Have you ever seen snow? Many people in the world have not. Some countries never have snow; some have only a little on the tops of very high mountains. In the north of England, there is quite a lot of snow every winter, but in the south of England, there is usually little.
When a student from a warm country comes to England in autumn for the first time, he feels cold at first. There are often dark clouds, grey sky and cold rain in England in autumn, and most students from warm countries do not like this.
But snow is different. Though it is cold, it is also beautiful. Perhaps, after several dark mornings, the student wakes up one day, and there is a lot of light in his room. He thinks “Is it so late?” and jumps out of bed. But no, it is not very late. He looks out of the window and there is the snow on the ground and on the houses and everywhere. The light of his room comes from clean, beautiful snow.
【小題1】In which part of England is there much snow in winter?

Have you ever seen snow? Many people in the world have not. Some countries never have snow; some have only a little on the tops of very high mountains. In the north of England, there is quite a lot of snow every winter, but in the south of England, there is usually little.
When a student from a warm country comes to England in autumn for the first time, he feels cold at first. There are often dark clouds, grey sky and cold rain in England in autumn, and most students from warm countries do not like this.
But snow is different. Though it is cold, it is also beautiful. Perhaps, after several dark mornings, the student wakes up one day, and there is a lot of light in his room. He thinks “Is it so late?” and jumps out of bed. But no, it is not very late. He looks out of the window and there is the snow on the ground and on the houses and everywhere. The light of his room comes from clean, beautiful snow.
【小題1】In which part of England is there much snow in winter?

Many cultures have different ideas about why people catch colds. For example in the United States, some people think that you can catch a cold if your feet get cold. So, mothers tell small children to wear warm boots in the winter. In other places, including parts of the Middle East, some people believe that strong winds cause colds. So, on trains and buses, people usually don’t like to sit next to open windows. In parts of Europe, some people think that wearing wet clothes will give you a cold. They say that after you go swimming, you should quickly put on dry clothes. Today, scientists know that colds are caused by a virus（病毒）. But the old ideas are still very strong, and many people still follow them to avoid（避免）getting ill.
【小題1】What is the main idea of this reading?

Passage 5
Here in Siberia (西伯利亞), the winter is always very long and it’s very, very cold! It starts to snow in November and the snow won’t leave until May. The temperature is usually about -25℃, but it’s sometimes much colder. When it’s -35℃, children can’t go to school, but grown-ups still go to work! We wear a lot of warm clothes: socks and boots, sweaters and fur coats. All the houses have heating, so it’s never cold inside. In winter, we close the windows to stop the wind from getting in, and we don’t open them again until spring.
In spring and summer it rains a lot, and we don’t often see the sun. In summer it’s often about 25℃, but the weather is very changeable. One day it’s 25℃, and the next day it’s 10℃. People say that the weather was even colder in the past.
【小題1】How long is Siberia’s snowy time?
【小題2】What are used in Siberia to keep the people and houses warm?
【小題3】Do children go to school when it’s -35℃ in winter?
【小題4】What’s the weather like in spring?
【小題5】How does the weather in Siberia often change in summer?