英語でおしゃべり
次回 9月7日土曜 10~12時
参加費無料 守谷国際交流センター(守谷市緑2-1-1)
☆気軽に英語でおしゃべりしましょう！
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7月活動 続き
イギリスからやって来たステファンさんが
英国の夏について、楽しいスピーチをしてくれました。
下記に詳細を掲載いたします。
お楽しみください。
Stefan Lubienski
BRITISH SUMMER TIME
Officially, summer in England starts on April 1st and finishes at the end of July. The average temperature in England is 26 26°C, or 79 Fahrenheit, whilst Japan is 29 °C, or 84 Fahrenheit, meaning England is usually cooler than Japan.
Perhaps the most important difference between England and other countries is that it’s considered cool to get a tan during summer time. So much so that, if England is not warm enough, often, British people will travel to other countries, usually in Europe, where it’s warmer. For instance; Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Turkey.
Most British jobs give employees around 20 days holiday a year (not including weekends), and will often book 1, if not 2, weeks holiday to go abroad, or relax and home to work on a tan. Those who return to work with a strong tan are often envied by the rest of their work colleagues.
Maybe the most frequent summer activities in England are barbeques. Contrary to some other countries, barbeques in England always include meat – such as sausages or burgers in a bun. Rarely do people have vegetable barbeques. It’s too healthy!
English people like to think the most famous event in the summer is the Glastonbury festival. Established in 1970, it is a 3-day event that includes some of the biggest musical acts in the world coming to play live to an audience of around 150,000 people.
Such famous musicians to play at the festival in the past include U2, Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Beyonce, Muse, Oasis, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, and Lady Gaga.
Tickets now cost around £200, roughly 30,000yen, per person.
Because the event is 3 days long, entrances will usually camp in the concert itself, usually in tents.
Even though it is the summer, it still often rains in England. Because of this, many times the news has show the Glastonbury festival where it is incredibly muddy, or even flooded, much to the humour of those watching on the TV at home.
There are many other music festivals in the UK, including Latitude, T in the Park, Leeds Festival, The V Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Reading, Radio 1's Big Weekend, and etc.
However, it is not just music festivals. There are plenty of other kinds, including car shows, cider and food festivals, and international markets, across the whole of the country.
Sports hold other important events on the summer calendar. Probably the most famous is the ‘Wimbledon Tennis Tournament’. Held every year, it is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.
Beginning in 1877, it is the only major tennis tournament to still be played on grass, as opposed to hard courts or clay courts.
Again, because it rains often, in 2009, a retractable roof was built into the stadium, allowing the roof to close whenever it is about to rain, or if it becomes too hot.
The British Royal Family are known to be one of the many famous spectators at the live events. The event is so popular that only a quarter of those who apply for a ticket receive seats within the stadium itself.
Therefore, people can also watch from outside, at a field, close by to the stadium, where they can watch the event live on a giant television screen.
Finally, another popular sports event are ‘The Ashes’ – a famous event in the English invented sport ‘cricket’. The Ashes plays once every 2 years, and once every 4 years in England.
The first recording of the sport existing is in 1598.
Cricket is no longer very popular in England, with most fans being of older generations in their 40s or upwards, with the sport being eclipsed by sports such as football and rugby.
Cricket is much more popular in Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, as well as Australia.
Cricket is a summer sport mainly because it can only be played when the weather is clear, unlike football and rugby, which his enjoyed in almost all seasons. Therefore, it is not surprising that the sport is more popular in countries that are warmer than England.
