When speaking of the weather…            

“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” I mean it’s January and it feels like spring! Hopefully you’re not feeling under the weather because none of your New Year’s resolutions seem to have worked…Anyway, make hay while the sun shines and try out our new matura tasks. 

I. Fill in the text  with one of the words below- make all the necessary changes/there are two extra words/.

less        express        connect        universal       change       forecast         mean

   The weather is a conversation helper in social situations the world over. Why is this? It’s a safe topic.
1)……………., the weather is probably the safest ice-breaker. It is a very neutral topic of conversation; the perfect subject when you don’t want to have a serious or 2)………….. conversation with someone. You can talk about the weather to anyone, anywhere- with a stranger at a bus stop, with your friends on the phone or when you bump into your teacher in the hall.
But talking about the weather is about more than making small talk. It’s also about being polite, finding shared interests, getting closer to others and creating trust. The weather affects us all. It’s also ever-changing, which means we have something new to talk about every day. What’s more, it’s easy to talk about the weather. One way to 3)………… the formal distance between people is to start off with small talk, like making a comment about the weather.
Remarks about weather do not start conversations in all cultures. Traditionally, many black Africans begin conversations by asking how the other person’s family is doing. It has also been noted that in Arab countries, where the weather is more predictable and less 4)……………, people will often only talk about the weather when it is extremely hot or cold. Additionally, in Arab countries, where the weather is mostly hot and dry,
5)…………… with cold weather are used to convey a positive message. 

II. Choose the right option.

 

a)(it’s) raining cats and dogs

You can say “it’s raining cats and dogs” if the rain is  unexpected/light/hard

 

b)a fair-weather friend

A fair-weather friend is a person who will be your friend when things are going to be fine/bad/ for you.

c)have your head in the clouds

If someone has their head in the clouds, they seem to be unrealistic/worried/introverted.

d)quick as a flash/ quick as a wink/quick as lightning

 

If you're as quick as a flash, or quick as a wink, or quick as lightning, you're very emotional/smart/fast.

e)under a cloud

If someone is under a cloud, they are suspected of having done something wrong/funny/strange.

f) weather a storm

If you weather a storm, you get through something that could have helped you/excited you/ harmed you.

I.1.universally 2.meaningful 3lessen 4  changeable  5 expressions

II. hard, fine, unrealistic, fast, wrong, harmed you