UNIT 1. HOUSING                                                          Pages

    Introductory Text                                                       10-12

Part 1

Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice             12-20        

    Text: Choosing a House (from ‘Evergreen’ by B.Plain) 20-26     

    Speak up                                                                26-30

Part 2

    Introduction to Argument. The Structure of Argument 30-31

    Classifying Claims                                                      31

    Expressing Agreement., Disagreement                        32-33

          What is Comfort to You?                                           33-34

          Can We Arrive at a True Impression of a Person Unless

          We See Them in Their Home?                                34-35        

    Has the Old Sentimentality of Neighbourhoods Receded?    35

       Text: Housing in Great Britain                                    36-37

    Discussion Points                                                        37-38

    Tasks for Writing. Descriptive Paragraph                38-39     Tasks for Listening                                                          40-41

                                                                                   

UNIT 2. MEALS. EATING HABITS

          Introductory Text                                                       42-44

Part 1

Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice                             44-54

    Text: Too Pretty to Eat (from ‘The Secret Language of Old

          White Ladies’ by P.Anthony)                                     54-60

    Speak up                                                                              60-63

Part 2   

    Claims of Fact. Fact or Opinion?                            63-65

    Expressing Disbelief, Doubt, Surprise                         65-66

    Does the Russian Cuisine Reflect the Fatalistic Russian

         Mentality?                                                                   66-67     Do Eating Habits Reflect Our Character?                              67-68

    Text: A Native Twist                                                    68-70

          Discussion Points                                                        70-71

    Tasks for Writing. Expository Paragraph             71-73        

    Tasks for Listening                                                 73-74

 

UNIT 3. SHOPPING

    Introductory Text                                             75-77    

Part 1

    Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice        78-90    

    Text: A Perfect Fit (from ‘Lace’ by S.Conran)           90-95    

    Speak up                                                           96-99    

Part 2

    Claims of Value                                                99-101   

    Is Shopping a Wasteful of Time?                                   102   

In What Way is Shopping Different from Buying?     102-103               Which is Better: to be a Shopper or a Shopaholic?    103-104

    Text: Shopping as a Spiritual Adventure                   104-105       Defending or Rejecting Claims. Discussion Points  105-107  

      Tasks for Writing. Narrative Paragraph         107-109 

        Tasks for Listening                                                   109-110  

UNIT 4. TEACHING AND LEARNING

    Introductory Text                                               111-113   

Part 1

Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice                      114-123

    Text: The School Routine (from ‘Lace’ by S. Conran) 123-129

    Speak up                                                               129-132   

Part 2

    Claims of Policy                                                 132-133

    Reassuring People. Putting Defensive Arguments 133-136

    Should Unmotivated Students Be Forced to Go

to Universities?                                                 136   

    Friendship or the Honour Code?                                     137        

    Is Being Friends with the Students a Drop in the

Standards?                                                       137-138

Text: A Sore Point                                             138-140  

    Discussion Points                                              140-142  

     Tasks for Writing. Giving an Opinion                      142-144  

    Tasks for Listening                                           144-145

 

UNIT 5. GOING TO THE DOCTOR

    Introductory Text                                              146-147

Part 1

    Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice         148-159   

    Text: ‘How to Live to Be 2000’ (by S. Leacock)         159-164   

           Speak up                                                        164-169

        

Part 2    Criticizing Attitudes                                      169-170

              Defending or Rejecting Claims.                       170-171

                Discussion Points                                                 171-172

              Living in the Russian Style                            172-174   

              Text: How to Beat Holiday Stress                 174-176

              Tasks for Writing. Personal Letters                      176-178

              Tasks for Listening                                      178-180

 

 

UNIT 6. THEATRE. CINEMA. TELEVISION          

              Introductory Text                                                   181-184     

Part 1                                                           

              Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice     184-192

              Text: A Special Treat (from ‘Act of Will’

by B. Bradford)                                             192-197

              Speak up                                                       197-201

Part 2    Presenting Arguments For and Against an Issue:

