England is not a big country: from north to south and from east to west it is only about three hundred
miles across. But for a small country it has a surprising range of climate. People who have never visited
England, or who have visited only one part of it, often make the mistake of thinking that it is a cold and
wet country, except for the summer months of June to September. This is probably true of the north of
England and the Midlands. In the south, however, the climate is much more pleasant. One result is that
when people retire from a job in the north they often prefer to move down to the milder south.
Perhaps the warmest part of the country is thesouthwest, which consists of the countries of Devon and
Cornwall. The warm Gulf Stream flows across the North Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and
makes the coastal regions of the southwest quite warm. Palm trees, bamboo and many semi-tropical
plants grow well in the southwest of England. Flowers and vegetables ripen as much as a month earlier
than those elsewhere. Farmers in the area obtain a higher price for their vegetables and flowers because
they are ready earlier. In winter there may be several feet of snow in other parts of England but there
will probably be no snow at all in the southwest. This may be one of the reasons why the southwest is
one of England.s most popular holiday areas.
1. The distance from the center of England to south coast is about .
A. one hundred miles
B. three hundred miles
C. one hundred and fifty miles
D. six hundred miles
2. England is a country .
A. with a cold and wet climate
B. with a pleasant climate
C. with a variety of climates
3. According to the passage .
A. flowers and vegetables from Devon are on themarket one month earlier
B. farmers in the southwest grow as many vegetables and flowers as farmers elsewhere
C. people in the southwest have to pay a higher price for vegetables and flowers
D. vegetables in Comwall ripen as much as a month earlier than flowers
4. In the north of England and the Midlands, .
A. it is cold and wet all the year round
B. it is warm most of the time in a year
C. only the summer is not cold and not wet
5.in winter. people in Devon and Cornwall
A. hardly see any snow
B. never see any snow
C.may have several feet of snow
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