A friend of yours wants to develop a programme to protect the city where he lives. Give him a piece of advice

5. Green School of the Year contest is held in the country and you want your school to enter it. Give ideas for some ‘green events’.

1. Now let’s talk about weather and climate. What is happening to weather and climate nowadays?

As we know the weather depends on the season and the climate of the country? And the latter depends on the geographical position of the country.

Our country, Belarus, has a moderate-continental climate due to a strong influence of the maritime air of the Atlantic.

But weather changes with the changing of the season. Consider autumn, for example. This season is full of colours, bright and tasty. The sky is blue, but sometimes grey clouds appear. The sun shines but it begins to hide behind the clouds. Its rays are not so warm. Autumn is full of vegetables and fruit, mushrooms and berries. As for me, I like to walk on the carpet of bright leaves, listen to the last songs of birds flying to warm countries, look at the nature. It is like a fairy- tale. It fades away and nothing can be done. Soon drizzling rains will begin and everything will be dull and sad. But still I like autumn.

Winter in our country is long and cold with dark nights and frosty days. Some people are fond of winter. One of them considers it to be the healthiest season. In winter we can go in for winter kinds of sports: skating, skiing, hockey. Others like to watch winter landscapes. Fluffy soft snowflakes are falling to the ground making a beautiful thick carpet. Going outdoors in such weather is pleasant. Many people go to the forests and enjoy tobogganing, playing snowballs and making a snowman.

Some people dream about spring during long winter days. I don't like the first month of spring because my town becomes grey. But spring is the beginning of new life. Nature awakens from its long winter sleep. The trees begin to bud and soon tiny green leaves will appear. Young green grass appear, fruit trees begin to blossom. Everything looks magic covered with green carpet. Nature looks full of promise.

Each person likes this or that season. It depends on his character, mood.

I like summer because we have holiday and enjoy resting after school year. It’s a good time for going to the seashore or a river band, for sunbathing, for swimming. We can pick berries and mushrooms, gather flowers.

To cut the long story short, I must confess that every season is good in its own way.

2. Are you weather dependent?

3. What questions would you ask a meteorologist?

4. What can you advise a person who wants to become a meteorologist?

5. They say there’s no bad weather, there are bad clothes. What do you think about it?

1. Let’s talk about Belarus. What do you know about our country?

The Republic of Belarus is located in Eastern Europe. Lithuania and Latvia border the country to the northwest, Russia is to the east, the Ukraine is to the south, and Poland is to the west. The total area of Belarus is 207,600 square km.

Belarus, a landlocked country, is a low-lying plain with hilly uplands that seldom exceed 300 meters in elevation. In the south are vast tracts of sparsely inhabited swampland known as the Polesye.

The climate in Belarus is generally temperate and humid, with colder continental conditions in the east. The average temperature in July is 18°C, while in January, the coldest month of the year the average temperature is –6°C. Annual rainfall, including run-off from snow, ranges from 506 to 660 millimeters.

The population of the country is more than ten and a half million. Belarusians constitute the largest part of its population. But there are many other people living on its territory – Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, etc.

Belarus is a republic of highly developed industry, large-scale farming, advanced science and culture. The industry is characterized by truck-and-tractor building, oil-extracting and oil-refining, production of machine-tools, electronic devices, motor cycles, watches, TV-sets, refrigerators as well as mineral fertilizers and so on. Light and food industry has also grown considerably.

Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. The main crops cultivated here are potatoes, flax, grain, herbs and vegetables.

Belarus is a republic of well-developed science and culture. There is an Academy of Science, 37 higher educational establishments, about 4000 professional schools.

Nowadays the Republic of Belarus has become a sovereign independent state. The Declaration of State Sovereignty was adopted by its Supreme Soviet on July 27, 1990.

6. Do you know any symbols of our country?

(National flag, anthem and emblem are the official symbols of Belarus, unofficial symbols are a white stork, cornflower and Cross of St. Euphrosyne.)

7. What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

8. What Belarusian festivals would you advise a foreigner to visit?

(Each year, the Lida Castle hosts a medieval-style knights’ tournament. Here you can see what the life in the Middle Ages was like.)

9. What sights in our country belong to world heritage?

(Mir Castle and Nesvizh Palace and Castle Complex are included in the UNESCO Register.)

1. Let’s talk about Britain. What do you know about this country?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometers.

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively.

The British Isles are separates from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea.

The surface of the British Isles varies much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest – east, center and south-east is – a vast plain. Mountains are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343m).

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The Severn is the longest river, while the Thames is the deepest and most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round.

The UK is one of the world’s smaller countries. Its population is over 57 million. About 80% of the population is urban.

The UK is highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding.

The UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen. In practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

There are three main political parties in Great Britain: the Labor, the Conservative and the Liberal parties.

2. What are the state symbols of Great Britain?

3. What would you ask a British teenager about national holidays in Britain?