Unit 1　The summer holidays

Summer holidays in England

　　In England, not only the rich but also factory workers and street cleaners can take their children to the seaside. In fact during August holidays most towns are empty.
　　Now what is it that children like so much about the seaside? I think it is the sand, sea and sun more than any other things. Of course, there are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat, and exciting things to do, but it is the feeling of sand under one’s feet, of salt water on one's skin, and lots of warm sun on one’s back that makes the seaside what it is. In England, factory holidays come mostly in the period between mid-July and mid-August. State schools usually only have six weeks off, from about mid-July to the end of August.
　　The coast is the most popular place for the English people to spend their holidays, but there are few seaside hotels. Food in British hotels and restaurants is reasonably cheap, but rooms are not. Few English people rent houses for their holidays, but one of the traditional ways of spending a summer is in a boarding-house. Some boarding-house keepers provide all meals for their guests, others provide breakfast only. People are pouring in Blackpool, about thirty miles northwest Manchester on the Irish Sea, simply for the attractive lights. They drive their cars there from the north, and even from the south, from Scotland, Wales and from the Midlands.
　　People also go to work on farms, helping with the harvest and picking fruits. Many people in England, young or old, are studying the habits of animals, plants and insects, searching for them in the countryside.
　　The British may refuse to change the time at which they take their holidays, but they have shown themselves very ready to take to new places. Every year, many Englishmen, women and children go to some parts of Europe. Rich people fly to expensive hotels on the Mediterranean or in the West Indies. There are many very cheap cruises for children. People are going on a trip to the Middle East, Afghanistan, India and Nepal. During university holidays, many English students fly into the far corners of Africa and Asia. Many take their cars, crossing the channel by ship. When they get home again, they always talk about how they spent their holidays.