PART I
EAST OR WEST HOME IS BEST
What does the word home mean for you? How do you say the word in French? In Spanish? In German? In your language?
Although people usually know what the word means, it often has no exact translation. Its not surprising really, because the idea of home varies from country to country and from person to person. A home is more than a roof and four walls. Its the cooking, eating, talking, playing and family living that go on inside which are important as well. And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed.
The original meaning of the word home, in English and other Indo-European languages too, was a safe dwelling place, a village, even a world. In Old English it came to mean a fixed abode where people habitually lived and sometimes was extended to include members of a family. Websters says that house comes from the same root as sky and was used to mean a covering and concealing. Our modern usage of these two words can be traced back to these original meanings. Home has connotations of a feeling of belonging, a centre of affection, a place where you can find refuge and rest, it is something intimate and private. Generally, home only refers to ones own place; wed say I went round to Adrians house not his home. House, in the meaning of a covering or storage place, is clear in such things as a greenhouse, hen-house, the House of Commons, a clearinghouse, etc. It is a physical structure not a place where one should supposedly receive kind treatment and feel relaxed (Make yourself at home).
Exercise 1
Think of all the compound words beginning with home (e.g. homebred, -coming,
-less, -made, -maker, -stead, -straight, -video, -work, -land, -team) and compare these with any expressions containing house.
Exercise 2
How many new words can you make by combining a word on the left with a word on the right? Use your dictionaries to help with the meaning and the spelling.
| HOME | work made trained wife sick plant proud town coming less grown bound keeping warming |
| HOUSE |
Exercise 3
Listen to the conversations. They contain examples of some of the compounds in Exercise 2. After each conversation, discuss these two questions.
Who is talking to who? What exactly are they talking about?
Here are some lines from the coversations. Fill the gaps with a compound word.
a) She is so cute. Is she ________ yet?
b) Do you think you could possibly water my _________ for me?
c) Dont worry, I know how ________ you are. Ill make sure everything stays clean and tidy.
d) Lets give her a spectacular ________ party when she gets back.
e) Not me. Im the original happy _________, remember? Four kids, _______ cakes, _________ vegetables!
f) Were having a _________ party on the 12th. Can you come?
g) Yeah. Mind you, theres much more _________ to do! Thats a drag!
h) I never thought youd be so __________.
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Listening
Listen to three people from Uganda, South Africa and China. What do they miss most when they are away from home? Fill in a table below.
| Miss | Dont miss | |
| 1. | ||
| 2. | ||
| 3. |
& Reading
Have you ever felt homesick? Read the passage from a boys story, Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, a very famous American novelist. In this extract Tom and his friends have gone camping.
They found plenty of things to be delighted with, but nothing to be astonished at. They discovered that the island was about three miles long and a quarter of a mile wide, and that the shore it lay closest to was only separated from it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards wide. They took a swim about every hour, so it was close upon the middle of the afternoon when they got back to camp. They were too hungry to stop to fish, but they fared sumptuously upon cold ham, and then threw themselves down in the shade to talk. But the talk soon began to drag, and then died. The stillness, the solemnity that brooded in the woods, and the sense of loneliness, began to tell upon the spirits of the boys. They fell to thinking. A sort of undefined longing crept upon them. This took dim shape, presently it was budding homesickness. But they were all ashamed of their weakness, and none was brave enough to speak his thought.
Answer the following questions:
1. Who are they? Where are they?
2. How are they feeling? Why are they ashamed of the way they are feeling?
3. Have you ever been camping with some friends? Have you ever been exploring?
4. When was the first time you slept away from home? How did you feel? What home comforts did you miss the most?
5. When you go to another place or abroad, what do you miss the most about your home town and country? (family, friends, pets, house, food and drink, culture, sense of humour, TV, shops, institutions, not being able to speak your native language?)
6. How often do you phone and write home when you are away?
Very often people cant say what a home is, because they dont feel it. For some people its the best place in the world, but others want to get out of that place as soon as possible. Home is not just a house you live in, its a good atmosphere in the family that makes a house home. Read the following opinions and underline the main ideas.
