THE WAY I GO SHOPPING

MY FLAT

The English say, “There is no place like home” or “East or West, home is best”. I think it’s true. Home is not only the flat or house you live in, but also the place where you can always find comfort, consolation and rest, where your family, your closest people live.

My flat is not very comfortable but a homely and cozy atmosphere makes it the most attractive place for me. I live in a nine-storeyed building in the centre of Chelyabinsk. My flat is on the fifth storey. We have all the modern conveniences, such as central heating, hot and cold running water, electricity, gas, a balcony, a telephone, a lift and a chute to carry rubbish down.

My flat is not very large, to tell you the truth. There are two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall in it.

The living-room is the largest room in the flat. Entering the living-room one can see a brown wall-unit with a tea-set, a lot of books and a music system in it. You see, it’s a useful thing to keep a good number of different stuff in. To the left of the wall-unit there is a piano. To the right of it there are two cozy arm-chairs and a standard-lamp between them. Frankly speaking nothing is more pleasant in the evening than to sit in an arm-chair, read a newspaper and watch TV. Our colour TV-set is of the latest model.

At the opposite wall there is a sofa which my parents sleep on. Pictures and clocks on the walls, flowers in the vases make the room look cheerful and original.

I like my flat and try to keep it clean and cozy.

IDIOMS AND PROVERBS ABOUT HOME AND HOUSE

1. East or West, home is best.

2. There is no place like home.

3. As you make your bed, so must you lie on it.

4. Make yourself at home.

GUESS THE RIDDLES:

1. No stairs to climb the difficult way.

Up and down it goes all the long day.

2. It plucks melodies from the air,

It brings voices from a far,

It programs here and there.

It can be heard right where you are.

3. A watch-dog at your door am I,

You turn me round, and still I lie,

I never bark, I never bite

I keep your things quite safe at night.

4. What asks no questions, but requires a lot of answers?

5. What has four legs but cannot walk?

6. Our little John has a wooden shirt on and a long sharp nose,

He leaves his mark wherever he goes.

DIALOGUES

A: There’s something wrong with my washing machine.

B: I’m sorry. I can’t help you. I don’t know anything about washing machines.

A: Do you know anybody who can help me?

B: Not really. You should look in the phone book. I’m sure you will find somebody who can fix your washing machine.

QUESTIONS

1. What idioms about house do you know?

2. Is your flat the most attractive place for you?

3. What makes it the most attractive place?

4. How many storeys are there in your house? (What building do you live in?)

5. What storey is your flat on?

6. What modern conveniences do you have?

7. What’s your favourite room in your flat?

8. What’s the most pleasant thing you like to do at home?

9. What’s the most useful thing in your flat?

10. Who helps you keep your flat clean and cozy?

THE WAY I GO SHOPPING

Hello! My name is Jane. Today is Saturday morning. It’s my day off. I’m waiting for my friend Ann. We are going to do some shopping. We want to go to the nearest shop. I don’t like supermarkets and big stores. In smaller shops one gets personal service.

When we entered, the shop assistant greeted us. I introduced my friend Ann. He welcomed her. He hoped she would be his customer. Then we bought a pound of butter, a dozen eggs, and half a pound of sugar and a small tin of instant coffee. I also bought three bottles of pineapple juice, and two bottles of grapefruit juice. Everything cost two pounds.

I gave the shop assistant a five pound note, got my change and we left the shop. Then we went to the greengrocer’s to buy some fruit and vegetables. We bought apples, bananas, tomatoes, and a big bag of potatoes. Then we bought some meat at the butcher’s, some bread at the baker’s and a bottle of milk at the dairy. I go shopping once a week on Saturday and I like to have a good store of everything for the next week.

Next Saturday we decided to go shopping again. First we bought all the necessary foodstuffs, and then Ann said that she wanted to buy new sandals for summer. So we went to the nearest big shopping center. It is called “Nikitinskiy”.

It was built about five years ago. It is a big underground department store where you can buy practically everything. I took Ann around and showed her all the departments. Ann tried on several pairs of sandals in different shoe departments. At last she chose a comfortable pair that fitted her perfectly and at a reasonable price. We bought them and went to the department of ready-made clothes where some beautiful frocks attracted our attention. We tried them on but none fitted well. The only thing I bought for myself was a pair of black leather gloves.

So these are my ways of shopping.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1342