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Architects’ visions of twenty-first century urban landscapes with ultra high-rise towers connected by aerial travelways are slowly giving way to an alternative concept of communities of small, secure, self-contained living units. The majority of the public obviously dislikes tower-block flats and would clearly prefer their own front door. It seems, therefore, that despite all the high-tech features of the homes of the next century, essentially, we may gо back to the idea of the traditional house.

Task 3

Make the list of words from both texts with the help of which you can describe a building. Use them in the sentences of your own.

Part III. Use of english

Task 1

Complete the gaps in the text with one word only. All the words you need to write are either determiners or pronouns. The first one has been done as an example (0). Explain your choice.

In the 1980s, architects Richard Rogers and Norman Foster rescued the reputation of their profession in Britain. Nowadays (0) these two men are responsible for more than half of the landmark buildings currently under way. No (1) ………………. firms of architects come close to matching (2) ………… extraordinary range of new building projects – from bridges and art galleries to airports and corporate headquarters. Although several commercial practices specialise in office blocks and shopping malls, these companies have (3) …………. of the scope, invention or cultural drive of the two most influential firms British architecture has ever known.

Their dominance is (4) …………….. new. Nearly 15 years ago the Royal Academy included their work in a glamorous show of the most influential British architects of the time. Foster was represented by the headquarters of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank in Hong Kong and Rogers – by he Lloyd's Building in the City of London. These buildings were as distinctive then as they are now: (5) ……………….. was controversial and has since been acclaimed a masterpiece. (6) ………………… proved that, at the time, Foster and Rogers could produce more inventive and memorable buildings than almost (7) ……………….. else.

In some ways (8) ……………… Foster and Rogers are outsiders from the middle class mainstream of British architects, who tend to find it hard to let go and let their imaginations rip. And, unlike such architects, (9) …………. of them ever made a distinction between cultural and commercial architecture. Lloyd's and the Hongkong Bank linked their fortunes to (10) …………… of mega-finance and they have not looked back since. Yet even if Foster and Rogers were merely efficient, businesslike architects these factors would not be enough to explain their dominance of the architectural top twenty. What matters is that they have created – consistently, convincingly and with only a (11) …………. mistakes along the way – (12) …………… of the most exciting, memorable and enjoyable buildings of the past 20 years.

Task 2

For questions 1 - 10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the space in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).