KATE: What is home for me? I can say that my home is the best place in the world. Its a place where I can always meet love and sincerity of my relatives. Only there I can find kindness of my mother and understanding of my father. To me being at home always means being with my family who cares for me and supports me when I need it. People say East or West, home is best and I completely agree with them. Wherever I am, I always feel lonely and miserable, because I cant stay away from home for a long time. I cant even imagine being far from my parents, as it is very difficult for me to do without their help and respect. You know Im happy only when we are together. Only then I feel desirable, for I know that they also need my attention and sympathy. I dont understand those people who say that for them their home is just a roof over their heads. Can it be true? I guess not, because I think that a real home is a place where you feel cosy and safe, otherwise it is not home.
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NATALY: What is home? I know that when people say home they mean their family first of all. I think that they are right. I also believe that home is the place where I can find care and attention of my parents. I need them very much, especially when I am in trouble, because I think that they are always the first people to help me. I like my home because I was born and brought up there and my dearest people live in that place. But now when I am grown-up enough to live on my own I think that I need more independence and freedom. Im grown-up enough to make my own decisions and to build a home of my own. I think of a place where I can have a rest and stay alone, for only the feeling of independence can make me happy and comfortable at home. I am thankful to my parents for their understanding and attention, but my idea of home is a little bit different from my relatives. And this is the only reason Id like to live on my own.
MARK: Home? To my mind home is just a house you live in. Its simply a roof over my head and a place where I sleep and eat. Some people say that their homes are the only places they feel comfortable in. I cant agree with them. My home is like a cage for me, where Im not allowed to do what I really want. I cant say that my parents are cruel and rude with me, but they live their own lives and are not very much interested in mine. My parents never pay attention to me and they dont want to understand my soul. Whats more I never feel desirable at home, because my parents ignore me very much. I try to spend at home as little time as possible. I like to be with my friends, because I know that they need me. My home is the last place I want to be at, because I feel lonely there. Its lonely there. Its not a home, its just a place where I live.
Exercise 4
Look through the opinions to say whether the following ideas are true or false. If the idea is wrong correct it.
1. Kate likes her home very much.
2. Nataly wants to live at home as long as possible.
3. Mark doesnt like his home.
4. Kates parents understand her perfectly.
5. Nataly can always find care and attention in her home.
6. Marks home is a cage for him.
7. Kate feels lonely and miserable at home.
8. Nataly thinks that she is grown-up enough to live alone.
9. Mark likes to spend a lot of time at home.
10. Kate suffers a lot when she is far from home.
11. Natalys idea about her home is similar to her parents idea.
12. Marks parents are rude and cruel.
Exercise 5
Look into the opinions on the problems that bother people very much. Complete the following table and explain why you think so.
| Kate | Nataly | Mark | ||
| 1. | I cant stay far from home. | |||
| 2. | I dont feel desirable at home. | |||
| 3. | I want to live alone. | |||
| 4. | My parents ignore me. | |||
| 5. | I cant live without my parents help. | |||
| 6. | I want to be more independent. | |||
| 7. | I need my parents very much. | |||
| 8. | My parents dont understand me. | |||
| 9. | I am not allowed to do what I want. | |||
| 10. | I am very lonely. |
As you see these people really have some problems. What can you advise them to do to solve these problems?
Exercise 6
Say who these words belong to. Do you agree or disagree with the following words? Comment on them and explain why you think so.
My home is the best place in the world.
I need more independence and freedom.
East or West, home is best.
My home is just a roof over my head.
I cant stay away from home for a long time.
I am grown-up enough to live on my own.
My parents are not interested in my life.
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Home means family first of all.
I cant feel desirable at home.
Home is the place where you always feel cosy and safe, otherwise its not home.
Only at home you can meet understanding and care of your parents.
My home is the last place Id like to be at.
Speaking
What is your idea about home? Can you explain what the word home means to you? Find whether your groupmates share the idea about home with you or not? Why?
PART II
WHERE WE LIVE
A. Read the text and try to define the aspects we are going to deal with while studying the topic.
I would like to tell you a few words about my home. To begin with, I want to tell you that I live in Kyiv, one of the largest and oldest cities of Europe. It is one of the most ancient cities located on the picturesque banks of the Dnieper river.
