Vocabulary

16-storeyed

block of flats

to be situated

picturesque

supermarket

ground floor

convenient

comfortable

well-planned

modern conveniences

central heating

electricity

gas

running water

to enjoy

lovely

view

living room

dining room

sitting room

wall unit

video cassette recorder

.armchair

left-hand corner

coffee table

electric fire

cosy

light

wardrobe

desk

freezer

microwave oven

coffeеmaker

toaster

dishwasher

expensive

bookshelf

carpet

poster

to change round

well-equipped

refrigerator

fridge

Questions

1. Do you live in a house or in a block of flats?

2. Which floor is your flat on?

3. Is your flat well-planned? Is it comfortable?

4. How many rooms are there in your flat?

5. Have you got a dining room (a sitting room, a study)?

6. Where do you usually have your meals?

7. Is there much furniture in your flat? Do you change it round from time to time?

8. What is there in your room?

9. Are there any pictures on the walls of your flat?

10. What colour are the walls in your room?

11: What is your kitchen like?

12. How often do you redecorate the rooms?

Communicative tasks

A

Complete the note with in, on or at.

Dear Gordon,

Many thanks for agreeing to stay in the flat while I'm in Wales. I enclose the key and here' s the list of what's where that I promised you: If you lose this key, Mr. Johnson ... the flat .................. the ground floor has a spare. If he's away, the landlord lives…

the building …. the end of the street. It's called Laurel Villa, and

he's Mr. Emerson. They both know you'll be there while I'm away.

The electricity and gas main switchers are ... the wall … the back.

of the large cupboard ... the study. You can turn the water off by the large tap

…the corner of the bathroom. I hope you won't need to. I've made a list of all

the useful phone numbers I can think of. It's stuck ... the kitchen door. I hope you have a good time.

Much love,

Paul

B

Match the following descriptions 1-5 with the type of house or home (a-e).

1 A single house that is completely separate from any other.

2 A pair of houses joined together.

3 Several houses joined together in a row.

4 It is sometimes found in high-rise buildings.

5 Usually a small house with a thatched roof.

a terraced houses. b a detached

house. c a flat. d a cottage. e semi-detached

houses.

C

Act in pairs in the dialogue. Then change the roles.

A. Greet the partner and ask him where he lives.

B: Tell your full address.

A: Ask if he has a flat or a house of his own.

B. Answer the question

A. Ask about the size of the flat ( house ) and all conveniences.

B. Complain of the small size of the flat

.

MY WORKING DAY

On weekdays the alarm clock wakes me up at 6.30 and my working day begins. I’m not an early riser, that's why it's very difficult for me to get out of bed, especially in winter. I switch on my tape-recorder and do my morning exercises. Then I go to the bathroom, take a warm shower, clean my teeth and shave. After that I go to my bedroom to get dressed.

Usually my mother makes breakfast for me. But when she is away on business or just doesn't have to get up early, I make breakfast myself. While having breakfast, I listen to the latest news on the radio. . II leave the house at 7.30 and go to the nearest underground station. Last year I tried to enter Moscow University, but unfortunately I failed my entrance examinations. So I thought I should work somewhere. It wasn't easy to find a job, but I managed to get a position of a secretary in a small business company. They agreed to take me because I had studied typewriting, computing and business organisation at school. And besides, I passed my English school-leaving exam with an excellent mark.

It takes me an hour and a half to get to work. But I don't want to waste my time on the train. I've got a small cassette-player and I listen to different texts and dialogues.

Sometimes I read a book and retell it silently. If I come across an interesting expression I try to memorise it. I also write some English words on flashcards and learn them.

I usually arrive at work at ten minutes to nine though my working day begins at 9 sharp. There are always some fax messages to translate from English into Russian. Some-times my boss wants me to write a letter to our business partners abroad. There are also a lot of phone calls which I have to answer. . . At 1 o'clock in the afternoon we have lunch. We usually have lunch in a small cafe just round the corner. At 2 o'clock we come back to work. And we work hard till 5 o'clock.

During the working day we also have several short coffee breaks. But sometimes we have no time for them.

I come home at about 7 o'clock in the evening. My parents are usually at home, waiting for me. We have dinner together. Then we sit in the living room, drink tea, watch TV or just talk. .

Occasionally I have to stay at work till 6 or even 7 o'clock in the evening. When wehave a lot of things to do we go to work on Saturdays. So by the end of the week I get very tired. All I can do on Sundays is to sleep till eleven o'clock, watch television, listen to

music and read. . ,