TOPICS

 East or west home is best

 The outside of my house
 The interior of my house
 Housekeeping
 House-hunting
 The house of my dreams
 EAST OR WEST HOME IS BEST

Every house where love abides

And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home, sweet home
For there the heart can rest.

Henry van Dyke

1 Read the text and say what the word ‘home’ means for you.
Although people usually know what the word means, it often has no
exact translation. It’s 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. It’s 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. Webster’s 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 center of affection, a place
where you can find refuge and rest, it is something intimate and private.
Generally, ‘home’ only refers to one’s own place; we’d say ‘I went round to
Adrian’s ‘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 clearing house, etc. It is a physical structure, not a place where one
should supposedly receive kind treatment and feel relaxed (‘Make yourself at
home’).

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 bred maker stead straight video land team

Listen to the conversations. After each conversation, discuss the two

3
questions.
Who is talking to who?
What exactly are they talking about?
Here are some lines from the conversations. Fill the gaps with a compound
word. (Some of the compounds were used in exercise 2.)
1. She is so cute. Is she _____ yet?
2. Do you think you could possibly water my _____ for me?
3.Don’t worry, I know how _____ you are. I’ll make sure everything stays
clean and tidy.
4. Let’s give her a spectacular _____ party when she gets back.
5. Not me. I’m the original happy _____, remember? Four kids, _____ cakes,
_____ vegetables!
6. We’re having a _____ party on the 12th. Can you come?
7. “Yeah. Mind you, there’s much more _____ to do!” “That’s a drag!”
8. I never thought you’d be so _____.
Guess the house-words and phrases. Write definitions of 10 home-
4
words or phrases.
1) Over-concerned with the appearance of the home, 2) a married woman
who does the cooking , cleaning and shopping and who does not work outside
the home, 3) a person who is employed to run the home, 4) a boat fitted up as
a place to live on, 5) a scheme or plan not likely to work, 6) quickly become
friends with someone, 7) a person who enters your home to rob you, 8) a party
given by someone who moves to a new house, 9) unable to leave the house
because of ill health or being old, 10) receive very great applause, 11)when
every seat sold in a theatre or cinema,12) be ready to receive guests at any
time, 13) paid by or for the company or bar owner, 14) forbidden to leave a
house or to receive visitors, 15) work done to maintain a house, cooking,
cleaning etc., 16) all the persons living in a house at the same time.
Translate the sentences into English.
5
1. В нову квартиру на новосілля ми запросимо всіх своїх близьких та
далеких родичів.
2. Де б я не була, я завжди сумую за своєю Батьківщиною, рідним
містом, своєю родиною та матусиними домашніми пиріжками.
 3. Моя подруга завжди рада гостям, а вони почуваються в неї як вдома.
4. Хто у вас веде домашнє господарство? Раніше це робила мама, а
зараз у нас є домашня робітниця.
5. Це моя улюблена вистава. Кожного разу гра акторів має шалений
успіх.
6. Структура Парламенту Великобританії двопалатна: верхня палата-
Палата лордів і нижня - Палата громад.
7. Твоя кішка привчена до дому? Я хвилююсь за свої кімнатні рослини.
8. Нарешті злодія, що грабував протягом року квартири, упіймали.
9. З тих пір як мій сусід захворів, він більше не зміг залишати свій дім.
10. Ранні домашні овочі з теплиці дуже смачні.
Complete each sentence with the words home, house or a word
6
formed from one of these words.
The old couple decided to live in an old people’s _____. 2. Jane can’t stand
washing and ironing and other _____. 3. Graham bought a terraced _____ in a
quiet city street. 4. Many _____ people sleep in the streets in London. 5. Jack
was unable to look after his children so he employed a _____. 6. I come from
Newcastle. It’s my _____ town, you could say. 7. Paul used to live on the river
on a _____ boat. 8. When I went to a boarding school, I felt very _____ sick at
first. 9. Our first home was on the _____ estate on Oakwood Hill. 10. Pour
yourself a drink and make yourself at _____.

7 Very often people can’t say what a home is, because they don’t feel it.
‘What is home for you?’- it is a question that several people were
asked and here are their answers. Say whose ideas are close to you?
KATE: What is home for me? I can say that my home is the best place in
the world. It’s 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 can’t stay away from home for
a long time. I can’t even imagine being far from my
parents, as it is very difficult for me to do without
their help and respect. You know I’m happy only
when we are together. Only then I feel desirable, for
I know that they also need my attention and sympathy. I don’t 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.
 NATALIE: 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. I’m 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 I’d like to live on my own.
MARK: Home? To my mind home is just a house you live in. It’s 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 can’t agree with them. My
home is like a cage for me, where I’m not allowed to do what I really want. I
can’t say that my parents are cruel and rude to me, but
they live their own lives and are not very much interested
in mine. My parents never pay attention to me and they
don’t want to understand my soul. What’s 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. It’s lonely there. It’s not a
home, it’s just a place where I live.

8 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. Natalie wants to live at home as long as possible. _____
3. Mark doesn’t like his home. _____
4. Kate’s parents understand her perfectly. _____
5. Natalie can always find care and attention in her home. _____
6. Mark’s home is a cage for him. _____
7. Kate feels lonely and miserable at home. _____
8. Mark likes to spend a lot of time at home. _____
9. Kate suffers a lot when she is far from home. _____
10. Natalie’s idea about her home is similar to her parents’ idea. _____
11. Mark’s parents are rude and cruel. _____
9 Look through the opinions on the problems that bother Kate, Natalie
and Mark very much. Complete the following table and explain why
you think so.
Kate Natalie Mark
1. I can’t stay far from home.
2. I don’t feel desirable at home.
3. I want to live alone.
4. My parents ignore me.
5. I can’t live without my parents’ help.
6. I want to be more independent.
7. I need my parents very much.
8. My parents don’t understand me.
9. I am not allowed to do what I want.
10. I am very lonely.

10 As you see, these people really have some problems. What can you
advise them to do to solve these problems?

11 Read the quotations about a home and a house. Choose the one you
like and comment on it.
1. We shape our buildings;
thereafter they shape us. (Winston Churchill)
2. A house is not a home unless it
contains food and fire for the mind as well as
the body. (Benjamin Franklin)
3. A good laugh is a sunshine in the
house. (William Makepeace Thackeray)
4. Have nothing in your house that
you do not know to be useful, or believe to be
beautiful. (William Morris)
5. I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three
for society. (Henry David Thoreau)
6. Architect. One who drafts a plan of your house, and plans a draft of your
money. (Ambrose Bierce)
7. Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so
beautifully furnishes a house. (Henry Ward Beecher)
8. A house is a machine for living in. (Le Corbusier)
9. I am grateful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need
cleaning, and floors that need waxing because it means I have a home.
 (Author Unknown)
10. Men make houses, women make homes. (Author Unknown)
11. Home is where the heart is. (Author Unknown)

12 Answer the questions in the quiz and write down the score to know
whether you are a homebody.
1. When you come home do you like to:
a) talk to your mum, dad, wife, husband, sister
b) have a meal and then go out to meet your friends
c) watch TV
2. Which hobby do you like best of these three:
a) going to the cinema
b) cooking
c) sitting in your room and reading a book
3. It is your mother’s birthday. But your best friend is giving a party the same
day. Do you:
a) give your mother a present and go to the party
b) ask your mother to come to the party too
c) stay at home and have a pleasant evening with your family
4. Your wife (mother) asks you to clean the living room. Do you:
a) get a broom and some cleaning cloths and clean it carefully
b) forget that you were asked to do it
c) cover everything with newspapers and rugs and hope that your wife (mother)
won’t notice
5. Your uncle sends you some money to spend on the summer holidays. Do
you:
a) spend it on a holiday
b) buy lots of paint, a new bedspread, a new lamp and decorate your room
c) buy a dog for the whole family
Now add up your score!
“1” –a-3; b-1; c-2;
“2” –a-1; b-3; c-2;
“3” –a-1; b-2; c-3;
“4” –a-3; b-1; c-2;
“5” –a-1; b-3; c-2;
A. 15- 13 points. You are a true homebody.
B. 12- 9 points. You are a homebody, but you can’t do without going out.
C. 8-5 points. You are not a homebody. Try to change your character, learn to
take care of your home.
13 Read funny expressions on the doormats and tell what kind of a
doormat you have. Make up two more interesting phrases to
welcome your guests.

Read the text about the ways to protect a house. Do you have such
14
charms at home? Do you believe they have magic powers?

Horseshoe
Possibly the most famous of the charms is the horseshoe. Believed to
repel witches from entering your house, as well as to bring good luck to all who
pass, the horseshoe must be hung above your front door and may either be
nailed facing up or down. This belief originated from 16th century English
folklore and horseshoes continues to greet visitors to homes around the world.
Wind Chimes
Wind chimes are believed to scare away the bad spirits. Plus, they sound
lovely! Modern wind chimes have their origins in Indian wind bells, which
were later introduced to China, where they were eventually used to protect
homes. Japanese glass wind bells known as Fūrin are thought to bring good
luck too.
Mezuzah
According to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), the mezuzah denies evil and
destructive agents access to the house, and those who put up a mezuzah are
protected all the time. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment containing Hebrew
verses and a prayer, and this is rolled up, housed into a beautiful case and
affixed diagonally unto the doorpost.
Rowan
In some Celtic beliefs, a cross made from the branches of the rowan tree
and bound with red thread was used as a protective charm above the doors of
houses. As stated in the old rhyme: “Rowan tree, red thread, holds the witches
all in dread.”
Arrowheads
Arrowheads over your front door are believed to prevent burglars from
getting into our home.
Cinnamon Sticks
A more everyday object such as cinnamon sticks tied over the door will
also protect your home. Long ago, this was used by Egyptians to make an area
holy, and by the Chinese to purify temples.
Rosemary Wreath
A wreath made of fresh rosemary tied with a green thread will also
protect your home. As an added protection, insert these flowers: snapdragons,
cyclamen, garlic, flowers, marigolds, carnations or roses in intervals of three,
seven or nine. Hang it on your door and even enjoy the fragrance!
Hamsa
A Hamsa, or the Hand of Fatima, is a palm shaped amulet with an eye
symbol in the middle. In Arabic and Berber culture, the hamsa is believed to
ward off the evil eye. The hamsa may be hung on your door or wall, and mostly
nowadays it has become a popular charm for your necklace.
Garlic
And then there is the garlic. This may well be the most common
protection hung on doors in many different parts of the world, for protection
against a mythical creature known in even the most remote locations on the
planet: the vampire. Garlic repels vampires; everybody knows that!

Translate the text below. Do you agree that the main entry is very
15
important because it is through the main door that the house states
its personality and absorbs energy? The front entrance of your home
is your guest’s first impression of you and your home. Think and tell
what your guests might say about you and your house judging by
your entrance door.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF A RED DOOR ON A HOUSE?
 The Chinese consider red to be the lucky or sacred colour. Many doors
are painted with a fresh coat of red
just before Chinese New Year to
invite good luck and happiness. In
Feng Shui, a red door symbolizes
the mouth of the home. By
painting our door red (or any
bright colour that stands out) chi
(positive energy) is drawn to the
house. It is the entry point in
which abundance and
opportunities find us. In Ireland, a
red door is supposed to ward off ghosts and evil spirits. In Catholicism, a red
door represents that the blood of Christ has been smeared on it and that the area
beyond the door is holy and sacred. Also, according to the Old Testament, the
Jewish slaves in Egypt smeared their doors with lambs’ blood as a sign that the
required sacrifice had already been made, and those homes would be passed
over by the Angel of Vengeance. Supposedly red doors were used as part of the
Underground Railroad, and homes with red doors were “safe houses”.
Albert Einstein painted his door red because he couldn’t recognize his
house without it. And for homeowners, a red door announces that the house is
paid for, free and clear.

Read the text about housewarming traditions and fill the gaps with
16
appropriate words.

Drop, welcome, broom, dignitaries, heating, descent, prosperous, central

heating, warmth, fire, cheers, neighbours, spirits, merit, loaves, firewood,
pinch, folk, record, feast, to share, peace, present, threshold

Traditions are constantly changing and it has changed a lot over the years
from 1_____ of bread and salt in Russia to an idol of Lord Ganesha in India.
Even the tradition of Housewarming Gifts has a long and revered history. The
tradition of bringing new 2_____ together has its origin in Russia.

Origins of Housewarming
The term “housewarming” is descended literally from the act of warming
a new house, in the days before 3_____. Each guest would bring firewood, and
build fires in all the available fireplaces, offering 4_____ as a gift. Aside from
warming the house, this was also believed to repel evil 5_____ by creating a
protective atmosphere of 6_____. Uninhabited houses were considered targets
for vagrant spirits, and therefore required a certain level of cleansing before a
house was safe to be occupied by young children.
A villager named Boris and his wife Yelena had gifted a loaf of bread for
good health and a 7 _____ of salt for long life to the Russian 8_____ who were
passing through their village and that was well received by him.
The village 9_____ broke out into 10_____ as a new tradition was born.
According to other sources, housewarming has a Scottish 11_____. The
word “huswermynge” is first mentioned in an English monastic 12_____ from
about 1150. It simply meant “13_____ a house”. It’s been said that embers
from the fireplace of an old home were carried to start the 14_____ in a new
house. It has also been told that after 1577 it came to be used metaphorically. A
family in London having build a new home, made a royal 15_____ for their
friends, which they call their house warming”.

What is the difference between an “Open House” and a “House Warming

Party”?
An “Open House” is usually more of a social gathering of friends,
people 16_____ by within designated hours, guests may stay as little as a half-
hour or longer, no gifts are expected but some guest may bring a bottle of their
favourite spirits 17_____ and you may find more of these parties around
Christmas or New Year’s.
A “House Warming” is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a way for friends,
family, new neighbours to wish you a warm 18_____ to your new home. Most
guests will bring a gift for your new home.
While there is no ultimate way of knowing how housewarming gifts truly
originated, some historians believe that the one above may have 19_____.
Some look back to the birth of the Christ child and the gifts of the Magi.
However, some of the traditional gifts that one can 20_____ to house owners
for a new house are a 21_____ to sweep away the evil, a loaf of bread so that
there is no one ever hungry, honey that represents sweetness in their lives, coin
to bring good fortune, a pinch of salt at the 22_____ of each door and window
for good luck, plants for your 23_____ life, candles for light in life, wood for
harmony and 24_____ of the house.

Have you ever felt homesick? Imagine you are far away from home.
17
Write a letter to your parents telling what you miss most here in
Kyiv. Use the active vocabulary.
 THE OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE
Study the pictures below. Tell what kinds of houses are (not)
18
common in your country?

In pairs, ask your partner about the following things and report to
19
the class.
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 rubbish chute, a lift, a
 telephone
- central heating
- air conditioning system
7. Where is it situated? What’s your address?
it is situated
- in the centre of
- due west of the centre
- half an hour’s 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 stone’s throw from the centre / within a stone’s 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

Write where you would expect to find the following rooms in a house
20
and what they would normally be used for.
1. an attic 3. a cellar 5. a lavatory / a toilet 7. a lounge
2. a basement 4. a loft 6. a larder / a pantry 8. a study

21 Match the definition with the correct part of a house.

an attic a chimney a pantry a gutter a French window

a hall a skylight a patio a lounge central heating
a shed a landing a cellar a study a utility room
a loft a basement a porch a kitchen a sash window
1. A window consisting of two sashes placed one above the other so that one
can slide over the other to open it _____. 2. A half-pipe along the edge of the
roof to carry away rainwater _____. 3. A window in the roof _____. 4. Used in
modern houses instead of open fires _____. 5. A flat area at the top of a
staircase _____. 6. A roofed entrance built onto a house before an entrance door
_____. 7. Doors made of glass which usually open out onto the garden _____.
8. A hollow passage often rising above the roof of a
building which allows smoke and gases to pass
from the fire _____. 9. An underground room
without windows, usually used for storing goods
_____. 10. A comfortable room for sitting in _____.
11.A room, usually just for a washing machine, a
freezer, etc. _____. 12.A small building separated
from the house, usually for storing garden tools
_____. 13. Space in the roof of a house, usually
used only for storage _____. 14. A room for
studying,
reading, writing in _____. 15. A paved area between a house and a garden for
sitting and eating, etc. _____. 16. An underground room with windows for
living, working in _____. 17. A very small room in a house where food is kept
_____. 18. A room where people cook and eat _____. 19. A wide passage just
as you come into a house off which the rooms open _____. 20. A room
immediately below the roof of a house (can be lived in) _____.

22 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 my room was.
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.
23 Fill in the missing words and phrases in the letter below.
Hello! My name is Nick. 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 can’t say it is in bad condition. It
looks f)__________ and g)_____________.
Unfortunately, the house isn’t situated in the centre of the town, we live
on h)____________. It is i)______________ from the city centre, but I don’t
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, that’s 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!
Yours, Nick.

24 Translate the passage into English.

Наша сім’я живе в новій трикімнатній квартирі
шістнадцятиповерхового будинку, що знаходиться в новому житловому
районі. Квартира не велика, але затишна й зручна. Площа квартири – 80
квадратних метрів. Моя квартира складається з вітальні, спальні, кухні,
передпокою, ванни, туалету та комірчини. У квартирі є також два
балкони.
Раніше ми жили в окремому будинку на околиці міста, а тепер ми
переїхали в інший район. Хоча це не дуже сучасно і зручно, але все ж ми
живемо не у віддаленій частині міста, а в 10 хвилинах їзди від центру. Я
витрачаю півгодини, щоб дістатися до роботи. Звідси майже рукою подати
до головної вулиці, та й до того ж, будинок має сучасні вигоди:
центральне опалення, електрику, газ, сміттєпровід та ліфт. Поряд із
будинком знаходиться дитячий садочок. На першому поверсі розташована
крамниця. Квартплата висока. Ми платимо 3 тисячі гривень, включаючи
плату за газ та електрику і плату за всі вигоди.

Match the types of dwellings with the pictures. Where do you think
25
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.

Complete the sentences below with appropriate words.

26
1. We share the house with another family. We live in a(n) _____. 2. My
friend lives in a small house in the countryside. He lives in a(n) _____. 3. Look
at this building that has several floors. It is a(n) _____. 4. What a huge building
it is! I guess it has about 40 floors. It’s a(n) _____. 5. I’ve been living here since
1972. It’s my _____ residence. 6. I’m not going to live here till the end of my
life. It’s only my _____ residence. 7. If the house is very old, we can say it is
_____. 8. We do not need to go out to empty the garbage bin. We have a _____.
9. In front of our house there is a charming place where there are a lot of
flowers. It’s a _____. 10. At the back of the house there is some space for
growing vegetables. It is our _____. 11. I’ve got a darkroom in the _____ where
I develop films. It’s perfect because there are no windows down there. 12. We
keep our skis up in the _____ during summer. 13. I want to move to a _____
now as I see I can’t manage the stairs any more at my age. 14. You can find the
garden-chairs in the _____ at the bottom of the garden. Bring them up as we
want to have a drink on the _____ and watch the sunset.

27 Translate the passage into English.

Сім’я Блейків має власний приватний будинок на околиці
Лондона. Він розташований у віддаленій частині міста, на тихій вулиці та
зручному транспортному маршруті. Від нього рукою подати до торгового
центру.Будинок виходить на сільську дорогу. Також з нього відкривається
чудовий краєвид на річку. Це новий, цегляний, добре спланований
двоповерховий котедж з усіма зручностями. Будинок має червоний
мансардний черепичний дах з декількома слуховими вікнами. Під дахом –
просторе горище, на даху розташовані антена та димар. Ринви разом з
дренажними трубами захищають будинок від дощу. В будинку є льох,
який вони використовують для багатьох цілей. Будинок огороджений
парканом з воротами. Перед будинком - невеликий зелений лужок та
квітник з безліччю квітів. За будинком знаходиться двір, теплиця та город,
де сім’я вирощує овочі. Поряд з котеджем – фруктовий садок та альтанка.
Ліворуч від дому – гараж, де сім’я Блейків тримає машину. З іншого боку
знаходиться буда, сінник і стайня. Від ганку до воріт веде доріжка з
гравію.
What sort of accommodation do (did) these people have or where
28
might they be living at the moment?
1. a queen / a king a chalet
2. a monk a guest house (or boarding house)
3. a nun a villa
4. an eighty-year old person with no a tent (or caravan)
living relatives a suite
5. a cowboy a hovel / an old hut
6. a traveller away from home a vicarage
7. a forester in deep woods a cave
8. skiers in the mountains a monastery
9. holiday-makers a convent (or nunnery)
10. a well-off couple a palace
11. a camper an old people’s home
12. a successful advertising executive a ranch (-house)
13. a tramp – if he’s lucky a motel
14. a priest / vicar a (log-)cabin
15.a caveman a palace or castle
29 Match the words with the pictures.

bungalow block of flats caravan houseboat

tent terraced house windmill semi-detached house
lighthouse mansion palace cottage
castle detached house

Choose the correct answer.

30

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: it’s …… .
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

31 What sort of people would you expect to find living in the following
dwellings?
1) barracks, 2) an inn, 3)a shanty, 4) a hotel, 5) lodging, 6) a tent, 7)a hovel,
8) a mansion, 9) a wigwam, 10) an igloo, 11) a tenement.

32 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 14 th
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. I’ve 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 don’t 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.
33 Read the information about different unusual houses and think
whether you would like to live in one of such houses. In groups,
discuss advantages and disadvantages of living in such houses.

UNUSUAL HOUSES
Some of these following houses are currently historical monuments, while
others are local tourist attractions. If you’re whimsical, getting a unique object-
shaped house might be a good property investment.

