Where is better to live: in a city or in the country? Here are two views on the problem. What is your opinion?
1) “For me, happiness is in the city, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, discos and bars, all the noise and excitement. I like to feel the pulse of life. I want to know what the latest records, the latest films and the most fashionable clothes are.” I want to have my friends all around me, and have a good time. I like meeting new people all the time. I love nightlife and entertainment. I say variety is the spice of life. I take no interest in what happens in the country. Life in the country is very boring. It’s too slow and eventless. You go on meeting the same people day after day. People gossip a lot. They judge you all the time. You feel isolated and lonely. Time drags on. In a word – it’s unbearable. I vote for a modern city!
2) I live in the country. I like it here a lot. Everything is slow and quiet and peaceful. Everyone knows everyone else. People are friendly and warm, modest and hardworking. I enjoy the fresh clean air of the countryside. I like to grow my own vegetables and I keep a few chickens. I’m never bored, I have more things to do than I have time for. I enjoy the simple things in life, like seeing the crops growing, watching the sunset in the evening or dreaming on a starry night. In the country you feel you are part of Nature.
I don’t understand how people can live in big cities. There are so many problems with a modern city. It’s noisy, and dirty, and smelly. It’s so busy, no one has time for anyone else. I hate crowds and queues. I feel lost and lonely in a crowd. Besides, a big city eats your money up. You have to pay for everything. What’s more, crime is very bad in big cities.
Stage B
Vocabulary Practice
I. Choose the right word:
host – landlord:
1. The … welcomed his guests heartily and immediately made them feel quite at home.
2. The … and all his guests went for a walk to the neighbouring wood.
3. He didn’t know how to tell his … that he had no money to pay the rent.
cushion - pillow:
1. The settee in the parlour was strewn with pretty embroidered … .
2. I don’t like to sleep on a soft … .
3. I can put you up for the night but the trouble is that I have no spare … . Would you mind using this leather … instead?
floor – storey:
1. A dog was barking at the passers-by from a balcony in the fourth … .
2. All the windows of the upper … were wide open.
3. We mounted the stairs to the fifth … and knocked at the door.
lamp – bulb:
1. A beautiful bronze … was standing on the piano.
2. I don’t think I can use this … , I need a 90 watt one at least.
3. Are you tall enough to reach the …? A new … has to be screwed in.
staircase – ladder:
1. A narrow winding … led to the attic.
2. There was a … lying in the yard.
II. Fill in the blanks with prepositions or adverbs if necessary:
a) Marian is … the kitchen. She is near the table … the middle … the room. There is a lamp … the table. There are a lot … things … the table. There is a jug … the middle … the table. Marian has a dish and a spoon … her hands. … Marian there are two pots, two bowls and a frying-pan. Behind her there is a dresser and a kitchen sink … it. There are a lot … things … the shelves … the dresser. There are plates and dishes, and jugs and bowls. There is a loaf … bread … a bread-board, and a tray … tea-cups. … the bottom … the dresser there are two drawers, and two cupboards. Under the drawers … the kitchen sink there are two taps. Over the sink, there is a clock … the wall. … the window, there is a table and some shelves. There are two saucepans … one shelf.
b) If you enter … our kitchen you’ll see a window right … the door. There are light nylon curtains … the window and lots … flowers … the window-sill. … front … the window stands a dinner-table … four chairs … it. … this table we usually have meals. … the wall … the left … the table there are a few shelves … different kitchen things. … the floor … the shelves there stands a fridge. We cannot do … it, especially … summer. … the right wall, … the fridge you can see a sink and a base unit … it. We try to keep our kitchen … good order, so it is always clean and tidy. Come and have tea … us … some day!
c) The flat you live … needs tidying every day. You must air the rooms, dust the furniture … a duster, clean the carpets … a vacuum cleaner. The floor is swept … a broom. The housewife keeps house and other members … the family help her … the house.
d) 1. Have you already moved … the new flat? 2. The walls of the library were lined … bookcases, the arm-chairs were upholstered … leather, the tables littered … newspapers and magazines. 3. The door burst open and we saw a stranger … doorway. 4. The windows of the bedroom looked … … a little garden … the back … the house. 5. Who dwells … this cottage? 6. The boy saw a man go into the house … the side door. 7. I must have misplaced the key … the cupboard, I can’t find it anywhere. 8. Tell the children not to forget to wipe their feet … the door-mat. 9. For hours at a stretch he would sit … a chair looking … … the window. 10. You may dry your hands … this towel, it is quite clean. 11. Before going to bed he usually turned … the light … the room. 12. Where is the entrance … the cinema? 13. She said she remembered having put … the gas … the kitchen … she had finished cooking. 14. My brother was sorry he couldn’t buy the sideboard, it was a little too large and he is short … space.
