Read again and choose the correct word for each gap few little small less

 Who are you?

•    When was the last time you got ill?
•    Have you ever had an accident? What happened?

Look at Module 5

•    a report
•    a quotation
•    a cartoon

Listen, read and talk about ……..

•    homelessness
•    types of houses
•    problems in a neighbourhood
•    Feng Shui
•    Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
•    houses in Britain
•    shanty towns
•    green belts
•    a neighbour’s complaint

Learn how to …

•    express annoyance
•    agree/disagree
•    make exclamations
•    make assumptions

Practise …

•    modals (probability, possibility, ability, necessity/obligation, lack of necessity, advice)
•    phrasal verbs: do
•    prepositional phrases related to home repairs
•    idioms related to parts of houses
•    formal style
•    linking words and phrases

Write / Make / Have …

•    a report making suggestions/ recommendations
•    a short article about homes in your country
•    a proposal for the city council
•    a class debate about Green Belts

Imagine living in a sweet little country house called ‘Rose Cottage’ or a huge Tudor¹-style house called ‘Woodlands’. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Not all British
people are 1)……(luck) enough to live in houses as nice as these, but they do live in a wide range of houses that can be newly-built or up to 500 years old.

Detached & Semi-detached Houses

A lot of British people live in detached or semidetached properties. A detached house is not joined to another. A semi-detached is joined on one side to another house. They are brick houses built in 2)…….    (vary) styles. They are made of either red or brown brick. Some of the houses 3)…….    (build) in Victorian times between 1837 and 1901 were large villas. The exteriors are like works of art with steep slate roofs, stained glass panels in doors and windows, iron railings, tall chimney pots and large bay windows². They also had basements and attics. This type of house is often found in the suburbs, on the outskirts of a town or city or in villages.

Terraced Houses

Most people who live in or near town centres live in terraced houses. Most terraced houses were built to house people who came to towns and cities to work in the factories and mills during the 4)……..(Industry) Revolution³. Rows of houses were built back-to-back and they were joined together to save space. Each row of houses is a terrace and they only have two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs.

Flats & Council Houses

In inner-city areas, you can often find huge tower blocks of flats most of which were built during the 1950s and 60s. Some of these have been renovated and have 5)……..(recent) become popular with wealthy young 6)………(profession). Others are council-owned or cheap-to-rent flats that were built after the Second World War to replace houses that had been destroyed or to clear urban slums⁴. Also, in many cities and towns there are large council house estates.

Bungalows

A bungalow is a house which is only on one floor with no stairs. It may be joined to another bungalow or it might stand alone. Some of them have an extra room in the loft⁵. These are called dormer bungalows. They are 7)    …………(usual) found in the suburbs or in villages. 8)………(retire) or elderly people often live in these houses.

¹ 15th century,² window that sticks out from the outside wall, ³ time of rapid manufacturing growth in the mid 18th century, ⁴ areas where living conditions are very bad, ⁵ the space between the ceiling and the roof

1  What do you know about British houses? What else would you like to know? Write three questions. Read the texts and see if you can answer your questions.

:

types                      location                          characteristics                     cost

4  Portfolio: A British school magazine has asked for some information about homes in your country. Write a short article. Include: types, sizes, where they are (e.g. in the suburbs), who lives in them and what features they have.

What exactly is a shanty town?

A shanty town (or slum) is an overcrowded community of rough huts or poor quality houses which have 1)…….. or no access to basic services like clean water and electricity. Shanty towns are usually located on the outskirts of pities,- or on dangerous or worthless land that no one else wants. Since shanty towns are illegal, governments don’t have to provide the people who live in them with medical care, education, or other basic services and rights.

Why do they develop?

Every day, approximately 180,000 people around the world move from the countryside into cities. Some move to escape poverty or conflict, others are simply attracted by the prospect of a better life. Unfortunately, in many parts of the developing world, governments have not 2)……plans GeoFactfiie: Urbanisation in the Developing World to cope with the vast numbers of people arriving in their cities each year. In particular, they have failed to provide decent and affordable housing. As a result, many end 3)………living in terrible conditions: shanty towns.

What is life like in a shanty town?

