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1. Accommodation
There are so many different types of accommodation. In cities most people live in flats. If they are very rich, they can afford a big house in the city. But they are usually very expensive. In towns people live in houses or houses for two families or sometimes in a row of terraced houses. People built them in Victorian times for workers, but they are very popular now. And, of course, in the cities there are high-rise flats. These can be anything from ten to twenty storeys high. These are usually for families who can’t afford to buy a house or a flat. In England they are not usually very nice. They are old buildings. Some of them are rather dirty. It’s very difficult for families with young children to live there. They live on the twentieth or thirtieth floor and very often the lifts don’t work. There are a lot of problems with these types of houses. Students usually share flats. And then, when they get a job and get married, they want to buy a house or a flat. Usually they are twenty-five or thirty years old by the time they think about buying either a house or flat. Most people don’t have enough money to buy one immediately, so they have to borrow money from a bank. A young couple will buy a small flat or maybe a very small house. We call them ‘starter homes’. After a few years maybe they decide to have children. Then they can sell the small house or flat and buy something a little bit bigger. A small starter flat will probably have a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and just one bedroom. Houses usually have at least two bedrooms, and downstairs there will probably be a living room and a dining room, or a big kitchen, whilst upstairs there will be a bathroom and one, or two bedrooms.
1. What kind of accommodation do most people live in?
2. What can you afford if you are rich?
3. Are houses cheaper or more expensive in small towns?
4. Where do people live in towns?
5. Who were terraced houses built in Victorian times for?
6. Are there only a few high-rise flats in big cities?
7. Are they usually from thirty to forty storeys high?
8. High-rise flats are very nice in England, aren’t they?
9. Why is it difficult for young families with children to live there?
10. Do students usually share flats or houses?
11. When do young people want to buy a house or a flat?
12. Why do they want to borrow money from a bank?
13. Do a young couple usually buy a big flat?
14. What is a ‘starter home’?
15. How many rooms does a starter flat have?
16. Are there at least two bedrooms in a starter flat?
17. What do a young couple buy?
18. How many bedrooms do small houses usually have?
19. What is there downstairs in the house?
20. What is there upstairs in the house?
Training 1
In cities a lot of people live in high-rise flats. These can be anything from ten to twenty storeys high. These are usually for families who can’t afford to buy a house or a substantial flat. In England they are not usually very nice. They are old buildings. Some of them are rather dirty. It’s very difficult for families with young children to live there. There are a lot of problems with these types of houses.
Training 2
Young couples buy small flats or very small houses. They are called ‘starter homes’ in England. Most people don’t have enough money to buy one immediately, so they have to borrow money from a bank. A small starter flat will probably have a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and just one bedroom. Houses usually have at least two bedrooms.
2. Banks
It is easy to open a bank account. There are lots of high street banks. These are the banks which people use in everyday life. You can open a current account. That is an account that you use from day-to-day. You can put money in it or take money out. If you want to open one, you simply go to your local bank and say that you want to open a personal account. You will have to show a passport and, of course, you will have to give your permanent address. If you want to pay money into your account you simply fill in a very short form and pay in the money. If you want to take money out of your account, it is the same procedure. You usually get a statement once a month from the bank. It shows how much money you have in your account. Most banks also take a monthly sum for services. Of course, if you spend more money than you have in your account, this is a serious situation. And the bank will certainly ask you to repay the money as soon as possible. And the bank will take interest. But if you need money, you can always ask the bank to lend you a sum of money. This is called a loan. Of course, you have to repay this loan month by month. And you will have to pay interest as well. And, of course, if you need money for shopping you don’t have to go into the bank. You can use ‘the hole in the wall’. This is the cash machine. You simply enter your personal identification number, say how much money you want and the machine will give it to you. The other type of account is a savings account. You use it to save money. I think everybody has a credit card. But you need to be very careful with credit cards. So, if you always remember that the bank is not there to help you – the bank is there to make money out of you – then you will be OK.
1. Is it easy to open a bank account?
2. What are high street banks?
3. What is a current account?
4. What can you do with a current account?
5. What should you do if you want to open a current account?
6. Will you have to show a passport in the bank?
7. How can you pay money into your account?
8. How can you take money out from your account?
9. How often do you get a statement from the bank?
10. You don’t have to pay for bank services, do you?
11. What happens if you spend more money than you have?
12. What can you do if you need more money?
13. How should you repay the loan?
14. What can you use if you need money for shopping?
15. What is ‘the hole in the wall’ called?
16. How can you get the money from the cash machine?
17. Very few people have a credit card these days, don’t they?
18. What is a savings account used for?
19. Why should you be very careful with credit cards?
20. The bank is there to help you, isn’t it?
Training 1
You can use your current account from day to day. You can put money in it or take money out. If you want to pay money into your account you simply fill in a very short form and pay in the money. If you want to take money out of your account, it is the same procedure. You usually get a statement, once a month, from the bank. It shows how much money you have in your account.