Piano House, China Built to improve the tourism in An Hui

Province, this building is shaped like a
grand piano with a transparent violin as
the lobby. It’s a residence for music fans
as well as college music students, but also
serves as a local tourism center, with
displays on developments in the province.
The students at the Hefei University of
Technology designed this building, which
reportedly has a 50:1 scale for the original
instruments.
Teapot Dome Gas Station, Washington

This adorable gas station house was

constructed as a commentary on the Teapot
Dome oil scandal in 1921. It was one of the
oldest stations in use for decades, and even
survived a car crash and relocation miles
away. Placed on the National Historical
Register in 1985, it may have a new life
soon as a downtown tourism center.
Car House, Austria Designed and lived in by Markus
Voglreiter, this compact house is a tribute to
70s-style aesthetics and looks like a
Volkswagen Beetle while still following
residential building codes. The house has a
unique heating and insulation system that’s
energy efficient, as well as a distinctive floor
plan that has separate living spaces for the
children and adults. The house also has tons
of quirky windows of all shapes and sizes,
allowing a lot of sunlight in.
 Sanrio Strawberry House, Tokyo
Sanrio, the company behind Hello
Kitty, has designed a store in the shape
of a plump strawberry with an
entrance-room toadstool. The three
floors contain tons of Sanrio
merchandise with a red-themed
Strawberry room at the top floor. The
building even comes with green leaves
and stems on the roof, as well as small
circular windows representing the
strawberry seeds.
Basket House, Ohio Longaberger Basket Company wanted
their headquarters to reflect their product
– so they designed a building in the shape
of a basket, the largest one in the world. It
looks like a huge picnic basket, down to
the hand-woven lattice-work and the two
handles, which need to be heated in the
winter months to prevent ice deposits.
The company has a history of basket-
shaped buildings: they’ve made several
earlier ones that are still standing in the
region.
Biggest Treehouse In The World,
Tennessee

The worlds largest treehouse, located in

Crossville Tennessee stands 97 feet tall
and is based on 6 trees. This structure took
builder Horace Burgess 11 years to build.
Burgess, who now lives in the 10-story
wooden house, says he began building it
in 1993 after he received the go-ahead
from God.
34 Would you like to live in an unusual house? What might be good or
bad about living in one of these places?

Listen to people talking about their unusual homes. Name the

35
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 don’t 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.
You are an estate agent trying to sell one of the houses you heard
36
described. Describe its good points. Try to make it sound interesting
and impressive.

37 You are going to read an article about a different approach to

building. Eight paragraphs have been removed from the article.
Choose from the paragraphs A – I the one which fits each gap (1-7).
There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. There is
 an example at the beginning (0).
GOING UNDERGROUND
The idea of living underground is not the sort of thing that would appeal to
most people these days. But it could be the answer to many of today’s
overpopulation problems.
0 ___ C
Houses underground are less noisy, less expensive to heat and far less
destructive to our fragile environment. All that marks the position of an under-
ground house is a door in the grass. You'd hardly know it was there.
1 ___
"Some people think we're mad," says Rodney Jones, "but we wanted some-
thing more original than a three bed-roomed box. We liked the idea that the
building would not disturb the countryside or the wildlife, and that our fuel bills
would be low."
It is certainly true that bills are lower in underground dwellings: a study carried
out by Bath University found that underground houses saved 75% of the
heating costs of an equivalent dwelling above ground. It raises an interesting
question: with statistics like that, why don't more people live underground?
2___
Christianity in particular has always equated the subterranean with evil.
Even in today's society, the word “underground” is applied to the criminal and
socially unacceptable.
3 ___
This can lead to other problems. A study of people working in an
underground factory in Minnesota showed that they experienced higher levels
of anxiety, depression and hostility compared to those in above-ground
settings. What can be done about this? The Japanese have some solutions in
mind for their planned "Geotropolis" project.
4___
Giant caverns will be excavated in the mud-stone rock 50 metres below the
surface and linked by high speed railways to create a supercity 100 kilometres
across.
5___
In addition, scientists at Japan's Shimizu Corporation have developed "space
creation systems" for the city that mix light, sounds, breezes and aromas from
the outside world.
6___
Places where windows are unnecessary, like cinemas, supermarkets and
warehouses could all be submerged. It would save space, and make cities far
more attractive.
7___
 Regulations will also have to be imposed, forcing developers to consider
long-term environmental impact rather than short-term financial gain. But as
the population expands, there may soon be nowhere else to go but down!
A. The Geotropolis project obviously involves extremely high technology.
But on a less advanced level, there are hundreds of buildings in our
society today that do not need to be above ground.
B. Geotropolis will be an underground extension to Tokyo. Work on it is due
to start within the next ten years.
C. With land prices rising and the planet becoming more crowded,
underground accommodation could provide the perfect solution. It has
advantages over living above ground too.
D. The idea of living underground is old fashioned and unpopular.
Underground houses are permanently damp and cold, and there is no way
of lighting them.
E. Such houses are still rare, but they are becoming more popular. In the
Devon countryside in Britain, Rodney Jones and his partner, artist
Shannon Ridd, are converting a subterranean water tank into their dream
home.
F. To combat the problems of depression associated with living
underground, rotating prisms in skylights will follow the sun above
Geotropolis and reflect light down a huge shaft onto underground
gardens, giving people the illusion that they are above ground.
G. If underground building is going to catch on, it will require a change in
culture. Architects, notorious show-offs, will have to learn to hide their
buildings instead of parading them!
H. There are practical reasons as well. People are used to having reference
points in everyday life, such as the sun, ground, sky and horizon. In an
underground space, the lack of these things can make people feel dizzy
and disorientated.
I. The reasons for this can be put down to traditional associations. For
centuries, underground structures like catacombs and dungeons have been
places of enslavement, incarceration and burial.

38 Fill in the correct words from the lists below:

a)premises, owners, tenant, landlord, flat, lodgers
There are two main alternatives to owning one's own home, the most popular of
which is to rent a house or 1) ……… .In this case the 2)……………, usually
pays a monthly rent to the 3) ……… who, if the building is a block of flats,
often lives on the 4) …………….. . Alternatively, some 5) of houses choose to
take in 6) .................................................. to cut household costs.
 b) refuge, inhabitants, barracks
While the troops were stationed abroad during the war, the soldiers stayed in 1)
…….. . Often, 2) ………. of the area would come to seek 3) ……………….
because their houses had been bombed and they had nowhere to live.
c) reside, dwellers, shelter, housing
1) …….. was opened yesterday for the pavement 2) …………… of the
city of Sao Paolo in Brazil, who will be free to 3)…………. there until
4)………. is found for them.

39 Translate the sentences into English.

1. Моя тітка та племінники живуть у двокімнатній квартирі на шостому

поверсі звичайної панельної дванадцятиповерхівки. Це їх постійне
місце проживання. Літо вони проводять на дачі за містом.
2. В Америці та Європі будівлі висотою понад 150 метрів називаються
хмарочосами. В Азії хмарочоси сягають 700 метрів. Уявіть, який
захоплюючий вид відкривається з вікон квартир на верхніх
поверхах.
3. Виснажені мандрівники оглянули місцевість, намагаючись знайти
місце для намету.
4. Сивий худий священик з довгою тонкою бородою вийшов зі свого
будиночку та привітав нас.
5. Відомі співаки завжди зупиняються у найшикарніших номерах–люкс
у готелях.
6. Агент з продажу нерухомості запропонував мені декілька будинків
на вибір, але жоден я не міг собі дозволити через величезну ціну.
7. Якийсь безхатченко поселився у залишеному напівзруйнованому
будинку, що виглядав як халупа, на околиці міста.
8. Добре, що у нас є будиночок-автопричіп, щоб подорожувати нашою
великою сім’єю.
9. Усі в будинку для літніх людей знають цього згорбленого
зморшкуватого дідуся, він довгожитель.
10. З давніх давен черниці живуть у жіночих монастирях, а
монахи-у чоловічих.
Read the text about Francis Chan's home and answer the questions
40
that follow it.
It's not much, but it's home. Francis Chan, a structural engineer, lives in
Hampstead, north London, in a flat that's just 4ft wide by 21ft long. He loves it.
Tiny though it is, this is no converted broom cupboard. Peter Baynes, Chan's
architect, has achieved a brilliant piece of design, according to architectural
experts. And all the comforts of conventional luxury homes are built in.
The Chan mini-mansion - "You could call it linear living," he comments -
occupies what was once an alleyway down the side of a big Victorian house.
Not an inch of space is wasted.
When you step in through the front door, you're standing in the shower, on
Britain's only self-cleansing doormat. A door opens on to an equally tiny
lavatory with a washbasin. Two steps further in comes the kitchen, complete
with a full-sized cooker and a fridge, a microwave and a washer/drier. A
worktop folds down from the wall.
Another step and you're into the dining/office area. Four people can
squeeze in here for dinner, says Chan as he swings the table-top into place. He
even has a fold-down drawing-board for when he's working at home. The bed is
hidden beneath a lid right at the back. "I don't even have to make the bed,"
Chan comments. "I just put the lid down."
Storage is ingeniously tucked in all along the flat - Chan's business suits
hang neatly on the wall over the bed. Daylight comes in through rooflights.
Central heating consists of one electric convector - with the meter outside so
that bulky meter readers don't have to shoulder their way in. It feels like a very
small boat and Chan admits he toyed with the idea of naming it the "boat-
house".
Chan bought the big house next door -divided into three flats- three years
ago. He and Baynes started to restore it but Chan ran short of money, which put
paid to his plan to live in the ground floor flat himself.
His idea to build a mini-office to replace the existing lean-to shed in the
alley was rapidly modified. It became his home instead.
"Peter spent more time designing this tiny flat than he did on the whole of
the rest of the house," recalled Chan. "It cost around £4,700 to build last year.
Now it's been valued at £30,000. It proves that good design doesn't need to cost
more. It just needs a lot of care."
Chan's microscopic home has been taken up by the influential Architect's
Journal. Its editor, Peter Carolin, recently appointed Professor of Architecture at
Cambridge University, said: "This is an excellent solution to a very unusual
problem. It's very modest and completely appropriate - it's even witty. Francis
Chan must be a very tidy man and Baynes must be very talented. It's the kind of
solution a really good architect can come up with."
Chan hails originally from Hong Kong where, he says, flats are 15 meters
bigger.
However, in Britain his home does not quite beat the celebrated
Kightsbridge Broom Cupboard, an 11ft by 6ft one-bed flat which was sold for
£36,000 in the eighties.
1. What is an alleyway?
2. How big is the flat?
3. Where is it positioned?
4. Where's the shower?
5. How many people can be invited to dinner at the same time?
6. Where's the bed?
7. Why did Francis Chan decide to live in a home like this?
8. How much did the flat cost to build?
9. What does the editor of the 'Architect's Journal' think of the flat?
10. Who do you think this article was written for?
 professional architects
 people interested in Do-It-Yourself
 people buying their first home
 the general reader

In pairs, discuss your answers to the questions.

41
1. Imagine you lived in Francis Chan’s flat. What would be its advantages and
disadvantages?
2. All the comforts of conventional luxury homes are built in to his house.
What do you consider are essential items (e.g. a washbasin) in a house, and
what are luxury items (e.g. a microwave)? Make two lists with about ten
items in each.
3. Look at your list of essential items. If you had to save money, decide in
what order you would sell or stop using them.

42 Read the 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 he’s 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) it’s 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. “It’s
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.

43 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.
44 In pairs, make up a dialogue, using the information from ex. 43.

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.

45 Translate the sentences into English.

1. Містер Спліт переїхав до цього маєтку кілька років тому. Спочатку

споруда виглядала занедбаною, але господар доклав усіх зусиль, щоб
зробити її досить привабливою і величною.
2. Я студент і живу у гуртожитку. Це моє тимчасове помешкання. Ті, хто
мають постійне помешкання, мають більше можливостей
зареєструватися у місцевій бібліотеці чи звернутися до лікарні.
3. – Про який будинок ти мрієш? – Звісно, я мрію
про просторий, гарно облаштований та у гарному
стані приватний будинок, який буде моїм
постійним, а не тимчасовим житлом. Він буде
зроблений з цегли, а дах – з черепиці. Мені також
потрібен підвал, щоб тримати там драбину,
швабри, віники та інші речі. На території будинку
буде альтанка, фруктовий сад та газон з клумбою.
4. В українців є звичай огороджувати двір парканом. Мені подобається,
коли цей паркан не кам’яний і не дуже високий. Загалом, мені більш
подобається англійська жива огорожа.
5. Люди завжди приділяють багато уваги умовам проживання. Нехай то
буде палац чи замок, мотель чи вілла, або розкішний готельний номер,
люди прагнуть відчуття затишку і спокою, залишаючись там.
6. Перед будинком місіс Томсон є чудовий
зелений газон і доріжка з гравію, що веде
якраз до вхідних дверей. На жаль, вона не
може собі дозволити побудувати теплицю.
Вона б дуже хотіла вирощувати там
різноманітні овочі та квіти.
46 Read the text and think of a title for it. Having read this text, be ready
to describe the outside of your own place of living.
Soon we found ourselves in Spook’s 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 can’t
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 didn’t have to go in by the front door. It looked so forbidding.
It didn’t 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 weren’t all in bloom at this season, but you could see they had
bloomed at proper time and done it well.

In pairs, look through the situations and choose one to make up a

47
dialogue. Use the active vocabulary.

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.
 THE INTERIOR OF MY HOUSE
Read the text and try to define the aspects we are going to deal with
48
when 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 Dnipro 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 rubbish chute in our block of
flats. The layout is very nice, I must admit. The rooms are light, though not
very large. In my opinion, it’s 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 don’t 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 doesn’t take much space in the room. Of course there is a satellite
flat-screen TV and a stereo system 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 daddy’s
room, but as I grew older, it has become mine. Frankly speaking, I’m very
happy to have a room for myself, that’s 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.
There is a laptop, a printer and many other gadgets on the table. On the wall
there are some shelves full of English and Ukrainian books. There is an alarm
clock 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.

49 In groups, answer the questions about your place of living.

1. What kind of house do you live in? What is the house made of?
2. Is it your permanent or temporary residence?
3. Is the house new or old, large or small? Is it kept in good condition?
4. Is it nice and well-appointed?
5. Where is it situated? What’s your address?
6. What is there near your house?
7. What can you see in the premises?
8. What are the other parts of the house worth mentioning?
Do you like your hall? Read the text and compare the hall described
50
with yours.

OUR ENTRANCE HALL

Let’s enter my flat. We are in the
entrance hall. The principal staircase
leads from the entrance hall to the
landing on the first floor and there are
wooden handrails above it. In the hall
we have a stand for hats and
umbrellas, a coat-rack, a chest of
drawers (for shoes, bags, gloves,
mittens and scarves). There is a big
full-length mirror on the wall and a
floor lamp near it. The floor is
parquet. I would also like to buy a
Persian carpet and put it on the floor. Our front door is made of red wood; it has
a spy hole, a door lock, a shiny door handle and a door plate. The hall is not
very spacious but the nice pictures on the walls and a lot of flowers make it
cosy and comfortable.

Give English equivalents to the words and phrases below. Use them
51
in the sentences of your own to describe your entrance hall.
Передпокій; ганок; ключ; поріг; м’який килимок біля дверей; вішалка для
одягу; табличка на дверях; одвірки; вічко; дверна ручка; гачок; східці;
дверний дзвінок; крем для взуття; дерев’яне перило; щітка для взуття;
центральні сходи; чорний вхід; спускатися сходами; підніматися сходами;
площадка сходів; броньовані двері.

Translate the passage into English.

52
Я не можу сказати, що наш передпокій просторий, але в ньому є
місце для вішалки для пальто, дзеркала та комоду з багатьма шухлядами.
У шухлядах ми зберігаємо парасольки, рукавички, шапки, взуття, шарфи
та сумки. В окремій шухляді ми тримаємо крем, ріжок та щітку для взуття.
В лівому кутку стоїть вазон на підставці для квітів. Оскільки наш хол не
дуже світлий, ми поклеїли там шпалери світлого кольору. На паркетній
підлозі лежить килимове покриття. Вхідні двері до нашої квартири мають
блискучу ручку, замок, табличку з номером квартири, вічко та дзвінок.
Двері зроблені з дуба й полаковані. Біля порога лежить невеличкий
килимок овальної форми, де ми витираємо взуття. Загалом, наш хол
красивий та затишний.

LIVING ROOM
Do you like your living room? Read the text and compare the living
53
room described with yours.

OUR LIVING ROOM

Our living room is quite a big room of about 35 square metres. It is well-
furnitured and pleasant-looking. As you come into the room you can see several
wall units standing against the wall. There are beautiful china plates in the
cupboard, crystal glasses and bowls in the display cabinet unit, a lot of
interesting books in the bookcase that stretches the whole length of the wall. On
the left there is a flat-screen TV set and a stereo system with loud speakers in
the living room. On the extreme left there is a large window surrounded by the
floor-length striped curtains. They are drawn back during the day so that one
has a good view of the front garden and the street behind it. On a low
windowsill there is a vase of daffodils. Opposite the window there is an elegant
upholstered suite comprising a four-seater sofa with two armchairs and an
imitation leather pouffe, a low table with an ashtray and a standard lamp with a
plain cream lampshade next to it.
The wallpaper has a white and green check pattern. The woodwork and
ceilig are painted cream. A large Persian deep-pile carpet is on the top of the
polished parquet floor. A few tastefully selected reproductions, a luxurious
chandelier and different knick-knacks make the room cosy and comfortable. We
eat, watch television, and spend most of our time in this room. We like
entertaining our guests here. We sit and chat about our life and enjoy the time
spent together.
54 Look at the picture and say what things you have and what you don’t
have in your living room.

Translate the passage into Ukrainian.

55
In Western architecture, a living room or lounge room (informal: lounge)
is a room in a residential house for relaxing and socializing. Such a room is
sometimes called a front room when it is near the main entrance at the front of
the house. The term sitting room is sometimes used synonymously with living
room, although a sitting room may also occur in a hotel or other public
building. The term living room was coined in the late 19th or early 20th
century.

56 Fill in the gaps with prepositions where required.

Our Sitting Room
Let’s have a look _____ this picture of our sitting room. As you come
_____ the room you notice a piano with a low music-stool _____ front _____ it.
There is a tall bookcase standing _____ the wall next to the piano. There is a
large window _____ the left. Under the window there is a radiator, but you
can’t see it because it’s _____ the settee. There are two cushions _____ the
settee. The fireplace is at the other end _____ the room. There’s an armchair on
each side _____ the fireplace.
 There’s a clock _____ the centre of the mantelpiece and there
is an oval mirror _____ it. _____ the right you can see a standard
lamp. Opposite the fireplace you can see a small table _____ an
ashtray and some newspapers _____ it. There is a small chair by
the low table and a radio-set _____ the extreme right. The floor is
covered _____ a beautiful thick carpet. An electric lamp hangs
_____ the middle _____ the ceiling. _____ night when it gets
dark, we switch _____ the light and draw the curtains. During the
day, the light comes _____ _____ the window.

57 Look at the picture of the living room. Name the things that you can
see in the picture. What other things might be in this living room?

armchair curtains rug

bathtub lamp mirror
bed coffee table picture
blinds cooker plant
bookcase walls radiator
carpet wardrobe shelf
fireplace cupboard stereo
fridge cushions toilet
shower television washbasin
sink newspaper floor
sofa flowers computer
bags vase books
knife pouffe front door
sconce ashtray staircase
Listen to Nicole describing her living room. Say if the sentences are
58
true or false. Give additional information.
1. Her living room is small. 6. There are many books.
2. Nicole likes her living room. 7. There’s a CD player and two CDs.
3. There is an armchair and two sofas. 8. There are no pictures on the wall.
4. There are three chairs at the table. 9. There is a lamp in the living room.
5. There’s a small table with a radio on it. 10. The room is very comfortable.

a) Listen to Tom describing the living room. Take notes and draw the
59
picture according to the information you hear. Then be ready to
describe it using your picture.
b) Listen to Betsy describing her living room. Draw the picture
according to her description.
60 Translate the passage into English.
Моя вітальня маленька, але красива, затишна, світла і гарно
вмебльована. Розкішний персидський килим на паркетній підлозі – м’який
та різнокольоровий. Справа стоїть комп’ютер, а зліва – шафа для одягу.
Відразу ж біля комп’ютера – письмовий стіл, а над ним – декілька
книжкових поличок. Біля вікна стоїть красивий торшер персикового
кольору. Зліва, поруч із шафою, знаходиться м’який шкіряний куточок,
який складається з великого дивану та двох крісел із декоративними
подушками на них. Поряд із диваном – камін. У мене є ваза з квітами та
попільничка на журнальному столику, що знаходиться між кріслом та
шафою. На підвіконні – декілька вазонів із квітами. Я обожнюю білий
колір, тому квіти білі. В мене немає туалетного столика, тільки дзеркало
та багато різноманітних картин на стінах. Стіни поклеєні шпалерами
персикового кольору, в тон торшеру. Занавіски на вікні різнокольорові,
вони підходять за кольором до килима. Загалом, я планую придбати
білосніжну тюль та персикові гардини. Моя найулюбленіша річ в кімнаті
– це розкішна люстра. Я купила її в Італії. Здогадайтеся, якого вона
кольору?

BEDROOM
61 Do you like your bedroom? Read the text and compare the bedroom
described with yours.
OUR BEDROOM
Our bedroom is quite typical with built-in furniture, a wardrobe with linen
shelves, a wooden double bed with a bedside table on each side. As my wife
adores flowers a lot, there are fresh tulips in the vase on the dressing table.
On the dressing table in front of the mirror you can see a hairbrush and a
comb, a bottle of scent and a powder-box.
These are my wife’s possessions. In the chest of drawers we keep bed linen
such as sheets, blanket covers and pillow cases. In the wardrobe we keep my
suits and other clothes, which my wife hangs on the coat-hangers.
The parquet floor is covered with a soft thick carpet and there is a bedside
mat on each side of the bed. At night when we feel tired and sleepy, we go up to
our bedroom and fall asleep. We sleep the whole night through. Punctually at
six-thirty in the morning the alarm clock rings and wakes us up. We feel fresh
and are ready to start a new day.
62 Look at the picture and say what things you have and what you don’t
have in your own bedroom.

