Winter
Зима
Winter is a wonderful time of
the year. I can even say that it’s my favourite season. Many people
don’t like snow, whereas I love it. Moreover, I’m a fan of winter
sports. During the winter months I go ice-skating, skiing and sledding.
Ice-skating is my favourite sport. My parents took me to figure-skating
classes when I was still very young. At the age of 10 or 11 I was an
excellent skater. I always watch skating competitions on TV. My
favourite Russian figure-skater is Evgeni Plushenko. He was a three-time
World champion and seven-time European champion. Another reason why I
love winter is the two-week holidays, of course. During these holidays I
spend a lot of time with my friends and I visit my relatives.
Traditionally, we make a snowman in the street. Everybody participates
in this activity. I also love Christmas and New Year. It’s one of the
nicest times of the year. People exchange presents and greetings, the
streets and stores are richly decorated, illumination is everywhere. I
have never met a person who doesn’t like New Year and Christmas days.
The only disadvantage of winter, in my opinion, is a great number of
icicles hanging from the roofs. They can be really dangerous. Slippery
roads and streets also lead to unwanted accidents. Even though in winter
it’s much colder than in spring, summer and autumn, I still think it is
the most beautiful season of all. I’m always upset when the snow starts
melting. Russian winters are especially nice. My pen-friend from
England would love to see the beauty of Russian winter. So, we decided
that he’ll come and visit me next January. I think he will need lots of
warm clothes and a thick coat, as he isn’t used to this climate.