Our family live in a new flat in one of the largest newly built residential areas. We moved into our flat seven years ago. It is a three-room flat on the fifth floor of an eight-storey building. It consists of a living room, a study, a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, two larders and a lavatory. There are two balconies in our flat: the first one is in the living room, the second in the bedroom. Our flat has all modern conveniences: central heating, running cold and hot water, electricity, telephone and gas. Besides, there is a lift and a garbage disposal in our block of flats. The layout is very nice, I must admit. The rooms are light, though not very large. In my opinion, its a quite modern-looking flat. The windows face the park in front of the building and the view is really wonderful.
Our living-room is quite a big room of about 19 square metres. It is the largest room in our flat. As my parents dont like much furniture in the house, so in the living room there are two comfortable armchairs and a sofa, a coffee-table and a nice thick carpet on the floor. Opposite the window there is a wall unit, but it doesnt take much space in the room. Of course there is a colour TV set, a stereo cassette-recorder and a
record-player in the living-room. A nice chandelier is hanging from the ceiling and there is a standard lamp to the left of the sofa. During the day, the light comes in through the window, but at night when it gets dark, we switch on the light and draw the curtains across the windows. We like to entertain guests in this room.
And now I would like to describe our study. At first it was my daddys room, but as I grew older, it has become mine. Frankly speaking, Im very happy to have a room for myself, thats why I always try to keep it tidy and cosy. There is a sofa, a writing table, a bookcase, and a wardrobe in my room. On the wall there are some shelves full of English and Ukrainian books. There is a radio set on the shelf and a dressing table next to the sofa. In the chest of drawers I keep clean linen and handkerchiefs and in the wardrobe I keep my clothes, which I hang on coat-hangers. I have two water-colours on the wall above the sofa.
But the most popular and favourite place with all of us is the kitchen, as we spend most of our time there. We all are not big-eaters, but use this place to have a chat about our problems and life.
In the kitchen there are some stools, a table, a cupboard, a sink with water taps, a fridge and a gas cooker. Of course, we usually have our meals there.
We like our flat very much. It is important that our house is rather close to the underground station and we can easily get to any place we like.
B. Make a class survey and then report about the following things.
Use these phrases:
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Do you mind if I ask you some questions?
How about answering....?
Excuse me, Id like to know....
I was wondering whether.......
1. What kind of house do you live in?
- detached house
- semi-detached
- terraced house
- bungalow
- cottage
- block of flats
- multi-storey building
- weekend / summer house
- skyscraper
- maisonette
- mansion
- bed-sitter (bed-sitting room)
