitter in the sun, the temperature falls and the snow may fall thick. Going out in such weather is not pleasant and the old people prefer to stay at home. But children enjoy being out-of-doors. They like to make a snow man and to throw snowballs. Their cheeks are burning with frost. How bitterly cold it is!

By the end of the winter the temperature rises and the snow begins to melt. Thaw sets in. the sun grows warmer and soon there won’t be any ice but plenty of water. The rivers are in flood.

Nature awakens from its long winter sleep. The birds come back from the warm lands, the trees begin to bud and soon tiny green leaves will appear. Thin new blades of grass come up, the fruit trees begin to blossom. “April showers bring May flowers”, as the proverb goes. Everything looks magic covered with green carpet. The farmers till the soil and sow the seed. We are all welcomed and advent of spring. Nature looks full of promise. Spring is the season of hopes, it’s the season of revival of nature and people’s dreams. It’s my favourite season, I must admit.

After spring the summer comes. As the great Russian poet Pushkin said, “Oh, summer fine! I’d love you, but for the heat, the mosquitos and flies!” in fact, sometimes the heat is oppressive. But people usually like summer, because they have their holidays. It’s a good time for going to the seashore or a river beach, to bask in the sun, to become sunburnt, to swim, to pick berries and mushrooms, to gather flowers. We try to spend much time out-of-doors. But the weather is changeable in summer. It is the time of showers, rains and thunderstorms. The days become longer and the nights shorter. We can enjoy resting after hard work during the whole year.

To cut the long story short, I must confess that every season is beautiful and attractive in its own way. And as one of the famous poets says, “I see no reason to speak in prize of any season”.

Word List on the Subject “Seasons and Weather, Climate”

geographical position – географическое положение

moderate-continental – умеренно-континентальный

rather damp – достаточно влажный

due to – благодаря

an effect – влияние

a current – течение

to be surrounded – быть окруженным

an insular climate – климат, свойственный острову

equable – однообразный, равномерный

tropical – тропический

subtropical – субтропический

to consider – рассматривать, рассуждать, размышлять

cloudy – облачный

to hide – прятать(ся), скрывать(ся)

strength – сила

moist – сырой, влажный

dull – пасмурный, мрачный, скучный

attractive – привлекательный, притягательный

as a matter of fact – дело в том, что; фактически, собственно говоря

to drizzle – моросить (о дожде)

a spell – короткий промежуток времени

Indian summer – бабье лето

cloudless – безоблачный

multicolored – цветной, многокрасочный

in any case – в любом случае

to fade away – увядать

frost – мороз

to cover the ground – покрывать землю

to remind – напоминать

reverse – обратный, повернутый

a harvest – жатва, урожай

skating – катание на коньках

skiing – катание (хождение) на лыжах

tobogganing – катание с горы (на салазках)

rarely – редко

pale – бледный

hard frost – сильный мороз

a snowflake – снежинка

slippery – скользкий, ненадежный

to freeze – замерзать, мерзнуть

an icicle – ледяная сосулька

to glitter – блестеть, мерцать, мигать

to burn – гореть

bitterly cold – сильно холодно, очень холодно

to melt – таять

thaw – оттепель

flood – прилив, наводнение

to bud – пускать ростки, почки

a blade – лист, былинка

to blossom – цвести, распускаться

shower – ливень

magic – волшебный

to till – возделывать (землю)

soil – почва

to sow – сеять, засевать

an advent – пришествие, приход

heat – жара

a mosquito – москит, комар

a fly – муха

oppressive – угнетающий, знойный

thunderstorm – гроза

warm – тепло

hot – жарко

cool – прохладно

chilly – прохладно, свежо

slippery – скользко

sloppy – мокро, покрыто лужами

gloomy – пасмурно

frosty – морозно

foggy – туманно

rainy – дождливо

snowy – снежно

windy – ветрено

sunny – солнечно

a rainfall – осадки в виде дождя

a snowfall – осадки в виде снега, снегопад

hail – град

thunderstorm – гром

lighting – молния

rainbow – радуга

hurricane – ураган

icy sheet – ледяной покров

shower – ливень

breeze; gentle wind – легкий ветер, бриз

gale; strong wind – сильный ветер

sunny, sunshine - ясно, солнечно

sunny periods; bright intervals; bright periods – временами прояснения

variable cloud – переменная облачность

possible showers – ожидаются (возможны) дожди

showers heavy at times – временами сильные дожди

snow showers, of sleet or snow perhaps – проходящие обильные осадки в виде дождя со снегом, или возможен снегопад