Write the words that fit the definitions.

63

1. things to stop people peeping through the windows at you _____

2. things to keep you warm in bed _____
3. things to sleep between _____
4. something to put your head on when you sleep _____
5. something to keep your clothes in _____
6. something to put a blanket in _____
7. something to place a pillow in _____
8. a two-storey bed _____
9. a sofa that can be converted into a bed _____
10. a bed for kids, babies _____

Study the pictures below, translate the words into Ukrainian. Match
64
the pictures with the right person or family interested in this or that
kind of a bed or beds in the furniture department.
1) A retired woman who spends summer holidays with her grandchildren in her
summer cottage, 2) an elderly lady who suffers from back pain, 3) a tenant who
rents a poky room, 4) a family with four-year-old twins, 5) a couple who likes
entertaining guests, 6) an antique dealer, 7) a camper, 8) a young man with his
wife expecting a baby.

Give English equivalents to the following words and word

65
combinations.

Комод; туалетний столик, матрац; лампа для читання;

нічний столик; килимове покриття; будильник;
приліжкова тумбочка; двоспальне ліжко; підковдра;
стьобана ковдра; пухова ковдра; простирадло; розкладне
ліжко; подушка; дитяче ліжечко; наволочка.

66 How do you make your bed? Put the sentences in the correct order.
__ Put the bedspread on top of the blanket.
__ Take off the dirty sheets.
__ Place the pillows in the pillowcases.
__ Put the blanket on the bed.
__ Put the pillows on the bed.
__Then put the clean sheets on the bed.
__ Place the blanket in the blanket cover.
67 Fill in the gaps with prepositions where required.
Randy and Norma Chiu decided to redecorate their bedroom. The
curtains and the bedspread used to be yellow; now they are blue. They decided
to take _____ the blinds and put _____ the new curtains.
They chose light green sheets and pillowcases
to go _____ the blue bedspread. They replaced the
double bed _____ a king-size bed and threw _____
the headboard and the footboard. Their bureau and
chest _____ drawers used to be _____ dark wood,
but yesterday they bought new ones, painted _____
black. Last winter, Norma bought a lovely dark
green comforter, but they put it _____ because the
weather was too warm _____ it then. They’ll probably take it _____ _____ a
week or so. Finally, Randy wants to call the telephone company tomorrow to
order a blue phone _____ the bedroom. They’re sure they’ll enjoy the new look
_____ their bedroom.

Listen and write where these things are located in Nicole’s bedroom.
68
1. mobile phone 4. car keys
2. magazine 5. Nicole’s bag
3. CD player 6. books

69 Write a letter to your mother and describe the way you want to
redecorate your living room and bedroom. Use the active vocabulary.

70 Read the article and match the phrases a-d with the end of each
article. Discuss the questions below the article.
a) with 100 people in the room!
b) because the green contained arsenic, a poisonous chemical.
c) recorded “Give Peace a Chance”.
d) and poorer travelers didn’t need to get out of bed.

BEDS
Four things you probably didn’t know about beds and bedrooms.
1. In 19th century Britain there existed a list of rules for bedrooms. They had
to be fresh and airy, but not too airy in case people fell ill. You had to
keep cooking smells away from bedrooms or burn incense to hide the
smell. You couldn’t put green wallpaper in bedrooms…
 2. After their wedding in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent a week in
bed at the Amsterdam Hilton hotel as a protest against the war in
Vietnam. As a result the couple…
3. Louis XIV of France was a busy man and didn’t worry about getting up in
the morning. His valet woke him up at 8.30 and then he had breakfast
with his important friends in bed. On some days when Louis was feeling
sleepy, he didn’t get up at all and he conducted his daily business from
his bed…
4. When people in Shakespeare’s time stayed at an inn, they had to share
their beds with complete strangers. When a rich traveler arrived at a busy
hostel, he took a place of a poorer person. However, there were inns with
huge beds for eight people…
 Do you know any interesting or strange facts about beds or bedrooms?
 Are you a heavy or light sleeper?
 Do you usually remember your dreams the next morning?
 Can you remember a recent dream?

Translate the sentences into English.

71
1. Спальня – це місце не тільки для фізичного, а й
морального відпочинку, тому шпалери в ній мають бути
приємного кольору. На стінах можна повісити підібрані
за стилем і смаком картини. Можна придбати
двоспальне чи односпальне ліжко, або розкладне ліжко.
2. Спочатку ми хотіли в спальні покласти сіре килимове
покриття, а потім передумали та вибрали звичайний килим. Найкращу
люстру ми, звісно ж, повісили у вітальні. А в спальній кімнаті ми
прилаштували симпатичне бра – це зручно.
3. Наша спальня вмебльована стильним спальним меблевим гарнітуром із
світлого дуба. Він складається з елегантного двоспального ліжка з
матрацом, тумбочок, що стоять по обидва боки від ліжка, туалетного
столика з предметами туалету, шафи для одягу з полицями для білизни та
комоду для постільної білизни, запасних простирадл, наволочок, підковдр
та стьобаних ковдр. Ліжко вкрите красивим покривалом, що підходить за
кольором до занавісок. В спальні також є два приліжкових килимки, дві
лампи для читання та одна приліжкова лампа.
 BATHROOM AND TOILET
72 Do you like your bathroom? Read the text and compare the
bathroom described with yours.
My bathroom becomes the most important and useful
in the morning when everybody wakes up and is in a
hurry to be the first there. Fortunately we have two
bathrooms: on the ground floor and on the first floor. So
when the alarm-clock rings, I quietly put on my terry
bathrobe and slippers and go into the bathroom, where I
turn on the hot and cold water taps. While the water runs
into the bathtub, I wash my face and neck, clean my teeth
and comb my hair. Then I turn off the
taps and have my bath. I sometimes take a shower in a modern shower cubicle.
When I’ve dried myself with a soft terry towel, I get dressed.
My bathroom is very pleasant and I feel very comfortable and relaxed in
it. I like everything here: a snow-white tub and a huge oval mirror, a bath mat
and a shower curtain, terry towels and bathrobes and nice shelves above the
washbasin. The top shelf is full of different stuff: bottles of shampoo, shower
gel, shaving foam and balm. The bottom one has our toothbrushes, a tube of
herbal toothpaste, a razor and a soap-dish with a bar of scented soap in it. In the
right corner there is a toilet pan with a bidet. Behind you can find a cabinet for
detergents, extra toilet paper blocks and sponges.
Though my bathroom is simple and ordinary, the blue and white tiled
walls and the shining taps make it quite pleasant.
Look at the picture and say what things you have and what you don’t
73
have in your bathroom.
74 Complete these good bathroom rules. There may be more than one
answer.
1. Hang up the _____ _____ when you’ve finished with your bath.
2. Put the soap back in the _____ _____ when you’ve done washing.
3. Put all your dirty clothes in the _____.
4. Clean out the _____ after you take a bath.
5. Don’t splatter toothpaste all over the _____.

75 Name the word that doesn’t belong and tell why.

1. hamper bathtub tile wastepaper basket

2. shampoo drain plug soap toothpaste
3. sponge washcloth mirror towel
4. nailbrush toilet brush toothbrush hairbrush
5. faucet bathtub bathroom scales shower curtain

Write the words that fit the definitions.

76
1.something to wash your body with _____
2.something to dry it with _____
3.something to put a bar of soap in _____
4.something to clean your teeth with _____
5.something to wash your clothes with _____

Give English equivalents to the following words and word

77
combinations.
Зубна паста; рідке мило; бачок, зубна щітка;
кнопка зливу води; ванна; занавіска в душі;
вішалка для рушників; махровий рушник; кусок
мила; унітаз; килимок для ванної кімнати;
аптечка; губка; пральний порошок; кран-
змішувач; бритва; душова кабіна.

Read the situations. Tell what the person did next. Finish the story in
78
two or three sentences. Use all of the words given below.
1. Sam was taking a shower. Suddenly, the phone rang.
shower curtain, bathtub, terry towel, bath mat, shampoo
e.g. He pulled back the shower curtain and climbed out of the bathtub. Then he
grabbed a bath towel and ran to answer the phone.
2. Lisa was taking a shower. Suddenly, the hot water stopped!
cold water tap, hot water tap, bathtub, bath towel
3. Betty answered the phone at 7 p.m. It was Frank. He asked if she would like
 to go to a movie with him at 8 p.m. Betty said “yes”, but after that she
recollected that her hair was dirty.
washbasin, hand towel, shampoo, hair dryer
4. Joe’s mother called him and told that she was on her way over to see his new
apartment. She said she’d be there in an hour. Joe’s apartment is a mess,
especially the bathroom!
hamper, bathtub, washbasin, mirror, toilet, toilet brush, wastepaper basket
Translate into English.
79
Що може бути приємнішим за
теплу ароматну ванну, а потім
прохолодний душ?! Після цього
загорнутись у м’який махровий халат,
взути кімнатні капці та попрямувати на
кухню, щоб насолодитись чашечкою
кави чи чаю зі смачним тістечком.
Наша ванна кімната дуже проста та звичайна, але зручна. Ліворуч
біля стіни стоїть світло-зелена ванна. Праворуч від ванни – умивальник.
На ньому мильниця з духмяним милом, над ним на стіні висить дзеркало
та поличка для тюбиків зубної пасти, бритви для гоління, зубних щіток й
аптечки. Ванна також укомплектована душовою кабіною, вмонтованою
так, щоб не було видно непривабливих труб. Далі
праворуч – вішалка для рушників із махровими
рушниками та халатом. У лівому кутку – унітаз із
бачком і кнопкою спускання води у вигляді
кнопки. Поряд із ним стоїть держак для паперу та
біде. В іншому кутку – сучасна пральна машина та корзина для брудної
білизни. Зліва від неї у стіні є невеличка шафа для прального порошку та
інших миючих засобів. Біля ванни лежить червоний гумовий килимок для
ванної кімнати, а біля унітазу – махровий килимок.

KITCHEN

80 Is the kitchen your favourite room? Read the story about Mary’s
kitchen and say whether you’d like to have the same one.
My favourite room is our kitchen. Perhaps the kitchen is the most important
room in many houses, but it is particularly so in our house because it’s not only
where we cook and eat but it’s also the main meeting place for family and
friends. I have so many happy memories of times spent there: special occasions
such as homecomings or cooking Christmas dinner; troubled times, which lead
to comforting cups of tea in the middle of the night; ordinary daily events such
as making breakfast on dark, cold winter mornings for sleepy children before
sending them off to school, then sitting down to read the newspaper with a
steaming cup of coffee. Whenever we have a party, people gravitate with their
drinks to the kitchen. It always ends up the fullest and the noisiest room in the
house.
So what does this special room look like? It’s quite big, but not huge. It’s big
enough to have a good-sized rectangular table in the centre, which is the focal
point of the room. There is a large window above the sink, which looks out onto
the apple trees in the garden. The cooker is at one end, and above it is a wooden
pulley, which is old-fashioned but very useful for drying clothes in wet weather.
At the other end is a wall with a large notice-board, which tells the story of our
lives, past, present and future, in words and pictures: a school photo of Megan
and Kate, a postcard from Auntie Nancy in Australia, the menu from the take-
away Chinese restaurant, a wedding invitation for next Saturday. All our world
is there for everyone to read!
The front door is seldom used in our house, only by strangers. All our friends
use the back door, which means they come straight into the kitchen and join in
whatever is happening there. The kettle goes on immediately and then we all sit
round the table, drinking tea and putting the world to rights! Without doubt
some of the happiest times of my life have been spent on our kitchen.

Look at the picture and say what things haven’t been mentioned in
81
the text above.
82 Translate the words. Name the item that is shown in the picture.

 a spatula  a salt cellar

 a corkscrew  a sieve
 a tin opener  a pepper mill
a garlic crasher an egg cup

 a carving knife  a tea spoon

 a penknife  a ladle
 a cheese knife  a soup spoon
 a fish knife  a dessert spoon
 a mug  a strainer
 a teacup  a grater
 a tumbler  a peeler
 a wine glass  a colander

 a casserole dish  a bread board

 a baking tray  a chopping board
 a mixing bowl  a draining board
 a thermos flask  an ironing board

a mixer  a spoon
 a coffee mill  a fork
 a toaster  a knife
 a pepper box  a rolling pin
Name the word that is odd in each line. Explain your choice.
83
Translate the words.
1. knife fork dessert spoon garlic press
2. bowl saucer plate frying pan
3. kettle coffee pot saucepan jug
4. mincer juicer coffee mill grater
5. sugar basin salt cellar pepper box mixer
Name all possible kitchen utensils connected with the following
84
things.
 fish  soup  bread  sugar  hot pans
 eggs  meat  cake  tins  salt
 coffee  dishes  garlic  wine  pepper
 water  matches  vegetables  tea  milk
85 In pairs, discuss where you can keep or put the following things.

a) milk
b) bread
c) eggs to boil
d) a tablecloth
e) a box of matches
f) tea-things
g) meat that you are going to cook
h) a pie you are going to bake
i) dirty cups and dishes
j) clean cups and dishes
k) spaghetti you’ve just cooked
l) fresh berries to be used in winter
Make a list of possible utensils, dishes, pots, pans, and appliances
86
that would be needed in the situations.
1. Pete got up and made breakfast of toast and coffee.
2. Karen opened a bottle of soda and then filled her glass with ice cubes.
3. Steve washed and dried the dishes by hand and then put them away.
4. Peggy took the hot roast out to serve her guests.
5. Don opened a tin of soup, then added water and warmed it up.

87 Choose the words that fit the following definitions.

1. An appliance used for mixing, combining or chopping various foods and

liquids _____ 2. A box used for keeping bread _____ 3. A dish on which food
can be baked _____ 4. An appliance used for freezing food _____ 5.Where we
cook soup _____ 6. A pot to boil water in _____ 7. A device used for making
coffee _____ 8. A bowl-like utensil with holes for draining food _____ 9.
Something mainly textile to cover the dining table _____ 10. An appliance that
grinds coffee _____ 11.Something to wipe your mouth with after eating _____
12. Something that goes under a cup _____ 13. It is a strong metal pot with a
tight lid in which food can be cooked quickly under high pressure _____ 14.
Something that helps scrape the rest of the mixture out of bowls or frying pans
_____ 15. We cut meat on this _____ 16. If you travel a lot, it is used to keep
hot tea in winter and cold kvass in summer _____ 17. It absorbs water on the
table _____ 18. You can use it to make very small pieces of cheese to sprinkle
on a dish _____ 19. It is used to open bottles of wine _____ 20. Things that are
used to keep under the plates on the dining table _____
88 Give the English equivalents to the following words and word
combinations.
М’ясорубка; кухня; конфорка; сковорода; каструля; блюдце;
часникодавка; сільниця; десертна ложка; цукорниця; мікрохвильова піч;
столова ложка; чайна ложка; чайник; тертушка; холодильник; сушка для
посуду; друшляк; тостер; електрична плита; глечик; раковина; консервний
ніж; машина для миття посуду; миска; кавник; кавовий млинок; міксер;
хлібниця; настінна шафа для посуду; фаянсовий посуд; кухоль; керамічна
каструля; сито; розливна ложка; судок; термос; кришка; табуретка;
склянка; перечниця.
a) Listen and complete the conversation between Suzie and her
89
friend Matt.
Suzie: And this is the _____.
Matt: Mmm, it’s very nice.
Suzie: Well, it’s not very _____, but there are a lot of _____. And there’s a
new _____, and a _____. That’s new too.
Matt: But what’s in all these _____?
Suzie: Well, not a lot. There are some _____, but there aren’t any _____. And
I have some _____ and _____, but I don’t have any _____!
Matt: Do you have any _____?
Suzie: No. Sorry.
Matt: Never mind. We can drink this champagne from those _____! Cheers!
a) What is there in your kitchen? How is your kitchen different from
Helen’s?
Translate the passage into English.
90
Наша кухня середнього розміру. Можна
сказати, що вона добре оснащена.
Центральне місце в кімнаті займає
масивний дерев’яний прямокутний стіл з
набором стільців, що підходять до нього.
Праворуч біля вікна стоїть електрична
плита, а над нею – витяжка. Поряд з плитою
стоїть сушка для посуду. Біля стіни
навпроти розташований холодильник. В гарних шафах для посуду
знаходяться каструлі, сковорідки, фаянсовий посуд, кавовий сервіз,
керамічні каструлі, ножі,
судки, друшляк, сито, перечниця, вазочка для цукру, сільниця, кухлі,
миски, черпак, тертка та різноманітна побутова техніка: міксер, кухонний
комбайн, соковижималка, м’ясорубка, кавовий млинок, тостер,
електрочайник. Коли в нас вечірка, кухня перетворюється на
найгамірнішу кімнату. Це головне місце для зустрічей сім’ї та друзів.

Answer the questions.

91

1. What do you like about your kitchen most of all? What don’t you like? Why?
2. What things in the kitchen are expensive / cheap?
3. What things do you use every day / sometimes / never?
4. What are the things that your mother / father uses while cooking?
5. What is your favorite appliance in the kitchen?

Act out a conversation in a furniture shop between you and the sales
92
assistant, as you try to decide what to buy for your kitchen in your
new flat. Make use of the active vocabulary.

Translate the text into Ukrainian.

93
Fridge facts
Did you know that Albert Einstein
co-invented a refrigerator? He and
his former student Leo Szilard
received a patent for it in 1930.
Coolants used at the time could be
toxic, and Einstein got the idea for a
simple, single-pressure absorption
refrigerator when he read about a
sleeping family killed by leaking
refrigerator coolant.
The first household
refrigerator produced by General
Electric in 1911 was based on a design by a French Cistercian monk and
physics teacher named Marcel Audiffren. The monk’s sulfur dioxide
refrigerating process took the form of a wooden refrigerator named the
Audiffren. It cost $1000, which was twice as much as an automobile.
According to Wikipedia, Refrigerator Magnets “are an iconic piece of
America. More than 80% of all households in developed nations have magnets
on their fridge, for both utility and purely decorative purposes. A refrigerator
magnet’s lifespan is typically between 5–10 years. Did you know that the
number of times a refrigerator door is viewed in an average household per day
is about 40?
94 Read funny fridge notes and say what’s on your refrigerator.
1. Kitchen closed – this chick has had it!
2. Martha Stewart doesn’t live here!!
3. I’m creative; you can’t expect me to be neat too!
4. So this isn’t Home Sweet Home… Adjust!
5. Ring Bell for Maid Service…If no answer do it yourself!
6. I clean house every other day…. Today is the other day!
7. If you write in the dust, please don’t date it!
8. I would cook dinner but I can’t find the can opener!
9. My house was clean last week, too bad you missed it!
10. A clean kitchen is the sign of a wasted life.

Read a story from kitchen humour. Has anything similar happened

95
to you?
Housekeeping Husband

My friend’s husband is always telling her that housekeeping would be a

snap if only she would organize her time better. Recently he had a chance to put
his theory into practice while his wife was away. When I popped in one evening
to see how he was managing, he crowed, “I made a cake, frosted it, washed the
kitchen windows, cleaned all the cupboards, scrubbed the kitchen floor,
walls and ceiling and even had a bath.” I was about to concede that perhaps he
was a better manager than his wife, when he added sheepishly, “When I was
making the chocolate frosting, I forgot to turn off the mixer before taking the
beaters out of the bowl, so I had to do all the rest.

96 Read and translate the text.

FURNITURE
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 chestof
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 children’s 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
sprungmattresses 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 speciallyequipped 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
saysettee? – 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, a flat-screen TV 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 flowerbeds. 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
97
features could they say that it had?
1. two bathrooms 6. three bedrooms
2. polished parquet floor 7. a spacious garden shed
3. a slate roof 8. ancient period fireplaces
4. attractive wallpaper throughout 9. a mature vegetable garden
5. double glazed windows 10. a modern kitchen

Find the equivalents to the phrases. Use them in sentences of your

98
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 the entire 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 are expensive.
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

Translate the sentences into English.

