Read the text and fulfill the exercises after.

The Climate of the British Isles

Like the scenery, the climate is not remarkable for great extremes. The winters are mild and the summers are not particularly warm, judged by Continental standards. A joker once said that the English climate was the best in the world, but the weather was terrible. The weather is certainly rather unpredictable, and yet in a way this gives it a charm of its own - which you may not appreciate if you are caught in a shower of rain without a waterproof, or find yourself driving in a thick fog.

Why is the climate so mild, even though the British Isles are situated as far north as, for example, Labrador? One reason is the Gulf Stream, and the prevailing westerly winds (or south-westerly) from the Atlantic, and another is the fact that Britain is an island.

The result is that on practically every day of the year, in every season, English people have always been able to spend part of the time out of doors. And perhaps it explains why the English are so fond of games and have invented so many different ways of amusing themselves in the open air. Snow and frost are not the permanent feature of the winter scene to most Englishmen, nor is it ever so warm in summer that people have to take a siesta, as they do, for instance, in Italy and Spain.

Take a look at the map of the British Isles. You will also see that, running rather like a spine or backbone down from the Scottish Border to somewhere in the middle of England, we have a line of hills known as the Pennines. As a rule the land to the west has a much higher rainfall than the land to the east of this line of hills.

Choose the correct variant:

What is the climate of the British Isles?

a)The climate is remarkable for great extremes.

b) The climate is temperate and humid.

c) The climate is not remarkable for great extremes.

d) The climate of GB is varied.

 

What are the summers?

a) The summers are hot.

b) The summers are not warm.

c) The summers are short and wet.

d) The summers are windy.

 

What is the weather on the isles?

a) The weather is always nice.

b) The weather is stable.

c) It is constantly raining.

d) The weather is certainly rather unpredictable.

 

Why is the climate so mild?

a) Because of the warm currents.

b) Because of Labrador.

c) Because of the Gulf Stream.

d) Because of the Atlantic Ocean.

 

When do Englishmen have to take a siesta?

a) At the dinner time.

b) In Summer.

c) In the middle of the day.

d) They don’t have to.

 

Decide if the statements are True or False:

6. A joker once said that the English climate was the best in the world, but the weather was terrible.

7. English people have always been able to spend part of the time drinking tea.

8. The English are fond of indoor games.

9. The Scottish Border is a line of hills known as the Pennines.

10. The winters are mild and the summers are not particularly warm.

 

· GRAMMAR FOCUS

Perfect

	Present	Past	Future
Time expressions	Present Perfect может употребляться с обстоятельственными словами, обозначающими период времени, который еще не закончился: Today-сегодня this week (month, year) на этой неделе, в этом месяце, в этом году. Часто употребляется с наречиями неопределенного времени и частотности: never никогда ever когда-либо often часто seldom редко already уже just только что lately в последнее время, недавно by now уже, к настоящему времени up to now до настоящего момента yet еще (в вопросах и отрицаниях)	Past Perfect обозначает действие, завершившееся до определенного момента в прошлом. By (к), by that time(к тому времени) ever когда-либо often часто seldom редко already уже just только что lately в последнее время, недавно by now уже, к настоящему времени up to now до настоящего момента yet еще (в вопросах и отрицаниях)	Обычно время, до которого завершится будущее действие, обозначено в предложении при помощи выражений by (к), by then (к тому времени, тогда), by the time (к тому времени), before (до) и пр. Союзы until / till используются только в отрицательных предложениях.
Affirmative	Have/has+V3 You have spoiled everything. Ты все испортил. (все испорчено сейчас)	Had+V3 By six o’clock on Sunday I had already learned all the words. (К шести часам в воскресенье я уже выучил все слова.) She had just made coffee when I arrived	Will/shall+have+V3 We will have finishedthe report by the evening. (Мы закончим подготовку доклада к вечеру)
Negative	Have/has+not+V3 I haven’t seen Peter today. (Я не видел Петра сегодня)	Had+not+V3 I hadn’t read the book by Saturday. (Я еще не прочитал эту книгу к субботе.)	Will+have+not+V3 I won’t have read the book until next month. (Я не дочитаю книгу до следующего месяца.)
Interrogative	Have/has+S+V3 Have you already done your homework? Ты уже сделал домашнюю работу?	Had+S+V3 Had you knownabout it before I left? (Ты уже знал об этом до того как я ушел?)	Will-S+have+V3 Will we have built our new house by the beginning of the next year? (Мы достроим наш новый дом к началу следующего года?)

7. Insert have/has + one of the following verbs in the 3d form.

Break, buy, finish, do, go, go, lose, paint, read, take

“Are they still having dinner?” “No, they have finished.”

I _____________ some new shoes. Do you want to see them?

“Is Tom here?” “No, he _____________ to work.”

“__________ you __________ the shopping” “No, I’m going to do it later.”

“Where’s your key?” “I don’t know. I _____________ it.”

Look! Somebody _____________ that window.

Your house looks different. __________ you __________ it?

I can’t find my umbrella. Somebody _____________ it.

I’m looking for Sarah. Where __________ she __________?

“Do you want the newspaper?” “No, thanks. I _____________ it.”

8. Make up questions using Have you ever …?

1. (to be / to Paris?) Have you ever been to Paris?

2. (play / golf?) Have you ever played golf?

3. (to be / to Australia?) _______________?

4. (lose / your passport?) _______________?

5. (sleep / in the park?) _______________?

6. (eat / Chinese food?) _______________?

7. (to be / to New York?) _______________?

8. (win / a lot of money?) _______________?

9. (break / your leg?) _______________?

10. (run / a marathon?) _______________?

11. (speak / to famous people?) _______________?

12. (live / in another town) _______________?