Winter

File added 001129
Last minor change 001129

The following story appears as an English-language reading lesson in
E. Belova and L. Todd,English: A Textbook of the English Language for the 7th Grade in 7-year and Secondary Schools (third edition)State Textbook and Pedagogical Publishers of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, Moscow, 1952; pp. 48-49.

WINTER

The winter months are December, January, and February. In the far North of our great country, the sun does not rise at all, and snow and ice cover land and sea. The frost and the snow-storms are terrible; yet life goes on as usual. Scientists, radio-operators, hunters, all are working for their Soviet country. They are not afraid of the cold.

Soft white snow covers the Ukrainian steppes. The young winter wheat is quite warm under it. Winter is short in the Ukraine; the sun often shines and there is little wind.

In the valleys of the Caucasus, there is no real winter weather, but snow covers the mountains. There are terrible snow-storms in the mountains, but in the valleys only warm rain falls. The oranges and tangerines hang yellow on the trees. The collective farmers gather them at the beginning of winter and send them to the towns and cities.

The people who live near the Black Sea do not often see snow, and there is no ice on the Back Sea. Large and small steamers with red Soviet flags come and go all year round. Work at the Black Sea ports goes on night and day, in winter as well as at the other seasons.

In winter the collective farmers plan their work for the spring. At the machine and tractor stations the mechanics are working very hard. Every tractor and every machine must be ready before spring comes, and sometimes spring comes earlier than usual.

Winter is the time when schoolchildren and students must work as much as they can at their studies. The boy or girl who studies regularly and well in the winter will not find the summer examinations difficult.

Many important dates in the Soviet calendar fall in winter. We will never forget the 1st of December, 1934, when enemies of the people killed Sergei Mironovich Kirov.

The 5th of December is a very important Soviet holiday -- Stalin Constitution Day. The rights and duties of the free Soviet peoples are written down in the Stalin Constitution, which became law in 1936.

The 21st of December is the birthday of our great leader, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. Comrade Stalin was born in 1879.

The 22nd of January is not a working day in the USSR. It is Lenin Memorial Day. We remember Lenin and we remember Stalin's words: "Remember, love and study Lenin, our teacher and leader."

New Year comes in the middle of winter. In our Soviet country New Year's Day is a really happy day. Eery man and woman, every boy and girl looks forward joyfully to a New Year full of new tasks and new victories.

We greet our friends on New Year's Day; we say to them: "A happy New Year!" And they answer: "The same to you."

Go back to previous reading about autumn.

Skip ahead to next reading about spring.

Return to table of contents for 7th-Grade Soviet textbook.

Return to CSU charter page.