British Love to Talk about Weather!


British people spend an average of six months of their lives talking about the weather, according to a new survey.

2,000 people were interviewed and it was discovered Brits spend much longer talking about the weather than that other national obsession - football.

Weather was the most common subject to break the ice when meeting strangers or even at business meetings.

Philip Eden, a well-known weatherman, was not surprised by the findings. "I think it's a part of our national psyche," he said. "We are a fairly reserved sort of people and talking about the weather is an easy thing to do.

The British weather itself played a part too, he said. "Because of the changeability of the British weather, it gives us the chance to talk about something different every day."

However, he also worried for the future of weather-related chat: "I think we are becoming more disconnected from the weather because we sit around in air-conditioned offices all day."


Vocabulary Words

1. Survey

2. Brits

3. Weatherman

4. Psyche

5. Reserved


Questions:

1. What was your first reaction after reading the article?

2. Why do you think the weather is the most common subject to break the ice during meetings?

3. Do people in your country love to talk about the weather? Why or why not?

4. What are the common topics to talk about in Japan during meetings?