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you can do to renovate it. In the hall you cast a glance at the coatrack and a chest of drawers for shoes.
Probably, nothing needs to be changed here.
You come to the kitchen: kitchen furniture, kitchen utensils, a refridgerator (fridge) with a freezer, a
dishdrainer, an electric or gas cooker with an oven. Maybe, it needs a cooker hood?
The dining-room is lovely. A big dining table with chairs in the centre, a cupboard with tea sets and
dinner sets. There is enough place to keep all cutlery and crockery in. You know pretty well where
things go.
The spacious living-room is the heart of the house. It is the place where you can have a chance to see the
rest of your family. They come in the evening to sit around the coffee table in soft armchairs and on the
sofa. You look at the wall units, stuffed with china, crystal and books. Some place is left for a stereo
system and a TV set. A fireplace and houseplants make the living-room really cosy.
Your bedroom is your private area though most bedrooms are alike: a single or a double bed, a
wardrobe, one or two bedside tables and a dressing-table.
You look inside the bathroom: a sink, hot and cold taps and a bath. There is nothing to see in the toilet
except a flush-toilet.
You are quite satisfied with what you have seen, but still doubt
disturbs you: 'Is there anything to
change?' Yes! The walls of the rooms should be papered, and in the bathroom and toilet — tiled! Instead of
linoleum there should be parquet floors. Instead of patterned curtains it is better to put darker plain ones,
so that they might not show the dirt. You do it all, but doubt does not leave you. Then you start moving the
furniture around in the bedroom, because the dressing-table blocks out the light. You are ready to give a
sigh of relief, but... suddenly find out that the lounge is too crammed up with furniture.
Those who live in one-room or two-room flats may feel pity for those who live in houses. They do not
have such problems. At the same time they have a lot of privileges: central heating, running water, a
refuse-chute and... nice neighbours who like to play music at midnight. Owners of small flats are happy to
have small problems and they love their homes no less than those who live in three-storeyed palaces.
Home, sweet home.
1. What category of owners does your family belong to?
2. Say what else one can see In a hall, a kitchen, a dining room, a lounge, a bedroom.
3. Look at the plan of a flat and decide how you would arrange it. Discuss with the classmates what you
would buy to furnish it. Make use of the phrases below:
Let's ...
in the middle
What about putting ...
in the far end of the room
What do you think of...
in the right corner by ...
I think we should ...
in the left comer at...
Shall we ...
on the right
Perhaps the best thing would be to ...
on the left
Everybody puts ...
beside
Well, couldn't we ...
near
Why don't we ...
(just) opposite
4. Do you have a room of your own? Is there anything special about it?
0 TEXT
Clara in the Denhams' House.
(Extract from the book by Margaret Drabble "Jerusalem the Golden ". Abridged)