99
1. Навіщо ви переїхали у цю квартиру? Це не квартира, а просто нетрі:
без меблів, підлога- просто голі дошки, стіни поклеєні шпалерами, що
вицвіли і відклеюються!
2. Мешканець цієї квартири, мабуть, полюбляє грати на піаніно, бо у
вітальні, відразу біля комоду, стоїть рояль та стільчик біля нього.
3. Твоя кімната така тісна, бо ти поставила в ній величезний сервант.
4. У старій квартирі було тільки декілька одиниць меблів, на підлозі два
килимки та шматки лінолеуму, у вікнах було вибите скло, а шпалери,
що раніше були у квіточку, вицвіли.
5. Лакована паркетна підлога швидко псується на кухні, тому ми
поклали міцні кахлі.
6. Щоб надати вітальні сучасного вигляду, пофарбуйте все всередині у
рожевий або колір беж, а вікна та підвіконня – у білий.
7. Якщо ви не багата людина, прикрасьте свою оселю підібраними зі
смаком репродукціями чи гравюрами у дорогих рамах.
8. Діти часто псують дорогі шпалери, наліпивши на них плакати.
9. Численні докорінні зміни надали обшарпаному будинку сучасного,
охайного та, навіть, вражаючого вигляду.
10. Ми перебудували старий сарай на другу ванну кімнату, а потім
вирішили ще й розширити оранжерею, щоб зробити веранду.
11. Не дуже зручно мати ванну об’єднану з туалетом, бо ванна, раковина,
унітаз та біде роблять кімнату тісною.
12. Впевнена, він такий багатий, що в туалеті навіть кришка унітазу
застелена овчиною, а кнопка зливу – золота.
13. Ці двері ведуть з вітальні у просторий зелений внутрішній дворик, що
недавно був вимощений.
14. Зовні будинок реконструювали, змінивши старий потрісканий шифер
на нову червону черепицю, встановивши подвійне скло на вікна, що,
до речі, дуже допомогло утеплити будинок.
15. Будівельники подовжили стіну, заклавши вікно цеглою, і ми тепер
можемо встановити вздовж неї сучасну меблеву стінку.
16. Ми дуже пишаємося нашим каміном з решіткою із кованого заліза та
широкою камінною дошкою, що надає вітальні старовинного вигляду.
17. У всіх кімнатах нашого будинку подвійні батареї з
терморегуляторами, тому, коли ми включаємо газове опалення,
взимку тепло неначе влітку.
18. Зліва від кухонних дверей знаходиться раковина зі змішувачем,
подвійною сушкою, а далі – ряд охайних шаф для посуду та два ряди
полиць, у лівому дальньому кутку – газова та електрична плита.
19. Нагорі, в одній із спалень – залізне двоспальне ліжко, яке ми скоро
замінимо на подвійне з внутрішніми пружинними матрацами, в іншій
– 2-ярусне ліжко для менших дітей, а ще у двох окремі односпальні
ліжка для старших дітей; усі застелені пуховими ковдрами.
20. Кімнати наших дітей вмебльовані письмовими столами, дошками,
мольбертами, шафами для іграшок та вбудованими платяними
шафами.
21. Найдорожча покупка в нашому будинку – це шкіряний м’який
куточок, що складається з дивану на 4 місця з декоративними
подушками, двох крісел та пуфика.
22. Масивний дерев’яний стіл зі стільцями навкруги стояв посередині
їдальні.

100 Can you name:

 seven things in the living-room you can sit on

 five things in the living-room (or study) you can turn on/off
 three things in the flat you can sit at
 three things in the bedroom you can sleep
 all items of furniture where you can keep clean linen, clothes, books, etс.
 three things you can cover yourself while sleeping
 all types of lamps

101 Read the text carefully and fill in the gaps with the names of the
appropriate furniture items.
Today I woke up feeling great! I got up from 1__________ , put my feet
on the 2__________ next to my bed and opened the window 3__________ to
see what the weather was like. Then I went to the bathroom and got into the
4__________ to have a shower. After that I brushed my teeth in the
5__________ and went into my room again. I took some underwear out of the
6__________ and a sweater and a pair of jeans from the 7__________ . Mum
was preparing breakfast when I went into the kitchen. It smelt delicious! I
opened the 8__________ and picked up a cup from a shelf. Then I opened the
9__________ and took out a carton of milk. I put my cup of milk inside the
10__________ to get warm and used the 11__________ to make some
pancakes. I like them with a lot of strawberry jam! I sat at the 12__________ to
keep my mum some company and when I finished breakfast I put my dirty cup
and plate inside the 13__________ . Before leaving home to meet my friends I
looked at myself in the 14__________ to see if my hair was ok. Mum was
putting some clothes to wash in the 15__________ and preparing to take some
dry clothes out of the 16__________ . When I got home in the evening, I went
into the living room and sat on the 17__________ to watch 18__________ . But
there was nothing interesting on, so I took a book from the 19__________ and
read for a while. I also picked an interesting magazine which was on the
20__________ in front of the sofa. As it was a bit cold, I lit the 21__________
to get more comfortable. After dinner I went to my bedroom and sat on a
22__________ in front of my 23__________ to do the homework. At half past
ten I turned on the small 24__________ which is next to my bed on the
25__________ . Then I put my head on my __________ and went to sleep.

Choose the most suitable word for each space.

102
1. Some rooms don’t have curtains at the windows, they have …… .
a) blinds b) carpets c) gates d) stores
2. I was so tired last night that I fell asleep the moment my head touched the …
a) bed b) blanket c) cushion d) pillow
3. What a beautiful …..! It’s a pity we don’t have any flowers to put in it.
a) crystal b) cup c) glass d) vase
4. She closed the windows and drew the ….. before switching on the lights.
a) coverings b) curtains c) masks d) shades
5. When she cleaned the high windows, she always stood on a three-legged …
a) bench b) chest c) ladder d) stool
6. Please, wipe your feet on the door- ….. before you come in.
a) blanket b) mat c) carpet d) tile
Complete the sentences.
103

1. I keep all my clothes in the bedroom in a big _ _ _ _ r _ _ _.

2. The silver _ _ _ t _ _ on the table were shining brightly because they
reflected the flickering light of the _ _ n _ _ _ _.
3. It was a cold evening so I had a log fire going in the _ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _.
4. The most important thing about a house or flat is that it should be h _ _ _ _
_.
5. My grandfather likes to sit in his favourite _ _ _ c _ _ _ _, smoking his _ _
p _.
6. In Krakow, in order to get Raiuno reception, it’s essential to have a proper
a _ _ _ _ _.
7. Although we now have eight chairs, I’m afraid this will not be _ _ _ _ g _
and some of our guests will have to sit on that old _ _ t _ _ _.
8. I eventually found the scissors I’d lost behind the chest of _ _ _ w _ _ _.
9. Our house has central heating, so every room has a _ _ d _ _ _ _ _.
10. Doors that go round and round are called r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ doors.
11. It is very difficult nowadays to find cheap and comfortable a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _n in Cracow.
12. Everything in my kitchen is stored away in _ _ _ b _ _ _ _ _.
13. A door swings on its _ _ n _ _ _.
104 Write in which room you would look for the people listed below.

1. an artist a _t____
2. a football player a ch _ _ _ _ _ _ - room
3. a gardener in winter a c___________
4. a novelist a s____
5. a patient before an appointment a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ room
6. a photographer developing pictures a ___k____
7. a prisoner a __l_
8. some workers during their lunchbreak a c_____ _
9. some teachers between lessons a s _ _ _ _- _ _ _ _

Fill in the missing words.

105

1. Our family lives in a new flat in one of the newly built _________areas.
2. It is important that our ______ of flats is within easy ______ of the
underground station and it doesn’t take me long to ______ to any place I
like.
3. Our flat has all modern __________: central ______, running ______ and
_____ water, electricity and _____ .
4. We have a two-_____flat.
5. In my opinion, it’s quite a well-_______ flat.
6. As my parents don’t like much furniture in the house so in the living room
there are two _________ armchairs and a sofa, a coffee table and a nice
______ carpet on the floor.
7. Opposite the window there is a _______, but it doesn’t take much ____ in
the room.
8. We like to _______ our guests in this room.
9. I am very glad to have a room for ________, that’s why I always try to
keep it ______ and cosy.
10. In the _______ I keep clean linen and handkerchiefs and in the _______ I
keep my clothes which I hang on the _______.
11. On the _______ table in front of the mirror there is a hair ______ and a
comb, a _______ of scent and a powder ______.
12. We are not big-eaters, but we use our kitchen as a ________ where we can
have a ______ about our problems and life.
13. There is a _______ above the staircase. It is made of _______.
14. Please tidy your room. You always make a ______ in it.
15. All the things like empty tins, bits of paper we throw away into our ______
bin.
16. Come ____stairs immediately. It’s time for bed.
106 You have moved to a new flat. For the first six months you can only
have 6 of the items from the box. Explain your choices.
sofa dining table carpets cooker dishwasher
desk washing machine food mixer TV bed
curtains saucepans fridge kettle mincer

107 A young couple is moving into a small apartment. Write the name of
each piece of furniture in its correct position on the floor plan.
108 Imagine you are going to plan and decorate your lounge. You’ve
decided to consult the interior designer. In pairs, make up a
dialogue. Make use of his pieces of advice:
Do
 Consider your plan
 Diagram everything on paper
 Decide if you are going to use any of your present furniture
 Plan the placement of lighting according to your furniture arrangement
 Plan your dining room. (Do you plan an open-up table? Is your family large
or small? Do you plan parties?)
 List every item to be placed in the room
 Plan furniture and colours
 Think of heating system
Don’t do
 Don’t place too much furniture against the walls
 Don’t have too many things in the room
 Don’t have a floor-to-ceiling window on the north side, you’ll get cold
 Don’t choose more than three main colours
 Don’t be afraid to be different

Translate the sentences into English.

109

1. Як весільний дарунок Анна отримала будинок з давніми

французькими меблями, зручними диванами, м’якими кріслами, з
величезним письмовим столом в бібліотеці. Верхній поверх
прикрашали вишукані давні шведські та датські меблі вісімнадцятого
століття.
2. Наречена миттєво переїхала до будинку коханого. Це був величний
будинок з велетенськими колонами і широкою під’їзною доріжкою.
Він знаходився серед сотні акрів зеленого моря плодючої землі,
частина якої була відведена під мисливське господарство, а в
численних водоймищах водилося багато риби. За особняком зеленів
великий парк.
3. Внутрішнє багатство вражало своєю розкішшю. Хол був
облицьований мармуровими плитами, а стіни – пофарбовані. В різних
місцях стояли покриті мармуром столи з позолоченими ніжками та
стільці з червоного дерева.
4. У вітальні на долівці лежав величезний вовняний зі східним
візерунком килим, зі стелі звисали дві кришталеві люстри. Простора
вітальня могла розмістити сорок гостей одразу; поряд знаходилась
 кімната для паління.
5. На другому поверсі було багато спальних кімнат, в кожній з яких
було по одному давньому каміну. Третій поверх був призначений для
слуг.
6. Вілла була побудована із каменю. Із вікон вітальні та їдальні
відкривалась панорама острова. Легкі мереживні сходи вели нагору,
де розміщувались чотири спальні кімнати. Меблі були підібрані
бездоганно. Звичайні дерев’яні столи, лави та м’які крісла. На вікнах
висіли оздоблені китицями білі шовкові занавіски.
7. У ванній кімнаті та спальні лежали вовняні килимки, виконані у
традиційному рослинному візерунку. Що найбільше вражало, так це
різноманітність картин на стінах.
8. Але найбільше всього в будинку Елізабет подобалась кімната у вежі з
черепичним дахом. Сюди з другого поверху можна було дістатись
сходами. Це був батьків кабінет. Посередині кімнати стояв
величезний робочий стіл з кріслами навпроти. Двостулкові двері
виходили на маленький балкон, що звисав над безоднею.
(С. Шелдон)

110 Before you read the text get the general idea by looking at the
title and subheadings. You can also read the first paragraph. Do
you know much about this topic? Read to see if you learn anything
new.
Inside Homes Around the World
Walk inside a home in a new country, and it can look and feel so different!
One big difference is the organisation of the inside, or interior space. For
example, rooms in a house are usually separated by walls, but not always, and
in the same ways.
The use of walls and doors
In many parts of the Arab world, people like to have homes with very large
spaces, and they avoid partitions. Anthropologist Edward Hall explains that
Arabs like to be together, so they don’t look for privacy in separate spaces in
the home.
Hall claims that Germans, on the other hand, like privacy. They have thick
walls and heavy doors in their homes. And these doors are often closed. But in
the USA, doors in the house (and at the office, too) usually stay open. When a
door is closed, it is probably for a private conversation, or for study, resting,
sleeping, dressing, or sex. Some modern homes in the USA and other places
have no walls at all. This arrangement is an ‘open floor plan’.
A special kind of wall
The walls in traditional Japanese and Korean homes are unique. They are
semi-fixed walls, or partitions. These are made of light wooden frames covered
with special paper. The partitions are movable, so that rooms can be used for
different purposes, such as sleeping, talking, or studying.
Furniture
Another big difference among homes is in the type of furniture, and where it
is placed in the room. Homes in the USA look cluttered to many visitors
because they are full of chairs, tables and chests. Americans often place the
furniture around the walls. In Japan, however, furniture is often in the centre of
the room, and sometimes there is no furniture. In German homes the furniture is
traditionally solid and heavy, and stays fixed in one place. In many countries,
including Ethiopia and Iran, Japan, Laos and Turkey, to name only a few,
people often prefer to sit on floor mats or beautiful rugs, and not on chairs.
Thus, rooms can have less furniture than in the West.
Closed doors, open doors, or no doors; thick walls, paper walls, no walls; lots
of furniture, little furniture, or no furniture at all - these are just some of the
differences we find from home to home, place to place.
Partition - a divider or wall / a room divider
unique -special, one-of-a-kind
semi-fixed -partly attached
Fill in the boxes with a word or two from the text.
111

Japan Germany The USA

Doors  heavy, often
closed
Walls
Furniture
Do you know that feng shui is an ancient Chinese art based on the
112
belief that energy moves through buildings? Feng shui tries to
encourage this energy to act in the most positive way on people who
live and work in the building. Do you think each of features 1-7
would create positive or negative energy for a house?
1. A straight road leads directly to the front door.

2. There is a hill at the back of the building.

3. The neighbouring houses are taller.

4. The house is built on a south-facing slope.

5. A railway line runs along the back of the building.

6. There is a pond in front of the house.

7. There is a tree or lamp-post immediately in front of the front door.

 113 Read the newspaper article about feng shui. Four paragraphs have
been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A-E the
one which fits each gap (1-4). There is one extra paragraph which
you do not need to use.
FISHING FOR GOOD FORTUNE
In the East, the luck or karma of a house is called feng shui. I suppose this is something like the household gods of the Ancient Romans, which had
to be kept happy with cakes, honey, wine and incense. But in the Orient, wherever the Chinese are predominant in the business community, feng shui
has a more than religious significance - it can make or break a deal.
My host in Hong Kong this weekend had extremely good feng shui because his house overlooked two forested hills curving down towards a
distant view of skyscrapers. A pearl 'between double dragons was how his Chinese dinner guest described this view.

1 D
The Chinese chairman of my host's company had sent a feng shui man round to check out the suitability of his house, for all its wonderful
location. When my host came back from his holiday in Europe he found men digging a large hole in his garden, round the corner from the swimming
pool.

2
Fish are very good feng shui, which is why some species - koi carp for example - can command prices running into thousands of pounds.
Obediently, my host let the fish pond be dug, and put goldfish in it. They swam around for a couple of weeks. Then they died.
3
'Well,' said his Chinese friends, shaking their heads. Clearly a whole bunch of evil spirits had been overrunning his home. A good thing the feng
shui man had ordered the fish pond to be dug, or business might have gone rapidly downhill.

4
'I thought you were feeding the fish,' she said.
A
A third collection of goldfish went into the pond. My host took it into his head to ask his wife what she'd been feeding them, and should the mixture
be changed? She stared at him.

B
He asked the maid what was going on. She explained that although the feng shui man had approved the house, he had declared that it would not be
completely satisfactory without a fishpond.
C
Although the building had a hill at the back to protect it from evil influences, and a view at the front to encourage its 'intake' of wealth, there were
serious
problems with the direction of the stairs inside.

D
The house across the hill, on the other hand, probably wouldn't reach its 60 million Hong Kong dollar selling price because of its poor feng shui. Of
its last four owners, two had died in the house and the others, even more blameworthy, had been fired from their jobs.
E
This might be supposed to be the worst possible luck. Far from it. Chinese acquaintances explained that evil spirits had passed out of the house and its
occupants into the fish, and so all was well. My host stocked the pond with more goldfish. They all died, too.

In groups, answer the following questions.

114

1. Do you like the place where you are living? Why or why not?
2. How many different homes have you lived in? Which one did you like the
best? Why?
3. If you could change anything about your present home, what would it be?
4. What things in your home couldn't you live without?
5. What things in your house could you easily live without?
6. Which room do you spend the least time in?
7. Which room do you spend the most time in?
8. Have you changed anything in your house recently? If so, what was that?
9. Do you like to keep pets in your home?
 10. Make a list of the 10 most important things you would look for when
choosing a house to live in. (Speak both about the inside and the outside)
In pairs, look through the situations and choose one to make up a
115
dialogue. Make use of the topical vocabulary.
1. You are meeting your friend whom you haven’t seen for a long time. He tells
you that he has received a new flat. You congratulate him on this occasion.
He invites you to come and see his flat.
2. You are asking your friend about his flat: where this flat is situated, what the
rent is, whether his flat has a balcony, how many rooms are in his flat, what
conveniences are in his flat, whether he has a telephone; you unfortunately
have no telephone.
3. While you are describing your flat, its space, the furniture and where it is,
ask your friend to make a plan of it. Check it afterwards to see if the sketch
is like your description.

116 Write an essay about the inside of your house. Make use of the
active vocabulary.

HOUSEKEEPING

Translate the list of words and phrases into Ukrainian. Make up

117
sentences with ten of them telling about household chores in your
family.

to be keen on neatness to be immaculately clean

to dry the laundry “Cleanliness is next to godliness”
to iron the laundry (F. Bacon)
to dry-clean spring cleaning
to polish the furniture to clean the mess in one’s room
to sweep the floor to turn out one’s room
to vacuum-clean/ to hoover carpets to do one’s room/ to clean up
to air the room to put the things where they belong
it takes me some minutes/ hours to to tidy up
do the room to do (wash) the dishes/ to do the
everything is spick and span washing-up
to be in ship-shape order to make things tidy
to shine (like a new pin) to dust
to beat the dust out of smth laundry
to beat (a carpet) to do the laundry
to mop (up)
to wash/ to launder

Find English equivalents for the words and word combinations

118
below.
Прибирати в будинку; електричні прилади; генеральне прибирання;
прискорити процес прибирання; класти речі на свої місця; класти брудну
білизну в кошик для білизни; чистити килими пилососом; провітрювати
кімнати; натирати меблі; витирати пил; підмітати підлогу; мити підлогу;
поливати квіти; вибивати килими та килимки; міняти постільну білизну;
мити посуд; все сяє; знімати занавіски.

119 Write words that fit the definitions below.

1.Something to clean and polish table tops with _____ 2.Something to

wash the dishes with _____ 3.Something to dry the dishes with _____
4.Something to clean the floor with _____ 5.Something to iron on _____
6.Something to clean the carpets with _____ 7.Something to put the garbage
into _____ 8.Something to brush the clothes with _____ 9.Something to sweep
the floor with _____ 10.Something to speed up the process of doing the
house______

120 What can you do to these items?

1. floor Sweep it 6. furniture _____

2. bed _____ 7. bathtub _____
3. wet dishes _____ 8. carpets _____
4. dirty dishes _____ 9. flowers _____
5. mirror _____ 10. laundry _____

Chore is another word for a job which is regular and unpleasant.

121
Chores are small jobs we do in or around the house. Errands are
small jobs we do away from the house: e.g. go to the bank, go
grocery shopping, …
We ‘do chores’ and ‘run errands’.
E.g. Tomorrow, I have to do some chores. I need to run some errands today.
Each of the speakers below is talking about one of the chores in the box.
Which one?
Ironing, bed making, vacuum cleaning, washing, cooking, dusting, washing up,
window cleaning, shopping, polishing

a)Put the dishes in the sink.

b)I’d better turn it inside out first or it may go shiny.
c)I can’t really put them outside. It looks like rain.
d)Can you get me a trolley? They’re over there, look.
e)I think I’ll need that big saucepan. Can you reach it?
f)The bag’s full. That’s why it isn’t picking up all the dirt.
g)You’ve left finger-marks on the outside and inside.
h)You’ve missed part of the mantelpiece. I’ll move the ornaments.
i) You can see your face in this table now – not that you’d want to!
j) I usually change the sheets and pillow cases on
Wednesdays.
122
Each noun and each verb in the boxes relates to one or more of the
chores in the table below. Group them together by listing the words
in the most relevant columns.
Mop, rinse, dry up, stir, sweep, wipe, scrub, beat, scorch, soak, wring, fold,
drain, scour, chop, press
Sponge, broom, brush, bucket, ironing board, cloth, detergent, dustpan,
chopping board, bowl, tea towel
Cleaning Washing Washing a Ironing a Making
the floor up sweater blouse dinner
Verbs

Nouns

Match each noun with at least one verb to describe part of a chore.

123 Complete the sentences with the words from the boxes above.

a) Oh dear, the iron was too hot. Look, I’ve ___ your blouse. Do you
think anyone will notice?
b) This floor is very dirty. Can you bring me a fresh ___ of water? I want to
rinse the ___ again.
c) The collar of this shirt is so dirty I’ll have to ___ it in a ___ of hot water
for half an hour, and then ___it with a brush.
d) Thanks for washing the dishes. We haven’t got time to ___ them ___.
Let’s just leave them there to ___.
193
 e) Can you ___ the ironing board and put it away? I’ve finished the ironing
now.
f) First ___ two eggs in a ___. Then ___ three mushrooms into small pieces
and add them, with some milk and salt.

Imagine a child is helping you do the following chores. He/she has

124
never done any of them before. Give him/her exact instructions.
a)washing up
b)ironing a T-shirt
c)washing a pair of very dirty socks
d)boiling an egg
e)making a bed
f) polishing a wooden table
Imagine that your hall, living room and bedroom are in a mess.
125
Think where you would put the things to tidy up your rooms:
an umbrella; books; a dressing-gown; cushions; a coat; flower pots; a
bedspread; a doormat; slippers; a comb; a lot of knick-knacks; an alarm-clock;
a bottle of scent; gloves; a telephone; an ashtray; a vase; a key; an eiderdown.

a) Name the actions which each person in the pictures is doing.

