Snow days

We've been going through a cold snap for weeks here in Germany and in Britain as well. You may be thinking, "Isn't this snow just awful?" If you attempt the terrain on a morning after a big snowfall, you may find yourself stepping into a snow bank left by the plough and getting snow inside your boots. The commuter trains are bound to be running late, held up by points problems, so if you're in a hurry, you might want to drive to work.

That means, of course, that first you'll have to shovel a path to your car, buried under a blanket of snow, unblock the doors and scrape the ice from the windscreen. Once on the road, you'll probably be stuck in a tailback, watching the windows fog up inside and thinking that global warming and melting polar ice caps are not your primary concern. Just then, the car in front of you skids and splatters salty brine all over your windscreen. Turning on your wipers to rinse it off with splashing water, you see the ice build up and realize: "Oh, no! I'm out of antifreeze!"

Yes, but isn't snow delightful, too — the way it sparkles and glistens, fluffy on your eyelashes and crunchy underfoot? Kids on snow days: sledding and skiing and jumping into snowdrifts and making snow angels and building snowmen and eating snowflakes. If only you could thaw out and take the day off, too, you'd get to watch their snowball fights from a safe distance — until they came over to dunk you. Listen to British stand-up comedian Michael McIntyre talk about his kids' activity in the snow:

OK, then: Brush the powder off your face, pick the icicles out of your collar, and try the snow quiz on the next page to review the vocabulary above and see how much you know about snow.

Anne Hodgson