| In North America, July and August are holiday months. |
| Most schools and colleges are not in session then. |
| Families look for activities to keep the children amused. |
| Although not all workers get a full two months of holidays, most people take a holiday in the summer. |
| The summer begins with a national holiday. |
| In Canada, July 1st is Canada Day. |
| In the U.S.A., July 4th is Independence Day. |
| A lot of families are soon on the road. |
| Some travel to cottages by the lake. |
| Some go sightseeing or camping. |
| In Canada, especially, the summers are short. |
| So people try to make the most of them. |
| In much of Canada, and parts of the northern U.S.A., are woodlands dotted with lakes. |
| These regions of rocks, rivers, pine trees and wild animals are not usually suitable for farming. |
| However, they are ideal places to spend a summer holiday. |
| They are far from the cities. |
| The woods are quiet and peaceful. |
| People fish, go boating or swimming, |
| have barbeques outside, or play outdoor sports. |
| Some people spend their whole summer at the cottage. |
| Others go for a week or two. |
| City people who don’t have a cottage like to go to parks and swimming pools in the city. |
| If they are near a lake or ocean, they may go there for the day. |
| Many museums, libraries and art galleries have programs for children in the summer. |
| Swimming is probably the favorite summer sport. |
| It feels wonderful on a very hot day to jump into the cool water. |
| Swimming is also excellent exercise. |
| Besides swimming, baseball and football are also popular in the summer. |
| Spending an afternoon or evening at a baseball game is a favorite summer pastime. |
| Summer is also a favorite time to catch up on reading. |
| Stories of adventures and love novels are favorite light reading. |
| But summer is especially a time for traveling across the country. |
| Some people have a camper or trailer that they can live in. |
| Some stay in campgrounds and sleep in tents. |
| Others stay at hotels or motels, while others rent cottages or cabins for a week or two. |
| Most trips are by car. |
| Many people visit national parks and other wildlife areas. |
| Of course, trips along the ocean, and the lakes are favorites. |
| Along the Atlantic Ocean, the coasts of New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces are especially popular. |
| On the Pacific coast, tourists travel from California all the way up to Alaska. |
| Boat cruises along the shores of British Columbia and Alaska are especially popular. |
| Of course, some people find it most relaxing just to stay at home. |
| Others cannot afford to travel. |
| If you have an air-conditioned house, with a television, video player, CD player and computer, |
| then it can be very pleasant to stay at home. |
| A lot of new movies are released at the theatres in the summer. |
| Air-conditioned theatres with new movies and lots of pop and popcorn are favorite summer places. |
| After two months of summer activities, most people are ready to go back to school and work. |
| But they usually have lots of happy memories to take back with them. |
