Read the text and compare the climate in Britain with the climate on the continent.

The climate in Britain is milder than that of other countries. The Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of Great Britain, making it temperate and mild. The winters are warmer and the summers are cooler than those on the continent. It is never too hot or too cold there. But the weather in Britain is very changeable and it is the favourite topic of conversation. The best seasons in England are spring and summer. The air is fresh, the sky is often blue and cloudless, and the sun shines brightly. The trees are full of blossoms; the ground is covered with emerald-green grass as a carpet.

In winter they have all sorts of weather. Sometimes it rains and sometimes it snows heavily, and they also have fogs and frosts. The two worst months in England are January and February. They get many cold, wet days one after another. The coldest weather, when it freezes night after night and remains cold during the day, is much more pleasant than the wet weather. The winters are never cold.

It may snow any time from November to March. But in England in winter it rains more often than it snows. That's why some English people do not wear heavy overcoats but only warm raincoats.

The most typical feature of the climate in England is the thick fog that they often have in autumn and in winter. It may be of different colours. It may be white, yellow and sometimes black because of the smoke of thousands of chimneys. When it is white it is not so bad, though it's more dangerous to cross the street in a white fog than in a black one. But worst of all is the yellow suffocating fog, called smog (smoke + fog). It enters all the houses, all the rooms so that the lamps in the rooms look quite dim. In a thick smog cars and buses move very slowly. People do not see each other at arm's length. They walk along grouping through the streets because they are afraid to lose their way in the fog.

Check your comprehension.

1. What is the climate in Britain?

2. What influences the climate in Britain? 3. What is the favourite topic of conversation of all British?

3. What is the best season in Britain?

4. What is more pleasant: the cold weather or the wet weather?

5. Do rivers freeze in Britain in winter?

6. What is the most typical feature of the climate in England?

7. What is the most dangerous fog?

8. How do people walk in the yellow smog?

POLITICAL SYSTEM

UNIT 2

1. Read, translate and remember:

1) parliamentary monarchy

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy.

2) the House of Lords; the House of Commons

The Parliament of Great Britain consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

3) to elect

Members of the House of Commons are elected every 5 years.

4) Queen

Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Great Britain.

5) to preside

The Prime Minister presides over the meetings of the Cabinet.