126
Which of the chores do you / would you find most unpleasant?
Why? Which have you never done? Why not?

1. _____ 2. _____ 3._____

4. _____ 5. _____ 6. _____

194
 7. _____ 8. _____ 9. _____

10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15.

b)Listen to the radio show and name the pictures which are mentioned.
Write down the phrases you hear.
c)Who does it? Listen again and choose the right person.
name/chore Ralph Ralph’s Tom Tom’s
mom wife
does the shopping once a week
is always on the phone
uses the washing machine
always does all the housework

127 Your friend’s parents are away for a few days. You have agreed to
help your friend with some housework .

195
  Find out what housework your friend needs
help with.
 Find out the time you’re both free.
 Agree what your friend will do for you in
return.

Translate the passage into English.

128

Як мені вдається підтримувати

чистоту в будинку? Це дуже легко,
коли робиш це регулярно та маєш
багато електричних приладів, таких як
пральна машина, пилосос,
посудомийна машина, праска та інші.
Я витрачаю близько двох годин, щоб
прибрати у квартирі. Спочатку я
поливаю квіти.

Потім кладу речі на свої місця, а забруднені речі я кладу в корзину для
брудної білизни. Я завжди витираю пил та полірую меблі, підмітаю
підлогу, а мій брат чистить пилососом килими та миє підлогу. Я завжди
намагаюся підтримувати чистоту у кімнаті. Кожного ранку я застеляю
своє ліжко. Перед тим, як лягати спати, я завжди провітрюю кімнату. Моя
сестра також завжди тримає свою кімнату в чистоті, а ще вона завжди
чистить своє взуття та одяг. Мій брат прибирає безлад у своїй кімнаті сам.
Проте, він не любить одягати наволочки на подушки. Моя мама дуже
любить чистоту. Кожні вихідні вона займається пранням, а брат прасує. Я
мию посуд та витираю його рушником для посуду, а мій тато виносить
відро для сміття та чистить миючим засобом раковину та ванну. Ми
витрачаємо близько 2-х годин, щоб прибрати у квартирі.
Do you know what spring-cleaning is? Read the text and tell the
129
difference between a usual cleaning and spring cleaning.

SPRING-CLEANING
In England and some other countries it is the custom to give the house a
special clean in the spring. It is not that housewives neglect their work at other
times during the year, but that there are some things which it is difficult to do
daily or even weekly. For example, heavy cupboards, which need two men to
lift them, are often never moved except at the spring cleaning, and naturally the
196
narrow space behind them, and the floor on which they stand, become dusty
and dirty. Every effort is made to clean the house thoroughly from top to the
bottom. Sometimes a room is entirely cleared of furniture so that the ceiling,
walls and floors can be dealt with; small repairs are done, and, if possible, a
certain amount of repainting.
For women, it is especially busy time; for men, it is a time to keep out of
the way, except for the help they can give with moving furniture before they go
off to the office, and putting it back when they return in the evening. While they
are absent, the cleaning and dusting, the beating of carpets, mats, and rugs, the
polishing of brass and woodwork go on, and after some days of this extra
housework the house itself looks almost new. The opportunity is taken to get rid
of unwanted or valueless objects, and to buy things that may be needed. Often
something that has been given up for lost comes to light behind a cupboard or a
drawer where it has fallen.
Although we consider that the year begins on January 1st, the natural
beginning of the year is spring. Perhaps that is why this is the season usually
chosen to make our homes specially fresh-looking and clean. Just as nature
brings out new green leaves and bright flowers, and even the birds build
themselves new nests, so we ourselves make an effort after winter to start a new
year with the self-respect that cleanliness always gives.
Glossary: clean (here) – cleaning

Answer the questions.

130

1. When do we give our house a special clean?

2. Does it mean that housewives neglect their work at other times during the
year?
3. Why can’t we give our house a thorough cleaning every day?
4. When do we clear a room entirely of furniture?
5. What can men help the women with during the cleaning?
6. What kinds of work do women do while their husbands are at their work?
7. How does the house look after some days of this extra housework?
8. What do we generally get rid of at that time?
9. Where are the things that have been given up for lost found during the
cleaning?
10. Why is spring chosen to make our homes fresh-looking and clean?

131 Answer the questions. Follow the model.

MODEL: What do we do if our carpets are dusty? – We beat them.
1. What do we do if our brass is dirty?
197
2. What do we do if the ceiling looks gray?
3. What do we do if the doors and windows have lost their colour?
4. What do we do if the floor is dirty?
5. What do we do if the furniture is dusty?
6. What do we do if our windows are dirty?

132 Translate the text into English.

Як ми робимо генеральне прибирання

Така подія трапляється кожних чотири місяці, найчастіше, перед
важливими святами. Особисто я не люблю цей час, коли квартира
виглядає так, ніби там щойно підірвалася бомба.
Отож, щоб прискорити процес прибирання, потрібно дотримуватися
певних порад. Спочатку ми виносимо невеликі меблі з кімнати, згортаємо
килими та покривала. Потім знімаємо тюль, гардини та перемо їх. Після
цього витираємо пил, провітрюємо кімнати, пилососимо килими, дивани
та крісла. Потім миємо підлогу. Шваброю користуємось лише для того,
щоб дістатись найнедоступніших куточків.
Коли це генеральне прибирання,
доцільно також заглянути в кухонні
шухлядки. Впевнена, що не завадить
помити ложки, виделки, тарілки, чашки,
склянки, каструлі і т. ін. Щоб надати їм
свіжого та блискучого вигляду, варто
скористатися якимось миючим засобом.
Потім меблі заносяться назад до кімнат.
Коли прибирання позаду, мені подобається
пройтись чистими кімнатами,
насолоджуючись свіжістю повітря. Це
справді так чудово житии в чистоті та
затишку!
Read the text and be ready to describe the way you do housework
133
yourself.
1001 HOUSEHOLD HINTS
I. DARK ROOMS with small windows should be wall-papered in cream or
yellow shades to look brighter. The pattern for curtains should also include
yellow, orange or touches of bright red.
II. SUNNY ROOMS should use duller shades of upholstery and drapery if a
cool effect is wanted. Greens and blues mixed with white are very cooling, but
yellows, reds and oranges are not. Mauves and certain shades of pink and blue
can look rather dark and depressing under artificial light.
198
III. MOVING HEAVY FURNITURE without scratching the floor can be
done by slipping old socks over furniture legs.
IV. PROTECT WINDOW SILLS from dust by keeping them waxed with
furniture polish. The polish will last longer and the sill will be easier to wipe
clean.
V. WHEN BUYING A CARPET, buy the best that you can afford. It’s better
to buy a smaller carpet of good quality than a bigger one of poor quality.
VI. A PLAIN CARPET shows foot marks and dirt more than a patterned or
two-toned carpet. If you have small children, it is better to avoid plain, light
coloured carpets.
VII. USE A FEW DROPS OF VINEGAR in the rinsing water for dishes
occasionally. It gives the dishes a shine and keeps the hands soft.
VIII. YELLOW MARKS on washbasins and tubs, caused by dripping taps, can
be cleaned by rubbing with a cut lemon or with vinegar.
IX. CLEAN BATHROOM MIRRORS with an old nylon sock. Very handy
for polishing off splash marks and making the mirror shine.
X. THE PURPOSE OF DISHWASHING is not merely to clean, but also to
disinfect. Pots and pans, plates, glasses and cutlery should always be washed in
hot, soapy water so all bacteria are killed.
XI. CHINA IS BEST CLEANED with hot soapy water. Tea and coffee stains
can be removed by rubbing with a mixture of salt and lime juice. For fine china
use a cloth clipped in soda and rinse off immediately.
XII. TO KEEP THE REFRIGERATOR from various food smells, keep a fresh
lemon or lime inside. It absorbs odours.
XIII. SILVER will keep brighter if a little milk is added to the water in which it
is washed.
XIV. TO ADD SPARKLE to glassware, add a little laundry blue to the
washing water; then rinse with hot water.

134 Do you have special secrets to keep your house/flat spick and span?
Read the humorous rules of housekeeping and say whether you stick
to such ones.
Vacuuming too often weakens the carpet fibers. Say this with a serious
face, and shudder delicately whenever anyone mentions Carpet Fresh.
* Dust bunnies cannot evolve into dust rhinos when disturbed. Rename
the area under the couch “The Galapagos Islands” and claim an ecological
exemption.
Layers of dirty film on windows and screens provide a helpful filter
against harmful and aging rays from the sun. Call it an SPF factor of 5 and
leave it alone.

199
 Cobwebs artfully draped over lampshades reduce the glare from the bulb,
thereby creating a romantic atmosphere. If your husband points out that the
light fixtures need dusting, simply look affronted and exclaim, “What? And
spoil the
mood?”
In a pinch, you can always claim that the haphazard tower of unread
magazines and newspapers next to your chair provides the valuable Feng Shui
aspect of a tiger, thereby reducing your vulnerability. Roll your eyes when you
say this.
If unexpected company is coming, pile everything unsightly into one
room and close the door. As you show your guests through your tidy home,
rattle the door knob vigorously, fake a growl and say, “I’d love you to see our
Den, but Fluffy hates to be disturbed and the shots are SO expensive.”
Don’t bother repainting. Simply scribble lightly over a dirty wall with and
assortment of crayons, and try to muster a glint of tears as you say, “Junior did
this the week before that unspeakable accident... I haven’t had the heart to clean
it...”
Mix one-quarter cup pine-scented household cleaner with four cups of
water in a spray bottle. Mist the air lightly. Leave dampened rags in
conspicuous locations. Develop an exhausted look, throw yourself onto the
couch, and sigh, “I clean and I clean and I still don’t get anywhere...”
* Dust bunnies (or dustbunnies), also called dust mice, are small clumps of dust
that form under furniture and in corners that are not cleaned regularly.

Match words and pictures.

135
An A / C unit, a blender, a coffe maker, a deep fryer, a dishwasher, an
electric kettle, a food processor, a freezer, a fridge, a hair dryer, an iron, a
microwave oven, a rice cooker, a sandwich maker, a space heater, a toaster, a
vcuum cleaner, a washing machine.

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

200
9 10 11 12

14 15 16
13

17 18

136 If you are busy cleaning your room you are sure to need some
equipment. Think for a moment how some of these household
gadgets and devices are important to us.
1. If you had to live without two of the following, which ones would you
choose to leave behind?
 a washing machine  a dishwasher
 a hoover (vacuum cleaner)  a fridge
 a dryer  a freezer
2. And which three of these?
 an iron  a sewing machine
 a mixer  an electric kettle
 a toaster  a coffee grinder
 a liquidizer(-iser)  a hairdryer
 a mincer

137 Work in pairs to find out electric appliances in the pictures. With a
partner, decide which three appliances deserve prizes for being the
most useful inventions for the household. Give reasons.
1 2 3 4

201
 Can you imagine what a Patent Combination Step-ladder is? Read
138
the story and say whether we have the same device in our country.
Answer the questions atter the text.

A VERY DANGEROUS INVENTION

A step-ladder is a thing most useful to people who are moving into a new
house. The servant finds it extremely convenient when they have to wash the
windows, to remove the dust from the door and window-frames, and to perform
many other household duties; but the master of the house will need it when he
hangs his pictures, when he fixes the curtains and when he is asked by his wife
to hang a shelf or two in the cellar.
I would, however, warn my countrymen against the thing which is offered
to them under the name of Patent Combination Step-ladder. I bought one in the
city just before we moved, because the shop assistant showed me how, by a
simple operation of a set of springs, the ladder could be changed into an
ironing-table, and from that into a comfortable settee for the kitchen, and finally
back into a step-ladder, if the owner wished. It seemed very tempting to buy
three things for a single price. So I bought it, but I soon discovered that it was
not so useful as I had expected it to be.
On the day of its arrival, the servant used the ladder to remove the globes
from a chandelier in the lounge, but while she was busy doing that work the
springs unexpectedly began to move, and the machine was changed into an
ironing-table, while the maid-servant was thrown down on the floor and lay
there with a sprained ankle among the fragments of two globes broken into
pieces.
After this unfortunate accident we decided to use the apparatus only as an
ironing-table. Probably the thing would have remained an ironing-table, if it
had been suitable for this purpose. On the following Tuesday, however, while
half a dozen shirts were lying upon it ready to be ironed, someone passed by
and knocked against it accidentally. It gave two or three threatening jerks, tore
two shirts into rags, hurled the iron out into the yard, and after a few convulsive
movements of the spring quietly took the shape of a step-ladder.
Then it became evident that it could with a greater safety be as a settee, and
it was placed in the kitchen in that shape. For a few days we heard no more
about it. It gave much satisfaction. But one night, when the servant had
company, the bench was perhaps overloaded, for it had another and most
alarming paroxysm; there was a trembling of the legs, then a tremendous jump,
and one of the visitors was hurled against the range, while the machine turned
202
several somersaults and appeared once more in the shape of an ironing-table.
It has now become so sensitive that goes through the entire drill very
quickly if anyone comes near it or coughs or sneezes close at hand. We keep it
in the garret and sometimes in the middle of the night a rat will come across the
floor or a current of air will pass through the room, and we can hear it dancing
over the floor and taking the shape of a ladder, a bench and a table fifteen or
twenty times in quick succession.
We are willing to sell the machine for a very small sum. It might be a
valuable addition to the collection of some good museum. I am sure that it will
be more useful as a curiosity than a thing used for housework.
1. What thing/device is considered to be rather useful to people who are
moving into a new house?
2. What did the master buy? Why did he buy it?
3. What happened on the day of its arrival?
4. What did they decide to do with this apparatus after the accident?
5. Where and in what shape did they place it then?
6. Where do they keep it now? What do they want to do with it?
139 Replace the italicized parts of the sentences with words and phrases
from the text:
1. Once in a while the head of thehousehold likes to do things about the house.
Today, for instance, he is going to hang the curtains and take down the
globes from the chandelier to be washed.
2. When the maid hit her elbow against the ironing-table it gave a jerk and
threw her against the gas stove.
3. The cook was engaged in baking a cake because she was going to receive
guests in the afternoon.
4. Too many people were sitting on the bench. No wonder it broke.
5. When are you taking your furniture and other things to the new flat?
Give the English equivalents to the following words and word
140
combinations. Use them in sentences of your own.
Витирати пил; вішати занавіски; знімати ковпаки з люстри; в
день приїзду; розбитись на друзки; жбурнути; набути форми чогось;
господар/господиня, що приймає гостей; приймати гостей; чутливий;
близько; служниця; дивовижа; набір пружин; вітальня; страшні ривки;
судомні рухи; спокуслива покупка; зробити сальто; потік повітря;
кашляти; чихати; горище; виконувати обов’язки по домашньому
господарству; розтягнути щиколотку; наштовхнутися на драбину; більша
безпечність; тривожні приступи; кухонна плита; виконувати всі вправи у
швидкій послідовності; цінний додаток; перевантажувати; порвати на
клапті.
203
141 Choose a proper word from those in brackets:
(master - mistress - landlord - landlady - host - hostess - owner)

1. Who is the .......… of this bicycle? I’d like to use it for a while.
2. We apologized to our amiable .....….. and left soon after tea.
3. Paul avoided meeting his .....….. in every possible way. The money had not
arrived yet and he had nothing to pay his debt with.
4. The maid servant told the visitor that her .......... could not see him. She was
in bed with a bad headache.
5. Margaret was the most charming .......... and she seemed to be well aware of
it.
6. All the household trembled when Mr. Lawson returned home. He was a
cruel .......... and it was always best to keep out of his way.

Write instructions to leave with the removal men who are helping
142
you to move house. Tell them where everything is at the moment
and where you would like it in your new home. Warn them about
any particularly important or fragile articles.

143 Match the pictures with the words below.

2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

204
 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24

axe nail pin screw mop hoe

rope dustpan/shovel saw broom thread spanner
spade screwdriver drill scissors chain chain
hammer pliers nut string rake safety pin

144 Complete sentences with the names of tools.

Each dash ( _ ) represents one letter.
1. We cut down trees with an _ _ _.
2. We cut paper or cloth with a pair of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
3. We knock nails into wood with a _ _ _ _ _ _.
4. We put it and take out screws with a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
5. We tighten or loosen nuts with a _ _ _ _ _ _.
6. We saw wood with a _ _ _.
7. We bend and cut wire with _ _ _ _ _.
8. We clean the yard from snow with a _ _ _ _ _ _.
9. We fasten pieces of cloth with a _ _ _.
10.We sew with _ _ _ _ _ _.

Listen to the dialogue between Barbara and Charles. Fill in the

145
blanks in the sentences below and practise the conversation with a
partner.
Arranging the house
205
1. Give me a hand with this _____, Charles. I want it over there by the ____.
2. Don’t you think it would be better under that _____ by the _____?
3. No. The _____ isn’t staying there anyway. I only ____ it on the ____
because it was in the way on the ____. We can arrange the pictures when all
the ____ is in place.
4. Where did I put my big ____? It’s not in the ___ ____ and I want to _____
__ these ____ ____ on the door ____.
5. You had it in your hand when you went into the ____.
6. Yes, I think I put it down on the ____ above the ____.
7. Pass me that ____ behind the ____ before you go; and take your ____ off
that nice ____ ____.
8. You didn’t shut him ____ last night, did you? He’ll get lost.
9. No, he’s definitely ____ the house. He’s probably crept into a ____
somewhere and gone to sleep.

206
 Translate the text into English.
146
Техніка у нас вдома.
Я - інженер і дуже люблю техніку. Моя дружина - вчителька,
вона також любить техніку. Раніше дружина готувала смачні обіди та
прала мої сорочки. Ввечері вона готувала на кухні обід, а я завжди читав
газети або розповідав, як я провів день.
Коли ми купили холодильник, дружина сказала: “Тепер ти повинен
навчитися мити його. Техніка – це твоя спеціальність“. Тепер я кожного
місяця мию холодильник.
Потім ми купили пральну машину, і я навчився прати. Дружина
сказала, що я непогано перу. Тепер, коли дружина готує на кухні обід, я
мию холодильник або перу.
Я гадав, що техніка не прийде в кухню. Але дружина купила машину,
яка чистить картоплю та інші овочі, готує коктейлі та каву. І тепер обід
теж готую я.
У нас ще є телевізор та радіоприймач, котрі я повинен ремонтувати.
Техніка допомогла мені зрозуміти, що домашня робота – це і чоловіча
справа.
Which of the following household items do you think were in use
147
fifty years ago? Which do you have in your home?
Personal computer, fridge, electric razor, radio, washing machine, video
recorder, deep freeze, tin opener, microwave oven, CD player, food
processor, tumble drier, music system, iron, cassette recorder, vacuum
cleaner, dishwasher, word processor, jacuzzi, television, mobile phone.
2. Imagine life in your family fifty years ago. How did your parents and
grandparents live? How was their daily life different from today’s?
3. If you lived then, what would you miss about your life today? What wouldn’t
you miss? Write two lists. Compare your ideas with your partner and the rest
of the group.
Read the text about the Jones family and discuss the questions.
148

1. What was the experiment that they agreed to do?

2. Which of the items mentioned above are used in the article? Underline those
which are.
THE FAMILY WHO TURNED BACK THE CLOCK
The Jones family have nine TV sets, six computers, three cars, and every
domestic appliance. What would their life be like without them?
When Malcolm Jones woke up last Monday, he heard the birds singing. Not
remarkable, you might think, especially given that he lives near a forest. But
birdsong in the Jones’ household is usually drowned by a tidal wave of
207
electronic music crashing around the house as soon as his four children wake
up.
This is a family who have chosen to fill their home with every conceivable
gadget. They have nine television sets, including one in each bedroom and in
the kitchen. All the children have their own personal computers and CD
players. Of course, there are all the usual appliances we all take for granted,
such as the washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher, deep freeze, microwave
oven, and video recorder, but they also have an electric trouser press, two
power showers, an Olympic-sized spa bath and jacuzzi, three cars, and a music
system which plays throughout the whole house. What happens if all the props
of modern living are removed?
To help us find out, we asked the Joneses to turn back the clock fifty years
and to switch off all their labour-saving gadgets and push-button entertainment
for three days. We also wanted them to stop using their cars. The family,
comprising Malcolm, 48, Carol, 43, and their four children Emma, 17, Richard,
14, Tamsin, 9, and Tom, 7, were not enthusiastic, but everyone, except for
Emma, agreed to try. (She couldn’t stand the thought of being without the
telephone and her car, which she had only just learnt to drive, so she refused
point-blank to join in). The other three children were not allowed to use their
computers or watch TV. They were banned from opening the freezer to get out
fish fingers and oven chips. Malcolm was forbidden to use his electric razor and
mobile phone, but allowed to use his car for work. Carol was encouraged to go
everywhere on foot or by bicycle (women rarely drove 50 years ago), told to
ignore the washing machine and dishwasher, and she was discouraged from
using the telephone.
The much-dreaded three days got under way!
Old-fashioned meals, games, and entertainment were planned for the
evenings. After eating together at the kitchen table, they sat playing cards,
putting off doing the washing-up because they all hated doing that.
Carol was surprised at how long everything took. ‘By the time I had washed
up the breakfast things and got back from walking the children to school, it was
nearly lunchtime. Getting to the shops, which normally takes five minutes in the
car took at least an hour, so it was impossible just to pop out for a loaf of bread.
It was strange having to wait until the washing dried in the garden before
getting the ironing done, instead of simply using the drier.’
Although Carol found it quite difficult to get used to the length of time it
took to do things, she enjoyed having a slower, more relaxed pace of life. Also,
the lack of electronic entertainment, particularly the TV, had a dramatic effect
on the children. They got on much better together and seemed to enjoy each
other’s company more, although they clearly believed that they were suffering.
Tamsin even spent some time gazing at the blank TV screen in her bedroom.
‘All sorts of things that we had put off doing got done,’ said Carol. ‘Bikes
208
got mended, rooms tidied, bookshelves sorted, hamsters cleaned out. Tamsin
and Tom started to play games together and even read stories to each other.’
What Malcolm liked most was the peace.’I usually start the day by watching
the business news on TV from bed. Then I press the music button while I
shower and get dressed. I didn’t miss any of this, I just enjoyed hearing the
birds singing and chatting to Carol. I think the whole experience did the
children a lot of good. If it were my decision now, I’d throw all the televisions
away.’
The children vigorously denied that any good had been done to them.
Richard spoke for them all when he said, ‘It was awful. I missed my music, I
missed the computer games, and I missed the TV. We had to read books
instead!’
Carol’s feelings were the most ambiguous. ‘I enjoyed doing more things
together as a family. But as the housewife, I didn’t like my day being so full of
household chores. When you’ve got a dishwasher, you stack it as you go
through the day and turn it on at night. But you can’t leave dirty dishes in the
sink all day, so you’ve got to keep doing the washing. Also, without a phone
and a car, I felt really isolated.’
All of this just goes to show that, fascinating as the experiment was, you
cannot turn the clock back. This is doubtless a big relief to the Jones’ children!
Work in groups of three. Read the article again and answer the
149
questions.
1. What is the first thing the children usually do when they wake up in the
morning?
2. What does this family own which is more than the average family owns?
3. What were some of the rules of the experiment for each member of the
family?
4. Who refused to join in the experiment? Why? Who enjoyed the experiment
most? Why? Who enjoyed it least? Why? Who had mixed feelings? Why?
5. Choose one member of the Jones family and imagine you are him/her.
Describe your typical day to the others in your group. ‘Well, the first thing I
usually do when I wake up is…’
Now describe a day for the same person during the experiment.’During the
experiment, when I woke up I wasn’t allowed to…, so…’
6. Which member of the family is most likely to have said the following?
Why?
a) There’s no way I’m going to give up using my car!
b) It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it dear?
c) No, I haven’t ironed your white shirt yet! I haven’t had the time.
d) Come on! Stop gazing at the blank screen. Let’s have a game of Scrabble.
e) Well, I’m not doing it! I did it last night. Anyway, I want to mend the
209
 puncture on my bike.
f) Damn! I forgot to buy sugar!
g) If it were up to me, I’d throw the lot out!
h) Personally, I think life was much harder fifty years ago.
i) Never again! That was the longest three days of my life!
Read the humorous quotations, choose the one you like and
150
comment on it.
1. Nothing annoys a woman more then to have a company drop in unexpectedly
and find the house looking as it usually does.
2. A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.
3. They say that housework can’t kill you, but why take a chance?
4. Doing housework while your kids are still at home is like shoveling the
sidewalk before it stops snowing.
5. You know you are really broken when you finally clean your house hoping to
find change.
What do you and the members of your family do during
151
springcleaning? Describe the process in full.Use the active
vocabulary.