- private
- residential building
- public building
- personal possessions
- real estate / property
2. Is it your permanent or temporary residence?
- permanent
- temporary
3. What is the house made of?
- brick
- stone
- wood
- prefabricated blocks
- concrete
4. Is the house new or old? Is it kept in good condition?
- shabby
- dilapidated
- repaired
- in good repair
- architecturally unpretentious
- derelict
- redecorated
- (recently) renovated
- renewed
- restored
- well-kept
- imposing
- impressive
5. Is the house large or small?
- cramped
- cluttered
- poky
- medium
- lacking in space
- roomy
- spacious
6. Is it nice and well-appointed?
- pleasant-looking
- attractive
- sumptuous
- having all modern conveniences
- gas, electricity, hot and cold running water, a chute, a lift, a telephone
- central heating
- air conditioning system
7. Where is it situated? Whats your address?
it is situated
- in the centre of
- due west of the centre
- half an hours drive from
the district is
- some distance from the city centre
- in one of the suburbs
- on the outskirts of the town
- in a very remote part
- just a stones throw from the centre / within a stones throw of
- within easy reach of
- within five minutes walking distance
- centrally located
- on a convenient traffic route
- far from the city centre
- in a quiet residential area
- the house commands a good view of the river / the lake / the woods
- to look south / north / west / east
- to look over / to overlook
8. What is there around your house?
- in front of the house there is a lawn / a flower bed
- at the back of the house there is a vegetable (kitchen) garden / a patch
- at the side of my house there is a garage / a shed / a barn / a well
- at the other side there is a conservatory / a greenhouse /a hothouse / a garden / a backyard / a playground / a sports ground
- on the top of my house you can see a chimney / a television aerial / an antenna / a satellite dish
- the house is enclosed by a fence / a hedge with a gate / a stile in it
- a path / a drive leads to
9. What are the other parts of the house worth mentioning?
- the roof is made of tiles (slates)
- there is a spacious loft / an attic with a few dormer windows
- there is a skylight / a gutter / a drainpipe
- there is a cellar / a basement which can be used for a lot of purposes (we keep a stepladder, mops and brooms there)
10. What can you see in the premises?
- an arbour
- an orchard
- a court
- a kennel
- a stable
- a hayloft
- a hen-house
- a cowshed
- a pigsty
Exercise 1
Fill in the missing words and phrases in the letter below.
Hello! My name is Zook. Would you like to know where I live? O.K. I live in a a)__________ house which means I have to share it with another family, the Stars. Our street is not very long, but still you can see some b)____________ houses (for well-off people); some c)_______________ houses (built in special rows) and even d)__________ houses (for those who are having a rest). A little bit further there is a big e)__________ having many apartments.
Our house f)________________ stone. I cant say it is in bad condition. It looks f)__________ and g)_____________.
Unfortunately, the house isnt situated in the centre of the town, we live on h)____________. It is i)______________ from the city centre, but I dont feel unhappy, I can enjoy the quietness of the nature in a rather j)__________________ district.
I love my place of living and try to make it more k)_____________ which means people would be amazed by it.
There is enough space for everybody in our house, thats why I consider it l)_________. It has all modern conveniences, like m)_____________, n)____________ o)_____________ and p)____________.
Speaking about the things outside my house, I can mention a q)_____________ which is at the back of the house. In front, we have a green r)_____________ and several s)______________, abundant with flowers of various kinds.
The house is enclosed by a t)______________ with a u)____________ in it. In general, it looks really v)_____________.
Now you have to know how it looks like. Come to visit me!
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Yours, Zook.
Exercise 2
Match the types of dwellings with the correct pictures. Where do you think each type of dwelling can be found? Which one would you like to live in? Which is the most economical and which is the most expensive to keep? Justify your opinion.
skyscraper block of flats semi-detached house
cottage mansion detached house
e.g. Skyscrapers are found in large cities. They are rather expensive to maintain because they are usually high-class, luxurious buildings.
Exercise 3
Translate this passage into English:
ѳ . ³ , , , . . , , , . . . ϳ , , , . , . . - . , , . . ˳ , . , . ³ .
Exercise 4
Places to live
Cover the right-hand column. I have a room in a small semi-detached house. Two of my friends live in mansions. What sort of accommodation do (did) these people have or where might they be living at the moment?
| 1. a queen / a king 2. a monk 3. a nun 4. an eighty-year old person with no living relatives 5. a cowboy 6. a traveller away from home 7. a forester in deep woods 8. skiers in the mountains 9. holiday-makers 10.a well-off couple 11.a camper 12.a successful advertising executive 13.a tramp if hes lucky 14.a priest / vicar 15.a caveman | a palace or castle a monastery a convent (or nunnery) an old peoples home a ranch (-house) a motel a (log-)cabin a chalet a guest house (or boarding house) a villa a tent (or caravan) a suite a hovel / an old hut a vicarage a cave |
Exercise 5
Part A. Write the number of each drawing next to the correct word.
bungalow tent lighthouse
block of flats terraced house mansion
caravan windmill palace
castle houseboat semi-detached house
cottage detached house
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Part B. Choose the correct answer.
1. They live in a(an).. house which stands by itself in a field.
a) attached b) detached c) detaching d) semi-detached
2. Having made his fortune he now .. in great luxury in a large house in the country.
a) dwells b) inhabits c) leaves d) lives
3. My brother lives on the eleventh floor of that .. of flats.
a) block b) ordinary c) typical d) usual
4. In the village he was looked up to as the lord of the...
a) castle b) fortress c) manor d) tower
5. He keeps all his tools and do-it-yourself equipment in a .. in the garden.
a) barn b) hut c) shed d) stable
6. Our house is joined to the other houses in the street: its .
a) attached b) connected c) terraced d) semi-detached
7. I am staying in a youth .. in the centre of the town.
a) hostel b) inn c) pub d) stable
Part C. What sort of people would you expect to find living in the following
1. barracks 3. an inn 5. a shanty
2. a hotel 4. lodging 6. a tent
7.a hovel 9. a mansion 11. a wigwam
8. an igloo 10. a tenement
Part D. Complete each of the following sentences with an appropriate word for a type of building.
