Question

The weather. It's always a talking-point in Britain. Why is that? Is it something strange about British people? Well it's nice to think that a lot of British people are eccentric（古怪）, I mean, the place is famous for it. But really, it's the weather that's the point of note. The UK has some of the most interesting weather in the world.

"Britain does not have a CLIMATE. It just has WEATHER"

In hot countries most of the indoor places that need to be comfortable are air-conditioned, and in cold countries most of the places that need to be comfortable are properly heated. The UK is the exception, since the weather is often interesting and no one really takes heat and cold seriously. So although the weather can be very cold, very hot, very wet, or just wildly confused, it always takes people by surprise.

When it gets to winter and there is actually some SNOW, it always takes the people by surprise. It is frontpage news, and even a few inches of snow brings the country to a standstill. But then, what happens next is even more surprising and catches the folk off guard completely. And who could possibly have predicted it?! IT MELTS! Flooding! What a surprise!

Then in the summer, it gets very hot. If it had been Thailand or Australia, there'd be no problem. It is supposed to be hot, so, there is air conditioning. But in the UK, just total confusion at the sudden hot weather. Shock, health problems, and despite the fact that the country is considered to be where it always rains, summertime brings drought! But do people have cisterns（水箱） and reserve water tanks? Wouldn't it make sense for people to store rainwater in case of drought? Of course it would, but it is a dependency-culture where people have been trained to be dependent on the state, which then means that in emergency people are stuck! Why is the British weather so strange? It is something to do with the combination of an almost Arctic latitude（纬度） combined with being an island and having the Gulf Stream bringing warm weather from the tropics.

Helpful people in the know on geographical meteorology（气象学） have commented that the general situation with the UK weather is even more complex, as many different things contribute to the changeable weather. As well as the North Atlantic drift, there is the fact that the UK is affected by the following major air masses: the tropical maritime（海的）Gulf Stream, the Polar Maritime air from the North, the Arctic Maritime, the Polar Continental, and the Tropical Continental. There's also fast flowing air in Jet Streams. Air goes around in convection currents in Hadley Cells and in Ferrel Cells. Because the British Isles can get weather coming from hot or cold zones, and from land or sea, a changeable hot/cold wet/dry weather is found.

1.What is the British attitude toward heat and cold?

A. Serious. B. Indifferent.

C. Positive. D. Careful.

2.How do the British feel when they see snow in winter?

A. Excited. B. Frightened.

C. Amazed. D. Disappointed.

3.What happens when the British meet a drought in summer?

A. They have got well-prepared. B. They get water from the river.

C. They always help each other. D. They maybe fall into trouble.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Why weather interests the British. B. Englishmen's attitude to weather.

C. Weather in the United Kingdom. D. What affects the weather in the UK.

Answer 1