The English Weather 1. Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather. This statement, often made by Englishmen to describe the strange weather conditions of their country, is both revealing and true. It is revealing because in it we see the Englishman insisting once again that what happens in England is not the same as what happens elsewhere. Its truth can be proved by any foreigner who stays in the country for longer than a few days. 2. In no country other than England, it has been said, can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day! Day may break as a warm spring morning, an hour or so later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and the rain may be pouring down. At midday it may be really winter with the temperature down by about eight degrees or more centigrade. And then, in the late afternoon the sky will clear, the sun will begin to shine, and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer. 3. In England one can experience almost every kind of weather except the most extreme. (Some foreigners seem to be under the impression that for ten months of the year the country is covered by a dense blanket of fog; this is not true.) The problem is that we can never be sure when the different types of weather will occur. Not only do we get several different sorts of weather in one day, but we may very well get a spell of winter in summer and a spell of summer in winter. 4. The uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character. It tends to make him cautious, for example. The foreigner may laugh when he sees the Englishman setting forth on a brilliantly sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, but he may well regret his laughter later in the day! 5. And, of course, the weather variety provides a constant topic of conversation. Even the most taciturn of Englishmen is always prepared to discuss the weather. And, though he sometimes complains bitterly of it, he would not, even if he could, exchange it for the more predictable climate of other lands. 6. The English weather has also helped the Englishmen to be more adaptable.They are always prepared for the changeable weather conditions. It has been said that one of the reasons why Britain once colonized so much of the world is their adaptability to different weather patterns, whatever the weather condition, they had already experienced them at home! Comprehension exercise (1) “Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." This statement suggests that ______. A. other countries do not have fine weather B. you cannot experience four seasons in a year in England c. the weather in England often changes and is therefore unique D. the weather in England never changes (2) A special feature of the weather in England is that _______. A. you can experience four seasons every day throughout the year B. it does not have four seasons as other countries do c. winter there is the coldest in the world D. you may experience different types of weather in a single day (3) What makes the Englishman cautious, according to the passage? A. The foreigner 's laughter. B. The cold weather in winter. C. The uncertainty about the weather. D. The predictable climate. (4) Which of the following statement is NOT true of the weather in England? A. England is covered by heavy fog for ten months of the year. B. It tends to make the Englishman cautious. C. One cannot be sure when the different types of weather will occur. D. You may have a spell of winter in summer (5) The word “lands” in the last sentence of Para. 5 could best be replaced by _______. A. soil B. earth C. countries D. parts