Episode 65

EPISODE 65
LEVEL A1.2/A2.1

 

 

READING COMPREHENSION

 

OUTSIDE MY HOUSE

 

You remember I have a small house in the village? It is an old house, but I like it very much. It is surrounded by a fence (= it can be made of wood or metal and it goes around the house and the garden) with a gate (= a part of the fence which opens when you want to come in). There is a garage (= a place where you keep your car) on the right. The house has got a red roof (= the covering on the top of the house is red). There is a chimney (= something through which smoke passes from the fire) and an aerial (= it is made of metal and you can watch TV if you have it) on the roof. There are three steps (= stairs outside the house) leading to the door. There is a door bell (= you press it if you want to inform people inside that you are waiting at the door) next to the front door.

 

More contexts for the new words:

• He decided to fence the garden in. (= He decided he needed a fence around his garden.)
• All the passengers should proceed to gate 12. (= you will hear this at the airport; it means that all the passengers should go to exit 12)

 

 

 

EXERCISE 1

Use the words from today’s lesson to describe:

 

1. the house of your dreams
2. the house of your best friend
3. the most beautiful house you’ve ever seen.

 

ENGLISH IN USE 

 

In the text above, we have just read:

It is an old house, but I like it very much.

This time I would like us to look at „to like”. This is a so called stative verb and we only use it with the present simple tense, never with present continuous when we talk about present situations.

I like football.(not: I’m liking football.)
I like going to the cinema.( not: I’m liking going to the cinema.)

There are more stative verbs. Some of them you already know: to hate, to love, to be, to believe, etc.

 

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

 

A/ How do you get on with your mother?

B/ Not too bad, but sometimes it’s hard to live UNDER THE SAME ROOF.

 

If people live under the same roof, they live in the same house/flat.

 

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

 

 

1. When you SET UP home or house, you begin living in a particular place or with a particular person.

I’d like to set up home in New Zealand.

After graduation, they decided to set up house together.

 

2. When you LET OUT a flat (a room, a house), you allow someone to use the place in exchange for money.

They spent a year travelling round the world, and let out their flat for that time.

We could always let out the spare room.

 

 

EXERCISE 2

Decide if the sentences below are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. When you let out a room, you pay someone and live in their room.
2. When you set up home, you redecorate your house.
3. If you live under the same roof with someone, you share a house.

 

 

NEWS

 

FENCED-IN ESTATES

 

A recent report states that more and more Polish housing estates are becoming fenced-in. This trend is allegedly caused by the inhabitants’ wish to protect themselves from undesirable dregs of society and prevent drunkards or drug addicts from loitering around in their neighbourhood. However, this is causing terrible isolation and alienation of the people locked in these modern castles. What is more, it also leads to problems in case of emergency – an ambulance or a fire engine can get stuck at the gate. And you? Would you like to live in a fenced-in area?

 

GLOSSARY

– housing estates – groups of buildings where people live

– fenced-in – surrounded by fences

– dregs of society – the least important people

– loitering around – hanging around without a purpose

 

download lesson (pdf)