1. A dining room; b) a sitting-room; c) a bedroom.

suite of furniture/ 3 suite piece set

two/three seater sofa

sofa bed

chest of drawers (3 drawer cabinet/ 2+5 drawer chest)

tall boy divan-bed

wardrobe light fitting

dressing table wall light

bedside cabinet duvet

drop leaf table chandelier

(oval) butterfly table desk lamp

dining suite (a table + 4 chairs) table lamp

dresser standard lamp

display cabinet floor standing uplighter

lounge unit decorative ceiling fan with

sideboard triple lights

Hi-Fi / entertainment unit shoe storage cabinet

Ex.3 Guess the word according to the description. The prompt is in the right column.

1. an object operated by an electric sofa bed

motor for making a current of air suite

to cool a room. cabinet

2. a piece of kitchen furniture with sofa

shelves for dishes and cupboards, duvet

below often with drawers for cutlery. chandelier

3. a bed quilt (filled with feathers or an dresser

artificial substitute) used in place fan

of blankets. shelf bookcase

4. a cupboard or a case for storing or occasional table

displaying things.

5. branched hanging support for lights.

6. sofa that can be converted into bed.

7. long upholstered seat with raised

back and ends.

8. a set of furniture

9. a cabinet of shelves for books.

10. a small table for use as required

Ex.4 Think of the possible word-combinations with the following words.

sofa, cabinet, table, suite, unit, lamp, room.

Ex 5: Explain the difference between:

two seater sofa – three seater sofa; coffee table – butterfly table;

3 drawer cabinet – 2+5 drawer cabinet; chandelier – light fitting;

dressing table – occasional table; wall light – floor standing uplighter.

Ex. 6 Fill in letters and you'll get words denoting pieces of

furniture.

d_ _ _ _ _ r; s_ _ _ _ _ _ d – l_ _p;

c_ _ _ d_ _ _ _ r; e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ t u_ _t;

w_ _ _ r_ _e; b _ _ _ _ _ e c _ _ _ _ _t;

t_ _ l _ _ y; b _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .y t_ _ _ e;

s_ _a; o _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ l t_ _ _e.

Ex. 7 Give English equivalent to:

мебельный гарнитур; диван-кровать; туалетный столик; стол-книга; журнальный столик; кухонный буфет; музыкальный центр; книжный шкаф; торшер с освещением, направленным вверх; тумба для обуви; настольная лампа; пуховое одеяло; комод; набор мебели для гостиной; люстра (канделябр).

Ex. 8 Give the opposite of:

in the left-hand corner, on the right, to the left of, behind, above.

Ex. 9 Insert words given below and you'll get the description of a living-room.

Our living-room is the largest and most comfortable room in the flat. In the middle of the room we have … . To the right of it there is … . At the opposite wall there is/are … . Between the two large windows there is … . … is in the left-hand corner. We have… on the walls. There is a beautiful … on the ceiling. On the windows there are … of pink colour. We have … of the latest model in the right-hand corner. There are two comfortable … in front of it. Nothing is more pleasant in rainy weather than to sit in a comfortable armchair and watch TV.

a lounge unit, an entertainment unit, a corner cabinet, an occasional table, a floor standing uplighter, a shelf bookcase, water colours, a three seater sofa, chanderlier, venetian blinds, a TV-set, an armchair.

Ex. 10 Make a written description of a room in not more than 200 words.

a dining room;

a sitting-room;

a bedroom.

Ex.11 Write an essay "The Room I Like Best in Our Flat".

UNIT II KITCHEN AND BATHROOM

Ex. 1 Form nouns from the given verbs.

blend, mix, make, toast, steam, process, slice, light, open, cook, extract, drain, wash, clean, freeze, refrigerate, chop, sharpen.

Ex. 2 Combine the words in order to compose the names of electric appliances.

tea, coffee, espresso, cleaner, washer, maker

cappuccino, cordless, corded, kettle, lighter, slicer

food, mini, gas, can, knife chopper, opener, oven

microwave, pressure, juice sharpener, cooker,

dish, vacuum processor, extractor

Ex. 3 Think of the word-combinations with the following words.

an organizer, a bin, a seat, a set, a curtain, a unit, a basket, a scale, a ring, a rail, a holder.

Ex. 4 What is the difference in the usage of the following appliances.