III. Insert articles if necessary:
a) In his own small room Martin lived, slept, studied, wrote and kept … house. Before … window looking out on … tiny front porch was … kitchen table that served as … desk, library and … typewriting stand. … bed, against … rear wall, occupied two-thirds of … total space of … room. … table was flanked on one side by … bureau, manufactured for profit and not for service. … bureau stood in … corner, and in … opposite corner, on … table’s other flank was the kitchen oil-stove on … box, inside of which were dishes and cooking utensils, … shelf on the wall for provisions, and … bucket of water on … floor. Martin had to carry his water from … kitchen sink, there being no tap in his room. … small closet contained his clothes and … books he had accumulated and for which there was no room on … table or under … table. (J. London).
b) We have … nice flat with … modern conveniences. It is on … fifth floor of … nine-storeyed house in … Green Street. As … building is high it has … lift. … lift can take you to … floor you like. In our flat there is … balcony, … telephone and, of course, … central heating, … electricity, … cold and … hot water. … rooms are square. … largest is … sitting-room. In … evening we all gather there to watch … television. Sometimes we sit down around … table which stands in … middle of … room and talk about … events of … day. All … members of … family like to be at … home together.
c) Mary dear,
It’s less than … month that you’re away from … home but it seems ages. We miss you badly, so it’s sweet of you to write often. We are all fairly well and pleased you’re too, in your room at … hall with … nice roommate. Dad and I are back to … work after … holidays, Granny does most of … work about … house – just … usual run of things, as you can see. I can’t say I see much of Lucy and Mike, but we speak much over … phone. Their latest news and chief topic of … conversation is … new flat, of course. They are moving to … house somewhere around … end of … month. As you can imagine it’s quite … event for them and they are, certainly, anxious.
Their new apartment is in … block of … flats in … new district on … outskirts of … city. It’s … pretty long way from … centre, but that doesn’t matter much as there is … underground round … corner. Lucy is … little upset that … flat is on … top floor of … twelve-storeyed house, but this can’t be helped and, after all, there’s … lift.
As far as I know, it’s … two-room flat with … bathroom, … lavatory, … spacious hall and … balcony. … kitchen is very comfortable, with … electric cooker and … built-in furniture. There are also … few built-in wardrobes in … hall and … bedroom which is very convenient, no doubt. There are all … modern conveniences in … flat: … electricity, … central heating, … hot and cold water supply.
That’s our news for … present. There is nothing else I can say, just that we are lucky with … weather. It’s fairly warm and doesn’t at all look like … autumn. How are … things with you? We all send you our love and kisses.
Yours, Mum.
IV. Fill in the blanks with “it is” or “there is/are”:
1. … a beautiful picture. 2. … three drawers in the table. 3. … fine roses in the vase. … a present from a friend of mine. 4. Hurry up! … no time to lose! 5. … the only room to let. … no other rooms here. 6. … not a pantry. … no pantry in this flat. 7. … no gas in the house. … an electric cooker, … very convenient. 8. … a pity … no telephone in your room. 9. … two large windows in the bedroom, so … quite light. 10. … really a nice table but … no place for it in my room. 11. … no fruit at home. 12. … a new house opposite your school? 13. … a lot of furniture in their flat. 14. … a gas-stove and a fridge in our kitchen.
V. Fill in the blanks with “some”, “any”, “no”, “none”:
1. I need … paper. Have you got … ? 2. is there … news for me? 3. I would gladly give you … money, but I have … . 4. There is … butter in the fridge but there isn’t … cheese. 5. Buy … more dictionaries, they’ll be of great help. 6. There are … house plants on the window-sill, but on the wall there aren’t … . 7. They have three daughter but … sons. 8. … people say I am the very picture of my granny. 9. Have you got … relatives in Yalta?
