Read the text and be ready to discuss the following questions.

A: In my opinion the pleasantest season is (the) spring. In May the weather is finest. The trees put forth little buds and new leaves; the meadows grow green again; the flowers begin to bloom. The farmers till the soil and sow the seed. The nightingale, swallow, cuckoo and other birds come back from Italy and Africa and build their nests, all the while staging their merry song. Meanwhile the new crop is shooting up, and if there are no sharp frosts during the night, nature looks full of promise, and the corn-fields are made bright by blue cornflowers and red poppies.

Spring flowers! The lilacs unfold their pale hearts. There shines the wild daffodil – soft, slim, yellow, there is the starry narcissus, the hyacinth almost lost in the herbs; among them stand tulips – the red bubbles of dark wine; the yellow, more cup-like; the large parti-colored gold and red, noble and sombre.

B: I, for one, like (the) summer, in fact, I prefer it to any other season. By the end of June, when the days become considerably warmer, summer has come. If the heat gets too oppressive, we can go and bathe in running water. The hot sun ripens the corn and fruit, and the farmer gets ready for the harvest. There are plenty of berries, which are ripe and afford a treat for the old and the young. And what pleasure can compare with that of watching the glorious sunrise and sunset! Clouds? Rain? Well, well, it isn’t always cloudy, and there is no such thing as perpetual rain.

C: Strange as it might seem, I like (the) autumn. The are some drawbacks, the shorter days and longer nights, for instance. The weather also leaves much to be desired. But is there anything more beautiful than an Indian summer – when we have one. We miss the songs of the birds, you say. Well, I can and do enjoy the sparrow, bluebird, crossbill and the few others that remain with us. Of course, the November fogs and mist, and sleet are not pleasant things. But what should we do without apples, grapes which get ripe and may be pickled. I, for one, could not get along without fruits and nuts, and for the sake of these I’m waiting to put up with some discomforts.

D: When autumn is over, the winter sets in, I don’t mind it at all. I know it is the season of snowstorms, and of ice, of frozen rivers and ponds, and of slippery streets. But think of the skating on the ice, or skiing in the country, and sledging. In snowy weather tobogganing is my favourite pastime. Of course, if the winter is severe, one must take care not to get frost-bitten. To me winter has its own peculiar interest and beauty, and there is no reason to be bored to death when there are interesting books, theatres and concerts, and the cinema.