1. He is a real prince and his family has lived in this _ _ _ t _ _ since the 14th century.
2. The high _ _ y _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in New York are mostly to be found in the central part of Manhattan.
3. Students can save money and make friends by living in a university _ _ _ t _ _.
4. An elderly person is better off in a _ _ _ _ a _ _ _ with no stairs to climb.
5. Ive always dreamed of moving to the country and living in an old _ _ _ t _ _ _.
6. When he was set free after twenty years in _ _ _ s _ _, he was amazed at the changes he found.
7. They dont live in a house, they live in a modern _ _ _ c _ of _ _ _ _ _.
8. A family house standing on its own is called a _ _ _ _ c _ _ _ house.
9. He keeps his tools and equipment in a _ _ _ _ he has put up in his garden.
10. Originally this building was d _ _ _ _ n _ _ as a hotel. It was only after its construction began that they decided to turn it into a college.
Pre-listening
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Would you like to live in an unusual house? What might be good or bad about living in one of these places?
Listening
Listen to people talking about their unusual homes. Tick (٧) the pictures which show the places they are talking about. Decide whether the statements below are true (T) or false (F).
A) 1. The boat does not actually float on the water.
2. The man speaking turned the boat into a house.
B) 1. The house was built because it was cheaper this way.
2. They dont have a garden.
C) 1. Some parts of the house are still empty.
2. Guests sometimes worry that trains will come through the house.
D) 1. The woman who lives in the house has recently sold it.
2. She now lives in an old bathroom with her cat.
Speaking
You are an estate agent trying to sell one of the houses you heard described.
Describe its good points. Try to make it sound interesting.
Exercise 6
Read the following story about Frank Webb who had a most unusual house, a former ladies lavatory in Kew, south-west London. Then complete the text by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.
Home is where you make it!
As soon as Frank heard that someone a)_________ (try) to sell the ladies loo, he wanted it. He was sure that he could make the building, which b)________(situate) next to the famous gardens at Kew, into a beautiful home. Now hes very busy he c)_________ (convert) it into one bedroom house.
It might seem rather odd to want to live in a place which used to be a lavatory, he said, but I d)_________ (think) its really beautiful.
He was divorced recently, and he needed somewhere to live. He knew he wanted something small but unique. A friend e)________ (tell) me about it. I think she f)________ (joke), but it was exactly what I g)_________ (search) for.
He is 57. His 25-year-old daughter, Kathy, h)________ (love) the place, too. She i)_________ (help) her father with the work for the past few weeks as she has been on holiday. He advises visitors not to go into the kitchen. Its j)________(decorate) at the moment, and it looks awful.
Since he bought the lavatory, several ladies k)_________ (knock) on the door, wanting to use it. He lets them use his own bathroom. When he first saw the building, it l) ________ (not use) for several years, so it was in quite a mess.
It m) ________ (build) in 1905. It is very solid, so he n)________ (not have) to do any work on the walls or roof. He o) ________ (pay) £60,000 for it a year ago and since then he p) ________ (spend) an extra £20,000 putting in an upper floor for the bedroom.
I like the thought that my home has a history, he says with great pride.
Listening
Listen to two descriptions of places to live. Complete the information in the table.
| First house | Second house | |
| Location | ||
| Type | ||
| of rooms | ||
| Facilities | ||
| Transport | ||
| Vicinity |
Listen again and make notes about the advantages and disadvantages of each house.
Role-play
Student A
Persuade your partner that the first house is the best. Point out its advantages and compare it with the second house.
Student B
Persuade your partner that the second house is the best. Point out its advantages and compare it with the first house.