VI. Insert “many”, “much”, “few”, “a few”, “little”, “a little”:
1. Come here! There are … vacant seats near us; three or four. 2. I must hurry, there isn’t … time left. 3. His study is packed with furniture. There is very … spare room in it. 4. Roy is … older than Steve. He is already thirty, while Steve is twenty-one. 5. How … built-in cupboards are there in your flat? 6. He’s a newcomer here. Very … people know him yet. 7. I’m not going to buy … furniture, just … chairs and a table. 8. The man isn’t talkative. He talks rather … but does … . 9. I can’t say it’s a busy shopping street. There are … shops here but not very … . 10. Put the grand piano into this room. It’s not very big either, yet … larger than that room.
VII. Supply the missing words:
A building may be one-, two- and three-storeyed or even higher. There are lots of multistoreyed houses in Moscow. American multistoreyed buildings are called … . our first floor is usually called the … in England, and our second floor corresponds to the English … .
The house we live in is our … , or, more officially, our residence or dwelling. The place that we stay in when we go to the country in summer is called a … . the windows of the house you live in may face the sea, a river, a square or a street; it may … south, north, west or east. When people … a new flat or house they usually have a … party. Most of the flats nowadays have all … such as telephone, … , …., … and … . the entrance to the house from the street is called the … door. There is always another entrance, too, leading into the house from the yard – the … door. The … leads to the upper floors.
We enter a flat. We wipe our feet on the door … at the door-step and find ourselves in the hall. Its furniture consists of a half-stand, a small table and a mirror. We take our coats off and hang them on the … . then we go into the … , which is the room for general use during the day. Besides this room the flat has bedrooms, a bathroom and a lavatory and a … .
VIII. Compose 3 situations using the following words and phrases:
1. close and stuffy; to put the fan on; cool; to doze; an arm-chair; a divan-bed; to take out a pillow; a clean pillow-case; a sheet; to pull the blinds down.
2. a sitting-room; papered pale-green; cream-coloured curtains; a parquet floor; a couch with cushions; a favourite place; to face a TV-set; to enjoy a TV programme.
3. to tidy up; to dust; a duster; a broom; to sweep and wash the floor; to air; to wash up the breakfast things; to wipe the dishes; a tea-cloth; to make a cake; a dresser; to invite guests.
Stage C
Humour
Read the jokes, learn by heart and dramatize them in class:
1.
An old woman asked for a room at a hotel. She was shown into a very small room. There was nothing in it. “I don’t like this room,” she said. “I will not take it.” “We don’t ask you to sleep here,” said a little boy in buttons. “This is not a bedroom. This is the lift.”
2.
Arriving home one evening a man found the house licked up. After trying to get in at the various windows on the first floor he finally climbed upon the shed roof and with much difficulty entered through a second-storey window. On the dining-room table he found a note from his wife: “I have gone out. You’ll find the key under the door mat.”
3.
- What time do you get up in summer?
- As soon as the first ray of the sun comes into my window.
- Isn’t that rather early?
- No, my room faces west.
Render in English :
1.
Оклеить стены обоями, предмет обстановки, мелкая тарелка, трехэтажный дом, однокомнатная квартира, прибрать комнату, в правом углу, в центре, посередине, расстилать ковер, центральное отопление, дом новой конструкции, накрыть на стол, подмести пол, столовый сервиз, зажечь свет, быть обращенным к северу, выходить на, хорошо обставленная комната, настольная лампа, кожаный диван, задернуть штору, вымыть посуду, удобное кресло, низкий потолок, вести хозяйство, пыльная мебель, квартал жилых домов, ремонтировать квартиру, строительная площадка, распахнуть окно, паркетный пол, спускаться по лестнице, хлопнуть дверью, мусорный ящик, снять показания счетчика, выключить свет, квартира со всеми удобствами, проветрить комнату, вытереть ноги о половик, гарнитур мебели, меблированная комната, включить вентилятор, пылесосить, новоселье, подниматься на лифте.
2.