mainly dry, but with rain or drizzling at times – преимущественно без осадков, временами дожди или изморось

ground frost early at night – ночью на почве заморозки

mist and fog – дымка (слабый туман)

fog patches – местами туман

dense(thick) fog – густой туман

highest (lowest) day temperature – самая высокая (низкая) дневная температура

the sky is overcast (with clouds) – небо затянуто (тучами)

a nasty-looking cloud – страшная туча

the clouds promise (omen) rain – тучи обещают, что будет дождь

the sun is trying – солнце пробивается

it is raining cats and dogs – льет, как из ведра (идет сильный дождь)

it is coming on to pour – сейчас польет (дождь)

it is raining heavily (hard) – идет сильный дождь

it is drizzling – моросит дождь

the sky veiled itself since the morning – небо затянуто с утра

it looks like rain – похоже, будет дождь

it might be rain – возможно, будет дождь

I’ve got wet to the bone (I’ve got soaked to the skin) – я промок насквозь

I haven’t got a dry stitch on – на мне нет сухого места

my clothes are dripping wet (soaking wet) – моя одежда промокла насквозь

it lightens – сверкает молния

a flash of lighting – вспышка молнии

it sounds like thunder – гремит (гром)

what a lovely rainbow – какая чудесная радуга

it is sleeting – идет снег с дождем

damp – влажный

moisture – влажность, сырость, влага

humidity – влажность

dry – сухой

drought - засуха, сухой, безводный

it is sultry (it is suffocating) – душно

it is strong wind lessened in force (the wind has abated) – ветер уменьшился

the cold sharp wind has almost swept me off my feet – сильный холодный ветер чуть не сбил

меня с ног

the wind light, variable – ветер слабый, переменный

frost is expected at night – ночью ожидается мороз

we are having a bitter frost – у нас сильный мороз

What a severe (mild) winter we are having this year. – Какая суровая (мягкая) зима в этом году

the snow is falling thick – сильный снегопад

large snowflakes are slowly falling to the ground – крупные снежинки медленно падают на землю

How bitterly cold it is! – Как холодно!

It is freezing – подмерзает

rivers and lakes are frozen – реки и озера замерзли

the icicles glitter in the sun – ледяные сосульки блестят на солнце

the snow is half a meter deep – снег пол-метра глубиной

Don’t be frostbitten. – Не обморозься.

there’s a nip in the air – мороз кусается

I am chilled to the marrow (bone) – я промерз до костей

I am numb – я окоченел

my teeth are chattering with cold – мои зубы стучат от холода

the temperature is 5 degrees below (above) zero – температура 5 градусов ниже (выше) нуля

the temperature rises (goes up) – температура повышается

the temperature falls (goes down) – температура понижается

nature awakens from its long winter sleep – природа пробуждается после долгого зимнего сна

the farmers till the soil and sow the seed – фермеры возделывать землю и сеют зерно

as you sow, you shall mow – что посеешь, то и пожнешь

nature looks full of promise – природа полна обещаний

we are welcomed and advent of spring – весна нас приветствует

the meadows grow green again – луга снова зеленые

the snow is beginning to melt – снег начинает таять

thaw sets in – начинается оттепель

thin new blades of grass come up – появляются новые росточки травы

the weather is improving – погода улучшается

it’s too good to last – слишком хорошо, чтобы продолжаться

it’s going from bad to worse – становится все хуже

we are in a spell of fine weather – у нас период хорошей погоды

there is no bad weather, there are bad clothes – нет плохой погоды, есть плохая одежда

after rain or cloud comes fair weather – после бури наступает тишина

when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is about weather. – когда встречается два англичанина,

они сначала говорят о погоде

everybody talks about weather, but nobody does anything about it – все говорят о погоде, но

никто не может нечего сделать, чтобы ее изменить

other countries have a climate; in England we have weather – в других странах есть климат; в Англии у нас есть только погода.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21