Around the Home
A. Rooms
The living room or lounge (= where you sit, relax, talk and watch TV); the dining room; the kitchen; the bedroom(s); and the bathroom(s).
Some people also have a study (= room with a desk where you work), a utility room (= a room usually next to the kitchen, where you have a washing machine), a spare room (= a room you don’t use every day. Often this is a room that guests can use), and possibly a playroom for small children.
B. The Lounge
While the cat was asleep in the armchair, I sat on the sofa and had a look at the paper. Then I turned on the TV and went to make a cup of tea.
C. The Kitchen
I put the meat in the oven, put my dirty clothes in the washing machine, made the coffee and put the milk back in the fridge.
D. The Bedroom
I put on my pyjamas, got into bed, set the alarm clock, switched off the light, and went to sleep.
E. The Bathroom
I didn’t have time for a bath, but I had a wash, cleaned my teeth, and then I went to school.
F. Housework
My room is very clean and tidy (= everything in order), but my brother is very untidy; he leaves his clothes all over the floor and never makes his bed. What’s worse, he doesn’t clean his room very often, so most of the time it is quite dirty.
I do the washing-up every evening after dinner, and I normally do the washing and ironing at the weekend when I have a bit more free time. I also hoover the carpets and polish the dining room table once a week.
VOCABULARY EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Using a dictionary if necessary, explain the difference between the following items:
a standard lamp, a lamp and a chandelier
a pillow and a cushion
a stool, a chair and an armchair
a desk, a dining table, a bedside table and a coffee table
a sink and a washbasin
a washing machine and a dishwasher
a bedspread, a sheet, a blanket and a quilt
a sideboard, a wardrobe and a cupboard
an alarm-clock, a clock and a watch
Exercise 2. Complete the following with appropriate words and phrases.
Mary hung_______in the wardrobe.
On her bedside table, there were_______.
After the party, the sink was full of_______.
Before the meal George took________out of the sideboard.
Although the sofa was quite hard, it was comfortable because there were some soft_______on it.
Mary sat at her dressing table in order to_______.
David went into the bathroom and washed his hands in the_______.
Exercise 3.
A. Using a dictionary if necessary, make pairs of opposites using the words in the box.
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bright modern neglected well-maintained out-dated gloomy attractive ugly |
B. Use appropriate words from the box to complete the following:
The Greens don’t like their new house very much. It is_____ _____because there are so few windows, and it’s quite small.
Although the car is four years old, it’s_____. The owners have serviced and cleaned it regularly.
A: These flats that were built in the 1960s look terribly_____and depressing from the outside, don’t they?
B: Yes, but when they are redecorated, they can be very_____inside.
The town looks lovely and______in the morning sunshine.
She finds her parents’ attitudes very______. In fact, she says they are nineteenth century attitudes.
Exercise 4.
a) Draw a plan of a flat. With a partner, decide what furniture you would need to make it comfortable. List the items in the table below.
b) Describe any of the rooms in the flat.
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Sitting room |
Bedroom |
Kitchen |
Bathroom |
Entrance hall |
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Exercise 5. Have you ever decorated a house or a room yourself? Would you like to? What are the advantages and disadvantages of Do-it-yourself (DIY)? Which of the following answers are the advantages and which are the disadvantages? Work with a partner to fill in the table. Add some more to complete the list.
to take a lot of time
to be easy to get it wrong
not to have to rely on other people
to be fun
to be dangerous
to have no one to complain to
to have sense of achievement
to do it when you want
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Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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not so expensive |
|
Exercise 6. Which jobs mentioned below can be done by yourself? Which jobs need professional help? Discuss it with your partner (in groups of three or four), use the constructions like these:
e.g. The windows are filthy. They need cleaning.
a. I can clean them myself.
b. I should have them cleaned (if you need professional help).
USE A DICTIONARY IF NECESSARY
to fix the door (creaking)
to install air-conditioning (stuffy)
to clean the windows (filthy)
to paint / to do the ceiling (peeling)
to install / to put in central heating
to repair the roof (leaking)
to solve a problem
to rewire the house
to redecorate the house / flat
to repair the pipes (dripping)
to put in kitchen units
to paint kitchen
to put in more power-points
to redecorate lounge
to convert a small bedroom into a bathroom
to put a toilet in the bathroom
to double-glaze windows.
The notes below describe what is wrong with the building. Read the notes and describe what needs doing before it can be used, and why. Use the constructions from the exercise above: it needs doing, to have smth. done, to do smth.
Most rooms very small, not enough light in them (small windows), but some rooms have a large fireplace. Next to railway, but noise not really noticeable. Some floorboards are missing or rotten, windows are broken, and some ceilings have fallen down. Water comes in through the roof. Large garden but very overgrown, and full of old junk. Faulty electric wiring, dripping pipes. Only one toilet. Inside doors tend to stick. Difficult to open some of them. Some stairs are dangerous. There are no carpets, of course. Most walls have wallpaper but it’s all filthy, and there are too many dark colours. The whole place is in generally dirty condition.
♦ Listening