1. Перед нашим домом много цветов. 2. Наша квартира на втором этаже. 3. Могу ли я купить этот телевизор? 4. Квартира моей сестры очень удобная и уютная. 5. Есть ли в вашей квартире кладовая? 6. В этой квартире две комнаты и кухня. 7. В спальне моих родителей две кровати, кресло, два стула и туалетный столик. 8. Вы можете почистить ковер пылесосом. Это очень легко. 9. Мне нравится мебель в вашей квартире. Она совсем новая и вполне современная. Вы должны только купить ковер и торшер для столовой. 10. Я живу в новом доме. В нашей квартире есть все удобства: электричество, газ, водопровод, центральное отопление, мусоропровод и телефон. 11. В вашей комнате есть зеркало? 12. Вы не можете мне позвонить, так как у меня нет телефона. 13. В вашем саду есть цветы? – Нет, в нашем саду нет цветов, но есть несколько фруктовых деревьев. 14. На днях я купила красивые бумажные салфетки. 15. Мой кузен предпочитает спать на кушетке. 16. Кто ведет хозяйство в вашей семье? Помогаете ли вы по дому? 17. Мы вошли в низкий кабинет, стены которого были окрашены в светло-голубой цвет. 18. Кто из вас давал объявление о найме комнаты? 19. Вы бы лучше закрыли окна, заперли двери и легли спать. 20. Почему вы не открываете дверь? Я звоню уже 10 минут. 21. Я знаю, что для клуба купили гарнитур стильной мебели красного дерева. 22. Комната будет выглядеть уютнее, если вы повесите занавески на окна. 23. Становится темно, опустите шторы и включите свет. 24. Между окнами стоял книжный шкаф, набитый книгами, а в противоположном углу – письменный стол, заваленный газетами и журналами. 25. Крупнопанельные дома не красивы и не просторны, зато удобны и рациональны. 26. В Англии тоже есть любители квартир, но для большинства дом – это кирпичное строение с комнатами на первом и втором этажах. 27. Ваш дом – это место, где вы живете, которое вы создали. Это не только его обстановка, но и вся атмосфера, взаимоотношения между людьми, живущими в нем.
3.
Комната в доме на Орлином шоссе (at Eagle Road) была первой моей комнатой, потому что комната у тети Эмилии была просто спальня. Для тети Эмилии спальня – это комната с кроватью, шкафом и простым жестким (hard-backed) стулом, и ее единственное назначение – служить местом для сна. Читать, писать, разговаривать, слушать радио полагается в общей комнате.
С восторгом я осматривал свою новую комнату: серебристые обои, диван-кровать, напоминающий больше диван, чем кровать, два кресла, туалетный столик, письменный стол – вся мебель из светлого полированного дерева (in the same pale satiny wood). На стене висели три небольшие картины. Это были репродукции Медичи. “Наверное, вы хотели бы умыться, - сказала миссис Томпсон. – Ванна направо. Вот, Джо, пока я не забыла, ваши ключи от входной двери, от вашей комнаты. Кстати, через полчаса мы будем пить кофе.”
4.
На днях мы переехали в новую квартиру. Вчера было новоселье. Теперь у нас прекрасная квартира из трех комнат со всеми удобствами. Хочешь взглянуть? – С удовольствием. У меня есть немного свободного времени. – Раздевайся, вешай шляпу вот здесь, на вешалку. Проходи, пожалуйста. Вот наша гостиная. – Очень уютная комната! И какие миленькие обои, они очень оживляют комнату. – Ты права, хотя комната и без того достаточно светлая. А эта стеклянная дверь ведет на балкон. Вот спальня. – А где же кухня? – Да вот же она. Направо раковина, вода горячая и холодная. – У вас здесь все необходимое: газовая плита, холодильник, мусоропровод. – Есть и ванная. Не хочешь ли принять ванну или душ? – Нет, спасибо. Я только вымою руки.
5.
У моего друга однокомнатная квартира в пятиэтажном доме. Квартира находится на четвертом этаже. Хотя его квартира совсем небольшая, она очень уютная и красиво меблирована. В комнате стоит круглый деревянный стол и несколько стульев. Справа от него расположен платяной шкаф из орехового дерева. Напротив в левом углу цветной телевизор последней модели фирмы “Sony” и два удобных кресла. Вся мебель очень оригинальна и ручной работы.