Exercise 7
Complete the sentences below:
1. We share the house with another family. We live in a _____________.
2. My friend lives in a small house in the countryside._____________.
3. Look at this building having several floors. It is a ____________________.
4. What a huge building it is! I guess it has got about 40 floors. Its a _________________.
5. Ive been living here since 1972. Its my _________________ residence.
6. Im not going to live here till the end of my life. Its only my____________ residence.
7. If the house is very old we can say it is_____________________.
8. I live in my own house. Its a ___________________.
9. In front of our house there is a charming place where there are a lot of flowers. Its a _____________________.
10. At the back of the house there is some space for growing vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage). It is our _________________________.
Exercise 8
Translate these sentences into English:
1. ̳ . , , .
2. . . ҳ, , .
3. , .
4. , . , , , .
5. . , . .
6. . , , , , .
& Reading
A. Read the text and translate it into Ukrainian. Think of the title for it.
Soon we found ourselves in Spooks Lane. It is a very short side street leading out to an open country. On one side there are no houses at all. On the other there are only three. The first one is just a house nothing more to be said about it. The next one is a big, imposing, gloomy house of stone-trimmed red brick, with a mansard roof warty with dormer windows and so many spruces and firs crowding about it that you can hardly see the house. And the third and last is Windy Poplars, right on the corner, with the grass-grown street on the front and a real country road, beautiful with shadows on the other side.
I fell in love with it at once. You know there are houses, which impress themselves upon you at first sight for some reason you can hardly define. Windy Poplars is like that. I may describe it to you as a white house very white with green shutters very green with a tower in the corner and a dormer window on either side, a low stone wall dividing it from the street, with aspens, poplars growing at intervals along it, and a big garden at the back where flowers and vegetables are delightfully jumbled up together but all this cant convey its charm to you. In short, it is a house with a delightful personality and has something of the flavour of Green Gables about it.
I was glad we didnt have to go in by the front door. It looked so forbidding. It didnt seem to belong to the house at all. The little green side door, which we reached by a darling path of thin, flat sandstone sunk at intervals in the grass, was much more friendly and inviting. The path was edged by very prim, well-ordered beds of ribbon grass and bleeding heart and tiger lilies and so on. Of course they werent all in bloom at this season, but you could see they had bloomed at proper time and done it well.
Dwell upon the following:
1. The second and the third houses are alike.
2. The author fell in love with the first house because it was well-kept.
3. There was a flower bed and a patch at the back of the house.
4. The front door looked forbidding.
5. The little green side door looked forbidding as well.
6. Flowers were in bloom and looked great.
B. Having read this text, describe the outside of your own place of living.
Role-play
1. You prefer to have a nice flat in the centre of the city, your friend prefers a house in the country. Give reasons for and against each.
2. You are going to move to a different residential area. You have several offers. You are discussing flats with various people phoning you. Each side is interested in every detail of the other side.
It is interesting to know
& Reading
Tires are hub of new walls
Its an environmentalists dream: a home that uses lots of waste materials.
The environmentalists dream is Janet Degans and Craig Siegels reality: a large home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, built from used tires, aluminium cans and dirt.
I love it, said Degan recently during a break from the construction work. Im a landscape architect and I think this is the best kind of house you can have.
The homes these are 80 of them in New Mexico and Colorado are called earth-ships. They are the creation of architect Michael Reynolds, who started designing houses out of recycled tires and cans in the 1970s.
Degan and Siegel estimate that 800 tires will be used to make the walls. Each tire is packed with dirt. The thick walls will absorb heat during the day and release it at night. The combination of elements will keep the interior temperature at about 60F (15C).
The materials for the Degan-Siegal house are much less expensive than for normal houses. Old tires are often given away by tire stores. And Degan picks up cans while she jogs. One time I got six bags, she said. The total cost will be about $50 per square foot, or $75,000.
Building the house also has health benefits. Its like a free gym, she said.
Its a great upper body workout. Its the funniest thing Ive ever done.
environmentalist a person who wants to protect nature
waste things that are thrown away, garbage
landscape the area around buildings, or open spaces
recycled used again
square foot 1x1, or 144 square inches
benefits help, advantages
upper body workout exercise for the arms and chest
Fill in the chart box.
| Type of house: | |
| Owners: | |
| Architect: | |
| Location(state): | |
| Materials: | |
| Cost: |
Would you like to live in the Degan-Siegal home? Tell a partner why and why not.
