Buying a house

1. When you want to buy a house you look for houses with a notice ___ a. estate-agent

2. You can buy a house through an ___ b. for sale

3. If you don't have enough money you can borrow it from a ___ c. bank or building society

4. Then you take a ___ d. interest

5. Of course you have to pay ___ e. mortgage

6. The money you have borrowed has to be ___ f. architect

7. The person who deals with the legal side of buying a house is a ___ g. solicitor

8. The man who designs the house is the ___ h. repaid

9. When you own a house you have to pay a local tax on property called ___ i. education, roads and other public

services

10. These taxes are used on ___ j. rates

Renting a house

1. If you live in a house which is not yours you have to pay ___ a. tenant

2. The man who receives the rent is your ___ b. rent

3. The person who rents the house is the ___ c. landlord

4. Council houses are houses built by the ___ d. lease

5. In a ___ apartment house the tenant pays rent to a landlord each month. e. rental

6. The tenant signs a ___ f. municipal council

Building a house

1. Wood prepared for building is called ___ a. boards

2. In Britain most houses are built of ___ b. loan

3. The man who builds the house is the ___ c. building company

4. If you build a house you can apply for a ___ d. builder / constructor

5. When there is a group of people concerned we speak of a ___ e. timber

6. The strips of wood used for the floors are ___ f. stone, birch

Ex.30. Play a guessing game. What article of furniture is being described?

Model: It's very convenient. It has a lot of drawers on the right and on the left. It doesn't take much room. I usually do my homework sitting at it. (a writing-table)

Ex.31. Insert the necessary prepositions or adverbs.

a) A friend of mine got a very comfortable flat... last month. It is ... the second floor ... a new block .... flats. I got a letter ... my friend ... several pictures ... her flat. ... one of the pictures you can see her family sitting ... the table ... the iving-room. Ann is sitting ... her husband and two sons. They are watching TV. It is ...the corner ... the window. There is piano ... the left... the table and a small table ... a telephone ... it... the right. Ann is going to speak ... me ... the telephone tonight. You can see a lovely carpet ... the middle ... the room and some pictures ... the wall ... the piano. My friend's sons learn to play ... the piano. Besides they are fond ... reading books and have plenty ... them ... the bookcase and ... the shelves.

b) I have got a room ... my own. I have rent it ... my acquaintances. I share the room ... a friend ... mine. We pay ... the room $30 a month. It's hard to find a lodging ... a lower price. I'm pleased ... my flat. It is close ... the center and the bus stop is handy. As a rule we pay our landlady ... advance. We also have to pay a deposit ... the front-door key and to keep ... particular house-rules. I dream ... the times when I'll have a flat... my own.

c) Marian is ... the kitchen. She is near the table ... the middle … the room. There is a lamp ... the table. There are a lot ... things … the table. There is a jug ... the middle ... the table. Marian has a dish and a spoon ... her hands. ... Marian there are two pots, two bowls and a frying-pan. Behind her there is a dresser and a kitchen sink ... it. There are a lot ... things ...the shelves ...the dresser. There are plates and dishes, and jugs and bowls. There is a loaf ... bread ... a bread-board, and a tray ... tea-cups. ... the bottom ... the dress­er there are two drawers, and two cupboards. Under the drawers ... the kitchen sink there are two taps. They are ... the wall. There is a plate-rack ... some plates ... it. Over the sink, there is a clock ... the wall. ... the window, there is a table and some shelves. There are two saucepans ... one shelf.

d) The flat you live ... needs tidying every day. You must air the rooms, dust the furniture ... a duster, clean the carpets ... a vacuum-cleaner. The floor is swept ... a broom. The housewife keeps house and other members ... the family help her ... the house.

e) Have you already moved ... the new flat? — Oh, yes, we have, and we expect you to come ... our house-warming party next Sunday. — Thank you, I'll be very glad to. Is it a two-room flat?—Yes, a very nice one, ... all modern conveniences.— Is it ... a multi-storeyed house?— It's a four-storeyed dwelling house built ... our plant; and a short walk ... the nearest underground station.— Weren't you sorry to leave your old house? — More than I can tell you. The neighbors were my old fellow-workers and I miss them awfully. But you can't compare the new flat ... the old one. You'll see that yourself. Do come ... your children, will you? — Yes, thank you.

f) 1. We have a nice flat ... the centre... Minsk. It is ... the second floor ... a new house. 2. It is a two-room flat ... a kitchen. ... the kitchen there is a refrigerator to keep food cool ... hot weather and a kitchen cupboard ... plates and dishes. 3. How many muiti-storeyed buildings are there ... your street? 4. We have a lot ... furniture ... our dining-room. 5. Peter has got a nice cottage in the country but ... any conveniences. 6. The University is not far ... my house. Both are ... the Neva Embankment. 7. Our TV set is ... a special little table ... the wardrobe ... the right ... the window. 8. There is no room (места) ... (между) the sofa and the bookcase ... the armchair. 9. There are no engineers ... my friends. 10. A portrait of Pushkin is hang­ing ... the writing-desk. 11. It is rather dark to write here because there is no L:mp ... the table. Put that reading-lamp ... the table and switch it ... . 12. Who is sitting there ... the armchair ... front ... the TV set? — It is a friend ... mine. 13. ... my opinion this flat is too small ... your family though I am fond ... it. It is so light and warm. 14. ... the right there is a bookcase to keep books ... . 15. Are we moving ... our new flat next Saturday? Then we must start packing our things. Come ... here, Peter. Let's begin ... the books. We've got lots ... them. 16. Why aren't there any curtains ... the windows yet? — I've got silk ones, but they're too good ... kitchen-curtains. I'm going to buy something cheaper.

