Задание 2. Изучите образец письма и напишите аналогичное письмо воображаемому другу по переписке в Англии.

Text A

I live in a block of flats. I live on the ground floor, and my brother has a flat on the third floor. Unfortunately, there is no lift, so he climbs three flights of stairs to reach his flat. But he has a balcony with a wonderful view of the park opposite the flats.

My rooms on the ground floor are quite dark because they don’t get very much sun. They are also quite noisy because they are near the roads and the traffic. The other negative thing is that the rooms are draughty. This means it is expensive to heat the rooms. Fortunately I have a very good central heating system. In other ways, it is also very nice: it’s in good condition, and the rooms are huge. I have a modern kitchen, nice and clean with a lot of cupboards. There’s a washing machine, a fridge and a cooker, but there isn’t a dishwasher.

Text B

More than half British families own their homes (houses or flats). Others live in council accommodation and some people rent from private owners. There are three main types of houses in Britain: a) detached; b) semi-detached; c) terraced. A detached house is the most expensive type of home. It stands on its own land and is not attached to another building. Such houses have privacy from neighbours, and they are ideal for keen gardners who can devote plenty of time to work in their garden. A semi-detached house is joined to the house next door by a shared wall. A house of this kind is less expensive than a detached house, but still offers a good standard of privacy and comfort. It usually has a small garden at the front and a larger garden at the back. A terraced house is usually two- or three-storeys high. It is one of a continuous row of similar houses, joined together by their side walls. A terraced house usually costs less than a semi-detached or detached house of similar size. There are miles of terraced houses in most towns. Over a quarter of British families live in them.

There are also other types of buildings in which people live: d) apartment blocks; e) bungalows; f) country cottages. Bungalows are one-storey houses which are popular with older people. Apartment blocks – are high-rise blocks of flats which provide accommodation for a lot of city dwellers. But these buildings are not very popular. About 20% of the population live in flats. There are more flats in cities than in rural areas. Most people in Britain traditionally like to live in houses.

When people buy a house or a flat in Britain, they usually borrow money from a bank or an organization called a Building Society. This money, which is called a mortgage, is often paid back over 25 years. Other people rent a house or flat. When they do this, the money they pay is called the rent, and the person who owns the house or flat is the landlord.

1) What are the main types of houses in Britain?

2) What is a detached house?

3) What is the difference between a detached house and a semi-detached house?

4) What is a terraced house?

5) Who likes to live in bungalows?

6) Why are apartment block not very popular?

7) What houses are built in Russia?

8) Do you share the opinion that many-storeyed houses are not quite convenient for living in? What do you think?

9) How would you describe your house? Would you like to change the place in which you live? If so, what are your reasons?

10) What is a mortgage?