June in England
A free reading lesson
Hello everyone!
It’s definitely feeling like summer in the UK now! We’ve had a few really hot days recently but it’s cooler today, thank goodness! Most British people love the summer but it’s my least favourite season! I hate being hot, I have hay fever (an allergy to pollen) and I don’t like insects! In fact, I have a wasps’ nest in my roof, which I need to sort out and I’m scared of wasps!
Today, I’d like to tell you about my new paid emails. Every week, I’m going to create an extra English lesson for my paying subscribers. This might be a grammar or vocabulary lesson with exercises to practise, some useful phrasal verbs or a reading activity. There is also a PDF version of each lesson, which you can download.
If you are interested, it costs just £5 a month to get these emails. Click the “upgrade” button at any time. But if you just want to continue with the free emails, that’s fine too. You’ll still get a free email every week.
Let me give you a free sample of what you’ll get if you upgrade. A few days ago, I posted a text for reading practice on my Facebook page, which was popular. Since then, I’ve edited and improved it and I want to share it with you today. This is an example of the type of lesson my paying subscribers will get.
June in England
June is when the summer starts. I like the weather in June because it’s warm and sunny without being too hot or humid, unlike July and August. For this reason, it’s a popular month for weddings. In June, sunrise is very early in the morning, many hours before I get up, and it doesn’t get completely dark until about 10 o’clock. In fact, the longest day is on or near June 21st.
There are roses and poppies in the garden. It’s also a good month for strawberries. Of course, we can buy them in the supermarkets all year round nowadays but this is the best month for British-grown strawberries. The flavour and quality of strawberries are considered the best during this time. We like to eat them with cream and maybe a sprinkling of sugar.
June is a stressful month for children and young people as this is when most of the school and university exams take place. The most crucial exams for school-aged students are GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at 16 years old and A levels (Advanced level exams) at 18. They need good A level results to get into their first choice of university.
June marks the end of the academic year for university students. Students continuing their studies the following year look forward to a long summer break but for final-year students, it’s a time of celebrations and farewells. For those who pass their exams, there’s a graduation ceremony. Students receive their degrees and their proud parents come to watch.
The third Sunday in June is Father’s Day. Compared to Mother’s Day, it is a relatively recent idea. The first Father’s Day was celebrated in America at the start of the last century. The idea came from a woman who thought that there should be a special day for fathers, similar to the one that already existed for mothers. It only started to be recognised in England some time after the Second World War. On this day, families may get together and people give gifts and cards to their fathers.
Vocabulary
Humid = having a high level of water in the air
Wedding = a celebration when two people get married
Sunrise = when the sun comes up in the morning
Poppies = type of flowering plant which usually has red petals
Sprinkling = a small amount of something (like sugar) dropped or sprinkled over a surface
Take place = happen
Crucial = very important
Academic year = school or university year. This is usually September to June or July in the UK.
Farewell = goodbye, especially when leaving somewhere forever
Graduation = finishing a university degree course or the official ceremony at the end. (Note: in the UK, there isn’t a graduation ceremony when young people finish school. We only use this word for university.)
Phrasal verbs
Get into (university) = get a (university) place, be accepted
Look forward to = feel happy or excited about something in the future
Get together = meet in a group
Comprehension questions
Why is June a good month for weddings?
How does the writer describe the hours of daylight in June?
Why is June a good month for strawberries?
Why is June considered a stressful month for children and young people?
Which exams are the most important for school-aged students?
What is the significance of June for university students?
What is the significance of the third Sunday in June?
Where did the tradition of Father’s Day originate?
Answers
June is a good month for weddings because the weather is warm and sunny but not too hot or humid.
Days are long because sunrise is very early in the morning and it doesn't get completely dark until about 10 o'clock. The longest day is in June.
June is a good month for strawberries because you can buy British-grown strawberries. The flavour and quality of strawberries are good at this time of year.
June is considered a stressful month for children and young people because it is when most of the school and university exams take place.
The most important exams for school-aged students are the GCSEs taken at 16 years old and the A levels taken at 18 years old.
June is the end of the year for university students. Students go home for a long summer break or they graduate and leave university.
The third Sunday in June is Father's Day.
The tradition of Father's Day originated in America at the start of the last century.
If you’d like to get more lessons like this, you can click the upgrade button. Alternatively, you can wait for my e-book, called “A Year in England”, which I’m working on now. I’ll let you know when it’s available for you to buy.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Katie
Very nice content Katie, I'm sure many English language students will find it useful when building up their range of vocabulary!
This trips are more helpful and motivated for me. Thank you teacher 💓