AN ENGLISHMAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE

About 80% of British people live in houses. Detached houses are usually in expensive suburbs, quite far from the town centre, near to the countryside. Semi-detached houses are often nearer to the town centre. Terraced houses and blocks of flats are much cheaper and can be found in town centres. Most British houses have a garden. Most gardens, even small ones have flowers and a lawn. This is the back of a country cottage. Many British houses have frontgardens too.

AMERICAN HOME

Owing your own home is a part of the American Dream. Most of Americans save for years, then make a down payment and take a mortgage or loan for the rest of the money. But some people never own a house and rent an apartment in a building called condominium somewhere close to the centre. Out in the suburbs and in the country, home is more likely to be a one- or two-family house. Traditional American houses are two stories highland made of wood or stone.

PROPERTY IN RUSSIA

A typical Russian residence is an apartment. Inability to purchase real estate due to lack of income and unfavorable lending terms results in parents sharing their quarters with children for quite some time. In many instances, you will see two and three generations living together in one apartment.

The room count in a typical Russian apartment is not conducted by counting bedrooms, but rather by counting all rooms with the exception of the kitchen. That means if you were told an apartment has 2 rooms, it literally has TWO rooms, plus the kitchen. A lot of Russians inherit their property from their parents, grandparents, or have received it from the government or their employer many decades ago.

Exercise 5. Read the following text and get ready to answer the questions.

Home, sweet home.

It does not matter what your home is like — acountry mansion, a more modestdetachedorsemi-detached house,aflatina block of flats or even aroomin acommunal flat. Anyway, it is the place where you oncemove in and start tofurnish anddecorate it to your own taste. It becomes your second "ego".

Your second "ego" is very big and disquieting if you have a house. There isenough space for everything: ahall,akitchen with an adjacent dining-room,a living-roomora lounge, a couple ofbedrooms andclosets (storerooms), a toilet and abathroom. You can walk slowlyaround the house thinking what else you can do torenovate it. In the hall you cast a glance at thecoatrack and achest of drawers for shoes. Probably, nothing needs to be changed here.

You come to the kitchen: kitchen furniture, kitchenutensils,arefridgerator (fridge) with afreezer,adishdrainer,anelectricorgas cooker with anoven. Maybe, it needs acooker hood?

The dining-room is lovely. A bigdining table withchairs in the centre, acupboard withtea sets anddinner sets. There is enough place tokeep all cutlery and crockery in. Youknow pretty wellwhere things go.

The spacious living-room is the heart of the house. It is the place where you can have a chance to see the rest of your family. They come in the evening to sit around the coffee table in soft armchairs and on the sofa. You look at the wall units, stuffed with china, crystal and books. Some place is left for a stereo system and a TV set. A fireplace and houseplants make the living-room really cosy.

Your bedroom is your private area though most bedrooms are alike: asingleor adouble bed, awardrobe, one or twobedside tablesand adressing-table.

You look inside the bathroom: asink, hot andcold taps and a bath. There is nothing to see in the toilet except aflush-toilet.

You are quite satisfied with what you have seen, but still doubt disturbs you: 'Is there anything to change?' Yes! The walls of the rooms should bepapered, and in the bathroom and toilet —tiled!Instead oflinoleum there should beparquet floors. Instead ofpatterned curtains it is better to put darkerplain ones, so that they might notshow the dirt. You do it all, but doubt does not leave you. Then you startmoving the furniturearound in the bedroom, because the dressing-tableblocks out the light. You are ready to give a sigh of relief, but... suddenly find out that the lounge is toocrammed up with furniture.

Those who live inone-room or two-room flats may feel pity for those who live in houses. They do not have such problems. At the same time they have a lot of privileges:central heating, running water, a refuse-chute and... niceneighbours who like to play music at midnight.Owners of small flats are happy to have small problems and they love theirhomes no less than those who live inthree-storeyed palaces. Home, sweet home.

Questions:

1. What category of owners does your family belong to?

2. How many rooms are in your flat (house)?

3 What kind of flooring do you have in your flat?

4. How are the walls of your flat finished? Are they whitewashed, tiled or wallpapered? Do you like to adorn the walls?

5. Do you have your own room? Is your room crammed with things?

6. What makes your flat look cosy?

7. Would you like to live in a flat or in a house?

8. Do you like to invite guests and friends?

9. Do you do your home up when you are expecting guests?

10. What do you think of those hosts who put more of an emphasis on the looks of their house than on the comfort of their guests?

Exercise 6. Translate the sentences:

Renting a house

John Brown was lucky enough to get a new job in one of the big colleges in Sheffield. The whole family is going to pack up their things and move to Sheffield. John wants to rent a house there. He read a number of advertisements in Sheffield papers the other days. He rings up in answer to one of them.

John: Good afternoon. Is that Mrs Hopkinson?

Mrs. Hopkinson: Yes, it’s me. What can I do for you?

J.: I am ringing up about the house you advertised to let.

H.: Yes.

J.: We are a large family and your house sounds the sort of place we need. Does it face a quiet street?

H.: Yes, it does. The street is really very quiet. But how many are you in the family?

J.: Four. We have two children, of the age of fourteen and eight.

H.: That’s wonderful. There is a big park two blocks away from the house with playgrounds for children and sport facilities.

J.: Are there any schools in the neighborhood?

H.: Yes, there is a private school and two comprehensive schools within fifteen minutes’ walk from the house. There is a supermarket just round the corner.

J.: I’d like to see your house, but we are still in Glasgow. We are coming to Sheffield one of these days.

H.: Don’t bother about anything. The rooms are furnished. There is a good garage for your car behind the house; and the transportation is excellent. The house air conditioned, there are lots of chests of drawers everywhere.

J.: What about the kitchen?

H.: It has all modern conveniences. There are three built-in cupboards; the fridge and microwave are built in too.

J.: Is the house very old?

H.: I am afraid it’s rather old, but it has just been redecorated. Do you know how much the rent is?

J.: I think so. It was in your ad. I am going to sign a lease for four years.

H.: You will have to pay a half-year deposit.

J.: I’d like to see the house first. Is it on Church Street?

H.: Yes. It’s Church Street, 86.

J.: Fine. We’ll call on you as soon as we come to Sheffield.

H.: I’ll expect you.

Exercise 11. Prepare your own dialogue, using the information from the advertisement:

GRAMMAR IN PRACTICE

Exercise №1. Express your request:

A.

For example: Ask (tell) John to shut the door.

John, shut the door, please.

1) Ask Bob to give you a call after five. 2) Tell Nelly to take the book from the library. 3) Ask Peter to buy some bread on his way home.

4) Tell Olga to lay the table for three. 5) Ask Helen to type these papers today.

B.

For example: Ask (tell) John not to shut the door.

John, don’t shut the door, please.

1) Ask Nick not to speak so loudly. 2) Tell Ann not to read at lunch. 3) Ask Janet not to waste money on sweets. 4) Tell Susie not to come home so late. 5) Tell Kate not to send him a telegram.

Exercise №2. Translate the sentences using the verb Let: