Everyone loves the summer. The days are long, the weather is hot, and school is out. For most people, this season provides many opportunities to have fun, do interesting things, or just relax.

Many people in the United States go somewhere on vacation during the summer. They travel across the country to visit famous places, or they stay closer to home and go camping or visit a beach on the ocean or on a lake. Americans travel by plane and by car. The highways are busy. Hotels and restaurants are busy too.

For people who stay close to home, the beach is a popular destination. It’s a place where kids and adults can go swimming, or they can just sit on the warm sand and soak up the sun. Children play in the sand while adults supervise activity in and out of the water. During an occasional heat wave, beaches and community swimming pools are crowded with people seeking relief from the heat.

There are also many festivals and cultural activities to attend in the summer. At state and county fairs, farmers exhibit their animals. They also put on display the crops that they grow and the machinery that they use to grow the crops. Rides and amusements keep everyone laughing and having a good time. Almost every town and city has some kind of summer event where the public is invited.

Some people just like to stick around the house in the summer and take it easy. They tend to their gardens and maintain their homes. They invite their friends over for backyard barbeques and stay up late at night while their children play games and look for fireflies.

In June, fruit trees begin to show their potential for the summer and fall harvests. Cherries and plums are ready to pick by July and August. Apples aren’t ready until September or October. If you don’t have a fruit tree in your backyard, you can visit your local farmers’ market and find locally grown fruit. It’s cheaper than the fruit sold at the grocery store, and it’s usually organic.

Summer seems to linger on longer than the other seasons; however, all summers come to an end eventually. The sun rises a little later each day and sets a little earlier. Families make preparations for a return to school after Labor Day, and before you know it, summer is over. Cooler temperatures, shorter daylight hours, and autumn air bring forth a new season.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Now you try it. Read the paragraph above. If you have a microphone, you can record your voice.

How much do you remember from the reading? Fill in the blanks.  

in your notebook!

• 1A: Name three things that are busy in the summer:
• 1B: __________, ___________, and ___________ are busy.
• 2A: Where can you go to buy fresh fruit?
• 2B: You can go to ________________________.
• 3A: Which holiday marks the end of summer?
• 3B: ________________________.

(ANSWERS: 1. Highways, hotels, and restaurants  2. the farmers’ market   3. Labor Day)

  back  next