- a freezer – a fridge;

- a slicer – a chopper;

- a blender – a mixer;

- a cooker – an oven;

- a pedal bin – a swing bin;

- a corded kettle – a cordless kettle – a whistling kettle;

- a coffee maker - a cappuccino coffee maker;

- a pressure cooker – a casserole

Ex. 5 Explain the meaning of the words according to the pattern.

Model: A shoe storage bin is a piece of furniture to keep shoes in.

a bathroom cabinet, a linen storage bin, a waste bin, a kitchen cabinet, a biscuit barrel, a draw spice chest, a laundry basket, a soap dish holder.

Ex.6 What would you use the following appliances for if you had them.

Use the construction: if I had … I would … with it.

a steamer, electric kitchen scales, a knife sharpener, a fryer, a toaster, a gas lighter, a can opener, a microwave oven, dish washer, a (vacuum) cleaner.

Ex. 7 You've bought a house, but your spacious bathroom is still empty. What would you like to buy to make it comfortable and attractive.

Ex. 8 Say which electric appliances you have in your kitchen and which ones you would like to buy .Why?

Ex. 9 Read the text and say:

1. what is typical about the kitchen;

2. if you have the same things in your kitchen. What are they?

3. In what way your kitchen is different from this one;

4. What would you like to have what is mentioned here?

My kitchen is of medium size but the space is being used very efficiently. All pieces of furniture are arranged in a most convenient way. There is a gas-cooker and a sink-unit with a draining board and some cupboards. In the cupboards which form the lower part of the sink unit buckets, scrubbing brushes, floor cloths, soda powder and other things are kept. On the left hand side cupboards stretch the whole length of the wall. They contain saucepans, frying pans, jugs, mixing bowls, tea-pots, labour-saving devices of various kinds and food. Fixed to the wall above these cupboards there is another one, containing food and crockery. On the opposite wall there is a washing machine, a fridge and a small chest of drawers in which cutlery, table-cloths, towels and the like are kept. A built-in cupboard contains an electric iron, an ironing board, a vacuum cleaner or a hoover, brooms, aprons, overalls, dusters, tins of furniture polish and other odds and ends.

Ex. 10 Write an essay "The Kitchen Every Woman dreams about."

UNIT III HOME

Ex.1 Study the topical vocabulary.

wall dwelling

balcony flat / apartment

banister block of flats

pergola terraced house

fence semi-detached house

tile n/v cottage

gate detached house

garage bungalow

lawn roof

flowerbed storey

chimney floor

window-sill ceiling

patio basement

spy hole / peephole stairs

Ex. 2 Read the text, be ready to answer the question given below.

No visitor to Britain can help being struck by the many building sites and the relatively large number of new houses and flats that he sees in the suburbs of towns and cities all over the country. 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 bask. In recent years a considerably higher proportion of new housing has been in the forms of flats, and blocks of flats have not become a common feature of the urban scene. Nevertheless, the traditional British prejudice in favour of house has only been modified, not fundamentally changed. An increasing number of people chiefly elderly persons and childless, prefer to live in bungalows.

What types of dwellings exist in Britain?

Ex. 3 Give the names to the accommodations described here.

1. A house where all the rooms are on the ground floor, there are no stairs.

2. There houses are attached to each other in a long row. They are usually found in towns and cities and were earlier called townhouses.

3. It is a large building divided into separate parts (especially flats and offices).

4. There houses share a central wall, they are usually built in pairs. A house has a small garden in front and a fence divides a larger garden at the back.

5. This house has land all around it.

6. It is a house situated in the countryside. Lots of people prefer to live in such houses and work in towns.

Ex. 4 Choose the best alternative to fill the gaps in these sentences.

1. Some buildings have a basement room where things are stored called

a …

attic cave cellar grave loft

2. Some rooms don’t have curtains at the windows, they have …

instead.

blinds carpets glass stores wallpaper

3. We haven’t got a garage, so we leave our car outside the flat in the

… .

drive garden parking patio pavement

4. He keeps all his tools and do-it-yourself equipment in a …. In the

back garden.

barn bungalow hut shack shed stable

5. In your own garden, you can sunbathe on the … in the summer.

field flowerbed lawn meadow pasture

Ex 5 Talk about the house you'd like to have in future. Use the given words.

A cottage, a flat, a terraced house, bungalow, a storey, a balcony, stairs, a banister, a pergola, a fence, a garage, a lawn, a flower bed, a patio.

