INTRODUCTORY READING AND TALK. The naughtiest thing in the worid is theweather

The naughtiest thing in the worid is theweather. It's like a capricious woman who always does the opposite to what you ask her.

When you want to go for a picnic in the open air you ask the skies toremain clear and the day tobe fine. Nervously you switch on the radio and listen to theweather forecast. You tremble with joy to hear that it'llstay warm anddry withbright sunshine, andmoderate breeze. Your imagination draws ahot summer afternoon and your­self saying:'Nice weather we are having today!' You take a lot of food and no warm clothes, go to the countryside but... do not get anythingsunny.

You get itcloudy andcool withintermittent drizzle which ends with athundery shower. The sky is soheavily cast with clouds, the downpours follow one another with such frequency, therumbling of thunder andHashes of lightning are so frightening that you've got no illusions left. You throw away the food and go back hungry and an­gry. And when you are already approaching your homesoaked to the skin it suddenlybrightens up. Oh, Goodness!

Each summer every student survives through the best time of his or her life — an examination session. Then many students plead: 'Please, weather, staycloudy, chilly or evencold with brisk northerly wind andnun torrents leavingpoolsandpeddles everywhere, espe­cially on the playground. And I'll be a good student'. The radio promises:'Patchy light drizzle withshowery outbreaks of rain.' But the "patch" is never in the right place. Instead the skies sendheatand excellent weather for asun tan. Everyone knows that sun tan never helps at exams.

And it is always like this. When you go skiing and want to have frosty weather with a lot ofsnow, it startsthawing and your skis sink in theslush. Instead of asnowfall andhoarfrost on the trees you get excellentsleet. The weather does not feel any pangs of re­morse.

When you go in the car to the country, enjoyingnice weatherand a beautiful view of arainbow in the blue sky, you pay no atten­tion to somehaze on the horizon. Some time later athin mist in the distance turns into athick fog and you spend a lovely two hours in­stead of one at the steering wheel.

When you plant some much-cared-for flowers in the garden, ei­ther aground frostora hail storm kills them. Diggingmuddy flower­beds one feels exasperated:'What beastly weather we've had this week! And it keeps nasty! Wretched!'

To tell the troth, sometimes the weather is ashamed andturns for the better. But not always. More often it sticks to its own pattern and aftera short warm spell turns bad again. Why is it always like this? Maybe, because the weather likes surprises and wants to bring in adventures to our life, breaking the boring routine with marvel­lous happenings?

1. Do you agree that the weather is like a capricious woman? Prove your point.

2. Say what weather you like best of all and why.

3. Do you listen to the weather forecasts? Do you trust them? Have you heard the weather forecast for today? Was it right?

4. Look at the pictures and say what the weather Is like in them.

5. Explain how you understand the proverb.

Whether the weather is cold

Or whether the weather is hot

We'll weather the weather

Whatever the weather

Whether we like it or not.

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