When two English people meet, their first remarks after they greet each other will be about weather. "It’s a lovely morning, isn’t it?” or "Isn’t it hot today?” and the other person will answer, "Yes, the heat will hopefully last till the end of the day; we have never had such a fine summer.”
Or perhaps the day is dull; it is raining a little, the sky is grey, and everyone is wearing a raincoat or carrying an umbrella. As the cars and buses go along the street they splash the water and mud on passers-by. Gradually it gets dark; a thick fog is spreading over London. The lamps are lit in the streets and in the shops and offices; cars and buses put on their lights and can only crawl along.
As one friend meets another he says: "Isn’t it a beastly day?” — "Yes, isn’t it?" — answers the other.
Then comes winter. After a heavy fall of snow the ground is white. There is a hard frost. It is just the day for a good country walk. It is still freezing hard and the ponds are frozen over. There are crowds of people on them sliding and skating, and here is a merry group of schoolboys having a snowball fight. It is very pleasant while the frost lasts.
A few months pass and spring comes. After a short period of rain fine weather usually sets in. A light wind is now blowing and soft white clouds are sailing in the sky. However, the weather in England is changeable particularly in spring. It is sometimes rather cold. The sky is overcast and it often rains. Then people hurry indoors.
DIALOGUE: A: What beastly weather! It is simply pouring!
B: My Grandma used to say that it was raining cats and dogs. Such a funny phrase!
A: It is. But I’ve got wet through.
B: I’ve seen on Internet that there will be a heat spell later this week.
A: Oh, I don’t mind the rain. It is quite pleasant to walk with a good raincoat on. And good Wellington boots, of course.
B: And you call this July! Where is the summer?
A: Oh, we had it last Thursday after dinner.
| 