Read the text and enjoy the poems.
WINTER
Winter starts in December. The days are short in winter, and the shortest one is on the twenty first of December. After that, each day becomes longer than the other, but they are still shorter than the nights. It often snows. Snowflakes fall fast and thick. Snow is everywhere – on the roofs of the houses, on the trees, on the ground. The air is crisp and clear. Cold makes the air smell better and the streets look cleaner. The temperature drops. The lakes and rivers are frozen. Everything looks so nice covered with ice and snow!
Sometimes a blizzard sweeps in. Snow stings like sand; it piles up in waist – high drifts. There is nothing to do, but stay indoors and wait it out.
Sometimes, it gets so cold that classes are cancelled and it makes children happy. Some of them stay home and get some extra sleep, but there are some bold ones, who go out and enjoy the cold weather!
It is difficult for birds to find food in winter. They need your help. Make a bird feeder, place somewhere – on your balcony or among the tree branches, and don’t forget to put some food every day. Keep feeding birds all through the winter. They will appreciate that and their songs will make you happy in spring.
Children like winter very much. In winter, they can do a lot of things that they cannot do during the rest of the year. The most popular outdoor winter activities are skiing, sledding, and ice-skating on a lake or pond. If you like to do this, be sure the ice is thick enough to support you. Besides, kids like to make snowmen, build snow huts, play snowballs, throwing them at one another. It’s great to speed down snowy slopes, with a group of friends! Even if you don’t like winter, don’t hide from it, go out, and meet it. A hard walk with a breath of a frosty cloud is much more refreshing than a sweaty walk in the hot sun.
In winter, everybody is looking forward to celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Day. Even St. Valentine’s Day is now celebrated In Russia where it was not observed before. It is a great pleasure to see happy people enjoy the holidays!
All of a sudden, in winter we have some warm days, with icicles dripping from the roofs, and the sun shining brightly. It looks like spring’s around the corner; and many people who don’t like winter very much would like to say, "Come, spring, come again!”
When All World Is Full of Snow
by N. M. Bodecker.
|
I never know
just where to go,
when all the world
is full of snow.
I don’t want
to make a track
not even
to the shed and back. |
I only want
to watch and wait,
while snow moths settle
on the gate.
And swarming frost flakes
fill the trees
with billions
of albino bees. |
I only want
myself to be
as silent as
a winter tree.
To hear the swirling
stillness grow
when all the world
is full of snow. |
Snow
by Eve Merriam.
|
Snow fell in the city,
It fell through the night,
And the black rooftops
All turned white.
Green garbage cans
All turned white,
Gray sidewalks
All turned white, |
Red fire hydrants
All turned white,
Blue police cars
All turned white.
Yellow "no parking” signs
All turned white
When snow fell in the city
All through the night. |
I Heard the Bird Sing
by Oliver Herford.
|
I heard the bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing,
And sweet to remember: |
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September.”
I heard the bird sing
In the dark of December. |
|
Snowflakes
by Mary Jim.
|
Merry little snowflakes
Falling through the air,
Resting on the steeple
And the tall tree everywhere,
Covering roofs and fences,
Capping every post,
Covering the hillside
Where we like to coast. |
Merry little snowflakes
Do their best
To make a soft, white blanket
So buds and flowers may rest.
But when the bright spring sunshine
Says it’s come to stay,
Those merry little snowflakes
Quickly run away. |
Snow
by Karla Kuskin.
|
We’ll play in the snow
And stray in the snow
And stay in the snow
In a snow-white park.
We’ll clown in the snow
And frown in the snow
Fall down in the snow
Till it’s after dark.
We’ll cook snow pies
In a big snow pan. |
We’ll make snow eyes
In a round snowman.
We’ll sing snow songs,
And chant snow chants,
And roll in the snow
In our fat snow pants.
And when it’s time
To go home to eat
We’ll have snow toes
On our frosted feet |
|
Ex.1. In the text "Winter” find the English equivalents for these Russian words.
Кормушка, наваливать, метель, склон (наклон), отмечать (праздник), пережидать (бурю, шторм, и т.п.), бодрящий (о воздухе), потный, смелый, сугроб, мчаться, освежающий.
Ex.2. Which word means...
1. ... "a mass of snow formed into a ball”?
a) snow-drop b) snowball c) snowman
2. ... "snow piled up by the wind”?
a) snowball b) sand c) snowdrift
3. ... "easy-broken or fresh and firm”?
a) gentle b) crisp c) thin
4. ... "covered with, or made into ice”?
a) frost b) frozen c) froze
5. ... "a severe storm accompanied by heavy, driving snow”?
a) storm b) snowstorm c) blizzard
<!--[if !vml]-->6. ... "a body of water smaller in size than a lake”?<!--[endif]-->
a) pool b) river c) pond
7. ... "to celebrate”?
a) to play b) to observe c) to watch
8. ... "a hanging spike of ice made by dripping water that freezes”?
a) ice water b) ice pick c) icicle
Ex.3. Answer the questions.
1. When does winter begin in your region?
2. How long does it last?
3. Your winter is cold, isn’t it?
4. Which is the coldest month?
5. February is different from the other winter months, isn’t it? In what way?
<!--[if !vml]-->6. Are the shortest days in February or in January?<!--[endif]-->
7. Does it often snow in your region?
8. What is the snowiest month?
9. What does your town look like in winter?
10. Do you often have blizzards?
11. How cold is it supposed to be to cancel classes?
12. Do you like it when your classes are canceled? Why?
13. What is your favorite outdoor winter activity?
14. Do you like to have PE lessons in the park named after Yuri Gagarin?
15. What holidays and festivals do you have in winter?