. AHOUSE-HUNTING

Read the text and think of a title for it.

152
Most British people obtain their home in one of three ways. The
majority, about two-thirds, buy their own houses or flats. About 10 per cent of
the population live in flats or houses which they rent privately from another
person or organization. The majority of the remaining 25 per cent live in
accommodation that is owned by, and rented from, their local council. Council
houses (or flats), as these are called, are available to everyone, but in many
areas there are long waiting lists, and the homes go to the most needy people. In
the past few years it has become possible for council house tenants to buy their
property from the local authority at a fairly cheap price – this is determined by
taking into account how much rent the person has paid to the council over the
years.
Homes in Britain are relatively expensive, although prices vary from area to
area. They are most expensive in the London area and cheapest in northern
England, parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There are two types of organization which are central to buying of houses
and flats.

210
The first is the estate agent. An estate agency is, essentially, a shop which
arranges for the sale of homes.
Let us imagine that Mr and Mrs Smith want to sell their house. First, they ask
one or more local estate agents to visit the house and tell them how much they
should be able to sell it for. They will also want to know how much the agent
will
charge for his services (usually between 1% and 2% of the selling price). If the
Smiths are happy with his proposals, the agent will publish the details of the
house in the form of giveaway leaflets and possibly in the local or even national
newspapers. The leaflet will describe the house in detail, describing the
position, number and sizes of its rooms, the garden and so on.
Mr and Mrs Smith then wait for prospective buyers to arrive.
Imagine that Mr and Mrs Johnson want to buy a house in the same area. They
go to the estate agency and inspect the details of the houses on offer. If they are
attracted by the description of the Smiths’ house, they will visit the property to
look at it. If they are still interested after seeing the house they may make an
offer to the Smiths via the estate agent. Often the offer will be slightly less than
the official “asking” price. If the Smiths agree, the house can be sold.
But the Johnsons probably do not have enough money to pay for the house
immediately, so what do they do? They go to the second type of institution
involved in house buying and selling – the building society.
A building society’s main function is to lend people like the Johnsons enough
money to buy a house. Banks also offer a similar service.
Building societies make their money by borrowing money from some members
of the public – their “depositors” – and lending it to others. Many British people
have building society savings accounts. They save their money with a building
society, which pays them interest. The society then lends this money to people
who want to buy a house or flat and charges them a higher interest rate on the
amount borrowed. This long-term loan is called a mortgage.
So Mr and Mrs Johnson go to a local building society where they will be
asked a number of questions – What type of jobs do they have? How much do
they earn? What are their monthly expenses? And so on. The society will also
inspect the house to see if it is worth the money they are being asked to lend.
All being well, it will offer to lend the Johnsons up to about 90 per cent of the
price of the house, to be paid back with interest over 25 years, or sometimes
less. When all is agreed and the papers are signed, the money is paid to the
Smiths
or to their legal representative – usually a solicitor – and the Johnsons can move
in.
Over the 25 years, the Johnsons, because of the interest on the loan, will pay
far more than the original price of the house – but since they are paying it in
fairly small sums once a month they are, at least, able to afford it.
211
 Translate the text into Ukrainian.
153
The Language of Estate Agents
It is a running joke in Britain that the more disreputable estate agents will
always try to make the houses they are trying to sell sound much more desirable
than they really are. An estate agent would never write: “This is a horrible little
house in very poor condition. The trains go past every 10 minutes and shake the
walls. The back garden is laughably small. This is why it is so cheap.”
Instead he would say: “This compact residence is ideally priced for the first-
time buyer. Although in need of some renovation, it has some highly attractive
features, including a small patio/garden to the rear. It is very convenient for the
railway station.”

Answer the questions.

154

1. In what way do most British people obtain their homes?

2. What organizations are involved in the process of buying and sellinghouses?
3. What do British people usually do when they want to sell their house/flat?
4. What do they usually do when they want to buy a house/flat?
5. What is a building society? How does it make money?
6. How does a building society work?

Give the English equivalents to the words and phrases below. Use
155
them in the sentences of your own.
Отримувати домівку; приватним чином знімати/орендувати в
когось квартиру; наймач/мешканець; викупити квартиру в місцевої влади;
брати до уваги; агенція по продажу нерухомості; ймовірні покупці;
будинки на продаж; зробити пропозицію через агента; позичати гроші в
когось; довгострокова позика; іпотека; щомісячні витрати; бути вартим
чогось; повертати гроші; справжня ціна; дозволити собі/мати можливість
купити будинок.

156 Many people in the US are looking for an apartment they can
afford. Read the article and say whether it is true about house
hunting in your country.
For two years, Mattie Presley has been trying to move out of her sister’s
house. But in Seattle, where the 24-year-old office assistant lives, almost 99%
of the apartments are occupied, and waiting lists are long. The apartments that
are left are too expensive for Miss Presley. “I’m stuck,” she says.
In many other cities the apartment supply is almost as tight. The occupancy
rate in some parts of Los Angeles is 98% Romeo Lucio, a 23-year-old law
student there, shares a cramped $433-a-month apartment with two roommates.
212
That’s better than last year, when he lived out of his Toyota Celica sedan for
three weeks waiting for an opening at an apartment complex.
In Detroit, where occupancy is 97%, retired nurse Ann Jordan lives with her
daughter’s large family. To make room for her, two of her grandchildren and a
3-year-old great-grandchild must sleep on the living room floor. ”It pains me to
see my family crowded so,” says the 67-year-old Mrs. Jordan. But government-
subsidized apartments for the elderly have five-year waiting lists, and non-
subsidized housing is far too costly.
Around the country there is a growing shortage of apartments. One result is
that many people, usually the young and those on fixed incomes, must move in
with relatives or take on roommates. The shortage is likely to worsen as the rise
in interest rates drives even more builders away from apartment construction.
Condominium conversion is growing, and this trend worsens the apartment
shortage by reducing the supply of rental apartments and driving up rents of the
remaining units.
Basically, the shortage has two causes: increasing construction and operating
costs and owner's declining ability to raise rents. Biltmore Homes, a Detroit
builder, was forced to cancel a 108-unit luxury apartment complex when it
turned out that the firm would have to charge $705 a month in rent to recover
its investment.
Meanwhile rents haven’t kept pace with costs. ”Rents have risen only about
half the general rate of inflation,” says Kenneth Rosen, a Princeton University
economics professor who studies housing.
All of which is little consolation for the apartment hunter. “I get mad every
day,” says Kathy Rowe, who’s been looking for a month for an apartment in
Atlanta, where the occupancy rate is about 98%.”If the newspaper ads say call
after 6 p.m. and you call at 6:13, you miss the apartment.”
“I’m just biding my time,” says Miss Presley in Seattle. At one complex
she’s next in line for a $185-dollar-a-month, two-bedroom apartment. She’s
waiting for a couple to move out when their new home is completed. But she
worries about paying the rent, which would be nearly 43% of her $435 a month
take-home salary. She’s unmarried and has a five-year-old son. “I’m just going
to have to let a lot of things go,” she says, “like eating out, a weekly bowling
night, and an occasional movie ticket.”
For some young people in the USA having to live at home has yielded
unexpected rewards. “I appreciate my parents a lot more,” says Jeanne Mori, a
23-year-old fine arts graduate student at UCLA. “I’m not into the big
independence struggle anymore, and living at home has made me realize that
my parents are really okay. “
For the elderly, though, it’s often frustrating to live with their children. “I’ve
always been independent,” says Mrs. Jordan in Detroit. “My family doesn’t
want me to live alone, but I prefer to be alone.” Mrs. Jordan has travelled all
213
over town looking for low-rent housing, where older citizens pay $ 100 or less
in rent. At one such apartment complex, she was told the waiting list had 800
names.

157 Decide whether the statements are true or false.

a) There is a shortage of affordable apartments in many American cities.

b) The occupancy rate in some parts of Los Angeles is 38%.
c) Waiting lists are long for government-subsidized housing.
d) According to the article, the supply of apartments will increase when interest
rates go up.
e) Builders are not building new apartments because of a shortage of land.
f) Condominium conversion has little effect on the apartment shortage.
g) There has been a growth in the construction of new apartments.
h) Rents have kept pace with costs.
i) Some young people, such as Jeanne Mori, like living at home.
j) The elderly don’t always want to live with their children.

158 Read the article about a housing problem in Britain. Compare it

with the problems that people face in our country.
No visitors to Britain can help being struck by a big number of building sites
and a relatively large number of new houses and flats that he sees in the
suburbs of towns and cities all over the country but especially in the South-
East and Midlands of England. The overwhelming majority of these dwellings
are two-story houses, built either in rows (terraced houses), in pairs (semi-
detached houses), or singly (detached houses), with a small enclosed garden
at the front and the back. In recent years a considerably higher proportion of
new housing has been in the form of flats and block of flats have now become a
common feature of the urban scene. Nevertheless, the traditional British
prejudice in favour of houses has only been modified, not fundamentally
changed. An increasing number of people, chiefly elderly and childless, prefer
to live in bungalows.
As it was implied above most of the residential areas and housing estates
have been built on the outskirts of towns and cities, well away from the
industrial estates with their factory buildings, warehouses, power stations and
railway sidings, and also at a considerable distance from the town or city
centres. In the inner parts of many British industrial towns and cities large areas
of slums still continue to exist, however. In addition, almost every older town
contains large areas of shabby monotonous and depressing terraced houses
which are only slightly better than the official slums themselves.
Despite all the buildings that have taken place since the war, there is still an
214
acute shortage in many parts of Britain, particularly in the expanding centres
of the Midlands and the South-East. The housing problem is not simply a matter
of the shortage of decent houses, however. The essence of the problem in
contemporary Britain is that housing becomes a source of profit for financiers,
landowners and builders. Houses and flats are commodities and are bought and
sold like other commodities.
Broadly speaking, three main alternatives are open to a family seeking a
home in contemporary Britain: they may rent a house or a flat from a private
landlord; they may rent a publicly-owned council house or flat; or they may
buy a house of their own, usually on a mortgage. Of course, millions of
families prefer to buy a house, though the burden of mortgage repayments is
very heavy.
A person looking for a place to live is free to choose, but only between
several different ways of being exploited. Whichever alternative he chooses,
whether he is a private or a council tenant or an owner-occupier, he pays
dearly for the privilege of having a roof over his head.

159 Answer the questions.

1. What dwellings are the overwhelming majority in Britain? What has become
a common feature of the urban scene in recent years?
2. Who prefers to live in bungalows? Why?
3. Where have most of the residential areas and housing estates been built?
4. What continues to exist in the inner parts of British industrial towns?
5. What has become a source of profit for financiers? Why?
6. What alternatives are open to a family seeking a home in Britain?

Look through the text again and find synonyms to the given words
160
and word combinations:
a) in the suburbs f) lack of
b) housing estate g) the bigger part
c) modern h) having no children
d) option i) looking for
e) mainly j) convenience

161 Give English equivalents to the followingwords and phrases below.

Use them in sentences of your own:
Джерело прибутку; мешканець; літні люди; гідні будинки; міське
життя; однотипні та гнітючі будинки; до того ж; купувати будинок в
кредит; житлова проблема; житловий масив; на значній відстані; суть
проблеми; будівельний майданчик; відносно велика кількість; переважна
більшість; зростаюча кількість людей; бездітні сім’ї; промислова зона;
215
склад; сучасна Британія; товари; шукати житло; бути враженим чимось;
залізничні колії.
Complete the text with the words from the box.
162

Buyer, document, lawyer, price, purchaser, terms, contract, fixtures, legal,

proof of ownership, seller, time, deposit, information, possession, property,
signs
When a ____ has chosen the house he wants, he has a ____ draw up a
contract. This ____ states the ____ definition of the ____, gives the purchase
____, and demands ____ from the present owner. It also includes other
important ____, such as the ____ that are to remain in the house and the ____
when the ____ will take ____.
The buyer pays a ____ when he ____ the ____. The deposit binds the ___ to
the ____ of the contract.

163 Complete the text with the words from the box.

let, rent(v), rent(n)-2, deposit, evict, landlord, landlady, tenant, contract /

agreement, host, guest, hospitality, agency
We spent six months in London in 1988. Finding a home was hard. For the
first week, we were a) _____ of the parents of a friend of mine. They were very
kind and showed us great b) _____. Our c) _____ also helped us look for a
place to live and put us in touch with an d) _____ which specializes in short-
term accommodations. On the fourth day we went to visit a two-bedroom flat in
Fulham which was to e) _____. We liked it a lot, but the f) _____ told us that
she had promised to g) _____ it to another couple the day before. They had had
trouble with the h) _____ of the flat where they were living: he wanted to
increase their i) _____ by 30 percent, and they were refusing to pay, so he was
going to j) _____ them. That’s why they needed another home.
We were very worried when we heard this, and we learnt that it is very
important to read your k) _____ or lease carefully before signing it. Then your
rights as a l) _____ can be protected.
Anyway, the next day we heard that the flat in Fulham was available after
all, so we hurried back to the agency, checked the m) _____ carefully, and paid
a n) _____ of £400, as well as the first month’s o) _____ - another £400. Living
in London was going to be pretty expensive.

Listen to 5 people and decide which statements are true and which
164
are false.

216
1. At first Guy’s family thought to rent a house in the outlying district.
2. Guy will be doing nothing but working hard while his family is in Scotland.
3. Guy needs a house without any gardens because he doesn’t like gardening.
4. Children left at 8 p.m. and they will be back at 9 a.m.
5. They don’t want to have a modern house.
6. While Mr Hunt has been shaving, Mrs Hunt has been making a list of things
inside the house.
7. Simon thinks that the best way is to buy a farm because he likes animals and
their family is rich enough.
8. Jane has been sleeping in her room as she feels bad.
9. They are not able to have an old house built.
10. While children are enjoying their stay in Scotland, Mrs Hunt will be
looking after Mr Hunt.

Read and translate the text.

165
JUST WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR!
I left the hotel today at eight o’clock for an early appointment with the agent,
who yesterday assured me he has found me just the house we’re looking for.
When I arrived he looked less convinced than I did. Even at that time of the
morning, I was already irritable and despondent as I arrived at the first address.
At first I walked past the house. Where it should have been a garden was a
wilderness of trees and overgrown grass. Then out of the green darkness
stepped the agent. “Ah, there you are! It’s here,” he said. I stepped in through
the broken-down gate, and walked up the dusty garden path. It immediately felt
cooler and calmer. The agent rattled a large bunch of keys, and tried several in
the door, talking to himself all the time, before he exclaimed, “Ah!”
We let ourselves in and walked into a deliciously cool, but dusty house. I
went into a gloomy living room downstairs and switched on the light, but
nothing happened. The agent heard me clicking the switch and said, “Ah! No
good. The switch needs mending. I’ll have an electrician repair it immediately.”
I peered into the darkness and made out the shape of a window on the far side.
The agent walked over to the window and threw open the peeling shutters, and
the sunlight streamed in. A rather faded sofa and two battered armchairs sat
around an open fireplace which hinted at log fires in winter. The curtains were
stripy but more or less in shreds. Outside there was a terrace and beyond the
trees, the dense undergrowth, the tall grass and wild plants that were once the
garden, were the mountains in the distance. I walked through into what must
have been a kitchen, but only recognisable because of the antiquated equipment
which I last saw during a visit to local museum. I turned on the tap, and once
again, nothing happened. “The water needs to be reconnected. We’ll get the
plumber to do it. It’s no problem,” the agent said. Upstairs there were two
217
bedrooms and a bathroom with low ceilings and which were, despite being
hidden in the roof, still quite cool. The bathroom had no bath and not much
room, but a beautiful view over the garden. The basin was filthy with dirt of the
years during which the place had been unoccupied. I sat on the brass bed in the
dusty bedroom, and looked round, thinking, not bad, not bad at all. In my mind,
I could see the house with new curtains and carpets, our own furniture, which
had been in store for several months, books on the shelves, beds made up,
lengthy lunches on the terrace, endless summers and warm winters. I could do
most of the work myself.
I went downstairs and the agent looked at me hopefully. It was worth the
lengthy search, the dusty visits to endless houses, the depressing inspections of
grim flats, to see his smile when I said to him, “It’s just what we’re looking
for.”

Choose the correct alternative A, B, C or D to complete the advert

166
and the email.
To rent: a fully (1)… one-bedroomed apartment on the fifth floor of a modern
block of flats, conveniently (2) … near the town’s main shopping centre. All
rooms are (5) … decorated and the accommodation is in excellent (4) … . To
(5)… a viewing telephone 020 786 50991.I went to look at that flat we saw (6)
… . It’s fairly central and very near the shopping centre, but it’s in a really (7)
… , neglected part of town-not sure I could live there. The flat itself wasn’t
very expensive-nicely decorated but a bit (8) … and the (9) … were more than
a little threadbare. And the building as a whole looked in really urgent (10) …
of repair-crumbling brickwork, broken drainpipes, patches of damp… I guess
I’ll just have to keep looking, won't I?
1 A sized B filled C reformed D furnished
2 A put B stationed C located D approached
3 A previously B formerly C lately D newly
4 A way B condition C form Dcircumstance
5 A arrange B see C set D place
6 A announced B marketed C advertised D rented
7 A well off B run-down C out-of-town D faraway
8 A cosy B cramped C tasteful D brand new
9 A carpets B tables C floors D walls
10 A desire B state C necessity D need

167 Read the descriptions from the estate agent’s brochure. Match the
estate agent’s descriptions with the right person or family interested
in this or that kind of a house.

218
 a) This is an attractive 1. Mr and Mrs Dawson are both
terraced house with two retired. Their children are
floors, close to shops married and have left home.
and underground station. Mr Dawson wants to move to
Children – welcome. a house that has a garden and
Mrs Dawson wants a house
without any stairs.

b) A beautifully-situated 2. Tina has been sharing a house

bungalow which has a with some friends. She would
garden attached. like to be more independent,
but she can’t afford a house.
c) A detached house with
plenty of garage space 3. Stephanie and Nigel got
and a garden – this is an married in March. They’re
opportunity not to be expecting their first baby at the
missed. end of the year. They can’t
afford a big house, but they
d) This small flat has its don’t want a flat.
own balcony and is
situated on the fourth 4. The Clifford family have been
floor of a residential block. living in a semi-detached
house, but now they need
something bigger. They have
four children as well as a dog
and a cat.

Write the advertisements in full using the prompts from the box
168
below.
1) Mod. det. hse., immac. cond. 3 gars. 5 beds., 3 receps., 2 fully tiled
baths.+sep. wcs; lge. fit. kit.189 ft., dble sink; lux. lnge. Gas CH/ chw;
dble. glaz. Curts., fit. cpts. included. Landscd. gdn., swim. pool. Few
mins., stn., bus, $150,000.
2) A lux. sgl. furn. flt w/gdn. 1 rm., k. & b. C. H. Cpts., Col. T.V., tel.,
fridge, ckr., h/c/w. $180 p.m. Refs. rqd. Avail. mid. Apr. Tel: 01-678-
1234 Evgs after 7.
3) WEST SIDE. Lrg sunny 1 BR apt. Kitchen, bath. 2 flr walkup. $400+1
mo sec dep. Immediate occ.
4) DOWNTOWN. Furn 2 BR apt w/kitchen, din rm, 1 bath. W/w crpt, frplc,
balc. Elevator bldg. Avail Febr. $700+util. 679-9842 eves.