Unemployment and poverty levels are high in shanty towns. Malnutrition and child labour are common. Since shanty towns are overcrowded and usually without rubbish collections, clean water or sanitation facilities (in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, for example, 40,000 people share just 10 toilets), they are polluted, filthy environments where disease 4)……..quickly. Also, the high level of poverty often leads to organised crime and violence. However, these communities are full of life and residents have a 5)……community spirit.

Is anything being done?

Read and check.

2  a RNE  Read again and choose the correct word (A, B, C or D) for each gap (1-7).

1      A  few                B    little                  C   small                      D   less
2      A  done              B   put                    C   made                      D  had
3      A   up                 B   by                     C   with                        D  away
4      A   flows             B   covers                C  spreads                   D  catches
5      A   high              B   deep                  C  heavy                       D  strong
6      A   win               B   gain                   C  earn                         D  have
7      A   cases           B   matters              C  incidents                  D  examples

b  Explain the words/phrases in bold.

•    How were shanty towns started?
•    What main problems do people living in shanty towns face?
•    What can be done to improve the situation?

4  THINK!  Work in groups. Imagine you live in a shanty town. Prepare a proposal for the city council to improve conditions in the shanty town. Think about:

•    housing • sanitation • services

1  Look at the picture on the web page. What could a Green Belt be?
    Listen to and read the web page to check.

2  Who (Suzy, Tim or both) mention(s): that the country needs more of something? the relationship between Green Belts and conservation? that some areas of Green Belts are ugly? the effect that Green Belts have on pollution levels? Who do you agree with the most? Why?

Match the headings (A-H) to the paragraphs (1-7). There is one heading that you do not need to use.

 1  Smoke detectors in homes have saved countless lives. They sense the presence of smoke in the house and alert the occupants by making a loud beeping noise, giving them time to escape. In order to be kept in good working condition, they should be tested at least once a month and cleaned once a year.

2  One of the attractions of living in the country is a blazing log fire. However, open fires are one of the most inefficient forms of heating, since most of the heat disappears up the chimney. They also produce lots of smoke which, of course, pollutes the environment. From both a financial and environmental point of view, it is better to use other methods of heating.

3  Most people strive to buy a house with a garden but what happens if the budget just doesn’t allow it? Well, those of you who live in an apartment can bring a bit of nature inside by placing some houseplants around your living space. All they need is a little care and attention! Be sure to check, for example, how often they need watering and what kind of conditions they prefer, such as bright or shady, warm or cool.

4  Plans were announced today to build sixteen new homes in Brighton using fifteen thousand old car tyres. The developers claim that they will be so energy efficient that residents will have no utility bills at all! They will collect their own water and be powered by solar panels and wind turbines. The homes offer a way of tackling two of Britain’s biggest environmental concerns — the growing mountain of discarded tyres and the high levels of carbon emissions from housing.

5  ln a few years we might be living in ‘smart’ houses. A smart house is a house where the appliances have a computer fitted inside them, so that they can ‘communicate’ with each other. For example, groceries are ordered when your fridge sees that you are running low on essentials and when you enter your home, temperature, lighting and music are activated according to your personal preferences.

6  Accidents in the home account for about forty per cent of all accidents and a third of all accidents treated at hospital. The most dangerous area of the home is the living room, followed by the garden, kitchen, stairs, bedroom and bathroom. The main factor is age, with young children having the greatest number of accidents. Falls are by far the greatest cause of fatal home accidents, causing more than two thousand deaths in Britain each year.

7  There’s nothing more discouraging than spending hours at the weekend cleaning and organising your home, only to find it in a total mess again by Wednesday! So, why not set aside fifteen minutes per day for maintaining your living space in order to minimise clutter as the week goes on? Good ideas include assigning one small, quick job to each member of the household each day, and putting something back where it belongs every time you leave a room.

  Listen to the radio programme. For each question (1-7), choose A, B or C.

1    The man says he decided to go to Africa because

A he wanted to do something different with his life.
B his daughter persuaded him to do it.
C it was something he had always wanted to do.

2    The man says that his boss

A offered him more money to stay.
B understood his reasons for going.
C was concerned about filling his position.

3    The event that stands out in the man’s memory is

A seeing the house he was to stay in.
B meeting the villagers for the first time.
C the view as he entered the village.

4    The thing that most surprised the man about his new home was that

A it was so basic.
B it was nicer than he had expected.
C it was considered to be nicer than the other houses in the village.