Training 2
If you need money for shopping you don’t have to go into the bank. You can use ‘the hole in the wall’, this is the cash or ATM machine. You simply put your plastic bank card in, enter your personal identification number, say how much money you want and the machine will give it to you. You can also use your bank card to buy goods and services.
3. Being Famous
Who are the famous people in the twenty-first century? They are film stars, pop stars, politicians, sportsmen and sportswomen. It’s interesting that most people know of some pop stars, film stars, sportsmen and women. However, fewer people know of politicians, writers, poets and artists. Most young people know Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, David Beckham and Madonna, and of course, even ten years after her death, Princess Diana. What makes these people famous? Of course, newspapers and magazines, television, cinema and the Internet. It’s interesting that most of the famous people are in the world of show business. You can see stars on the covers of many magazines. Many magazines tell only about the lives of pop stars or film stars. Of course, being famous means money, a beautiful lifestyle and power. You can get a lot of money for your job. Can you imagine how much money Tom Cruise gets to make just one film? But what about the associated problems? Being famous means that you don’t have a private life. If you go shopping or to a restaurant everybody knows you. And, of course, there is always the paparazzi. These are photographers of famous people. They always follow you and wait outside your house just to take photographs. If you are famous, you don’t know who your real friends are and who are not. Perhaps the most famous person in the world was Princess Diana. But during her lifetime many newspapers and people criticised her. She couldn’t live a normal life. And there is no better story for a newspaper or magazine than a scandal about a famous person. Scandals sell newspapers and magazines. So, the next time you dream about being famous, just remember all the problems that it can bring.
1. Who are the famous people in the twenty-first century?
2. Most people don’t know pop stars and film stars, do they?
3. Do a lot of people know politicians and writers?
4. What famous people are known all over the world?
5. What makes these people famous?
6. Most of the famous people are in banking business, aren’t they?
7. Where can you often see stars?
8. What do many magazines like to tell about?
9. What does being famous mean?
10. Do famous people get a lot of money?
11. What sort of problems do famous people have?
12. What are the photographers that follow famous people called?
13. What happens when a famous person goes shopping?
14. Why can’t a famous person have a quiet meal in a restaurant?
15. Can famous people distinguish between a real friend and an enemy?
16. Who is one of the most famous people in the world?
17. Did many newspapers criticize Diana during her lifetime?
18. Could Diana lead a normal life?
19. Why do the press like scandals about a famous person?
20. What should you remember when you dream about being famous?
Training 1
Most famous people are in the world of show business. These are pop stars, film stars and TV presenters. You can see show-business stars on the covers of many magazines. Newspapers, magazines and the Internet tell about the lives of famous people. Famous people get a lot of money for their work. Being famous means wealth, an enviable life style and power.
Training 2
Being a famous person means that you don’t have a private life. If you go shopping or to a restaurant everybody knows you. There are a lot of photographers that follow you around. The most annoying ones are paparazzi. Paparazzi always wait outside your house just to take photographs and then sell them to a newspaper. And there is no better story for the tabloid press than a scandal about a famous person!
4. Best and Worst Teachers
It is really easy to find out who are the best and worst teachers. I guess most teachers are good. They are not bad, they are not excellent, but they are good and they give good lessons. And the best teachers are always very strict, but they make their lessons really interesting. You work hard and they don’t accept any sort of low quality homework. They pack a lot into the lessons. They talk to us as adults, as intelligent adults. They expect that we can understand what they are explaining, work fast, come up with questions and think for ourselves. I think the other teachers that are good, but not brilliant, are a bit too easy-going. You can give in poor homework and not learn anything. Our History teacher is one of the really good teachers. He gets us all arguing and discussing. That is really great. You have to read, try to think and analyze. So that is interesting. And this is the same with the English Literature classes. We analyze all the characters, the author and the style. It is interesting too. And the worst teacher. She teaches Religious Studies. She talks about religion and the Bible as if it is all a fairy story. And she can’t keep discipline. We do terrible things in her classroom. I think she is in the wrong profession. She can’t make the lessons interesting. I suppose the best teachers have a strong character and they are really interested in their subjects. My Mum can remember every teacher. It is something you never really forget. At the moment one of the worst teachers for me personally is our Maths teacher. That is not because she is a bad teacher. It is because I am bad at Maths. So I think she is a good teacher but just not for me.