Ex. 6 Read the words and answer the questions.

Conveniences: electricity, gas, (central) heating, hot and cold running water a chute, a telephone, a lift, a security system, a video entry phone.

1. Which modern conveniences have you got in your house (flat)?

2. Which ones would you like to have?

Ex. 7 Fill in these sentences with a suitable word. There may be several possibilities.

The Clarks live in a tiny apartment on the top f… of a b… of flats in the city centre. It has c… h… so it is very warm in the winter. It does not have a… c… because the summers are never very hot. They were lucky to find it because a… is very scarce in the city and it’s easier to find a flat in a new estate on the o… of the city or in the s.. .

Their dream is to m… to the country and live in an old c… in a little v… . Where they live now, their n…-d… n… are always c… about the noise when Jane plays her trumpet, and they haven’t got r… for their things: there aren’t enough s… in the l… for all the children’s books and the … in the bedroom aren’t big enough for all Tom’s clothes.

But if they didn’t find a place in the country, they’d have to buy it and pay the m… every month – more than the r… they pay to their l… at the moment. Still they wouldn’t mind this if they could live somewhere that was more

Ex. 8 Read the following dialogues and act them out.

- I hear you are moving into a new flat, aren’t you?

- Why, surely. We’ve got a new four-room flat not far from the railway station.

- Is there any district in that area?

- Yes, come and see how we’ve settled. Will you?

- Certainly, I will, with pleasure.

- Do you like this sofa, Kate?

- Oh, it’s king-sized and looks very comfortable. Where did you manage to buy it?

- At the furniture Exhibition last Thursday. And the price isn’t high. Well, but what do you think about the colour?

- You are lucky, Mary. It matches the curtains and the carpet on the floor. Your living-room is extremely cozy now.

- There you are at last. The flat is in a mess and nobody is going to help me.

- Oh, I ‘m very sorry, Mum. What can I start with?

- Take the vacuum cleaner and clean all the carpets at first. Then wipe the dust off every surface in the rooms. Don’t forget to wet the duster.

- Well, what about the furniture? Shall I polish it?

- Of course, my dear. And I’m tidying up the kitchen. Come on.

- Your room seems bare. Why not put more furniture in it?

- But I don’t like much furniture in my room The more furniture, the less space.

- Then put a carpet on the floor to make it cosy.

- Let me see. Oh, yes, you are right. A large woolen carpet will really be good here.

- Why such a mess in your room? What have you been doing, I wonder?

- Don't worry, Mum. I'll put everything in order in no time.

- So step on it. You have little time and you still have to heat the stove and go shopping.

- Be sure. Everything will be done as I promised.

- Well, sonny, don't you think we should help Mother today?

- Yes, Pa. But I am of little help, you know. What could I do?

- A great many things: to air the room and beat the carpets, to begin with.

- To beat the carpets with us having a new vacuum cleaner?

- Oh, it's gone out of my mind. Well, come on, fetch it then, I'll fix it for you.

- I wonder what's wrong with the fridge. It won't keep the cold at all.

- Let me have a look. Yes, it looks like being out of order, indeed.

- Then don't waste time on it. You will never manage to fix it, I'd better get a repairman in.

- Wait a little. Look, it works already. Somebody just pulled out the plug.

Ex. 9 Think of your own short situations with the following words and word – combinations.

to make the room cozy; to be in a mess, it's my turn to …. , to put in order, to begin with, to be out of order, to burn out, to move into a new flat, to wipe the dust off, to wet the duster, to tidy up the room, to start with.

Ex. 10 Translate the following dialogues into English.

- А, Фред, привет, входи. Раздевайся, вешай куртку на вешалку. Проходи, пожалуйста. Вот наша гостиная.

- Очень уютная комната! И обои такие красивые, они очень оживляют гостиную.

- Ты прав, хотя комната и так достаточно светлая. А вот эта стеклянная дверь ведет на балкон.

- Ну и балкон у вас. Он больше, чем ваша прихожая.

- Да, действительно, здесь просторно и приятный вид на парк.

- Я слышала, вы хотите купить удобное кресло.

- О, да, но, по-моему, это трудно сделать. А что, ты можешь помочь нам?

- Думаю, что да. Моя тетушка сейчас собирается покупать гостиный гарнитур – большой диван, журнальный столик и два кресла. Кстати, два очень удобных кресла. Но кресла у нее уже есть.

