4. Buying a House
Ann: Hi, Bess. This is Ann. How are you?
Bess: Fine, thank you. Where have you been?
Ann: Oh, I’ve bought a house. I’ve been dreaming about it all my life.
Bess: Congratulations! I think, it’s wonderful to live in your own house.
Ann: Yes, it is. But buying a new house, you get a lot of problems.
Bess: What do you mean? Your house doesn’t need repairing, does it?
Ann: No, it doesn’t. But I need to repaper the walls and to furnish the house.
Bess: Are you going to do it yourself or will you invite a designer?
Ann: I’d like to invite a designer, but I’m afraid, I can’t afford it now.
Bess: How much did the house cost? You must have paid a pretty penny.
Ann: Yes, I have. You are right. That’s the problem. I had no enough money to pay for the house at once.
Bess: How did you manage to buy the house then?
Ann: I had to go to a building society.
Bess: What is it? Is it a bank?
Ann: Kind of. This society lends money to those who want to buy a house or a flat. I took a mortgage which amounts to 90 per cent of the selling price of the house. Of course, for 25 years because of the interest rate I’ll pay relatively small sums of money a month and at least I can afford it.
Bess: Oh, that’s wonderful. I’d like to buy a house of my own too!
Supplementary reading a Few Facts
Most British people obtain their home in one of three ways. The majority, about two – thirds, buy their own houses or flats. About 10 per cent of the population live in flats or houses which they rent privately from another person or organization. The majority of the remaining 25 per cent live in accommodations that are owned by, and rented from their local council. Council houses ( or flats ), as these called, are available to everyone, but in many areas there are long waiting lists, and the homes go to the most needy people. In the past few years it has become possible for council house tenants to buy their property from the local authority at a fairly cheap price – this is determined by taking into account how much rent the person has paid to the council over the years.
Homes in Britain are relatively expensive, although prices vary from area to area. They are most expensive in the London area and cheapest in northern England, parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
(From “Англия” magazine)
Render the above text “A Few Facts” in English.
The Doll’s House
(abridged)
By K. Mansfield
There stood the doll’s hose, a dark, oily green, picked out with bright yellow. Its two solid little chimneys glued on to the roof, were painted red and white, and the door gleaming with yellow varnish, was like a little slab of toffee. Four windows, real windows, were divided into panes by a broad streak of green. There was actually a tiny porch, too, painted yellow, with big lumps of congealed paint hanging along the edge.
The Burnell children had never seen anything like it in their lives. All the rooms were papered. There were pictures on the walls, painted on the paper complete with gold frames. Red carpet covered all the floors except the kitchen; red plush chairs in the drawing- room, green in the dining- room; tables, beds with real bed clothes, a cradle, a stove, a dresser with tiny plates and one big jug. But what Kezia liked more than anything was the lamp. It stood in the middle of the dining-room table, an exquisite little lamp with a white globe. It was even filled all ready for lighting, though of course, you couldn’t light it.
Comprehension questions on the text.
How was the doll’s house painted?
What can you say about chimneys, windows, a porch?
How were the rooms decorated?
Was the whole floor carpeted?
What kind of furniture was their in it?
What so special about the lamp?