PART III
FURNITURE
& Reading
Read through this rather strange application form, noting how the couple describes the house. As you read answer the questions below.
When my wife and I moved into our present house, it was a little better than slums, completely unfurnished apart from a few bits and pieces which the former occupant had either forgotten or more likely decided not to take with her. (These included an enormous sideboard that weighed a ton, a chest of drawers with its only one remaining door hanging off, an ugly bookcase with all its panes of glass cracked, and a broken 19-th century piano stool.)
The floors then were just bare boards with one or two mats and strips of lino. We now have fitted carpets in every room except the bathroom (where we have special long-lasting tiles) and the kitchen (polished parquet floor), plus several sheepskin rugs in the reception rooms. On arrival we found most of the interior decorated with faded, flowery-patterned wallpaper, peeling at the picture rail. We have painted throughout in beige (window and sills white) except in the lounge, where we have had pink. A few tasteful reproductions and a number of old German prints (all expensively framed) are on the walls, along with some carefully selected posters in the childrens rooms.
Numerous structural alterations have been carried out, notably the conversion of the old garden shed into a second bathroom, complete with bath, basin, bidet and W.C. (lambswool-covered lavatory seat and press-button flush) and the extension of the conservatory to make a sun lounge with window seats all around it leading on to the newly-laid patio. The roof, meanwhile, has been completely renovated, slates giving way to tiles, double glazing has been fitted on all windows, and the old fireplaces have been blocked up, except in the lounge which has retained its grate and mantelpiece for the old-world image it creates. In terms of heating, we have installed a gas cooker, an electric cooker, gas-fired central heating, and double radiators each with its own thermostatic control.
We have also made dramatic improvements in the kitchen: a new sink unit with mixer tap and double drainer, a line of smart cupboards all along one wall and two rows of shelves along the other. Upstairs the old iron double bed we inherited has been replaced by elegant twin beds with interior-sprung mattresses and quilts (duvets), of course. Our children Alexandra and Charles have recently moved out of bunk beds and into single beds in separate rooms; these have been specially equipped with a desk, blackboard and easel, and toy chest. All bedrooms have built-in wardrobes now and my wife has her own personal dressing table and dressing stool.
Our more expensive purchases, apart from the above, include: a leather upholstered lounge suite comprising a four-seater sofa or should we say settee? and two armchairs (we remember with horror the year we had to live with a studio couch plus a few pouffes and cushions), a solid wood table and set of matching dining room chairs, plus a microwave oven, a new shower unit, plumbed in of course, so that no unsightly pipes are visible, new stereo equipment, colour TV, a video recorder, home computer and cocktail cabinet.
It may interest you to know, finally, that we have made a formal complaint about the ghastly tallboy and divan that our neighbours have had standing in their back garden for nearly six months. Our garden, incidentally, has been recently landscaped and completely transformed: gone is the vegetable patch; in its place a neat lawn and flower-beds. All our new friends say we have done a wonderful job on our property.
If the couple decided to sell the house next month, which of these features could they say that it had?
| 1. two bathrooms 2. polished parquet floor 3. a slate roof 4. attractive wallpaper throughout 5. double glazed windows | 6. three bedrooms 7. a spacious garden shed 8. ancient period fireplaces 9. a mature vegetable garden 10.a modern kitchen |
Find the equivalents to the phrases below. Be ready to use them in the sentences of your own.
