Life in the country or in the city

1. Let’s talk about different types of houses. Tell me about the house/flat you live in. We have a nice flat in a new block of flats. Our flat is on the fourth floor. It has all modern conveniences: central heating, gas, electricity, cold and hot running water, a lift and a chute to carry rubbish down. There are three rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall in our flat. The living-room is the largest and most comfortable room in the flat. In the middle of the room we have a square-table with six chairs round it. To the right of the dinner-table there is a wall-unit which has several sections: a sideboard, a wardrobe and some shelves. Between the two large windows there is a little table with a colour TV set on it. A small round table, a sofa and a standard lamp are in the left-hand corner.

The bedroom is smaller than the living-room and not so light as there is only one window in it. In this room there are two beds with a bedside-table between them. An alarm-clock and a small lamp with a pink lamp-shade are on the table. In the left-hand corner there is a dressing-table with a big mirror. In this room we have a built-in wardrobe with coat-hangers to hang clothes on.

It’s really wonderful to have a room for yourself. My room is not large but very cosy. There isn’t much furniture in it, only the most necessary. It has a writing-table and an armchair before it. In the right-hand corner there is a bookcase full of books, magazines and newspapers. A small table with a tape-recorder is standing in the left-hand corner. In my opinion, the study is the best room in our flat. But the warmest place in our flat is the kitchen, I think — the place where the whole family gathers every evening not only to have supper together, but also to speak and rest. I like the English proverb: “My home is my castle” because my flat is, indeed, my castle.

2. Where would you like to live: in a city or in the country? Why (not)? I would like to live in the city. I got used to have all modern appliances in my flat, it’s more comfortable than living in the country.

3. What questions will you ask your parents about the flat/house your family is going to move into? How many rooms are there in that house? Will I have my own room? Has that house all modern conveniences: central heating, gas, electricity, cold and hot running water?

4. Your friend wants to decorate his/her room. Give him/her some advice on how to furnish it? I wouldn’t recommend to overcrowd the room with the furniture. There should be everything that is necessary. In this case you’ll have enough space and air in your room. Besides it’s easier to clean such rooms. But the most important thing about the design of any room is to make it cosy.

5. They say that the room in which you live reflects you character and personality. What do you think about this idea? Some people think that one’s home is as much a reflection of his personality, as the clothes he wears, the food he eats, the friends he spends his time with. I agree that many homes reflect the ways of life and habits of their owners. In my view to live comfortably doesn’t mean to live in luxury in a detached house.