"We haven't a climate, we have only samples of weather".
An English saying
Objectives:
• to introduce and activate some key vocabulary
• to practise students' reading and Ustening skills
• to practise speaking about the weather
Warm up
Comment what famous writers and poets thought about the British climate
(weather).
G.G. Byron: "The English winter ending in July, to recommence in August".
P. Shelley: "O wind, if winter comes, can spring be far
behind?" Th. Hood: "No warmth, no cheerfulness, no helpful ease, No
comfortable feel in any member — No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruit, no flowers, no leaves, no birds — November". R. Kipling:
"Never again will I spend another winter in this accursed buck-etshop of a
refrigerator called England".
G. Herbert: "Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, A bow
where sweets compacted he".
Introducing the Topic
Vocabulary
A) Key words: weather: nice, fine, pleasant, lovely, nasty, cold, cool,
hot, warm, sunny, cloudy, foggy, frosty, windy, rainy, wet, damp
What's the weather like? It rains (snows). It's raining heavily. It's
raining cats and dogs. We're in for a fine day. to blow to drizzle
to freeze (froze, frozen) report
weather report = weather forecast
zero above zero; below zero; It's 20 degrees below zero.
B) Say something contrary to what you hear.
1. It's 23 degrees below zero.
2. The weather is very good now.
3. The climate if this country is very cold.
4. The temperature is rather low today.
Work in pairs
Practise the dialogues in pairs. Make up your own dialogue.
I
A. A nice day today, isn't it?
A. We Englishmen like the weather like this very much.
In fact the weather was good all the time during our stay in your
country.
B. And what is the weather like today in Britain?
A. I've just read the weather report over radio. It says "Cloudy,
bright periods, showers".
II
A. Hello! Isn't it a beasty day?
B. Yes, it's awful. It's raining cats and dogs! You look wet through.
Why haven't you put on a raincoat?
A. Well, I could take an umbrella but I didn't. The weather looked fine
when I was going out. Do you think it'll clear up soon?
B. it may ...But the forecast for today was "rain the whole
day".
Ill
A. It's cold today, isn't it?
B. Oh, yes. I'm simply freezing. Especially when the wind is blowing. It
must be the coldest winter you've ever had in your (this) country.
A. You say the coldest? And what's the temperature today?
B. It's about 20 degrees below zero, as the weather report says.
A. But it isn't the coldest winter, of course, Mrs Hall. In winter the
temperature here may be as low as 30 degrees below zero.
B. 30 degrees of frost! Oh, don't say so!
Listening
Pre-listening task
Try to predict the answers to the questions.
1. Where is Great Britain situated?
2. What does the climate id a country depend on?
3. What is Great Britain separated from the continent by?
4. What affects the climate of Great Britain?
5. What part of the country is the coldest (the warmest)?
6. What is the climate of Great Britain famous for?
5. It's very hot at noon.
6. It's cloudy now.
7. The wind is blowing from the north.
8. It's raining cats and dogs.
9. It was freezing in the morning.
Why do the English usually start their talk with some remark about the
weather?
THE CLIMATE OF GREAT BRITAIN
The climate of any country much depends on its geographical location.
Great Britain is situated to the north-west of the continent of Europe.
It is separated from the continent by the English Channel. The country is
washed by the waters of the Irish Sea, the North Sea and the Atlantis Ocean.
This fact affects the climate. It is temperate and wet.
The tiling that influences the climate of Great Britain most of all is
the warm current of the Gulf Stream.
The climate is mild and hard frosts are rare. The January average
temperature is higher and the July temperature is lower than in most European
countries. The average temperature for the winter month is about 4,5 degrees C
and for the summer month about 15 degrees C.
The coldest part of the country is the Highlands of Scotland. In January
south-western England is the warmest part in Great Britain. Snow is rare and it
never lies for long there. In summer the south-eastern part of England is the
warmest.
Britain has rain almost in every month of the year.
Great Britain is famous for its dense fog especially in autumn and
winter. Rivers and lakes in the country are seldom frozen and the grass remains
green all the year round.
The climate if Great Britain is very changeable and the English usually
start a talk with their remarks about the weather. In fact, people talk about
the weather more in Britain than in most parts if the world. That is because
the weather changes very quickly. One day may be fine and the next may be wet.
When you go to bed the stars may be shining brightly and when you wake up it
may be raining heavily. You can never be sure what the weather is going to be
like. The English people often say: "Other countries have a climate, in
England we have weather".
Post-listening task
1. Check if your predictions were right or wrong.
2. Complete the sentences.
1) The climate of any country much depends on...
2) Great Britain is situated...
3) The climate is...
4) The coldest part of the country is...
5) The coldest part of the country is...
6) The English usually start a talk with...
7) The English people often say:...
Relaxation
Do you know why we sometimes say "It is raining cats and
dogs"?
IT IS RAINING CATS AND DOGS
When it pours with rain we often say: "It is raining cats and
dogs!" We don't know what this saying's original meaning was.
In distant times, people thought that witches could turn themselves into
cats and ride across stormy skies on their broomsticks, cats were thought to be
a big influence on the weather.
The dog was the servant of the North storm god, Odin, and represented
the wind. Cats and dogs from that time have meant the wind and the rain.
Reading
CLIMATE OF GREAT BRITAIN
A) Fill in the prepositions.
Due to the geographical location_(of) Great Britain the type_(of)
the climate is ocean. There are extreme contrasts_(in) temperature because
_(of) current of warm water flowing from the Gulf of Mexico called
the Gulf Stream.
Average British temperature do not rise_(above) 32 degrees С in summer and do not fall_(below) 10 degrees С in winter.
The prevailing winds_(from) the ocean to the south-west brings rainfall
throughout the year. The total national rainfall average is over 1,100 mm
annually.
March_(to) June tends to be the driest months, September to January
the wettest.
The fogs_(of) London, often made severe_(by) mixture with city
smoke, have worldwide reputation.
The rivers_(of) Great Britain are abundant, and they never freeze. The
main rivers are the Severn the Thames the Tyne, the Mersey; the biggest
lakes
are the Loch Lomond, the Lough Neagh. A considerable area_(of) land is
covered_(by) meadows and heaths. The grass remains green all the year
round. Thanks_(to) climate conditions, Britain looks like one green
well-ordered park_(with) its old trees, green meadows and hedges.
B) Answer the questions.
1. What kind of
climate does Great Britain have?
2. Are there
extreme contrasts in temperature? Why?
3. What are the
average temperatures?
4. What are the
main rivers?
5. What are the
main lakes?
Vocabulary:
Prevailing — переважний, той, що має перевагу Abundant — рясний
Meadow — луг
Rainfall — злива, кількість опадів Fog — туман
Homework
Make up dialogues about the climate and the weather in Great Britain and
dramatize them.
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