               TV or not TV?                                             201-203

              Does Television Know Its Place?                  203-204

              Terrible or Terrific?                                          204

              Is Acting a Risky Business?                             205      

              Text: Television: the Beginning of the End? 205-207

              Text: Theatre or Cinema?                              208-209

              Defending or Rejecting Claims. Discussion Points 209-211

              Tasks for Writing. Review                                211-213

         Tasks for Listening                                      213-214    

                                                                                   

UNIT 7. TRAVELLING

         Introductory Text                                                   215-217

Part 1

              Topical Vocabulary. Vocabulary Practice     217-226

              Text: The Journey of Escape (from ‘Destina-    

              tion Unknown’ by A. Cristie)                        226-231     

              Speak up                                                       231-235

Part 2    Giving, Accepting, Rejecting Advice                      235-237

              Is Travelling Frustrating or Exciting?                     237-238

              Text: The Arguments Against Mass Tourism 238-239

              Defending or Rejecting Claims. Discussion Points 240-241

         Tasks for Writing: Letter of Complaint      241-243

              Tasks for Listening                                    243-244

 

 

UNIT 1. H O U S I N G

 

INTRODUCTORY TEXT

 

A house is a building for one household, or family to live in. English houses in most cases are built of brick or stone. Most of them consist of two floors with a garden at the front and back. On the ground floor there is a front room, a living-room, a kitchen and a hall, from which a staircase leads to the landing on the first floor. On this floor there are two or three bedrooms, a bathroom and a lavatory. The entrance from the street is called the front door; and the entrance from the yard is the back door. Englishmen prefer to live in their own houses in the suburbs. In Great Britain there are many types of houses, such as detached houses (houses that are not joined or connected), semi-detached houses (houses joined by one shared wall) and terraced houses (a row of houses on raised land).There is also another type of house built by the local authorities, which is called a Council house, whose rents are low and which are for those who are comparatively poor. 

· The right to privacy and personal freedom is unquestioned by the British. Perhaps it is the lack of space that has fostered and maintained their individualism. There is a common saying among the British people, ‘My home is my castle. The wind can come in, but the Kings and Queens and human beings can never come in without my permission.’ When an Englishman moves to a new house, he often builds a fence around the house to separate himself from his neighbours. 

· The typical house in the USA consists of some bedrooms, a living- room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Some people prefer colonial style houses – big two-storey houses with columns made of brick or wood. Others live in ranch-houses – simple elongated one-storey houses typically with a low-pitched roof. There are also the Spanish style houses with their red tiles and arches. People who can’t afford a house live in trailers which are houses on wheels. A ‘mobile home’ is a small ‘house’ pulled by the family car. Some of them have a driver’s cab. Behind the cab is a room with beds, a kitchen, a table and a washing place. Apartments are houses with flats to let. A lot of people live in coops (condominiums). A condominium is a multi-unit structure in which each apartment is owned by the person who lives there. Most expensive cities for houses are New York City, Los Angeles and Boston.

· To buy a house, most people in Great Britain and the USA borrow money from a bank. In this case they mortgage a house. A mortgage is an agreement to pay back the money. Suppose they mortgage a house through a building society, for which they can borrow up to 95% of the value of the house. Then they have to pay back a little of the loan on the house each month. In about twenty years they may pay off the mortgage and become full owners of the house. If they fail to pay the mortgage over a certain period of time, the building society has the right to reclaim the property.  

· The most practical way to set a house exchange in the U.K. and the USA is to use one of the agencies which can put potential clients in touch with each other. To be included in a directory you pay a registration fee, fill in a form, listing everything about your home. There will usually be a photograph of your house in the directory – and perhaps also of your family as well as your preferences as to location: town, country, seaside and so on.

· Home ownership is one of the definitions of success in Great Britain and the USA. Generally people are judged by the houses they live in. A lot of things are taken into account. It is not only the size and architecture of the house but also the type of neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods are the people living near one another. The types of neighbourhoods are very often defined by the ethnic origin and economic status of their residents. To improve local conditions and to solve problems of safety and sanitation, concerned neighbours form block associations. They clean up and beautify the streets, make them more secure. The members of the associations collect money to put up better lights, buy trees and plants for the sidewalks and entrances to buildings.