Additional exercise

1) Read the first paragraph of the text in exercise 4 quickly. Don’t fill in the gaps yet. Which heading below, А or В, do you think would match the paragraph?

А A view from а helicopter

B How the English live

2) Match the following hеаdings to each of the paragraphs 2—5

A A maze of streets

В A hidden artist in every Englishman

C Nо such number

D The nation of nest builders

3) Read the following extracts from the text. Circle the words that the underlined words refer to in each extract 1—3 below.

1. Our nеighbours were from Argentina. Their two little daughters were the nicest children I’ve ever seen.

2. We decided to put thе house up for sale. The price we set wasn’t high, so we soon found somebody interested in buying it.

3. She was born in the country and spent her childhood in a small quiet villаgе. Shе considered it the haррiеst period in her life. Тhat was thе rеаsоn whу she always dreamed of buying a small house and moving away from London.

4) Read the following text. Five sentences have been removed from the text. Fill in gaps 1—5 with the missing sentences from A-F. There is one extra sentence that won’t fit any gaps.

(1) If you look from а helicopter at any English town you will see that the residential areas соnsist almost entirely of rows of small boxes, еaсh with its own little patch of green. 1__. The principle, however, will be clear: the English all want to live in their own private houses with their own private gаrdens.

(2) What you cannot see from your helicopter, you will learn as soon as you try to visit an English home. 2__. Some humorists claim this is the result of ‘a conspiracy to mislead foreigners’, pointing out that our streets are never straight, every time a street bends, it is given a different name, there are at least 60 confusing synonyms for ‘street’ and the numbering of the houses is hopelessly illogical.

(3) The house numbers are at least as well camouflaged as the street names. 3__. One taxi-driver explained: ‘An Englishman’s home is his castle, right? We can’t actually have massive walls around it, but we can make it difficult to get to.’

(4) The Englishman’s home is much more than just his castle; it is also his identity and his prime obsession. 4__. Thе mania for home improvements is widespread. Research shows that only 2% of English males and 12% of females have never done any Do-It-Yourself.

(5) Working on home improvements is an орроrtunitу tо exercise our creative talents. 5__. Although it may sometimes be an economic necessity, we see the arrangement, furnishing and our homes as an expression of our unique personal taste.

A You may have its address and a map, but you will have great difficulty in finding the house you are looking for.

B Or at least that’s how we like to think of it.

C This is an unwritten rule of home ownership and the moving-in ritual.

D They are either hidden, or even not there at all.

E In better-off areas, these boxes will be further apart, and the green patches attached to them will be larger.

F This is why a house is not something you just passively ‘have’, it is something you constantly ‘work on’.

Episode 2

A real-estate office in Riverdale. Richard and Marilyn are speaking about homes with Virginia Martinelli, a real-estate agent.

Virginia: I remember your parents' first house very well. It was on Spring Avenue, near the park.

Richard: I grew up in that house.

Virginia: I've been friendly with the Stewart family for a long time, so It's my pleasure to help you find a house now.

Richard: Well, we're not sure we can afford one.

Marilyn: But we'd like to find out about the possibilities.

Virginia: That's a good idea. I love your house on Linden Street. I sold your father that house seventeen years ago.

Marilyn: Really?

Richard: Yes, Mom was pregnant with Robbie then, and they needed the extra room.

Virginia: I hear you're expecting a baby, Mrs.Stewart.

Marilyn: Mmm-hmm. So we will be needing more room.

Virginia: Oh, so you don't need something immediately?

Richard: No. But in five or six months...

Marilyn: And time passes so quickly.

Virginia: Yes, it does. Well, when you called, you gave me enough information about your salaries and your savings. So I have a good idea about your financial situation. Let me show you some pictures of houses.

Marilyn: With two bedrooms?

Virginia: Yes, I think I can show you some. Of course, they won't be in Riverdale. The cost of housing's too high for you here.

Richard: I haven't thought about living anywhere else. We've always lived in this area.

Marilyn: Where should we look for a house, Mrs. Martinelli?

Virginia: Well, we have an office in Mount Kisco. It's a lovely area, and it's only about an hour's drive from here. Here I have a book with photos of some homes in that area. Now, let's see. This is a lovely two-bedroom house in your price range.

Marilyn: It's pretty, but I prefer a two-story home.

Richard: I do, too. I don't care for a ranch type.

Virginia: OK. Oh, this is a wonderful house. I know it well. I sold it to the present owners.

Richard: It looks wonderful.

Virginia: This is a two-bedroom, two-bath house. It has a full basement, and it is on a half- acre lot. You can probably afford this one.

Marilyn: I like this house.

Richard: So do I.

Virginia: And the price is right. Would you like to go see it?

Richard: Yes. We're planning to talk to someone at the bank next week. Perhaps we could see the house this weekend.

Virginia: If someone doesn't buy it before then. But let's keep looking. Just to get an idea of some other possibilities.

Richard: This is very helpful, Mrs. Martinelli.

Virginia: Here. This is a wonderful example of Spanish-style architecture.

Richard: Oh, I love the roof tiles on a Spanish-style house.

Marilyn: It looks like the houses in Hollywood.

Virginia: It's interesting. A house like this in Riverdale costs double the price. Oh my! Here's a real buy. It's a bargain. This house just came on the market.

Marilyn: It's quite lovely. Is it a two-bedroom house?

Virginia: No. It has three bedrooms and three baths. I know the house. It has a brand new kitchen. And a living room with a twelve-foot ceiling. And there's a two-car garage.

Richard: Then why don't we go and look at this house, too?

Virginia: It's a good investment.

Richard: Thank you, Mrs. Martinelli.

Marilyn: Thanks so much.

Virginia: My pleasure. Give my best to your parents.

Richard: Thanks, Mrs. Martinelli, I'll give them your regards.

Marilyn: We really appreciate your advice.

Virginia: I do think you should go and see the houses and talk to the bank. Let me give you some information sheets about the houses. They're both very good buys.

Richard: Well, thanks so much for your help and your time, Mrs. Martinelli. We've got a lot to talk about.

1. Complete the following paragraph. Choose the correct word.

When Richard was born, Philip and Ellen bought a small, two-(story/stories) house with two (bedroom/bedrooms). Philip and Ellen were both working, and they were able to afford the house. They had a thirty (year/years) mortgage. They lived in that house for thirteen (year/years), until Robbie was born.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1257