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149
plumbed into the main water supply to save you having to connect robber pipes to your taps each time
you use it. All you have to do is load the dirty dishes, glasses and cutlery into the racks inside the machine,
pour in some special detergent powder, close the door and switch it on; it does the rest by itself while you
get on and do more interesting things. Of course, most dishwashers can't accommodate large saucepans and
frying pans, and you do have to scrape all scraps of solid food from the dishes before you put them in to
avoid blocking the filters, but the machine will wash almost everything else and get rid of even the most
stubborn egg and lipstick stains. When the washing cycle is over, the machine dries the plates and glasses
with its own heat, and indeed they can be left inside until they are needed for the next meal.
If you buy a medium-sized dishwasher, you probably won't need to wash up more than once a day. The
drawback of this, of course, is that you have to have enough dishes, cutlery, etc. to last three or four meals.
So it can happen that people who buy a dishwasher have to buy new china and glasses, either because they
haven't got enough or because the ones they've got don't fit the machine. This extra expense may not only be
necessary, but also desirable, for one has to remember that dishwashers can be quite noisy. This means that
many people prefer only to use their machine once a day, preferably last thing at night, when you can just
shut the kitchen door on it and go to bed.
(From "Meanings into Words" by Adrian Doff, Christopher Jones and Keith Mitchell)
I. Read the text "Dishwashers" and express your agreement or disagreement with the following claims
about dishwashers.
1. They cannot be stood on the floor.
2. You can hang them on the wall.
3. You cannot use them for washing cutlery.
4. You do not need any detergent powder for washing up.
5. There is a special place in any dishwasher for large saucepans and frying pans.
6. They get rid of most stubborn stains and of scraps of solid food.
7. Hot air flowing through dishes dries them.
8. Dishwashers can be quite noisy.
II. Work in pairs. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having a dishwasher. One of you prefers
to have it while the other is not fond of electrical appliances in general.
III. Work in pairs. Explain to each other in you own words the advantages and disadvantages of:
1. vacuum cleaners;
2. automatic cookers;
3. electric toasters;
4. mixers.
IV. Work in groups. Give your opinion on the use of labour saving devices. If you are in favour of this
sort of appliances, use:
To make housework considerably easier; to cut down the amount of time and effort; to save one a lot of
bother; labour and time consuming task; to do the everyday household chores; to switch themselves on/off;
to save smb. from doing smth; extremely boring; to ruin one's hands; can be stood on the floor or on a
worktop; can be mounted on a wall; to load the dirty dishes, etc. into; the racks inside the machine; pour in
some detergent powder; to do the rest by itself; to dry the plates, etc.; the washing cycle; to be worth buying;
If you are not in favour of them, use:
To suit one's purse; the layout of one's kitchen; can't accommodate large saucepans and frying pans; to
have to scrape all scraps of solid food from the dishes; to block the filters; to have enough dishes, cutlery,
etc. to fit the machine; extra expense, noisy; get out of order; to be not worth buying; to repair; to take away
much useful and valuable physical activity; to need exercise.
Text 2
So great is our passion for doing things ourselves, that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on
specialized labour. No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for there are countless do-it-yourself
publications. Armed with the right tools and materials, newly-weds gaily embark on the task of decorating
their own homes. Men of all ages spend hours of their leisure time installing their own fireplaces, laying out
their own gardens; building garages and making furniture. Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build
their own record players and radio transmitters. Shops cater for the do-it-yourself craze not only by running
special advisory services for novices, but by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at
home.
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