HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

A ROOM
WITH A
VIEW
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1 Warm-up

Does your home have many windows? What can you see through them?

2 Key words

Match the words on the left with the definitions on the right. Then, put the words in the correct form
into the empty gaps to complete the sentences below.

1. vital a. a person who answers questions

2. access b. inside or near a city or town

3. interviewee c. to be able to get, use, or experience something

4. insignificant d. too curious about other people

5. mean e. unimportant

6. nosy f. unkind or unpleasant

7. urban g. very important

1. Why are you arguing about such an problem?

2. There were around 50 who took part in this research.
3. Fresh air is for our health, especially in an environment.
4. I have a very next-door neighbor. She’s always spying on me.
5. He’s a nice guy. Why is she so to him?
6. For people who can’t leave their homes, windows can be a way to the world.

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A ROOM WITH A VIEW

3 Before you read

You’re going to read an article written by a professor who studies elderly people. Before you read,
discuss in pairs what you think about each statement below and decide whether they’re true or false.

1. Windows are very important to old people because they spend a lot of time indoors.
2. Spending a lot of time watching city life can increase stress.
3. Older people often watch their neighbors and invent little stories about their lives.
4. Most elderly people like to tell others about what they saw through their windows.

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
A ROOM WITH A VIEW
Why windows with a view are so important to older people
December 19th, 2018
1.
Many of us don’t realize how important windows are
– they’re just part of the houses we live in or the
buildings we work in. Yet for older people, windows
can be vital as a way to access the world, especially
for those who spend a lot of time indoors.
2.
In 1981, researcher Graham Rowles discovered that
older people watched the area immediately outside
their home from their window, and were able to
participate in the community without having to
literally be in it.
3.
Based on Rowles’ work, I recently interviewed 42
older people in the U.K. on the importance of having a
room with a view. Those I spoke to – all aged over 65,
who go outside less than once a week – loved their
window so much that many spent a while setting up
their space to get good views. The views were a place
of high significance for the observers.
4.
Previous research suggests that older people like to
see nature, and studies have found that there is a link
between nature and stress reduction too. But urban
views – factories or telephone and TV masts – are
important too. Beauty is subjective.
5.
What was most important for my interviewees was
change – both expected (seasons, for example) and
non-expected (road works or even storms). One 78-
year-old lady with a suburban view said, "I love the
way the trees begin to move in the wind". While an
84-year-old man who lived in an urban area said, "I
like it when they’re digging. They’re always digging
here. Water, electricity, gas, telephone, all come here.
I don’t mind it, as long as there’s no dust because it’s
not good for my breathing".
6.
While Rowles’ study focused on the immediate
area outside the house, I found my interviewees
really loved a view with different levels.
combination between the immediate and the distant
was preferred, for example an urban neighborhood
with hills in the distance.
7.
It was fascinating how much the views helped the
people who lived there understand life better. What
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they saw backed up what they heard on the radio or
on TV. Even something insignificant for most of us,
like bad traffic or seeing a hands-free conversation on
a mobile phone. A 75-year-old woman said: "I saw a
man talking to himself. I was frightened but realized
it must be a phone."
8.
I also found that the interviewees didn’t just watch
people, they created stories from what they saw.
One 80-year-old man who lives in an urban area
explained: "I see the same people going to work every
morning and coming home again in the evening. I
wonder what they are up to. I call this one here Frank,
look at his suit, I think he’s a mean business man,
probably a manager of some kind."
9.
Some of the observers talked to the people they saw
through the window too. An 84-year-old woman
told me that she sometimes commented on people’s
appearance, saying they looked "very smart", or
telling teenagers to tuck in their shirts and pull up
their trousers. However, there is a downside. Some
of the people I spoke to worried that other people
would say they are nosy. One 84-year-old man said,
"I don’t tell others about it".
10.
In the future, technology may help people access
scenes that can’t be viewed from their window. For
example, one U.K. nursing home uses a video of
a train journey to allow people to experience the
passing views through a virtual window.
11.
To older people, a window is so much more than just
something to let in light and air. Those I spoke to
talked about how they can spend hours at a window
and how good it feels for them to look out. Family
members and carers should encourage them to look
outside, and help set up clear views where possible.
A Imagine a home that is set up around the view, rather
than one set up around the TV.
Adapted from theconversation.com, by Charles
Musselwhite, Associate Professor, Center for Innovative
Ageing, Swansea University
4/6
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A ROOM WITH A VIEW

4 Checking understanding
Answer the questions.

1. How can older people feel included in the community they live in?
...............................................................................................
2. What was the author’s research about?
...............................................................................................
3. What was the most important part of the window view for older people?
...............................................................................................
4. What was the main difference between the author’s research and Rowles’ research in 1981?
...............................................................................................
5. How did the views help the people understand life?
...............................................................................................
6. How can technology help according to the author?
...............................................................................................
7. How should we change the way we arrange rooms in our homes?
...............................................................................................

5 Phrasal verbs
There are five phrasal verbs in bold in the article. Put the infinitive form of each phrasal verb next to
the correct definition like in the example below.

1. to hide (clothes) into your trousers to look professional tuck in

2. to lift clothes that are too loose or hanging
3. to organize or plan
4. confirm or support
5. do something, often something bad or secret
6. to allow someone or something to enter

In pairs, ask and answer the questions below.

1. Do you usually tuck in your shirts or leave them loose?

2. How is your living room set up?
3. Do your windows let in a lot of light?
4. What are you up to this evening?
5. When was the last time you saw something that backed up what you heard on TV or read online?

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A ROOM WITH A VIEW

6 Speaking

Work in pairs. Imagine you’re looking out of your window and you see the views below. Choose one
picture and tell your partner a short story about the people. Who are they? What are they doing?
What happened earlier? What is going to happen? etc. Use appropriate structures, for example:
• present progressive for a current activity (He’s waiting for ...)
• simple past for past events (They had coffee earlier.)
• present perfect with ‘just’ for something that happened a moment ago (They’ve just been ..)

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