It is revealing because in it we see the Englishman insisting once again that what happens in England is not the same as what happens elsewhere; its truth can soon be found by any foreigner who stays in the country for longer than a few days. It has been said only in England can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day! Day may break as a balmy spring morning; an hour later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and the rain may be pouring down. At midday conditions may be really wintry with the temperature down by about eight degrees or more. And then, in the late afternoon the sky will clear, the sun will begin to shine, and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer. In England one can experience almost every kind of weather except the most extreme. Some foreigners seem to be under the impression that for ten months of the year the country is covered by a dense blanket of fog; this is not true. The problem is that we never can be sure when the different sorts of weather will occur. Not only do we get several different sorts of weather in one day, but we may very well get a period of winter in summer and a period of summer in winter. This uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character; it tends to make him cautious, for example. The foreigner may laugh when he sees the Englishman setting out on a sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, but he may well regret his laughter later in the day! The English weather has also helped to make the Englishman adaptable. It has been said that one of the reasons why the English colonized (开拓殖民地) so much of the world was that, whatever the weather conditions they met abroad, they had already experienced something like them at home! And, of course, the weather's variety provides a constant topic of conversation. Even the most unfriendly of Englishmen is always prepared to discuss the weather. And, though he sometimes complains bitterly of it, he would not exchange it for the more predictable (可以预测的) climate of other lands.1. The word "balmy" in the second paragraph probably means ________.A) cloudyB) coldC) pleasant D) wet2. By giving the example in the fourth paragraph, the writer tries to tell the reader that ________.A) it is hard for a foreigner to understand Englishmen’s strange behaviorB) in England it is always sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoonC) Englishmen are good at foretelling weatherD) the English weather has made English people very careful 3. By reading the last sentence, we can see that Englishmen's basic attitude towards their weather is ________.A) positive B) bitterC) helplessD) indifferent4. Which of the following words can't we use to describe the English weather?A) Varied.B) Uncertain.C) Changeable.D) Predictable. 5. Which of the following is not the writer's view?A) Weather is Englishmen's favorite topic of conversation.B) For most of the year it is foggy in England. C) The English weather has affected Englishmen's character.D) Englishmen could easily make themselves fit for the local weather wherever they went.

"Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." This statement is often made by Englishmen, which is both revealing and true. It is revealing because in it we see the Englishman insisting once again that what happens in England is not the same as what happens elsewhere; its truth can soon be found by any foreigner who stays in the country for longer than a few days.  It has been said only in England can one experience four seasons in the course of a single day! Day may break as a balmy spring morning; an hour later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and the rain may be pouring down. At midday conditions may be really wintry with the temperature down by about eight degrees or more. And then, in the late afternoon the sky will clear, the sun will begin to shine, and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer.  In England one can experience almost every kind of weather except the most extreme. Some foreigners seem to be under the impression that for ten months of the year the country is covered by a dense blanket of fog; this is not true. The problem is that we never can be sure when the different sorts of weather will occur. Not only do we get several different sorts of weather in one day, but we may very well get a period of winter in summer and a period of summer in winter.  This uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character; it tends to make him cautious, for example. The foreigner may laugh when he sees the Englishman setting out on a sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella, but he may well regret his laughter later in the day! The English weather has also helped to make the Englishman adaptable. It has been said that one of the reasons why the English colonized (开拓殖民地) so much of the world was that, whatever the weather conditions they met abroad, they had already experienced something like them at home!  And, of course, the weather's variety provides a constant topic of conversation. Even the most unfriendly of Englishmen is always prepared to discuss the weather. And, though he sometimes complains bitterly of it, he would not exchange it for the more predictable (可以预测的) climate of other lands.1. The word "balmy" in the second paragraph probably means ________.A)  cloudyB)  coldC)  pleasant D)  wet2. By giving the example in the fourth paragraph, the writer tries to tell the reader that ________.A)  it is hard for a foreigner to understand Englishmen’s strange behaviorB)  in England it is always sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoonC)  Englishmen are good at foretelling weatherD)  the English weather has made English people very careful 3. By reading the last sentence, we can see that Englishmen's basic attitude towards their weather is ________.A)  positive B)  bitterC)  helplessD)  indifferent4. Which of the following words can't we use to describe the English weather?A)  Varied.B)  Uncertain.C)  Changeable.D)  Predictable. 5. Which of the following is not the writer's view?A)  Weather is Englishmen's favorite topic of conversation.B)  For most of the year it is foggy in England. C)  The English weather has affected Englishmen's character.D)  Englishmen could easily make themselves fit for the local weather wherever they went.