Pink in her living room

The multi-platinum-selling singer Pink, 26, moved into her four-bedroom house in Sherman Oaks, in suburban LA, four years ago. She lives there with her husband, Carey Hart, and her dog.

-So, Pink, why the lounge? - "Because it is very rustic, very cosy. No one ever comes in here except me and my dog. There's no TV or music. I just turn the heat up, lay on the floor and read or sometimes I do yoga. I have bookshelves piled high, but there are always books allover the floor, too."

-What’s your favorite piece of furniture in the room? - "I have a chair that's been in my family since the '60s. It's really ugly, with springs sticking out of the back, but I've always loved it. I also have the most amazingly comfortable couch, which is the most expensive thing I've ever bought. But if my whole house fell away and my couch was the only thing left, I'd be happy."

-Any other reason the room is special? - "It holds all my awards and family pictures, and my Janis Joplin shrine -I love her. And there's the piano that Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes wrote all her early music on. It's the piano she wrote Beautiful on for Christina Aguilera. She gave it to me as a present."

-Had any good parties in here? - "Yes, my hen night, last year. My girlfriends turned it into this temple of love. They put ivy and flowers and tea lights everywhere, it was the most beautiful thing. I have a friend who is a white witch, and she cast a love spell for Carey and I and everyone showered me with rose petals. It was amazing."

Beyonce in her bathroom

She's a multi-award-winning singer, actress, fashion designer and model - and she's still only 25. But Beyonce Knowles, whose second solo album B'Day has just been released (on her birthday, September 4), loves nothing better than just chilling out at home...

-Do you spend a lot of time pampering in your bathroom? - "No, who I am on stage is very, very different to who I am in real life. I like to walk around with bare feet and I don't like to comb my hair. I'm so glammed up and diva on stage. We all have imperfections and it's important to concentrate on other qualities besides outer beauty."

- Do you ever sleep in your make-up? - "Not regularly! Maybe I've fallen asleep a few times but I try not to."

- Would you have plastic surgery? - "I'm a bit young to be thinking about that yet. Maybe in years and years I would, so never say never, but right now? No."

-You’ve lost some weight recently – do you think women are under pressure to be a size 0? - "The pressure to be thin is unbelievable. I wrote the song Bootylicious because, at the time, I'd gained some weight and I was just 18 and you shouldn't be thinking about that. You should be thinking about building up your character and having fun. The song was a celebration of curves and a celebration of women's bodies."

- How do you keep in shape? - "I try to avoid fast food, sodas, French fries and pizza but it's not easy, especially on the road. At one point I was running six miles a day. Now I try and work out a bit and just eat more healthily. The best workout is performing."

- Where did you get such a positive attitude towards beauty? - "My mother owned a hair salon and I worked there, so I grew up around all these women were so positive and strong."

(from the magazine Glamour, October 2006)

Exercise 18

Explain the following word combinations from the text. Give your own situations to illustrate them:

• crash pad (bachelor pad) –

• to be diverse in terms of art –

• to be scattered around the floor –

• beauty sleep –

• to suffer from insomnia –

• processed packaged stuff –

• to make from scratch –

• to reheat from the local takeaway –

• a house-warming party –

• the lounge –

• to turn the heat up –

• hen night –

• to cast a love spell –

• to chill out at home –

• to pamper in one’s bathroom –

Exercise 19

Answer the following questions:

1. How would you describe Juliette Lewis’s taste in choosing and decorating her house?

2. What is important for her in her home?

3. What makes Juliette feel comfortable at home?

4. Why did John Legend pick this very apartment?

5. Why does he like his kitchen?

6. What is he especially good at and proud of?

7. Why is the lounge is a special place for Pink?

8. What are the things there that she likes most?

9. What kind of party did Pink have there?

10. Why does bathroom seem to be so important for Beyonce? Does she spend so much time in there?

11. What does she think about beauty?

Rendering

Exercise 20

Read the following article. Speak on the British attitude towards their homes.

Немец живет в Германии. Янки живет в Оклахоме. Испанец живет в Испании. Но англичанин – дома…