Focus on Grammar

Write ona. Susan Araratian was asked to write about Yerevan. This is what she wrote.… Yerevan is my home town. I miss it wherever I go. I miss snow-peaked Araratwhich I am used to seeing when I get up in the morning, the shady trees by the Operahouse and the liveliness of Yeritasardakan with so many students around.I have a few favourite corners in Yerevan but most of all I like to visit SwallowFortress Park and from its top to admire the sweeping panorama of Yerevan. I enjoylong walks along the picturesque banks of the river Hrazdan.Yerevan is a mixture of very old, old and new. All the periods in its architectureare interesting to me except the faceless structures which were built in Yerevan in theseventies instead of cosy small yards where people lived all their lives together sharingsorrow and joy. You could often hear the sounds of music announcing a traditionalwedding.Though Yerevan has a lot of problems, it is slowly changing for the better. Ithas become brighter, cleaner and more modern. I know that today it is not the mostcomfortable place to live in but I hope that the city will become a nice place to workand create in.Write a passage about your favourite corner in your native city.Before you readTHE ENGLISH ABOUT THE ENGLISH WEATHER1. What do you know about English climate and weather?2. Why do you think the English often speak about the weather?3. Is it important what the weather will be like?Read the text and do the exercises.pictureThe stamp was issued as partof four called The Weather inMarch 2001One of the most common things that tourists comment on when visiting England isthe weather, more specifically, the rain! And really you can’t say that the English weatheris very good. Maybe, that’s why English weather idioms use bad weather vocabulary: ‘astorm in a tea cup’, ‘ save it for a rainy day’.Thanks to the sea surrounding this small island the weather never reaches thecoldest temperatures in England, but it’s usually damp, and changeable: a fine morningmay change into a wet afternoon and evening, and a miserable morning may give placeto a bright afternoon.6