SEASONS AND MONTHS

         A year is the average time it takes for the Earth to go once round the Sun. There are 12 months or 52 weeks or 365 days in a year. Every four years there is a leap year. It has 366 days. The names of the months are: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, Novem­ber, December. The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. There are 7 days in a week, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute.

         There are four seasons in the year — spring, summer, au­tumn and winter.

         The Sun rises in the east in the morning and sets in the west in the evening. We tell the time by means of watches and clocks. Big Ben is the clock on the tower of the Houses of Par­liament in London.

        In the times of Julius Caesar the first month of the year was March, which is now the third month. Now the first month of the year is January. It is very cold in January. The second month is February. It has twenty-eight days. Every leap year February adds on a twenty-ninth day.

         The third month — March is the first month of spring. In spring the days grow longer and the weather becomes warmer. Spring like any other season has three months.

        June, July and August are summer months of which July and August are the hottest ones. In summer I often go to see my friends who live in the country. When my vacation is over, I return to my native town.

        In autumn the days grow shorter. The weather is bad. It often rains.

        December is the twelfth and last month of the year. At the same time it is the first month of winter. There is usually much snow in winter. It’s windy and frosty. But children can enjoy going skating, skiing, tobogganing, throwing snowballs and making a showman.

QUESTIONS: 

1.  How much does it take for the Earth to go once round the Sun?

2.  How many months are there in a year?

3.  Where does the Sun rise?

4.  Which month was the first in the times of Julius Cae­sar?

5.  How many days has February?

VOCABULARY:

leap year — високосный год