Place of living

 house/block house/flat

 furnishing/gadgets of the rooms

 furnishing/gadgets of the kitchen and the bathroom

 rent and bills

 housework

 housing finance/estate loan/housing/houses in the UK and US

Is it better to rent or own a flat?

I think owning a flat is better because it’s good investment and more secure than living in a rented
flat. If you rent a flat, the owners can ask you to leave any time while, if you live in your own flat, you
can stay there for all your life. It’s also true that you are more willing to finance repair jobs and
redecorating if you are the owner.

Do you think it is better to live in a house or in a flat?

I prefer living in a flat because I hate gardening

and I wouldn’t like to shovel snow in winter.
Shops are closer and it is easier to get to cinemas
and theatres and I can ask our neighbour to
baby-sit as well. On the other hand, life in a
house can be calmer, and you don’t hear your
neighbours’ having all night parties. The only
reason why I would move to a house is that I like
dogs very much and a flat is not an ideal place for them.

Could you imagine living on a houseboat?

No, not really. I think it would be terribly cold on the

boat in winter. I’m not sure I would like the instability of
the boat rocking on the waves. I don’t think there would
be enough room to live comfortably. Furthermore, it
would be impossible to go to work.

How do you heat your house or flat?

We have a gas boiler in the garage and radiators in the rooms.

What is an ideal kitchen like?

It should be big and light enough and well-equipped. There should

be a big table where you can prepare food and big kitchen unit
where you can keep all the pots, pans, dishes, bowls, plates,
glasses, mugs, cups, and whatever you need for cooking, for
example, a mixer, a food processor, a mincer, and a blender. There
must be a good cooker, either gas or electric, and an extractor fan
above it, and a microwave oven. Under the sink there should be a
garbage disposal unit. A dishwasher is necessary, especially for big
families. On the worktop there’s place for a coffee maker, a toaster,
a deep-fryer, and a bread slicer.

How is your bedroom furnished?

There’s a double bed with an embroidered bedspread and two bedside tables. On these tables there
are silver candlesticks, some ornamental figures and vases with silk flowers. In the corner there’s a
dressing table on which there are cosmetics, bottles of perfume, a silver hairbrush and a mirror, and
a boy for my jewellery. There are some potted plants on the window sill and colourful chintz curtains
on the windows. There’s a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There’s also a dark blue wall-to-wall
carpet with two sheepskin rugs.

What is your bathroom like?

Unfortunately, our bathroom has no window, so the only light comes from the lamps. There is one
installed in the bathroom cabinet above the mirror and another on the ceiling. Apart from the
bathtub and the washbasin, there is a washing machine and some towel racks and hooks for the
clothes. On one of the walls there’s a wall heater, too. Next to the bathtub there’s a colourful rug. In
the upper part of the bathroom cabinet there are toothbrushes with glasses and toothpaste, some
creams and body lotions, an electric razor and a bottle of after-shave, and some boxes of plasters.
We keep some combs and brushes, some deodorants and cosmetics here as well. In the bottom part
of the cabinet there’s place for detergents, fabric softeners and cleaning supplies. The shampoos,
hair-conditioners, bath foams and shower gels are on the edge of the bathtub, next to some sponges.

Is it better to live in the countryside or in a city?

I prefer the countryside because I like peace and quiet,

and nature. I agree that living in a city has advantages,
but I can’t imagine living in a dirty and noisy city with
crowds of people around me.

What are the advantages and drawbacks of living in a city compared to living in a village?

In a city it’s easier to find a job and there are more possibilities for spending your free time.
Specialised health services are more easily accessible and there are big hypermarkets and plazas with
a wide variety of goods. In cities there are more banks, post offices and all kinds of services. On the
other hand, the air is polluted, the streets are dirty and noisy, there is more crime, and life is too
hectic. In a village life is more peaceful, the air is clean, there are flowers and trees everywhere and
people know each other. People are friendlier, they always have the time for a chat, and they are
willing to help each other. The disadvantages are that the infrastructure is not so developed, the
number of services is generally smaller, and you may have to commute to make your living. If you
need to contact the authorities because of some administrative matters, you have to travel to the
nearest city, and it can take all day.

Task 1 – Match the kitchen gadgets and appliances to pictures 1-8.

pots

pans

bowls

plates
1 _____________ 2 ______________ 3 ______________ 4 ______________
mugs

deep-fryer

extractor fan

cooker 5 _____________ 6 ______________ 7 ______________ 8 ______________

Task 2 – Match the bathroom gadgets and appliances to pictures 1-8.

towel rack

hook

razor

after-shave
1 _____________ 2 ______________ 3 ______________ 4 ______________
detergent

fabric softener

bath foam

sponge
5 _____________ 6 ______________ 7 ______________ 8 ______________
Task 3 – Writing

The advantages and disadvantages of living in a flat are being discussed on an internet forum and
you want to share your views with the others. Write your comment (ca. 150 words) and include
the following:

 what reasons there are for choosing a flat

 what you cannot possess when you have a flat (e.g. car, cat, garden)
 what is different when we look at the household chores
 the costs involved in having a house or a flat

Task 4 – Word Formation

Honestly, it is an extremely difficult question whether which is the best place to stay. For example, I
couldn’t imagine living on a houseboat because I wouldn’t like the (1) _________________ (stabile)
of the boat rocking on the waves. Furthermore, the sea can be (2) _________________ (noise) during
storms and thunderlights. I think that (3) _________________ (specialise) health services are more
easily accessible if you live in a city, therefore; I would choose living in the centre.

As far as I am concerned, the infrastructure in a city is more (4)

_________________ (develop) than on a farm. It is easier to
travel, and you might find a suitable, well-paid job. To tell you
the truth, it’s my dream to find a job with great salary because I
want to live in a luxurious house. For example, I would keep a
food (5) _________________ (process) and a mincer in my
kitchen, and my bedroom would contain sheepskin (6)
_________________ (rug) and silver candlesticks.

Task 5 – Talk

These pictures show three different homes. Compare and contrast the pictures and talk about
these different ways of living. Then answer the following questions. You can use some of the
words/phrases in the box.

narrow boat farm cottage maintenance view nature

countryside urban isolated freedom
friendships amenities employment peace and quiet
eco-friendly entertainment gadgets