Text II The House

A house may be built of wood, stone, brick, concrete of prefabs. A building may be one, two, three, four-storeyed and higher. There are many multi-storey blocks of flats in our town now.

Some American multi-storey buildings are called skyscrapers. London houses have mostly 2 or 3 storeys and only 5% have from 8 to 10 storeys.

Our first floor is usually called the ground floor in England and our second floor corresponds to the English first floor. The Americans call the floors as we do: first, second, etc.

The house we live in is our home. The house may face a street, a park, a square. It may have a southern, northern, eastern or western aspect (a south-facing aspect). The windows of my room overlook a lane.

When people move into a new flat, they usually have a house-warming party.

There may be a one-room, a two-room flat, etc. Most of the flats nowadays have all modern conveniences, such as running water, gas, electricity, central heating and a refuse chute.

The entrance to the house from the street is called the front door. There is sometimes another entrance, too, leading into the house from the yard – the back door.

The staircase leads to the upper floors. We go upstairs or downstairs. The staircase consists of stairs (steps).

The steps between two landings are called a flight of stairs, and the door of the flat usually opens on to the landings.

When visitors come, they press the bell or knock at / on the door. Then one of the inhabitants answers the door (the bell), and the visitor asks if the person he wants to see is in or out.

Use the italicized words and word combinations in sentences of your own.

Text III a Flat in our Country

A modern flat in our country is a three-room flat with constant hot water, a refuse-chute and built-in cupboards.

The study is a simply-furnished room. The main piece of furniture is the writing desk. Next to it stands a bookcase with sliding glass doors. The sofa against the wall faces the TV set of the latest model.

The adjoining room is the dining room. When dinnertime comes, the host(ess) spreads the tablecloth and sets the table. She/he takes the crockery and cutlery out of the sideboard and puts them on the table.

The walls in the bedroom are papered with beautiful wallpaper. There is parquet on the floor. The built-in wardrobe saves much floor space. The lampshade of the suspended lamp makes the room look cosy. A beautiful thick carpet, matching the furniture, is spread on the floor.

It is pleasant to have such a nice apartment!

1. Translate the text into Russian.

2. Explain the difference between the words below:

A flat – an apartment

Last – latest

Exercise 1

Give the 4 forms of the following words:

Spread, choose, pay, sell, set, put, take, keep, make, coat, give, write, come, find, see, buy, build, go, show.

Exercise 2

Complete the sentences:

1. They moved into a two-room flat with all modern conveniences including a refuse chute and constant … .

2. The main piece of furniture in the bedroom is … .

3. When dinnertime came … .

4. The walls in the living room are … .

5. The floor is not painted, it is …

6. The carpet which is spread on the floor … .

7. It is dinnertime, spread … .

8. The crockery and cutlery are … .

9. Built-in cupboards … .

10. The wallpaper patterned with leaves makes the room … .

Exercise 3

Translate into English:

1. Очень удобно, когда в квартире постоянно горячая вода.

2. Главное в этом гарнитуре – раздвижной обеденный стол.

3. Шторы и ковер гармонировали с обоями и делали комнату очень уютной.

4. В столовой – паркет, а на кухне пол крашеный.

5. Не накрывай на стол, я еще не расстелила скатерть. Где ножи и вилки?

6. Стены в ванной кафельные, в коридоре – покрашены, а на кухне – побелены, а в гостиной оклеены обоями.

7. Что обычно расстелено на полу?

8. Какого цвета абажур у люстры?

9. Их новые апартаменты состоят из трех комнат, ванной, кухни, туалета и прихожей.

10. Что делает их жилище таким удобным и уютным?

11. Ты не могла бы расстелить скатерть и накрыть на стол? Возьми в шкафу посуду, вилки и ножи.

12. Кроме круглосуточной горячей воды в их квартире есть все современные удобства, включая мусоропровод и телефон.

Exercise 4

Read and translate into Russian. Use the italicized words and expressions in sentences or short stories of your own:

Text 1

1. My elder sister has a room of her own. It faces a large square and she has a good view of the city from the windows. The room has a south-facing aspect so it is full of light all day long. The curtains on the windows match the walls which are papered with wallpaper of a pretty pattern. There is parquet in the room.

2. The carpet on the floor makes the room look very cosy. The room is not overcrowded with furniture. In the right-hand corner, next to the divan-bed, there is a writing desk with a plain wooden chair next to it.

3. The room is rather spacious. It is about 15 square metres. All the pieces of furniture fit in very well. A number of bookshelves against the wall are not out of place either.

Text 2

1. My aunt moved into a new flat last month. We were invited to their house-warming party, so we could have a look at their flat.

Most of all I liked the kitchen. It’s unusually spacious, about 10 square metres, with all modern conveniences. There is even a refuse chute, so my aunt could get rid of the garbage can which my cousin had to empty in the yard twice a day.

2. The gas-cooker/stove with four rings/burners has an oven to bake pies in. The walls are tiled and it makes the kitchen look clean. In the right-hand corner stands a fridge of the latest model (the fridge is the latest model). It’s very spacious.

Against the wall stands a kitchen table. Beside it there are two square stools. On the top shelf of the cupboard there is crockery, on the middle shelf there is a tea set. In one of the drawers my aunt keeps the cutlery.

3. The plate rack above the kitchen sink is close at hand. The only thing which is out of place here, to my mind, is the armchair which occupies much floor space and doesn’t fit in there.

Through the door on the left we enter the adjoining – room. It is also very comfortable, with a built-in closet and a new suite of furniture.

My relatives are indeed lucky to have got such a nice apartment.