Жена Джорджа в особенности гордится удобной и просторной кухней. Она с удовольствием готовит и любит принимать здесь гостей. На мой взгляд, мои друзья довольны своей квартирой и не собираются никуда переезжать.
Stage D
Choose the best alternative:
Test 1.
1. He used to observe the stars from his attic through the … .
A roof window B skylight C French windows D attic window
2. You’ll have to use the stairs, I’m afraid. The lift is out of … .
A function B work C order D form
3. Tall buildings must have strong … to stand on.
A funds B fundamentals C foundations D basics
4. Your water supply is provided through … .
A pipes B tubes C inner tubes
5. The container that holds water behind a lavatory is called a … .
A cistern B tank C washbasin D reservoir
6. Which of these items are you likely to find on the wall? …
A carpet B a tapestry C moquette
7. A device used to keep a room at a comfortable temperature is an … .
A air-conditioner B air-conditioning C air-condition
8. An electric toaster is an electrical … .
A sort B kind C appliance D goods
9. I can’t imagine where we can put such … .
A a large piece of furniture B a large furniture C large furnitures
10. You pass an empty house and see a notice outside it which reads … .
A To sell B On sale C For sale
11. I’ve found the washdisher so useful that I don’t think I could … without it now.
A go B pass C get D do
12. We had to move the furniture to … room for the new piano.
A make B give C set D do
13. The children have … lots of new friends since we moved to this town.
A formed B become C made D got
14. Be careful as you walk. I’ve just polished the floor and it’s rather … .
A smooth B slippery C sticky D stiff
15. They are going to … central heating in the office.
A include B install C connect D conduct
Test 2.
1. All those old houses in Church Street are being pulled … .
A away B off C in D down
2. In the old days curtains were hung over doors to keep out … .
A draughts B breezes C gales D currents
3. I don’t think those curtains … very well with the wallpaper.
A suit B go C fit D match
4. The central heating doesn’t seem to be … properly.
A going B performing C warming D working
5. The games table was described as a beautiful … of furniture.
A piece B object C thing D manufacture
6. The … for the flat is 40 pounds weekly.
A hire B rent C price D cost
7. They … every weekend at their cottage in the country.
A live B visit C spend D depart
8. Be careful as the knife is very … .
A sharp B blunt C hard D acute
9. We must ask the plumber to repair that … tap.
A dribbling B dripping C dropping D drooping
10. I noticed … smell when I opened the refrigerator.
A an amusing B a comical C an absurd D a funny
11. They made … of 1000 pounds on the sale of their house.
A again B a profit C a benefit D an increase
12. I had … a hundred offers for my house.
A neither B each C all D no less than
13. Sheila’s gone to … having a new phone installed.
A see about B deal with C get round to D ask after
14. This … of houses was built 100 years ago.
A file B queue C row D sequence
15. The house was on fire, and we could see smoke … from the roof.
A raise B raising C rise D rising
Test 3.
1. I think something’s gone wrong … television. I can’t get a picture at all.
A to B with C about D on
2. If you don’t pay your bill they’ll cut … your electricity.
A down B off C in D out
3. They had nowhere to sleep so we … for the night.
A put up with them B put them up C put them on D put them off
4. I was … in a city and as a result I could never be completely happy living in the country.
A brought out B brought off C brought about D brought up
5. The factory is … in a suburb of Manchester.
A placed B situated C built D surrounded
6. The table rocks a bit because the floor isn’t quite … . You’ll need to put a wedge under one of the legs.
A smooth B steady C straight D level
7. Mary … in an old terrace house in South London.
A leaves B inhabits C lives D visits
8. He … most of his early life in a small village in Scotland.
A grew up B brought C did D spent
9. The last time I came here that building … . It looks much better now, doesn’t it?
A has been renovated B was renovated C would be renovated D was being renovated
10. The castle was built in the 12th century and the church beside it is equally …
A ancient B antique C elderly D old-fashioned
11. The blue curtains began to … after they had been hanging in the sun for two months.
A fade B die C dissolve D melt
12. From the hotel there is a good … of the mountains.
A vision B view C sight D picture
13. Many accidents in the home could be … if householders gave more thought to safety in their houses.
A avoided B excluded C protected D preserved
14. Do come … instead of standing on the doorstep in the rain.
A into B in C to D by
15. Mr. and Mrs. Black were delighted when they … to sell their house so quickly.
A succeeded B could C risked D managed
Test 4.
1. This is the oldest building … the village.
A of B by C in D to
2. The best rooms in that hotel … the bay.
A view B regard C overlook D examine
3. We are moving out soon because our house is going to be knocked … .
A off B out C down D away
4. The house is … at the corner of a busy street.
A situated B placed C stood D put
5. You can’t miss my house: it’s … the fire station.
A against B opposite C across D aside
6. When there are small children around, it is better to put breakable ornaments out of … .
A reach B hand C hold D place
7. I intend to … my house in London while I’m away.
A hire B lend C let D rent
8. I’m glad I chose this part of town to live in. It’s such a pleasant … .
A environment B neighbourhood C proximity D surroundings
9. She was keen to … the house to its original condition.
A rebuild B renew C renovate D restore
10. The Plaza Hotel has excellent … for conferences.
A amenities B facilities C features D provisions
11. The carpet was … by hand.
A sown B threaded C upholstered D woven
12. This photo of the house is rather … . It makes it look much bigger than it really is.
A deceitful B deceptive C devious D dishonest
13. These flats are clearly … for people to live in – they should be pulled down immediately.
A unfit B inappropriate C inconvenient D unsuited
14. The windows don’t fit very well and it makes the room awfully … .
A airy B draughty C breezy D ventilated
15. She … wanted a house overlooking the sea.
A particularly B strongly C essentially D extremely
16. Old houses have a … to be draughty.
A tendency B habit C problem D characteristic
17. She bought the mansion … that she would make a fortune out of her new novel.
A speculating B considering C assuming D estimating
Expanding the Topic. Critical Thinking
Read the following descriptions of two typical English royal buildings. Which do you like more and would choose to live in? Imagine a house of your dream and write about it using the vocabulary from the texts below.
1. The house is situated at the bottom of the Chess valley next to the river Chess. It’s about 20 miles from London and just outside the village of Chorleywood. It’s a really splendid period property. The oldest parts are Elizabethan, but there were some additions in the 1820s.
It seems typically English to me. There are long corridors and huge oak-panelled rooms, and you can imagine all sorts of scenes from history taking place here.
As you come in through the front door, you find yourself in a large hall with an open fireplace, which is unusual. One of the doors on the right of the hall leads into the living room. This room faces south, so it’s very sunny, and it has a lovely view of the whole valley. The furniture has been chosen to match the style of the house, so there’s a lot of leather and dark, heavy wood. Next to this room there is the dining room which has French windows leading onto a small patio.
Also on the ground floor there is a study, kitchen and utility room. A wide staircase takes you to the first floor, where there are five bedrooms. The largest is about 253x 203 , a really vast room which looks out onto the garden.
The house is in 2.5 acres of land, and there is a green house, a shed, a swimming-pool and a tennis court. It’s a beautiful place to be at any time of the year. In winter it’s warm and cosy and in summer there is so much to do outside.
(from Headway by John and Liz Soars, 1995)
2. Hampton Court which was built for Henry VIII’s chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey, in 1514, stands on the banks of the Thames. Wolsey was proud enough to construct a palace more magnificent than the king’s, which aroused Henry’s envy and suspicion. Fearing to lose the king’s support, which he needed to sustain his ambition to become Pope, Wolsey eventually gave Hampton Court to him, which proved an expensive but unsuccessful gesture.
Henry extended the palace, where he spent much of his time, and there are many reminders of him there, such as the kitchens, which are large enough to feed an army, and the ghosts of two of his wives, Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard, which are said to haunt Hampton Court.
Towards the end of the 17th century, Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral, was commissioned to build the south and east fronts, one of which was recently damaged by fire.
Perhaps the most attractive feature of Hampton Court for young people, however, is the famous maze, which consists of rows of high bushes, separated by paths, many of which are dead ends. The object is to find your way to the centre, where there is a little hut, and then to find your way out again without getting lost. There is a hilarious account of a party getting lost in the maze in Jerome K Jerome’s book, Three Men in a Boat, which describes a trip up the Thames in the 19th century. (from Synthesis by W.S. Fowler, Nelson, 1991)