Topic Six: Place to Live in

Dictation 13

The Remarkable Suite

The suite at Claridge's was not at all large, but it was very comfortable, and the sitting room was one of the most charming I'd ever seen, reminding you of the Victorian period.

What made it so unusual and special was the fireplace that really worked and the baby cot that stood in a corner near the tall windows. These were dressed with plum-coloured velvet draperies, while an oriental carpet spread its rich colour underfoot.

A big sofa covered in silk and matching armchairs, along with an antique coffee table, were arranged in front of the white marble fireplace; here an eye-catching mirror hung over the mantel.

Adding to the mood created by the elegant background were such things as a remarkable desk, a china cabinet filled with antique plates, and various small occasional tables made of mahogany. In fact, so authentic was the decorative scheme that I felt as if I had been whisked back into another era.

Vases of flowers, a bowl of fruit, a tray of drinks, newspapers and magazines all helped to make the room seem even more homey and inviting. It was especially cosy that November night, with the fire burning merrily in the grate and the pink-shaded lamps turned on.

Dictation 14*

My Room

As one walks into my room a large black and white spot catches his eye. This tapestry reveals itself to be a skin of a zebra whitch I

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acquired on my trip through Southern Africa. Turning to the right the visitor sees other things from far away lands mounted on the wall. They range from Greek swords to a unique lion-hunting arrow.

Below this array of seemingly ancient subjects is a large Sony stereo system I received for my birthday this year. A turn to the left now unveils a shelf containing hardback books, an alarm clock, my trophies, ribbons, CDs and tapes. This storage space is really an unnecessary extra but it does help keep my room from being messy.

Up against this same wall is my bed. It was handed down from my great grandmother and has been kept because of its value and sentiment. I believe this to be almost a mirror of my personality because I rarely change from my happy, reliable self and this bed has not changed in over a century. The reverse side of it shows off a twin to the first shelf. Unlike its companion, it holds some more prized possessions such as: a magazine collection, many artistic creations and various instruments. Along the wall is my desk. It is divided into five main parts: the surface, mechanical and scholastic things, as well as assorted odds and ends.

Dictation 15*

A New House

It was a large old-fashioned three-storeyed building standing on an acre of ground and situated about a mile outside the town of Mugsborough. It stood back nearly two hundred yards from the main road and was reached by means of a by-road or lane, on each side of which was a hedge formed of hawthorn trees and blackberry bushes. This house had been unoccupied for many years and it was now being altered and renovated for its new owner.

There were, altogether, about twenty-five men working there — carpenters, plumbers, plasterers, bricklayers and painters, besides unskilled labourers. New floors were installed where the old ones were destroyed, and upstairs two of the rooms were joined into one by demolishing the wall and substituting an iron girder. Some of the window frames were so rotten that they were replaced. The ceilings and

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walls were cracked and they had to be replastered. The broken chimney pots were taken down and new ones were fixed in their places. The old whitewash had to be washed off and the old paper was scraped off the walls. The air was full of the sounds of hammering and sawing, the ringing of trowels, the rattle of pails, the splashing of water brushes, and the scraping of the stripping knives used by those who were working…

Dictation 16*