Our environment

Weather and the seasons, (clothes and some free-time activities)

We have four seasons in Hungary: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Many people think that spring is the most beautiful season. Spring means the rebirth of nature after
the long cold winter. The sky is blue, the leaves are green, the flowers bloom, and the birds return
home from the south. In March the ice on the rivers melts and the air is warmer and warmer. In
April the weather is changeable, it often rains. May is almost like summer. The air is warm, but
there is a light breeze. The trees are in full bloom. Maybe spring is the happiest season of all.
In spring you can wear jeans with a T-shirt and you can go cycling or running. Or you can simply
take a walk or chat with your friends on the terrace of a café.
Summer is the schoolchildren’s favourite season. Summer means school holiday. The weather is
sunny and hot. Sometimes there is even a heatwave. And storms are also common in summer. Then
you can see a lightning and hear a thunder. The fruits are ripe in this season. There are a lot of
delicious summer fruits: melon, watermelon, peach and cherry.
Girls can wear a summer dress or shorts with a top; boys can wear shorts with a T-shirt. You can go
to the beach and swim a lot in summer. Many people go on holiday. Lake Balaton is very popular in
Hungary.
Autumn is a colourful season. The leaves turn yellow, red and brown. At the beginning of autumn
the weather is very kind; the air is still warm and the sky is clear. This part of the season is called
“Indian Summer,” but later on the mornings become chilly and you should wear a cardigan or a
jacket. October is cloudy and rainy. You should watch the weather forecast and carry an umbrella
with you. Harvest takes place in October. November is a cold month, the mornings are foggy, the
leaves fall from the trees and cold wind blows. In late November even snow isn’t surprising.
In September you can wear shorts with a T-shirt, in October you can wear jeans with a pullover, in
November you need a coat and a hat. In autumn you can take a walk in a forest or go cycling when
the weather is still fine.
In winter the weather is extremely cold. The trees lose all of their leaves. They stand barren in the
streets. It often snows in Hungary. December and January can be freezing cold. The temperature is
often below zero. The mornings are frosty, the trees are snowy and the roads are slippery. Old
people can easily get a bone broken. The rivers freeze. The birds leave for warmer countries. The
children usually enjoy the snow. They often make snowmen* with carrots as noses.** And the
snow-covered streets are really beautiful. But, you should dress warmly if you don’t want to catch a
cold. You should wear a coat, a hat, gloves, a scarf and boots. Winter is often annoying, but we
celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve in this season.
* make a snowman, build a snowman
* *snowman with carrot nose, snowmen with carrot noses

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 City or village

City: In the picture I can see a big city. I can see a lot of people. I can see some big buildings.

Negative aspects:
Many people live in big cities. People usually live in blocks of flats. These flats are small. People
feel isolated and lonely. Maybe there are too many people in big cities. The buses are crammed in
the mornings. There are a lot of cars on the roads. Traffic jams are typical during the morning rush
hours. The air is polluted because of the cars. Life is quite expensive in a big city. There is much
crime.

Positive aspects:
I can see many young people in the picture. There are a lot of young people in big cities. They go to
high schools, universities or they work in offices. There are a lot of opportunities for learning and
for work in big cities. In the next picture I can see two women. They are wearing elegant clothes.
They are sitting on a terrace of a café and they are chatting. There are a lot of things to do in a big
city. You can go to cafés and restaurants. You can go to the cinema to watch a film. You can go to
the theatre to see a play. You can go to the museum or to an exhibition. There are a lot of
opportunities for doing sport as well. There are football and basketball teams at school, and girls
can go to aerobics classes in the afternoon.

Village: In the last picture I can see a village. I can see nice houses, a church, and green fields and
hills.

Positive aspects:
The village seems very peaceful and quiet. Only a few people live in villages and they know each
other. It’s a small community and people are friendly. There isn’t much crime either. There is also
less pollution. Life is cheaper in a village, but there are fewer shops.

Negative aspects:
There are fewer opportunities for going out in the evening: no cinema, no theatre. . . .So life can be
a bit lonely in a village. There are fewer schools and workplaces in a village so many people
commute to the next city.
I would spend my holiday . . .
. . . .in a big city, because it is exciting. I would go to the cinema/theatre a lot. . . .
. . . .in a small village, because it is peaceful and green. I would go cycling in the evening.

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 My town / village

I live in Szekszárd. It is a nice town, many people live there. There are a lot of things in Szekszárd.
There is a cinema, a prison, a swimming pool, a library and museums, schools, churches and post
offices. The public transport is quite good, there are many buses. There are a lot of things to do in
Szekszárd. I can go shopping with my friends because there are many little clothes shops. I can go
and drink coffee with my friends because there are many cafés.
I live in Tolna. It is a small town almost like a village. Few people live in Tolna. There aren’t a lot
of things in my town. There are schools, a church, a post office, a library and some clothes shops.
There aren’t a lot of things to do in Tolna. We can go cycling or stay at home and watch DVDs.

Living in a house or in a flat

A flat is usually small, it is cramped, it has tiny rooms. Only small families can live in flats. A flat is
usually in the middle of an inner city. It is usually in a block of flats so you have to climb the stairs
to get to your flat. It is very tiring for elderly people and small children. You don’t have a garden,
the children have nowhere to play around the house. You should walk to the nearest playground.
The streets are noisy, the air is polluted from the cars. You have many neighbours and they are often
annoying. The walls are thin. They listen to loud music or they use the washing machine at night.
You can hear the buses late at night, too. You can’t keep dogs in a flat, only small pets like
hamsters.

A house is usually big, it has many rooms. It is spacious. Big families can also live in big houses. A
house is in a village or in the outskirts of a big city. The street is peaceful, there are fewer cars. The
air is clearer. There are fewer neighbours and they live farther from your house. So you don’t hear
noises. You have a garden, you can have flowers and trees. You can keep dogs and cats in the
garden. The children can play there, you can make a small playground for them.

Pets

Pets are very important for people. Children love pets very much. They learn responsibility and they
learn to care for others. And they love playing with their pets. Elderly people keep pets for
company. Pets substitute their families who live far away. You can keep dogs and cats in houses.
You can play with them in your garden. You can keep hamsters and goldfish in flats. You should
walk dogs every day. You should feed your pet. Small pets eat less so they are cheaper to keep. You
should clean the pet’s cage, kennel or tank. Some pets are useful. Dogs guard your house, cats eat
mice. Hamsters and other small pets are just cute, but children love them. Yes, I have a pet. It’s a
dog, it is three years old, its name is Blöki. / No, I don’t have a pet, but I would like to buy some

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goldfish, because I live in a flat. / No, I don’t have a pet, and I wouldn’t like to have one. Pets are
noisy and smelly, they are very annoying.