I. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. The weather of the British Isles is greatly____.

2. Temperature, the most important climatic element, depends not only on the angle at which the sun's rays strike the earth's surface, but also on the ____of daylight.

3. On their arrival over Britain, the winds are forced upwards, and as a result large-scale ____ takes place, clouds form and ____ follows, especially over the mountainous areas.

4. Because of the North Atlantic Drift and the predominantly maritime air masses that reach the British Isles from the west, the ____in temperature throughout the year is never very great.

5. The distribution of sunshine shows a general ____from south to north — the south has much longer periods of sunshine than the north.

6. It is frequently said that Great Britain does not experience climate, but only _____ .

7. No ordinary person can guess from one day to another which____ he will find himself in when he wakes in the morning.

8. Often the rain is hardly more than a floating ____in which you can hardly get wet.

II. Complete the sentences with the best answer (a, b or c).

1. The climate of any place results from the interaction of a number of determining factors, of which one of the most important is

a) latitude.

b) precipitation.

c) temperature.

2. Continental winds from the east sometimes reach the British Isles in summer as a warm, dry air-stream, but they are more frequently experienced

a) in autumn.

b) in winter.

c) in spring.

3. Relief is the most important factor controlling the distribution of

a) temperature and sunshine.

b) sunshine and precipitation.

c) precipitation and temperature.

4. The geographical distribution of rainfall is largely determined by

a) relief.

b) topography.

c) latitude.

5. Snow, on the other hand, is rare in Ireland, owing to the warming effects of

a) the easterlies.

b) the westerlies.

c) the Gulf Stream.

6. Although the British are crowded very closely in a very small country, there is one respect in which they are very fortunate: this is their

a) weather.

b) climate.

c) geographical position.

III. Are the statements true or false? Correct the false statements.

1. The climate of a place or region represents the average weather conditions over a short period of time.

2. North and north-west winds often bring heavy falls of snow to north Britain during late October and November, but they are usually short-lived.

3. The actual temperatures experienced in the hilly and mountainous parts are considered higher than those in the lowlands.

4. Rainfall is fairly well distributed throughout the year, although March to June are the wettest months and October to January the driest.

5. It is frequently said that Great Britain does not experience weather but only climate.

6. But although the English weather is more unreliable than any weather in the world, the English climate — average weather — is a good one.

7. It is no wonder that, living in such an unreliable climate with so many rules and with still more exceptions, the Englishmen avoid talking about the weather.