1. Is it easy or difficult to find out who the best teachers are?
2. Are most teachers good or bad?
3. Are the best teachers sometimes very strict?
4. How do you work if your teacher is strict?
5. How do the best teachers talk to their students?
6. What do excellent teachers expect from their students?
7. What sort of homework do they accept?
8. What kind of teachers accept low quality homework?
9. Is Julia’s History teacher a good or a bad teacher?
10. What does Julia’s History teacher gets his students to do?
11. What does Julia do during the English Literature classes?
12. Who is Julia’s worst teacher?
13. How does the teacher tell the pupils about the Bible?
14. Why does Julia think that the teacher is in the wrong profession?
15. What sort of character do the best teachers have?
16. What are the best teachers really interested in?
17. What can’t Julia’s mother forget?
18. Is Julia’s maths teacher one of her best teachers?
19. Is Julia good or bad at maths?
20. What kind of teacher is she really?
Training 1
The best teachers are always very strict, but they make their lessons really interesting. You work hard and they don’t accept any sort of low quality homework. They pack a lot into the lessons. They talk to us as intelligent adults. They expect that we can understand what they are explaining and work fast. The best teachers have strong characters and they are really interested in their subject.
Training 2
The other teachers that are good, but not brilliant, are a bit too easy-going. They are not strict and don’t have a strong character. You can give in poor homework and not learn anything. They try to make their lessons interesting but they can’t keep discipline and their students don’t listen, and sometimes do terrible things in the classroom.
5. Birthdays and Name Days
We don’t actually have name days in Britain. So, we celebrate only birthdays. Of course, these are big events for children. Usually parents buy one big present for the child and other small presents. And, of course, all the other family members give the child presents, and school friends, too. Parents usually organize the birthday party. And children usually arrive in the early afternoon. There is always a birthday cake with candles. And the birthday child has to blow out all the candles and make a wish. Parents organize games. A birthday party for ten, fifteen or twenty small kids is a difficult experience. Teenagers are a different problem for parents. Teenagers want to have discos. They want beer and music and they don’t want their parents in the house. One of the most important birthdays for a teenager is their eighteenth birthday. That is usually the age where parents will try and give them a big important present, for example, driving lessons. Some rich parents give their eighteen-year-old a car. And the next important birthday is the twenty-first. I think a birthday is like a family holiday. And the family will come together for a meal in the evening. Sometimes friends or family organize a surprise birthday party. A person comes home. And suddenly everybody jumps out from the darkness and says, “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” I think that is really nice. That happened to me once. And we had a great evening. I think it was one of my best birthdays. Actually, I like special surprise birthdays, like surprise parties or surprise presents, like a flight in a hot air balloon. That is a really great present.
1. Do the British usually celebrate name days?
2. What do they celebrate?
3. Who likes birthdays most of all?
4. What kind of presents do parents usually buy?
5. Who else usually gives presents to a birthday child?
6. What do parents often organize?
7. What is a child’s birthday party like?
8. Why is a birthday cake so important?
9. What does the birthday child have to do?
10. Why is a teenager’s birthday party a problem for parents?
11. What is a typical teenager’s birthday party like?
12. What is one of the most important birthdays?
13. What kind of presents do parents try to give on this occasion?
14. What is a typical present from well-to-do parents?
15. When is the next important birthday?
16. Why do we say a birthday is like a family holiday?
17. What is a surprise party like?
18. Has Julia ever had a surprise party?
19. How did she like her surprise party?
20. What else can make a birthday really special?
Training 1
Birthdays are big events for children. Usually parents buy one big present for the child and various other, small presents. All the other family members and school friends give the child presents, too. Parents usually organize a birthday party. There is always a birthday cake with candles. The birthday child has to blow out all the candles and make a wish. And parents usually organize games.
Training 2
A birthday is like a family holiday. The family will come together for a meal in the evening. Sometimes friends or family organize a surprise birthday party. A person comes home and suddenly everybody jumps out from the darkness and says, “Surprise! Happy Birthday!” Julia likes special surprise birthdays, she likes surprise parties or surprise presents, like a flight in a hot air balloon, which is a fantastic present.