• Ну, спасибо. Мне действительно повезло. Когда я смогу забрать кресла?

- Думаю, что в четверг или пятницу. Я тебе позвоню.

- Спасибо.

- Вы когда-нибудь видели более аккуратную комнату, чем эта?

- Интересно, кто тут живет?

- Мой двоюродный брат. Каждое утро он всегда наводит в комнате порядок, проветривает ее, поливает цветы и только потом идет в институт.

- А я и не заметил цветы. Он, что увлекается комнатными цветами?

- Да, это его хобби.

- Привет, Анна, ты куда так спешишь? И почему ты расстроена?

- Привет, Джейн. Я спешу домой. Нам привезут стиральную машину и холодильник через 20 минут, а я не могу найти ключи от квартиры.

- А дома кто-нибудь есть?

- Да, мой брат. Но он любит слушать музыку в своей комнате, и я боюсь, что он не услышит звонка.

• А ты позвони ему. У вас же дома есть телефон.

• А ведь ты права. Я и не подумала об этом.

Ex 11 Try:

1. to help your friend. She has moved into a new flat but she has no idea how to furnish it.

2. calm down your mother who is upset, because haven’t tidied up your room yet Give your reasons why you haven’t done it, promise to do it in an hour.

3. convince your husband to buy a new fridge as your fridge has been out of order for two days.

UNIT IV HOW TO SELL AND HOW TO BUY A HOUSE

PRETEXT EXERCISES

Ex. 1 Discuss the questions.

1. Do you want to break away from your parental family and live in a house of your own?

2. Would you prefer to rent a flat or buy it? Why?

3. Is it a big problem for you to buy a flat or a house?

Ex. 2 Read the text and find where it is said about:

1. an estate agent's business; b) main functions of a building society.

TEXT A HOW TO SELL AND HOW TO BUY A HOUSE

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 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: the position, the 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 an 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 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 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 then 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.

EXERCISES ON THE TEXT

Ex. 1 Find the equivalents of the following words and phrases in the text.

1. to describe the position of the house, number and size of its rooms,

the garden and so on;

2. to examine the details;

3. at once;

4. a legal representative;

5. payment made by a borrower for a loan expressed as a percentage;

6. to get something on the understanding that it is to be returned;

7. to give on the understanding that it or its equivalent will be returned;

8. a person who deposits money in a bank;

9. a long-term loan;

10. to keep money for future use;

11. documents.

Ex. 2 Explain the difference between:

to borrow money – to lend money; the price of the house on mortgage – the original price; the asking price – selling price

Ex. 3 Explain how you understand the following statements.

1 I'd like to know how much the agent will charge for his services.

2 Mr. and Mrs. Smith then wait for prospective buyers to arrive.

3 If they are attracted by the description of the Smiths' house they will

visit the property to look at it.

4 Often the offer will be slightly less than the official "asking" price.

5 Banks also offer a similar service.

6 They save their money with a building society, which pays them

interest.

6. A building society charges them a higher interest rate on the amount

borrowed.

7 What are monthly expenses?

8 They may make an offer via the estate agent.

Ex. 4 Insert prepositions.

1 An estate agency is, essentially, a shop which arranges the sale … houses. 2 The agent will charge … his services, usually … 1% and 2% … the selling price. 3 The leaflet will describe the house … detail. 4 Mr. and Mrs. Smith then will wait … prospective buyers to arrive. 5 They will go … the estate agency and inspect the details … the houses … offer. 6 You can make an offer … the estate agent. 7 Building societies make their money … borrowing it … some members … the public - their "depositors" – and lending it … others. 8 The building society charges a higher interest rate … the amount borrowed. 9 All being well the building society will offer to lend the Johnson's … … 90 per cent … the price of the house, to be paid back … interest … 25 years, or sometimes less.

SPEECH EXERCISES

Ex. 1 Answer the questions.

1. What is an estate agency? 2 If Mr. and Mrs. Smith want to sell thei

house, what will they do first? 3 What will they want to know from an estate agent first? 4 What will the agent start his work with? 5 How can Mr. and Mrs. Johnson know about the houses on offer? 6 Can the price be negotiated?7 Where can people get money to buy a property? 8 How do building societies function? 9 What is a mortgage? 10 What questions will Mr. and Mrs. Johnson be asked at a local building society and why?

11 How will the mortgage be paid back? 12 Why do people want to get mortgages?

Ex. 2 You are a) an estate agent; b) the manager of a building society. Advertise your organization.

Ex. 3 You are a representative of a building society. Convince your friend who wants to buy a house but doesn't have the necessary sum of money to come to your office and settle the business.

Ex. 4 Practice the following dialogue, speak about Mr. Palmer's impressions about the house and make a conclusion if he is going to buy it.

TEXT B A REAL BARGAIN

Mr. Palmer is looking for a new house. He's tired of living in the city and he wants to live in a quiet village. He's with the estate agent now.

Estate Agent: Well, Mr. Palmer. This is the semi-detached house that I told you about… Number 26, Richmond Road. The owners are away, but I've got a key.

Mr. Palmer: Hmm… when was it built?

A.: It was built in 1928.

P.: Who built it?

A.: I'm not really sure. Is it important?

P.: No, not really. Is that a new roof? It looks new.

A.: It is really new. It was put on last year. You can see that it's in very good condition. The previous owner was a builder.

P.: It's quite an old house. I'm worried about the electrical wiring. Has it been rewired?

A.: Yes, it has.

P.: Oh, when was it done?

A.: Five years ago. Also, it's been redecorated. Central heating has been put in, and a new garage has been built.

P.: Oh, when was it done?

A.: Last year… I think. It's a very solid house. It's built with a tiled roof…

P.: It's a long way from a big town. What are the services like?

A.: Hold on… I've got the details here. Yes… let me see… the dustbins are emptied every Thursday.

P.: It's important for me to see the post before I go to work. When is it delivered?

A.: It's usually delivered at about 7.30. The milk is delivered about six o'clock… so you'll have fresh milk for breakfast.

P.: It's certainly very cheap. I've seen a lot of similar houses… and they're more expensive.

A.: Ah, yes… it's a real bargain.

P.: Are there any plans for the area?

A.: Pardon? Plans… well, a new school is going to be built in the village next year…

P.: Anything else?

A.: … and a new road, a motorway actually, will be built next year, too. You'll be able to get to London easily.

P.: Where exactly will the motorway be built?

A.: Well, actually, it'll be built behind the house. A bridge will be constructed over the house. It'll be very interesting. You'll be able to watch the traffic…

Ex. 5 You want to buy a house but you can't find anything to your liking in the newspaper. That's why you've decided to apply to an estate agent. Make up a list of details (the type of the house and conveniences) you are interested in. The estate agent is trying to help you.

Ex 6 You are to interview a famous actress (your group mate) who always talks willingly about her home. Ask her

- what her address is;

- if she lives in a flat or a house of her own;

- what kind of house it is;

- what modern conveniences she has;

- if she lives in the centre of the city or in the suburbs;

- if she has got a security system, a video entry phone.

Ex. 7 Make a written report (200 words) about the actress's housing conditions.

UNIT V RENTING A FLAT

PRETEXT EXERCISES

Ex.1 Translate the following sentences. Compare the ways of expressing the same idea in English and in Russian.

1 Anna is working in the London sales office of Lufthansa, the big Ger-man airline. 2 ... she cannot find a room of her own. 3 At the moment she is staying with a cousin in Putney, a suburb of London. 4 The two girls do not get on well together. 5 Can she find a room in Putney for a reasonable rent? 6 Anna asked the manager for the morning off. The manager said that she could have the whole day free. She left the house and got a bus to Putney Bridge. 7 Anna set off for the offices of the Echo, the local newspaper to put an advertisement. She arrived at the office of the Echo at twenty past nine and went up to the advertising department on the second floor. 8 They crossed the bridge over the river and walked along the busy High Street. Then they climbed a steep hill and took the third turning on the left. 9 It was a tall, well-built house. Anna liked the look of it immediately. Susan walked up a short flight of steps and opened the front door. Anna followed her into the hall. 10 She walks over to the window and looks at the view… “Doesn’t the river look beautiful when the sun’s shining on it? I do like to live near the water”. 11 Anna pulled back the curtain and looked at the rest of the room. 12 The curtains were also red, but of a lighter shade. 13 There were two reading lamps and a few pictures on the walls.14 She had already decided that she wanted the room.15 Anna got a room with a view over the river Themes.

Ex. 2 Read the text and do the exercises after it.