Unit 4.
American Homes.
Proverbs about Home:
1. East or West home is best
2. There is no place like home.
3. My home is my fortress.
4. Home, sweet home.
Why do people need home?
Where do Americans prefer to live: houses or apartments?
Say true or false.
Nearly everyone in America lives in an apartment.
American houses are small.
Nobody in America rents a room or an apartment from a landlord.
The poorest people live in “ public houses” apartments.
Americans prefer to live in cities.
You can see some of the British history in the styles of American houses.
Americans move from one place to another very often.
2. Read the text and check your answers. American Homes.
American homes are some of the biggest and best in the world. Many have a garage for one or two cars, a big, modern kitchen, a living room, several bedrooms and a playroom for children.
Some families have two homes. They have one house or apartment in the city or suburbs. They live and work there. But they have another home near the sea or in the mountains. They go to their second home at the weekends and for vacations.
Seventy per cent of Americans buy the house they live in. They are lucky. But thirty per cent cannot buy a house or an apartment. Some of them rent their houses from a landlord. The poorest people live in
“public houses” apartments. These apartments are not like rich American homes. People do not like to live in public houses. They are afraid of thieves and drug sellers.
Americans who live in towns and cities often move. A family stays in one house for four or five years, and then moves again. Some people move because they find a new job. Other people move because they want a bigger or a smaller home. In American suburbs, families come and go all the time.
Americans like to think the United States is a young country, but really it has a long and interesting history. You can see some of its history in the styles of the houses. Americans are always trying to make their homes better. They take a lot of time to buy furniture and make their homes beautiful. They work hard on their homes in the evenings and at the weekends.
3. Correct the statements in exercise 1.
4. Compare Russian and American homes. Make 7 true sentences about Russian homes.
5. These ads list the special features of three apartment buildings. Look at the ads and answer the questions.
Which buildings offer parking?
Where can you swim all the year round?
How is Prospect place different from the other buildings?
Which building is the most secure?
6. An apartment to rent.
Work with your partner. Look at the ad for an apartment to rent. Student A is a manager and Student B is calling about a two- bedroom apartment.
7. Make up an ad for your ideal apartment. What special features would you include?
Read the text about old American houses.
Test.
Tall, round tents stand in a circle are called…
a). totem poles
b). tepees
c). pueblos
2. The door of a … was a hole in the roof.
a) totem pole b) tepee c) pueblo
3. Big wooden houses are called…
a). totem poles b) tepees c).pueblos
4. American houses are some of the … in the world.
a). smallest b)biggest c).worst
5. … of Americans buy the house they live in.
a) 80% b) 50% c) 70%
6. Some people…. their houses from a landlord
a) rent b) steal c) buy
7. The poorest people live in the …
a) farms b) public houses c) mountains
8. Americans move every… years.
a) 4-5 b) 7-9 c) 10 – 12
9. Traditional American houses are …
a) 1- storey high b) 2- storey high c) 3 - storey high
10. …. are built of brick.
a) Farm houses b) Cottage houses c) Town houses
11. Some buildings have doormen for…
a). amusement b) security c) opening doors
12. An apartment in a building without a … is called a walk-up.
a) lift b) door c) doorman
Glossary.
apartment – flat
appliance – a piece of electric equipment that people use in their homes
equipment – the things that you use for a certain activities
landlord – a man that you rent a room or a house from
laundry- a room for washing clothes
public houses – houses that belong to the government
rent – pay money to live in a place
security – safety
spacious – covering a large area
Unit 5.
American Traditions and Holidays.
What is a tradition?
What traditions of different countries do you know?
Read the text carefully and complete the table.
Country |
Tradition
|
|
|
The people of the United States are a mixture of many different nationalities
In one city you can find people, whose parents, grandparents or great grandparents came from China, Africa, South America, Asia, and a European country. These different people brought to their new land a wonderful mixture of customs and traditions. The Germans brought Christmas trees. The Irish brought St. Patrick` s Day celebrations. The Scots brought Halloween. Americans still celebrate the festivals of the Old World. Sometimes, in fact, the old celebrations are more important in the U.S. than in the countries they came from. American children have more fun at Halloween than Scottish children in Scotland. There are new American festivals and traditions as well as the old ones. Only Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. Rodeos and high school homecomings only happen in the USA..