Speaking Time: Seasons and Weather

When two Englishmen meet, their first talk is about weather.

We speak about seasons and weather every day. So it’s useful to learn the following words.

Year 5 Level A1/A1+

Word List

nature – природа
Nature is beautiful in every season.

pastime – проведення часу, розвага
What are your favourite pastimes in summer?

melt – танути
The snow melts in spring.

bloom – цвітіння, цвісти
The flowers bloom in spring.

thunderstorm – гроза
Summer is a season of thunderstorms. Are you afraid of thunderstorms?

hail – град, йти про град
The hail melted when the sun went out. We drove through rain and hail. It hailed so hard that we had to stop.

shade – тінь
People often sit in the shade in summer.

occur – траплятися
Thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon.

during – під час, протягом
During a storm you can see lightning and hear thunder.

scary – страшний
They watched a scary movie.

flood – повінь
Floods are often in spring and in autumn. There was a flood after heavy rain.

soil – ґрунт, земля
The soil rests in winter and prepares for the next season. Ukraine is rich in black soil.

pick – збирати, рвати
We pick apples in autumn.

berry (berries) – ягода (ягоди)
I like picking berries in the forest.

nest – гніздо
Birds make their nests in spring. I saw a small nest in the forest.

blossom – цвітіння, розквітати
I like spring when the trees are in blossom. In May lots of trees blossom. The mango trees have blossomed again.

blow (blew, blown) – дути
The wind is blowing. I like when the wind blows in summer.

appear – з’являються
The bloom falls down and the berries appear. The snow melts and the first spring flowers appear.

mild – помірний, лагідний
The climate of Great Britain is mild. A mild wind blew and a summer rain started.

rainbow – веселка
I saw a beautiful rainbow after the rain.

It’s Interesting to Know

Rainbows are beautiful rays of colour. Sunlight looks white, but it’s really made up of different colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The sun makes rainbows when white sunlight passes through raindrops.

Lightning is a bright flash of electricity. All thunderstorms produce lightning. Lightning seems to be a white-yellow colour, but it really depends on the background. They are very dangerous. Lightning strikes the tall objects, like trees and buildings. These lightning strikes can cause fire.

Thunder is caused by lightning. We usually see lightning before we hear thunder. It happens because light travels faster than sound.

ray – промінь

raindrops – краплі дощу

a bright flash of electricity – яскравий спалах електрики

produce – виробляти

depends on the background – залежить від фону

dangerous – небезпечний

strike (struck, struck) – ударяти

cause fire – спричинити пожежу

happen – траплятися

Earth – Земля
The Earth is our home. The Earth is the third planet from the Sun.

take care of – піклуватися про
People must take care of plants and animals. She took care of a little bird that fell out of the nest.

Four Seasons and Weather

Task 1. Speak about seasons and weather.

People call spring the season of hope and happiness. When it comes, the snow melts, the flowers bloom, green leaves appear on the trees. Birds come back from the south. They begin to build their nests. Then they feed their little babies. Children help their fathers and mothers to plant trees, vegetables and flowers. The sky is blue. May rains wash the earth and everything looks so bright. People say: April showers bring May flowers. Rivers often flood. Spring months are March, April and May.

Spring

Spring has three months: March, April and May. In early March we can often see that the snow melts and the soil appears. When there is a lot of snow, a flood can happen. Also in March some birds fly back and start making their nests.

In April lots of trees start blooming. In May there are sometimes thunderstorms. But mostly a mild wind blows.

Summer comes after spring. It is the hottest season of the year, the temperature is at its highest. The sun shines brightly. People often sit in the shade to cool themselves a bit. Summer is the season of thunderstorms which usually occur in the afternoon. During a thunderstorm you can see lightning and hear thunder. It can be quite scary. Sometimes hailstorms occur. Children go to the rest camps. They bathe, swim, lie in the sun, gather mushrooms and berries in the forest. Farmers work in the fields and gardens. Summer months are June, July and August.

Autumn comes after summer, when the days slowly cool down. It brings fruit, vegetables and corn. It turns the leaves red, yellow and brown. Everything looks so beautiful in colourful dress. Birds fly to the south. The days get shorter and shorter. The cold rains begin. Farmers gather harvest of vegetables and fruit.

Winter is the coldest season of the year. When it comes, all the lakes and rivers are frozen. Snowflakes dance in the air. The ground, the trees and the houses are covered with snow. When there are sunny days in winter, everything sparkles like diamonds. Children sledge, toboggan, ski and skate. They are fond of winter time. People have to wear warm clothes to protect themselves from the cold. The days are very short. The soil rests and prepares for a new beginning.

Task 2. Complete the dialogue.

A: __________________________________________
B: My favourite season is autumn.

A:__________________________________________
B: Because I like fruit.

A: __________________________________________
B: I like working in the garden with my parents and picking up fruit in autumn.

Task 3. Read and act short conversations about seasons and weather.

– The weather is fine today, isn’t it?
– Yes, the temperature is 20 degrees above zero. It is warm and sunny. No wind.
– Let’s go for a walk.
– Good idea.

– Is it raining?
– Yes, it has been raining since morning.
– Don’t forget to take your umbrella.
– I won’t.

– Has it stopped snowing?
– Not yet. There is a lot of snow everywhere.
– I hope we’ll be able skiing.
– I think so.

– Were you born in autumn?
– No, I wasn’t. My sister was born in September. I was born in December. When were you born?
– I was born in April.

– What’s your favourite season?
– I like summer. It is hot. It is so nice to swim in the river or in the sea.
– I also like summer. But my favourite season is winter. I am fond of skiing and skating.
– Tastes differ.