219
 5) BEDFORD. 3 BR, 1 bath apt. Nr transp+shops. Avail immediately. $300
including util. 481-8769.
6) NEAR UNIVERSITY: Small 2-rm apt w/bath. No pets or children. Laun
in basement. Quiet. $ 250. 323-1465 anytime.
7) SUNNYSIDE. 2-story, 3 BR house avail for Feb occ. 2 baths, liv rm, din
rm, kitchen. Indoor pkng avail. 40 min to centre of town. $900/mo. 524-
1773.

Apt – apartment sec dep – security deposit

Avail – available lrg - large
Bath – bathroom transp - transportation
Bldg – building mo - month
BR – bedroom nr - near
Util – utilities occ - occupancy
Eves – evenings pkng - parking
Flr – floor w/ - with
Frplc – fireplace w/w – wall to wall
Furn – furnished laun – laundry

169 Choose one of the places and write an advertisement for a

roommate to share it with you.

ROOMMATE WANTED
Responsible professional woman seeks woman to share rent and utilities of
2 bath apt., Fisher St. Area. No pets. Rent $350.
Phone Gloria
(after 5 pm) 784-6321

HOUSE TO SHARE
Male grad student, non-smoker, is looking for 2 rommates to share old East
Side house. Modern kitchen and bath. Quiet, residential neighborhood, near
bus. $230/mo+util.
Glenn 576-9856 (keep trying)

In pairs, make up a dialogue, using the active vocabulary.

170

220
 Student A
You want to rent a furnished
room. You saw an advertisement
for the room in the illustration
and have come to see it. Express
your doubts to the
landlord/landlady.
Student B
You are the landlord/landlady of
the room in the illustration and
are showing it to a prospective
tenant. Respond to his/ her
doubts, highlighting its positive
aspects.

A man is phoning to find out the information about an apartment

171
for rent. Fill in the answers to his questions on the checklist.
Call about apartment in Gazette
1. No. bedrooms:
2. Rent:
3. Includes:
heat?
electricity?
4. What floor:
5. Elevator?
6. Washers/dryers
in bld.?
7. Near shopping?
8. Quiet bld.?
9. Address:
10. Who to see:
11. Time:
12. Other info:

A friend of yours has asked you to look for a suitable flat. Based on
172
the estate agent’s description (and your imagination), write a report
221
 for your friend, stating the advantages and disadvantages of this
particular accommodation.
The accommodation
Entrance hall – with cupboard space.
Lounge – 15 x 20 Windows on two sides, with radiators, power points and
imitation gas “log” fire. A room that with little effort would become welcoming
and relaxing.
Dining room – 10 x 15 A delightful room with windows overlooking the
rear garden.
Kitchen – 10 x 10 Fully fitted, with oven/hob, dishwasher and ample
cupboard space. A breakfast bar runs down one wall.
Bedroom 1 – 15 x 18 A large, airy room that would easily accommodate a
double bed and wardrobe, with a window overlooking the rear. Bright and
fresh.
Bedroom 2 – 10 x 12 An attractive guest room, or a lovely room for a
single bed.
Bathroom – 12 x 12 Bath, bidet and WC in avocado green. Automatic air-
extractor.
There is a communal garden to the rear, which is mature and spacious.
Rear garages are available to purchase.
Price: £160,000

When you choose a home to rent or buy, which of the following

173
points is or would be more important for you? Write 1, 2 and 3
beside the three important ones. Compare your ideas with a
partner’s.

1. _____ neighbours, and possibilities for social relations

2. _____ ease of cleaning and maintenance
3. _____ location
4. _____ lack of noise
5. _____ garden and views
6. _____ size and number of rooms
7. _____ age and condition
8. _____ other: what? _____

174 Read the advertisements for homes taken from a British estate
agent’s publicity. Assuming you had the money, which home, if any,
would you want to look at and why?

222
 A spacious Victorian terraced house enjoying views across the city. Handy
for local shops, buses, schools, etc. A porch, an entrance hall, 2 impressive
reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, a bathroom with a shower. 3
bedrooms, gas central heating, a small but delightful garden.
 Southern outskirts of the city: a double-fronted pre-war semi-detached 3-
bedroom house in a quiet tree-lined road. Convenient for local shops and
city buses. Period hall, a good-sized lounge, a dining room, a utility
room/storeroom, electric storage heaters, double-glazing. A charming
mature garden, a garage.
 A purpose-built upper floor flat located in one of the city’s prime residential
areas, some 10 minutes’ walk from the city centre and railway station. Close
to local shops and canal path walks. Commanding superb views over the
city and surrounding hills. Gas central heating, a hall, a 6m x 4m living
room, a bathroom, 2 double bedrooms with wardrobes, a garage.
 A very well-proportioned detached bungalow, not far from the city centre,
containing a luxury kitchen, an impressive open-plan living room with a
fireplace, 4 double bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms. Gas central heating, fair
decorative order throughout, large secluded garden, and double garage.

Read the situations. Decide on a solution. Report your solutions to

175
the class.
1. The tenant can’t pay his rent in time, but the landlord wants the money to
pay utility bills.
2. The tenant wants to nail bookcase shelves to the living room walls. The
landlord doesn’t want nails in the walls.
3. The tenant hates the neighbours. He wants to break his lease and move. The
landlord says ‘No’.
4. It’s May 25 and it’s cold. The landlord turned off the heat on May 15. The
tenant wants the heat turned on.
5. The landlord is raising the rent again. He says taxes and utilities are more
expensive. The tenant says he cannot pay more rent.
6. The stairs are broken. The tenant wants them fixed. The landlord says he
cannot find a carpenter.

Write an informal letter to a friend describing a house for rent.

176
We can divide it into five paragraphs. We start our letter with Dear +
your friend’s first name.
Introduction
In the first paragraph we write our opening remarks and the reason for writing
our letter.
Main Body
223
In the second paragraph we describe the location of the house and give details
of the rent.
In the third paragraph we describe the exterior of the house (what it is made of,
garden, etc).
In the fourth paragraph we describe the interior of the house (e.g. floors, rooms,
furniture, special features, etc).We start each main-body paragraph with a topic
sentence, i.e. a sentence which introduces or summarizes the paragraph.
Conclusion
In the last paragraph we write our closing remarks and sign off using Yours,
Best wishes, etc+our first name.
We can use a variety of adjectives to make our descriptions more interesting to
the reader.
Analysing the rubric
Read the rubric, look at the underlined phrases and answer the questions.
Peter has been looking for a summer house to rent on the coast for August. He
has asked his friend, Laura, to find a house for him. Laura has found a suitable
house and is going to write Peter a letter describing the house and giving rental
details.
1. Who is going to write a letter?
2. What style is appropriate?
formal - to someone in authority
semi-formal - to someone you don’t know very well
informal - to someone you know very well
3. Which of the following would you expect to find in Laura’s letter?
 description of the outside
 description of the inside
 location of the house
 historical details
 weather conditions
 rent
Analysing a Model Text
a. Read the letter and underline the topic sentences, then replace them with
your own topic sentences.
Dear Peter,
1. How are you? Hope everything’s OK. I’m writing to let you know that I
think I’ve found the perfect summer cottage for you.
2. It’s in a really nice location. It’s a quiet area, but the best thing about it is
less than a kilometer from the sea. Also, the rent for the cottage is only
£150 a week.

224
3. The house is really charming outside. It’s an old brick farm building
which has been converted into a holiday cottage. It’s got a patio and is
surrounded by a beautiful garden.
4. Inside, the house is nice and comfortable. It has two floors. On the ground
floor there is a cosy living room and a kitchen with all the modern
equipment you would expect, as well as a dining room and WC. Upstairs
there are two small bedrooms and a bathroom. The house is fully
furnished so you don’t need to worry about that.
5. Let me know if you like the sound of it. I can easily talk to the owner, Mr
Smith, for you. I hope I’ll see you soon. I’ll tell you all of my news then.
Yours,
Laura
b. Which words/phrases does Laura use to describe the interior/exterior of
the house? In which paragraphs does she mention these?
Style
c. Study the table, then find examples of informal style in Laura’s letter.
Informal style
 Abbreviations e.g I’ve got
 simple linking words e.g. but, so, and, etc.
 shorter sentences e.g. I’d like to see you
 personal tone e.g. I’ve got some great news
 everyday expressions e.g. Thanks a lot
Formal style
 no abbreviations e.g. I have got it
 formal linking words e.g. despite
 longer sentences
 impersonal tone e.g passive
 formal expressions e.g. I look forward to hearing
Opening/Closing Remarks
d. What are Laura’s opening and closing remarks? Which of the following
can you use instead? Why can’t you use the others?
 Thanks for your letter.
 I feel obliged to write to inform you.
 Sorry I haven’t written for so long.
 Get in touch with me soon.
 Looking forward to hearing from you.
 I look forward to receiving a prompt reply.

THE HOUSE OF MY DREAMS

225
177 ‘What is the house of your dreams?’-it is a question that several
people were asked and here are their answers. Read and say whose
ideas are close to you?
IRENE: For me, it’s absolutely easy to say what my idea of a perfect
house is. I’ve been dreaming about it since my childhood. I was brought up in
such a house. This is the house my parents have. My house should be my home,
first of all. I mean it should be the place where I feel comfortable and welcome.
I dream about a cosy house in a centre of a small quiet town, not very big but
large enough for me and my family. I think it should be a house with three
bedrooms, a kitchen, a sitting room, and a big dining room with a large table. I
like to have guests and to treat them to something tasty – that’s what I need a
big dining room for. I would also like to have a small garden with flowers and
fruit trees, with an arbour and some comfortable benches. There should also be
a lawn and a playing yard for children. I’d also like to have a fireplace in the
house to sit around it with my husband and children. Isn’t it great?
NATALIE: Well, let me think about my ideal house…. It should be large,
first of all…. a mansion. I think, somewhere in an isolated place, two or three-
storeyed building with a balcony, columns and the things like that. It’s even
better if it looks like a castle with towers and gates and high walls. It’s so
romantic! Plenty of rooms, staircases, attic and basement. It would be great if it
was a real old house where ghosts lived, like in fairy-tales. I could feel there a
princess. But there should be, of course, all those modern conveniences like
central heating, electricity, cold and hot water, gas and telephone. The furniture
should be also ancient, expensive and dark. And I’ll have two Doberman dogs,
of course. It’ll add much to the style. There should be something mysterious
about it. Yes, I think that’s the house of my dream, the place I’d like to live in.
Isn’t it great?
JANE: A house I’d like to live in? No, I’d better call it a flat. If you have
a house of your own you have to take care of it. It’s easier to live in a flat,
somewhere in the centre of a city, in a skyscraper on the top floor. Well, yes, I
think it’ll be fantastic! It should be very large: a bedroom, a kitchen, a toilet, a
bathroom and a large living room. There should be enough place for parties. I
like to have parties with dancing, music and snacks. The more people come the
better. So I’ll need plenty of space for guests. There should also be as much
kitchen equipment as possible to save my time and effort. I’m not much of a
hostess. If I had a flat like that I’d be really happy, wouldn’t I?
GEORGE: The house of my dreams? Well, it would be a farm or rancho,
I think. It’ll be situated near a forest, a river or a lake. You know, I like nature.
The house should be a simple one, not very big, but with a large yard and fields
around. I don’t need all the modern conveniences, as I won’t spend much time
in there. I’d like to have some cottages or cabins also to have some rest when I
get tired. There should be a garden also to grow fruit and vegetables. But the
226
main thing is the cattle-yard, the place I can keep cows, sheep, horses and pigs.
I like animals and I like to take care of them. There should also be five or seven
dogs to live with me. Dogs are my favourite animals: they are so clever and
kind! And that’s practically all I want. Nature, animals and serenity – these are
the only things I long for. Isn’t it terrific!

178 Look at the pictures of the houses below and say who wants to live
in such houses: Irene, Natalie, Jane or George. What makes you
think so?

Fill in the missing phrases to complete the following ideas about

179
housing.
 Irene has been dreaming about _______________.
 Irene thinks that her house should be her home where she ____________.
 Irene wants to live in ___________ with ____________.
 Irene likes to have guests and to _____________.
 Irene wants to have a ___________ near her house.
 Natalie dreams about a house which looks like a _________with _______.
 Natalie wants to live in a house with modern conveniences like ________.
 The furniture in Natalie’s house should be __________.
 Jane doesn’t want to live in a ________, but she dreams about a _______ in
a _________.
 Jane wants to have a large flat: __________.
 There should be a lot of place for _________ in Jane’s flat.
227
 Jane is not very much of a ______, that’s why she wants to have as much
________ as possible.
 George would like to live in a _________.
 George wants his house to be surrounded by ________.
 The main thing in George’s house is a ________ with _________.
 George’s favourite animals are _________, because they are ________.

180 Listen to four people describing their dream houses. Match the
people with what they say.
Which speaker…
 would not like to have other people living nearby?
 would like to live somewhere that was partly old and partly modern?
 would not spend much time inside their dream house?
 doesn’t think they will ever get their dream house.

181 Read the description of the house given in a jumbled order and put
the paragraphs in the correct order. Pay attention to the structure
of the text.
THE HOUSE OF MY DREAMS
A. My house would have a large, bright kitchen where I could sit quietly
at a wooden table admiring the view of the garden through the window. My
living room would be simple, with basic furniture like a long sofa and two large
armchairs. It would also have a fireplace so I could keep warm on cold windy
nights. There would also be several wooden bookcases full of books to keep me
company. My bedroom would have a four-poster bed with a white linen bed
cover and the walls would be painted a soothing pale blue.
B. It would be a small wooden cottage surrounded by a neat green lawn
stretching all the way down to the river. There would be colourful flowers
gently swaying in the cool breeze and an orchard at the back of the house with
trees full of sweet and juicy oranges, apples and pears.
C. If I could choose, I would live in a house just like this with its
beautiful natural surroundings and peaceful atmosphere.
D. Imagine walking up to the sound of birds singing in the trees outside
and warm sunlight through your bedroom window. This is what I dream of
when I imagine my ideal house.

Some people believe that it’s possible to say what kind of person you
182
are if they know what your house looks like. What could be said
about the owner of the house described in exercise 181?
Complete the ideas about the house of your dreams.
183

 I am dreaming about …
228
 My house should be…
 I want to live in a very … house with…
 I like to have guests and to…
 I want to have a … near my house.
 I want to live in a … somewhere in …
 I dream about a house which looks like a … with …
 I want to live in a house with modern conveniences like …
 The furniture in my house (flat) should be …
 I don’t want to live in a … but she dreams about a … in a …
 I don’t want to have a large flat: just a …
 It would have a view overlooking …
 The rooms would be painted …
 On the floor I’d have …
 The most beautiful room would be …
 I’d share my home with …

Read the text and name the most incredible facts about the house
184
described.
DOME SWEET DOME!

Weather-proof, solar-powered – and no housework to speak of! Just imagine

a house which cleaned itself, where robots prepared the meals, where dusting,
ironing and vacuum-cleaning were the things of the past. Imagine the house
heated and powered by the energy equivalent to just one gas cooker ring, the
house in which you could actually go skiing… Science fiction? Science fact!
The Home of the Future will be built indoors, for a start. Small groups of
houses will nestle under gigantic glass domes surrounded by lush trees and
shrubs. Tropical birds may flit across the roof-tops in the constant, computer-
controlled warmth.
The house itself will be any style or size you fancy. Being indoors, it will
need only a tiny amount of energy to heat. Much power will come from solar
panels in the dome – the round roof.
Forget front door keys. Your door will be opened as soon as it hears the voice
it recognizes. Your space-age butler – the ultimate computer – will oversee
security. This discreet electronic servant will control everything, from
temperature, humidity and lightning to household gadgets and cleaning chores.
He’ll pay bills and order food, making sure it’s delivered to your door. He’ll
book your holidays, order library books, even help you with the crossword!
Having a party? Make the living room larger by moving the walls. After your
guests leave make it smaller again. Push a button and the walls will move
backwards or forwards.
229
 You’ll be able to see what your guests are wearing before they arrive by
calling them up on a video-phone in the hall. And the washing? Simply place it
in the integrated laundry until it comes out ready to wear, thanks to the new,
easy-care fabrics. What, no electric sockets? Instead each room will have a
“power wall” where you will be able to attach electric appliances.
Gone, too, will be the good old-fashioned duster – the air will be filtered and
then scented with your favourite perfumes.
There will be plenty of room for fun! The leisure room door will be the
entrance to a world full of endless adventure. When you get bored, simulators
will provide any experience from canoeing to parachuting and skiing.
The garden will be in the loft. Roof will be made of glass. This will allow
flower borders, shrubs and lawns to grow well in that wasted space we normally
use for rubbish.
Love them or loathe them, such homes of the future are on their way.

Give the English equivalents to the word combinations:

185
1) захищений від негоди/стійкий проти атмосферних впливів;
2) що працює від сонячної енергії; 2) величезний скляний купол; 3) густі
дерева та кущі; 4) постійна температура, що контролюється комп’ютером;
5) сонячні панелі; 6) дворецький космічної ери; 7) основний комп’ютер; 8)
поміркований електронний слуга; 9) піклуватися про безпеку, 10)
приєднувати електричні пристрої.

Answer the questions.

186

1) Where will the Home of the Future be situated?

2) Will you need front door keys for the house?
3) Who will do household chores in the house?
4) What are the biggest advantages of the house described?
5) Would you like to live in the house described? Give your reasons.

187 Read some more facts about houses of the future. What would you
like to have in your dream house?
 An intelligent kitchen tells you how to cook anything you can think of.
 Wherever you go in the house, music follows you, programmed to calm
you down.
 A central cleaning system sucks up dust as soon as it lands.
 If you are out at work or university and want a bath when you get home,
you can ring the computers in your house to prepare it for you when you
get in.
230
  In a street, the computers in each home would communicate with each
other. If you want to play loud music, your computer would ask the
computer next door if anyone was asleep.

Do you know that so-called “houses of the future” already exist?

188
Here are some facts about such houses.
How smart homes work
When you're not home, nagging little doubts can start to crowd your
mind. Did I turn the iron off? Did I set the security alarm? Are the kids doing
their homework or watching television?
With a smart home, you could quiet all of these worries with a quick
glance at your smartphone or tablet. You could connect the devices and
appliances in your home so they can communicate with each other and with
you.
Any device in your home that uses electricity can be put on your home
network and at your command. Whether you give that command by voice,
remote control, tablet or smartphone, the home reacts. Most applications relate
to lighting, home security, home theater and entertainment, and thermostat
regulation.
The idea of a smart home might make you think of George Jetson and his
futuristic abode or maybe Bill Gates, who spent more than $100 million
building his smart home. Once a draw for the tech-savvy or the wealthy, smart
homes and home automation are becoming more common.
Smart Home Benefits
Smart homes may make life easier and more convenient. Who wouldn't
love being able to control lighting, entertainment and temperature from their
couch? Whether you're at work or on vacation, the smart home will alert you to
what's going on, and security systems can be built to provide an immense
amount of help in an emergency. For example, not only would a resident be
woken with notification of a fire alarm, the smart home would also unlock
doors, dial the fire department and light the path to safety.
Smart homes also provide some energy efficiency savings. Because systems
like Z-Wave and ZigBee put some devices at a reduced level of functionality,
they can go to sleep and wake up when commands are given. Electric bills go
down when lights are automatically turned off in empty rooms, and rooms can
be heated or cooled based on who's there at any given moment. One
homeowner boasted that her heating bill was about one-third less than a same-
sized normal home. Some devices can track how much energy each appliance is
using and command power hogs to use less.
Smart home technology promises tremendous benefits for elderly people
living alone. A smart home could notify the resident when it's time to take
231
medicine, alert the hospital if the resident falls and track how much the resident
is eating. If an elderly person is a little forgetful, the smart home could perform
tasks such as shutting off the water before a tub overflow or turning off the
oven if the cook had wandered away. One builder estimates that a system like
this could cost $20,000, which is less expensive than a full-time nursing home.
It also allows adult children who might live elsewhere to participate in the care
of their aging parent. Easy-to-control automated systems would provide similar
benefits to those with disabilities or a limited range of movement.
Inside Bill Gates’ Home
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates' home just outside of Seattle, Wash.,
might be the most famous smart home to date. Everyone in the home is pinned
with an electronic tracking chip. As you move through the rooms, lights come
on ahead of you and fade behind you. Your favorite songs will follow you
throughout the house, as will whatever you're watching on television. You can
entertain yourself by looking at Gates' extensive electronic collection of still
images, all available on demand. The chip keeps track of all that you do and
makes adjustments as it learns your preferences. When two different chips enter
the same room, the system tries to compromise on something that both people
will like.
Here are a few more examples of cool smart home tricks:
 Light a path for nighttime bathroom trips.
 Unlock your door automatically as you approach.
 Feed your pets on a schedule with a preset amount of food.
 Instantly create mood lighting for any occasion.
 Program your television so that your children can watch only at
certain times.
 Warm the bedroom before you get out of bed so that it's nice and
toasty when you get up.
 Turn on the coffee maker from bed.

189 Decide whether the statements are true or false. Justify your choice.

1) Smart homes have been specially designed for absent-minded and

forgetful people.
2) One is able to control everything in a smart home at a distance.
3) Smart houses can play tricks on you.
4) You are able to control lighting, entertainment and temperature in a smart
home from your coach.
5) All devices and appliances in your smart home can communicate with
each other and with you.
232
 6) Bill Gates is one of the famous owners of smart homes.
7) Smart home owners’ bills could be one-third less than a same-sized
normal home.
8) Smart homes are not economical.
9) Smart home technology promises big advantages for the aged.
10) Everybody can afford a smart home.