5    They had to cook before the sun set because

A they could only get cooking water during the day.
B they had no electric lights.
C the fire had to be put out after dark.

6    The man slept so well in Uganda because

A it was so quiet there.
B his bed was comfortable.
C he felt so safe and secure.

7    In the future, the man plans to

A continue living in England.
B go back to Africa.
C try living somewhere else.

Complete the gaps (1-6) with the correct derivatives of the words in bold.

A yurt is the 1)………..home of nomadic people from Mongolia, Siberia, China and Central Asia. The word ‘yurt’ or ‘yurta’ 2)…………. comes from the Turkish word meaning ‘dwelling place.’ It is 3)    ……… in shape and is easy to assemble, take down and transport. Made of a 4)………..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 5)…………form of temporary housing. In Europe, 6)…………..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.

TRADITION               ORIGIN            CIRCLE        WOOD         EXPENSIVE           VARY

Read the extract from your friend Amy’s email. Write an email to Amy. In your email:

•    tell her about your new home
•    ask three questions about gardening

Write 100-140 words.

I can’t believe you’ve moved away! What’s your new home like? Do you like it better than your old one? I’m so happy summer’s here at last. I’ve been helping my dad out in the garden lately!

  Give a two-minute talk about your area. Remember to:

•    say what your area is called & where it is
•    say how long you have lived there
•    describe your area
•    say which things you like/don’t like about your area and why

Progress Check

    1  Fill in: rough, run-down, warehouses, market, I capital, roof, drain, full, stained, slate.

1    The door had a beautiful…………glass panel in it.
2    Many people would be happy just to have a………..over their heads.
3    An urban redevelopment scheme can turn disused ………..    into luxury flats.
4    We turned the corner and the house came into …………..view.
5    The council have fixed up a lot of…………..buildings in my town lately.
6    The house had a steep …………    roof.
7    I come from a small ……………. town in the north of England.
8    Don’t just throw your money down the    ……….
9    Unfortunately, lots of people sleep……………in many cities.
10 Do you know what the…………..city of Croatia is?

2  Fill in: must, mustn’t, can’t, don’t have to, should, might, would, shall, will, can. In some case more than one answer is correct.

1    ……….. you hold the door open for me, please?
2    You…………use public transport when you have a car.
3    You……..drive through a red traffic light.
4    Tom………..move to the country soon because he hates living in the city.
5    The new bypass ……….. reduce traffic congestion in the town centre.
6    Drivers    ………… stop at a ‘stop’ sign.
7    Cyclists    …………. wear reflective clothing at night.
8    Most people ……………… afford a house without a mortgage in the UK.
9    …………..we visit Jane in her new flat tonight?
10    You …………. park on a single yellow line for one hour onty in the UK.

3 Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.

1 She has probably settled into her new home by now.
    should    She ……… new home by now.

2  There was no reason to worry about finding a parking space; it was easy.
     need   I…….. finding a parking space; it was easy.

3  It’s not a good idea to go out alone at night.
     go          You…………..alone at night.

4  It’s against the law for drivers to park on double yellow lines in Britain.
    not     You…………double yellow lines in Britain.

5   It’s possible that Pam will come to the party,
     come                   Pam……………the party.

4  Complete the phrasal verbs with the correct particle.

1  I could do………..taking the bus to work every day; it’s a nuisance.
2   Do…………..your laces or you’ll trip over them.
3   Moving house completely did me…………..
4   We don’t have much money, so we have to do……………a lot of things.
5  My dad buys houses, does them …………… and sells them for a profit.    

5   Fill in the gaps with the correct preposition.

1   I am really………..need of a new car.
2   I’m afraid this old fridge is…………repair.
3   My house is within easy reach …………..the town centre.
4   The house is cheap because it is …………..bad condition.
5   I need to call a plumber to look………..this pipe.

6  Match to form exchanges

1   Oi!
2    It drives me crazy.
3    Yuk!
4   It doesn’t really bother me.
5   Phew!

a   Yes, it is really annoying!
b   It makes me angry.
c    What a relief!
d   top that!
e   That’s revolting!

 Now I Can …..

•    talk about homelessness
•    talk and write about houses
•    express annoyance
•    make exclamations
•    use modals
•    use formal style in reports
•    write a report making suggestions
•    write a proposal to improve a shanty town
•    have a class debate about Green Belts