Bob can i have a word with you for a minute please

Even if you live in the heart of the city, there‘s you give why you shouldncarefullyt take / set  / put / make up gardening. We can‘t all afford a large garden, but we can all create a space where we can follow the seasons. Whether it‘s a window box, a balcony or a tiny yard, anyone can have the pleasure of looking  on / up  / after / down plants.

 A window box is a small box of plants that literally sits outside your window. Here, the choice are plants is can counts. You want a splash of colour all year round / over / alongbitacross , so choose flowers ve bloom at different times of the wisteria. Daffodils, for example, are beautiful spring flowers and will soon have you looking forward to summer. Their bright colours will also and butterflies, bringing a touch of life. If you‘ve got a balcony, you‘ve got a little more freedom. In this case, the key is to get / make / have / do maximum use of the space youyourve got available. Put taller plants against the walls of the house, with shorter plants and important along the edge / boundary / rim / frame of the balcony.

 You can also add a you feature; a small fountain creates interest and can have a cooling effect on a hot summer‘s day. If your neighbours‘ balcony is next growing yours, why not use a fastyourgrowing plant like wisteria to form a natural barrier, giving you more privacy?

 Those of you who are lucky enough to have a small yard can really go to town. Think about how you‘re going to use it. Do   /  want to be able to sit and enjoy the sun? Or do you want to be capable / possible / able  / probable to entertain friends and have a barbecue? Divide the yard into separate areas and plan each one carefully. Garden furniture is very important. A table that folds in half can give you a lot of flexibility, and chairs that fold away also allow you to change your garden to fit / suit / copy  / go your mood. As much  / long  / few  / far as plants are concerned, choose varieties that don‘t mind a bit shade, unless your yard gets a lot of sun. Yards often have walls that keep the sun out for long periods and you don‘t want your careful plans spoiled because a few of your plants start to die.

Neighbourhood task teams have had an immediate impact in

crime.

They have a long-term

on crime levels.

We’re

anti-social behaviour.

We’re working with partner agencies to help

solutions.

The creation of a neighbourhood resource centre has

a big difference.

The centre offers a

of activities to all ages.

The police can work with the

, and are seen in a whole new light.

There’s been a marked

in crime and vandalism.

These are important

to local communities.

Bob: It makes my blood boil when people throw rubbish on the streets. In my area, it’s so messy! Sometimes, it seems as if there’s rubbish everywhere ― on the pavements, in the gutters, even in people’s gardens. I mean, why can’t people just put their rubbish in a bin – there are plenty around! It’s a disgrace! 

Helen: It really gets on my nerves that public transport is so crowded in my city. It’s impossible to drive into the city now, because there’s nowhere to park, so basically everyone goes to work or school by bus. I guess that’s good for the environment, but there should be more buses at peak times or they should build an underground train system or something. It’s just so horrible standing up all the way to school and sometimes I can’t even get onto the bus in the first place. I just can’t put up with it anymore.

Peter: It really annoys me that there are so many stray dogs in the streets in my town. Apart from the fact that I feel very sorry for the poor animals that are left out on the street, it’s a public health problem! Just the other week, a child was bitten by a stray dog! I mean, surely it’s not difficult for the council to have the animals picked up by an animal protection agency? It’s a disgrace!

Bob: Can I have a word with you for a minute, please?

Bob: Yes. I appreciate that, but the smell is offensive and very annoying. It drives me crazy!

Bob: Also, the smell attracts flies and other insects, so it could become a health risk.

Tom: It’s full of rubbish! What do you expect?

Bob: You could put your rubbish in a bag first, so it smells less. That’s what I do.

Bob: Thanks

Bob: Well, it’s about your rubbish bin actually.

Tom: That’s a fair point. OK. I’ll use bin bags from now on.

Tom: Sure. What is it?

Tom: But bin bags cost money! It doesn’t cost me anything to throw my rubbish straight into the bin.

Tom: I see. Sorry about that.

Bob: Well, I’m sorry to say this, but it stinks and I just can’t put up with it any more.

Tom: What’s the problem?

 Bob: Can I have a word with you for a minute, please?

Tom: Sure. What is it?

Bob: Well, it’s about your rubbish bin actually.

Tom: What’s the problem?

Bob: Well, I’m sorry to say this, but it stinks and I just can’t put up with it any more.

Tom: It’s full of rubbish! What do you expect?

Bob: You could put your rubbish in a bag first, so it smells less. That’s what I do.

Tom: But bin bags cost money! It doesn’t cost me anything to throw my rubbish straight into the bin.