1. There was no furniture in the room.____________________________________
2. A sideboard was big and weighed a ton.________________________________
3. A piece of furniture where we put clean linen.___________________________
4. A kind of carpet that covers all the floor in the room._____________________
5. A very smooth floor made of wood.___________________________________
6. Small carpets that cover the floor only in some places.____________________
7. People either paint the walls or decorate them with_______________________
8. A picture that is not an original one.___________________________________
9. Having frames, which cost much._____________________________________
10. Serious changes made.______________________________________________
11. A sitting room.____________________________________________________
12. Windows with two panes of glass._____________________________________
13. A shelf on the top of a fireplace.______________________________________
14. Two radiators combined.____________________________________________
15. Things considerably changed for the better ones.________________________
16. A kind of a basin in the kitchen.______________________________________
17. Taps with hot and cold water mixed.___________________________________
18. Separate beds for one person to sleep.__________________________________
19. A large bed for two people.__________________________________________
20. A unit consisting of two beds but not a double bed._______________________
21. Covered or decorated with leather item of furniture for sitting._______________
22. A place where people take a shower (not a bathroom).______________________
23. An item of furniture where one can keep clothes._________________________
24. A very soft and comfortable stool which is an item of a lounge suite.__________
25. A place where one keeps bottles of spirits.______________________________
26. A synonym to a sofa._________________________________________________
27. A place where one usually grows vegetables.____________________________
28. A place where flowers grow._________________________________________
29. All things that we own are our________________________________________
Exercise 1
Translate these sentences into English:
1. , .
2. , .
3. .
4. , , .
5. .
Speaking
How quickly can you memorize the following things?
In what way would you furnish your hall if you had a chance to choose?
Hall (Entrance Hall)
ground/ first floor
A coat rack
A (coat) hook
A (coat) hanger
stairs / staircase
A landing
A flight of stairs
To go downstairs
To go upstairs
A key
A keyhole
A doorway
A porch
An entrance door
A back door
A side door
An armoured door
A door plate
A doorstep
A doormat
a doorbell / a door knocker
a a door handle / a doorknob
a spyhole / a peephole
A door lock
A hall mirror
a chest of drawers (for shoes, etc.)
An umbrella stand
A lift (elevator)
A passage
A corridor
Exercise 2
Translate these sentences into English:
1. , , , .
2. , , , , .
3. , . .
4. .
5. , .
Exercise 3
Parts of a house
Part A. Write where you would expect to find the following rooms in a house and what they would normally be used for.
1. an attic 4. a larder / a pantry 7. a lounge
2. a basement 5. a lavatory / a toilet / a loo 8. a study
3. a cellar 6. a loft
Part B. Match the definition with the correct part of a house.
1. an attic a. windows made up of two panes of glass instead
2. a chimney of one
3. a cellar b. the half-pipe along the edge of the roof to carry
4. central heating away rainwater
5. double glazing c. a window in the roof
6. French windows d. used in modern houses instead of open fires
7. a hall e. the space at the top of the stairs
8. a gutter f. a roofed entrance built onto a house
9. a landing g. doors made of glass which usually open out
10. a lounge onto the garden
11. a porch h. the wide passage just inside the entrance of a
12. a skylight house off which the rooms open
i. a room immediately below the roof of a house
j. a hollow passage often rising above the roof of
a building which allows smoke and gases to
pass from the fire
k. an underground room, usually used for storing
goods
l. a comfortable room for sitting in
Part C. Complete each sentence a) to i) with one of the endings 1) to 9).
a) I paused at the top of the stairs on the .
b) The walls of the bathroom were covered in .
c) There was a clock on the .
d) I left my umbrella in the ..
e) After the storm we had to replace several ..
f) We stored our old books upstairs in the .
g) I decided to oil the front door ..
h) There was no heat coming from the ..
i) You should try to remember to wipe your feet on the ..
1) hinges, which were rather rusty.
2) loft, in case we needed them again.
3) mantelpiece over the fireplace.
4) landing and wondered which was my room.
5) doormat outside the back door.
6) slates which had fallen off the roof.
7) radiator under the window.
8) tiles with a pattern of a fruit and flowers.
9).... porch and opened the front door.
Give the English equivalents:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
Living room
Feet long by 15 feet wide
A fixed frame
A French window
A suite of furniture
Wall units
A display cabinet (unit)
A drinks cupboard
A cupboard base (unit)
A cupboard unit
a coffee / low table
A lampshade
A standard lamp
A fluorescent lamp
a luxurious crystal chandelier
A curtain
A net curtain
A drape
An ashtray
A mantle clock
A sconce
A candlestick
A candelabrum(-ra)
A fitted carpet
a flower pot / a flower stand
