6. Complete the sentences using the text.
1. Nearly all the women but a queen…
2. But different women…
3. The so-called lady-type women can afford to have…
4. A live-in maid is like a magician who…
5. A live-in help is usually an old hand at…
6. Efficient housewives…
7. An experienced housewife…
8. She keeps all the rooms…
9. The third type of women finds doing the everyday household chores…
10. You can often hear her say…
11. So you may find a huge pile of…
12. They’d rather save time and…
13. They persuade their husbands…
14. Another way for them to avoid…
7. What will you do if…
· your room is in a mess
· you have a huge pile of dishes in the sink
· there is a thick layer of dust everywhere in the living-room
· your carpets are filthy
· the linen is dirty
· you have stains on your jeans
· your shirt is torn
· you need to treat the friends to something tasty
· each room of your apartment needs tidying up
· domestic duties take all of your time
· the suit or dress is crumpled
· you want your floor and furniture shining
8. Answer the following questions.
1. Who runs the house in your family?
2. Do you have any household duties? What do they involve?
3. What is the most unpleasant thing about the housework for you?
4. How often do you have a thorough cleaning? How long does it take you to do it?
5. What are usual excuses you make up if you want to skip general cleaning or put it off?
6. What labour-saving devices can you name and which of them do you use doing your household chores?
7. Do you find running the house rather a boring and time-consuming business or do you cope with it quickly and effortlessly?
8. What kind of domestic work do you prefer:
- washing, bleaching and pressing the linen;
- cooking dinner and washing up;
- dusting, polishing the furniture, vacuuming? Why?
9. Do you think it’s possible to be a successful business-lady and at the same time run the house properly?
10. Is it better for you to have a job and earn money or to be a housewife and run the house?
11. Should every member in the family be in charge of some definite chores?
12. Can sewing (knitting, cooking) be considered a hobby or a household duty?
9. Fill in the gaps with prepositions and conjunctions where necessary.
1. My granny is an efficient housewife: she is an old hand ___ doing the cleaning and washing, cooking dinner and making a pie ___ one hand. 2. Kitty hates the days when it comes her turn to wash ___ and put everything ___ its place. 3. Efficient housewives never have untidy rooms, a thick layer ___ dust ___ the furniture or a sink piled high ___ plates ___ their flats. 4. My mother is a housewife and runs the house perfectly, but all the members of our family help her ___ the home. 5. My domestic chores include beating ___ the carpets, dusting ___ the furniture and putting everything ___ its place. 6. Every two weeks Nancy takes a huge pile ___ washing ___ the laundry. 7. To cook dinner for her big family Mrs. Johns has to peel tons ___ potatoes and spend not fewer ___ three hours ___ the kitchen. 8. Sandy doesn’t feel like tidying ___, she would rather iron, starch collars or cook dinner ___ vacuuming and scrubbing the floor ___ a brush. 9. I prefer washing ___ to bleaching and removing stains ___ the clothes. 10. Vacuuming is far more convenient ___ sweeping the floor ___ a broom. 11. An experienced housewife copes ___ all sorts ___ domestic work ___ no time.
10. Give synonyms of the following words and expressions.
a)
| · a besom · a rag · a heap of washing · a room in disorder · house work · laundering · to clean the floor | · pressing · idle · to wash the dishes · to brush the floor · a wash-bowl · a dishdomestic duties |
b)
| · pressing · idle · to wash the dishes · to brush the floor | · domestic duties · a dish · a wash-bowl |
C)
| · To wash out cups and plates · To clean the room · Garbage can · To repair smth · To press clothes · To clean the room from top to bottom | · A sweeper · To wring the linen · To wash the dishes · Household duties · A skilful wife · To remove finger marks on the furniture |