Bob: Yes. I appreciate that, but the smell is offensive and very annoying. It drives me crazy!

Tom: I see. Sorry about that.

Bob: Also, the smell attracts flies and other insects, so it could become a health risk.

Tom: That’s a fair point. OK. I’ll use bin bags from now on.

Bob: Thanks.

What is annoying Bob?

What is Tom’s reaction to Bob’s complaint?

What does Bob suggest as a solution?

What is Tom’s first reaction to Bob’s suggestion?

How does Bob persuade Tom to do what he wants?

The home is full of (HIDE)

dangers. Not many people would think that curtains or the TV are especially (SAFE)

. Children, however, can strangle (THEY)

on curtain cords and can be crushed under (FALL)

TV sets. So, make sure curtain cords are out of reach of (CHILD)

and attach your TV to the wall.

There are many things that you can do to keep your home safe. For example, never hide a pair of house keys in a ‘secret’ place in your garden. Burglars know where to look! Never give (PERSON)

information to (IDENTIFY)

telephone callers. And establish a (DAY)

routine that (SURE)

that you will never leave your house without first locking all the doors and windows.

Use the headlines (1-7) to the paragraphs (1-7).

There is one extra heading that you do not need to use.

Everytime she goes on vacation she takes everything but the kitchen/bathroom sink.

/ lied about helping me find a job. She led me up the garden route/path by telling me that she would help me.

They shouldn’t be complaining. They are very lucky to have a roof over their heads/eyes.

When you lend Mike money, it’s like throwing it down the window/drain.

There are nice cafés and restaurants in the pedestrianised/rough zones of our city.

I gave a hawker/beggar my sandwich today. He looked so thin and frail.

Noisy neighbours biggest problem

Do you get on well with your neighbours, or are the people living next door stressful? A new report says that a quarter of people in Britain have had problems with their neighbours in the past year. The survey was carried out by an organization called «Which?” It tries to help and protect consumers. The researchers asked 2,062 adults about their relations with neighbours. They found that 27 percent had experienced problems. «Which?» said on its website that: «Half [of the people] were left feeling angry and half felt irritable, with 42 percent saying they felt stressed, and one in ten admitted to feeling afraid.» It added: «The survey also found that 64 percent didn’t know where to go to seek help and advice.» The biggest complaints about neighbours were loud voices and the sound of arguing. Loud music and televisions, and doors slamming were also a problem. People also described drug use and police arriving at their neighbour’s house. Only one-third of people spoke to the noisy neighbour about the problem. However, people said the problem became worse if the neighbour did not apologise or continued with their annoying behaviour. «Which?» said 86 percent of young people (those aged 18-24) did not know where to go to get advice. A «Which?» spokesperson said: «Our research has found that young people especially are suffering in silence.» «Which?» said people needed to keep a diary of unneighbourly behaviour.

1. A quarter of people in the UK have problems with their neighbours.
2. Researchers interviewed over 20,000 people about their neighbours.
3. Over half of people in the UK feel stressed about their neighbours.
4. Most people do not know how to get advice about neighbours.
5. The biggest complaint about neighbours was noise.
6. Less than a quarter of people spoke to neighbours about problems.
7. The article said the problem went away after talking to a neighbour.
8. A consumer organization recommended people keep a diary.

Listen to a man talking about houses of the future. For each question (1-7), choose A, B or C.

Underline the right variant.

In the future, people will enter their homes using

their hand.

a hand-held computer.

their voice.

What do we learn about cleaning in the future?

It will be a lot more fun.

Houses will clean themselves.

There won’t be washing machines.

In bathrooms, 

people will brush their teeth with tiny toothbrushes.

toothbrushes will repair bad teeth.

mirrors will check for eye problems.

In kitchens, fridges and cupboards

will suggest what food to buy.

will ‘speak’ to each other.

will help with the shopping.

Living rooms

will have TVs with many screens.

will have curtains that change colour.

will have moving walls.

Bedrooms will have talking

wardrobes.

music systems.

mirrors.

An Unusual Mobile Home

A yurt is the

home of nomadic people from Mongolia, Siberia, China and Central Asia. The word ‘yurt’ or ‘yurta’

comes from the Turkish word meaning ‘dwelling place.’ It is

in shape and is easy to assemble, take down and transport. Made of a

frame and covered with felt, it is a popular place to live in the summer months. You will sometimes find it used in other countries too, as it is an

form of temporary housing. In Europe,

on Mongolian and Central Asian-styled yurts are made using other materials, such as local hardwoods. Yurts are used for all sorts of different purposes, from permanent housing to school rooms.