Smart homes look great on paper, but are they for everyone? In
190
your opinion, are there any disadvantages of such homes?

Students are invited to participate in the competition for the best

191
story “The House of My Dreams” announced by a local newspaper.
Do not lose your chance to become a winner with a free trip to the
Caribbean.
Remember that a descriptive composition about a place or a building should
consist of:
a) an introduction in which you identify it, give its exact location and state the
reason for choosing it;
b) a main body in which you describe the main aspects of the place or building
in detail;
c) a conclusion in which you mention your feelings and your final thoughts
about the place or building or give a recommendation.

INTRODUCTION
Paragaph 1
set the scene (name and location of the building/place, reasons for choosing the
building/place)
MAIN BODY
Paragraphs 2, 3
overall look and particular details (Place: sights, facilities, free-time activities.
Building: first look and specific details)
CONCLUSION
Feelings and final thoughts about the building/place and/or a recommendation.

TOPICAL VOCABULARY
Accommodation Житло
residence (a place of residence, a місце проживання
place of living)
permanent residence постійне місце проживання
temporary residence тимчасове місце проживання
a dwelling (a dwelling place) житло, будинок, оселя
233
a housing estate (a residential area) житловий масив
a residential building житлова будівля
a public building будівля громадського призначення
an industrial area (estate) промислова зона
property BrE (real estate AmE) нерухоме майно
personal possessions особиста власність
a private house власний (приватний) будинок
a skyscraper хмарочос
a multi-storied building (a багатоповерховий будинок
multistory ~)
a block of flats BrE ( an apartment багатоквартирний житловий будинок
building AmE)
а walk-up AmE будинок без ліфта
a flat BrE (an apartment AmE ) квартира
a bedsitter (a bed-sitting room) гостинка, однокімнатна квартира
a two-room flat двокімнатна квартира
a mansion особняк
a manor маєток
a thatched cottage котедж, сільський будинок під дахом
із соломи
a weekend house (a summer house) дача
a maisonette невелика двоповерхова квартира або
будинок
a bungalow одноповерховий будинок без сходів з
верандою
a detached house окремий будинок, особняк
a semi-detached house BrE (a один з двох будинків, що мають
duplex house AmE ) спільну стіну
a frame-house каркасний будинок
a terraced house BrE (a row house будинок в ряді однакових будинків зі
AmE ) спільними стінами
a housing co-op BrE (a кооперативний будинок (в якому
condominium AmE) мешканці є власниками свого житла)
a hostel , a hall of residence BrE (a гуртожиток
dormitory AmE )
a hostel готель
a palace палац
a castle замок
a monastery монастир (чоловічий)
a monk чернець, монах
a nunnery (a convert) жіночий монастир
234
a nun черниця, монахиня
an old people’s home (a nursing будинок для людей похилого віку
home)
a ranch (a ~ house) ранчо, американська твариницька
ферма
a log cabin хатина з колод
a chalet будинок у горах
a tent намет
a caravan будиночок-автопричіп, фургон
a hovel (an old hut, a shanty) навіс, халупа, курінь
a vicarge будинок священика
a vicar (a priest) священик
a cave печера
a motel мотель, готель для автотуристів
an inn готель, заїжджий двір
a suite номер люкс
a tenement багатоквартирний будинок, що
здається в оренду, орендоване
приміщення
lodging наймана кімната, кімнати, квартира
barrack / barracks барак / казарми
a brick / a stone / a wooden house цегляний / кам’яний / дерев’яний
будинок
to be made of brick бути зробленим з цегли
(~ stone, ~ wood, ~ prefabricated (~ каменю, дерева, блоків, бетону)
blocks, ~ concrete)
a plastered house оштукатурений будинок
a whitewashed house побілений будинок
facing BrE (siding AmE) обшивка зовні будинку
wood panelling обшивка деревом
moulding ліпне оздоблення, багет
a house-warming party новосілля
the ground floor BrE (the first floor перший поверх
AmE)
a floorspace площа
to be 25 feet (meters) long by 15 бути 25 футів (метрів) у довжину на 15
feet wide (1 feet=30,48 сm) у ширину
to look over (to overlook) the street виходити вікнами на вулицю
to look (face) south виходити вікнами на південь
the house commands a beautiful з будинку відкривається прекрасний
view of the river вид на річку
235
a layout план
due west of the centre на захід від центру
half an hour’s drive / ~ walk from ( пів години їзди / ~ пішки від
a walking distance from)
the district is район знаходиться
within easy reach of the city centre поблизу центру міста
off the main road віддалений від головної вулиці
at a considerable distance from на значній відстані від центру міста
the city centre
on the outskirts (in the suburbs) на околиці
in the suburb в передмісті
in a very remote part в дуже віддаленій частині
just a stone’s throw from (within a рукою подати від центру
stone’s throw of ) the centre
on a convenient traffic route на зручному транспортному маршруті
impressive / imposing вражаючий / величний
sumptuous розкішний
pleasant-looking (attractive) привабливий
repaired відремонтований
redecorated після ремонту
restored (renewed, renovated) відбудований, відновлений
architecturally unpretentious архітектурно простий
in good / bad repair у доброму/ поганому стані
in good condition (well-kept) в гарному стані
well-appointed (well-equipped) добре обладнаний
well-furnished (fitted) добре вмебльований
shabby занедбаний
dilapidated напівзруйнований
derelict в поганому стані, тому що покинутий,
залишений власником
lacking in space такий, де не вистачає простору
cramped (poky) тісний, убогий
cluttered (crammed) захаращений, заставлений меблями
roomy (spacious) просторий
medium середнього розміру
having all modern conveniences такий, що має усі сучасні вигоди
central heating центральне опалення
hot and cold running water гаряча та холодна вода
a rubbish chute сміттєпровід
an air conditioning system кондиціонер
an energy efficient house енергоефективний будинок
236
a sitting room (a living room, a вітальня
lounge)
a dining room їдальня
a study кабінет
a toilet (a lavatory, WC, loo) вбиральня, туалетна кімната
a larder (a pantry) комора, комірчина

a utility room кімната господарського призначення

a tile(d) roof / a slate(d) roof черепичний дах / шиферний дах
an attic горище (жиле)
a loft (a garret) горище (нежиле)
a chimney димохід
an antenna (a television aerial) телевізійна антена
a satellite dish супутникова антена
a dormer window слухове вікно
a skylight вікно на даху, засклений дах
eaves звис даху, карниз
a lift BrE (an elevator AmE) ліфт
a casement window створне вікно
a sash window підйомне вікно
a bay window еркер, вікно з виступом (“ліхтарем”)
a double-glazed window вікно з подвійним склом
French windows BrE ( French скляні двері
doors AmE)
a frame рама
a drainpipe дренажна труба
a gutter (guttering) ринва, водостічна труба
a fixed frame кватирка
shutters віконниці
to lock the door with the key замикати двері ключем
a porch ганок, під’їзд
a cellar підвал (нежилий), льох
a basement підвальне приміщення, цокольний
поверх
in the premises на прилеглій до будівлі ділянці
(території)
in front of the house перед будинком
at the back / rear of the house за будинком
at the side of the house поряд з будинком
at the other side of the house з іншого боку будинку
a court (a yard) двір
237
a patio патіо (відкритий внутрішній дворик)
a sports ground (a playground) спортивний майданчик /ігровий
майданчик
a neat lawn охайний газон
a gravel path leads to доріжка з гравію веде до
an asphalted drive (a driveway) асфальтована дорога
a flower bed abundant with flowers квітник з безліччю квітів
a vegetable garden (a kitchen ~, a город, ділянка землі
vegetable patch, a ~ plot)
an orchard фруктовий сад
a conservatory (a greenhouse, оранжерея (теплиця)
hothouse)
an arbour альтанка
a well колодязь, криниця
a garage гараж
a fence / a hedge паркан / живопліт
to be enclosed by a fence / бути огородженим парканом
~ a hedge ~ живоплотом
a gate ворота
a stile східці (біля паркану, огорожі), перелаз
турнікет
a wicket хвіртка
a kennel буда, собача конура
a stable стайня
a pigsty свинарник, хлів
a barn амбар, комора
a cowshed корівник
a hayloft сінник
a shed сарай
Hall Передпокій
a hall (an entrance hall) передпокій, хол
a lobby передпокій, вестибюль, фойе, коридор
a front door / a back door парадні двері / чорний вхід
an armoured door броньовані двері
a doorbell дверний дзвінок
an intercom домофон
a door handle дверна ручка
a door plate табличка на дверях
a spy hole (a peep hole) вічко в дверях
a doorstep поріг
a doorway дверний отвір, вхід у примущення
238
a door-frame (a door-case) одвірки, дверна коробка
a doormat килимок біля дверей
to wipe one’s feet on the doormat витирати ноги
a coat rack (a coat stand) вішалка
a coat hanger вішалка для одягу
a coat hook гачок для одягу
an umbrella stand підставка для парасольок
a chest of drawers комод
a drawer шухляда
a tallboy високий комод
a shoe cabinet тумбочка для взуття
a shoe horn ріжок для взуття
shoe polish крем для взуття
a shoe brush щітка для взуття
a mirror / a full-length mirror дзеркало / дзеркало в повний зріст
a mirror in a carved wooden frame дзеркало в різбленій дерев’яній рамі
a staircase / the principal staircase сходи / центральні сходи
to go downstairs / to go upstairs cпускатися / підніматися сходами
a handrail (banister, baluster) перила, поруччя, балюстрада, парапет
a landing площадка сходів
a ceiling стеля
a windowsill підвіконник
to furnish меблювати
well-furnished гарно умебльований
unfurnitured неумебльований
to decorate / ~ with wallpaper прикрашати / обклеювати шпалерами
papered (decorated with wallpaper) обклеєний шпалерами
painted пофарбований
parquet паркет, паркетний
linoleum (lino) лінолеум
laminate ламінат
Living room Вітальня
built-in furniture вбудовані меблі
wall units меблева стінка
a bookcase книжкова шафа
a display cabinet вітрина
a cupboard (a sideboard) буфет, сервант
a drinks cupboard (a cocktail бар
cabinet)
a wardrobe шафа для одягу, гардероб
an upholstered suite гарнітур м’яких меблів
239
a leather upholstered suite гарнітур шкіряних м’яких меблів, що
comprising (which comprises) a складається з чотирьохмісного дивану
four-seater sofa and two armchairs та двох крісел
a couch кушетка
a settee (a sofa) диван
a divan тахта, низький диван
a cushion декоративна подушка
a pouffe (a pouf) пуф
a coffee table (a low table) журнальний столик
a dressing table BrE (a vanity table туалетний столик
AmE )
a china ashtray парцелянова попільничка
a knick-knack дрібничка, прикраса
a fireplace / a mantelpiece камін / камінна поличка
a mantel clock годинник на камінній поличці
a grandfather clock високий годинник (що стоїть на
підлозі)
a rocking-chair крісло-гойдалка
a fitted carpet BrE (a wall-to-wall килимове покриття
carpet AmE)
a rug (a mat) невеликий килимок
a luxurious crystal chandelier розкішна кришталева люстра
a lampshade абажур
a standard lamp торшер
a sconce бра
a fluorescent lamp лампа денного світла
a candlestick / a candelabrum підсвічник / канделябр
drapes / curtains портьєри, гардини / занавіски
a net curtain тюль
to draw (pull, close) the curtains закривати штори
to draw back (to pull back) the відкривати штори
curtains
a curtain rail (a curtain rod) карниз для занавісок
a picture rail планка, на яку вішається картина
blinds (jalousies) жалюзі
a laptop / a tablet PC портативний комп’ютер / планшет
a remote control пульт дистанційного управління
a loudspeaker гучномовець
a fan вентилятор
Bedroom Спальня
an alarm clock будильник
240
a bedside lamp / a reading lamp приліжкова лампа /лампа для читання
a chest of drawers BrE (a bureau, a комод
dresser AmE )
a wardrobe шафа для одягу
a built-in wardrobe (a fitted вбудована шафа
wardrobe BrE, a closet AmE )
a single bed / a double bed односпальне ліжко / двоспальне ~
a cot BrE (a crib AmE) / a cradle дитяче ліжко / колиска
bunk beds двоповерхове ліжко
a four-poster bed ліжко з пологом на чотирьох
стовпчиках
a sofa bed диван-ліжко
a hammock гамак
a roll-away bed розкладне ліжко
a folding bed (a camp bed) розкладушка
a headboard / a footboard передня / задня спинка ліжка
a bedside cabinet, a bedside table приліжкова тумбочка
BrE (a night table, a nightstand
AmE)
bedding (bedlinen) постільна білизна
a bedspread (a bedcover) покривало
an eiderdown; a comforter; a duvet пухова ковдра
a quilt стьобана ковдра
a blanket ковдра
a blanket cover підковдра
a sheet (a linen) простирадло
a pillow case (a pillow slip) наволочка
an interior-sprung mattress / an air матрац / надувний матрац
bed / an air mattress
to make one’s bed застеляти ліжко
Kitchen Кухня
a buffet буфет
a cupboard / a wall cupboard шафа для посуду / навісна шафа
a kitchen unit кухонний гарнітур
a drawer шухляда
an electric cooker / a gas cooker електрична плита / газова плита
a burner (a hotplate) конфорка
a knob ручка на плиті
a cooker hood витяжка
an oven духовка
a microwave oven мікрохвильова піч
241
a cooker (a stove) кухонна плита
a stove піч
a baking sheet (a baking tray) деко
a cake tin форма для випічки
a refrigerator (a fridge) / a freezer холодильник / морозильна камера
a worktop (a working top BrE , a робоча поверхня
counter AmE)
kitchen paper BrE (a paper towel паперовий рушник
AmE)
a tea towel BrE (a dishtowel AmE) кухонний рушник
a dishcloth ганчірка для миття посуду
a kitchen sponge / a scourer кухонна губка / металева мочалка
a kitchen bin BrE (a trash can відро для сміття
AmE)
a water tap (a faucet AmE ) кран
a mixer tap кран-змішувач
a stainless steel sink раковина з нержавіючої сталі
a dishwasher посудомийна машина
a dish-rack (a plate rack, сушка для посуду
a dish drainer BrE, a draining
board AmE )
a kettle чайник
a pan set набір посуду
a saucepan каструля
a frying pan сковорідка
a lid кришка
a grater тертка
a colander друшляк
a sieve сито
a strainer ситечко
a skimmer шумівка
a peeler ніж для чищення овочів
a nutcracker щипці для горіхів
a garlic press (a garlic crusher) часникодавка
a corkscrew штопор
a tin (can, bottle) opener консервний ніж
a coffee maker кавоварка
a coffee grinder (a coffee mill) кавовий млинок
a mincer BrE (a meat grinder AmE) м’ясорубка
a mixer (an electric whisk) міксер
a food processor кухонний комбайн
242
a juicer соковижималка
a liquidizer (a blender) блендер
labour-saving gadgets побутові прилади, які заощаджують
працю
an electric appliance електроприлад
a device (a gadget) прилад, пристрій
kitchen utensils кухонний посуд
a rolling pin качалка
a bread bin (a bread box) хлібниця
a chopping board BrE (a chopping дошка для нарізання овочів, м’яса
block AmE ) тощо
crockery посуд (фаянсовий, череп’яний)
earthenware гончарні вироби, кераміка
china-ware порцелянові вироби
cutlery столові прибори
a tea-set / a coffee-set чайний сервіз / кавовий сервіз
a mug велика чашка, кухоль
a tumbler бокал (без ніжки), висока склянка
a wine glass бокал, келих, фужер
a saucer блюдце
a jug глечик
a casserole dish кастрюля з вогнетривкого матеріалу
a pressure cooker скороварка
a cruet-stand судок
a thermos flask термос
a knife block набір ножів
a soupspoon ( a tablespoon) столова ложка
a dessert spoon десертна ложка
a teaspoon / a coffee spoon чайна ложка / кавова ложка
a ladle розливна ложка
a spatula лопатка
a set of bowls набір мисок
a salad bowl / a fruit bowl салатниця / вазочка для фруктів
a teapot / a coffee pot чайник для заварки / кавник
a sugar basin цукорниця
a spice jar баночка для спецій
a salt cellar BrE (a salt shaker сільниця
AmE)
a pepper-box, a pepper pot BrE (a перечниця
paper shaker AmE )
a butter dish маслянка
243
 a tray піднос, таця
a tablecloth скатертина
a napkin, a serviette серветка
Bathroom Ванна кімната
a bathtub / a Jacuzzi ванна / джакузі, гідромасажна ванна
to have a bath / to have a shower приймати ванну / приймати душ
a washbasin раковина
a diverter перемикач
a shower cubicle (a shower unit) душова кабіна
a shower curtain занавіска в душі
a drain plug пробка у ванні
a toothbrush / dental floss зубна щітка / зубна нитка
a tube of toothpaste тюбик зубної пасти
shampoo / balm (balsam) шампунь / бальзам
shower gel / shower foam гель для душу / піна для душу
shaving cream / a razor крем для гоління / станок для гоління
a bar of soap брусок мила
a soap-dish (a soapbox, a soap tray) мильничка
liquid soap рідке мило
laundry soap господарське мило
scented soap духмяне мило
a sponge губка, мочалка
washing powder / detergent пральний порошок / миючий засіб
a bathroom cabinet (a vanity unit ) шафа в ванній кімнаті
a first aid kit аптечка першої допомоги
a medicine cabinet шафа для ліків
a top shelf / a bottom shelf верхня полиця / нижня полиця
a hair dryer фен
a terry bathrobe махровий халат
a terry towel махровий рушник
a flannel, a facecloth BrE серветка, маленький рушничок для
(a washcloth AmE) обличчя та рук
a towel rail BrE (a towel rack AmE ) вішалка для рушників
a laundry basket, a linen bin for dirty корзина для брудної білизни
linen BrE (a hamper AmE)
a rubber bath mat гумовий килимок для ванної кімнати
sanitary engineering сантехніка
Toilet Туалет
a toilet pan унітаз
a toilet seat / a toilet cover сидіння на унітазі / кришка на ~
a cistern зливний бачок
244
a press-button flush копка зливу води
a bidet біде
a toilet roll holder держак для туалетного паперу
Housekeeping Ведення домашнього господарства
a broom / a sweeper / a dustpan мітла, віник / совок для сміття
a vacuum cleaner (a hoover) пилосос
a duster ганчірка
a mop швабра
an ironing board дошка для прасування
a stepladder драбина
a dishwasher посудомийна машина
laundry пральня, білиза для/після прання
to do the laundry (to launder) прати
spring-clean(ing) генеральне прибирання
to wash (to laundry) прати
to do the dishes (to wash the dishes, мити посуд
wash up)
to mop the floor (to mop up) мити підлогу шваброю
to tidy up (to make things tidy) прибирати
to clean the mess in one’s room прибирати безлад в кімнаті
to turn out one’s room прибирати дуже ретельно в кімнаті (з
пересуванням меблів)
to do one’s room / to clean up прибирати в кімнаті
to put the things where they belong класти речі на свої місця
to keep in order тримати в порядку
to keep the room clean тримати кімнату в чистоті
to dust витирати пил
to beat the dust out of smth. вибивати пил
to beat the carpet вибивати килим
to polish the furniture полірувати меблі
to sweep мести, підмітати
to iron прасувати
to dry-clean піддавати хімічній чистці
to air the room провітрювати кімнату
to water the flowers поливати квіти
to empty the bin виносити відро для сміття
it takes me ... hours to do the room мені потрібно … годин, щоб прибрати в
кімнаті
everything is spick and span без єдиної плями, дуже чисто
to shine like a new pin сяяти як нова копійка
in ship-shape order бути у повному порядку
245
immaculately clean бездоганно чистий
to be keen on neatness дуже любити чистоту
Cleanliness is next to godliness. Чистоплотність дуже близька до
благочестивості.
House-hunting Пошуки житла
to house-hunt (to seek a dwelling) шукати житло
urban life міське життя
rural life сільське життя
acute shortage of dwellings гостра нестача житла
decent houses гідні будинки
monotonous and depressing houses однотипні та гнітючі будинки
to buy a house on a mortgage купувати будинок в кредит
hire purchase (HP) купівля на виплат
a housing problem житлова проблема
a building site будівельний майданчик
a tenant (a lodger) орендар, наймач, пожилець
a dweller (a resident, an inhabitant, мешканець
an occupant)
a landlady / a landlord власниця / власник квартири, що
здається внайми
to draw up a contract укладати контракт
to sign a contract підписувати контракт
terms of the contract умови договору
lease оренда, договір про оренду
a deposit завдаток
a down payment авансовий платіж, частина грошей (при
купівлі на виплат)
a monthly instalment щомісячний черговий внесок (при
купівлі на виплат)
a real estate agent агент з продажу нерухомості
a rent/ to rent квартплата/винаймати, здавати в оренду
to raise a rent піднімати плату за квартиру
to let здавати внайми
utilities комунальні послуги
utility bills рахунки за комунальні послуги
a room-mate сусід по кімнаті
to share a room with somebody жити в одній кімнаті з кимось
The house of my dreams Дім моєї мрії
an isolated place ізольоване, відокремлене місце
serenity спокій, безтурботність
a gigantic glass dome величезний скляний купол
246
weather-proof захищений від непогоди/стійкий проти
атмосферних впливів
solar-powered що працює від сонячної енергії
oversee security піклуватися про безпеку
computer-controlled temperature постійна температура, що
підтримується комп’ютером
a smart house розумний дім

247