g) My sister got a very comfortable flat... last year. It is... the third floor ... a new block ... flats. I got a letter ... my sister ... several pictures ... her flat. ... one of the pictures you can see her family sitting ... the table ... the living-room. My sister is sitting ... her husband and two sons. They are watching TV. It is ... the corner ... the window. There is a piano ... the left... the table and a small table ... a telephone ... it... the right. My sister is going to speak ... me ... the telephone tonight. You can see a lovely carpet... the middle ... the room and some pictures ... the wall... the piano. My sister's sons learn to play ... the piano. Besides they are fond ... reading books and have plenty ... them ... the bookcase and ... the shelves.

h) 1. The walls of the library were lined … bookcases, the arm-chairs were upholstered … leather, the tables littered … newspapers and magazines. 2. The door burst open and we saw a stranger … the doorway. 3. The windows of the bedroom looked … … a little garden ... the back of the house. 4. Who dwells … this cottage? 5. The boy saw a man go into the house … the side door. 6. I must have misplaced the key … the cupboard, I can't find it anywhere. 7. Tell the children not to forget to wipe their feet … the door-mat. 8. For hours at a stretch he would sit ... a chair looking … … the window. 9. You may dry your hands … this towel, it is quite clean. 10. Before going to bed he usually set the room … rights and turned … the light. 11. Where is the entrance … the cinema ? 12. She said she remembered having put ... the gas in the kitchen after she had finished cooking. 13. My brother was sorry he could not buy the sideboard, it was a little too large and he is short … space. 14. I must have a bulb to screw … instead of the one that has fused.

Ex. 32. Insert articles where needed.

a) One night last week my friend Boris, who is over here on ... vis­it, and I were invited to dinner at ... Ivanovs'. We got there about seven o'clock, and were shown in by Annie ... youngest daughter of ... Ivanovs. When we went in to dinner, ... host sat at ... head of ... table, ... hostess at ... other end, while Boris and I sat on either side. We were ... only guests, ... table was beautifully laid, and laying ... table for dinner is no easy matter. There must be ...white table-cloth, or mats, and knives, forks, spoons, glasses, and ... table-napkin for everybody. Then there must be plates, dishes, salt-cellars, pepper and mustard-pots. Other things required during ... meal are placed on ... sideboard. I found ... Ivanovs' dining-room very attractive, indeed. I liked their pictures, their curtains, their lights; it's ... long time since I saw ... room that I liked so much. It was... thorough­ly enjoyable evening and I was glad that Boris had ... chance of din­ing with such charming people.

b) In his own small room Martin lived, slept, studied, wrote and kept house. Before ... window looking out on ... tiny front porch was ... kitchen table that served as desk, library, and typewriting stand. ... bed, against ... rear wall, occupied two-thirds of ... total space of... room. ... table was flanked on one side by ... bureau, man­ufactured for profit and not for service .... bureau stood in ... cor­ner, and in ...opposite corner, on ... table's other flank was the kitch­en oil-stove on ...box, inside of which were dishes and cooking uten­sils, ... shelf on the wall for provisions, and ... bucket of water on ... floor. Martin had to carry his water from ... kitchen sink, there being no tap in his room. ... small closet contained his clothes and ... books he had accumulated and for which there was no room on ... table or under ... table. (J. London)

c) This is ... classroom. There are ten students in ... class­room. One student is standing; the others are sitting. There is one door and four windows in ... classroom. There is ... table in ... classroom. There are ... flowers on ... table. There are two pictures on ... walls. One picture is near ... door; the oilier is near one of ... windows. ... blackboard is in ... middle of one of ... walls. There is ... large map to ... right of ... blackboard. It is ... map of ... world. There are ... different countries on it, they are all of... different colours: green and brown, light brown and dark grey, yellow and red. I can find ... plaee on ... map where ... Father is now: it is ... Far East. It is far from Leningrad. When it: is still dark in Leningrad and only... moon and ... stars are shining it is light there because ... sun is already rising in ... East.

Ex. 33. Answer the questions, using prompts.

1. What kind of heating do you use in your house? (central heating / open fire / oil heater / gas or electric fire)

2. What kind of fuel do you use in your house? (wood, oil, coal, gas, electricity)

3. What kind of material do you use for building your house? (bricks, stone, concrete, timber)

4. What kind of things can you find on a bed? (a mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows, a bedspread)

5. What kind of furniture can you find in the hall? (coat rack, hall mirror, umbrella stand, shoe stand)

Ex. 34. Put questions to the following sentences.

1. Our house is in the center of the town. (Where?)

2. There is a sofa between the window and the wardrobe. (General)

3. There are three rooms in the flat. (How many?)

4. There are two pictures above the piano. (What?)

5. Wе live in a five-storeyed house. (General, Where?)

6. The kitchen serves us as a dining-room. (Alternative)

7. We use our bedroom as a study. (How?)

8. On the floor they have a nice thick carpet. (What?)

9. In front of the house there is a small garden. (What?)

10. Against the wall you can see wall units. (What? Where?)

11 .Wе keep our toilet articles in the bathroom. (What? Where?)

12. Wе enjoy listening to music. (Who? What?)

13. The curtains on the window match the walls. (Disjunctive)

14. Our living-room is the largest in the flat. (What room?)

15. The children’s room is just across the corridor on the right. (Where?)

16. They clean their apartment once a week. (How often?

17. Every month people have to pay their rent and utility bills. (What? How often?)

18. People get apartments for an unlimited period of time. (What? General, For how long?)

19. After a citizen buys the flat, he may sell it or give it as a gi­ft. (What? When? Disjunctive)

20. Many people prefer to buy apartments or to build individual houses. (All types)