apartment / penthouse / bungalow / loft apartment / detached / castle / semi-detached / studio / cottage / palace / terraced house

a) a small house in the country

b) a house with no stairs

d) a house which is part of a bigger building

e) a house which is not joined to another house

f) a house which is joined to another house on one side

g) a house which is joined to other houses on two sides/a house which is part of a line of houses

h) a house which was built to keep the inhabitants safe

i) a house which was built for rich or grand people

j) a house which is on the top of a tall building

k) a house which was an industrial building

l) a small one-room flat

3. Look at the adverts carefully and find the next word or words that follow the given vocabulary items. Explain their meaning.

1) high-speed _____________ 2) rooftop _______________ 3) state-of-the-art _________ 4) spacious ______________ 5) park-line ______________ 6) wall-to-wall ____________ 7) all utilities ____________ 8) controlled _____________ 9) walk to _______________ 10) parking _______________

1) feel at _______

2) _______ hold

3) _______ less

4) _______ ful

5) _______ sick

6) party _______

7) _______ stead

8) _______ wife/husband

9) _______ land

10) _______ mate/holder

11) _______ warming

12) _______-keeping

13) _______-made

14) _______ coming

15) work from _______

16) make yourself at _______

safe as houses / get on like a house on fire / on the house / to make yourself at home / to hit home / home truth / homesick / the lights are on but nobody’s home

1) “Those two __________, they’re always laughing together.”

2) “Don’t expect John to answer, look at him! – __________”.

3) “The criticism of her performance really began to __________.”

4) “Sorry we brought you the wrong meal, this one is __________?”

5) “This plan is as __________. It can’t fail!”

6) “He only went away for two weeks, but was terribly __________.”

7) “Come in! __________. Can I get you a drink?”

8) “She’s going to have to sit down and hear some __________.”

6. Have you ever thought what your ideal house should be like? Read the ideas of these people and match them to the appropriate paragraphs. Are they have similar to your ideal home image?

Natalie wants to have spacious accommodation, somewhere far from bustle. It sounds quite majestic and dreamlike; however she wants the house to have all the up-to-date improvements.

Greg wants to have a rural household somewhere off-the-grid, he doesn’t mind it to be divorced from the comforts of the 21st century. He wants to hold some animal stock and grow some crops.

Irene wants to live in a comfortable place, in the countryside. She doesn’t want it to be large, but big enough to have some friends round, and some space for kids” pastime.

_____, “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. 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 the centre of a small quiet town, not very big but large enough for me and my family. I think it should have three bedrooms, a kitchen, a sitting room, and a big dining room with a large table. I like to entertain 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 play yard for children.”

_____, “Well, let me think… It should be large, first of all … a mansion, I think, somewhere in an isolated place, a two or three-storey building with a balcony, columns and 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, an attic and a basement. It would be great if it was a real old house where ghosts live, like in fairy-tales. I could feel like a princess. But there should be all those modern conveniences like central heating, electricity, cold and hot water, gas, landline and Internet access.”

_____, “The house of my dream? Well, it would be a farm or ranch, 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, for 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 to grow fruit and vegetables. But the main thing is the barnyard, to keep cows, sheep, horses, and pigs. I like animals and I like to take care of them.”

flight of stairs / tiny house / telephone cable / modern / remote / without conveniences / give food and drinks / bettering / summer house / farm

huge constructions / storage premises / work remotely / abandoned / transformed

9. Listen to the recording about British housing and say whether the sentences are true or false. Does your town or city have any types of accommodations like that?

1) Buildings described by the speaker have been built recently.

2) They are very spacious and have good views.

3) Nowadays in Britain designers tend to reconstruct residential buildings into industrial.

4) Some people in Britain work and live in the factories.

5) In Britain church, school or even station buildings can be converted into apartments.

All of the people/All of people know, that a room of every common teenager is a total nightmare. It looks as if a bomb has exploded there. There’s loads/load of dirty washing – in fact, the whole floor is covered with some/many stuff. There is no space anywhere/any at all. You have plenty of/several clothes but don’t wear half of them because you forget you have them. Most of/Most them are in a pile because there are not enough drawers to store them. You’ve had a number of/a little opportunities to tide your room but you haven’t used them, and now your new friend is coming round. Very few/Very many of your friends know how scruffy you are and you want to keep the secret. You don’t have much/a lot of time, so here are a few/a several tips for high-speed cleaning:

– Find a laundry basket and put all/each the clothes on the floor into it. Too much/many clothes? Ok, get a couple/some more bin bags and put the rest in there. Then hide all/either of the bags in the wardrobe. If the friend comes across them, just say it’s a few/few things you’re collecting for charity.

– The whole place smells bad, so take every/all the stinky item to the kitchen immediately. Open plenty/all the windows right now.

– There are a number/several of things that may give the wrong impression about your room – things like your old kids stuff. Hide them all.

– Make the bed. There’s no/any excuse for an unmade bed. Now you are ready!

1) A couple _____ my friends are quite tidy.

2) Some _____ classmates are very untidy.

3) Several _____ people know I share a bedroom with my sister.

4) Very few _____ my friends have big rooms.

5) Many _____ the teenagers have separate rooms.

6) Almost every _____ family has Wi-Fi in their house.

7) None _____ my friends has a TV-set in their room.

8) Most _____ friends of mine have paintings on their room walls.

12. Work in pairs. Discuss the issue of “Flying the nest”.

1) At what age do people usually leave home in your country? What are the main reasons?

2) Why do young people share flats or houses? Do you think this is a good idea?

3) What might be the advantages of leaving home at 18 to share a flat with friends? What are the possible disadvantages?

13. Look at the pictures and describe the two student rooms using appropriate quantifiers

14. Describe the types of housing available in your country/area. Write a brief overview. Be sure to mention the following: