HOUSING • a detached house: a house not joined to another

one
a) Where can people live?
• a semi-detached house: two houses joined together
• in flats (in block of flats), in bed-sits
• a terraced house: several houses joined together
• in houses:
• bungalow - one storey house (preferred by old
We know several types of houses: people because there are no stairs)

• some people in the USA live in mobile homes (for

example in Florida)

b) What kind of household chores do we have to do?

If we want our flat to be clean and tidy, we have to:

dust the furniture, water the plants, hoover the carpets, mop the floor, clean the bathroom and toilet, do the washing, clean the
windows, change the bed linen, wash the curtains, take out the litter, do the ironing, wash up and dry the dishes (if we have no
dishwasher).

c) What is a typical English house like?

A typical English house is a terraced house or a semi-detached house. Most houses in England are made of stone or brick. There
is no plaster on them. A typical English house is quite narrow and has two floors and no cellar. On the groundfloor there is a hall,
the kitchen and the living room. The kitchen often has a door which opens into the garden. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms, a
bathroom and a lavatory. Stairs are usually carpeted the same as the rest of the house. There is a small garden at the front of the
house and a larger one at the back. For most people garden is a place of relaxation, so there are flowers but no vegetables.
Usually there is a garage at the side.

  In winter, houses in Britain are rather cold. The bedrooms are often not heated at all.

 In some households, the women have a resident help; this help is often a girl from abroad who wants to learn English (an au-pair
girl).

d) What advantages and disadvantages are there in living in the country and living in towns?

LIFE IN THE COUNTRY:

-advantages : nature is beautiful because of woods, lakes and fields. It is quiet and the air is fresh. You can grow flowers and
vegetables and keep domestic animals. The atmosphere in a village is friendlier, people know each other.

- disadvantages: problems with transport:  in some places, buses operate only twice or three times a day, some places are
accessible only by train. Lots of people have to commute to towns because there are few jobs in the country.  Shopping is mostly
done in towns. Students have to commute to secondary school every day. There are few possibilities of cultural life.

LIFE IN TOWNS:

- advantages: there are lots of schools and shopping facilities, more jobs, better housing possibilities, , cultural and sporting
facilities and hospitals. People often live closer to the place where they work.

- disadvantages: people living  in towns (especially in bigger cities) often have less time, live a busy and stressful life. There is a
lot of noise, busy traffic, polluted air, sometimes also smog above the city. There are few green spaces, so people often go out to
the coutnryside where they have their country houses and cottages.

e) Describe your house / your flat! (How many floors, how many rooms, equipment, furniture, garden.)  ....................
(zpracujte samostatně)

f) Describe your room. ...................... (zpracujte samostatně)

g) How do you imagine your dream house? ......................... (zpracujte samostatně)