Ice breakers: Brits spend 5 months of their lives talking about weather 1

The average person spends the equivalent of five months of their life - talking about the weather, a study has revealed.

            A poll of 2,000 adults has found the classic British stereotype of always talking about the weather is as right as rain, with the subject coming up three times in a typical day. And with each of those conversations about the temperature, sunshine or rain lasting just under three minutes, that amounts to around nine minutes a day or an hour a week. On top of that, the average adult will post at least one weather-related comment a week on social media and spend 11 minutes a week checking the forecast either on TV, an app on their phone or the internet.

            It also emerged three quarters of Brits consider the weather to be their go-to subject when making small talk with a stranger or when an awkward silence crops up in conversation.

            Emma Russell, from Scandinavian outdoor clothing brand Helly Hansen, said: "Brits have long been accused of always talking about the weather, and it seems that really is the case. Thanks to Britain's changeable and unpredictable weather, it is often a hot topic of conversation, especially when you are making small talk with someone”.

            Emma added: "But the weather can have a huge effect on our activities and our moods, hence why we probably talk about it so much. With so many health benefits attached to being outside, we shouldn't talk ourselves into hating bad weather, or to allow the rain to prevent us from enjoying time outdoors with our friends and family."

            Researchers found we are most likely to talk about how cold it is, followed by when it is wet, windy or hot.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. The classic stereotype of all Brits being fixated with the weather is a true one.

b. Weather conversations don’t last long.

c. The weather does not change our daily routine.

d. Cold weather is one of the most common topics.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. When do people usually talk about the weather?

b. What should people do although the weather is not as good as they would like?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. weather prediction (p. 2)

b. troublesome, disagreeable  (p. 3)

c. unstable, inconstant  (p. 4)

d. popular (p. 4)

e. stop (p. 5)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. Emma Russell said: "Brits have long been accused of always talking about the weather, and it seems that really is the case.”.

            Emma Russell said that ...

b. Thanks to Britain's changeable and unpredictable weather, it is often a hot topic of conversation.

            If...

c. Researchers found we are most likely to talk about how cold it is.

            We...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

I would/ wouldn’t like to live in a place with good weather, like the Canary islands.