Treść zadania

Tekst do zadania:
If you’ve been to Britain, you will have noticed that British people love to talk about the weather. By the end of their life, the average British person will have spent six months discussing it. A recent survey found that a quarter of the population use the weather as a conversation starter and 70% of people check the weather every day.
Recently it has become even more popular as a conversation topic. This is because the weather in Britain is becoming more extreme. In 2013 the country had the coldest spring in 50 years, and 2012 was the wettest year since records began. But in reality this spell of ‘severe’ weather is nothing compared to the droughts, torrential rain, and devastating storms experienced in other parts of the world. Compared to other countries the British weather is still quite mild. Some people say this is why we love talking about it. The weather is a safe topic of conversation, perfect for the famously reserved British.
But whatever the reason, one thing is certain – this national obsession with weather shapes our everyday lives and has had a huge social impact, influencing the country’s economy and its politics. In 2011 the British Chancellor George Osborne blamed the weather for the country’s disappointing economic performance – because the winter of 2010 had been the coldest and snowiest in decades. He wasn’t the first politician to blame the weather. The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown had also used the cold weather as an excuse when the economy wasn’t doing well. Rain has also had an effect. In 2012 heavy rain contributed to the very slow growth of the British economy. People stopped going out to buy things in shops, eat in restaurants or socialize in pubs and cafes. Instead they stayed at home and kept their money in their pockets.
But the role of weather in British politics isn’t confined to the economy. British elections are almost always held in the spring or the summer. This is because politicians believe people are more likely to come out to vote if the weather is good. Some experts say that the weather is why the UK has never had a revolution. Britain’s mild weather means the country doesn’t suffer from the extreme heat or extreme cold, which can often cause food shortages which, in turn, often lead to rebellion.
The British weather has also shaped British culture and it’s a constant theme in both literature and art. Many of the great British artists, such as Turner and Constable, found inspiration Britain’s weather. It appears in many famous British plays, books and poems, and features heavily in the work of the country’s most famous writer – William Shakespeare.
In fact, the weather has even had a huge impact on our language and there are lots of weather idioms in English. If you say you are ‘under the weather’, it means you are ill, and if you are ‘snowed under’, you are busy. If you ‘weather the storm’, it means you survive something, and if you are ‘right as rain’, you are feeling fine. Come rain or shine – the British will always have something to say about the weather. It’s part of our daily lives and has influenced who we are, how we live, and how we express ourselves.

7.2 A THE BRITISH AND THE WEATHER

a) Watch a short film and complete the sentences with one or two words.

1. A .................................……….. of British people begin a conversation by talking about the weather.

2. People talk even more about the weather nowadays, because in Britain it’s becoming ................... .................................

3. 2012 was the .................................……….. year since records began.

4. British weather is quite ..................................……….. compared to other countries.

5. The British weather has an influence on its ...................................……….. and ...................................……….. .

6. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown blamed Britain’s bad economic performance on the .................. ...........................

7. In the UK elections are nearly always held in the ..................................……….. or ...................................……….. .

8. Some experts say that the weather is the reason why Britain has never had a ................................……….. .

9. Turner and Constable are famous British .......................………………….. who were inspired by the weather.

10. The expression ‘to weather the .......................................……….. ‘ means to survive something.

a) Watch the film once again and decide which option (A, B or C) is correct

1. By the end of their life, the average British person will have spent …………………… talking about the weather

A ten weeks B half a year C two years

2. …………………… Britons check weather forecasts every day.

A Few B Only a minority of C A huge majority of

3. In 2012 Britain experienced the coldest spring ……………………

A in half a century B in a decade C this century

4. Bad weather in Britain in 2012 slowed the growth of the British economy because people …………………

A lost their jobs B didn’t go out and didn’t spend money C were depressed

5. Outside of Britain, bad weather has often led to rebellions in the past because people ……………………

A became ill B were afraid to leave their homes C didn’t have enough food to eat

6. William Shakespeare …………………… to British weather in his famous works.

A hardly ever referred B didn’t refer at all C referred frequently

7. When someone says that they are ‘under the weather’, they mean that they ……………………

A feel unwell B have been walking around in rain C feel cold

8. When someone says that they are ‘right as rain’, they mean that they ……………………

A have just had a bath B are perfectly fit and well C have a runny nose

9. When someone says that they are ‘snowed under’, they mean that ……………………

A their hair has turned grey B they got stuck in a snowdrift C they have too much work

10. The habit of the British to talk about the weather ……………………

A is likely to continue B may come to an end very soon C is a huge surprise for foreigners • When did you talk to someone about the weather last time? Why did you do it? • How often do you talk to other people about the weather? In what circumstances does it happen? Can you think of a situation in which the weather could be a useful topic of conversation?